Cosmic Castaway (Cosmic Romances #3)

17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Playing… I think.

I sat on the bay door, like usual, and Serlotminden walked the perimeter around the shuttle, scoping the area out. The day was warmer than I was used to, so maybe the planet was moving out of winter? Though that might spell the end of the empty nests, which would suck, majorly. I pushed the thought away, refusing to panic about it.

Mindy held out his hands, grinning. His white hair hung around his muscular frame like snow, and his purple scales shone in the direct sunlight. He was fucking gorgeous, but I didn’t feel any inclination to move from my semi-warm place.

“Teddy,” he whined, and I sighed.

I was going to have to move, wasn’t I? His eyes grew larger as his tail wiggled, hand out, waiting.

With a groan, I forged through the snow toward him, but before I even got close, he crouched, growling. My pulse kicked up, and I paused, fear trickling down my spine like icy fingers. “Mindy?”

He rushed in my direction, and I didn’t move, locked in place as my thoughts clouded in numbing panic. He crashed into me at full speed and knocked me into the snow. His arms came around me, keeping me from hitting the ground too hard. Serlotminden snarled against my throat, and I flinched. This was it. He was going to eat me. He’d had enough of nutrition squares and decided human was tastier.

“Teddy,” he said, cocking his head. “Why didn’t you run?”

“Why would I run?”

“So I can chase you.”

The fear eked away. “You’re playing with me.”

“Of course. What did you think I was doing?”

Killing me . I wasn’t going to say that, though; it might hurt his feelings. I shrugged.

Serlotminden rolled off me with a wince, and I helped him to his feet, moving to his shirt to check his wound, but he stopped me. “This time, my Teddy, run.” He backed away from me before I had a chance to stop him.

“Are you sure this isn’t going to hurt you?” I called after him. It seemed like it had, so why did he want to play again?

He didn’t answer, crouching, and released a low warning sound. His tail thrashed and his wings spread, making my pulse pick up. My joints locked. I knew he was playing, but his aggressive act was triggering my flight or fight response, or rather my freeze response.

“Run,” Mindy yelled. “Play with me.”

It’s play. It’s play. It’s play , I repeated over and over again. Mindy wouldn’t actually hurt me. I forced myself forward and took off. My muscles burned almost instantly, and my lungs struggled to get enough oxygen. I hadn’t exercised that much, and I was in desperate need of more food and water. Still, I forged on.

I heard growling behind me, and I lurched to the side. Serlotminden slid past me with a startled yelp. I laughed, heart pounding. “Close, but not close enough,” I teased and took off in the direction of the shuttle.

Mindy snarled, and his feet crunched on the snow behind me. I pushed my screaming legs to move even faster. Running on snow was harder than I thought. Trying to escape him, I turned around as quickly as possible and ran in a different direction. Mindy easily corrected, following me.

Suddenly, a weight collided with my back and my face was pressed into the cold snow. I kicked and thrashed to get free, but he was too damn heavy. Rough hands forced me to turn over, and Mindy hovered above me, releasing low growls. My stomach dropped and a wave of want rushed through me.

Shit. This had been a bad idea.

I lay there, panting, beneath him, and I liked it. A lot.

I stared at Bartholomew, who lay passive beneath me. Everything in me demanded I mold my lips to his and claim him for myself. I fought against the instinct, trying to reason with myself, but arguments of friendship and fitting fell away. All I was left with was the truth.

Bartholomew started to writhe beneath me, fighting me. He hit me, but not hard enough for me to think he intended to harm me. He was playing the game. He struggled, trying to escape, but there was none. I wouldn’t allow it. I would never allow it.

I grabbed his wrists and trapped them above him. Bartholomew arched beneath me to throw me off, but I was too heavy. I transferred his wrists to one hand and bent to growl against his throat, and Bartholomew stilled.

“I caught you,” I whispered against his ear.

“You did.”

“I plan to keep you.” This was my truth. I could not believe I hadn’t understood what my instincts were demanding. I’d been scent marking him, claiming him, calling him mine. I’d been a fool. This human was mine, and I had no intention of letting him go. I wanted Bartholomew as my mate, and I planned to woo him until he realized what I had—we belonged together.

