Chapter 17

SARAH

Ihad attended every meeting with the other women eager to return to Earth, but this time I felt no urge tocontribute. My mind was elsewhere, detached from the present moment.

Huddled around a circular table of the throne room inside the opulent palace, Bridget, Lucy, Abby, Naomi, Chloe, and Trish who shared my ordeal in the Gorken mines were busy brainstorming plausible reasons why we had all gone missing to suddenly reappear once we were returned to Earth. Their voices melded into a distant hum, inconsequential and faint against the thunderous echo of Gunnox's essence pressing behind my sternum.

"Does that sound like a good plan?" Bridget asked, shifting in her seat. "Earth to Sarah."

I blinked, my gaze snapping to meet hers for a fleeting moment before sweeping around the table at the other sets of curious gazes. "Sorry… what was the question?"

They had been chatting away about going home, of returning to the familiar, while I was consumed with thoughts of Gunnox. Mainly of how his silvery scales hugged his taut muscles, and how his bioluminescent markings had glimmered in the moonlit night as we had ventured out into the jungle for our nocturnal safari.

I could almost feel the warmth of his lips on mine, a tender and reverent touch that lingered in my memory. His hands, strong yet infinitely gentle, had cradled me with a protective embrace, each touch had conveyed a depth of care and devotion that resonated within my soul.

But then things had escalated quickly. My legs spread, he had devoured my pussy with firm lips and tongue like a starving male. His touch had set my skin ablaze with a fiery ecstasy, every sensation heightened to an electrifying intensity. I craved to feel that way again.

"Naomi was just saying we should keep our story as simple as possible," Bridget explained, excitement lacing her voice as she leaned forward on the table. "That way it will be easier to keep our stories straight. We are going to say that…"

My thoughts scattered like dandelion seeds in a stiff breeze as Bridget's voice evaporated into the background, lost in my longing for Gunnox. The image of his blue blood dripping from the wounds he had endured from the Gorken's whip haunted me. I worried about what wounds he might have sustained in the battle against the Nuttaki.

The memory of our last moment together played on repeat in my mind, a reel of unspoken words I'd held back. I'd run after him when he left me standing in the palace foyer with words I had wanted to say to him but I had been too late, he had already boarded the bubble craft. I had stood on the training field, my eyes cast to the dawning sky searching for a hint of the invisible craft before the dome closed.

Did he feel the tug of my absence as keenly as I felt his presence etched into my very soul? The bond between us had grown stronger since our shared kiss. Sex was the catalyst to form matching shawras where a piece of our spirits would emerge and coalesce, at least that's what the mated girls had explained. I wondered if a kiss could have a similar effect since we were drawn to each other in a way I couldn't even begin to grasp.

Among the chatter of women yearning for Earth, I found myself adrift in a sea of uncertainty, anchored only by the thought of him. Each heartbeat echoed his name, each breath whispered his touch. The ache to know if he was safe gnawed at me.

As Britney's words dissolved into the ether, my focus sharpened on Gunnox's well-being after the battle at Trisess. I yearned for a glimpse of him, craving reassurance that he was all right and unhurt.

I grappled with the echo of his emotions housed within me. His absence left an indelible mark on my soul, a void only he could fill. With each passing heartbeat, I found myself drawn further into the labyrinthine maze of emotions that bound us together.

"Sarah," Lucy prodded gently, reaching out to touch my arm. Instead of comfort, her fingers felt like anchors attempting to hold me in place when all I wanted was to run all the way to the Trisess Forest and see for myself that Gunnox was okay?—

I knew what I had to do!

With an abruptness that startled even me, I stood up, the movement quick and decisive. The circle of women fell silent, their eyes wide as they watched me.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," I said, though it sounded more like an apology to myself than to them. My pulse hammered, each beat a drumline urging me forward.

"Where are you going?" Trish called after me, but I was already moving, my legs carrying me with a determination fueled by a force stronger than gravity.

The palace corridors blurred past, my breaths coming out in ragged gasps. I burst out of a side door and raced to the hangar. Inside, people stopped working to stare at me as I burst into the cavernous room. Embarrassment was the last thing on my mind as I quickly scanned the crowd of silver faces, searching for the one giant purple Moktian that stood out among them.

