We fell silent as his fingers continued to run over me and I continued to breathe in his scent, all the while fighting against my burgeoning desire. If my cock hardened, he would feel it, and the atmosphere would turn awkward.
“How did you meet Vince?”
“We were abducted at the same time.”
I cursed my idiocy. Of course that was how they met. How else would two humans have met across the universe?
“We were both bought by Agk at the auction. We’ve been together for two years now.”
Two cycles. How did I compete against such a timeframe and such a relationship? The answer was: I could not. Bartholomew would never be interested in me. My soul thrashed against my ribs, and my instincts demanded I never allow him to leave my side. I forced it away. I didn’t have to compete. Friends didn’t compete for another friend’s affection. That didn’t stop the growl vibrating low in my gut.
“We’ve been through a lot,” he said. I wanted him to stop speaking of Vince, and yet a craving so deep it shook my soul swept through me to hear his voice, to learn more about him. “We met on the ship.”
“What was it like?”
He pressed against me, and a tremor went through him. I slipped a hand under his shirt to stroke his bare skin. The contact seemed to soothe him because he relaxed beneath my touch.
Bartholomew said, “Horrible. At least a hundred of us were shoved into the hold. No water. No food. No place to sit. No bathroom.”
My fingers tightened on him, but I forced myself to relax or else my claws would puncture his soft skin.
“We were offloaded and shoved into a large cage. They made us strip and sprayed us with cold water and some kind of foam that burned my skin.” He shook his head as he took a deep breath. “Vince stayed beside me, holding my hand. He wouldn’t let me go. No matter what. That’s why Agk bought us. He wanted two people, and he liked that we got along. Easier to shove us in the same cell.”
“I’m sorry.” The words felt too small in light of what he’d experienced. “It should have never happened. I will do everything within my power to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. I know that doesn’t change what has been done, but it’s all I have.”
I felt his lips press against the underside of my jaw, and it took everything I had not to roll on top of him and capture his mouth before demanding he give me his permissions. I was sure the “kiss” had been accidental, nothing more than his lips moving against me, but stars, it made my soul skitter.
“It’s enough for me.”
Heat filled every fiber of my being. “I will keep you safe.”
My eyes snapped open, and I looked around frantically, then breathed a sigh of relief. Rubbing the sweat off my forehead, I took deep, shuddering gasps as I tried to slow the pounding of my heart. Nightmares had never plagued me on Xome, but here it was an almost nightly thing and I didn’t know why. Tonight, there had been hordes of burnt bodies chasing me, screaming at me, blaming me.
I covered my mouth to stifle a cry so as to not wake Serlotminden.
Warmth suddenly surrounded me, and I yelped, pushing away. The force held firm and a deep voice rumbled, “Are you well, Teddy?”
“Mindy,” I sighed.
He nestled close to me, head on my shoulder and tail around my calf. Mindy sounded half-asleep as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Grumbling low in his chest, he replied, “Then sleep. I am here, and you are safe beside me.”
I clutched his arm, swallowing a sudden rush of emotion. I felt safe, but was it true? And more importantly, did I deserve to feel safe after everything I’d done?
Chapter 16
It lives.
Morning, if I could even call it that, came quickly, especially with the interruptions last night. When Serlotminden moved away from me, I groaned, holding on tight and trying to burrow against his chest. He froze, then relaxed against me. His hand pushed under my shirt and stroked the small of my back, lingering on the band of my trousers.
“Good morning,” he said.
I gripped him, face tucked basically into his armpit. “No.”
Serlotminden chuckled. “Yes.”
