Page 16 of Bred By the Barge

I wipe my blood off her bottom lip with my thumb and cup her cheek. She hiccups and shakes her head. When she opens her mouth, the regret in her eyes tells me she means to apologize, but I don’t want to hear it.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, tiny treasure.”

Her brows scrunch. The petulance shining from her eyes fills me with mirth, but my heart hurts too much to laugh.

She squeaks when I peel her legs off my waist, push her feet to the floor, and spin her to face the sleeping pad.

“Nest. Now,” I snarl.

Her ass is too perfect. I step back before I bend her over and take her right here, where we stand.

She gasps and stares in slack-jawed shock. Pride expands my chest, and a hint of a chuckle sneaks into my purr.

Floor to ceiling shelves hold every soft, fluffy thing I deemed worthy of my future mate over the last decade. Pillows, blankets, curtains, cushions, toys, foam, towels, and so much more line the entire room.

I take another step back and to the side, putting more distance between us but needing to watch her expression.

“W-what is this?” she whispers in a daze.

“It’s yours, Pearl. All yours. Make a nest for us, tiny treasure.”

She begins a slow turn as she peruses the full walls.

“Why?”

“Why what?” I ask.

“Why do you have all this?”

“For you.”

She shakes her head.

“We just met a few hours ago. You didn’t—” she tucks an arm around her midsection and breathes through a cramp before continuing, “You didn’t know me when you started collecting this stuff. It must have taken years.”

I swallow and firm my knees despite the urge to clear the distance between us and sink both my cock and my teeth into her.

“I knew I’d find an omega someday,” I respond.

Her eyes catch on something above my shoulder, but she pulls her gaze to mine and grimaces through a mild cramp before shaking her head.

“You started collecting all this on the off chance you maybe found an omega one day?”

I purr as she shakes her head harder, the partial bond between us pulsing as she teeters on the edge of breaking.

“No, Pearl. I took over an entire ship and created a safe community, knowing the female I found would deserve all the protection and comfort I could offer.”

She sobs and crumples, but I lunge forward and catch her before her knees hit the ground. The awkward angle and my aching soul make it too difficult to rise, so I brace an arm around her and lean my forehead against hers.

“How could you possibly find someone worthy of such devotion?”

Her whisper accompanies a flood of emotions through our bond, but the thin connection struggles to accept her outburst.

I weave my fingers through her hair, surrounding her head with both hands, and tilt her face to mine.

“I found you, Pearl. You’re worthy.”

She squeezes her eyes closed and shakes her head. I snarl and tighten my grip.

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