4. Soren

Istrode down the corridor to the med bay, my mind churning. I needed to check on Eskil and confirm some of the more disturbing details from Rikke's report. Then there was a meeting scheduled with the captain of the Tenebrous. After that, a civilian committee. Somewhere along the lines, the generals wanted a chance to chew me out, respectfully, for the sudden order for the fleet to jump to our next rendezvous.

I suspected Rikke packed my schedule to keep me from losing my shit over Ayana.

Two cycles. Two damned cycles since I'd tasted her lips and felt her power dance with mine.

I was wound so tight I was liable to snap at any moment. I needed to touch her, claim her, make her mine in every way. But I couldn't. Not until she trusted me. Not until she saw me as more than her captor.

That response added even more fuel to the fire I intended to light beneath the Matriarchs of the Venterran Triarchy. They deserved to burn for the destruction of my planet, and the countless others before and after.

Mistreating my Cor Umbra, my future queen, was a crime worthy of bringing their entire empire to their knees.

I paused outside the med bay, my hand hovering over the access panel. Ayana's voice drifted through the metal, her words laced with regret and sorrow.

"Eskil, I'm so sorry for what they made me do to you. If I could take it back..."

"What's done is done," Eskil grunted. "Save your apologies. You were merely a tool. Someone else holds the blade that cut me."

Smug pride took root in my hearts. That she would offer her words to make amends spoke of the person the venterrans had failed to tame. That she sought out Eskil and cared for my people meant even more.

Ayana was remarkable.

And she was mine.

Straightening my shoulders, I triggered the door's sensor and stepped inside. Ayana looked up, those expressive hazel eyes widening slightly at my entrance. I drank in the sight of her, from the silky sheet of chestnut hair flowing down her back to the mismatched clothes donated by my crew. The fabric hung loose on her frame, but she wore them with a grace that made them seem like royal robes.

"Majesty." Eskil dipped his head in deference, wincing as the movement pulled at his wounds.

I acknowledged him with a tilt of my head, then turned my attention back to Ayana. A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth as I gave her a slow once-over, letting her see the naked want in my gaze. "I didn't realize you made house calls."

Ayana dropped her eyes. I savored the delicate flush staining her cheeks. She could deny it all she wanted, but her body knew the truth of what lay between us.

I reined in my shadows before they reached for her and forced myself to focus on my injured soldier. "How are you healing, old friend?"

Fresh scars marked his arms and hands, but the short stubs of his horns were the true horror. They grew our entire lives and to see them sawed off was a kick to the balls.

Eskil followed my gaze and shrugged one shoulder. "I've looked worse. I'll live. If not for this verdant, I would have bled out."

I nodded and glanced at the equipment attached to him. His vitals looked strong for a male who'd had half his blood drained out of him and his intestines tied into knots. He'd eat through half our food stores to power that healing, but better rations for the rest of us than losing our best spy to the void.

"Eskil, I need to go over some details from your mission. Rikke debriefed me, but I want to hear it from you directly."

Eskil sat up straighter, wincing slightly from his injuries. "Of course, my king. What do you wish to know?"

"I should—" Ayana started.

"Stay," I commanded. "You might have information to add."

I saw the flicker of irritation cross her face, the tightening of her jaw and narrowed eyes. She clamped down on that pretty bottom lip with her teeth. My hand twitched, fighting the urge to pull her close and nibble that lip myself.

Two cycles. Two fucking cycles and she had me wound up like a damned solstice toy.

Instead, I turned my full attention to Eskil, ignoring the scent of my mate filling my nostrils and teasing my tongue. "Rikke says there were almost no guards. Were you betrayed? Is that how they were prepared for your arrival?"

"No. The reports were correct." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, grimacing when his fingers brushed against a nub. "The whole station operated with minimal troops. The rest had been ordered to report on hubs controlled by Jaya and Kyani."

I paced the room. Jaya and Kyani, like Ashera, controlled the Triarchy. The three were supposed to provide balance to each other, so no one seized too much power. Most of the time, they were too concerned with expanding their own territories to care what the others razed.

Then sometimes, as with my people and dozens before us, they joined forces to unleash total eradication.

"Are they planning a new campaign?"

Eskil shook his head. "I wasn't able to find out. They don't appear to be coordinating with Ashera."

Ayana shifted uncomfortably, but didn't speak. I turned to her, eyebrow arched in question.

"Ashera has been more paranoid lately," she offered quietly. "She's increased her security and keeps her personal guard close. I was forbidden from leaving the palace grounds."

I frowned. "You think Jaya and Kyani are targeting Ashera?"

"It's possible." She met my eyes openly and honestly. It was a look I'd carry with me to my grave. She spoke to her equal. Not a master, not a king. To me. "The Matriarchs are always vying for power. If Jaya and Kyani sensed weakness in Ashera, they wouldn't hesitate to strike."

