Chapter 14

The deep wilds of Vasz were no place for the unprepared.

It was a dangerous plan, navigating the planet”s treacherous landscape on foot, choosing to avoid the main roads in favor of the unpatrolled wilds. But with Korvax still no doubt hunting for their trail, they had no choice. Over the few days since their encounter with him, they”d been alert for any sign of him.

As the two of them moved along the narrow, winding mountain pass, Rael”s every sense was on high alert. The instincts that had been honed by years of war and survival now served him as he scouted the path ahead. Rocks that could hide an ambush, the telltale signs of a predator”s territory, the distant sound of a river far beneath them — he took it all in, his mind working to keep himself and his mate safe.

His mate. The thought still sent a thrill through him, deep and hot. As the alpha of his clan, Rael had his pick of potential partners. He”d never lacked for attention. But now…

Now, there was something different. Something sweeter, more profound. Something that made his blood burn and his heart ache, all at the same time.

Beside him, Elian talked to him, his voice a bright counterpoint to the harsh landscape. ”What”s that plant over there? It looks like it”s got thorns the size of my head.”

Despite the danger, Rael couldn”t help but smile. ”That”s a marrat plant. It”s poisonous.”

”Of course it is. I swear, everything on this planet is dangerous,” Elian said, putting his hands on his hips. The movement tugged at the borrowed cloak he was wearing, and Rael”s eyes were drawn to the shape of his body under all that fabric. ”Does Vasz have any daisies? Petunias? Or are they all bloodthirsty carnivores, too?”

His mate was a strange creature. But, smiling, Rael wouldn”t have had him any other way.

When he”d first met the human, he”d been nothing but a curious means to an end, a strange and fragile thing that Rael had saved for mercenary reasons. But Rael had watched that same fragile thing grow.

Like a plant reaching for the sun, courage had blossomed in Elian, fed by his own determination and Rael”s careful tending. Now, despite the fact that he was as out of place on Vasz as a fish on land, Elian had become something else.

Under Rael”s tutelage, he”d become a survivor.

And more than that: a proud survivor, eager to test himself, quick to learn, brave in the face of any challenge.

In Rael”s bed, the human had been a sweet temptation. But here, in the wilds of his home, as he proved himself to Rael over and over again, he”d become something else entirely.

He”d become a mate.

A faint sound reached his ears, nearly entirely hidden beneath the birdsong. Rael”s smile faded, his senses sharpening. ”Hush,” he said, his voice low.

Elian immediately fell silent, his blue eyes wide as he looked to Rael.

Rael pivoted smoothly, hand falling to the hilt of his blade as he moved to shield Elian. ”We have company,” he growled, low enough for only the human”s ears.

Elian tensed, fingers twitching like he wanted a weapon of his own. Smart man. ”Korvax?”

”Most likely.” Rael”s lip curled in a sneer. Damn. Over the last few days, he”d begun to hope that he”d managed to throw Korvax off their trail. With the bounty on Elian”s head, through, that was too good to be true.

Without an alpha to keep them in control, clanless Borraq could be very persistent vermin. Rael narrowed his eyes.

There. Rael heard the softest of sounds from ahead of them, the faintest scrape of boot on stone. ”Show yourself, Korvax!”

There was a rustle from behind a nearby outcropping of boulders. Rael braced himself, muscles coiled tight, and then the other Borraq finally slunk into view. Korvax stepped out onto the narrow mountain pass, scowling, and spat scornfully down the drop to his side.

”Well, well,” Korvax drawled, flashing an insufferably fake grin. ”You”re truly showing off those alpha talents, Rael.” His gaze slid over to Elian, dark eyes glittering with greed. ”And you”ve managed to keep a hold on that pretty little pet of yours.”

Rael growled low in his throat, a warning rumble. ”Leave, Korvax. He”s not yours to take.”

The other Borraq shrugged, all fake nonchalance. ”Then I”ll just have to kill you and take him anyway.” He twirled his blade lazily. ”Should be easy enough. That human scent has your senses all scrambled, doesn”t it?”

”You”ll regret those words.” Rael”s fingers flexed on the hilt of his blade.

He”d let Korvax go once. That was all the warning that an alpha owed a challenger.

There would be no second chances for Korvax.

At his back, Rael felt Elian shift into a wary stance, balanced on the balls of his feet. Ready to run. Good man.

His arrogant smirk was the only warning they got before Korvax attacked.

Rael moved on instinct, his blade a blur of steel as he met Korvax”s strike. Their blades clashed together, sending sparks flying. Korvax may have had no clan, but his blade was true, standing up to the blow. Rael grunted with the force of their clash, boots skidding in the loose gravel as he fought to keep his footing.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Elian dart back, moving out of the way with a speed that would have made Rael proud if they weren”t in the middle of battle.

With a snarl, Korvax whirled on Elian, his blade flashing out in a deadly arc. Rael bellowed a wordless shout of rage and launched himself at Korvax”s back.

