A Second Chance

by Br1ght Ey3s

Rae had never believed in fate or destiny. Her father had once said stories were shaped by choice, that she had the power to carve out her own path. So when a yautja enters the picture, she's faced with a very difficult decision. She must choose between two paths, two worlds, and two lives. But which would she choose? (Yautja x OC; POV Third Person Omniscient)

30. Forgive and Forget

There was a foreign sensation against her stomach. Something unorthodox and kind of ticklish.

Still in that sleep phase, she tried moving her arm to swat at it, only to find she couldn't. Her arm felt weighted, immobile. It felt trapped.

Trapped.

Her breathing sharpened as she opened her eyes, staring up at the shadowed popcorn ceiling. It was the same ceiling that she woke up to hundreds of times for the last few years, reassuring her that the labs were gone and she was safe in her bed. So what was it that made her feel–?

It was then that she realized, looking down at herself, that Tomak was hovering over her, willingly touching her abdomen, his alert studious focus on the wounds she had sustained.

Realizing he had an audience, he looked up at her, purring soothingly, the comforting sound almost lulling her back to sleep.

She wasn't trapped. She was still with Tomak, still in her room, still in Maine. She let out a shuddering sigh of relief.

Relaxing once again, she took in a slow breath when his mandibles fluttered over her wrist in silent apology for waking her up. She smiled tiredly, accepting his apology. Laying her head back down, she decided to just revel in the feeling of his large warm fingers. For being so big, his touch was featherlike, making her abdominals clench nervously at the rather ticklish sensation.

Curiosity grabbing a firm hold on her rolled up shirt, she peered down herself to where the bandages were being unraveled, and slowly frowned. "How's it looking?" she breathed, her voice sounding very unused this early morning.

Completely peeling the wrapping back, there was a moment of delay, his eyes brightening at the sight of them. "You heal fast. They have scarred over," he purred, setting them back in place.

"You can take them off," she suggested, her hands moving to help him pull the stained wrappings off, only to pause as her hands brushed his. He was so warm, she almost didn't pull away immediately.

Smiling nervously, she bit her lip as she met his warm eyes, only to shy away and look back down at herself. There was just something about exposing so much skin to him that made her anxious. It didn't matter that he already saw most of her in that bikini, that was before all the sharing of feelings.

And as she saw the state of her stomach, she realized that Tomak had been right, the wounds were healed. Her focus lingered on the white scar tissue speckling her belly with a critical eye. More ugly scars, more bad memories.

She was about to pull her shirt down to cover the sight of them, when the pads of Tomak's fingers glided over the surface of them, stopping her.

"Remember, gorgeous," his heated gaze met hers. "Scars are a testimony to your strength, not a weakness."

She sighed, pulling her shirt down, disconnecting his touch. Turning away from him, she sat at the edge of the bed. Sitting despondently, she breathed in real slow and out even slower. "I know," she replied quietly.

Her eyes squeezed shut. But that doesn't make seeing them any less harder.

She slipped from the bed, but the instant her feet touched the floor boards, Tomak's hand was around her wrist, like a tether, only letting her wander so far.

"Rae," he chided gently, willing her to come back to bed with him.

She lowered her head, neither pulling away, nor returning to him. "I'm just going to take a shower."

His touch didn't vanish, or at least not as quickly as she had thought it would. He lingered, his silence speaking volumes. She had a feeling he knew she wasn't being entirely truthful with him, she was hiding her emotions. It was the very thing he asked her– no, he demanded that she not do, and here she was doing it.

But for some unknown reason, he let that slip. Maybe it was simply because he wanted to give her some time to herself to think, but whatever it was, Rae couldn't erase the emotions that were brought up within her as his clawed thumb tenderly swiped the inside of her wrist before letting go.

That almost had her crawling back into bed with him. But the only thing stopping her was her need to clear her head, and there was going to be none of that with Tomak's temping presence clouding her mind.

Inside the bathroom, Rae changed her mind and decided on a hot bath to soak in, instead of a shower. She needed to relax her muscles and slow her mind, think less about what happened over the past few days and think more toward the future.

That didn't ease her any less.

Tomak intended to take her with him to space. Outerspace. Amongst the stars.

She took in a shuddering breath as she lowered herself until the water rose from below her breasts to above her neckline. What was he thinking?

More specifically, what was he thinking about their relationship? Were they simply friends in his eyes? The last instances they were together clearly pointed not. So what were they to each other? What did he want from her? Better yet, what did he expect from her? Did he really want her to leave with him?

But she supposed the bigger question fell on her. Did she even want to leave? Could she?

This was her home. This was where she was born, where her memories of her father were, where he died. Even if he wasn't alive anymore, she felt part of him was still here, especially at the ocean. It's where she felt closest to him.

By leaving, she was giving all that up.

She had never traveled out of the country before, she couldn't imagine traveling outside of her galaxy. It was all too overwhelming for her to consider, but she couldn't shake it from her head.

After thoroughly soaking and washing her hair, she stepped out of the tub dripping wet. The contrast from the cool air of the bathroom to the warm water was more than obvious. She shivered, goosebumps erupting over her exposed skin. Grabbing a white towel she wrapped it around herself only for her eyes to bounce around the space.

Oh god. Her robe was in the wash from a week ago and she had forgotten to grab fresh clothes. She eyed the gross sweaty and bloody clothing that had been clinging to her before and eyed it with disgust. Despite the circumstances, she did not want to put those back on her fresh clean skin.

Now staring at the door, the grip on the towel tightened. She silently prayed that Tomak was either asleep or had left to perform his acrobatics outside.

Gripping the door handle, she took a steadying breath before she turned the knob.

Her heart practically did a flying flip into her throat when Tomak's glowing eyes were the first thing she saw as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Swallowing, she dropped her eyes to the floorboard as she padded quietly over to the set of drawers. Even as she stood there looking through her clothes, she could feel his eyes roving over her bare shoulders and the backs of her legs. The towel was thankfully big enough that it covered over her rump, but it still rested on the upper portion of her thighs.

To add to the dizzying effect, her wet hair was still dripping little droplets of water from her neck down between her shoulder blades and back, stopping where the towel firmly met the outward curve of her butt.

She blew out a shaky sigh, as she located her underwear, but the electrifying sensation didn't leave her. "I can feel you staring at me, Tomak."

She bit her lip as she heard his deep sexy chuckle.

"It's rude to stare you know," she added, the corners of her mouth twitching upward at the worst time.

"I do not recall that stopping you."

His response brought her to a screeching halt, everything suddenly becoming way too quiet. She turned then, sharply meeting his admiring yellow gaze that was slowly lifting from her scarcely clad body, to her dark eyes.

"Me?" her eyebrows rose incredulously.

"Yes," he suddenly rose from the bed, and her eyes widened further at his movement, her heart pounding several beats faster as he came to stand less than an arms length away, much too close for her comfort.

Rae was about to ask for more space when he boldly stepped within her circle of safety and placed both of his insufferably long, muscular arms as barricades to sandwich her between his large body and the dresser. Her breath caught in her throat at being so intimately close to him with only a towel covering her nude body from being traversed with his unforgiving eyes.

An involuntary shiver ran unpleasantly up the curve of her spine. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Just when she thought it couldn't get much worse, his mandibles pulled into a smile, his head lowering, forcing several of his dreads to spill over his shoulders. One of those long strands gently batted against her cheek as he produced his next words very carefully.

"No?" his expression turned wicked. "Then let me enlighten you," he chuckled, making more goosebumps form on her. It didn't help that his mandibles were just a few inches away from touching her face and every muscle in her body was clenched tight. She was in suspense at what was going to come out of his mouth, but no amount of anticipation or even preparation could prepare her for what he said next. "I caught you admiring my form while you pretended to sleep."

She was pretty sure blood was draining from her face as she blinked up at him. Then like the snap of an elastic band, a nervous defensive laugh burst from her parted lips.

"I did not!" She swiftly grabbed her black leggings from the open drawer behind her and ducked under his arm to get away, but that unfortunately did not deter him.

"You deny it?" he challenged, going after her; a smirk if she'd ever seen one, plastered on his face.

"Yes," she threw over her shoulder, marching straight for the bathroom, only to squeak as she suddenly felt his hands move to catch her. Before he could, she darted into the bathroom and slammed the door directly in his face with a giggle. Swiftly her hand was on the door knob, locking it, but they both knew the lock would do nothing if he truly wanted to get in.

"Gorgeous," he growled in warning.

She grinned, dropping the towel. "I'm not playing this game with you, Tomak," she proceeded to take her time, putting her fresh clothes on, it prolonged the inevitable. She really didn't want to go back out there with him lurking so closely at the door. And when she was done with that, she brushed her teeth and began working her moisturizer through her long, wet strands of hair.

"You do not wish to play because you will lose, admit it," he gruffed, making her cheeks heat in further embarrassment.

She shook her head trying to stifle her embarrassed giggling, unable to even refute him. Yes, she would lose. Despite Tomak's efforts, she wasn't about to admit that after her initial surprise she had in fact admired his muscular form. She wouldn't doubt it if he was sculpted to look that way, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"I cannot hear you, gorgeous." His voice pulled her from the overwhelming visual.

"Okay, fine!" she relented, "When you came out of the bathroom that evening, I did look, okay? But I wasn't openly ogling you, I was just..." she tried to find the words, "caught off-guard."

"Caught off-guard," he repeated.

