Epilogue

JULES

P ryt's cerulean waters lap against the shore in a steady rhythm, providing a calming soundtrack to the intense passion that unfolds within our new home. The peaceful scenery outside stands in stark contrast to the wild ecstasy of Behtu's sivot plunging his beastly erection into my wet heat with primal urgency as he claims me.

With a deep and final thrust, the sivot's knot swells inside me, an indomitable presence that stretches me deliciously, locking us together. His wit, those fingerlike projections at the base of his cock latch onto my clit, massaging and vibrating as he marks me with his spill. I come undone over and over again, my head thrashing against the pillow as I beg him not to stop.

As the sivot recedes, Behtu returns to his Kaul form, the transition seamless and swift. His glossy blue skin glistens with a sheen of sweat, his long white hair a silken cascade over broad shoulders. But it's his eyes, glowing a bright, glacial blue, that captivate me.

"Jules," he growls, and the sound vibrates through my bones.

"Behtu," I pant, barely able to catch my breath as he pumps into me, each thrust a testament to his feral nature.

Overwhelmed with a rush of sensations, our bodies seem to merge into one, losing all boundaries and distinctions between us in a passionate dance fueled by desire. When he knots me again, this time in his true form, the world erupts all around me in a shower of white-hot sparks.

His weft comes alive, massaging and humming against my clit, sending shockwaves of ecstasy coursing through me. My body responds with fervor, greedy for the relentless pleasure he offers. I shatter around him in a shared climax of carnal bliss.

In our spacious mating bed in our bedroom loft, Behtu collapses next to me, gathering me in his arms and rolling to his back. I lay spent and quivering, my head resting on the solid plane of my mate's chest. His heart beats a powerful cadence beneath my ear, syncing with the residual tremors that quake through my body.

The double doors are open to the outside, inviting a warm breeze to waft over our entwined forms. The air carries the salty tang of the sea. Peace settles over me, a contentment born from our shared ecstasy.

Outside, the ocean whispers secrets to the shore, the distant hush of waves lapping against the pink sands a gentle lullaby. In this moment, nestled against the male who holds my heart in his hands, I find a harmony within myself I never knew existed.

I trace the line of Behtu's hard jaw, the serenity of passion still hums in my veins, but curiosity bubbles up within me, a relentless curiosity that refuses to be ignored.

"Not that it matters, but there's something I've been wondering about," I say, my voice carrying the weight of my thoughts.

Behtu shifts, his cool gaze fixes on mine with an intensity that feels as if he's peering into my soul. "Ask me anything, Jules."

"Warlord Zarnak mentioned you gave up your crown," I begin, hesitant yet needing to understand the male who has captivated me so wholly. "What did he mean by that?"

A shadow flickers across Behtu's face, a ghost of a life left behind. "When my sire passed, I was next in line to be king on Klaxis," he admits, his voice resonating with a timbre of resignation and freedom entwined. "But the call of freedom, to join the Star Maverick's was stronger than the chains of the throne. My younger brother was more suited for the task."

His confession hangs between us, a revelation that paints his character with even broader strokes, a noble birthright forsaken for autonomy. I search his face for regret, for any sign that he mourns the loss of what could have been.

"Will you ever regret it? Giving up your freedom for me?" My own freedom had been stripped away when I was abducted from Earth, but Behtu had given it back to me.

Behtu's gaze doesn't waver from mine as he lifts a hand to cup my cheek, his touch a scorching promise against my skin. "There are different kinds of freedom, Jules." The corners of his lips curve upward. "Some chains are chosen, and they don't always bind. Your love doesn't cage me. It liberates something within me that I didn't realize was confined."

Behtu's thumb brushes against my jawline, drawing a line of heat that spirals down to my core. His eyes, bright as twin stars, hold mine with an intensity that electrifies the air.

"Jules," he murmurs, and his voice vibrates through me, a deep rumble that stirs the embers of our smoldering connection. "I've traversed galaxies, faced the void of space with nothing but the hum of my ship to break the silence. And yet, in your gaze, I find an expanse more vast and liberating than any starlit sky."

His confession hangs between us, raw and unguarded. The walls of the loft seem to recede, the boundaries of our world blurring until there is only this, him and me and the thrumming pulse of the ocean beyond.

"I never knew love before you," he continues, his free hand tracing the curve of my hip, branding me with his touch. "In your arms, I am boundless, untethered. You have freed my heart, Jules, and that is the greatest freedom I have ever known."

The weight of his words anchors me, their truth sinking deep into the marrow of my bones. I search his face, the noble lines softened by emotion, the blue hue of his skin luminous in the moonlight. My breath catches as the enormity of his surrender washes over me.

A surge of emotion swells within me, a tidal wave that crashes against the shores of my heart. Gratitude blossoms like a fierce heat, searing away any lingering doubts. Love, rich and profound, fills every crevice of my being, binding me to him with a force more potent than any physical chain.

"Behtu," I whisper, my voice thick with unshed tears. "My wild, untamed beast who has ignited a flame within me that will burn eternal. The space pirate who rescued me from certain death."

"We rescued each other," he says, pulling me closer.

Our bodies meld together, two beings fused by a desire that defies worlds and a love that transcends the confines of the flesh. In his embrace, I am home; in his kiss, I am infinite.