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“Well, this is certainly unexpected,” Lyrica whispered, sheer joy in every word as she stared into the eyes of her mate.
The other half of her soul.
As soon as the door to the space cruiser had opened, Lyrica had immediately been drawn to the big, handsome male standing in front of the little group waiting for them. And when her gaze had met his, she had immediately known that he was her soulmate. The revelation had been so shocking she had almost tripped over her own feet. Sheer will had kept her on her feet, and the magnetic connection that she felt between them had pulled her toward him.
After her conversation with Alden, she had finally been able to get some sleep. Surprisingly, the strange dreams that had plagued her for most of their trip had been absent. At least, as far as she could remember. She had woken feeling refreshed and filled with excitement. The buzz of anticipation had almost driven her crazy as she had prepared for their arrival.
When they had gotten close to Earth, Lyrica and Alden had received a message that the Commanders of the Capital, Gabriel Titan and Harris Ferraro, would be waiting for them on the surface. She’d had no idea which commander her mate was until the male next to him had whispered his name.
Gabriel.
She was extremely attracted to him, but that was no surprise. The gods had blessed him with a raw masculine beauty that took her breath away. His face was made up of sharp, angular features, and his iridescent blue eyes indicated that his genetics might not be completely human. He was a tall male, with gorgeous dark skin and extremely short black hair. His uniform was molded against his muscular body, and she longed to run her hands over every inch of him.
While the other males present were also impressive specimens, there was something special that set Gabriel apart from the rest. He had the commanding presence and an air of authority that would have made him stand out in any crowd. She noticed the others deferred to him, not speaking or moving as they waited for his direction. Lyrica wasn’t too pleased that the two females were standing so close to her mate, and she briefly considered using magic to put some distance between them.
Jealousy was a new emotion for her, though she was slightly mollified by the way his attention stayed on her. Besides, using magic on the humans as soon as she stepped foot on their planet wouldn’t exactly win their trust.
Alden had waved his hand, weaving a simple spell so their words would not be overheard or carried on the wind. “This is a problem.”
Unable to take her gaze off of her mate, she murmured, “This is destiny. He is mine.”
“And the other is mine.”
“Oh, Alden, how wonderful!”
“Did you know?” The suspicion in his voice would have offended her if he didn’t sound so vulnerable.
“I had no idea,” she assured him. “It was fate.”
Somehow, fate had sent them on a journey that had led them both directly to their soulmates. Destiny could be a wonderous thing, but that didn’t mean it was always logical or easy to explain.
A low, animalistic growl had her turning back toward her mate. Gabriel’s tense, angry expression eased as soon as her gaze met his again. Had he really made that sound?
Was it odd that she’d thought it was incredibly sexy?
That was it. She had officially lost her mind.
After she introduced herself, she struggled to figure out what else to say. Did she come right out and claim him? Tell him exactly who and what he was to her? As far as she knew, humans didn’t sense their mates. If her information was correct, most of them didn’t even believe in fate.
But Gabriel wasn’t just human.
His iridescent blue eyes marked him as being part D’Aire, which was a race she was hoping to learn more about. She wasn’t sure if he knew they were mates, but she knew he felt something. The proof was there right in front of her. While Gabriel now wore a stoic expression, she somehow sensed his emotional chaos. She wondered if he felt the same mixture of wonder, confusion, fear, and longing that was swirling inside of her.
After centuries of studying and learning, she’d thought she had understood the special connection between soulmates. She had witnessed other couples meet and had the privilege of watching their love blossom and grow. But there had been no way to truly understand the power of that bond until she experienced it herself.
Because she had been watching him closely, Lyrica saw the moment the transformation began. When the pain hit him, it was too late to warn him. Too late to explain what was happening. The look he gave her tore at her heart. Betrayal. He thought she was attacking him. While she wasn’t deliberately hurting him, what he was experiencing was her fault.
“By the ancestors, I didn’t realize this would happen quite so fast.” Lyrica hurried toward her mate, quickly casting a spell to catch him before he toppled over. Using a cushion of air, she gently lowered his body down to the floor and sank to her knees beside him.
