Page 38 of Lunar Bound
"Yet here you are," Poppy said softly, "making choices every moment you stay with me."
The truth of her words resonated through his being. Each moment since their first encounter had been a choice, small divergences from his programmed path that had led him here, to this cabin, to this woman who saw through darkness as easily as breathing.
"I am compromised," Lunar concluded, the admission both liberating and terrifying. "My objectivity regarding Earth no longer exists. By every measure of shadow operative protocols, I have failed."
He hadn’t even been logging his mission reports to take home.
Poppy moved closer, her hand finding his in the dancing firelight. "Or maybe you've succeeded in ways you didn't expect. Maybe connection is worth more than intelligence gathering."
"A romantic perspective," Lunar observed.
"A human perspective," Poppy corrected. "Though I'm starting to think it's not just a human thing. Solar and Dani, Eclipse and Rowan, you and me... There's something about these connections that transcends species. I have to believe there was some kind of fate that brought you three here at this time to meet us. There’s a power in the universe greater than all of us. It drew our energies together. What are the odds that we would find each other so quickly, so assuredly?"
Lunar considered this, analyzing the patterns that had emerged. Three Zorveyan representatives, each finding unexpected resonance with Earth females. Statistically improbable unless some deeper meaning existed.
"You may be correct," he said. "The resonance between us suggests factors beyond simple attraction. Your shadow sensitivity, in particular, indicates possible genetic variations that?—"
Poppy silenced him with a kiss, her lips warm against his cool. The familiar circuit of energy established itself instantly, star patterns accelerating within his darkness as her warmth flowed into him.
When they parted, her smile carried a gentle amusement. "You're overthinking again."
"Analysis is my nature," Lunar defended, though he felt his clinical perspective dissolving under her touch.
"Your nature is changing," Poppy observed. "I can feel it in your energy. The patterns are different than when we first met. More complex. More..."
"Human?" Lunar suggested with what might have been irony.
"More open," Poppy corrected. "Like shadows at the edge of dawn, when they start to soften and blend instead of standing in sharp relief."
The poetic description sparked something in Lunar's consciousness, a recognition that Poppy understood his nature in ways that even other shadow-dwellers might not. She saw not only the darkness but the subtle variations within it, the beauty in the absence of light.
A soft knock interrupted them. Rowan peered inside the open door, her face drawn with exhaustion despite her earlier insistence on taking watch.
"You should rest," Poppy told her gently. "Lunar and I can handle the watch."
Rowan hesitated, clearly torn between exhaustion and the need to remain vigilant for any news of Eclipse. Finally, fatigue won. She moved to the cot, still clutching the energy stone.
"Wake me if anything changes," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “He’s out there. Alone.”
"I know. We will," Poppy promised.
As Rowan settled onto the narrow cot, Lunar and Poppy moved outside into the desert night. The temperature had dropped significantly, but Poppy seemed unbothered.
“I can only imagine what she’s feeling,” Poppy whispered. “The idea of a missing loved one is probably one of the worst feelings in the world. The not knowing.”
They found a natural shelter in the rocks above the cabin, a position that offered clear sightlines while remaining concealed. Poppy settled against a smooth boulder, and Lunar flowed around her, his shadow form providing both warmth and protection.
"How long do you think we can hide here?" Poppy asked after a while, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Unknown," Lunar admitted. "Milano's resources appear extensive. But this location offers significant tactical advantages."
"That's not what I meant," Poppy said softly. "How long before Galaxy Brides returns? How long before you have to choose between duty and...?" She gave a helpless gesture. “Between duty and us?”
The question pierced through his defenses more effectively than any weapon. Lunar found himself tightening his protective embrace, as if he could shield them both from the inevitable.
"I don’t know," he answered at length. He hoped for more time than duty would dictate.
Poppy turned in his arms. Her eyes found his. "Whatever time we have, I want to spend it without regrets. Without holding back because of what might come."
