Page 119 of Galaxy Circus Act One

Again, Silac sighs. “Look, man, I don’t want to get caught between you and your wife. It sounds like she has enough males on her hands without throwing me in her path, but I would be honest with her if I were you.”

I frown and sit back. I think Silac has gotten the wrong idea. Fucking hell.

“I didn’t bring you here for me so I could have an illicit affair with you on the side. I brought you here because I thought you’d get a kick out of being in the circus. Your attraction to Lila, while not unexpected, has nothing to do with it, nor does our previous relationship. I didn’t bring you here so I could have a side piece. I’m completely faithful to my mate, as is my beast, but he’s also not opposed to having some fun with Lila’s other mates, especially if she’s sandwiched between us.”

He’s still frowning, his confusion evident.

“Look, all I’m saying is don’t be afraid to explore your attraction to Lila. She’s feisty and fun and a little crazy, and I think she’s the perfect balance to your careful, trust nobody, let nobody in nature. If something does happen between the two of you, then that’s amazing, but if nothing comes of it, that’s okay too. I missed my best friend and am glad you’re here.”

I stand up, leaving my friend to think about what I just said.

“Okay, I’ll see you later. Link and I are going to stay with Lila in her hotel room tonight.”

He scrunches up his face and shudders. “With your human glamour?” he asks, sounding disgusted, and I shrug, changing into it.

“I want to clear something up. There’s nothing Lila can ask of me that I won’t do for her. This has all been a steep learning curve, and if she needs to touch base with what she is most familiar with, well, I’m certainly not going to get in her way. I’llsee you tomorrow,” I say and leave my friend with his thoughts on the couch. There’s an air of sadness to him that wasn’t there before, and I feel a little guilty for not telling him about Lila all week, but I really wanted to surprise him and thought he would be happy for me. Clearly not.

I hope he thinks about what I said, because I think Lila would be perfect for him, and I just want to see him as happy as I am.

“There you are.” I finally find Link in his clinic after checking his pod quarters and the dining room. It had taken me a while because the crew was having dinner, and quite a few people stopped me to talk about the new act, complimenting me on it.

I saw Tirrian brooding in the corner, and he glared at me the whole time. He’s been a complete asshole since he got onto the ship, but he knows he couldn’t sabotage the show, otherwise he would have been in big trouble with both the Adams brothers and his father, who is trying to make up for Dylan’s mistakes. I think he feels the circus is beneath him and he is being punished by being here. I will confront him about everything tomorrow. It can’t go on like this.

“Ah, yeah, I was just checking over Saxon’s vitals.” Link sounds a little worried, and I can see why when I step up and have a look at the unconscious Vilaxian. He is normally pale, like fine Masovian china, but right now, he has a gray tinge to his skin, and his cheekbones look sunken in. His fingers are starting to curl into his palms, making them look like claws.

“He doesn’t look so great.”

“No. He’s not responding to the blood as he should. I’m going to ask Lila for a pint of hers to keep him going until she’s ready to bond. If I don’t, he will be worse than feral when I wake him, and he may kill Lila in the bonding process.”

“Will that seal the blood rose bond?” I ask with a bit of hesitation in my voice, and he shakes his head.

“No, I specifically called and spoke to the queen’s physician, because this was a concern of mine too. He said that to seal a blood rose bond, they both need to drink each other’s blood. Infusing it into him should be enough to sustain him physically, but it won’t seal that bond.”

I relax once he finishes speaking. “I think Lila is just waiting for her visit with Susie to be over, then she said she’ll do it. She said she wasn’t sure if it was a long process, and I think she’s partly worried she won’t survive it,” I tell him, not hiding the concern in my voice or the frown on my face.

Link sighs, places his tablet to the side, and puts his hands on my shoulders. When I’m in human form, we’re basically eye to eye, and this close, I notice how good he smells, and I feel my beast rumble with attraction.

“I promise you, Cas, I would not put your mate at risk. From everything I’ve read, and with confirmation from the royal physician, the need for the blood rose to survive and flourish far outweighs the hunger, despite how feral he looks. But what makes this a little tricky is the time delay. While she’s making her decision, his body is fading away, so the need to survive kicks in and it becomes more violent than a normal bonding. But we will do as they suggest to keep Lila safe and Saxon from slipping away. Okay?”

I nod, his hands heavy but comforting on my shoulders. I inhale deeply, drawing in his scent and letting it wrap around us. A purring sound comes out of my mouth, and his eyebrowsjump in surprise. His silver eyes turn a little liquid before a blush spreads from his neck to his cheeks. That’s so fucking cute. He’s so sure and capable in some respects, but in others, he’s a little shy and restrained. It’s weird, considering he’s the heir to Pleasure Bot Industries. One would think he’d have a whole range of sexual tricks up his sleeves. I look down at those sleeves, which are pushed backed, showcasing his sexy forearms. I start to lean toward him before I catch myself and stumble backward.

“Shit, sorry, my beast is attracted to you, and I won’t deny that I’m not upset about it. He seems to be hellbent on making sure that Lila has all these strong men around her, and what better way to secure that than to seduce you as well.” I shake my head. “I really don’t know what he’s thinking. Every time I try to communicate with him, he growls, bares his teeth, and mimes biting like he wants to mate all of you too.” I sit down on one of the chairs and place my head in my hands. “I’m so fucking confused, I have no idea what to do.”

He takes a seat next to me and places a reassuring hand on my leg, but my cock jumps in my pants, a mind of its own.

“It’s okay, really, but it’s safe to assume that while Lila got some of your powers, she may have given you her Skarrian mating ways because she had nothing else to give you. Have you ever thought that you, too, may be polyamorous now, and his need to bite is his way to ensure you can seal that Skarrian mating bond with the people you are attracted to?”

I lift my head as my mouth drops open in surprise. “Holy shit! I never even thought about that. I’ve been so focused on her shifting that it didn’t even dawn on me that I could have received Skarrian powers.”

Link sits back, and I miss the feel of his hand on my leg. “It makes sense to me. Though I’m not sure how she’s going to take it if you are interested in bringing other women into the bond. Idoubt she’s going to be upset if you’re attracted to some of the same men she is though.”

I think carefully about whether I want to mate with another woman, and my beast goes berserk inside. I groan in pain as I wrestle to keep control as he tries to burst out of my skin in anger. “Fuck.”

Link jumps to his feet. “Shit, are you okay? Do you need me to check you over?” He sounds frantic, and I hold up my hand to stop him as he lifts his hand to scan me.

“It’s okay. I think it’s safe to say my beast is perfectly happy with Lila. The thought of another woman makes him beyond furious.”

“Oh.” Link calms down. “That’s a good thing then.” He pauses momentarily to collect his thoughts before continuing. “Look, I suggest you talk to her about it, and then talk about it with anyone your beast wants to mate with.” He turns away from me and presses a couple of buttons on his tablet. “You might be surprised by their response.”