"Well, yeah," her heart fluttered as she tried to explain herself. "I've just never seen a man... completely naked before." Then she played her own words back in her head and blushed, "I-I mean I know what a naked man looks like, but those were just animated sex-ed pictures. I've never seen a naked man in person and I especially wasn't prepared to see you like that– n-not that I saw your um... the front of you, it was j-just y-your, um your butt..." Ohhhh shut up, shut up! God!

"I see," he didn't have his smug voice, he sounded more reflective if anything, but at this point, that didn't matter so much to Rae.

Now would be a convenient time to die, just drop dead and not have to worry about the consequences of my words. This was not the conversation she wanted to have with him this morning. He already knew how she felt about him, he didn't need his ego inflated anymore, and she didn't need to be further humiliated.

"Am I correct to assume you have never experienced a mating?"

A mating? His word choice had her hesitating, doubts filling her head. Maybe he wouldn't understand. Afterall, his culture was very different from hers.

Stop, she silenced the unhealthy thoughts.

But despite knowing he was very accommodating and accepting, his question still instigated anxiety within her. For some reason, and she never understood it, but there were some men that didn't like the idea of being with a virgin, they wanted a girl with more experience in the bedroom.

She had no clue if Tomak felt that way, but he had already assured her so many times now that he understood their backgrounds were different. It never bothered him before so why now? Keeping that in mind, Rae took a moment of pause before finally answering. "Um...that...that is accurate, yes."

She heard the floorboards creak then, was he moving away? Moving closer? He was completely silent otherwise, which tugged painfully at her heart. Did hearing her lack of experience disinterest him? She wasn't hearing any smug remarks or crude jokes, but she wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Running her hands through the last few curls, she bit her lip softly and hugged herself, realizing she had no other excuse for hiding in here. But she wanted the space, especially now they were treading on very precarious grounds.

Leaning against the sink, she let out a sigh, her pulse tripping up in her chest. "Does knowing I'm a virgin put you off?" closing her eyes shut, her breathing shallowed immensely as she waited impatiently for a response.

He trilled, a questioning sound. "Put me off?" his voice was muffled through the door. So he hadn't moved away.

She decided to reword it. "Does knowing I'm a virgin make me less desirable to you?"

He seemed to understand now, his thoughtful rumble coming through the door. "I will answer your question when you have removed this barrier between us."

She had not been expecting that response, and her heart pounded harder.

Dragging her feet, she walked up to the wooden door and unlocked it, her knuckles turning white as she gripped and turned the doorknob. Swallowing, she pulled it open. But instead of stepping out, she took a step back, not even lifting her gaze, her arms being her only safety as she clung to her elbows once more.

She only saw his clawed feet standing right at the edge of the door, waiting for her. Now with no barrier, she waited, fully expecting him to step into the bathroom to collect her, but he surprised her again.

"Come here," he urged in that gentle, yet unyielding tone. When she didn't immediately make a move to go to him though, he purred her name. "Rae."

She looked up.

He extended his hand to her, "Come here."

His eyes were warm, his voice deep, but not goading.

Releasing her lip, she went to him, his hand landing softly at her back, once she was in range, urging her closer to him. Lifting her chin up, he looked at her with a softness that was slowly undoing her.

"Your virginity is pleasing to me," he purred, and a soft breath was let out at his confession. "Do not mistake my hesitation for distaste. I was acknowledging that I must be more careful with you."

So that had been why he went silent earlier, she realized, he had been in deep thought. Nodding, she smiled, feeling a little better. She was honestly taken back by how sweet he could be, enjoying every moment of it. But as she should have guessed, it didn't last long.

Adjusting his position, he crossed his arms rather smugly over his wide chest, "But I more than appreciate your curiosity. I am not immune to having females feast their eyes on my body, and you are more than welcome to look if it will ease your anxiety," he chuckled as she gasped, smacking his abdomen in outrage.

"I wasn't feasting my eyes on anything!"

His chuckling did little to help as he suddenly scooped her up high in his arms, enjoying her gasp as he brought them both back to the bed. Dropping her down on the cushioned surface, he bent over her, with a purr. "You did, gorgeous, but I forgive you."

She sucked in a breath, traitorous heat traveling to places it shouldn't have. To her utter horror, he seemed to know it too, his eyes lowering down her front, a grin lifting a fraction more at the discovery.

"Are you admitting yourself?" his mandibles spread further, rather enjoying her embarrassment as she rolled onto her side with a horrified groan.

Ignoring her reaction, he brushed up against her as he laid down, forcing her to have to stare at him, lest she turn over again.

"Can we please talk about something else? Anything else," she pleaded, hiding her face as best as she could in the comforter.

Thankfully for her sake, he went along with it, letting it go. Still grinning, he wrapped his gargantuan arm around her, pulling her impossibly closer so her head rested against his bare chest, "Then what would you suggest, gorgeous?"

Having not been prepared to be put so brutally on the spot, she smiled softly. "Well I dunno," she hid her face against him, feeling his body shake as he chuckled, resting his head above hers. It looked like he wasn't in a rush to start a conversation himself, seemingly content with just lying there with her while his tusks played with her hair, something she only just noticed.

She giggled, as he pressed his mandibles and mouth further into her damp hair, huffing intently. "What are you doing?" she tried not to move.

"Your hair," he let out one of his more rumbly purrs, his eyes practically glazed over in desire, "I like it this way."

"You mean clean," she smirked, lifting an eyebrow in playful offense.

She expected him to have a comeback, but he silenced her playfulness swiftly when he dragged his fingers through her curly wet hair, actually taking a large wet ringlet and giving it an experimental tug.

He seemed so enamored with her hair, it actually gave her pause and a chance for retribution.

"Looks like I'm not the only one curious here," she teased, noting the way he hesitated going back in for another tug. He really was so respectful of her boundaries, something that made her want to lower them a little more. If she was being truthful, she wasn't against his touch, not in the slightest. She loved experiencing his brute strength tapered down for her benefit.

As she knew, he was a powerful yautja warrior. She saw evidence just the other day of him taking out hordes of armed soldiers with hardly any difficulty. Those fingers that were filing through her hair, could choke the life out of someone, crush their windpipe, snuff them out. Those claws that were lightly scraping against her scalp could sink into a tree trunk and anchor his weight high up in the air.

There were so many dangers that pertained just to his hands, but he still had the ability to be gentle, and the desire to not harm her. It was that perfect balance that really did it for her, made her want to submit to him.

Grabbing his hand before he completely withdrew, she returned it to her hair. "I wasn't saying I didn't like it," she assured him, delighting in the sight of his pupils enlarging at her blatant endorsement and trust. It was a sign, if she wasn't mistaken, that meant a man was sexually attracted to someone due to a surge of oxytocin and dopamine in their system, better known as the love hormones.

She really hoped he loved her. It was a new feeling since they admitted feelings, but it felt right.

Gosh, so much had changed between them. Tomak had gone from being her worst nightmare, the warrior that had come to claim her skull, to an unpleasant house guest, and then eventually, he became a trusted friend.

More than a friend, her eyes lingered on the swell of his chest as he inhaled deep and slow. He acted like the boyfriend she had always wanted, but could never find. Was that what he was now? Was he her boyfriend? Did he see it that way?

Her jaw clamped tight as unwelcome doubts began filtering through her head.

He was obviously interested in her sexually, but to what extent? She wasn't looking for a casual hook-up, or to have a weird, friends-with-benefits thing. She wanted the real deal, she couldn't settle for anything less, her father would probably crawl out of his grave and throttle her if she did. So what was this?

It was a bold and confrontational question, which she was scared to ask, mainly because she was afraid of the answer she might receive. She didn't even know enough about Tomak's culture to know if he would be able to commit to a monogamous relationship, or if he took many women over a period of time. All she knew was that there was no permanent mate waiting for him back home, but that could mean a variety of things.

The more she went over it in her head, the more her heart sank.

"Gorgeous," he complained as if she had disturbed his rest. His hand suddenly smoothed up her back to clasp the nape of her neck. "Why are you not relaxed?" As if to validate his words, his fingers proceeded to manipulate and massage her neck, making her inhale sharply, a sigh leaving her mouth as she slumped against him.

She felt him chuckle beneath her, uttering the word, "Better," in her ear. His fingers were not stopping as his hand moved from her neck to one of her shoulders. It felt so good.

"Must I coerce the truth from you, gorgeous?" He was onto her and it spiked her pulse.

Could she really tell him? Was it too soon? Would he take it well?

Reaching back, she placed her hand over his, stopping him from his thorough kneading, but too afraid to look in his eyes, she sat up, decisively not moving away from his lap, knowing he would only drag her back if she did.

Letting out a desperate breath she tried to put her feelings into words. "Tomak, I..." she paused, feeling both his hands settle on her hips as he sat up with her, his back now against the headboard. With his full attention, she started again. "Tomak, I need to know what this is to you," she looked up at him then.

He was silent, but he patiently waited for her to elaborate.

"I mean, we went from little touches here and there to sleeping in the same bed. I just... I know you want me, but is this just a fling to you?"

"Fling?" he repeated, cocking his head at the unfamiliar term.

"A brief sexual relationship," she clarified, meeting his gaze boldly.

"Brief?" he chuckled, his hands tightening around her. "I can assure you gorgeous," his voice suddenly turned, going deeper, huskier. The very sound of it sent her heart racing. Stooping over her, he leaned in close, "Any sexual engagement between us will be anything but brief," his eyes flashed with dark promises and it made her blush.

"Tomak, god," now she was flustered, her insides blooming with traitorous heat, "that's not what I meant."

