Page 17 of 20% Stud 80% Muffin
“My name is Geo.” He paused, then said, “I’m fine.”
Fine then. I was fine too. Only trying to be polite. I finished the puff and sucked on a strip of mantu. He was missing out. With the rest of my food tucked carefully away for tomorrow, I closed the latches on my bag.
“Night.” My voice echoed through the valley of junk.
The archbuilder grunted.
My lumpy nest left me tossing and turning, but sleep eventually found me. A series of ear-piercing squeals rang out, jolting me upright into the inky black night. Sharp teeth pinched my tail, shooting needle-sharp pain through the flesh, and I yelped before whipping it about, only to find a thickly furred creature the size of my forearm latched on to it.
“Makir?” The archbuilder’s sleep-roughened voice yelled.
“Get the blant off of me, you little ringa.” I danced around, my tail whipped furiously, trying to shake the creature off. My tail wrapped around its neck and squeezed, dislodging the toothy monster, and it scampered into the dark shadows.
“Makir!” A zipper came undone. “I’m coming …”
Rocks crumbled, followed by a loud “Fu-u-uck” and then nothing. The nothing had me scrambling toward the archbuilder. My night vision kicked in andfixed on Geo’s body where he lay motionless in the dirt. Adrenaline pumped through my veins while I begged the goddess Sola for Geo to have landed with no serious injuries. What had he been thinking? He’d walked straight off the concrete slab on which he’d perched his tree-top nest.
The clouds slipped away, exposing a bright moon as I rushed to his side. I scanned the fluffy tip of my tail over him to ensure nothing was broken, then cradled his neck with one arm and slipped the other behind his knees before carefully lifting him, my heart fluttering like a bird. As my flesh met his, a hot bolt of fire seared my veins.
Blant! Everything I’d been avoiding had launched into motion.
Geo moaned as the tether lashed at our contact like a wild beast, and my arms trembled under his weight.
Leave him! Run!
My forehead broke out in sweat and a desperate fear swelled beneath my skin. As much as I wanted to pull away and run as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I couldn’t drop Geo. He needed me.
My final fight for independence had all been in vain. The connection wound around my heart, sheathing it in a heady warmth my omega craved. Despite giving up my freedom, I sighed as waves of contentment trickled down my spine. The bond tethering me to an alpha had been initiated.
“It’s okay.” I panted. “The archbuilder’s not so bad.” I gulped hard. “His roundness is cute. He’s a million times better than Reinik.”
Warm breaths against my neck assured me Geo was alive, but I much preferred him biting off my head to soaking my jumpsuit with hot blood.
I placed him inside my ring of snares. “I’ll be right back. You’re safe here.” I swept my hand over his gritty hair.
Though the air was cool, I continued to sweat—not from exertion, but worry—as I climbed over a ledge, then another and one more, until I reached his nest. My fingers fumbled with the zipper to his dwelling, where I crouched before I wiggled inside and snatched his puffy nest, water container and duffel.
A moment later, I was back at his side, arranging him under his crinkling nest. With careful fingers, I probed the back of his head and neck, then feathered my hands down his body, seeking anything broken. A significant swelling above his right eye and a deep gash along his thigh, the blood already thick and clotted, worried me.
I sucked moisture into my dry mouth and swallowed down a hard knot. His injuries needed to be treated quickly. He groaned when I smoothed my palms along his ankle, his skin hot to the touch.
I had no choice.
With great reluctance, I spread the fluffy tip of my tail and exposed the healing disk hidden inside. Lornians were forbidden from revealing this ability to outsiders for fear of exploitation. My stomach plunged as I fought against everything I’d been taught.
With my mind made up, I dabbed the suctioning disk over the worst of his injuries. His bleeding slowed, the swelling went down, and the skin around his gash closed.
I hauled his crinkly nest next to mine and lay beside him, my tail’s suction still in place over his heart to monitor him through the night. The tether between us hummed, the first step in completing a mating bond in place. I stared at the stars and sorted through all my emotions, trying to narrow down how bad it was. The thing was, no matter how much I wished to prepare for the worst, hope shone through. Maybe this time it would be okay?
Most Lornians dreamed of this moment their whole life, but my past experience with an incomplete bond had been a nightmare. My tail wrapped around my wrist, a bandage of comfort, and returned to Geo’s heart. The tether, though a thin connection for now, still anchored an unwanted alpha at the other end. A warm tear spilled down my cheek.
Please let this time be different.
7
Isucked the roofof my mouth, searching for moisture. It was drier than the Sahara. Holy shit, my head throbbed. I brought my hands up to remove my helmet. Only there was no helmet, just soft, silky fur.
What the hell?
