We lie together until Samil stirs, looking at the suns which have dropped low.

“We should move,” he says. “It’s getting late and our friends still need us.”

“Right,” I say, a rush of embarrassment flooding through me as I realize I put personal concerns over their safety.

We dress quickly and start traveling. The world seems brighter, happier somehow, not that I really think the entire world should be different because I had sex, so I guess it’s me. Smiling, I nod as the joy I’m feeling bubbles inside.

“What is it?” Samil asks, a smile on his face.

“I’m happy.”

“Good,” he says.

Nothing else needs to be said and I know it. He gets me in ways no one ever has. It’s like we’ve known each other forever even though we only now came together. I suppose, in a way, we’ve known each other for much longer. I’ve watched him since the wreck and, as much as it seems like it can’t be, that’s been years now.

“How long?” I ask, a sudden thought occurring to me.

“How long what?”

“How long have you known?”

The girls have talked about how the Zmaj know their mate when they see them. Something about their inner dragon staking a claim almost instantly. It sounded sweet but something that would never happen to poor, broken me. I guess that’s the heart of it though, I’m not broken. Not anymore.

Samil’s smile tells me he knows exactly what I’m talking about. He doesn’t answer for a few minutes though, glancing at me and chuckling, shaking his head.

“Since I first saw you,” he says. “I knew then you were the one.”

“Oh,” I say, thinking about that.

“But you… you never said anything!”

His smile falters for a second but it returns almost as fast and he nods. “No,” he says. “I never did. I did not believe myself worthy of a female such as you. Beautiful, intelligent, and strong. I dreamed of finding a way to prove myself to be a worthy male for you.”

My cheeks warm at his words. “You’re sweet,” I say. “Stupid and ridiculous, but sweet.”

“Stupid?” he asks, confusion on his face.

“Yes,” I say. “You’ve always been worthy. I was broken and it took me time to see that I could… I could love. I could be touched without triggering what happened. No one else, no other male, could have done it. Only you Samil. You’re special and don’t let anyone ever make you think different or they’ll have me to deal with!”

He stops and takes my hands in his, gripping them tight. “Thank you,” he says. “No other female can compare. I love you.”

“I love you!” I exclaim, the words bursting out of me with a force that surprises me.

His eyes reflect the rays of the suns, making them sparkle and I can’t stop smiling. He pulls me tight against his muscled and scaled chest then in silent accord we resume walking. He scans the ground ahead of us as we go, looking for tracks I’m sure.

I’m not sure how long we’ve traveled or how far, it’s not very far, a few dunes at most when he stops and kneels, looking closely at the sand.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

He looks over his shoulder, frowning deeply. “We’re following the wrong tracks.”

“You’re kidding me? What tracks are these?” I ask pointing at the trails in the sand we’ve been following.

“I think it’s a bivo herd,” he says, speaking softly. “See here, how they blur and cross over?”

Kneeling next to him I stare at the marks in the drifting sand. “Yeah, sort of,” I say.

“When we first got onto these I assumed they were dragging our friends, captured, but why would they still be dragging them? They’ve had them for hours,” he says. He balls a hand into a fist and slams it into the sand sending a cloud of it up. “Curse it all!”

“Samil,” I say, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. It’s an honest mistake.”

“Ragnar would not have been fooled,” he says, not meeting my eyes.

I cup his face in my hand and tug until he turns to look at me. “You’re not Ragnar,” I say. “You’re Samil, I love you.”

His self-regret fades in a flash to be replaced by a genuine smile. He nods and rises to his feet, pulling me up with him. “Thank you,” he says, still smiling, his hands unusually warm. He wraps his arms around me. “I love you, Inga. Always, forever.”

We hold each other for another long moment as I relish in the sense of safety having his arms wrapped around me brings.

“Okay,” I say, forcing myself forward. “What’s next?”

He sighs, letting me go, then looks around. The suns are distressingly low on the horizon. We’re short hours from dark, which isn’t good. Samil turns a circle then stares up at the sky. An early star is visible on one horizon, blinking lazily, obviously bright enough to be seen despite the double suns. The growing dusk helps.

“There,” he says pointing to the star. “That is Estameel, the first star, if we keep it to our left-hand side, we will return to the Tribe.”

He speaks with certainty and I sure as heck don’t have any idea which way to go so I nod enthusiastically, if nothing else to support him. It’s better than standing here for sure.

“Okay, let’s go then!”

We set off, keeping a faster pace than we have so far. Neither of us says it but we’re both ready to be home and spending another night out in the wilds isn’t appealing in the slightest. The suns continue their descent as we race across the dunes, trying to outpace the growing shadows.

It isn’t long before my breathing is ragged and I’m struggling. Samil hooks an arm around and under me, taking on part of my weight and we continue running. It seems effortless for him too. It’s crazy, he thinks he’s weak but to me he’s incredibly strong.

Sure, he’s not as big as Drosdan or Padraig, but not all men are the same size. Who cares? It’s what’s on the inside that matters! I know, with certainty, that none of the other Zmaj nor any other man surviving on this planet has a gentler, kinder soul inside then Samil.

I’ve watched all the others as my friends and fellow humans have fallen in love with them. I know they’re dedicated to their mates, that they will do anything for them is not a question. It’s nothing to do with that because that’s not the whole measure of a man.

No, it’s something more and much more difficult to put a finger on. My mother had a term for it, Samil is an artistic soul. He see’s beauty where others see junk. He’s kind, gentle, and self-deprecating to a fault. He puts others above himself, always.

Dark shadows stretch as we climb yet another dune. I’m so focused on breathing I stumble past Samil as he skids to a stop. Turning back to him, panting, it’s a moment before I can catch my breath enough to speak.

“What?”

He smiles and points past me. Turning on my heel my heart skips when I see the wall of the Tribe’s cave home.

“We made it!” I exclaim. A second wind rushes through and my muscles quiver with pent up energy. “Let’s go!”

Flickering lights illuminate the dusk from behind the wall. Laughing, we race each other down the dune. When I stumble, falling forward, Samil catches me and sweeps me into his arms with a laugh. I wrap my arms around his neck and he spreads his wings and leaps.

We glide. The air rushing past us is exhilarating. I can’t stop laughing. Life seems so brilliant and the future is full of hope. My chest swells and for the first time I’m here, in the moment, with none of my attention stuck in the past and what happened.

It doesn’t erase it, doesn’t make less of it, no the only thing that has happened is I’m free of its hold on me. At last, I’m free, and Samil’s love has freed me. I only had to let him love me to get this and I never want this feeling to end. The best part is, I’m certain that it won’t. He’ll never stop loving me and I know, I’ll never stop loving him.