Page 40 of Savage Bond

The world whites out as he comes, heat flooding my core. His teeth sink into the join of shoulder and neck—claiming, cruel, perfect. We collapse into the ruined moss, still joined, both pretending not to notice his trembling arms caging me close.

A sudden wave of apprehension shoots through me. That's it. This is what happened last time. Tomorrow… nothing will have changed.

My arms and legs latch around him, pulling our bodies closer together and refusing to let go. But he doesn't move. He rests gently on top of me, his cock still pulsing inside my body, and his breathing and heartbeat slowly returning to a normal rate.

I bury my face in his neck. What is wrong with me? He's a monster… the enemy… but the thought of letting go makes my stomach churn and my eyes burn with emotion. With… sadness.

I… I'm so screwed.

CHAPTER 25

KAIRON

The sky bleeds pale pink as I break camp, the remnants of our fire still smoldering beneath the damp earth. I stamp out the last embers, the heat kissing my skin. I glance over at Ava, who stirs silently. She doesn't say much—just takes the water pouch I offer with a nod, her eyes downcast.

We slip back into the trees, shadows dancing in the dawn light. The jungle feels different today.

Or maybe it's me.

I can’t shake last night from my mind—the way she clung to me, her body warm and trembling against mine, the sounds that escaped her lips like a siren’s call. It’s unsettling how those moments flicker through my thoughts, stealing focus from the path ahead. I have to remind myself of who we are: enemies trapped in this mess together.

But as we move deeper into the thicket, I notice something has shifted around us. The vines hang less aggressively now; they part almost reverently as we pass. The underbrush thins out beneath our feet, revealing stones hidden by years of decay and neglect.

A rhythm pulses through this space—a heartbeat beneath layers of moss and dirt. It feels... ordered. Not chaotic like before.

I pause mid-step, brushing aside a thick vine that clings to my shoulder. My fingers graze against rough bark beneath it—etched with symbols I recognize all too well.

Precursor.

A chill creeps up my spine despite the warmth wrapping around us. This isn’t just any jungle; it’s a remnant of something greater—a forgotten world shaped by hands long gone but still echoing through time.

“Ava,” I call softly, motioning her closer without taking my eyes off the tree. She steps beside me, brow furrowing as she takes in the markings.

“What is it?” Her voice is cautious yet curious.

“Look.” I point to the symbol carved into the bark—a spiraled design resembling a star map twisted around itself like an eternal loop.

Her breath catches slightly as recognition flashes across her face. “It matches what the elder described.”

The jungle opens up, and the air shifts. I step into a clearing, the dense foliage falling away to reveal what lies ahead. My breath catches. Ruin fragments rise like ancient bones—pillars split by roots, stone slabs half-submerged in mud, smooth metal fused with rock. Each piece whispers secrets of a past I can only dream about.

Then I see it.

The cliff face looms before us, massive and commanding. Carved with precision, the structure resembles the mouth of a buried god, covered in moss and flowering vines that cling like memories refusing to let go. It’s doorless but not destroyed, silent yet full of presence—watching us as if it knows our every thought.

A Precursor ruin. Dormant. Whole.

I stop cold, the hairs on my neck prickling. A hum resonates deep within—not from the air or the structure—but inside me.

I don’t move or speak. I just feel it.

Not fear. Not awe.

Recognition.

Not of the ruin itself, but ofher.

I turn to Ava with a glance that holds more weight than words ever could. And suddenly, everything clicks into place—the gnawing desire that hasn’t faded, my body’s rebellion against harming her, how my instincts have realigned themselves around her like a protective shield.

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