Chapter 8

Elian”s heart hammered in his chest. Today, he was to be handed over to a Borraq outpost, his fate sealed.

But in this moment, that wasn”t the most immediate danger he faced.

Rael had stripped him down to the waist, and now sat behind him, working a thick, sweet-smelling salve into Elian”s bare skin. The stuff was cold against Elian”s overheated flesh, sending shivers down his spine. Despite the unease of the situation, he couldn”t help the little gasps that escaped him as Rael”s strong fingers rubbed the salve into his body.

”Is this really necessary?” Elian squirmed, half from the strange feeling of the salve, half from the even stranger feeling of Rael”s hands on his body.

”Yes. There”s no other way.” Rael”s fingers pressed against the corner of Elian”s jaw and throat, rubbing the salve into his skin. ”I have to get you through the outpost and to the military”s representative. That won”t happen if every damn Borraq in the outpost catches the scent of you.”

That didn”t sound good. Elian shuddered— and then stiffened as Rael”s large hands closed on Elian”s skinny frame, forcing him to stay still. ”This will block your scent,” Rael explained again. ”It will only last for a short time, but that should be enough.”

Rael leaned close, his broad chest pressing against Elian”s back as he worked it into Elian”s skin. In the dim light of the dawn, the scent of something spicy in Rael”s own natural musk filled Elian”s nose, dizzying him. Desire warred with nervousness, creating a heady mix that threatened to send him reeling.

This was dangerous. This man was dangerous.

But not in the way that Elian had first feared.

Rael finished rubbing the salve into Elian”s skin at key points — his shoulders, the small of his back, and the back of his neck — and then pulled a cloak over his body, sealing him inside. Despite the heavy material, it did little to block the heady sensation of Rael”s touch and the closeness between them.

”Does this stuff actually work?” Elian asked, his voice a little hoarse.

Rael”s smile was sharp. ”I don”t take risks. If any other Borraq catches wind of your scent and decides to challenge me for you, there”s no telling what might happen. I will not let that happen.”

”They”re not as polite as you are?”

”Polite?” Rael snorted. ”Outposts like that are full of Borraq without clans. Lone wolves.”

He said the term like a curse. ”Thrown out of their clans? I didn”t know that happened. I thought all of you guys were into clan honor.”

”Sometimes, one can go too far. Sometimes warriors are thrown out of home.” Something dark crossed Rael”s gaze. ”Or they have them, but don”t want to return. After the war… Some warriors come back with a darkness in them. They do not wish to return.”

He shook his head. ”At least with Borraq from rival territories, you know what you”re getting. With lone wolves… You never know what they”re going to do. They have no alpha to hold them accountable, no families to care about, no-one to rely on.”

That sounded like Elian”s whole life. He was thankful for the cloak that covered his expression.

Rael stood. ”You are disguised. It”s time to go.”

Elian”s heart sank. He”d been trying not to think about it. ”Do you really have to do this?”

”I must take care of my clan,” Rael said, brooking no disagreement. ”Stand.”

”Is there anything I can do? To earn my freedom, I mean.” The words tasted bitter on Elian”s tongue the instant he said them.

”Please,” Elian said, his voice breaking. He reached out to grab Rael”s arm, but the man turned away from him, avoiding Elian”s outstretched hand easily. ”I”ll do anything. I”ll work for you. I”ll — I”ll be your personal bookkeeper, or your cook, or your — your anything. Just don”t hand me over to die.”

Rael”s jaw clenched. ”I do not need a cook. Or a bookkeeper, for that matter.” He diplomatically didn”t mention the ”anything” part of Elian”s plea.

Elian”s heart sank. He was offering himself up, and he still wasn”t good enough. ”There”s nothing else that I can do?” he whispered.

Rael”s expression was hard. ”You can survive.”

Elian”s shoulders slumped. He hung his head, the weight of his defeat pressing down on him.

He was going to be handed over to a place full of strangers who wanted to kill him. There was nothing that he could do about it.

And despite everything, the idea of being separated from Rael filled him with a cold, miserable dread. Rael was his enemy, but he was… kind. Proud. Respectful, in his own way.

He”d never mistreated Elian. Not even when he could have, the two of them all alone in the wilderness.