Metal shrieked on metal as their blades clashed again. Rael bared his fangs, meeting Korvax”s vicious snarl with one of his own as they grappled for control of the fight. He could feel Elian at his back, could sense the human”s determination and courage like a star.

The mountain pass was narrow and jagged, with the wilderness stretching out far below them. Blow after blow rained down, but Rael was always one step ahead. He used the narrow ground to his advantage, letting Korvax overextend with his strikes, then retaliating with brutal counterattacks that drove the other Borraq back, off-balance.

Korvax was arrogant, but even a man like him knew that when it came to strength, he couldn”t take Rael on man-to-man. He fought like the carrion-botherer he was, coming in here for a quick strike, lunging like a snake for every opening he could find. Sweat broke out on Rael”s skin as he fought, on high alert for every new tactic that Korvax was going to throw at him.

Then, too late, a swift breeze told Rael that he”d been focusing too much on what was in front of him, and not enough on what was behind him — the ravine that stretched out beneath them.

Damn! Korvax had backed Rael up against an edge of the trail, pinning him in position with his back against the drop.

If he took one step back…!

And Korvax knew it. With a lethal glee in his eyes, he lunged for Rael.

Rael braced himself, muscles coiled tight as Korvax charged forward, his blade a deadly streak of steel. This was it — the final clash that would decide their fates. He tensed, ready to meet the bounty hunter”s onslaught head-on.

But then a blur of movement caught the corner of his eye. Elian made a sharp, sudden gesture.

And then the rock that he”d thrown smashed straight into Korvax”s head.

The stone struck true, cracking against Korvax”s temple with a sickening thud. The bounty hunter stumbled, his attack going wild as he lost his footing on the uneven ground. Rael knocked him aside, throwing Korvax off-balance.

Almost in slow motion, Korvax stumbled precariously at the edge of the rocky cliffside, boots slipping on the loose rock.

And then, with a startled cry, he was gone — tumbling down into the ravine below.

Rael was at the precipice in an instant, peering over the edge with his heart in his throat.

Damn. Rael”s stars today were clearly not lucky. Korvax had skidded down the cliff face, landing in a crumpled heap on an outcropping below. He was groaning in pain, but still alive.

For now, at least. But there was no way for Rael to get down to Korvax and put an end to his pursuit for once and all. Rael scowled.

He turned to where Elian stood, frozen. ”We need to move,” he growled. ”A dog like that won”t be down for long.”

Elian blinked, then nodded jerkily, adrenaline and fear lending his movements a frantic edge. Without another word, they put as much distance between them and the ravine as possible.

They ran until their lungs burned, eating up the miles. All that mattered was putting distance between them and the jackal dogging their steps, leaving him to trail to follow.

Finally, when they could move no further, they collapsed into a sheltered alcove, gasping for air. Rael leaned back against the cool stone, his chest heaving. His gaze found Elian”s, and he couldn”t help the bark of surprised laughter that burst from his lips.

”You...” He shook his head in amazed disbelief. ”You threw a rock at him. You impossible, foolish little thing.”

Elian managed a weak grin, still wheezing. ”Hey, it worked, didn”t it?”

”It did.” Rael reached out, gripping the back of Elian”s neck in a gesture of gratitude and pride. ”Quick thinking in the face of danger. I”ll make a warrior of you yet, mate.”

The endearment slipped out without thought, but it felt right on his tongue. Elian”s eyes widened at the word, his pupils wide. Rael watched the human”s throat work as he swallowed hard.

Elian looked away, his gaze dropping to the ground. ”Do you think… Korvax will keep coming after us?” he asked tentatively.

Rael clenched his jaw, hating the flicker of fear he saw in those blue eyes. ”Without a doubt. The bounty on your head is an impressive one.” He couldn”t sugar-coat it for Elian; any lie would only come back to hurt him later.

Rael reached out, tilting Elian”s chin up so their eyes met once more. ”But you needn”t worry, mate. That dog can keep trying his luck. I”ll send him fleeing every single time.”

A brave smile tugged at the corners of Elian”s mouth, but it didn”t quite reach his eyes. ”My hero.”

Rael couldn”t shake the thoughts that gnawed at him. Could he truly keep Elian safe, with the whole of Vasz out to claim the bounty on his head? So many dangers lurked in these wilds — beasts and bounty hunters and the brutality of nature itself.

Any single one of them could prove Elian”s undoing.

It was too much to think about. With a growl, Rael captured Elian”s mouth in a searing kiss. Let actions of the heart speak louder than pretty words.

When they finally parted, both of them were flushed and breathing hard. Rael drank in the sight of Elian, lips swollen and cheeks pink, and felt a surge of possessive need slam into him.

Mine, a feral voice in his head growled. All mine.

No matter what threats they faced, what perils awaited them on the road ahead, he would see his mate to safety.

Even if he had to fight off every last bounty hunter on this forsaken planet to do it.