“What...the...hell is happening?”
Her hand shook as she reached out to stroke his cheek and his brow. “Just breathe, mate. I know it hurts, but I promise, the pain will pass.”
“Mate?”
She heard the hope buried beneath the agony in his voice and nodded, giving him the confirmation he seemed to need. “You are mine as I am yours. Forgive me, Gabriel. I thought I would have more time to warn you of this.” She glanced up at Alden. “Is there anything I can do to help him?”
“I have never seen this happen so quickly once a soulmate bond is triggered. Most sleep through the worst of it, so just stay with him until it is finished, or it is safe to move him. I will go explain the situation to the others.”
She started to ask what he meant by that, then realized he had created a magical bubble around them. She could see the other humans and hear their muffled shouts through the pale green barrier as they tried to break through, but they wouldn’t be able to reach them until Alden allowed it.
As he stepped through the barrier, Lyrica turned her attention back to Gabriel. Alden could take care of himself, and right now, her mate needed her. When he groaned, she placed her hand on his chest and wished she could take his pain away. The frantic beat of his heart worried her. She removed her cloak and used a corner to wipe at the sweat on his brow, doing her best to soothe him.
“You are experiencing what all Xenon soulmates go through when a bond is formed. The transformation is like your human enhancements, and once this change is complete, you will be bigger, stronger, and faster,” she explained, wanting to distract him.
He put a hand over hers, holding it against his chest. “You...?”
She shook her head. “Only males go through the physical changes.”
“Good. Don’t want...you...to hurt.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I could have prepared you for this. There have only been a few males from other races that have mated a Xenon so far. They have all gone through the same transformation Xenon males experience, and all of them have completely recovered. I’m so sorry you have to go through this, but you are not alone, mate. I will be with you through it all.”
He opened his mouth to speak, then he threw back his head and let out a roar of pain. He released her hand and rolled away from her. Lyrica’s tears fell in rivers down her cheeks as his body started to change. He went stiff, then his back arched off the floor. He screamed again as his legs kicked out, his muscles and bones beginning to grow at an alarming rate.
The entire process was horrible, yet she couldn’t look away. She shook herself out of her horrified stupor and scrambled to remove his boots and the bracelet on his wrist, trying to make him more comfortable. He curled into himself as his muscles continued to expand, and his clothing began to tear and shred, no longer able to contain his larger frame.
“What do you mean?” a voice shouted. “What the fuck is he transforming into?”
“Holy nova, is he going to explode?”
Irritated, Lyrica waved an impatient hand and whispered the words to make the bubble surrounding them turn opaque, blocking anyone outside the barrier from seeing in. She didn’t want anyone to witness her mate’s pain and would not tolerate them watching him in such a vulnerable state.
A few heartbeats later, the transformation was complete.
Gabriel lay sprawled out face down on the floor. All of his clothing was completely destroyed, the torn material scattered around him in pieces. The thick, corded muscles on his back tensed and flexed as he panted for breath, and a thin sheen of sweat coated his skin, making him look like he was glowing with an inner light.
He had been impressive before, but now, he looked like a god.
The silence around them felt thick and heavy, but she wanted to give him all the time he needed to recover. He started to shift into a sitting position, but only made it halfway. Bracing one hand on the floor, he shook his head as if trying to clear it.
“Gabriel?”
His head came up, and his eyes immediately locked on hers. His intense gaze reminded her of a predator, and for a moment, it seemed as if he didn’t recognize her. His arm lashed out with shocking speed, but his grip was gentle as his hand wrapped around her leg. The move surprised her, but she didn’t fight him as he slowly dragged her toward him.
When she was pressed up against him, he lifted a massive hand and stroked his fingers over her cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch, then turned her head to press a kiss to the center of his palm.
She wanted to tell him how sorry she was that he had suffered because of her, but she never got the chance. His hand slid to the back of her neck, and she let out a loud gasp as he jerked her closer.
“Mine!” he growled.
Then, his lips slammed down on hers, fusing them together in a claiming kiss.