Elian”s cheeks flushed. What kind of man was he, to be miserable at the thought of being separated from his captor?

Sorry, humanity, he thought. Someone else should have crawled out of their cryopod. Someone better. Someone stronger.

Someone who would have known what to do.

Elian”s heart hammered as they approached the alien outpost.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The frontline spaceports that he was used to were dusty little holes in the wall, barely more than a few well-worn quarters and a landing pad.

In comparison, the outpost was a riot of color and noise. Bright flags flapped in the wind, bearing Borraq writing. Borraq of all shapes and sizes walked the streets, their gruff voices laughing and yelling.

Elian had read about aliens as a child, of course. What kid didn”t dream about space and the possibility of meeting strange creatures from other worlds? But the reality of it was something else entirely. Peeking out from under his cloak, Elian caught a glimpse of a gang of Borraq drinking together at a bar, their horns glinting in the neon light. One of them had a pet — a creature with a long, sinuous body and a dozen writhing tentacles, which it used to steal sips from its owner”s drink.

It was amazing. It was terrifying.

How was he supposed to escape somewhere like this, with Borraq everywhere he looked?

”You”re drawing too much attention,” Rael said, breaking through Elian”s dazed observations. ”Keep your head down.”

Despite the thick cloak that still covered him, Rael”s hand between his shoulders sent a shiver of memory through Elian. The salve that Rael had rubbed into his body before — the warmth of his strong, confident touch — it was impossible to forget, no matter how much Elian tried. It made his current situation all the more humiliating, to be escorted through the alien outpost at Rael”s side, like a child holding onto the hand of his captor.

But what other choice did he have?

If he ran, he”d be caught in moments. If he tried to appeal to one of the other Borraq that walked the streets, who knew what would happen? Despite his situation, Rael was the devil that Elian knew. He was the safest option that Elian had.

And that was the most terrifying thing of all.

As they made their way through the bustling outpost, passers-by greeted Rael with familiarity and good cheer. Elian couldn”t help but notice the respect and even reverence in their tones when addressing the imposing Borraq.

A scruffy merchant clapped Rael heartily on the shoulder. ”Good to see you again, my friend! Feels like an age since you graced us with your presence.” His eyes flickered to Elian with undisguised curiosity.

Rael grunted a terse reply, but the merchant seemed unfazed by his brusque manner. ”Your father would be proud to see how you”ve carried on the clan,” he said with a wink.

As they continued on, Elian”s mind raced. The little snippets about Rael”s past only deepened the mystery surrounding the enigmatic alien. A respected family? A father whose approval seemed to still loom large? Elian found himself craving more insight into the man who held his fate in his hands.

When they were alone again, Rael”s shoulders seemed to sag almost imperceptibly, as if freed from a weight. Elian seized the opportunity. ”That merchant seemed to know you well.”

Rael was silent for a long moment, and Elian wondered if he”d overstepped. But then the Borraq spoke, his words clipped but laced with a rare vulnerability. ”My father died during the first wars with your kind.”

Elian”s breath caught in his throat. Rael continued, ”His death shattered our clan. We were… vulnerable. Preyed upon by those who sensed our weakness.” His jaw clenched. ”I vowed to never let that happen again. To protect my people with everything I have, no matter the cost.”

As Elian processed the weight of Rael”s confession, the reason for his capture snapped into stark focus. This wasn”t just about a bounty or greed. It was about survival, honor, the solemn vow to shield his clan from the specters that had torn it apart before.

Elian”s heart ached for him. ”I”m sorry,” he said. ”That sounds… awful.”

Rael snorted. ”It was what it was. Every being has their own burden to bear.”

But the old pain in his eyes was unmistakable. Despite the danger that Elian was in, despite the fact that this man was about to hand him over to a death sentence, he couldn”t help but feel a surge of empathy for him. Rael was a man driven by his past, just as much as anyone else. He had his own hopes and fears, just like Elian did.

And speaking of hopes and fears…

Elian swallowed. ”I lost my parents in the war, too,” he said. ”I never knew them, though. I was an orphan. I always dreamed of having a big family of my own. I thought… I don”t know, I thought it would make them proud. Settle their spirits. Sounds stupid, I know.”

