6. Soren

The storm's fury raged on outside our temple's entrance. I leaned against the crumbling stone archway, watching lightning lance across the sky. My blood and body still sang with the wild, primal energy of chasing and claiming my shadow's heart.

Behind me, Ayana stirred, her sleepy murmur reaching my ears. "What is this place?"

I turned and drank in the sight of her. Her golden skin glowed in the faint light filtering in, her dark hair in disarray from the rain and my fingers. My shadows ached to run over her skin again, to bring her to pleasure again and again and again.

What power she had, in such a fragile package. She, on her own, rivaled my most powerful wraiths. Together...? I didn't know if it was the bond or something unique about her, but the potential was staggering.

She sat up, clutching the rumbled furs to her bare breasts as she peered around the place. Leftovers from smugglers long decamped were not the bed or comfort she deserved. Nor was the once grand structure slowly being reclaimed by moss and vines crawling along stone walls.

"An old temple," I said, moving to crouch beside her. I reached out, tracing her lower lip with my finger. She shuddered, and I nearly lunged to claim her mouth again, but I managed to maintain my control. Barely. "Dedicated to the god and goddess of mated pairs. Your instincts guided you well to find this place."

Her hand drifted to her throat, her fingers ghosting over the puncture marks of my claiming bite.

I followed the touch with my own. Over the bite, across her shoulder, down her arm as I examined her for injuries. She wasn't wraith. She didn't know our customs. The last thing I wanted was to cause her unnecessary pain.

But there was only soft skin, still flushed a beautiful shade. Smug pride rolled through me, and I couldn't resist nuzzling the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent mingled with mine. "You held up well. For a human."

Ayana huffed, shoving at my shoulder. "You have much experience with humans, do you? Secreted away with the fleet that shouldn't exist?"

"You are the first," I admitted. I caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Cor Umbra bonds are rare enough among our kind. You, though, are something entirely else."

The storm outside grew in intensity, shaking the temple walls, but I was barely aware of it. She had me enthralled. Utterly and completely.

Her gaze dropped to our joined hands. She studied the differences in our skin tones, her thumb brushing against my knuckles. She stared at our hands for a few moments longer before lifting her eyes to meet mine. "What happens next? Between us?"

"The storm will likely rage on for hours. Possibly days." I breathed against her lips and pressed her back. Her breath hitched as I settled my weight against her, covering her soft curves with my body. "We should rest."

Ayana's eyes sparkled with mischief as she traced a finger down my chest. "Is that what you call this? Resting?"

I captured her hand, nipping at her fingertips. "Among other things."

Thunder boomed outside, rattling the stones around us. We had time. Time to just be. Time to pretend we wouldn't be hunted.

I kissed my way up her arm. Over her shoulder. Along her throat.

I brushed aside the silken strands of her hair as she tilted her head, my fingertips grazing the nape of her neck. A thin, silvery scar caught my eye, stark against her sun-kissed skin.

"What happened here?" I traced the raised edge with my thumb, a frown tugging at my lips.

She stiffened under my touch and the muscles of her throat worked as she swallowed. The brightness of her eyes dimmed, her gaze growing distant as she stared over my shoulder. "I don't want to bring those years in here."

My chest squeezed painfully, my hearts bleeding for her. We'd suffered at the same hands. In different ways and different times, but it didn't matter. Her enemies were my enemies, and I would break the Triarchy into pieces for what they'd done.

I rolled off Ayana, twisting my body to reveal a jagged scar beneath my arm. Her fingertips traced the raised edges, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"My first battle," I said quietly. "I was ten."

She met my gaze, her brow furrowing. "Ten? That's so young..."

"Wraith childhoods are hard." I shrugged. "We learn to fight early. I was fortunate. Many did not return to their families that day."

Ayana sat up, her attention wholly focused on me. "Was it the venterrans?"

"The Purges," I confirmed. "We'd gone almost a full decade without an attack. The camps started on twin planets grew and grew into proper settlements. It was as if we could finally let go of the fleet and live normal lives."

She winced, her gaze dropping to her lap. "And then the attacks came?"

"Then the attacks." I nodded. "Those planets are now as bloated and rotted as this one, and the survivors fled back to space."

Anger simmered in my veins as I remembered how those hopes had been dashed. How we thought we had a chance. That our people would be free of the horrors of the venterrans.

My mother wasn't the only casualty. Every member of my crew lost someone during the years of massacres that followed. Everyone knew someone who was gone forever.

