Tempest still felt as if she were floating on cloud nine.

After her adventure in the bathroom trying to get all of the remaining evidence of her lovemaking session with Dron out of her body, she took a long shower and let the steam of the water soothe her wonderfully aching body. She remembered every last detail of what happened last night.

The horrible things they said to each other and how it all culminated in the explosion of their passion and desire for each other.

She was truly happy. Happy not only that she could stop lying to herself about what she was feeling but also that Dron seemed to let go of his self-constraint and do the same.

She didn’t want him to be a prisoner in his own house. Didn’t want him to only have to think about her. Tempest wanted Dron to be happy too.

Tempest walked out of the back feeling like a brand new woman, refreshed and thoroughly pleased, only to find Dron in the kitchen just as high on life as she was.

There was actually a resting smile on his face as he worked hard making what she could only assume was their breakfast.

"Looks like you’ve had a very good morning." Tempest spoke softly as she walked quietly into the room.

Dron turned to look at her; the desire darkened his eyes immediately, but the smile never left his face.

"My temptation." He walked over to her and placed a soft kiss against her lips. It was a simple thing, but it rooted Tempest in the moment. Nothing could be better than this.

"Good morning." She whispered against his lips.

"I figured you might be hungry. We didn’t get around to eating dinner last night." Dron stepped away from her hesitantly as if he didn’t really want to let her go, but he knew he had to go check on the meal he was preparing.

Tempest nodded her head. "I’m starving. I had quite the exercise last night." She winked at Dron, and he smiled wider.

"You and me both." H uttered as he walked back over to the heating area and continued to cook the food.

Tempest sat back and watched as he prepared the food. He was so competent in so many things. If she didn’t watch out, she would start to feel useless around him. Not that he truly allowed her to do anything that required much skill, but Tempest knew that if she attempted to cook, he would suffer down whatever she made.

"You know, I had the strangest dream last night. After we had finished, I mean."

"Oh? What about?" Dron asked, not taking his eyes off the meal he was preparing.

"It was strange; we were in a field. Just talking. It felt really good, like a wish or something that my brain was trying to make come true."

Dron turned his head to look at her, a bit of confusion in his expression. He turned back to the meal and swiftly took it off the fire. He plated the meals and walked over to where Tempest was sitting. Before she could hurry up and dig in, Dron spoke.

"It was a wonderful dream. I remember I was there."

Tempest blinked a few times.

Her brain not truly processing what he was saying, "Yeah, I know you were there. It was my dream; I just said you were there."

"No, Tempest. I was there. With you. We were together. You told me about your mistake. How you tried to take your own life."

Tempest gasped and dropped the fork that she was holding.

There was no way that he could have known that unless he truly was in the dream with him.

This couldn’t be normal. It wasn’t something that has ever happened before.

"How can that be? When did that start?" She asked, feeling the panic grow inside of her. It’s true that she was ashamed of what she had done, but that wasn’t the most shameful thing she’d ever dreamed about. The last thing she wanted was for Dron to have unfiltered access to her subconscious.

"It started last night. We were connected. The knot."

"Yes, I definitely remember that." Tempest squeezed her thighs together. She could still feel the dull ache behind her pubic bone where she was caught on Dron. "So that was real? I mean, you were in my mind with me?"

"Yes. Are you upset?" Dron tilted his head.

Tempest thought about it for a second. It wasn’t that she was upset. Okay maybe. a little bit but not with Dron. She just wasn’t expecting it.

"No, I’m not upset with you. Unless you did it on purpose?"

"No, I’d heard stories about something like that happening between fated mates, but this is the first I’m getting to experience it as well."

Fated mates.

Tempest had talked with other people about it, but it was the first time that Dron spoke to her about it.

The panic raged inside of her, but she knew it was her own fear and nothing that Dron was doing to her.

"Fated mates. That’s us, huih?" Tempest asked coyly.

Dron walked around the small table and gathered Temepst up in his arms. "Yes, that’s us. You belong to me, and I belong to you. Forever."

"Forever is a long time, Dron. You might get tired of me way before then."

