2. Soren

The bridge hummed with tense energy as I paced before the viewport. The stars blurred into streaks of light as we hurtled through hyperspace. I'd ordered the jump as soon as the shuttle settled and before the airlock had a chance to seal shut. Eskil needed the med bay, the venterrans followed close enough to eat our asses, and I couldn't risk losing our precious cargo.

The verdant's scent still clung to me, her fear and confusion a heady aroma that both invigorated and unsettled.

I shouldn't have cared.

I should have left her.

But that spark when our skin touched, the absolute need to have her under me, wouldn't allow her to be left behind anywhere, much less that cesspool of a palace.

"You took an unnecessary risk." Rikke's disapproval sliced through the silence.

I locked eyes with my cousin on my next pass. She stood still, hands clasped at her waist. Waiting. For a battle, for some alarm in need of quieting. Depending on how pissed I'd made her, maybe for my fall. "Eskil is one of our best operatives. I don't abandon my soldiers."

"This wasn't just a routine extraction." Rikke stepped closer, violet eyes flashing. "Infiltrating Ashera's palace, engaging her elite guard—you gambled everything on a single spy."

A spy who'd saved several settlements during the Purges with his timely warnings. A spy with a network of intel we'd relied on for strikes and supplying our own people for years.

A spy who'd loved my mother enough to put a round through her hearts before those venterran savages skewered her with their claws.

"I took a calculated risk with a skeleton crew. Should the worst occur, our fleet remains to carry on the fight."

I flicked a glance at the monitor confirming the last known orbitals. No changes. No unexpectedly missing ships. The steady blinks were a comfort and reminder of my obligation to their safety and continued survival.

"And if we lost you?" She held my stare and let the weight of her words hang between us. "You are our king, Soren. We need you alive."

My jaw clenched at the old argument. She'd have me swaddled in wraithbone and chained to a throne on the Tenebrous if she could. "We all know the cost of this war. I cannot ask others to sacrifice if I'm not willing to put my own life on the line."

Rikke exhaled slowly, giving the slightest dip of her head. My cousin understood duty and honor as I did—we'd ingested both since birth. And until I sired a child, my most trusted advisor also filled the role as my heir.

She felt entitled to her opinions.

"What about the verdant? Why take her?"

My shadows stirred at the memory of the verdant's olive skin, the curve of her throat as I brushed against it. I'd grabbed her to make finding Eskil easier, but those downcast eyes with their peeks of buried rage weren't meant to rot for Ashera. She contained immense power, even with that disgusting thing around her neck.

"A healer of her caliber could prove invaluable," I said with a shrug.

Lie, my shadows seemed to whisper. Lie, lie, lie.

"Didn't take you for the sentimental type, cousin." Rikke arched one silvery brow and held her mask of concern for a long second before breaking into a grin. "Or have you finally found someone able to grow that shriveled little splinter into a real horn?"

She wiggled her pinky under my nose and danced back several steps before I could knock her hand away.

I opened my mouth to shut her snickering down, but Vester beat me to it.

"Your Majesty," his voice crackled over the comms, "the verdant is awake."

Every cell and whisper of a shadow in my body screamed to return to my quarters where I'd stashed her. Not because I didn't trust my people—well, partly because of that. She was human, yes, but venterran-trained. I couldn't risk a knife sinking deep before I knew more. Everything. Anything.

"Understood. I'll handle it." The line clicked off, and I turned to Rikke. "See to Eskil's recovery and debrief once he's able."

My cousin folded her arms over her chest.

"I want answers directly from her," I said, forcing a casual tone. "She was Ashera's pet, after all. Any insight into that viper's schemes could prove useful."

"Of course." Rikke's tone dripped with skepticism, but she let the matter drop with a deferential nod. "I'll be ready after you've... extracted the necessary information."

I suppressed a snort and strode from the bridge. The shadows beckoned, the quickest path to my quarters, but I took the long way. I needed the moment to gather my thoughts and get a firm grip on my control.

My people had encountered her kind before, both other verdants and humans, albeit rarely. Venterrans preferred their toys to die with them, while humans were just nosing into our sector of the galaxy during Gamarr's destruction and our subsequent exile.

None had made my shadows thrum with proximity alone.

I rounded the last corner to find Vester standing guard outside my door. The seasoned warrior inclined his head at my approach. "She's inside, your Grace. Seems... agitated."

I dismissed him with a nod and keyed open the entrance. As the doors slid open, the soft luminescence of wraithbone greeted me, bathing the room in twilight.

The verdant stood still with her face upturned to the viewport in the ceiling, every line of her body taut. Her dark hair flowed like a liquid shadow down her back, the contrast striking against her skin under the stars.