He didn’t respond, staring at me, mouth open and breaths heavy. We stayed there in the snow, me growling against his neck and Bartholomew’s chest heaving for what felt like an eternity.

When he shivered, I asked, “Are you cold?”

“Yes.”

“Then I need to get you inside, next to me.”

Red rushed to his cheeks, and something primal inside of me rumbled in pleasure. My mate might be a challenge to court, but I would succeed because this human was the only person I’d ever care about. He was mine, and that was that.

I started to help him stand, but my healing wound pulled, making me wince. Bartholomew was next to me in a flash, frozen hands on my side, rucking up my shirt to see the injury. My soul stalled when his cold fingers brushed my skin. I couldn’t help but pull away; the skin was too sensitive.

Hurt flashed on my mate’s face for a single moment before his blank expression returned. I bit my lip, teeth catching on my lip ring. Fiddling with his lenses, I gave him a soft smile. His aspect didn’t change. I cupped his cheek and drew Bartholomew closer to me, settling his head on my shoulder.

“My skin is sensitive, my Teddy. Extreme temperatures are difficult for it,” I tried to explain, smoothing his spiky hair.

“I’m sorry,” he replied.

“Don’t.” I gripped the nape of his neck to keep him tight against me. “You didn’t know.” Reluctantly, I pulled back. “Let’s go inside.”

I took his hand in mine, marveling at the slimness of his fingers and how he perfectly fit within my grasp. How hadn’t I noticed this earlier? I wanted to keep him against me all the time. The urge to claim him, kiss him, and rub my scent all over him persisted, but I respected his boundaries. Hopefully, in time, he would desire me how I did him, and not for a flash of lust, but for forever.

When we stepped inside, I ushered Bartholomew to the tent. He needed to warm up. While I preferred to warm him another way, I settled for gathering the blankets around him. “You need to eat.”

He shrugged.

I shoved a nutrition bar at him, and when he was eating it, I grabbed one for myself, forcing myself to swallow the dry, flavorless bar before washing it down with a cube of water. I gave a couple of the cubes to Bartholomew and smoothed a hand over his head.

It seemed ridiculous that I cared so much about him all of a sudden. Well, it wasn’t sudden. I’d cared about Bartholomew since the first time I’d seen him, but this was different. He was mine. How could I want someone for the rest of my life and not be in love? I liked Bartholomew, but I wasn’t in love with him yet.

I’d always assumed when I discovered the one I wished to spend my life with, I would love them first. My youngest brother Kalvoxrencol hadn’t loved his mate Seth at first, but he’d sought the Crystal for his mate. That was different. I wasn’t sure about Zoltilvoxfyn and Caleb, but Hallonnixmin had fallen deeply in love with Gilvaxtin before they became mates.

But Bartholomew was my mate—I knew it—and yet I wasn’t in love. It would happen—I knew that—but it hadn’t happened yet.

It didn’t matter. I liked Bartholomew and had every intention of keeping him. Besides, once we drakcol started to perceive someone as our mate, the bond formed and we were unable to desire another. We mated once, whether bound or chosen.

Bartholomew rubbed his temples, and I frowned.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“I have a headache.”

I shifted him closer until he was practically on my lap. “Will you be alright?”

“I’m fine.” He licked his chapped lips and swallowed.

I forced him to look at me, tilting his chin up. “Bartholomew…” I didn’t know what I was trying to ask, but he did not appear well.

“I'm dehydrated,” he commented.

Panic coursed through my veins so rapidly it felt as if I’d been filled with fire. “What?”

“I haven’t been drinking enough water, but it’s fine.”

It was not fine. It was not fine at all. Kalvoxrencol had told me several times of a human’s need to drink copious amounts of water. Not enough and… Well, I didn’t know what happened, but my younger brother had made it sound dire.

I shoved more hydration cubes at him.

“Mindy, I’m f—”

I didn’t let him finish, popping one into his mouth. The feel of his lips on my fingers was enough to make my stomach curl, but I ignored it, far more concerned about Bartholomew’s health. As soon as he swallowed, I pushed another into his mouth, tail thrashing. Unable to stop myself, I dragged him onto my lap, scent marking him.