"How could I? Every day with you is a new adventure. Every moment is better than the last. If anything, I’m worried you will tire of me. I’m happy today, but I’m known to be something of a grump." He smiled down at her, and it warmed her heart. The man was making jokes at his own expense. Sex truly did change him. In the best of ways.

"You’re a soft grump. I’ve known worse."

Dron scoffed and walked back to the other side of the table where his food was. He started to eat as Tempest did the same.

After a few seconds of silence, Tempest couldn’t hold back her questions any longer.

"So, you’re not going to say anything about my suicide attempt?"

Dron stopped eating and looked back up at Tempest. "It didn’t seem as if you wanted to talk about it."

Tempest shrugged. "It wasn’t my finest moment, but now that you know, I want to know your thoughts about it."

"I hope you are never feeling so bad that you ever try to do something like that again. If you do, I hope you’ll come talk to me first, and if talking to me isn’t an option, just know I’m coming right behind you."

Coming right behind? Tempest startled at that statement. It was just a fact in Dron’s mind.

"What do you mean coming right behind? Are you saying if I die you’re going to die? Is that part of the fated mates rules or something?"

"Not a rule, but it’s my truth. Tempest, I’ve thought about living without you. Living knowing that you don’t exist in this universe. That’s no life for me. I’ve touched the stars; coming back down is impossible. Where you go, I go. If death is the only option, I hope the moon goddess has already made room for the both of us."

A tear pricked the back of Tempest’s eyelids.

He said in a universe without her. That meant he still knew that she might go back to earth and he would deal with it, but her being dead was a whole different story. He was willing to go crazy if it meant that she would be happy as long as she was alive and happy.

"Oh, Dron." She got up from where she was sitting and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on to him tightly. The thought of leaving is becoming more and more of a distant memory than actually a goal.

How could she leave him? How could she even think about going back to earth when she seemed to have found the one person in all of the galaxy that was truly meant for her?

Temepst knew it would be hard. Maybe even impossible, but she could have a life here in Ustea. She could be happy here with Dron.

Dron gently lifted her chin so that her face was tilted up and she was looking up at him.

"Don’t cry, my temptation. It’ll all be fine. We’re blessed. Nothing can come between that."

Tempest nodded hard, her tears streaming down her face. She raised up on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to Dron’s lips. Instantly the fire of their desire raged.

Dron deepened the kiss, and Tempest melted into him.

Faster than she could process, Tempest could feel the evidence of her arousal. She thought she had her fill last night, but it seemed as if her body had other plans.

Tempest pulled him closer. She tugged at his clothing, and within a second, Dron figured out what she wanted from him. He was more than willing to oblige.

"You drive me crazy in the best ways, my temptation."

Tempest hummed and kissed him again. He was doing the same to her. Dron reached behind Tempest and swept all the plates off the table. He was going to take her right there.

It sent a thrill through Tempest’s body. She wanted him so bad. The fact that he was just as crazed about her made her feel good.

Dron’s hand slipped under Tempest’s skirt, and he gently ran his fingers along her inner thigh. Tempest trembled at Dron’s touch and opened her legs wider for him.

He was so close. So close to touching her exactly where she needed to be touched in that moment.

Suddenly the lights flickered in the room.

Dron stiffened and Tempest groaned in frustration.

"Really! Now!" She screamed in the direction of the front door. Someone was here. Off all the times for an unannounced visitor.

Drown growled and sneered in the direction of the door. He was just as upset about the intrusion as she was.

"Hold that thought. I’ll be right back." Dron stormed away in the direction of the door. Tempest followed behind for backup. Whoever was at the door was about to get an earful from both of them.

Tempest watched as Dron swung the door open and saw a very disheveled-looking Gerax standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Dron snarled again.

"I tried to reach you on the communicator. I tried to reach both of you. We have to go. We have to help them." Gerax turned without any further comment and literally ran to the transport that was still hovering in the front yard.

Dron turned to Tempest, but she was already out the door following Gerax. She didn’t know what was going on, but from the look on the usually stoic scientist’s face, she knew it was bad.