I wish I had some ibuprofen. My jaw feels like it is broken. I know the punctures on my arm are deep, and they hurt, but they are nothing compared to the pounding pain in my face. When we transported an hour ago, my adrenaline was still pretty high, so my pain was tolerable. But with every passing minute, I can feel the swelling in my cheek getting worse."No moving, human. Remain silent," the freakishly tall alien growls as he drops me on a stone floor covered in trash and filth. I nod fearfully while glancing around. This is the first building we have come to. When we transported, we were outside in the middle of a field. But it wasnt like any field I had ever been in. It was dead silent, and the air seemed frozen around us even though it was warm. While the other two Gafrops continue walking out of the room with a now silent Zor, the hateful beast with a mean slap doesn't leave. He approaches a black panel of buttons and begins to type like a mad man. I can't help but watch his

Lights and bright colors flow into view as my eyelids flutter open to reveal a familiar face. "Krystal, my dear friend. I am so happy you are okay," Zalu says as she smiles down at me. I smile at her, and the lack of pain in my jaw surprises me until I realize I am in the same room I came to cure my incurable cancer. "Where's Burk? Is he okay," I ask, and she nods while helping me into a sitting position. "He is still on Gafrop. Garlof was able to transport his entire battle group onto the planet, which created access for the entire allied force. The Gafrops are forfeiting as we speak. The Jahns and Muysocks have cut ties with them. Burk brought you to me a few minutes ago. He made sure I could heal you and then went back. He is making sure his men leave the planet unscathed. I, of course, healed your body. You will be fine now," Zalu explains, and I nod as relief flows through me. "Was the allied force unable to land on that planet before," I ask after a few seconds,

"Are you ready," Burk asks softly as he hands me my cup, and I nod even though I feel super nervous. The process of making the drink that will link our systems only required three buttons, and then it began dispensing as if this wasn't one of the most significant moments of my young life. I was expecting at least ten minutes to prepare myself, but it was more like twenty seconds. "Do not feel pressured, Krystal. We can wait. This has been a very traumatic day, and it is late. I do not want you to regret anything," Burk says softly as he watches me stare at my cup hesitantly. I bite my lip while I think over my options. I know that I want Burk. He is definitely the guy for me. I feel a connection to him. A connection that has pushed me to risk my life for him twice. I know my connection will only grow as time passes, so why wait? Yes, it is happening fast, but one thing I have learned in my nineteen years is you never know what will happen tomorrow. What if a bad guy kills Burk