His chuckle didn't soothe her in the least, but after a moment of composure he gently cupped her face. "I know." He knew what she was asking. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her seriously, all mischief gone from his eyes. "I wish for you to be by my side, not as a temporary mate, but as one made for life. It is rare in recent days, but yautja can mate for life. That is what I wish for us, to be life mates."

Her heart fluttered with hope as she shifted, her hands resting on his forearms. "Life mates. Like a marriage?"

He shook his head, "It is not the same. When you make an oath to be a lifemate, there is no breaking that oath, it is sealed forever."

So there was no divorce, was what he was saying. That was interesting, but she supposed if all yautja were honorable then none would do anything to lose the trust of the other like humans often did. But for Tomak to want to bound his life to hers, that was a big deal.

Immediately, she began to have self doubts of her own worth. "And you're sure about me being your lifemate?"

His head tilted as he looked at her, his eyes so penetrating, "Yes."

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

He chuckled, "Why not?"

That wasn't the answer she was looking for. "Tomak," she began, wondering if she could make him see the truth. "I'm human, I'm weak, and I..."

He cut her off with a soft growl, making her look back up at him. Lowering and pressing the great dome of his forehead to hers, he demanded she listen carefully. "Rae, you are a warrior, strong, selfless," he purred, "gorgeous."

She closed her eyes, wanting to refute what he saw in her. She longed to hear such words and to feel wanted, but somewhere deep inside she was afraid and she pulled away, breaking contact with his face. "But I'm also damaged, dangerous... unworthy."

Not taking her actions as rejection, Tomak hiked her chin up, looking deeply into her eyes in exasperation, "Must I remind you? I decide who is worthy for me, and you exceed all expectations."

She looked at him then and bit her lip, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Tomak..." but her voice trembled, her words fading out. She blinked slowly as Tomak held her face in his large hands, swiping his thumbs over the surface of her cheeks, drying her tears.

Pleased by her submission, he adoringly traced the side of her face with his knuckle, until he held her chin again, speaking to her soothingly. "I am not like that human male," he growled darkly; her eyes shooting back up to his, realizing who he was referring to.

"I would never abandon my mate," then he looked at her pointedly, smiling in his yautja way, "even if she was not ready to be bred."

She was sure her face flushed at his comment, but despite his bluntness, he was doing well trying to reassure her. Just knowing that this giant and honorable warrior wanted her, it made her stomach flutter.

He continued to hold her attention as his large thumb softly ran over her cheek, wiping away the silent tears that had stained her face. "I just don't want to disappoint you," she managed, watching the way his eyes glowed.

"Rae," he admonished. "You could never disappoint me," he purred. "But what of you? Do you feel the same? Do I meet your expectations as a mate?"

She blinked slowly, spilling more tears, but as she looked up at the large yautja, she knew she couldn't lie to him, "You far exceed what I'd look for, Tomak."

Eyes softening in an enamored way, his hands fell from her face to grab and smooth down her shoulders and sides, almost reassuring her of her confession. He didn't turn away from her or deny her feelings like he had before, he accepted them, and that brought butterflies to her stomach.

"But this doesn't mean we're going to rush into sex, right?" she asked haltingly. His chuckle, oh god, his chuckle was her Achilles heel, yet despite it being her weakness she never wanted to hear it more. Wilting bashfully under his scrutiny, she waited expectantly for his answer.

"No? I could feel your temperature rise at the thought of my body just earlier," he growled impishly, and instantly her head shot back as she stared at him with impossibly wide eyes.

"What?! NO!" she emphatically refused, scowling at his growing smile, clearly enjoying her mixed emotions. "I-I mean– wait," she stared at him in shock, "you felt my temperature rise?"

He laughed again, winding his arms tighter around her, completely rebuffing her question. Tucking his mouth in the crook of her neck, he laid soft little nips, comforting her with actions before he drilled the point home for her. "It is tradition for there to be a courtship before a bond is made, I will not claim you until then, until you are comfortable around the idea."

Recovering from his intimate nips, she nodded shakily, letting out a relieved sigh. She was genuinely thankful, which she expressed, earning herself one of his deep grunts. Smiling gently, she ran her hand down his arm, thinking over his words thoughtfully. "Courtship," she voiced out loud. "Is that your version of dating?"

He nodded, grunting in acceptance. "And when we leave this planet I will court you properly, gorgeous," he ran his claw lovingly down the side of her face. "And when the time is right, I will claim you by your laws of bonding and mine. That is a promise."

Her eyes lowered shyly, before rising to his again. It was everything she wanted to hear, all except one truth. He expected her to leave Earth, the only home she had ever known. Forcing her nerves down, she decided not to bring up her concern and hid it with a simple smile.

While she knew the conversation regarding their departure was imminent, she put it off, deciding that laying there against this massive male, soaking in his immense heat, was exactly what she needed right now, especially after the horrific week she had. She kind of earned it, and she certainly didn't want to ruin the moment; they were quietly enjoying each other's comforting embrace, a rarity that she secretly hoped would become more common practice as this courtship progressed. Besides, she wasn't ready to entertain the idea of the important and daunting discussion they would need to have, at least not yet.

But as she laid there in his arms, she couldn't help but think back to the very last time they were like this. All it could take was one false step from her, and she could screw up everything built between them. Recalling his rigid posture, the way he yelled at her, even the remembrance of how much she hurt him by going out with Damon, it strung up her guilt, pricking the very tears she tried to hold back.

Taking that moment to gaze at each other, her cheek pressed up against the swell of his pectoral muscle, she watched as his glowing optics intellectually roved back and forth between her eyes, his pupil flaring as if he discovered something from his soul searching stare. Right on cue, his mandibles fluttered thoughtfully. "Is there something else bothering you?" he trilled.

Unable to hold his stare any longer, she looked away, "No." Yes.

He let out a soft snort, tenderly stroking her back. "You are a terrible liar, gorgeous," he turned her face back to him.

She knew she was. She was never taught to lie. Doing so only made her chest burn up with the seemingly acidic property of anxiety, something that always threatened to erode her false composure. But as she lifted her eyes to him once more, she found herself biting her lip partially in nervousness and in regret for her previous actions.

Looping her arms loosely around his neck and looking within those deep honey pools for eyes, she leaned up, pressing her chest flat to his, and placed a chaste apologetic kiss on his lowest tusk. Dropping back down she held his bright gaze tensely, and stayed there for a good solid moment, not saying anything, just letting her actions speak for her.

Sensing something deeper in her response, Tomak sat up straighter and lifted her up in his arms, only barely stooping some to have his face parallel to hers. Holding her face in his hand then, he presented himself with the side of her face and purred, brushing her hair out of the way of his perfect view. Then with a tenderness that had her shivering, his thumb drew an invisible line down her jaw before he slowly spread his mandibles and hovered his mouth over the area where her ear met her jaw.

Rae stiffened, unsure what he was up to. She had seen his mouth plenty of times and noted the sharp points of his teeth, they could easily shred and tear, so the thought of them being so close to her did little to ease her fear, but as his tusks lightly fluttered over her, she inhaled feebly, not wanting to make a sound, worried she would push him away.

But the moment she felt his hot breath fan over the sensitive area beneath the shell of her ear, she went absolutely rigid in his hold. She wasn't entirely sure if it was just in her head, but she was pretty sure she was shaking, her heart thundering uncontrollably in her chest. Like an idiot, she sat there surrounded by his arms, waiting timidly for something to happen, like she was about to be used as some sort of sacrifice.

Where was her courage? Where was her voice? Could she not simply ask what he was—?

Then she felt it, something warm and wet dipping down to meet her delicate flesh, and it sent an electrical surge that traveled all the way down to her toes, making her arch in his hold. And of course, her sudden unexpected movement made him still, it probably surprised him as much as it did her.

Pausing briefly, Tomak waited for her to voice some sort of refusal to his touch, but her shock had made her incapable of giving him one. So when she didn't speak up, he carefully continued, pressing his deceptively soft mouth up and down the curve of her jaw and the highest point of her neck, a gasp slipping past her defenses.

Rae had to remind herself to breathe. The sensation he was pulling from her was odd yet familiar. It felt like a soft, wet pair of lips opening and closing over her skin, but she racked through her brain for images of his mouth, only remembering his teeth, and the faint memory of a tongue, but no lips; yet, despite all reasoning, it felt reminiscent of a kiss. Was this his version of one? And what the hell was he hiding to make it feel like this?

Her fingers closed tighter around his biceps, feeling his mouth move up and down her jawline, his mandibles fluttering ticklishly against the sides of her neck, like warm hands holding her in place.

His alien kisses were soft and feather-like at first, but they grew with confidence, likely encouraged by her willing response to remain still for him.

These felt like kisses given to a lover. Not sloppy or rushed, but lain with purpose and passion.

It sprung fresh tears to her eyes. He again was showering her with affection, trying to comfort and reassure her, when she had been the one trying to comfort and apologize to him for her stupidity. She didn't deserve this from him. She had been so close to almost losing this, to losing him.

Seeing her tears, he pulled back, worried he had gotten too caught up, but she immediately pushed forward, dampening his worries to hide her face into his shoulder. "Tomak, I'm so sorry," she grieved, purposefully avoiding his searching eyes. "I just... I should have never ran from you when you yelled at me. I'm sorry I gave you mixed signals and overstepped my boundaries. I... I—" she choked on her tears, trying and failing to come out fully with her remorse.

Apparently that wasn't what Tomak wanted to hear because his hand suddenly was forcing her face up, silently commanding her to look into his piercing eyes. She expected to see frustration, anger, but what she saw there in those large blown out pupils was something she wasn't prepared for.