Ayana drew a ragged breath and met my eyes again. Her shoulders hunched, her fingers curling into the furs. "My first escape attempt," she mumbled. "Thirteen, the day after my second testing. I passed the year before. I couldn't understand why I didn't pass again. So, I ran home. My father turned me over, and I never saw him again."

"The first?" I murmured into the crook of her neck. I skimmed the sharp tips of my fangs down her throat, a growl of admiration rumbling deep in my chest. "You survived. You're strong."

She huffed a laugh, but there was no real humor in it. "I had to be. The camps were..."

I felt the shiver race through her body. I saw her retreat into herself, her eyes taking on a haunted look as her gaze shifted to some place far away.

I knew that expression. Knew the remembered nightmares it signaled. The hopelessness of knowing that freedom would never be possible. The horror of believing that you'd never see your family, friends, or loved ones again.

No one should have to bear such memories. Especially not my mate.

"We want the same thing." I met her eyes and cupped her cheek, stroking her skin with my thumb. "The Triarchy has destroyed too much. Too many. It's time to break their stranglehold on our sector of the galaxy."

Her gaze met mine, a flicker of hope sparking in those hazel depths. "You really think that's possible?"

"With our powers working together?" I pressed my forehead to hers, holding her gaze. "I think you're the key to that future, Ayana."

A future where no child would be ripped from their family. Where no one would be forced to endure the horrors of collars or camps or the torture of the Reflection Rooms. A future where we could be free.

Together.

Her eyes slid closed, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. When she opened them again, they shone with determination.

"Then let's stop the venterrans," she said, her voice quiet but fierce.

A smile tugged at my lips.

My warrior queen was awake.

I lost myself in her then. In the taste of her. The feel. In the way her power sang through my veins, the way her fingers curled into my hair.

We were one. Bound by ancient magic, our scars, the hope for a better tomorrow.

She was my heart. My home. My everything.

The storm raged on outside, but we were safe within the ruins of our temple. Protected by the ghosts of the mated pairs that came before us.

We explored each other, learning the dips and curves of our bodies, the places that made us gasp and moan. The places that made us forget, if only for a moment, the weight of the worlds on our shoulders.

As dawn broke, I lay with Ayana draped over my chest, my fingers drifting in lazy circles on her back.

My shadow's heart. My mate.

I wished we could stay here, in this temple, forever. I wished for the power to make all our troubles fade away.

But I wasn't a fool.

There were others who needed me. Rikke, Vester, the rest of my spies. My warriors, waiting and watching to destroy the Triarchy.

I stiffened at the sudden boom overhead. Another followed, then two more.

Ayana jolted awake. She sat up, hair tumbling around her shoulders and eyes wide with panic. "What was that?"

A fifth explosion sounded and, despite the distance, the force of it vibrated through the stones beneath us. I grinned and stood, offering her my hand. "It's time for us to go."

I pulled Ayana to her feet and wrapped one of the furs around her shoulders. Hand in hand, we walked out of the temple. I tilted Ayana's chin up with a gentle finger, directing her gaze to the skies above. My hearts swelled at the way her eyes widened in wonder.

Shuttles flew toward the wreckage of the Nightfall. Far above, winking from orbit, the Tenebrous and the rest of the wraith fleet waited to meet their queen.

Ayana

A riot of color and sound erupted as soon as the shuttle ramp hit the hangar deck aboard the Tenebrous. The crowd surged forward, their shouts and cheers echoing through the cavernous space. Wraiths of all ages and sizes pressed in on us, their faces alight with joy and excitement.

Soren raised a hand, and the crowd parted before us like water. He led me down the path they created, Rikke and Vester at our backs. We headed for our quarters to wash and change before a meeting with the fleet leaders.

His fingers were warm and strong around mine, and he kept turning his attention to me. The possessiveness that had consumed him during our claiming chase and the night in the ruins hadn't faded, and each time his molten gold eyes swept over me, a delicious shiver ran down my spine.

"The Tenebrous was once my ship," Soren explained, his deep voice cutting through the din of the crowd. "I had it repurposed as the head of the civilian fleet when I took the throne."

I nodded, trying to process the information. I couldn't imagine this vibrant, bustling ship as a military vessel. Colors and patterns covered every inch I could see. Vendors shouted about their wares, hawking trinkets and food and clothing. Small children chased each other between adult legs, shrieking with laughter.

I'd experienced nothing like it. Matriarch Ashera's palace offered nothing but cold cruelty. The Nightfall had been calm and utilitarian.

