Page 129 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
His mouth finds mine, then wanders—cheek, jaw, the sensitive hollow of my throat. Kisses fall there like sparks on dry tinder. My pulse jumps. My body arches. His breath skims my ear, whispering promises dipped in honey. A shared future. A life together. Words I want to wrap myself in, believe in, drown in.
The world outside blurs. The fear, the chaos, the danger we barely escaped—it’s gone. Burned away in the heat rolling off him. There’s only us. Only now.
I try to breathe deep, to slow the wild pounding in my chest. Useless. The rhythm between us takes over, pulling me under. My fingers curl into him, clinging, anchoring.
Heat builds. Spreads. Fills every nerve until I’m shaking, not from fear but from something far more dangerous. I’m lost in him, trembling, alive… and wanting more.
We catch our breath in silence. Then Ayden’s gaze turns serious. Did I say something wrong?
He leans against the wall, one hand resting above my head, the other gently cupping my cheek.
“Sam… I don’t want to live without you anymore. I know our lives are different—yours wild and free on Gakkaria, mine chasing missions across the galaxy. But I want to find a way to make this work. Together. If you want it too…”
How do I answer that?
“Ayden… I don’t want to be apart from you either. I… love you.”
My voice shakes slightly, but I don’t look away.
A shy smile spreads across his face. He leans in, his forehead touching mine.
“Then let’s try,” he whispers.
I nod, too choked up to speak. For him… I’m ready to change my whole life.
Epilogue
One Cycle Later
I spot Sam walking up the dusty street at her usual relaxed pace. She's coming back from Rebecca’s place, where she dropped off a few vials of ointments and potions.
As for me, it’s been a quiet day at the office. Ever since I took the job as sheriff of Gekkar Creek, things have settled down. The settlers sleep easy now, and the town’s even treated itself to a schoolhouse. A sure sign that progress is slowly taking root.
After those brutal days in the Red Arena, Sam and I spent a lot of time talking about our options. We even tried out a few of them.
But Sam can’t stay long on interstellar bases. All that tech smothering nature… even BN-22’s aquaponic farms couldn’t bring her peace.
So together, we decided to stay close to plants and forests. And if I was going to give up my life as a space traveler, might as well settle where it all started—where Sam blossoms like a flower and shines like the sun…
We now live in Olivia’s old house at the bottom of Main Street. When Vlad and Igor, or Jason and Xenon come visit, we’ve got more than enough space to host them.
Sam and I visit the Gekkaris every two or three days. Over time, I’ve learned to communicate with Goulou and Flea, even if I’m still nowhere near as fast as my little blonde.
We also made an arrangement with my former boss—every time a new Sentinel class starts, the recruits come spend a few days training here under my supervision, on Gekkaria.
Not gonna lie—space adventures tug at me sometimes. And yeah, I miss my old crew. But they make up for it by showing up regularly to vacation here.
And speaking of which… I spot four figures trailing behind my girl, heading up the street.
Their silhouettes give them away instantly.
I rise from my rocking chair, set in the shade of the sheriff’s office porch. A wide grin stretches across my face.
Up front, there’s Vlad—still built like a tank, rocking his signature worn-out leather coat and that crooked grin of his. Igor’s right behind him, sunglasses firmly in place, wearing the look of someone who’s seen too many strange worlds to be impressed by anything anymore.
Behind them, Jason and Xenon flank my Sam like honorary bodyguards.
“Well, would you look at that…” Vlad calls out as they approach. “We actually woke the sheriff from his afternoon nap on the porch!”
