"Zen?" Valeria murmured in an uncharacteristically soft and almost needy voice. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," Zen said, pulling his gaze away from the corrupted screen before she could notice it.
He turned around in her arms, letting his hands rest casually on her waist. "Just making sure the heavy cabin doors are properly locked. I am glad we are finally alone."
Valeria's crimson eyes dilated.
The terrifying, bloodthirsty aura of the Vanguard Commander completely evaporated, replaced by a suffocating, heavy wave of pure, unadulterated affection.
She looked around the hyper-luxurious private cabin she had booked, taking in the plush red velvet seats, the expansive sleeping arrangements, and the heavily warded, soundproofed walls that would swallow every sound they made.
"Alone," she repeated, the word sounding like a desperate prayer. "No students. No instructors. No military hounds sniffing around your dorm room. Just you and me, exactly where we belong."
