Page 76 of The Thren's Fated

“It’s not just that. Of course, that is what initially drew me to you, but that is not all I care about. I… feel at peace with you, something I have never experienced with anyone else. Like my worries disappear when I hold you in my arms.”

She felt the same, the voice in her head silenced by Screl’s presence, her insomnia all but disappearing even without the chemical aid from his tentacles. She shrugged out of his grasp, laying her head on his chest, calmed by the rhythmic motion of his breathing, trying to focus on that instead of the emotion squeezing her muscles.

He brushed her hair, his whisper filtering through the air between them.

“What are you so afraid of?”

A knot welled in her throat, one she couldn’t swallow so easily. It was the same thing she’d been afraid of her entire life, the all-consuming belief that refused to leave her no matter how much she tried to tell herself it wasn’t true.

“That I won’t be enough.”

Screl ceased his petting for a brief moment before continuing, her body trembling with the admission.

“You will always be enough for me. Much more than I deserve. Bond or no, what I said is the truth. I will do anything to take care of you and make you happy until we both cease to exist. Nothing but death will tear you away from me.”

Tears burned in her eyes, spilling onto his bare chest as he continued his ministrations. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she turned to face him, a smile curling her lips.

Without a word, she made herself comfortable, cuddling into his arms and focusing on believing his words, not worrying about what the future would bring.

CHAPTER 25

Their arrival on Henios was a flurry of activity.

As they had disembarked the new ship hand in hand, a security team was waiting, though Lena had refused to leave Screl’s side as they took him to the station captain. Now that he was no longer Thren royalty, he wasn’t as immune to punishment as he once was, and the Alliance government was not particularly forgiving.

After much arguing from Lena—explaining the bond and how it radically affected both of them—a settlement was made, bypassing the extensive law system. Thirty days in the brig, a courtesy from the captain of the station, knowing Screl should have ended up on the penal satellite lightyears away.

He was getting off easy, and Lena was grateful, knowing the pain of separation would be far lessened with Screl still on Henios. There had been a teary goodbye, but a day later she was at the door of station security, requesting a visit with her fated.

The guard rolled her eyes, but let Lena in without too much of a fuss.

“He gets one visit a day, per the captain,” she grumbled, and Lena nodded, eagerly hurrying to the cell that contained her amoreth.

Though she could hear his voice faintly in her head while they were apart on the station, she needed to be close to truly satiate the bond.

Screl was already waiting at the window, perhaps sensing her proximity, and she pressed a palm to the glass. He met it with his own, and she felt the heat of him despite their separation.

“How are you doing?” she asked, her voice cracking as she glanced at his meager accommodations.

A simple bed and an open entryway that she assumed led to some sort of bathroom.

“I am fine,” he said, his eyes glimmering as he looked down at her. “This cell is the perfect place for meditation.”

Lena smiled, letting her hand drop as Screl did the same.

“I noticed your setup when we were back on the…” she trailed off, realizing she’d never even learned the name of his ship. “I guess it is pretty quiet in here.”

“I’ve been needing to get back into it. My mind has been a bit distracted since I met you.”

She bit her lip, her cheeks flushing.

“What will you do when the thirty days are up?”

Screl cocked his head, as if the answer were obvious.

“I will stay on my ship. We have been afforded a permanent berth on the station, and I won’t be leaving you anytime soon.”

“What will you do for money?”