"Gorgeous, I will not sit here and listen to you apologize for something that you did not do," he growled, the harsh sound contrasting with the gentle caressing movements of his hands that had somehow without her knowledge, laid claim to her waist.

She held tightly onto his arm, anchoring her as she looked up at him with confused, tear ridden eyes. Her voice cracked, "But... it was my fault." Right?

Tomak was not quick to reply, his eyes flickering like a wayward flame to the side. He was thinking, or maybe her bringing it up was distressing to him. Whatever the case, he shifted them both, forcing them onto a different path of conversation.

"Come," lifting her up in his arms as he rose from the bed, "you must eat."

Clinging to his shoulders she looked up at him with worry. Maybe it would have been best if she hadn't said anything at all. His purr worked wonders though, easily dispelling those fears.

Taking her out to the kitchen area, he didn't set her down until he had pulled out a kitchen chair for her to sit at. And despite her insistence to get her own food, Tomak's silent stare was all she needed to sit there and leave it be.

Watching as he moved around the kitchen with familiarity, she couldn't help her heart from swelling as he prepared her a bowl of cereal, setting the food before her, as well as the proper utensil to eat it with.

It hadn't gone past her that he was pouring just the right proportions for herself, something that only someone watching her closely would know. She thought back to all the mornings she spent with him, eating breakfast. How many times did he watch her pour her cereal? Why had she never noticed how much he paid attention to the finer details in her everyday life?

It was this newfound knowledge that eased her anxious thoughts. Surely, he wouldn't take a personal hand in preparing her breakfast just the way she liked it if he was upset, right?

Settling in the seat across from her, Rae clung to the feeling of his knees pressing up against her own, only unlike times before, she didn't pull her seat back. With all they had been through, she felt more than joy with his proximity, she was comforted by it.

His soft gaze wandered over her as she ate, which would have normally made her self-conscious, but she knew that look well. He was deep in thought, watching but not watching.

She wanted to speak up, say something to end this unbearable silence, but as she continued to fill her belly, she realized just how hungry she was. Having gone without food for the last few days had worked up an appetite that was demanding to be quenched. So she did what her body commanded.

However, it wasn't for another couple minutes that her empty cereal bowl was pushed aside, and she was once again forced to address Tomak's silent contemplation, his eyes hazy with unseen thoughts.

Seeing him so far off she felt her stomach twist and turn. She had really messed up, hadn't she? Drawing her bottom lip into her mouth, her hands formed into fists at her side. "I really am sorry, Tomak." The light in his eyes flickered back on as he looked at her. She took it as a sign to keep going. "I wish I could take back what I did that day, that led you to—" she let out a breath. His silence was killing her. "Can... can you forgive me?" she beseeched.

"Gorgeous," he sat taller, his eyes laser-focused on her, "this is my doing," he growled softly. "It was my pride that led us to that moment. It is your forgiveness I should be asking for, not the other way around."

Her watery eyes widened. His remorse was so potent, it overwhelmed her. She wouldn't stand for it. Standing from her seat she came around the table, surprising him with her intensity as she came at his side.

"No," her hands came up to wrap around his shoulders and neck in a tight human hug, an attempt to soothe him, her head lowering to rest on his large shoulder, "I'm the one that needs to apologize, Tomak. I was scared." Her eyes rose to his as her fingers drew light, ticklish circles across his tough flesh. "I thought I hurt you," she whispered to him, "I thought I disrespected you and lost your trust."

He snorted then, turning readily in his seat. It creaked beneath his weight. "Gorgeous, I had never wanted a female as badly as I wanted you," he purred, moving to caress her cheek with his claw.

She blinked, finding that to be kind of hard to believe. She looked nothing like his species' females, at least she presumed as much. They were probably much bigger than she was, and likely born with incredible hunting capabilities that she lacked. What possibly did he see in her that he hadn't at one point seen in someone else?

Seeing the doubt ebb in her gaze, he held her face firmly. "I still feel that pull to mate with you, gorgeous," he stared at her, his eyes penetrating right through her.

Holding his stare, she swallowed, even when there was nothing left to. Her mouth had run dry at his tempting gaze and she had no idea what it meant.

Leaning further into her touch, he spoke in a deep hushed tone, his hands holding her at her hips. "But it is different now. I am a patient male," leaning in further, the tusk of his mandible softly brushed against her cheek, sending a wave of delightful shivers down her spine. "I would rather wait until after our courtship, then, perhaps you will be ready."

She smiled rather shyly, nodding, accepting his response. Feeling a bit more bolder by his words, she placed her hand against the side of his face. His eyes closed instantly upon contact, making her bite her lip. Gosh she loved him. She loved this yautja and everything about him. Her fingertips trailed down the side of his face, enjoying the smooth bumpy texture. She thought back to the last time she did this and her movements slowed. There was still just one thing that wasn't adding up.

His eyes opened then, wondering why she had stopped.

Biting her lip a tad harder, she searched through his eyes questioningly. "If you wanted me so bad, then why did you yell at me to leave?"

He rumbled low, his grip around her tightening. Despite his reluctance to say, he did not withhold the truth from her. "My fierce response was because I was in rut. The hunt is important to my people, if we could, we would remain on our hunting grounds. That is why our elders believe we have a mating season, to ensure the continuation of our race." He paused in his explanation, and it gave Rae time to think.

So it would seem yautja reproductive cycles were nothing like that of humans. She knew a wide range of species in the animal kingdom had a mating season, but to think that Tomak— that all of his people had one, made it difficult for her to picture. Surely due to their intelligence, male yautja wouldn't become violent like other male animals do, right? It sounded so primitive.

His silence was short-lived as he hesitantly admitted, "The mating season puts us into a state of all consuming need to spill our seed in a willing female," shame lacing his words, his golden eyes holding hers only briefly, before dropping to the ground. "Forgive me, gorgeous. I should have told you sooner. I should have stayed away, but I could not. I let my emotions control me, foolishly thinking I could fight my own instincts, but I could not."

Rae stared at him in surprise, her eyes widening as the picture became clear. That was why he yelled at her to leave, that was why he had been so tense the past couple weeks. Then she thought back to every scenario in which she might have unknowingly provoked him, a pit of embarrassment growing larger and larger within her gut. "So that was why you would sometimes abruptly leave the scene?" she asked, looking for confirmation.

He nodded gravely, still not meeting her eyes.

Looking at his guilt-ridden state, Rae let out a breath. "God, Tomak," she found herself holding his face, feeling deep regret for leaving him in such a vulnerable state. "I should have never ran," she repeated her previous comment, "I should have stayed there with you."

He growled softly, shaking his head, "Had you stayed, I would have mated with you, even against your will." Her heart sped up at his confession. "My self control was leaving me then, but not now." Sensing her silent contemplation, he growled, holding her body protectively, "It will not happen again," he swore it.

Trying to comfort him further, she gently slid her fingers down one of his long dreadlocks, getting him to shudder under her. "We both played a part in it," she admitted soothingly. Her fingers paused momentarily in their travels, as she eyed him carefully, "Are you still...?"

Meeting her eyes he growled, "No, it has passed." And immediately he felt her tension crumble, her body much more relaxed.

Rae exhaled in solace. "Well," she let out a little chuckle, "this is all kind of a big relief for me. I thought I offended you rather frequently," she grinned, "especially after the uh... mandible incident," she went as far as to stroke the healed appendage, making it twitch.

He chuffed then, a rumble swelling in his large chest. "Far from it. Had I not left, I would have stripped you of your clothing and taken you in the sand."

Rae gasped, her hands releasing his dreads to cover her mouth in open embarrassment. Had that whole affair really turned him on that much? "What had gotten you excited? The fact that I broke part of your face? Or that I healed it?"

Neither sounded all that romantic.

He chuckled, moving to stand, which had her backing up a few paces. "Both," he admitted. "I was drawn to your fierce determination to not be beaten, and I was also struck by your compassion and affection when you insisted on healing me."

That had her smiling, an eyebrow arched in disbelief. "I thought yautja valued showing no mercy?"

Taking a step closer to her he purred, "Yautja value loyalty more."

Apparently there was a lot she had to learn about him and his people, but nodding, she accepted his answer and stored it to be analyzed later.

Standing there so close to his stifling heat that felt like it was rolling off him in waves, Rae took a moment to look him over, seeing that he was still in nothing but a well-wrapped loincloth, which put the rest of him on full display.

If she wasn't so shaken by his blatant confession that yes, he did consider having sex with her on more than one occasion, she would have reached her hand out and ran her fingertips over every groove and valley of his impressive physique. Those abs were just screaming to be touched.

"Something on your mind?" he purred, jolting her from her sinful thoughts.

She blinked once, then twice. Definitely not you. Focus. Then as she stood there in silence, she realized she still had yet to answer him which made him laugh. Blushing like a school-girl talking to her crush, she rallied herself and decided there was one thing that made her curious. Was there anything else she did that made him want sex? She genuinely wanted to know. Only problem was, she didn't know quite how to word it without it coming across as suggestive.

"How um... often did you think about... well," she gestured between them, not really wanting to say it out loud. Dear god, Rae. Get it together. Why hadn't she thought this through first?

"How often did I think about pleasuring you?" he smirked seeing the features of her face cringe; she was almost squirming in place, it was adorable.

He was slow to speak, which didn't help Rae's composure at all, but eventually he tilted his head, actually considering it. "At least twice a day," his chuckle rattled as he watched her expression go from pensive to startled shock.

"Are you serious?!" she stared at him.

"No."

"Oh thank god," she let out a relieved sigh, smoothing her hands over her face.