"Enjoying the view?" I purred. Relief relaxed my shoulders and calmed my shadows. No physical injury from that damned collar, it seemed.

"It makes me queasy." She stiffened and turned, eyebrows shooting together and mouth setting in a hard line. "You! Where have you taken me?"

I drank her in openly—the high cheekbones, her hazel eyes framed by ink-dark lashes. The swell of her breasts straining against her dress, the flare of her hips as she backed away from me. Every part of her seemed fashioned to perfection, and I ached to see all of it. Touch every inch of her skin with my hands and mouth.

When my gaze found hers again, her eyes had narrowed in a fierce glare. Gods, even in the face of the unknown, she refused to cower. That fighting spirit seemed to grab me by the horns and insist I give her my full attention.

Not that I'd mind her grabbing me by the horns. Even better if she insisted on where to administer that attention.

"You're aboard the Nightfall, flagship of the wraith king." I crossed my arms, leaning against the door frame. "Shouldn't you be used to space travel?"

The verdant's eyes widened with every word. "This is not happening," she muttered, shaking her head. "It's a nightmare. That's it. I'm going to wake up in my cell any minute now."

I chuckled as I prowled closer, the shadows seeming to bend and curl around me like living tendrils. Her breath hitched in her throat, and I allowed a sly smile to spread across my lips.

I melted into the darkness, vanishing from the visible world, and willed myself where I wanted to be.

The verdant gasped as I rematerialized behind her with arms wrapped around her middle. I drew her flush against my chest and breathed in her intoxicating scent, letting it fill my lungs and scorch my mind. I nuzzled her neck, ghosting my lips over the sensitive skin and eliciting another delicious gasp from her.

Fresh rain and the promise of sunshine, so very different from the metallic tang of the venterrans.

"Is that what you told yourself while torturing Eskil?" I murmured, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. "Tell me, pet, do your nightmares always feel so real?"

She went rigid in my arms, her body tensing like a coiled spring. Vibrant green light bloomed at her fingertips, and a sudden shockwave of energy shoved at me, trying to force me away.

I tightened my grip on the verdant. Her power called to me, sang to me, coaxed out my shadows from the darkness of deep space. I wanted to drown in it. Drown in her. Fuck her and claim her as my own.

Cor Umbra.

My shadow's heart. The other half of my soul. My mate.

Another pulse of power hit, and this time I released her and retreated several steps, ignoring the odd ache of her absence. My shadows skittered restlessly over my wrists and fingers, the darkness in the room ebbing away.

The verdant whirled, eyes blazing with suspicion. Desire, fear, confusion—all of it swirled together with her scent, making my head swim. The rapid rise and fall of her chest had her lush breasts nearly spilling out of her dress.

She was all wrong for me. Human, verdant, venterran slave.

Except I couldn't drag my eyes away, and my shadows begged for another hit of her power.

"I believe I asked you a question," I drawled over the hum in my ears. "Shouldn't you be used to space travel?"

She lifted her chin, defiance flashing in those hazel eyes. "I never left the surface of Maidora. Most of us haven't, not consciously at least. The risk is too great should a device fail or," her eyes flicked up and down my frame, "someone removes a collar."

A grin tugged at my lips, the subtle threat not lost on me. This little verdant had fire, and it only made me want her more.

"Go ahead," I taunted, spreading my arms wide. "But you'll be taking yourself out with us, so unless you're very good at holding your breath and not freezing, I'd put odds on my survival over yours."

Her hands curled into fists at her sides. "I'd die a martyr. You tried to attack the Matriarch and stole one of her prisoners."

"You'll be labeled a traitor and used as a warning to the others." I paused, eyes narrowing. "Would you rather I left you?"

I already knew that answer. No. Absolutely not. She was no sympathizer. The few words I had from Eskil said she fought against her orders as far as she dared, but was quick to provide the healing half of her gifts.

Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, a crack in her armor. She swallowed hard, gaze darting away before meeting mine again.

"What about the other one?" she asked softly. Guilt soured her scent and softened her shoulders. "Is he... alive?"

"Eskil?" I moved to the side, keeping her in my peripheral vision as I poured myself a drink. The amber liquid sloshed in the glass, the scent of aged liquor filling the air. "He's in the med bay, being treated for his injuries."

Relief washed over her features, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a steely resolve that made my shadows stir with anticipation.

"What do you want with me?" she demanded, straightening her shoulders once more. "Why take me along with him?"

