Page 48 of Bound to the Alien King
Nera
Musicfilteredthroughtheintercom, a mysterious, magical song with delicate piano notes and soft violins.Rain’s song, the wordless lullaby she used to soothe Lucy, and by default, me.
It broke through the ear-ringing roar of the violently rattling ship.Even now, especially now, I couldn’t help but listen and absorb myself into its calming rhythm.As the planetary curve of Klio-3 frowned menacingly at us through the viewscreen, my thrashing heartbeat slowed some.
“What is that?”Maxx shouted over the music and the noise.
“It’s Rain.”
He didn’t look like he understood, so I just clasped his hand even tighter.I would explain later.Hopefully.
The thin atmosphere whistled and howled against the hull, and intense heat mounted as friction threatened to tear the ship apart.
So far…not great, but we were still here, still hurling toward our fate.Even though I knew it was useless, I danced the fingers of my free hand across the console’s buttons, desperately trying to find any last shreds of power.
All I had was communication, which I powered on once more.
“Brace for impact!”I shouted, hoping the rest of the ship could hear me.
The planet was closing in fast, a surreal mixture of water and rock and dust that filled the viewscreen, blurring my vision.It looked so different while hurtling toward it rather than hovering over it while unable to land.
The ship groaned and protested as Darc was likely pulling back on theOdessa‘s controls, trying to ease our descent, but it was a futile effort against the planet’s unrelenting pull.
I tore my gaze away to look at Maxx.“This is it.”
He smiled, so full and beautiful that it almost hurt.“This isn’t it, Nera.”
“No?”
He shook his head.“You said you still love me.That you always will.”
I did, and I always would, and the joy in his expression echoed in my heart.I couldn’t not love him.It was impossible, not when my hand in his felt like home.
With a bone-rattling jolt, we hit the ground.Metal screeched and buckled as the ship skidded across the beachy terrain, throwing sparks and debris in every direction.The impact jarred my teeth and sent shockwaves of pain through my body.The once fancy-schmancy, sturdy ship shuddered and groaned as it gradually came to a halt in a cloud of dust and smoke.
We sat there shocked for a moment, silence enveloping the bridge, broken only by the crackling of damaged systems.As the dust settled, I released a shaky breath and locked eyes with Maxx.
The two of us couldn’t unstrap ourselves from our seats fast enough even though my bruised body felt like I’d squeezed it through a sausage grinder.
From theOdessa, a cheer rang out.
Laughing, I poured myself and my caterpillar jar into Maxx’s arms in a surge of overwhelming relief.“I think we really did it.”
“We did.We made it,” he assured me into my hair.“You’re alive and safe.”
“And you are too.”I pulled back to look at him, to make sure not a single scale had been damaged in our little crash landing.
He seemed to be doing the same to me and my caterpillar, his gaze trailing, his fingers searching.
It was as if something snapped inside me.My self-control.My ability to keep him at arm’s length while I worked through my fears and doubts.
My love for him eclipsed all of it.So did my need for him.
He seemed to see all of that taking place, because as I stepped toward him, he reached out, took the caterpillar jar and set it on the console, and crashed his lips to mine.His searing kiss stole my breath, and I drank all of him in, every last bit.His lips were warm and claiming, firm and intoxicating.
When I had to come up for air again, I said, “I trust you, Maxx.”
He cradled my face in his large palms and touched his forehead to mine.“I cherish those words from you.I don’t think you can know how much, my beautiful star.”