Then he smirked in that attractive alien way. "It was far more than that." Her gasp brought him much amusement, and he watched, hardly holding back his laughter as she ran her fingers nervously through her scalp.

"Did your raging hormones seriously make you want me that bad?"

He hardly let her finish her question when he took two long strides toward her, stepping into the space she was trying to create between them. "Believe me gorgeous, my self-control may have returned, but nothing has changed in regards to what I want." His face lowered to hers, "I would want nothing more than to throw your legs apart and have my way with you if you gave me the chance."

"Tomak!" she blushed, pushing away from his chest she spun around covering her face with her hands, trying to revoke the very thoughts that were filling her head, and ultimately deciding that she needed to put some space between them, but Tomak was not having any of it.

Before she had even taken three steps, he was in front of her, acting as the only barrier between her and her way out of the house. "Be careful not to start something you cannot finish, gorgeous," he warned huskily, his eyes lit in challenge.

She bit her lip at the sight, poorly hiding her grin. Narrowing her eyes she huffed, "Why must you be so annoying?" She wanted space, not to be captured in those hulking arms, but that seemed inevitable at this point. Even so, she was not going down easily.

"Annoying?" he repeated, loving how her face paled at seeing his mischievous smirk. She knew she was in trouble, and she was right. "Again, you purposefully use the wrong words as a replacement to hide your true feelings," he growled, taking a step closer. "You say you are embarrassed when you are aroused, and annoyed when you mean attracted," he chuckled as she tried to resist, retreating from his careful advances.

Controlling her breathing to focus on her goal, she met his eyes boldly. "I admit nothing."

Taking a step towards him, she saw his eyes brighten in excitement just before she charged, juking to the left and spinning to the right. To her credit, Tomak had not expected her quick-footed evasion, which had caught him off-guard long enough for her to barely slip by his large frame.

A rather cocky victory laugh was just leaving her mouth, when an arm of steel snagged her around the waist, effortlessly bringing her back to him before she even managed to step a foot in the living room.

Ignoring her squirming protest, he took her by the waist and thoroughly enjoyed her unsettled gasp as he fluidly lifted and sat her on the nearby kitchen island.

Shocked at where she was placed, she stared at him incredulously. "Tomak, what are you–" but before she get a word in edgewise, he effortlessly silenced her as he stepped in between her legs, placing both of his hands flat on the cold granite surface on either side of her.

Rae felt like everything went silent other than her heart that was acting like a caged animal trying to break out of her chest. Blood was pumping everywhere but to her brain as she tried to catch her breath and stare questioningly at this large muscular yautja standing in a very intimate place that had never been filled before between her legs.

She swallowed as she tried to better adjust herself, but when her legs moved, her soft inner thighs accidentally slid over the rough exterior of his. It made her stiffen, hyper-aware of how big he was compared to her, as well as the abnormal heat pouring off of him. It was like having a space heater between her legs while her blood boiled hotter, heating her core temperature. She felt like she was sweltering.

Still gripping his shoulders from being deposited there, Rae took slow breaths, trying to block out what he was doing to her, remembering what he told her. Managing to pull herself together, she read his face carefully, seeing that he wasn't losing control like he had before, rather, he was trying to provoke her. She shot him a smoky look then. "You're doing this on purpose," she pushed helplessly at his chest, which unfortunately only made him laugh harder.

"Yes," he looked down at her with mirth, enjoying her pointless struggles, which only aggravated her further.

Grabbing the upper rim of the sink behind her, she attempted to drag herself away from the edge, and away from his toxic heat, which would have worked if he hadn't firmly held onto her hips. "You're such a jerk," she huffed. There was nothing she could do to escape him. At least nothing that didn't involve hurting him.

Just when she didn't think he could make it worse for her, he stooped, pressing more of his leaned weight onto his hands so his face hovered above hers, his long decorated spines cascading over the mountainous region of his shoulders, and batting harmlessly against her collarbones and chest. Almost instantly her breath hitched, a self-conscious lump catching in her throat, because his eyes were now roving over her face in such a way that it made her think he was caressing her with just his eyes alone.

It was at that very moment that she realized he had her figured out. He was aware of the power his eyes had over her. Just one look and she was his. She was in so much trouble with this one.

Sensing her surrender, he emitted one of his deep rolling purrs that stuttered in a natural vibrato underneath the overlapping muscles of his chest, the most non-threatening sound he could produce. "I need you to understand. I will not repeat myself," he held her gaze firmly. "My hunger to make you submit to me is more ravenous than the black serpents themselves. Do not fool yourself into thinking I desire you any less than before. I still want you, I still envision all the ways I intend to pleasure you, and believe me, gorgeous, I am more than capable of bringing you pleasure."

His words were like electricity surging through her. She practically jumped as an erotic visual flashed unbidden in her mind of Tomak bent over her. NO, her eyes snapped shut, refuting the images as heat swirled deliriously in her belly.

"Tomak," she opened her eyes to him then, staring at her palm that was pressed into his massive chest, "please just..." she let out a breath, yielding further. "I don't need it repeated. I get the picture."

He tipped her chin up more so she was looking directly in his twin sun eyes. "Do you?" he challenged in that smug tone.

She couldn't help but shake her head with a small little laugh. "You are something else."

Pausing, he tilted his head curiously at her comment. "Is this another one of your odd human phrases?"

A bashful smile graced her lips as one of his hands tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Yes," her eyes traveled over his uniquely handsome face. "It's a funny way of saying that you're remarkable."

He hummed thoughtfully, pleased with her translation. Knowing how attentive and clever he was, she had a sneaking suspicion that all these terms and phrases that he picked up would eventually be used in reverse; somehow he'd play it into his hand, not that she was against it. It was another trait that she loved about him.

She really couldn't believe she had found the person that was perfectly suited for her, and an alien no less, that stood somewhere over seven feet tall and possessed a great quantity of skills and weapons that mostly involved killing.

He was her polar opposite. Here she was just a human, still alien to him, but she certainly did not have any of the skills he had acquired over the years, and she was against violence and killing. They were so different, she was surprised they bonded so well, but she supposed the statement: opposites attract, was true. His differences were what drew her from the beginning.

At first it had been his physicality, what was on the outside, but after a while she saw what lay at his core, what made him what he was. Yes, he had flaws, she didn't know anyone that didn't, but she could look past them. But despite those, there were aspects of him that she deeply respected. His sense of honor, his attentiveness, his curiosity to learn, his sense of humor, his blunt honesty, his accountability, and the affection he had proven he could show. Despite what she saw on the outside, she knew she could trust who he was on the inside.

But there was nothing to be picky about on the outside either. Other than appearing different in some ways, he had the most beautiful eyes, and a body that she was sure by all women's standards would be defined as attractive. He was the complete package.

Staring at him intently, Rae wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and placed both her hands on his arms, slowly rising up and up and up until they made it over his bulky shoulders, which forced her to fully straighten and extend her spine, pressing her chest completely to his and forcing her head back.

His pupils dilated and constricted at her actions, his hands finding their way to her waist.

In this position, Rae felt like she was simmering, she could hardly breathe being this close to him. Inhaling through her nose, she smelled the forest, that burning cedar wood that felt like a sedative to her nerves, making her ignore her conscience, which would normally be blaring in her skull to stop at this point.

Something in her yearned to reciprocate what Tomak showed her in the bedroom, to show him the affection he deserved, but she didn't know how to even start. This unfortunately was not the first time she looked beyond his mandibles to his mouth, just wondering how it would even be possible for her to kiss him the way she wanted to.

Somehow though, he had managed to kiss her with what felt like soft warm lips, but staring at his mouth now, she saw nothing that could create that sensation. Just teeth and gums overlaid with a deadly set of mandibles and tusks. Before she even had the urge to inch her face closer to his, he was staring at her like he already knew what she was thinking and it caused an uncomfortable fluttering in her gut.

His deep bass voice was what broke her from her helpless musings, riveting her attention once again on the present.

"Your eyes. I have seen them like this before," he watched her blink slow as his hand cupped her face. "Each time I was near you. Touching you."

Breathing shakily at the intensity of his gaze and the meaning of his words, she ducked her head so it laid against him, just beneath his chin, and to her relief, instead of the hand at her cheek forcing her to continue their little staring contest, it wrapped around to cradle the back of her head, his clawed fingers gently massaging her scalp.

Fighting the urge to close her eyes and enjoy his touch, she whispered, "Can I say something without worrying about any repercussions from you?"

She couldn't stop the smile that formed, feeling him snort in reaction. "That depends," the fingers at her scalp tightened a fraction, serving as a playful warning, reminding her to choose her words carefully.

Bringing her hands down, she wrapped them as best as she could around his waist. Perfectly comfortable like this, she nuzzled his chest before speaking. "In response to your previous comment, I admit that yes, I find you attractive, sometimes you drive me crazy, in a good way."

"I know this," he so arrogantly responded, her eyes turning into crescent moons as she giggled at him.

"Do you?" she pulled away to look at him, feeling bubbly and playful.

He grunted, not at all opposed to meeting her assertion. "Your friend told me you were head over heels," he informed, leveling a look at her, posturing himself so it puffed his chest out even more so, making her gawk and swiftly retract her hand.

Shutting her mouth, Rae lost all her confidence and stared at him wide-eyed. "Naomi said I was head over heels for you?"

He grunted, nodding his head once.

"And she explained what that meant?" she questioned further, feeling a little bit betrayed by her best friend.

"I was told it meant you were highly attracted to me."

