I close my eyes. “Oyen.”
He stiffens, and I feel a prick of fear coasting through him. I understand it. The last time he took oyen and ruenox, he collapsed from the pain. But it will not be this way again. He has been taking fresh zitha with my cum, and we will attempt to return to Erethar when it is safe again to speak with Sabik and ensure that his body is healing.
“We mussst,” I say. I push into his mind again.“If we wish to bond, it must be done during heat.”
After a long moment of hesitation and silence, he relaxes against me and drags a touch up the center of my back. “Okay. I’m nervous, but I trust you. And I trust Sabik.”
I hold him a little tighter, for as long as I am able. I must return to work today, and I must speak with Quilliyn to find out when he can obtain the weapon to destroy the portal key.
Life must return to some semblance of normal as I find the patience to wait for Rathyn and Everest to come up with a plan. To recruit others. To find a way to make Erethar safe. To make it home again.
“You okay?” Dante asks softly.
I look down into his face and feel content. “Yes.”
For a moment, it looks as though he might argue with me, which makes me smile. But he does not. He simply presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth, then leans back into my arms.
I no longer feel so starved, so desperate for this kind of touch. I will never, ever tire of it. And I will never, ever turn Dante down when he wants to cuddle.
I very much enjoy the smell of the coffee as I walk inside the small gym café and find it fairly empty. There is no one at the juice counter yet, but Quilliyn is behind the coffee counter serving someone a latte.
He smiles and beckons me over as I grab an apron from the hook on the wall and tie it on. We touch foreheads for a brief moment as we wait for the two humans to leave, and when they do, silence settles around us.
“Have you spoken to your brothers?” he asks.
I nod. They were given phones and have been absorbing human languages quickly now that they have access to factory cum. Quilliyn has shown them how to text and to take photos, so mine is now full of images they have found interesting.
It is so much like when I first set foot on Earth. The last one Zynath sent me was of the small creek that runs through the city park, and I know that he is in awe of surface water as much as I am.
I still have not seen the vast oceans or lakes that are in pictures in all the tourist shops, but my Dante has promised to take me there soon.
“I wanted to let you know that I will be traveling to Erethar soon,” Quilliyn says. There is something in his tone that tells me this is not a good thing. “I have been summoned by my family.”
I suck in a breath. “You are in trouble?”
He laughs. “I’m always in trouble. But no. I believe they wish to discuss the abdication.”
My eyes go wide. I did not realize the king was abdicating so soon. Prince Jyrion is set to take over for him, and that terrifies me. The king is a harsh ruler, but he has always been fair.
Prince Jyrion, however, is not.
“When?” My voice shakes.
Quilliyn reaches for me, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. “Not for seven third moon cycles.”
The third moon is our longest cycle, and that settles my nerves somewhat. I do not know what the time will be like on Earth, but it will not be immediate.
“But you know how long these events take to plan,” Quilliyn says.
I can’t help but wonder if Rathyn has spoken to him, and if Quilliyn’s desire to rebel against his family extends as far as Rathyn and Everest want the changes to go. I think about telling him now, but I don’t want to ruin this little bit of peace I have created.
Not yet.
I open my mouth to ask about the portal key, but the door opens, and Chadwick and Tyler walk in with Zane trailing behind them. Zane has been working at the juice bar, which was a surprise to me.
I never thought a human like him would work for a Vyastil, but he seems content. He shoots me a smile as he ducks behind the counter for his hat and apron, and my ears flutter with happiness to see my friends.
“Cielo!” Chadwick offers me his fist to bump. “Bro, you’ve been gone forever.”