Rael”s gaze was intense on him. Just like the spicy scent of Rael”s musk that still clung to the inside of Elian”s borrowed cloak, the personal space between them had evaporated. They were walking side by side, deep in conversation, sharing their hopes and fears just as much as they were sharing the thick alien material that covered Elian”s body.

They were too close for there not to be something between them.

It was understanding. Sympathy. A connection between two people who found themselves at unexpected crossroads in their lives, about to make an unexpected decision.

But it was too late for them.

They”d reached their destination. The military building loomed before them, its lights and busyness promising a hundred different fates for Elian.

The double doors of the outpost”s entrance slid open, and Rael ushered Elian inside.

Elian”s heart sank. This was it. This was the moment that he was going to be handed over to someone who would decide his future — or rather, his lack of one.

The building was a hive of activity. Borraq soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms bustled back and forth, speaking in so quickly that Elian didn”t understand. Rael made his way to a desk, where a tired-looking Borraq woman sat surrounded by stacks of paperwork. She eyed Elian”s cloaked form with a raised eyebrow.

”I”m here to see the outpost”s military representative,” Rael said.

The woman sighed. ”He”s left on short notice. Some emergency in Yattara, I don”t know the details.”

Rael”s jaw clenched. ”When is he expected to return?”

”I don”t know that either. You”ll have to go to Yattara and ask him yourself.”

Yattara? Was this good, or bad? Elian eyed Rael from the depths of his cloak, trying to work it out.

Rael”s shoulders tensed. ”Fine.”

The woman eyed Elian”s much smaller form. ”You”re welcome to spend the night here. I recognize your clan, alpha. Your territory is far away. We have rooms for travelers, and your young friend must need a rest after such a journey.”

Eager relief flooded through Elian. The thought of a soft bed, of sleeping without the constant ache of his feet and the hard ground beneath him, was almost too much to bear.

But Rael”s response was a stiff, ”No. We have our own accommodations.”

Then, without another word, he ushered Elian outside.

Despite the busy crowds, Rael kept Elian closer to his side than ever, his grip on Elian”s arm almost painful. Rael”s shoulders were tense, his body coiled like a predator about to strike.

Elian was familiar enough with Rael to realize that something was very, very wrong.

They made it outside of the outpost”s gate without incident. ”What”s wrong?” Elian asked in a hushed whisper.

Rael”s eyes scanned the environment, his gaze sharp. ”I”m not sure,” he said. ”But my instincts are never wrong.”

He didn”t relax until they had put a good distance between themselves and the outpost, and he”d found a new camp for them to settle in. This time, he set up their defensive position first, and only then allowed Elian to help him with the rest of the tasks.

Outpost Zekara loomed in the distance, its towering spires a shiny blur against the setting sun. ”Is Yattara far?” Elian asked. ”Is that a place, or a person?”

”A city.” A muscle twitched in Rael”s jaw. ”Two weeks of good travel.”

”I thought you didn”t mind a long walk.”

”I don”t. It”s not that.” Rael turned to look back towards the outpost. From their new camp, they could look through the trees and see its main gate, but were hidden themselves. ”Something was wrong. Military representatives don”t often up and leave like that without replacement. And offering you a bed…” He shook his head. ”Uncommon hospitality.”

Elian”s heart beat harder. ”What does that mean?”

”Everything. Or nothing.” Rael rolled his shoulders, his gaze never leaving the outpost”s main gate. ”Perhaps I”m jumping at shadows.”

”I thought your instincts were never wrong.”

That earned Elian a quick flash of a wry smile. ”They aren”t. Sleep lightly tonight.”

Rael tied Elian up for the night as usual, the thick alien rope wrapping around his wrists and keeping him secured. But this time, with the firelight flickering across Rael”s face, Elian saw a new glint of something in the alien”s eyes.

Two weeks. Two more weeks of travel before his eventual disposal. Elian should have been overjoyed — and yet, a deep tension settled inside him, making his nerves ache.

Two more weeks with Rael.

Despite the weariness that dragged at Elian”s bones, sleep was a long time in coming.

As he drifted off, the sound of Rael settling in beside him was both a comfort and a torment.