Chapter 34

THIRTY-FOUR

The lines between reality and fantasy had blurred so much that Jade couldn't tell the difference anymore. Her existence was wrapped up in the ephemeral fabric of dreams and wild skeins of hope. She lay on a bed of soft alien moss, staring up at a sunless, starry sky where wispy, featherlike foliage swayed back and forth in slow motion, like underwater plants in a fish tank.

The treetops were painted in shades of lilac, blue, and pink—as if an artist had swept across them with a watercolor brush.

When she first arrived, there wasn't any color.

She'd done that.

He'd allowed her to.

He'd invited her to stay here for as long as she wanted while he took off on some ultra-dangerous mission halfway across the Universe.

For a brief while, she'd spun off, drifting between sleep and wakefulness, and she'd fuzzily wondered how she could fall asleep in her dreams.

She'd wanted to leave—with him.

Don't. You need rest.

How stoic he'd been. How completely unflustered, as if going off on some life-threatening job was just in a day's work for him. And she knew he was going to have to fight and possibly kill people. From their brief, violent encounter in the mine, she knew just how lethal he could be.

And yet, he was more concerned about the fact that she needed to sleep.

What am I even doing here? There was no way she could idle here, in his secret sanctuary, while he was flying into danger. Besides, this place wasn't half as magical without him here.

She yearned for him. So badly it surprised her.

She couldn't believe that any single person could feel so good. The sensation of his touch was burned into her mind.

If this was what it was like to be obsessed with a man, then she now understood that she'd never been obsessed with anyone before. Her past relationship with Cameron paled in comparison. Theirs had been a marriage of societal rules and lukewarm affection.

She'd been young.

She thought that's what love was supposed to be. Friends, career, partner, family. She'd had it all worked out—or so she thought.

Until the accident.

Until she'd changed.

And it turned out that life could be a whole lot more complicated than what she'd believed. She should have known that from the start… going through law school, handling messy divorces and difficult wills. Why had she assumed she was immune from it all, that it would never happen to her? Why did she always take people at face value, even though she should know better?

How naive she'd been. But back then, she'd wanted to be. She'd needed to be. Raised in a family like hers, she was always expected to be perfect. Her father had laid it all out for her. As the head of a successful minerals exploration company, he'd wanted his children to take over the family business when he retired. That meant each of them—Jade and her older brother and sister—were expected to go to university, establish a career in their own right, learn to manage their own money, and then take up the reins when they'd proved themselves.

Only Jade had never been interested in her stake in the family company, Corion Minerals.

Cameron was, though.

She let out a groan of misery. Good lord. What a fucking mess.

If she never had to deal with any of that again, she'd be overjoyed.

Maybe she wouldn't have to.

She was a different person now, and the universe outside Earth was bigger and wilder than anything she could ever have imagined.

Scarier, too.

But Dragek had caught her. Falling into oblivion, she'd hit the lowest point in her life. That's when he'd come into her dreams.

It was ironic that an alien, of all people, would see her at her worst and accept her for who she was.

Not only that, he'd treated her as if she was the most important thing in the Universe.

For a sublime moment, he'd made her feel like an absolute queen.

It was irrational, insane, impossible.

And she'd sensed that he'd needed her wanting of him as much as she'd needed his protectiveness and utter devotion.

She couldn't care less that she was up in space, thousands of kilometers away from safe, familiar Earth—which had turned out to be not so safe, after all. Of course, she missed the bustling streets, the vibrant parks and gardens, and the glistening sea views of her home city. She missed her small, verdant garden and the warm, balmy afternoons and the simple pleasures—like sitting in an old armchair with a cup of tea by her side and a juicy, spicy fantasy romance novel in her hand.

The small comforts.

The familiarity.

A safe, controlled life. Always within the confines of what she knew.

Earth was so, so small.

And now, she had this thing… this ability.

She felt like a character in a holomovie—a typical-trope, average Jane who'd suddenly discovered she had superpowers. And just like in the movies, she had no idea how to control them.

