Samira

SAMIRA

I knelt in the sand, my fingers tracing the delicate veins of a desert flower. The oasis around us buzzed with life, a point of luxury against the barren landscape we’d crossed to reach it. My new abilities, a gift from Arkon’s claiming bite, heightened my senses. I could almost feel the plant’s struggle for survival, its tenacious grip on life in this harsh environment.

“Fascinating,” I murmured, leaning closer to examine the flower’s intricate structure. “The adaptations these plants have developed are incredible. Look at how the leaves curl to minimize water loss.”

Arkon stood nearby, his form overshadowing me. I glanced up, catching the amused quirk of his lips. He might not share my excitement for botany, but his presence filled me with warmth.

“You’ve been at this for hours,” he said, his tone light. “Shall we take a break?”

I shook my head, my attention already returning to the flower. “Just a few more minutes. I want to collect a sample of this one.”

As I carefully extracted a small cutting, Arkon shifted his weight. “,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. “Have you ever considered... moving to a different planet?”

I paused, looking up at him with surprise. “What do you mean?”

He waved a hand vaguely at our surroundings. “Somewhere with more... growing stuff. More for you to study.”

I set aside my sample and patted the ground next to me. “Come here,” I said softly. When he sat, I took his large, gray hand in mine. “What’s this about, Arkon?”

He sighed, his red eyes meeting mine. “I’ve been thinking about the future. About us. After the war, I just followed Davor into bounty hunting. It was familiar, something I could do without much thought. But now...” He trailed off, his gaze drifting to our joined hands.

“Now?” I prompted gently.

“Now I have you,” he said simply. “And I wonder if I should be doing more. Thinking more about what comes next.”

My heart swelled with emotion. I leaned in, pressing my lips to his in a tender kiss. “Arkon, you don’t need to change anything about your life for my sake. I love you, exactly as you are. Whether you’re hunting bounties or...” I grinned. “Or taking up gardening.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Maybe I should think about it,” he said, raising my fingers to his lips.

I let out a giggle at the thought of Arkon tending to a garden. The image of his powerful, gray hands delicately pruning roses was both absurd and endearing.

“Well,” I said, still chuckling, “if we’re considering career changes, maybe I should take up bounty hunting. I could use my botanical knowledge to track down criminals hiding in jungles.”

Arkon raised an eyebrow, his red eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’d pay good credits to see that, my mate. Though I fear you’d be too distracted by interesting plants to catch anyone.”

I swatted his arm. “Hey, I’ll have you know I can be very focused when I need to be. Remember last night?”

“True,” Arkon conceded, pulling me closer. “You are full of surprises, .”

We sat in comfortable silence, the desert breeze rustling through the oasis plants. I leaned into Arkon’s solid warmth, marveling at how far we’d come since our first encounter.

“You know,” I mused, “when I was younger, trapped in that labor camp, I never imagined I’d end up here. Mated to a Vinduthi bounty hunter, contemplating our future on some distant world.”

Arkon’s chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “And I never thought I’d be considering a life beyond the hunt. You’ve changed me, .”

I tilted my head up to look at him, my heart full with love. “We’ve changed each other,” I corrected gently.

His lips met mine in a tender kiss, and I melted into him. When we parted, I couldn’t resist adding with a grin, “Though if we do settle on another planet, promise me one thing?”

“Anything,” Arkon said, his voice husky.

“Promise me you won’t use your ‘giant moth petting’ skills for pollination duty. I don’t think the local insects would appreciate the competition.”

Arkon’s laughter echoed through the oasis, a deep, rich sound that filled me with joy. “I thought we agreed never to speak of that again,” he growled playfully, pulling me closer.

I giggled, nuzzling into his chest. “Oh no, my love. That memory is far too precious to forget. The big, bad Vinduthi bounty hunter, delicately stroking enormous moths.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” he asked, his tone a mix of amusement and resignation.

“Not a chance,” I replied, grinning up at him. “It’s one of the moments I fell in love with you, after all.”

Arkon’s expression softened, and he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Then I suppose I can live with the teasing,” he murmured.

As we sat there, entwined in each other’s arms, I marveled at the journey that had brought us to this point. From a chance encounter in a dangerous jungle to building a future together, our path had been anything but straightforward. But as I gazed out at the vibrant life flourishing in this harsh desert, I knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, we’d face them together.

And maybe, just maybe, Arkon’s moth-petting skills would come in handy after all.