“Another.” I pushed the cube to his lips.

“Mindy, there’s not enough.”

“I can melt snow.”

“I can’t drink it unless it’s been boiled. It might make me sick.”

Stars, humans were fragile. I tugged him even closer, soul racing. I could lose my little mate so easily. “I can boil it.”

“I don’t want you to strain yourself.”

I rested my mouth against his temple, not using any pressure. I would not kiss him, but the need to touch him pulsed with an intensity that refused to be denied. “I’m recovering perfectly fine, my Teddy. You need to drink more.”

He frowned.

“You must tell me what you require, Bartholomew. I’m not familiar with every human need, so you have to tell me. Please. I have to keep you safe. Do you understand?”

His mouth was so achingly close to mine that I felt his breath on me when he said, “Fine.”

Bartholomew took the other cube, then tucked against me. I cupped the back of his head, keeping his slight form tight against mine. Steadily, he warmed as I gave him a few more hydration cubes. Tomorrow, I planned to melt some snow for him to drink and for us to bathe. I would give my mate whatever I had, even if there wasn’t much here.

He released a long breath. “Don’t work on the ship without me.”

“I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

“I’m cold, and you need to heal.”

I smiled, resting my lips on his spiky hair. My mate cared about me. He had Vince, but we would work out. I knew it. It only made sense.

Mindy shoved another water cube at me, and I took it without fighting. There was no point. He was freaking out, and if I didn’t drink the water, he would panic even worse. I was worried about running out and Serlotminden stressing himself to boil water for me, but at the same time, I was dehydrated and needed it.

His hand trailed over my back, a finger slipping into the slit of my shirt. I closed my eyes at the feel of his warm scales against my skin.

“How much water do you require?” Serlotminden asked.

“I don’t know.” I very much doubted he understood what ounces were. Besides, who actually drank the amount of water they were supposed to? If I did, I’d be peeing every other second.

“Bartholomew, please.” His grasp tightened on me. “I need to know. I have to take care of you. Humans are so soft.”

I peeked at him, frowning. “What?”

He poked my cheek. “So soft.”

“I’m not weak,” I said, shifting out of his lap.

Mindy reached for me, and I shoved him away.

“I’m not weak,” I repeated, my voice deepening. “I survived, damn you.”

“I don’t mean that.”

“It was not easy, but I fucking survived.” Tremors wracked me. Smoke and blood filled my nose. The sound of flesh smacking flesh as a crowd screamed resounded in my ears. The small cell. The burning hot incinerator. The sharp zap as Agk prodded me with his baton. I clutched the front of my shirt, unable to stop shaking.

“I survived,” I repeated. I had, right? A reptilian shriek ripped through my mind as Agk slammed the door of the incinerator closed, locking it with a dull clang. “I survived,” I groaned, rocking. “I survived.”

Warmth enfolded me, but I was blind to my surroundings. All I saw was blood, fire, and pain. Warm lips brushed my ear, and I flinched.

“Bartholomew, I’m right here. You’re here. You’re safe.”

I shuddered.

He gathered me close until I was on his lap again. Serlotminden pressed his lips against my forehead, the metal of his piercing pressing into my skin. “I’m right here.”

I fisted the front of his shirt, breathing in his scent, and forced it out, “I am not weak.”

“I know, Bartholomew. I did not mean that.” He lifted my chin until our eyes met. “You are mine to take care of.”

I grunted, unable to form words.

He tucked me against him, tail coiled around my ankle.

I was straddling his thick thighs, and I didn’t care or even react. I was trying to hold it together, but I couldn’t. I shivered, memories flooding me. Serlotminden pressed his mouth against my temple and rocked me. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing closer, almost as if I was trying to claw my way inside of him.

“Can you tell me?” he asked.

“What?”

“Where did you go? What happened?”

“No.” I wasn’t ready to talk about it. At least not yet.

“If you ever do, I will listen. I’m not leaving you, Bartholomew. Not ever. You're safe.”

I didn’t respond, fingers digging into him to the point that it must be painful, but he didn’t say anything.