Page 49 of Owned By the Hvrok

Shadows lengthened across the cockpit. The sky deepened into black and violet, swallowing the sun one slow heartbeat at a time.

Darkness was coming.Nighton a blood-soaked planet.

He heard the breath leave her lungs.

“Crashed,” she whispered. The word was bleak. Resigned.

He didn’t understand the syllables, but he understood the tone.

She got it.

That scrap of comprehension stirred something deep inside him.

He motioned toward the nav, trying to show her the internal scan. Limited radius. Energy grid failing. Too much interference. No precise coordinates. No clear knowledge ofwherethey were on Anakris, or how close they might be to Nalgar territory.

He needed food. Water. Heat sources. He needed to scout. Soon.

He turned to her again, gesturing to the seat by the wall. Then, he placed his palm against his chest, then against hers—slowly, deliberately.

Stay.

You will be safe here.

He didn’t know her word for safe, but he hoped she would feel it.

Her expression shifted. Still cautious. Still tense.

But... shenodded.

A small motion.

A flicker of understanding.

And that—that—made his body react in a way he hadn’t expected.

The scent of her had changed again. Softer. Warmer. And even through the mask, it coiled into his awareness like heat curling through ice. His pupils narrowed. His hand curled into a fist.

His cock twitched.

He stiffened.

No.

This was not the time.

But her nearness. Her scent. That flicker of comprehension, her willingness to trust him, even justa little…

It was maddening.

Kyhin decided. When they were out of this mess, he wouldcertainlyuse her for pleasure.

He stepped back from her, forcing space between them.

He would have to hide the ship. Camouflage it against the rock and ice. Lock down the access hatches. If the Nalgar were nearby, they would smell metal, power, warmth.Her.

He would have to move fast.

But first, he had to ensure she wouldn’t panic again.

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