But fate or whatever the hell had brought her here had given this ability to her, so she would consider it as a gift.

She would do everything in her power to learn how to use it.

There was no going back now. She had to become formidable so she could be worthy of him.

If there was any chance she could use her ability to make Dragek's existence easier in some way, she would do it without hesitation. He'd saved her life and asked nothing in return. After his hard outer shell had fallen away, he'd been nothing but generous—although a little clueless about how to deal with people in general, especially those of the opposite sex.

But he caught on fast.

By the stars, he caught on fast.

And that curious combination he had—of innocence, hardness, and brutal lethality…

She found it utterly addictive.

I can't believe it. I actually miss him.

Be safe, Dragek.

Fear coiled in her chest.

What if he doesn't come back?

What if this was all too good to be true?

Overcome with emotion, she clung to the memory of him, of the way he'd held her: reverently, tenderly…

Yearning was so bittersweet.

Get a grip. You need to wake up.

But no matter how hard she tried to jolt herself back into the waking world, she simply couldn't. Jade understood why. Her physical body was exhausted. Sedative gas, an abduction attempt, broken bones, all that sudden violence, the shock of discovering the voices in her head were actually there because of some inconceivable psychic ability…

And the rush of being with him.

Of figuring him out.

Of being under his protectiveness.

Wake. Up.

I can't.

The subconscious can start to feel restrictive if you fight it too much. Sleep is a natural biological process. Your body obviously needs it. You will rouse when you're ready. In the meantime, why don't you just let it go and allow your mind to drift?

Dragek? She couldn't believe she was hearing his voice. Did she want him so badly that she was conjuring him? Is that really you? Are you okay?

Fear gripped her. If he was here, did that mean he was unconscious somewhere? Had he gotten hurt during his mission? Already?

And then he was there, standing over her, looking as perfect and unearthly as ever.

There was something different about him. He wore a skintight suit made of shimmering fabric that captured the light, throwing it back at her as a subtle pearlescent shimmer. A strange, smooth white mask was slung around his neck.

His outfit left little to the imagination. She could make out every contour of his magnificent body—and the undeniable bulge of his erection.

A pair of daggers hung at his sides, and the sheaths and the hilts of the blades seemed to be wrapped in the same material as his suit.

His long, dark hair was bound in a high topknot. The suit had a hood attachment that could be slipped over his hair.

Such a pretty, luminous, light-coloured suit.

So why did his appearance feel so alien and menacing?

This was a part of him she didn't know or understand. What does it mean?

He didn't exactly look like he was going into heavy combat. Shouldn't he have armor or guns?

"Should I be scared for you right now?"

One dark eyebrow rose in wry amusement. "I don't think anybody's ever felt scared for me. But when you say it like that, I like it."

Relief coursed through her. He certainly didn't sound like he was in trouble. "You're fine, aren't you?"

"Very fine."

"Then how are you even here? I thought you'd be wide awake."

"I am." A hint of a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

"So what is going on?"

"I'm traveling through an inter-dimensional rift right now. A break in the space-time continuum. I suspect what's happening is that the forces causing time and space to bend are distorting the boundaries between dimensions. Strange things happen inside such structures. I'm in two realities at once. But I didn't come here by accident. It was you who pulled me here." Gentle laughter spilled from his lips, and it was one of the most delightful things she'd ever heard. "You have no idea how incredible that is, do you?"

"I actually don't. What's an inter-dimensional rift?"

"A tunnel connecting two different points a vast distance apart in space—a wormhole ."

" Oh. I didn't know wormholes actually existed." But nothing much could surprise her anymore. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Theoretically, yes. But Tarak has assured me this one is stable, and I have no choice but to trust him."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in the guy." Jade knew of the notorious Tarak al Akkadian's reputation—from the various Network media outlets on Earth. She'd never expected to come so close to him, let alone learn that he could inspire this kind of loyalty in someone like Dragek, who was a force unto himself.

