“Lily. Tell me what is wrong.”
It was a single sentence, spoken without even a hint of accusation, but it was enough to break her. Tears spilled before she could stop them. Thank the stars he could not see her face. If he had been looking at her directly, she would never have been able to say what she truly felt. She would have slipped into analyzing his emotions instead of voicing her own.
“Khar… I’m grateful you saved me. That you all saved me. You risked your lives for me.”
Khar let out a low rumble, as if nothing in the universe could be more obvious, but he did not interrupt. The only movement he allowed himself was a steadying hand along Lily’s back, urging her to continue.
“Do not misunderstand me. I know I should feel happy that I escaped Horos and that his disgusting plan failed. I know that. But I feel selfish for not feeling that way. You don’t deserve this from me.”
“Lily, do not worry about me. Say it.”
Even through the veil of tears, the absurdity of it almost made her smile. Khar, in all his overwhelming size and presence, somehow always managed to be commanding and comforting at the same time.
But how much of that was real?
How much of it had she ever earned?
“Khar, I…”
Lily wiped her eyes, gathered what little strength she had left, and finally forced herself to face him.
“When I was trapped, the only thing that kept me sane was thinking of you. What we have feels perfect. I have never felt anything like it with anyone. If I had felt something like this on Earth, I would have assumed I was dreaming, because it should not be possible. But Horos…”
She felt Khar’s body tense beneath her at the Corvus’s name, muscles bunching as if ready to crush the creature to pulp.
“What did that miserable carrion-eater do?”
“It is not what he did. It is what he said. He said the Divani only imprint once. And once they do, they can never be compatible with anyone else.”
Khar’s chest loosened on a long exhale, and without meaning to, Lily matched his breath, releasing a sliver of the pressure knotting inside her.
“He did not lie to you. That part is true.”
He fell silent then, as if afraid speaking would push her even further away.
“I thought so,” Lily whispered. “Somewhere, I felt it was the truth. And that made it even worse, because it meant that if anything had happened to me… you would be left without a partner. Because of me.”
Khar moved suddenly, sitting up in one smooth motion and lifting Lily with him so she ended up seated on his lap. The surprise kept her still, kept her eyes on his, and for the first time since the conversation began, she did not look away. The raw storm of emotion in his face twisted something deep inside her chest.
“Lily, you underestimate yourself. You are everything to me. Not simply a companion. Nothing Horos does can change that.”
Tears welled again, stinging her eyes.
Every word from Khar was perfect.
And that only made the gnawing doubt inside her even more unbearable.
“That is exactly the problem, Khar. What is this imprinting? Are your feelings even real, or is your body dictating them? How do I know this is not some biological compulsion, the same kind Horos tried to use on me, only in a different way? Why me, Khar? And why can I not resist you? Why does it feel like something inside you pulls at me, pushes me toward you? What is this? Tell me.”
Her voice rose, roughening as the words tore loose from her. Khar looked as if someone had dumped ice water over him, shock freezing every line of his expression.
Shame struck Lily like a slap.
She jolted to her feet, ready to flee, but Khar caught her wrist and held her fast.
She braced for anger, or rejection, or fierce indignation, or heartbreak.
Instead she was met with a calm, almost calculating tone that stopped her breath.
