Chapter 27
When I awake in the morning, Tessi isn’t next to me on the blanket. Instead, Carnas sits in her spot in full body armor like he’s back to work for the MTF. “’Sup, dawg. Esrynne and Onidus escorted Tessi to her room to get cleaned up and ready for the bonding ceremony.”
“Are we actually doing that?” I ask, pushing myself up and scanning the sleeping couples.
Spike walks up to me and offers me a hand. “Yes, quietly, with Ohni.”
Carnas gets to his feet beside us. “We’re not idiots, man. Everyone knows you two are meant for each other.”
“Holofeed comments are blowing up about you two,” Ignus remarks, joining us, eyes glued to a tablet. “But because of that, Ohni wants us to get your ceremony done early, so we can get you out of here. You just need to vote.”
I open my wristband and pull up the Abr voting program, select Tessi, and submit it. A light circles the frame of my wristband.
“Good, she’s already chosen you,” Ignus remarks. “That will make this fast.”
Marne motions me after him. “Time to change.”
I rub my stiff neck, trying to loosen it.
“Sleep good?” Rorsar asks.
“Better than usual.”
When he smirks, I glare at him. “Did you tranq me?”
Rorsar shrugs like he’s trying to look innocent, but he’s definitely not. “You needed your rest for today.”
“How bad are things back home?”
Marne grumbles. “Teams of Denarso, Nebs, and Myndrous have been infiltrating our world, hunting for more Shifters to take. Viriden’s crew has been in battle with their fleet just out of orbit. But there’s still a lot of debris in the sky that makes hiding easy and hunting difficult.
The moment we’re inside the complex, we turn for the elevator and head up to the bonding hall.
“Take off your race suit and your band,” Ignus says. “I’m going to turn the items in for you.”
I do as he asks, returning me to my normal body armor. “Shouldn’t I be in something formal?”
“No time.” Kren steps into the elevator with the rest of us, my bags hanging from his hands. “Your room has been emptied. Esrynne is handling Tessi. Onidus has Tessi’s things. He’s going to fly her ship to your house.”
“But if we’re leaving early because of the Nebs, then Vrasler needs us on base.”
“Yes. But we’re missing a critical member of our M-pack,” Marne says, giving me a pointed look. “You need to get Azrim back. Whatever it takes. Going on a Neb infiltration mission without him puts us at increased risk. Two of our brother packs have been annihilated already.”
“Two?” I run a hand over my mouth in shock. This is bad.
The elevator stops and opens to the bonding hall with Ohni standing at the top of the platform in a shiny gold-trimmed blue suit. My pulse thumps through my body. It’s all happening so fast that I can’t think, only wonder where Tessi is when I don’t see her in the room.
Marne motions me to Ohni’s position. “Everything else is ready to go. And we really do need to go. We’ve got to drop you off at home to summon Azrim in. Then we have to head to base to prep for battle.”
I slowly hike up the ramp on the male’s side and glance back at my M-pack, the five of them plus Carnas and Spike, who’ve joined the mission. Esrynne slips in through another door, holds it open, and winks at me. Her eyes dart to Carnas, who covertly sniffs the air in her direction.
I stop beside Ohni, unable to take my eyes off of the open door, wondering when Tessi’s going to show and hoping she does. “Why are you bonding us?”
Ohni straightens and inhales deeply. “Ruby believed in love above law. Love can hold us together when we are in a lawless realm. So pardon my language, but fuck anybody and any rules that get in the way of fated sparks. You and Tessi can start a fire that can warm many more souls than you realize.
“Everyone thinks Ruby started this simply to help women find protectors and males find mates. But really, she was trying to bridge the species of the federation, intertwine us with something stronger than simple contractual alliances.”
“I see why she chose you.”
Ohni smirks. “I was the default. The only one who truly believed in what she was doing and wants to fight for it.”
“Maybe give her a friend.”
Ohni glances sideways at me. “Met her in the labyrinth?”
“We did.”
“She likes to guard the ruby egg. I am trying to figure out a way to give her a companion, but I do not possess the skills or contacts.”
“Talk to the Isonians.”
She laughs once at my suggestion. “Pretty sure they’ll want my head after this. Viriden was very serious about me not bonding you two. But I don’t serve him. Just don’t cock this up, yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Movement in the doorway makes me squint.