"Even I was skeptical at first, but he's proven himself to be a leader worth following." Dragek extended his powerful arm. "What are you still doing down there? I might not be here for long. Come. "

Jade could hardly believe this moment—this powerful, almost god-like alien was standing over her, staring down with such a tender-amused expression. And she was still lying on this wondrously soft bed, naked.

It felt perfectly natural and wonderful.

She was safe here.

He was completely fixated on her.

Why did he get sexier every time she saw him?

Jade slipped her fingers into his and let him pull her to her feet.

He did it effortlessly, as always. How strong was he, really?

He pulled her against him, and her body molded against the sculpted planes of his torso. The strange fabric of his suit was smooth and slightly cool to the touch. It felt like a blend of silk and woven metal. Strange, but not unpleasant. And it occurred to her that she was still completely naked.

Even in dreams, they wore what their state of mind created for them.

She didn't mind being so vulnerable around him. He wouldn't hurt her.

And to think she'd once been terrified of him.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. "Why are you dressed like this?"

"This is my working attire. The material allows me to channel my ka'qui in a special way so I can become momentarily invisible. In my line of work, it's a somewhat useful ability." He was smiling. His entire face radiated joy.

Jade brought her fingers up to his jawline, caressing his smooth, luminous skin. She had no doubt of his realness, even though his answer was impossible.

Even though the suit covered every inch of him from neck to toe, with long, supple boots to match, he felt so good against her bare skin.

She'd become aroused again. The contradiction was driving her crazy.

Here he was, telling her he was currently traveling through a wormhole, dressed like he was literally going to kill someone—invisibility-powers and all—and he could smile at her like that ?

As if she was the most cherished thing in his universe.

Judging from the bulge pressing against her lower belly, he was equally turned on.

"It's useful if you plan to kill someone, I'd imagine," she said dryly, wondering why she didn't feel more horrified right now. Maybe it was his perfect calm, his easy confidence. She didn't even know who or what he was supposed to be going to fight. She didn't even care. All she knew was that she wanted him to come back in one piece, safe and well. Should she worry whether he was about to do something terrible? Something dark and immoral? She probably should. But her instincts were scrambled: all she knew was that she wanted him, and he'd never hurt her. "That's what you do, isn't it, Dragek?"

"It's what they made me do," he murmured, his smile disappearing as his expression turned solemn. "Not by choice, but I have become very good at it. The difference now is that I fight under Tarak's orders, and he isn't the type to wield me for unjust purposes. But you shouldn't worry about such things."

He leaned in and kissed her gently.

As their lips met, she melted. He ran his hands through her hair, his kisses becoming deeper and hungrier.

The intensity of his need made her fall to pieces.

He gently sucked on her lower lip, then pulled away.

"I must admit, I took advantage of you," he whispered. "If we hadn't met in the void, you wouldn't have yielded to me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know you. "

"Not as much as you think. There's a lot you've yet to learn about me."

"I'm learning." He wrapped his powerful arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I'll learn everything about you. What you desire, what you need, what pleases you the most. And now that you're mine, my need for you is greater than ever. I'll be back soon, my sarien, and when I return, I won't be able to restrain myself. You'd better be ready."

Jade couldn't even utter a reply because he kissed her again, sending her into a wild spiral of desire.

I think we're going to be out the other side in a moment. The boundary between this dimension and the other will stabilize, and I'll disappear. But it was good to find you here. Wait for me, Jade. My sarien. Hold onto my thread for as long as you can.

Before she could fathom what was happening, his body grew lighter, ephemeral, turning to stardust right before her. She clung to him desperately, but he was gone.

She was left standing there, in his celestial forest, naked and wanting, holding onto the imaginary tendrils of his presence.

He was gone.

She was alone again, and fear slammed into her thoughts, making the blissful fever dream evaporate.

He was gone, into untold danger, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

Why did you do that to me, Dragek? Why did you leave me here like this?

You'd better fucking come back to me.

That impossible, infuriating man. How could he just go off like that without a care for his own safety? Making promises like that?

Why couldn't she just bloody wake up already?

This wasn't restful at all. This was just maddening.

Wake up, dammit!

And to her surprise, she did.