But this... this was alive.

"The ship's growing too crowded," Rikke mused. She swept a calculating look over the throngs that greeted us in the bustling corridors. "We'll need to host a hunt soon."

"A hunt?" I echoed. Soren unwound our fingers and wrapped his arm around my middle, guiding me toward a lift. "For what?"

"Morfil," Soren said, his voice low and reverent. "You've seen our ships and armor. The light imbued in the metal? They're crafted from the bones of the creatures."

"They migrate in pods in deep space. Skittish things, they flee most everything with an engine," Vester added. He flashed me a sharp grin. "Hunting parties depart in small craft and spend days clinging to any rock they can find."

"It takes dozens of hunters to bring down a single beast," Rikke continued. "We must work together, body and shadows. The trust required... It's a proving ground for the potential crew of a newly built ship."

I shot Soren a quick glance, one brow raised. Doors swished open in front of us. "Have you ever hunted morfil, then?"

He smirked, pride shining in his eyes as he stepped into the lift. "The Nightfall was my first."

He turned his head as the doors hissed closed and the delicate chains adorning his horns caught the light, sending glittering reflections dancing across his skin. The intricate charms tinkled softly with each movement, a melodic accompaniment to our conversation.

Rikke had handed them to him when we made it back to the Nightfall, and he'd donned them on the shuttle from the surface. I reached up to touch one charm, marveling at the craftsmanship.

"And these?" I murmured, my fingers tracing the twisted metal. "Are these made of morfil, too?"

Soren's expression softened, his eyes distant with memory. "Some. Some are jewels taken from ruined temples, others are carved from pieces of our lost cities. Each charm symbolizes the losses we've endured."

Losses he wouldn't risk adding to by allowing a questionable ship near the entirety of his people.

I lowered my hand as a new sense of responsibility settled over me. He wore previous failures as a crown of consequences. Even the smallest mistake would bring more bloodshed, more death, more suffering.

But now, he wasn't alone in his efforts. The fate of his fleet, and the rest of the sector, was tied to the power of our bond.

I wouldn't add to those failures, either.

The lift doors hissed opened. We stepped out into a corridor markedly less busy than the last. These halls were lined with more ornate carvings, the ceilings stretching higher over our heads.

A wraith approached as we reached Soren's quarters and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, Captain Geir requests a word before the meeting with the fleet leaders."

Soren sighed, his fingers tightening around mine before reluctantly letting go. He turned to me with an apologetic expression.

"Should I come with you?" I asked before he could say a word. I didn't like the sudden sense of unease at the thought of being separated from him.

He shook his head, catching my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Rest. Recover. I'll join you when I can."

I entered Soren's quarters, and the door swished shut behind me. The room was simple but elegant, with the same carved walls as the corridor and comfortable furniture. A large viewport dominated one wall, offering a breathtaking view of the stars that immediately turned my stomach.

I hoped the reaction was something like sea legs. Enough exposure, and I could stare into the deep dark without vertigo.

I moved to the adjoining washroom, shedding my borrowed clothes and stepping into the shower. The hot water soothed my aching muscles and washed away the grime of the past few days.

As I lathered my hair, my fingers grazed the bite on my neck. A shiver raced down my spine and heat coiled low in my belly at the reminder of the night in the ruins.

Of the taste of his lips, the feel of his shadows licking at my skin, the way he made my entire body come alive with need.

He'd given me a gift I never thought would be mine: my freedom. I was no longer a captive of the Triarchy, no longer bound by that damn control collar, but the future was still uncertain. And while I wanted to cast the idea aside as the uncertainty faced by any living being, I couldn't. Not completely.

Not with Ashera and the others gorging themselves on the suffering of entire planets and populations.

Soren still hadn't returned by the time I'd dried off and slipped into a soft robe.

I curled up on the couch and pulled a blanket over my legs. I only meant to close my eyes against the flickering lights of the stars beyond the viewport, but exhaustion caught up with me and dragged me down into sleep.

Some time later, the murmur of hushed voices pulled me from the dreamless darkness. I blinked, orienting myself to the dimly lit room. Soren stood near the door, his back to me as he spoke to someone in the hallway.

"Your Majesty." Eskil's voice was laced with urgency, the words cutting through the haze of sleep. "One of my spies just contacted me."

Soren's reply was low and tense, a barely restrained growl that sent a shiver down my spine.

"The Triarchy is mobilizing their forces," Eskil continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. "All three matriarchs are closing in on the mining operation in the Sarroch Cluster."