I crossed the room in a few strides, stopping just inches from her. She held her ground, tilting her head back to meet my gaze. The scent of her filled my lungs. Fresh rain and sunshine and fucking delicious power. The urge to touch her, to claim her, surged through me again, and my shadows stirred restlessly.

I reached out, tracing the line of her jaw with my fingertips. "What are you named?"

She eyed me warily and swallowed hard, the movement drawing my eyes to her slender throat and the tempting pulse beating there. I could feel her warring with herself, torn between fear and curiosity.

"Ayana," she whispered, voice trembling slightly.

"Ayana." I leaned in close, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers. "I have a use for you."

The air between us crackled with tension. Ayana's sweet scent clouded my mind. I wanted to devour her, claim her, make her mine. I wanted to whisper that name over and over until she screamed mine in return.

The sudden blare of the alarm shattered the moment, and I jerked back with a snarl.

"Stay here," I growled, already moving toward the door. "And don't touch anything."

I didn't wait for her response, striding out into the corridor with a sense of urgency. The alarm meant trouble, and trouble meant I needed to be on the bridge. Now.

I made it halfway before I heard the patter of feet behind me. I whirled, ready to tear into whoever dared disobey my orders, only to find Ayana hot on my heels. Her eyes were wide, but there was a determined set to her jaw that made my shadows stir with appreciation.

I didn't have time to argue. With a growl of frustration, I turned and continued my march to the bridge, Ayana keeping pace beside me.

The doors slid open to reveal a flurry of activity on the other side. Only a handful of the stations were occupied, most of my crew still on shore leave back with the fleet. Rikke bent over a console with Vester at her side, both their faces grim.

"We have a problem," my cousin said without preamble. "A ship followed us from Triarchy space."

I moved to the console, scanning the readouts with a frown. The ship's course took it straight to us, a brazen move that set my teeth on edge.

"It's broadcasting wraith codes." Vester punched in another command and tapped his screen. "Left at the same time as Eskil, but for the mining op in Sarroch."

The opposite direction of Maidora. "Any response?"

Vester shook his head. "No signs of life, no answer over comms."

Fuck. A trap, most likely. Suspicious timing for a ship that shouldn't have been in the area. If the venterrans had commandeered one of our ships, stuffed it full of explosives... It would be our extinction if it detonated in the middle of the fleet.

I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let that happen.

"Blast it out of the sky," I ordered.

"Wait!" Ayana's voice cut through the tension, drawing all eyes to her. She stood tall, her gaze steady as she met my glare. "You can't just destroy that ship. They could be injured or unable to respond!"

Rikke scoffed, her lip curling in disdain. "The venterrans don't take prisoners. The crew is already dead."

"And if you're wrong?" Ayana shook her head, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. "What if it's a malfunction?"

I understood the impulse even if the chances were slim. I keyed in commands and scanned through the logs. From the first ping of the sensors to the last hail, some fifteen attempts over comms and lights all went unanswered.

My cousin shoved past Ayana on the way to another console. "Who are you to question our king's decisions, human?"

"King?" Ayana's eyes darted back to me. "You are the wraith king?"

"Expecting someone more stately?" Rikke grinned viciously. "You have the honor of being abducted by Soren Valanyx, King of the Exile Fleet and Keeper of the Ruins of Gamarr."

"Enough." The word left my lips in a hiss, and the room fell silent. I turned to Rikke, my decision made. "Destroy the ship."

My cousin nodded, her fingers flying over the console. A heartbeat later, streaks of light burst from the Nightfall, lancing through the void towards the rogue ship.

I watched the screen, jaw clenched tight, as the missiles found their mark. The ship exploded in a burst of fire and debris.

No distress calls. No escape pods.

Just death and destruction, delivered by my hand.

I took a deep breath, my shoulders straightening. It was the right choice. The only choice. Better to be safe than to lose everything.

I turned to find Ayana watching me. Accusation shimmered in her eyes.

"The stories were right," she whispered. "You're a monster."

"I am a king," I snapped. I met her look unflinchingly. "I will always put my people first. Even if it means sacrificing a few to save the many."

Ayana held my gaze for a long moment before turning away with a disgusted sound. "There were other options. You chose this."

I heard the unspoken words as clear as if she'd said them aloud: You chose to be like Ashera.

With a frustrated growl, I gestured to Vester. "Take her back to my quarters."

Vester moved to escort her away, but Ayana pushed him aside and marched off towards the door on her own. Her head held high and back ramrod straight, she disappeared into the corridor.

I glanced after her, then to the floating wreckage. I refused to feel guilt. Not with the fate of my people on the line. And if that meant proving to be the monster she saw me as, so be it.

"Make the jump to the next stopover."