Oh he was smug alright, and she shifted, grounding her teeth to prevent an obvious smile from bursting through. "Highly, huh?" she arched an eyebrow, turning her face to look out the sunny windows, "I will have to have some words with Naomi."

His fingers pressed lightly at her cheek, turning her face back to him. "You will have words with me now."

This time she grinned, taken aback by his ability to take control of her. Fighting the heat that was rising to her cheeks, she bit her lip and nodded, "Yeah okay, fine, I think you're a stud." Then she met his eyes and started laughing. "It's another way of saying extremely attractive."

He chuffed, almost irritably so. "Humans use too many unnecessary words," he grumbled.

She nodded, not disagreeing. "Yautja don't use enough." His eyes flicked down to hers. "To be plain, I find how you look to be very sexy, but," she held his gaze firmly, wanting to make a point, "that's not the most important thing to me. I was also attracted to what I found here," she tapped his chest, "on the inside."

Listening earnestly, Rae watched the moment Tomak's eyes lit up, over the moon with her confession, but probably not with those words exactly.

Stroking his chest, and earning herself a delighted purr, Rae pressed on. "I want you to know– no... I need you to know that you are," she bit her lip, holding his intense gaze fervently, "you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. And really I mean that, Tomak." She didn't mean it metaphorically or figuratively, he really was. She pressed her palm to his chest, right where his heart thudded its rhythmic beat. She wasn't sure, but with the way his shoulders held still, she thought she was feeling his breath catch, his heart speed up, and his eyes soften in that heart melting way. Currently admiring the corded muscle that had no give beneath her palm, she wasn't prepared for his confession.

"Then we are united with the same belief, gorgeous," he purred deep, his mouth pressing lightly against her slender shoulder.

Her eyes grew misty, her arms tightening around him. There was no denying it, she loved him. She loved Tomak.

"You guys are so cute together," a voice called to them from across the room, breaking off their engagement.

Rae felt Tomak's entire body ripple and stiffen as he turned his head in the direction of Naomi, who appeared to have just entered, the door still ajar behind her.

Looking at Naomi with a surprised face, Rae's hesitation lasted hardly a second before she patted at Tomak's arm in a silent plea to let her go, which he did reluctantly. Dropping down from the counter, Rae took two unsteady steps before she ran to her friend.

Laughing, Naomi met Rae in the middle where they wrapped their arms around each other in a tight bear hug.

"Sorry," she grinned in a not-so-apologetic way, "I should have called ahead. I didn't think I would be walking in on a makeout session," she eyed Tomak behind her with a smirk.

"What– no!" Rae pulled back, "We weren't–"

Naomi pursed her lips as if she knew otherwise. "Uh-huh, sure," giving her the side-eye she stepped off to the side to address the big guy behind her. "Hey crabs!" she grinned as his growl rumbled into existence, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he prowled towards them.

Rae was taken aback, having not expected the nickname. "What did you call him?" she failed to hold back her laughter, her eyes lighting up as she looked to Tomak for his reaction to it.

He was not taking it well. Now standing imperiously behind her, he pointed threateningly in her direction, "Do not provoke her." Though his murderous eyes were poised on Naomi, he was giving the command to her! Their tittering laughter did not solve his mood.

"I'm surprised you didn't come up with it sooner," Naomi bumped Rae's arm playfully, ignoring Tomak's warning growl.

Rae slid her eyes to Tomak then, and shot him a small smile. "No," she answered truthfully, "he's more of a bright eyes to me." His eyes glowed brighter as they shifted from their target of ire, softening immensely as they lowered to her. She felt small and shy under his warm gaze, but for some reason it brought her great satisfaction to see him only look at her with that expression.

"Awww! Look at you, defending him," the instigator teased again, her observation only making Rae burn more.

Forcing down her nerves, she brushed Naomi's comment aside, changing to another subject altogether. "I'm so sorry we left you behind. If I had known–"

"Hey," Naomi stepped forward, "I don't want you apologizing for anything, okay? I'm fine. I got home yesterday morning."

"Yesterday morning?" she parroted, frowning pensively. She had assumed the whole fiasco at the lab had been yesterday, but that couldn't be if Naomi had gotten home then, or was she doing her math wrong? "What is today?"

Naomi looked at her curiously. "Friday?" she said it ambiguously, unsure of what was setting Rae off.

Rae had distinctly remembered the date that those murderous scientists had marked Damon down as deceased. That was a wednesday. So if she was rescued that wednesday evening and now it was friday…. She turned to Tomak, questioning, "I slept an entire day?"

Never quick to respond, Tomak examined her carefully, his eyes seeing through to her fluctuating emotions. "Yes," he growled, stating it without a shred of regret. "You needed to regain your energy."

Rae understood she was tired. The entire ordeal was draining, but an entire day of sleeping? She could hardly believe it.

"I would have come sooner to see you," Naomi butted in, "but this one," she gestured to Tomak, "wanted you to sleep and I had someone tailing me all day yesterday." Her last statement captured Rae's attention. "Don't worry about it," she shook her head, waving it off. "It's not who you think, I'll tell you later."

Nodding, Rae filed the rousing questions away for later and went to turn back towards Tomak, only for his large hand to gently land on her slender shoulder.

Ducking his head down, his mandibles brushed against her ear with a purr. "Can I leave you to run some diagnostics on the ship?"

She turned and looked at him with surprised eyes. Was he really asking her if he could leave? Before, he would have just done it without question, but here he looked at her with blatant concern, his answer flippant on changing if she needed him close.

Having not received an answer from her, he looked on her with warmth. "I will stay if that is what you need."

"No, it's okay," she smiled, patting his arm assuringly. "Go, Naomi and I will be heading outside anyway. I won't be far from you."

Rumbling his acknowledgement, he pulled away and brushed past Naomi without even touching her, leaving her to stare at her intentionally.

"What?" she demanded, feeling embarrassed without even a reason to.

"What was all that about?" Naomi asked quietly, conspiringly, her smirk was not encouraging. She acted as if Tomak whispered something dirty and secretive to her, which had Rae shaking her head in disapproval.

"Nothing important," she smiled softly. In truth it wasn't, but she couldn't help but tease her best friend with her shrouded answer. "Follow me outside?"

Naomi smiled, obliging, "Of course."

The two stepped out into the fresh spring air, the sun not quite at its peak, but enough that its warm rays shined brightly on them and the rest of the beach. But it was honestly the salty fresh sea breeze that did it for Rae. She took a long whiff of the familiar air, remembering how she believed she would never experience it again.

"Did he tell you how he broke it?"

Naomi's question jarred Rae from her reflection, making her look toward what was being referred to. "Oh, the railing? No, I was only told he broke it in anger."

Her friend shook her head, laughing nervously, "I happened to get a front seat to the spectacle," she relayed through tight lips. "All it took was a backhand."

Rae blinked, "He backhanded it?"

Naomi nodded emphatically, "I didn't know it could take such little force for him to do this. I bet if he slapped someone it would knock a tooth out, or maybe several."

"Heh," she snorted, "apparently it takes hardly any effort for him to remove a spine too."

"Seriously?!" she stared at her, then in the direction he went, alarmed. "What, he doesn't have enough back bone, so he has to go around taking everyone else's?"

Rae smiled, shaking her head. She missed Naomi's sense of humor. And if it hadn't been for her, she wouldn't likely be standing here right now.

Sensing her gaze, Naomi looked at her with a sombering tone. "You okay?"

Before she was questioned further, Rae turned and hugged her, pouring every bit of appreciation she had into the hug. "Thank you, thank you so much," she whispered into her shoulder.

Naomi squeezed her back, knowing exactly what she was thanking her for. "It was mostly Tomak."

Rae pulled away, resting her hands on her shoulders as she looked deeply in her eyes, "No. You saved me as well. He may not admit it, but Tomak couldn't have done it without you. He may have never found me."

Her eyes turn into crescent moons as she smiled softly, "Well I'm glad to have been of help. I would have done it all again, even endure a seventeen hour trip with Mr. Serious over there, if it meant seeing you again."

Having not expected her answer, she smiled back, "You didn't have to do all that you did."

Naomi crossed her arms almost defiantly, "We're besties, it's kind of part of the job description, don't you think? Besides, it's what my dad would have done."

The mention of Naomi's father had brought painful memories that threatened to bring tears to her eyes. Not for herself, but for Naomi. A memory of Price's voice filled her head, his claim that they were not unsimilar.

I'm nothing like you! she heard her reply.

No? Do you not also keep things locked in a box, even from those closest to you? he had taunted.

"Naomi," she stopped her friend's happy and relieved affirmations, causing her to tilt her head.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

She needed to come clean. She needed her to know the truth. "Naomi… about your father, I–" before she could continue Naomi immediately butted in.

"Don't," she looked at her hard then, her eyes piercing. "I already know."

Rae's expression transitioned from one of surprise to intense guilt. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Naomi. I should have told you sooner, I just didn't know how to."

Her hand squeezed her shoulder, "It's okay."

"No! No it's not! You deserved to know the truth."

Taking a deep breath, Naomi chewed on the inside of her cheek before taking the initiative and answering calmly. "It would have been nice to know how my Dad died," she admitted gently, "but not from you." She was resolute about that. "My grandfather was his commanding officer, he should have been the one to tell me the truth."

Seeing hot tears fill up in her friend's eyes, Rae struggled to not shed her own, her arms stretching out to hug her once again. "Not a day goes by that I don't think back to that night, how I could have done things differently. When he told me to run, I shouldn't have, I should have gone with him–"

"No," she sniffed, stepping back to stare at her firmly, unmoving. "If you didn't listen to him. I might have lost both of you that day."

