He smiled, held his cuff next to hers, and raised his brows at the assessment.“Meeda, you are pricey.”
She looked at the number on her cuff for him.“You are way out of my budget, Akervel.”
“What is the compatibility rating?”
He smiled.“Nearly perfect.”
“What’s missing?”Meeda asked.
He moved her screen on her cuff, and the sexual experience icon indicated differing skill levels.
“Oh.Yeah.That makes sense.”She looked up at him.“Vine taught me to bottle my heats so that it isn’t a rush.”
He blinked.“What?”
“I spent so long a time without—uh—you know, that my body has started fast cycling.It was important to get control of it.There is nothing worse than your body out of your control.I would know.”
He sighed and pulled her into a hug, and at that point, she realized that there was a lot of naked elf pressed against her.The wrap barely covered anything.
She looked up at him and said, “I think we are interfering with commerce.”
A soft and cheerful voice said, “Naw, Meeda.We can wait.”
Meeda froze and turned toward her.“Faline.You...you made it.”
The woman with heterochromia and white hair smiled.“I was stuck as a kitten for a while, but a nice lady here on Wonder took pity on me and took the collar off, so this was my time.I disappeared from Emerald six months ago and returned as a fucking kitten.”
A tanned man with artfully tousled black hair walked up behind her and hugged her, rubbing his face against her neck.
Faline smiled.“Hey, Ever.Where’s your handler?”
“Getting us some juice to celebrate our being the first over the finish line.Those dark elves were pissed.”
“Yeah, well, tough.”
Akervel asked, “Which elves?”
Faline smiled.“Two sets.One set with aquatic markings, and then a giant spider and scorpion with their mate in tow, sometimes tucked against the spider.”
Akervel blinked.“You can see them that clearly?”
Faline looked at him, and her eyes glowed silver.“Of course, sea monster.”
There was a soft sound in the corner, and Meeda looked to see that Mini’s expression was undecipherable.She walked over.“Mini, what is it?”
The whisper was hoarse.“What’s her last name?”
The voice sounded from across the room.“Faline Koshkin, but I write as Faline Kario.”
Ahheel hesitated, unsure of how to soothe her mate.“Mini, is something wrong?”
Mini was crying.“She’s one of the reasons I started writing.She spoke at a convention back home and told me that while everybody had a story, telling tales that made people feel like they had been in the room with friends was what a lot of people needed.So, instead of the fancy stuff, I started writing that, and then I could make my own rent and pay for my brother’s wedding prep.Of course, the wedding didn’t happen, but that was all because someone actually saw me and saw what I could do.And then I came here, and now I am so happy.”
Faline smiled.“Your stories were really clear, but you were trying to be something you weren’t.I am very glad you found the song your voice needs to sing.”
Mini ran for her, and Faline hugged her tight.Ahheel blinked and fidgeted.
Ever chuckled.“You can hug them both, alpha.”
