Rogue Warriors of Lorr
Stolen by the Alien Prince Chapter 23

The bonding ceremony, while short, was exactly what Gianna wanted.

She'd gotten choked up right when the officiant had declared them mated, her tears finally falling when Kozien had taken her face in his hands and kissed her perfectly.

Even though no cosmic force had come between them and meshed their souls together, it sure felt like it. She felt connected to him in a way she never had before. As if her heart beat in the same rhythm as his.

They felt tied on a whole other level that she'd never thought were possible.

After the ceremony, Kozien's brothers had bid them both goodbye and headed back to their business in the city. She hadn't been expecting them to show up but was happy they had. Kozien, even though he didn't show it, needed the support from the only remaining family he had left.

He didn't want to stay on Noxxa for long, not wanting to draw any more unwanted attention now that Gabe was out of the drug-trading business. They didn't need anyone recognizing him and dragging him back to the D'Narvius gang to force him back into being a mule.

Kozien had suggested that since their ties to the Noxxa city were pretty much severed, they should take their ship to another part of the planet and see about settling elsewhere instead.

The thought made her hesitate, only because being away from the heart of Noxxa was risky if you didn't have enough resources to survive.

Not to mention that leaving the city and traveling outside of Noxxa altogether had caused her and her brother nothing but trouble and had landed them both in more hot water than they bargained for.

Fortunately, her new mate reassured her that no matter what, they would be able to make themselves a better life than the one that could be given to them if they stayed in Noxxa's inner city.

Gianna couldn't help but agree with that. The state of Noxxa as a whole-from where it currently was-wouldn't be able to sustain any of them.

No matter how much they wanted to make it work, the city wasn't safe. And they deserved the peace and quiet that came with finally solving their battles and overcoming the obstacles that otherwise would have crushed them if given the chance. So, to the ship they went.

They ended up coasting around the planet for a few days before Kozien alerted them to a southern island called Tageind, right around the middle of the Aeqor Sea.

Gianna couldn't help but be glued to the sights outside of her window. The lush trees and the plentiful water sources that surrounded them as they slowly descended made her want to jump out of the ship and run around immediately.

Kozien had offered them a few pieces of trivia as they'd landed, telling both her and Gabe-who showed equal excitement-that this place was a fishing capital and made for peaceful living along with lots of land they could build off of.

The entire idea excited Gianna more than she thought it would. Being out of the city was strange, especially considering she'd grown up there for most of her teens and all of her adult life. They'd lived on the streets and found ways to support themselves. Maybe this was just the kind of break they all needed-the peace and quiet of a faraway island in the middle of a large sea that required aircraft travel to get to.

Stepping out into the warm air, Gianna took in the beautiful sights and the salty air that blew past them. She smiled when she felt her mate wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back into his chest.

"This looks perfect." She focused on the lush colors around her.

"I'm glad you like it."

She turned to look at him, smiling. "Is this going to be our new home?"

"I hope so, Gianna. I hope you like it here."

Settling down had been an easier transition than Kozien anticipated.

He'd found a small apartment in the village that he rented together with Gabe. The locals had been surprised that city-folk would even bother coming out this way, let alone with plans to eventually live there permanently.

Kozien got the feeling they didn't get many visitors besides the occasional fishing crew. That was perfect because it meant none of them would have to focus on looking over their shoulders every day while they tried to live their lives in peace and start over.

He didn't want Gianna to be constantly afraid of her brother getting nabbed again or a creature like Oxxaro swooping down to take her away to some corner of the galaxy and force her into being a sex slave. He wanted to protect his mate as best as he could, which meant that making sure this village was safe had been his number-one priority for both of the Clay siblings.

A little over a week later, Gabe had come back from exploring the island to inform them he'd joined a fishing crew.

The idea had worried Gianna slightly. Her concern for him being out on the open seas and vulnerable to the D'Narvius was something that Kozien could also understand. They were wild and unpredictable in the best circumstances.

And now that they were missing one of their top drug mules, Kozien would be surprised if they decided to stop the search for him.

Not only had Gabe been good at his job, but he knew vital information about the trafficking operations behind the scenes and the plan to get Motley to every corner of the galaxy.

Unfortunately, that was a problem for a later date. Seeing as none of them were able to prevent the future from happening without any way of knowing when, all they could hope for was that it didn't come to fruition.

Now, the only thing Kozien could control was his and Gianna's living situation.

They'd decided that building a condo up in the mountains would not only be the safest option but would give Gianna the best view while she watched her brother out on the sea fishing with his crew.

It gave her the peace of mind, knowing that if she saw anything coming at them from a distance, she would be able to alert them of the danger heading their way.

It charmed Kozien. It really did. He wished he could empathize with her concern for her brother. He supposed he did to a certain degree, but his own brothers were hard to handle on the best of days, so it was better that they all kept each other at a distance. Their home took only a few short weeks to build, and before they both knew it, they were up living on the mountain with the beautiful turquoise sea below them.

Every morning, Gianna rose early to watch the sunrise as she sipped her coffee. And each morning Kozien would wake up to their empty bed and crawl out of it to find her staring at the sea. He would come up behind her and wrap his arms around her, pulling her close as they greeted the day...

Kozien never knew he needed that kind of intimacy in his life, but those quiet moments stuck with him throughout the rest of the day and made him yearn to come home to her every single hour he was away.

He used his time down in the village doing odd jobs while Gianna stayed up on the mountain and took care of their home, knitting projects that he would come home to.

They didn't exactly need the money, but it felt good to get his hands on something and fix problems just like he'd been doing back in the city before they'd met. He needed his brain processing something or else he'd feel like he was going mad.

He loved coming home to his mate, seeing the new projects she'd created and how she'd been slowly making their house into a home. A nest that they could grow a family in-hopefully someday soon.

The thought of her swollen with his child drove him to an almost feral mindset-one where he would drag her off to bed as soon as he walked through the door, all the while she laughed and poked fun at him.

He didn't care, though. He loved the way her eyes glazed over with pleasure as he sank himself into her, reaching her deeper than anyone had ever before him. He loved the way her body moved under his, the pleasure that only he could give her making her mew and groan.

He wanted to be a good mate to her and treat her with the utmost priority in whatever she needed or wanted. He'd do it all for her with no complaints and only expect her happiness in return.

Kozien wanted to grow their family badly and could tell that Gianna did too by the way she clawed at his back, digging her nails into his skin while he thrust deeper into her. She begged him to come inside of her, her legs twisting around his waist to keep him seated even after they were both spent.

The weeks after their bonding had been exhausting and exhilarating, all of which would soon come together into the fruitful future that they both hoped for.

As Gianna traced his features each night while the moons reflected off of the sea and illuminated the inside of their bedroom, her soft whispers promised him that whatever may come, they would face it together.