Bamgin clears his throat. “I don’t think there are any seats available, Little one, but I bet your arms hurt from hopping around on those crutches. We’ll figure something out.” He glances around.
Several other females surround us, pushing in, trying to get our attention. A few have touched my arm, but I’ve ignored them. Now they’re whispering among themselves in groups, speculating that one of us is about to claim this tall, sexy brunette.
She has on a denim skirt that’s not very long, but I suspect her options were limited with that brace. The white sweater she’s wearing is formfitting, so I can see all her muscular curves. My mouth is watering. The urge to see more of her is strong, highlighting the difference between how I feel now that I’ve met my perfect mate and how I felt about the pawing female in the sheer black blouse—which was nothing.
Bamgin glances at me. “Let’s take her up to one of our apartments. She can sit comfortably there while we process this.”
Her breath hitches. “Process what? I don’t think I should leave the club.” She leans around my shoulder, eyeing the bar. “I was really looking forward to getting a fruity drink…or ten.”
I flinch. Ten? Why?
I want to tell her she’s mine. I want to lift her into my arms and carry her out of this godforsaken room, take the pressure off her underarms. But the universe is either very confused or playing a strange trick on me. On us. All of us. I need to control the urge to claim her so blatantly because the man next to me—one of my longtime friends and coworkers—seems just as intent on claiming her.
“Are you thirsty, Little one?” Bamgin asks. “Wait until you taste the water from Eleadia. There are things from Earth human females miss, but water is not one of them. Ours is so pure that it both tastes and smells much better.”
Feeling the urge to jump in, I add, “It feels much better against your skin when you bathe in it, too.”
“He’s right,” Bamgin says.
Her eyes widen further, and her cheeks turn pink. Finally she offers us an odd fake smile and shrugs. “If it’s that good, then I shouldn’t try it. It’s not like I can get bottles of it here.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “You bring your own water?” she asks as that fact sinks in.
I nod. “Yes. We don’t eat or drink anything from your planet. Humans use so many toxins in everything. We’d probably get sick.”
Bamgin nods. “Once you get everything from Earth flushed out of your system, you’ll feel amazing.”
She gasps. “You act like…”
I nod and reach up to stroke her cheek.
Bamgin does the same to her other cheek.
Our Little girl sighs, her eyes fluttering closed at the dual contact.
Our Little girl… This is unheard of.
“Come, Little one,” I encourage, nodding toward the door that will lead us to the elevators.
She inhales deeply as she rests her weight on those damn crutches again. It has to hurt. I know it does because her face tightens every time she does so. Suddenly she surprises me when she lets out a deep sardonic laugh. “Why am I not surprised? This entire week can just bite me in the ass. The universe is out to get me. What did I do to piss Her off? I’ve been a good girl my entire life.”
As her voice rises, I do nothing but hold her gaze. Well, I hold it half the time. The other half the time, Bamgin does. She’s looking back and forth between us. As she should be. She’s torn about where her loyalties should lie, and frankly so am I.
“I don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t do drugs. Don’t party. Don’t fuck random men. I’ve spent all twenty-two years focused on basketball and my studies. And what do I get for it? I lose my entire career out of nowhere. Poof. Gone. It’s only natural that I should also be whisked off the fucking planet.”
Her voice keeps rising. She’s frantic. The loud music has stopped. The din in the room has lowered to a whisper. Everyone is turned toward us, watching and listening. I don’t have to look to know this fact. I can feel it.
They didn’t have to pause because of her agitation. I suspect they all ground to a stop when they realized someone was about to get claimed on the dance floor. I saw it happen earlier when Tekfan came down to claim his Little girl. The hush in the room was nothing like this one, however.
Our girl stops ranting to glance around. Her cheeks turn bright pink as she realizes she has an audience. She’s adorable. “I don’t even fucking cuss,” she whispers.
I chuckle and stroke her cheek again. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“Fine…” she sighs.
I don’t think she realizes no one comes back down from upstairs, but it doesn’t matter. She’ll know soon enough.
Chapter Four
Margaret