"I still feel responsible for–"

"You're not," she spoke with venom in her tone, her eyes sharp as she looked into Rae's dark eyes. "You have to stop this. Stop taking the full brunt of people's actions, it's not healthy. You can't control everything."

"No," she agreed, "but I have this power. I can do things people can't. I should have been able to save your dad, just like I should have…" her voice cracked.

Turning away from Naomi's probing eyes, she ran her fingers comfortingly through her hair, before turning back. She couldn't bring herself to repeat what she had meant to say; she could only say one thing, his name. "Damon." Unable to stop them now, tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked away from Naomi's widening gaze.

Naomi was too shocked to know what to say. "You mean he–?" she hesitated to put those words out there into the world.

Rae shakily nodded, her lips trembling fiercely as she tried to fight back a sob.

Seeing her anguish, Naomi shook her head, searching for the right words. "I'm so sorry." She wanted to hug her, but she could see it in her face, it wasn't the time for it. Rae was too wound up and she was fighting back her emotions, a hug would only make her break down. Watching her grieve, Naomi shook her head, "Rae… this isn't one of those, 'with great power comes great responsibility' speeches. That was from a comic, from a story. This," she emphasized, "this is real."

In all honesty, Rae hated how right she was because she wanted to feel this, to feel unimaginable guilt and pain because she had failed, it's what she deserved for surviving.

Knowing she was in anguish, Naomi nudged her, "Walk with me."

Side-by-side, the two went down the steps of the deck until they reached the fine dry sand where they decided to go barefoot, something that Rae usually enjoyed. As they walked, Naomi continued to bolster her, and she didn't intend to stop until she had drilled the truth into her friend's thick skull.

"I know you Rae," she eyed her carefully. "You are the most stubborn go-getter I've ever met, and you stop at nothing to achieve your goals. I know for a certainty that you did everything you could to get Damon out of there. But you keep stabbing your own heart with guilt and doubt when you did nothing wrong."

Pain lit behind her eyes though, despite Naomi's efforts. "I should have never agreed to that date, I should have stayed away. I was wrong to have brought him into this," Rae muttered, admitting what lay closest to her heart. But Naomi's anger got the better of her.

Grabbing her arm, she forced her to look into her angry eyes. "And if you've forgotten, I gave you his number and I encouraged him to see you! So by your reasoning, I'm as much to blame for his death as you are! Do you see how unreasonable this all is?!"

Blinking in the face of Naomi's rare temper, Rae was taken aback by her rather shrewd counter. "Maybe so, but I can control myself, and if I had been stronger-willed none of this would have happened."

Naomi looked at her with sad eyes, her tone softening, "Rae, control is an illusion. It's not real. We can't control anything. Not our birth, not our death. Not even for those closest to our hearts. There was nothing you could have done."

Having no words to refute her point, Rae wiped her face with her hand, silently avoiding her gaze.

Her friend wasn't fooled so easily, stepping closer. "Do you really think it would make Damon happy to know that you're suffering right now? That you're beating yourself up for everything he went through?"

Rae clenched her teeth. Naomi being her voice of reason both comforted and pained her. It was somewhat soothing to hear all the reasons why she wasn't in the wrong, but it also pained her to think she wanted a reason to be innocent, a part of her demanded that she hold onto this pain, like it was something Damon would have wanted to know he was cared for. And somehow she voiced that.

"But Damon cared about you, Rae. He wouldn't want you to live your life like this, because this isn't living."

Letting out a breath to release some of the tension in her chest, she decided to sit down in the sand, bringing her knees up, allowing her to hug them to her chest. "I know," she acknowledged her words, "I just don't know if I can let go of this feeling right now. It's all still so fresh."

Getting down to sit next to her, Naomi laid a hand on her shoulder consolingly. "I don't expect you to. I know it hurts. It's going to take time for this wound to heal, but it won't if you keep picking at it. You have to leave it be and give it time."

That's a good way of putting it, Rae breathed deeply.

Seeing that she was calming down, Naomi smiled, "You wait here, I'm going to go grab something that I think will cheer you up. I'll be right back."

Rae watched curiously as Naomi ran toward the driveway where no doubt her car was parked. When she was out of view, Rae dropped her face into her hands, drying her wet cheeks and forcing fresh air into her lungs. This needed to stop. Naomi was right, she should be thankful for being alive and for returning to her safe haven with Tomak.

At the thought of him, she lifted her head and stared ahead at the uncloaked ship that looked much bigger up close. Overall it was triangular in shape, with a smooth flat bend for an overhead. It was a beautiful piece of technology really, despite its dull colors, it was far beyond what humans were capable of.

The idea that this ship could breach Earth's atmosphere without burning up was kind of terrifying. Never before had the choice to go to space been on the table, in fact it had never occurred to her, even as a fantasy. Flying on the other hand, she loved the idea of it. There were days she laid on her back and just stared at the sky wondering what it would be like to be a bird, to feel the wind like that.

The one time Naomi and her had gone to an amusement park, Rae had been skeptical, not sure if roller coasters were something for her. What if she got so scared, she melted a hole in the car? It's never happened before, but neither had she been on a roller coaster, and she had to take all possibilities into consideration. Naomi, as always, convinced her, practically dragging her to the exceedingly long wait line. It turned out that Rae loved it, the sensation of being breathless was thrilling, though she could have done without the jittery nerves at the end, walking away from the ride. Her legs had been so unstable after that first ride, but it had actually been her idea to go on it again, despite her pounding heart. She smiled softly in remembrance. There were so many good memories made that day.

"Hey Rae!"

She turned quickly, squinting under the sun's harsh rays. She had what appeared to be a white plastic crate and as she sat it down in the sand, a good distance away, Rae suddenly realized what it was.

"Someone wants to see you," she called with a large smile. Opening the door to the crate, she coaxed the kitty out, which luckily, it didn't take much convincing.

"Mrra!" Peaking his small gray head out of the crate, it took a moment of taking in his surroundings until he spotted Rae.

"Who is that Chase? Who is that?" Naomi spoke in her softest baby voice, to which Chase shot out of the crate.

With bright, happy eyes, Rae got to her knees, holding her arms out in a welcoming gesture, "Chase!"

Since he was hardly let outside, Chase was not accustomed to running in the sand, which had Rae laughing adoringly at his funky little run, his reaction in between liking and hating the unusually uneven surface. It did not stop him, however, from finally leaping into her awaiting arms where she smothered him in cuddles and kisses, so happy to see her little buddy again.

Crawling up her chest, Chase proceeded to hug himself against her front, which was a small warning that he would not be leaving that spot anytime soon. "Oh Chase, I missed you so much!" she cooed, stroking his fur coat and getting him to purr.

"He was not a happy camper when I put him in the crate," Naomi chuckled, sitting down with them. "But he was fine when he got to my house."

"Well thank you for taking care of him. I hate when he's left alone," she wrapped her arms securely around the cuddly cat. All the emotions she had earlier just washed away with Chase's comforting presence. "How did your mom take it? Doesn't she have cat allergies?"

"No," Naomi shook her head in a negative, "Mom was ecstatic, she loves kitties. That's Jake you're thinking of, which honestly worked out," she smirked. "He won't want to come around to visit for a while until the house is cat-dander free, which means I'm not forced to see that insufferable gold-digger he wants to marry."

"Gold-digger?"

Leaning in conspiringly toward her, she explained. "Mom and I have our suspicions that she's just using Jake for the money. He buys her anything and everything and it's disgusting. She doesn't return the favor at all. Between you and Amari, you would have been the better wife," she grumbled, annoyed.

It warmed her to hear Naomi's confession, but a small part of her genuinely felt bad for Jake. "Well, I wish him all the happiness in the world."

Naomi snorted, "He's gonna need it. She's a real piece of work."

Having only that one meeting with Amari, Rae could only nod in agreement.

"Speaking of a piece of work, I wish Tomak had explained where that driveway was a week ago, geez," she huffed in irritation.

"I'm sorry. I would have told you about it from the start, but it's kind of hard to explain and I didn't want you to risk driving into an actual tree."

"It's fine," she waved it off, "I don't mind the hike, it's just not fun to do in the dark. By the way," she suddenly switched topics, pointing upward in a circular motion, "How do you keep this place from plain sight like that? I felt like I was entering a portal."

Rae smiled, having a feeling that this would be one of her questions, which she was more than happy to answer. "I had stolen some tech from one of Price's trucks when I had escaped that first time. They create this giant cloak that hides objects and even locations, depending on the size of the generator. I ended up grabbing the biggest one thankfully."

Eyes still full of questions, Naomi shook her head, "But how did they develop that? This technology seems way too advanced, even for the twenty-first century."

"I've had my suspicions," Rae sighed, wiping her eyes. "When I saw they had a yautja ship parked in their garage it all made sense. They were mimicking their cloaking technology."

"My god, does Tomak know that?"

She shrugged, "I have no idea, but what I stole were prototypes, so I don't know if your dad managed to wipe their data banks that first time to prevent them from mass producing them."

Leaning her chin on her fist, she nodded thoughtfully, "I'll bring it up with my gramps and see if he knows anything of it. At least they had a ship for Tomak to get his hands on."

Rae went quiet, there was that. But Naomi noticed the change in her demeanor.

Carefully trying to decipher her somber expression, she was hesitant to ask. "Did he ever mention what his plans were? And what it might mean for you?"

Rae drew her bottom lip into her mouth and simply nodded, unsure how Naomi would take it. "He wants me to go with him."

Now it was Naomi's turn to go silent.