Eskil nodded slowly, considering her words. "It would explain the troop movements. If they're planning a coup, they'll need all the firepower they can get."

I couldn't hide the smirk that tugged at my lips. The thought of the Triarchy tearing itself apart from within was too delicious to ignore. Let them destroy each other. It would only make my job easier in the end.

A distant boom rocked the ship. The med bay lights flickered, and we all exchanged a worried glance under the flashing red ones that returned.

"What was that?" Ayana asked, gripping the metal gurney.

I swore and reached for the comm in my ear. "Bridge, report!"

Static. Then Rikke's voice, strained but steady. "Strike port side by a venterran vessel."

I snarled, a feral sound ripping from my throat as the shadows swirled around me. In an instant, I melted into the darkness, my form dissipating as I imagined where I wanted to be.

Alarms blared, bathing the room in a pulsing crimson as I reappeared on the bridge.

The looming hull of a venterran ship filled the main viewport. Twice the size of the Nightfall, its cannons glowed an ominous red, preparing to fire again. Rikke hunched over the tactical console, her fingers flying across the controls.

I strode forward, my eyes narrowing at the enemy vessel. How the fuck had they found us again?

"Shields at ninety percent," she reported, not looking up. "Returning fire."

The Nightfall shuddered as our cannons unleashed a barrage. The venterran vessel's shields flared, absorbing the hits. Launch bays lining the sides flared to life, shooting fighters into the deadly cold of space.

"Evasive maneuvers," I snapped. "Get us out of their range."

The helmsman complied, sending the Nightfall into a dizzying roll. The ship matched our move, closing the distance. Its main gun powered up, a giant orange eye opening and turning murderous attention in our direction.

Ayana stumbled into the room, a look of pure shock on her face. Her hair floated around her head as the ship continued to shake, and her wide eyes darted from me to the massive venterran ship, and back to me.

Two more ships dropped out of hyperspace. Then another three.

"My gods..." Ayana whispered, a hand covering her mouth in shock.

I swore under my breath as I turned back to the viewport. Six more ships joined the others, and none were of wraith design.

"Divert all power to the engines," I commanded between gritted teeth. "We need to get out of here."

The Nightfall groaned as it tried to break free, but the venterran ships closed in like a pack of ravenous wolves. More lights flickered, more alarms blared. The acrid stench of fried circuits and overheated metal assaulted my senses.

"Shields down to thirty percent!" Rikke shouted over the blaring alarms. "We can't take much more of this!"

We were outgunned and outnumbered. My knuckles whitened as I gripped the edge of the console. The sharp edge of despair stabbed at my hearts. I had to protect my people. I had to protect Ayana.

My mate stood frozen, fear etched on her expression. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and shield her from the horrors of war.

But I couldn't let personal feelings cloud my judgment. Not when the fate of my people hung in the balance. I had to be the king they needed, even if it meant sacrificing everything else.

Another blast rocked the ship, nearly throwing me from my feet. Smoke poured from a shattered console, but a cold certainty settled over me.

I knew what I had to do, even if it tore my soul apart.

"Rikke, take Ayana to the escape pods. Get her off the ship." My voice sounded distant to my own ears, as if someone else was speaking the words.

Rikke's eyes widened in shock. "But?—"

"That's an order," I snapped. "If I fall, you will rule in my stead. Keep our people safe. Keep her safe."

Understanding dawned in my cousin's eyes, followed by a grim acceptance. She nodded once, then grabbed Ayana's arm and started dragging her towards the exit.

"Wait. Wait! What are you doing?" Ayana fought against her, her eyes locked on mine. "Soren, no! Don't do this!"

I crossed the distance between us in two strides, taking her face in my hands. "You must," I said softly, my forehead pressed against hers. "My only regret is I didn't find you sooner. You are mine, Ayana. In this life, or the next."

Ayana's screams tore at my heart as Rikke dragged her away. Every fiber of my being demanded I go to her, to comfort her, to keep her by my side.

But I couldn't. Not now. Not when the hard choices needed to be made.

I turned back to the console, my fingers flying over the controls as I prepared the escape pods. I would give Rikke and Ayana a head start, a selfish act born of desperation and a need to protect my mate at all costs. The others would follow, but only after I ensured my Cor Umbra's safety.

The Nightfall groaned, the metal shrieking as the hull buckled under the onslaught. The shields were failing, the energy reserves dwindling with each strike. I needed time. More time.

With her.

To save her.

With the seconds till annihilation ticking down, I reached deep within myself, tapping into the well of shadow magic that coursed through my veins.

