Page 68 of 20% Stud 80% Muffin
“Janny’s an unmated alpha and an unmated omega in heat could trigger his rut. Wearing a mask is the best way to avoid messy conflicts. If he were a beta he wouldn’t require one—they’re less affected by alpha and omega pheromones.”
I scuffed the ground with my toe. Guilt plagued me. All those nights Geo and I had chatted after swimming lessons, and I hadn’t bothered to explain even the most basic nature of my people. I just hadn’t wanted him to view me as some helpless omega. Now he had to suffer through a youngling crash course from my brother.
“So if I wear a mask around Makir, I’ll be able to control myself?”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” Bonic tried to hide his smile but lost it when he looked at a giggling Jast. “You wouldn’t want that anyways.”
Hadn’t I shown Geo how much I loved it when he lost control? I knew just the way to ease him past his fixation, but my plans would have to wait. Ginger stopped at the hoverbike beside me, where JayJay strapped on supplies.
“You want me in front or in back, stud muffin?” Ginger tossed her hair over her shoulder. JayJay, usually the first to crack a joke, sat on his bike, frozen. Ginger ignored his lack of response and swung her leg over in front of him. “You’re so big. I’m going to ride in front so I can see, ’kay?” When she turned back and patted JayJay’s leg, his hands clenched as if he didn’t know what to do with them.
Geo climbed on behind me. “What’s that about?”
“I’m getting the impression there’s a lot we don’t know about JayJay.” I engaged the ignition, waiting until everyone hovered near me, and then we flewtoward the rocky outcrop. The sun warmed my face, and graneth grass mixed with other wispy yellow and green vegetation dotted the pink soil that whizzed by.
Any jitters over a monster lurking under the ground were erased as Geo’s arms wrapped around me. D’irk was convinced daylight would keep the sun-sensitive bastard at bay, and that was enough for me.
I parked my hoverbike next to JayJay’s. He already leaned into the glassy ebony rocks, chanting in his low voice as he pressed a hand to the hot surface.
“Distant cousin?” Ginger teased JayJay. Strands of her hair ran over the back of his hand, disturbing his meditation. He stumbled as she turned to grab a backpack.
Geo approached JayJay. “Everything okay?”
“Ya ya, boss man.” JayJay ducked his large bald head.
My eyes darted to where Ginger rifled through her bag out of earshot, and I passed Geo his water container before I asked JayJay, “Are you sure?”
“Bish, I’ve never met an Earth female before, is all.” His rasping voice was a soft rumble.
“Well, she is something else.” Geo smiled and tapped his friend on the elbow in a gesture of comfort.
Jast and Ginger admired the leg coverings I’d made for everyone as I passed out thick mantu hide gloves. Ginger oohed and ahhed over their quality and snapped a picture with her device before she laced them. As the group hiked through the jagged ebony shards of the rocky outcrop, Bonic hovered protectively over Jast.
Janny shadowed them, slipping on his mask now that he was nearer to me.
Jast slapped Bonic’s hands away from her. “I’m no fragile flower, Bonic. I can walk on my own.” She huffed. “Alphas, honestly.”
“Say it again, girlfriend.” Ginger tapped her knuckles to Jast’s, Jast looped her elbow through Ginger’s and they walked off, leaving Bonic trailing after them.
The full sun beamed through the glass-like rock, sending silver sabers of light into the sky. Stumbling across the hot spring with the enforcers on our full moonhunt had been a stroke of pure luck. The entrance was better guarded than the High Hold of Lorne.
“Makir…” Bonic’s deep alpha voice reverberated through my spine. “How much farther?” Jast was back at his side, and the tip of his tail rested on her belly.
I dipped my head involuntarily, and Geo inserted himself, blocking me from my brother.
“We’re past the worst.” Geo answered for me, his voice deeper than usual, unknowingly clashing with Bonic’s. “We’ll go down from here.” He tried to ease the tension coursing through me from my brother’s overprotectiveness, but my emotions see-sawed like a toy balanced on a string.
“Blant, Ginger, get away from there.” JayJay pulled Ginger away from the cliff that plummeted to the plateau below.
“Relax.” She placed her hands on her hips and pointedly fixed her eyes on JayJay, then Bonic and finally Geo. “What is it with you men today?! I’m on another planet for the first time, and you think I’m not going to take advantage of this amazing vista?” Ginger continued muttering while JayJay shadowed her steps along the precipice like an elite protector on Lorne.
We wound down the trail to the plateau—Geo’s palm on the small of my back, JayJay on Ginger’s heels and Jast fighting against being carried. Janny was unnoticeable.
I needed to get some food into this crowd.
“This is the perfect spot for our picnic.” I sighed happily. A warm breeze invited us to rest on the short grass cropped by the herds of mantu grazing in the distance. I spread out a red blanket and placed the graneth buns and roast mantu on it along with a jar of something called ‘dill pickles’ that Geo insisted on and the horrid smelling ‘cheese’ that Ginger had brought. Geo added a large skin bag of hiscus juice, and Jast set down a mysterious box.
Bonic’s long legs stretched out in front of him, and the food before us quickly disappeared. “We may have to take some mantu back to Lorne with us. And imagine a family nest lined with linobee fur. What do you think, Jast?”
