Tharn follows, matching Rok’s pace. His gaze keeps flicking to me, and each time it does, Rok’s arms tighten fractionally around me.

As we race across the desert, the wind picking up around us, I find myself wondering what awaits us at the clan grounds. Will they all look at me the way Tharn does? With suspicion, disbelief, and that unsettling hint of desire?

And what happens when they discover I’m not what they expect—not a daughter of their sun god, but just a lost human woman trying to find her sister and a way home?

I press my face against Rok’s chest, drawing comfort from his cool skin and the steady beat of his heart. Whatever comes next, I’m not facing it alone. I have Rok.

And as the landscape blurs around us, the wind growing stronger at our backs, I can only hope that’s enough.

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Chapter 33

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JUST WHEN I THOUGHT IT COULDN’T GET WEIRDER

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JUSTINE

The sun sinks toward the horizon as we approach the clan grounds, painting the rocky landscape in shades of amber and gold. Still cradled in Rok’s arms, I feel his muscles tense beneath me, his heartbeat quickening against my ear. Ahead, dark silhouettes of massive stone formations rise against the darkening sky—a natural fortress of towering cliffs and hidden crevices.

“We approach clan ground.” Rok’s thoughts brush against my mind, tentative and tense. “Are you afraid?”

The question surprises me. I’ve been so focused on the physical sensation of being carried by him—the powerful rhythm of his stride, the security of his arms around me—that I’d tried not to think about what awaits us.

“Should I be?” I counter, trying to mask my growing unease.

Rok slows his pace, allowing Tharn to pull ahead of us. When he responds, his mental voice is carefully measured. “They have never seen a being like you. They will not understand.”

“Like Tharn didn’t understand,” I say, watching the other male’s muscular back as he leads us toward the cliffs.

“Yes,” Rok agrees, “but many minds together can be…overwhelming.”

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of what that might mean. If one skeptical Drakav nearly attacked me on sight, what will a whole clan of them do?

“They will not harm you,” Rok adds, obviously sensing my fear. “I will not allow it.”

There’s a fierce certainty in his thoughts that should be comforting, but instead has me worried for him. What would happen if he had to defend me against his entire clan? What would that cost him?

Before I can voice these concerns, Tharn pauses ahead of us, raising his hand in a silent signal. The gesture is so human it momentarily throws me. These beings may look alien, but there’s something fundamentally familiar in the way they move, communicate (well…kind of), and exist.

“Kol awaits,” Tharn projects, his mental voice carrying to both of us. “He has sensed our approach.”

“How?” I wonder, not realizing I’ve broadcasted the thought until both males look at me.

“The clan bond,” Rok explains. “All males are connected. It is how we survive.”

This new piece of information sends my brain into overdrive. They all talk to each other…sense each other…constantly? So together are they like a singular unit, deadly soldiers that don’t even need to relay spoken commands because communication is like…instant?

“Your female thinks very loudly,” Tharn observes, interrupting my mental spiral.

Rok’s chest rumbles with what might be a chuckle. “She does.”

“I’m right here,” I protest, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. In truth, their casual exchange has helped ease some of my tension.

As we approach the base of the tallest cliff, I notice openings scattered across its face—cave entrances, some clearly natural and others that appear to have been deliberately expanded. The setting sun casts them in deep shadow, making it impossible to see within, but I have the distinct feeling of being watched from those dark voids.

Tharn stops at the cliff base, his posture straightening as his eyes close in concentration. Though no sound passes his lips, I sense a powerful mental projection emanating from him—a silent call that seems to ripple through the air around us. The mental energy hangs for a long moment, then fades.

Silence follows, so complete, I can hear my own heartbeat.

Then, movement. Shadows detaching from shadows. Forms emerging from the caves above, scaling down the cliff face with inhuman grace. Others appearing from behind rock formations, rising from what I had thought was bare ground.

Within moments, we’re surrounded by at least twenty Drakav males, their golden eyes gleaming in the fading light, their muscular bodies arranged in a loose circle around us. None approach, but their focus is like a heavy weight bearing down on me from all sides.

“They’re beautiful,” I think involuntarily, struck by the sight of them gathered together. Each one unique in the subtle variations of height and build, the color of their hair, their eyes—yet they’re unmistakably of the same species.

There’s an answering rumble in Rok’s chest, his arms tightening around me in what is nothing but jealousy and possessiveness. I don’t mind. I curl tighter against him, and not a moment too soon.

The circle parts, and a massive figure steps forward. Even among these impressive beings, he stands out—taller than Rok by at least a head, his shoulders broader, his chest deeper. Intricate patterns swirl across his torso and face, more elaborate than those visible on the others.

“Kol,” Rok acknowledges, inclining his head slightly but not bowing or kneeling as I might have expected. His arms remain firmly around me, holding me close to his chest rather than setting me down.

The leader’s eyes fix on me with unnerving intensity. I feel the brush of his mind against mine—harder, rougher than Rok’s gentle touch, like sandpaper compared to silk.

“What is this you bring to our grounds, Rok?” Kol’s mental voice resonates with authority. “Why do you carry a strange male in your arms as if he were a hatchling?”

A ripple of curious thought-whispers moves through the gathered clan. I feel Rok’s frustration spike, but his outward demeanor remains calm.

“Not male,” he corrects firmly. “Female. Not from here. Not from the dust.”

The mental whispers intensify, a buzz of disbelief and wonder that makes my temples throb. Kol steps closer, nostrils flaring as he scents the air around us.

“Set this creature down,” he commands. “Let me see what you claim is female.”

I feel Rok’s reluctance as he slowly lowers me to my feet, but he keeps one arm around my shoulders, his body slightly angled to remain between me and Kol. The protective gesture isn’t lost on the leader, whose face shifts in what might be surprise.

Standing on my own, I’m acutely aware of how small I am compared to these beings. The top of my head barely reaches Rok’s chest, and Kol towers over me like a living mountain. Fighting the urge to shrink back against Rok, I force myself to stand straight, meeting Kol’s gaze directly.

“I am Justine,” I project as clearly as I can, hoping my thoughts reach him. “I came from beyond the stars with others of my kind. Rok saved my life.”

Something in Kol’s eyes changes. Perhaps it’s surprise. Perhaps he thinks I’m lying. He circles me slowly, reminding me how Rok appeared much like a predator assessing potential prey in those first moments when we met. I resist the urge to turn with him, keeping my gaze fixed forward, though every instinct screams to keep the threat in view.