I threw my power out, a living shield to protect my ship and my people. It was a strain, a pressure that threatened to crush me, but I held fast. I would not let them fall. I would not let her fall.

And then something changed.

A warmth, a light, a presence that I knew as intimately as my own heartbeat. Ayana's magic, her verdant energy, flowed into mine, easing the burden and adding her strength to my own. It acted as a feedback loop, her power creating, blooming, sustaining life, mine feeding off it, faster and faster until it reached a crescendo.

The combined might of our magic exploded outward in a shockwave that rocked through the venterran forces. Ships shattered, fighters spun out of control, and for a moment, I dared to hope.

But it was too late.

A final, desperate shot from the lead vessel pierced our weakened shields, slamming into the Nightfall with the force of a thousand suns. The ship lurched, alarms screaming as we plummeted towards the surface of Gamarr.

I stumbled, fighting to keep my footing as the deck tilted beneath me. Smoke filled the air, acrid and thick, but through it all, I could feel her. Ayana, my mate, my queen, my everything.

I ran, the shadows cloaking my form as I raced through the dying ship. I had to find her, had to protect her, had to keep her safe. Nothing else mattered, not the ship, not the crew, not even my own life.

I found her in the escape pod bay, Rikke struggling to force her into a pod. Our eyes met, hazel to gold, and time seemed to slow.

The ship shook again, the metal groaning as we entered Gamarr's atmosphere. I lunged forward, wrapping my body around Ayana's as the world exploded around us.

Pain, white-hot and searing, lanced through me as debris rained down. But I held fast, my arms a living shield to protect the woman fated to be mine. I would die a thousand deaths to keep her safe, to give her a chance at life.

The impact was brutal, a jarring, bone-shattering collision that tore a scream from my throat. But through it all, I held her close, my body a barrier between her and the unforgiving ground.

Pain.That was all I knew.

Fire tore through my veins, pumped through my hearts, throbbed in my temples. Darkness wrapped all around me, drowning out the worst of it, but not enough. Never enough.

Distant voices shouted from far away. Angry buzzes. Worried, muffled notes.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare die on me!"

I fought against the inky blackness, clawing my way back to consciousness. Each ragged breath seared my lungs, each feeble beat of my hearts sent a fresh wave of agony through my body.

A surge of warmth slammed into my chest, jolting me fully awake. I tried to jackknife up, but firm hands pinned me back to the ground. Through blurred vision, I saw Rikke and Vester holding me down as Ayana knelt beside me, her hands glowing with verdant energy.

"I don't want the next life. You hear me? I want this one, and I will. Not. Let you. Die!" Ayana's voice cracked with emotion, tears streaking down her face.

Another wave of pain and warmth flooded my chest as Ayana poured her healing magic into me. I gasped, my body arching off the ground as the energy knitted flesh and bone back together.

But with the healing came something else. Something purely instinctual.

The Cor Umbra bond flared to life within me. It was like a wildfire in my veins, consuming every thought, every emotion, until all that remained was the overwhelming need to claim my mate.

"Get her away from me," I growled.

I struggled against Rikke and Vester's hold, a snarl building in my throat. They exchanged worried glances, their grips tightening as they sensed the change in me.

"Soren, what's happening?" Ayana asked, her voice trembling.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting against the need to lick that honeyed sound. I knew what would happen if I gave in, knew the primal chase that would ensue. And I couldn't let that happen, not here, not now.

"Run," I snarled, more noise than word.

"Fuck." Rikke slammed me down as I struggled to get to my mate. I bucked against the hold, feeling the green and black tendrils still seeping through my limbs. "Healing him triggered the mating instinct."

Ayana shook her head, confusion and fear warring in her eyes. "What does that mean?"

I struggled to form words, my mind clouded by the primal need coursing through me. "It means I'm going to chase you, Ayana. I'm going to fuck you wherever I find you and claim you as my mate. And I won't be able to stop myself."

A flush rose on her cheeks as understanding dawned. I bit back a moan as the scent of her arousal reached my nose. My cock hardened instantly, pressing painfully against my pants. I needed her more than I needed air, more than I needed to live. I needed to bury myself in her heat and sink my fangs into the soft skin of her neck.

I met Rikke's gaze, a silent understanding passing between us. She nodded, her grip on my arm tightening. "We'll hold him as long as we can. But you need to go. Now!"

Her scent was stronger now, driving me wild with lust and hunger. She took a tentative step back, then another, before finally turning and running away from us.

I closed my eyes, my body shaking with the effort of holding back the instinct that demanded I chase her, that demanded I claim what was mine.

But I knew I couldn't hold out forever. The Cor Umbra bond was too strong, too primal to be denied.

And as Rikke and Vester's grips began to slip, as the shadows gathered around me like a living cloak, I knew the chase was about to begin.