"Hi," I puffed out excited and anxious. "I'm Sarah." I stuck my hand out like an idiot, but Zaku flashed an inquisitive smile and firmly grasped my own. "I don't think we've ever officially met, but I was wondering if you could help me."

"Sure, Sarah." Zaku tilted his head at me. "What can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if you could call Trisess on your comm thingy so I could talk to Gunnox." I wrung my hands as my voice wavered but didn't break, projecting a strength I wasn't entirely sure I possessed. "I just want to know if he's okay."

"I can do you one better." Zaku went back to stuffing a large bag with alien tech. "I'm headed to the Trisess Forest to deliver these cellpods for the luminetric barrier. You could go with me and see him for yourself."

"Really!" Overwhelmed with gratitude, I barely kept from flinging my arms around the huge Moktain. "I would love it. Thanks so much."

"I'm almost finished packing up the rest of the supplies if you want to meet me on the training field. The spherical craft is already there."

After thanking Zaku again, I eagerly marched down the path toward the training field. Every step brought me closer to my ultimate goal— reuniting with Gunnox.

"Hey, Sarah!" Leah called out to me, hurrying to catch up. "Where you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh hey, Leah," I said, but didn't slow my stride. "I'm hitching a ride to Trisess with Zaku."

"Seriously?" Her eyes grew wide and hopeful. "Can I come? Nullar is still over there helping with the wounded."

I slowed, stunned when Leah announced that she wanted to join Nullar at Trisess. She had never attended any of the meetings about returning to Earth, but I had been so preoccupied with Gunnox, that it hadn't crossed my mind Leah would be one of the women staying on Valose. Nullar must be the reason why.

"I'm sure if there's room on the bubble craft, Zaku won't mind you going."

"Oh, good." Leah visibly sagged. "It's been days since he left."

I watched intently as Leah absently rubbed a circle over her sternum. "So you and Nullar, huh?"

"Yeah," she grinned at me. "Explains why I was instantly attracted to him when we first landed."

"You haven't sealed the deal." I eyed her, curiously. "Would it be too personal to ask why?"

"Same reason as you, I suspect. On the fence whether to stay here or take a chance on returning home."

"With the ship cloaked, Ruze said the risk of getting caught by the Yulineon patrollers is low."

"Yet still remains. Layla told me about the Yulineon, Vala she befriended when she was held captive by the Nuttaki. He said even in cloaked vessels, it was risky to land on Earth. The Yulineons have some sort of atmospheric distortion detector or some such thing that can detect large objects entering the atmosphere."

I swallowed the bile that percolated to pool in the back of my throat. "We need to tell the women with hopes of going home."

"She has."

"Well, she didn't tell me!" I turned a hard frown on Leah.

"Don't shoot the messenger. Layla knows you and Gunnox are spirit mates."

"So, she just assumed I was staying on Valose and didn't think I should be included in a piece of information that important?"

"No. It's probably because you weren't available to tell given that you've been preoccupied with Gunnox ever since we got here," Leah tsked. "I mean, every morning at breakfast, we all look to see if the two of you have matching shawras yet."

I opened my mouth to protest and then snapped it shut. The days since our arrival zipped through my mind like a slideshow locked in overdrive. The memories that whizzed by were brimming with Gunnox by my side. We had done everything together from mundane chores to our nocturnal safari. It was a wonder he had found time to learn to fly without me knowing it. His presence was always within reach, a loyal companion in all things.

"I hadn't realized."

I had uttered to myself rather than to Leah but she responded, "I think it's the constant tug that blinds us to our actions. Nullar is never far from my mind and always present in my heart."

I hadn't noticed we had stopped walking altogether and stood facing each other on the path until Zaku, Hexxus, and Wynnter excused themselves and walked between us, their arms laden with bags of tech parts that clinked and hummed with latent energy.

"Hey, Zaku," Leah jogged after them. "Is there room for one more?"

"If you don't mind it being a bit crowded," he called back to Leah.

"I'll sit on Sarah's lap if I have to," she joked and turned back to me. "Come on, woman. Get a move on. Our males are waiting."