As if sensing the tension, Chase bunted his head further into the space between her chin and shoulder. It was as if he was trying to make her stop worrying and just relax.

"So," Naomi frowned, skittering around the topic, "you're going then."

Rae released another exasperated sigh, hugging Chase tighter. "I don't know, it's a really big decision to make," she looked back toward the ship. "I mean, it's always been my dream to fly, but space travel wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

Staring at her in disbelief, Naomi completely disagreed with the direction she was going in. "So let me get this straight," she spread her hands, flattening them in the warm sand, "you're saying you don't want to go with Tomak?"

"I… I don't know what I want. I could choose not to go with him, I could stay here," which sounded safe to her own ears. She was kind of hoping her best friend would be the one to put some sense into her and make up her might, hopefully putting up a defensive argument for all the reasons she should stay.

Encouraging Chase to detach from her shoulder, she ignored his angry meow and put him down in the sand. Facing Naomi fully, she gave her her utmost attention, wanting to hear her honest opinion without any distractions. What she didn't expect was Naomi's response.

"If you don't go, I'm going to make you regret it for the rest of your life."

Rae blinked, taken aback by her words. "But it's space, Naomi!" she spat the words out like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's not my home. This is everything I've ever known! It's where I was born, raised, it's where my Dad died."

"And up there," Naomi cut in, "is something you need."

"And what is it that I need, Naomi?" she challenged with raised eyebrows.

Her dark chocolate eyes held hers pointedly, "A life that you can shape. Up there you can have an adventure unlike anything here. And you'll have a family that will never question your powers."

Rae didn't know what to say to that. Just as Naomi had finished speaking they both looked up in time to see Tomak coming down the ramp, headed in the direction of the house.

"Just look at that guy Rae," Naomi nudged her further. And she did.

Her eyes followed his tall beefy frame as he leapt up to the deck, and ducked under the door frame as he entered the house. Her heart tugged in a painful way. As much as it hurt to think of leaving what was left of her father, she wasn't sure she would have the strength to watch Tomak leave her. He was everything her heart craved and more.

"Granted, the face is something I would need to get used to, but look at that bod," Naomi's absurd comment had Rae laughing, playfully pushing her friend away.

"I know it might be difficult to understand, but I love his face."

"And his body, definitely his body," Naomi nudged her back, loving the way her friend shied away. Knowing she had prodded enough, the dark-eyed beauty backed off. "You get the point I'm trying to make. He makes you happy. He's everything you need, and I think he needs you too," she added softly, making Rae take pause. "You saw the state of your deck," she gestured behind them. "He did that in desperation, in hopeless anger. I've never seen a man get as vulnerable as he did. That's something, Rae. The way he feels about you is something special."

Dropping down on her haunches she stared at the sand in defeat, trying to find the best way to describe it without overwhelming herself. "It's not him that's making me question going, it's…" she sighed, feeling the weight of the decision crash down on her again. "It's all the unknowns," she admitted. "Will his people accept me? Will I fit in? Will I like it there, where he's from? Because if not, I can't take it back, Naomi. I'll be stuck there."

Naomi rested a hand on her shoulder, "Okay, but what if it's everything you've dreamed of? What if it's perfect? Do you really want to risk missing out on that?"

"That's a big 'if,' Naomi," she clasped her hands, sitting back down in the sand.

"I know it is," she soothed, sitting down with her. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I would love it if you stayed. I'm not wishing for my best friend to leave, I just want you to be happy. And he makes you happy," she smiled seeing the yautja carry boxes of what looked like food onto the ship. "And if he wants you happy, then don't you think he would take you somewhere that feels like home to you too?"

Rae let out a breath she had been holding. Again, she grudgingly acknowledged that Naomi was right. Tomak would take care of her; he had thus far.

Swept out of the present moment, she thought long and hard about what life actually could be like living with Tomak, without any of the lingering doubts she had.

He's never spoken about his home planet. She wondered what it looked like there. Was it like Earth or was it alien? What kind of animal and plant life grew there? And what of the people? She imagined the family and friends he had supporting him. If they accepted her, could she also find support as well? Her heart bloomed with hope at what she could experience there.

"Were your ears burning?" Naomi commented loudly, breaking Rae from her imaginings only to realize that she hadn't been asking her that, but Tomak, who was taking long strides towards them. Oblivious to the silent watcher beside her, Rae felt a radiant smile spread over her face at the yautja's approach.

Seeing it, Naomi smiled into her shoulder before smirking over at Tomak. "We were just talking about you."

Immediately, Rae went stiff, shooting Naomi a cautious glare which was purposefully ignored.

Without delay, Tomak slowed his pace and stared at Rae who was trying fervently not to look as betrayed as she felt for being thrown under the bus. Rumbling a deep chuckle, and much to her dismay, he stepped closer to her side and seated himself behind her. Much similar to the night previous, Rae felt the distinct hard muscles of his shin leading up to the curve of his knee pressed up against her hip, and within a span of three seconds Rae went from being comfortably warm to uncomfortably hot.

It was torture and Naomi was enjoying every bit of it.

"What things?" he asked, the question aimed to kill.

And boy would death have been better than this. Rae tripped and sputtered a not-so-well-placed lie to cover the tracks Naomi had lain. "I was just— I mean we were—"

"We were having an in depth discussion of your heroics back at the labs," Naomi finally spoke up, coming in clutch.

"Um yeah," she went with it, regaining control over her voice, "I was just telling her how hopeless everything felt before you rescued me." She meekly looked up at him, feeling her heart skip a beat as he held her gaze for several uncomfortably long seconds, like he was detecting whether or not she was telling the truth. It was a dangerous game she knew he'd win. Desperately trying to move his attention away from her, she asked, "Did you want to add anything?" She cringed inwardly, discerning that she might have just given herself away.

Though his eyes narrowed minutely, he sure didn't give much away if he knew. "I do not like recalling past conflicts. You are safe and the evidence is nothing but waste. I care for nothing else."

Rae couldn't help but giggle at his plain words; always to the point.

Naomi however, did not share Rae's amusement as she cleared her throat, disrupting the undoubtedly cute moment. "About that," she idly scratched meaningless shapes in the sand, a way of grounding herself. "I was hoping to put off this topic until later, but there's something you both should know."

Rae urged her to go on, "What is it?" she was making her nervous.

Licking her lips, she divulged a little bit, "My grandfather, Admiral Harrigan, has some of that evidence you were talking about and he wants to meet you in person, Rae."

Tomak stiffened next to her and Naomi sensed his hostility, immediately raising both of her hands to ease him. "He's not here, but he is in town," she assured, "The only way I could get him to stay away was with the promise that I would convince you to meet him."

Tomak snarled, his hand grasping Rae's waist and tugging her both possessively and protectively against him.

It burned her cheeks, confronted with this territorial side of him. But before he could give an intelligent response to Naomi's words, Rae was already asking. "Where?"

She felt the weight of Tomak's heavy stare as he glowered down at her.

Naomi stared at Tomak warily, unable to give a good answer. "He didn't specify, wherever you would feel comfortable meeting him."

"You are not going," Tomak growled low in her ear.

"I am." She didn't know where she got the guts to square up to him, but the words spilled out of her mouth without a second thought, and it spiked her anxiety as she watched Tomak get bigger.

Ignoring Naomi completely, Tomak spun Rae around in the sand with such force her heart jumped all the way to her throat.

Stooping down, he grasped her shoulders firmly and hissed, "You owe this male nothing!" He looked at her then with a sternness that had her lungs stuttering for air. Seeing the fear flicker within her irises, he took an unusually long breath and reeled his anger back. It was not his intention to scare her. Exhaling, his shoulders sagged, completely transforming his body language into something she could trust herself to read.

Dipping his forehead to meet hers, and purring in a way that he knew would soothe, he spoke earnestly, "I will not lose you again."

Although she did not care for his unnecessary roughness, she did appreciate his honesty. Slowly raising her hand to cup the side of his face, she relished the knowledge that her touch was like a balm for him, his glowing eyes closing shut at the contact.

Whispering nice and soft she promised, "You won't. Admiral Harrigan and his son, Naomi's father," she clarified, "saved me the first time I was in Price's hands. And he sacrificed himself so I could be free. So yes, I do owe this man. I owe him my life. Without him, we would have never met."

Tomak's eyes snapped open at that, his expanding pupils piercing through her and hitting their mark. "That changes nothing to me," his voice was low and tight, giving her just a small glimpse of what he was truly feeling behind that tough impenetrable wall surrounding his heart.

Exhaling shallowly, afraid a sound any louder would break the spell, Rae cautiously traced her fingertips over his cheek. Her heart really broke for him. She honestly couldn't blame him for not freely extending his trust. In the last several hours, she witnessed his distaste for humans and his lack of emotion regarding the soldiers he killed. And then there was the corpse of that yautja he had at one time been close with. Ze'ev. He had every reason to not trust the Admiral.

"Please, let me at least just thank him." Discerning that he was lowering his guard, Rae gave him an enticing smile. "Besides, how dangerous can it be with you protecting me?"

His unimpressed look should have warned her, but it only made her smile pull wider.

Meeting Naomi's disconcerted gaze that was still bobbing back and forth between her and Tomak, she nodded their consent. "Call him. I know exactly where we'll meet."

---

Author's Note

Apologies for how long this update took. Work hours changed so I've been very busy and tired. I hope this chapter came out in the way I intended. Writing Tomak and Rae's relationship is really refreshing for me, so I hope it is for all you readers as well. Thanks for sticking around! I hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter. ;)