Blue gray velvet graces Tessi’s body in ruched layers. A long black faux fur collar wraps around her neck in a fan that makes her blushing face pop. Her black hair has been frosted with silver at the ends and spun up into a spiked halo around her head.
She stops halfway to me and wobbles. “Sorry. I am not used to heels.”
Tessi lifts the hem of her dress, showing more of her skin than I’ve seen in the daylight.
Her shoes are glossy black and wicked looking like they’re modeled after our claws.
But it’s the scars that freckle her beautiful flesh that make me certain I must find and comfort every inch of her skin later.
When she finally makes it up to me, she glances hesitantly at Ohni. “You’re sure we’re okay to do this?”
“I’ll hold the recording. If things work out, we’ll air it as a special feature later, maybe help encourage Mindor to break out of their judgmental funk.”
“Good luck,” I grumble. “I think we’re just going to have to leave home and build a new one.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Ohni motions for us to take one another’s hands. “No better way to start than by bringing Aegeris and Isonians together.”
I offer my hands to Tessi. She slides her hands into mine and smiles with more love than I feel worthy of.
“Do you, Zorin Aegeris of Mindor take Tessi to love and to cherish for as long as you both shall live?”
“Beyond the grave if given the chance,” I reply.
Ohni turns to my chosen. “Do you, Tessi Sirenis, take Zorin to love and to cherish for a long as you both shall live?”
“Sirenis?” she asks.
“Is that not your last name?” Ohni asks, looking over her tablet. “It is listed in your file.”
“That’s not what I joined Abr as.” Tessi gives me a confused look. “It should be Andersen.”
“I changed it.” Onidus walks up to us, fully visible, his glowing skin filling the room with light.
“You are the daughter of Master Sergeant Sirenis, a Master Masker, Aural Healer, and soldier who saved thousands with one tragic but critical move against the Nebulous Empire. To not make it known that an Aegeris is bonded to a Sirenis is an act of treason in my mind.”
He tucks his hands behind his back. “Aegeris is descended of the same ancient blood we are. I’m sorry.
I can’t hide it any longer.” He looks at me.
“Your goddess was more than just a lost traveler. She was caught up in battle against Denarso with our people. It just took us a long time to figure it out. We lost communication. Anyway, this bond will mend what was once a lost lineage.”
Onidus motions for us to continue.
Tessi gapes at him, shakes her head, and looks at Ohni. “Where were we?”
“Do you take Zorin?”
“Yes. But…” Tessi whistles, calling Radar up to the stage from Esrynne’s position. “Do you take Radar with me?”
“You know I do.” I extend a hand and let Radar lick my palm.
“Then you may claim your bride.” Ohni steps back.
My heart slams into my ribs as I ease in against Tessi. “This might hurt.”
She smirks. “I know. Just promise you claim me the way Esrynne said you would…later.”
Desire floods my body in hot waves. My teeth elongate as I lean close. “I don’t want to scar your lovely flesh, and I do.”
“I’d love one that reminds me of something good.”
I rake my teeth up her silky neck until I find the perfect spot just below her ear. “Just a nip now, a promise to other males that I will kill them if they touch you in a way I don’t like.”
Tessi’s breathing quickens. Behind her several paces, is Rorsar, casually hiding an injector in his hand. I part my teeth and gingerly press them into her flesh until I taste her on my tongue.
Tessi gasps and clutches me.
Retracting my teeth, I run my tongue over the punctures until they stop bleeding.
But Tessi doesn’t let me go. She holds me close, her breath gliding up my neck like she’s turned on. Then I feel the nip of teeth biting into my neck.
What the hell?
Tessi draws blood, then licks my short coat clean.
Esrynne tilts toward Carnas who’s practically drooling over Tessi’s unexpected bite claim of me. “She insisted on honoring our culture. So I gave her extensions of her natural teeth.”
My Shifter stirs violently. I close my eyes and soak in the twinge of pain so that I will never forget it.
“A promise of more later,” Tessi leans back and licks the sharp points of her new canines.
“When did you plan that?” I ask.
“After the labyrinth. Esrynne is a kick in the pants.”
Ohni lifts her hands. “I present Zorin and Tessi Aegeris!”
Hearing Tessi’s name followed by mine fills me with so much energy and hope that I snatch her up and kiss her hard.
She hums a soft moan.
“Zorin…” Marne steps up beside Onidus. “I’m sorry, but we need to go.”