I shook myself from where I stood frozen, a surge of warmth flooding my being as I ran to catch up. Gunnox was like a missing piece of me I hadn't known I'd been searching for, filling a void I never knew existed. His quiet strength had become my solace, his steadfast loyalty my anchor. A bestie who I craved carnal knowledge of.

I impatiently paced outside the craft, desperate to reach Trisess as quickly as possible. Finally, the last bag was loaded and secured. The bubble craft was packed tight, leaving just enough room for Zaku to stand behind the command console and us to sit in the very front. The hatch closed without a sound, sealing us within its translucent walls.

"Did I tell you Gunnox took me out the other night in one of these?" I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. "He learned to fly so I could see some of the animals in the jungle."

"Sounds romantic," Leah wagged her eyebrows at me.

I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck. My cheeks flush with heat, not from embarrassment but from the lingering sensation of Gunnox's intimate touch, his mouth having left a trail of fire between my thighs.

"Your blush speaks volumes, you little slut," Leah playfully nudged me with her elbow and winked. "Don't worry, your nocturnal rendezvous is safe with me."

As the craft lifted off, the ground fell away, and my stomach knotted with both nerves and exhilaration, giving way to the vast openness of Valose's silver skies. The dome closed beneath us as we flew south.

We glided effortlessly over the slumbering Huren jungle, a vast expanse of untamed beauty that stretched out beneath us like a mesmerizing tapestry woven with intricate details. The thick canopy shimmered with silver leaves catching the rays of the twin suns, bright blue blooms peeked through the lush foliage, and hints of white moss clung to prehistoric-looking trees.

"What is that?" Leah asked Zaku as we soared over a large, dark stain on the otherwise pristine landscape.

"The site where the Gretolics crash-landed," the huge, purple Moktain said.

As we drew closer, the twisted metal carcass became more apparent. The broken vessel lay sprawled across the terrain, a silent testament to Lily, Marie, Elise, Rose, Isobel, Willow, Amy, Layla, and Jane's harrowing arrival on this alien world.

"Almost there," Zaku said as we approached the Trisess Forest, his words releasing a swarm of butterflies in my belly.

Why was I suddenly so nervous?

I leaned closer to the bubble craft's transparent wall, my eyes tracing the contours of the forest that seemed both alien and achingly familiar. From above, the majestic trees stretched endlessly, their silvery-blue boughs swaying gently in the wind. They whispered promises of a future I never dared to imagine.

Far below, several figures moved with practiced efficiency, their muscular forms casting long shadows across the clearing. They heaved objects that looked like giant bugs, their scaly bodies glistening like wet cobblestones under the glare of the twin blue suns. The creatures were launched off the edge, plummeting into the churning froth of a river far below, lost to the insatiable currents.

One figure paused, his stance speaking of authority and strength, even from this distance. My heart knew him instantly; it was as if the very rhythm of my pulse was attuned to him— Gunnox. It was more than recognition, it was a resonance of that tiny echo of him ribboning around my heart.

The bubble craft descended, and with each passing second, the pull to be by Gunnox's side intensified. It wasn't just eagerness; it was a need that clawed at my insides, a desperation that bordered on madness. I was no longer the veterinarian student from Earth, bound by logic. Here, within the alien grandeur of Valose, I was something new, something wild and uncontainable.

The craft descended toward the clearing between the tree line and the chasm where a raging river cut through the land, and the sense of urgency within me grew to a crescendo. Soon, I would be reunited with Gunnox, and that thought alone set my heart to pounding.

We touched down without so much as a bump, the hatch swishing open without a sound. Leah rushed out first, racing through the group of Valosians until she was scooped up in Nullar's arms.

I stood at the open hatch, the breeze caressing my face with the essence of Trisess, the forest's breath a balm to my worn senses. It was warm and carried the tang of life, untamed and pulsing. I breathed in deeply, letting it fill me, trying to steady the riotous beat of my heart.

And then, there he was.

Gunnox turned, drawn by the same force that compelled me, and our eyes locked. The sight of him was a shockwave to my system, and something primal within me stirred, igniting every nerve ending. Time, with all its relentless march, seemed to pause, giving way to the eternity that spanned between two spirits fated to collide.

After days of searching for his face in every crowd, there he stood within arm's reach for me to claim.