Page 70 of 20% Stud 80% Muffin
“Ah…that would be hot spring all the way for this little lady.” Ginger folded the blanket and placed it in her backpack.
“For this little lady too,” Jast chimed in.
“Hot springs.” JayJay’s baritone voice carried a distinct reverence as he focused on the cave’s entrance.
Bonic nodded at Janny and motioned for him to follow Jast.
“All right, alphas, enjoy your trapping, and we’ll see you back here in”—I checked my wristport—“about two suns.” I brushed my lips over Geo’s before he left with my brother.
Though the light was dim, my keen eyesight tracked JayJay as he trailed his blocky fingers down the curved cavern wall leading us to the hot springs, his jaw slack. Janny remained at the entrance, his hulking shadow looming. The air grew hot and thick, weighed down with moisture and sulfur. JayJay’s somber attitude quieted the girls, and my mind turned to Bonic’s words.
“You have done very well for yourself. But I wish every rotation for your return to Lorne.” My hovery was performing well. I had a beautiful dwelling. It appeared I could trade my linobee designs for enough mantu to never go hungry again. But, most importantly… My breath caught inmy throat.
“I’ve found my mate.” My quiet voice cracked like thunder in the dark, steamy tunnel. I had no desire to return to Lorne.
“Of course you have, Makir. I’m certain the grand omega would sanction your union.” Jast reached for my elbow and wrapped her velvety hand around it. Her tail twisted around mine in a soothing gesture omegas practiced with close family. One I hadn’t known I’d missed. My heart swelled.
I revered the grand omega, but with or without her blessing, I was certain Geo was my true mate.
The grand omega had been kinder to me as a youngling than my mother. The only thing omega about my mother was her ability to birth younglings, and even then, she was affronted by the submission that required. I’d rarely been touched growing up, and it went light-years in explaining how starved for affection I was and how badly that had worked out for me.
We walked deeper into the cave. “It feels so real now that I’ve said it aloud.”
“Well, it’s real to anyone who cares to see.” Her tail squeezed.
“But he’s not Lornian…” Whenever I thought I’d finally accepted it, the disbelief that my mate could be from off-planet surfaced again. Geo had sent me Dr. Ten’s report findings. The evidence of compatibility was undeniable, but doubts lingered.
“Wow!” Ginger caught up to us, slipped off her leg coverings and shoes and dipped her pale toe into the spring. Her gaze was locked on JayJay’s shoulders as he moved silently through the water. My lips twitched. Was she exclaiming over the hot spring or JayJay?
“Bless the goddess Sola.” Jast’s tail squeezed mine again as she scanned the chamber.
With no risk of drowning this time, my gaze caught on the long silvery ribbons draping the thick air and reflecting off the water. Sunlight beamed through the pinprick holes in the cave’s ceiling.
JayJay sank into the deep pool before us. He hadn’t made a peep the entire way down, but now a low vibrato resonated from his chest, and he swam through the water and into another chamber without a backward glance.
“Is he okay?” Ginger asked, folding and piling her clothes neatly on a rock beside her. “Do you think we should follow him?”
“He mentioned that the energy here reminds him of a sacred place his ancestors on Yagras went to for guidance. I think we should give him some space,” I said.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. His humming is so beautiful and soulful.” Ginger walked into the warm water as if drawn toward JayJay. “It reminds me of the Tibetan Monks’ horn back home.”
I shrugged, but now wasn’t the time to address language confusion.
“I’m not surprised by his connection—this is a special place. The goddess feels closer. Thank you for bringing us here.” Jast took in the moisture that condensed on the stalagmites overhead, and the heavy beads that plipped into the pool with a slow drip, drip, drip, as mesmerizing as the center of a flame.
Ginger’s attention turned to Jast as she reached for her hand. “Oh my God, look at your swimsuit. Come back out of the water for a moment.” She plucked at the shimmery fabric of Jast’s suit. “What is this? I must take a picture.”
I chuckled as Ginger marveled over Jast’s swimwear.
All was quiet except for the soft lap of water and JayJay’s distant chanting as the three of us floated on our backs.
Ginger broke the silence. “So…what does being a mate mean to you, Makir?” She swam toward the wall, and I guided her and Jast to a stone shelf where we rested, submerged to our waists in healing waters.
As if she sensed my difficulty gathering words, Jast took the lead. “For Lornians, true mates are rare. When the bond is complete, it allows the free exchange of thoughts and emotions through a mental tether.” The slow current swirled water around us. “One of the first external signs is the shift in eye color.”
I swam toward the pool’s center and trod water—something I would never have been able to do without Geo’s help.
“I did everything in my power to remove myself from alphas. Who the blant would’ve guessed I might be compatible with a different species?” My voice rose in frustration, and I kicked the water beneath me as if I were fending off the giant ringa from home.