I cradle her in my arms as I follow our crew to the ship docked the the edge of the balcony. Onidus leaves to fly Tessi’s ship. Kren and Davarok also depart, flying my Star Slasher.
I hike up the ramp of our M-pack ship and settle Tessi into my lap as Esrynne and Ignus pilot us away from the dock. Carnas closes up the ramp, and Rorsar takes the seat by our main guns with Spike. Marne soon joins them like they’re expecting a battle upon entry to Mindor.
“You may want to take one last look at Earth, Tessi,” I suggest. “I need you in armor. We’re heading into hostile space.”
She looks out at Earth and then back at me. “You’re my world now. That one doesn’t matter anymore.”
Radar jumps into a seat beside us and lies down. His ears are perked up, and his tongue out as he pants and looks at Tessi.
“Esrynne gave me the rundown of the situation. I will save the dress so I can wear it another time for you.” Tessi dances her brows suggestively.
“I love your flirtatious side.”
She kisses me softly, bites her lip, and gets up.
Ignus speeds us up. “Reports are coming through of more attacks. The sooner you can get Azrim on board, the sooner we can kick the Nebs out of our system.”
“I’m not sure that will be enough,” Marne says. “They’re taking more than just our kind. Nebs are sending their Myndrous mutts to wreck Earth, Caligno, Ksion, and others.”
“Lunas aren’t even our kind,” Esrynne mutters. “We should let them learn what they have forgotten and go help those who need alliances as badly as we do.”
Our entire crew falls silent.
“What? Does it really take a female to see their manipulation game? Fuck. Lunas are using us as a shield for things they don’t want to deal with so they can live in blissful ignorance.
So we stop protecting them, let them see reality, and save their own asses.
We build our own pack. I’m tired of wiping their noses and still having to deal with their steaming piles of shit. ”
Carnas leans back in his seat and studies her for a long breath. A grin eases across his face. “I’m with you.”
Esrynne glances back at him, gives him a once over with more attention than she’s ever given any of us.
Scuffling boots across the floor make Esrynne and Carnas look away from one another as Tessi walks up to me dressed head-to-toe in armor. She looks down at me as she sits on my armrest.
“Is all this yours?” I ask, studying the weapons on her belt.
“Yes.” She arches a brow. “Problem?”
My cock throbs as I run a hand over the tight tactical pants stretched over her curvy backside. “You’re irresistible in anything you wear.”
She draws a clear canister from her belt and spins it in a palm. “Got my bottles washed. They’re ready for milk. And my guns are loaded. Ready for war. Anything else?”
Marne glances back at me.
I’m so turned on that it’s hard to crush it under the weight of the trouble I’m certain my brother is going to cause when we get back. He wasn’t receptive to the idea of me getting a mate, though I’m not sure why. Tessi can mend our family.
“Azrim…”
Tessi nods. “You’ve warned me a few times.”
“We need to get him pulled together, not just for our family, but because we have to go fight soon.”
All joy leaves her body. She holsters her bottle. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to let me go with you?”
“And walk you into the Neb’s den?” Rorsar asks. “I’d rather eat claws. I might like sharp stuff, but that’s a torturous end for sure.”
I chew my cheek, trying to find the words to ease Tessi’s disappointment.
“No. We fight together.” Tessi’s serious.
Marne shakes his head. “Not happening.”
“On whose authority?” she demands. “Yours? Viriden?”
I take her wrist in my hand. “Mine.”
She pulls away from me and gets up.
I reach for her. “Tessi, I can’t lose you.”
“And I can’t lose you. How am I supposed to watch your back if you leave me behind?”
My claim mark is fresh on my mate’s neck, and I’ve already hurt her by trying to protect her. “Please don’t be upset.”
She shrugs off my contact. “I need a moment.”
Tessi walks into the back.
I run a hand over my mouth and check the navigation. We’re just minutes away from Mindor with the hyperthrusters at full power.
Spike puts in an earcom and hands me one. “Zorin.”
I put in the device and respond. “I hear you.”
He walks into another compartment and grabs a rack of ammo for one of our guns.
“I have seen this before. It’s not that she is angry with you.
She is sad. I…sense it in her as much as I know it, since I am a half-breed.
My mother was human. I suggest you figure out why she is sad and resolve that.
But consider why you go on these walkabouts too.
Perhaps she is not so dissimilar to you. ”
“Thanks.” I get up, and lean toward Esrynne. “Tell me when we’re dropping into Mindoran airspace.”
“Understood.”