Page 21 of Ulfar

“You don’t have to,” he says with a smile. “You can explore, relax, do whatever you want. I love taking care of you, so I can set everything up. All you need to do is enjoy yourself.”

“I want to help.” I press a hand to his chest and give him the same smile. “It pleases me as well.”

“Are you sure?” Ulfar hesitates.

I nod.

He draws me close and presses a kiss to my forehead. “You’re full of surprises, little omega.”

You have no idea.

Part of me wants to just stay here, to lean into the kiss and let him sweep me off my feet all over again. But it will be night soon, and we’ll need to get a tent and a fire going before then. That’s the only thing that keeps me from jumping his bones right here and now.

Ulfar draws away at last, but the look on his face shows he’s thinking the same thing I am. “You can go gather firewood while I set up the tent. Don’t go far, all right?”

“I won’t,” I promise before turning my back on him. While he looks for a clear spot to pitch the tent, I delve deeper into the forest, eyes on the ground.

I probably should have asked him what viable firewood looks like here on Aesirheim. The mushroom trees don’t exactly have traditional wooden branches. I’m not sure how anything will burn in this wet, swampy environment, but I have to trust Ulfar.

Trust. The word bounces around in my head. As if I have any right to be making judgments about trust.

I pick up a few dried-out stalks that are about the same thickness as my arm, hefting them against my side while I trek deeper into the woods.

My mind wanders as I walk, and it lands on my father. His smile. The way he would lift me in the air when I was a child. The way I felt so weightless, like I was flying. I can’t leave him. No matter how good my life is here. He deserves better. He gave up so much for me, and now it’s my turn.

As I pick up more firewood and head back to camp, however, I try to think of any alternative ideas. There’s got to be something I haven’t considered yet. Some loophole, something I can do to make things better for all of us. I can’t bear the thought of parting with my as yet unborn baby, but maybe I can renegotiate.

Or maybe I can finally open up to Ulfar once and for all.

The thought terrifies me, but what if he could actually help? Ulfar has shown himself to be a strong and capable alpha, and quite a gentleman to boot. Sure, he has a strict code of rules and standards, but maybe he could bend the rules for me. Just this once.

On the other hand, the idea of what might happen if he finds out and doesn’t approve almost scares me even more than the Syndicate itself. What if he reports me to the ISA for my betrayal? He’s too strong, too fast, and too smart to escape on my own. I’ll be as good as dead if they send me to the prison planet, and my father’s fate will be sealed. I’ll never see him again.

“Hmm,” I mumble to myself, crouching down to brush through a bed of crispy pink leaves to find yet more kindling. He always says that he wants to protect and look out for me, but would he still do that if he knew the truth?

Because having a tall, intimidating alien alpha on my side when I go up against the Syndicate would make me feel a lot safer. Maybe we could fight. Maybe we could win. Take the baby and my father, come back here to Aesirheim. Back to Ulfar. Make a life together.

I sigh, the tense muscles of my shoulders aching. It’s no use. Just a fantasy. The Syndicate owns my ass, and there’s no way around it. That’s why I need to hurry up and come up with a plan to get off the planet before I hurt either of us even more. I haven’t been confirmed pregnant yet, but with the amount of sex we had during our heat? It would be a miracle if at least some of that alien seed didn’t take.

Chewing my lip, I see Ulfar in the distance putting the finishing touches on the campsite. He puts a hand up to his forehead to shield him from the sun’s rays and stands up straight, stretching his back. Even though he’s clothed, I can see his muscles flex from here. My mouth waters despite myself.

Right. Gotta get back to camp. He turns his head and catches my eye through the foliage. Gives me a smile and a wave that nearly melt my heart.

I wave back and jog to catch up with him, the thoughts and fears and memories still playing in my mind. Tonight, I have to put my plan into action. I can’t wait any longer. I can’t let myself sink any deeper.

Before we leave, I’m going to make my move. I just hope that he can forgive me.

* * *

After we geta fire going and he shows me how to roast kebabs over the open fire, I’m full and tired, but I still have one more thing to do tonight. The moon is starting to rise overhead and shine her light down upon us. Fireflies make their way out of the ground and fly through the air, sparks of gold in the waning dusk. I get up off of the log we’ve been using as a bench and stifle a yawn before turning to him.

“Had enough to eat?” he asks, waving a final skewer at me. “There’s one more if you want it.”

I shake my head and slip a finger under the strap of my top, sliding it off my shoulder and watching him with a grin. “I think I’m hungry for something else...”

Ulfar’s eyes light up. The kebab falls to the side, all but forgotten. “Is that so?” he says, drawing close. “And just what could that be?”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” I tease him, swaying my hips as I step toward the water’s edge. With my back turned I pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the side, looking over my shoulder at him with a smirk. “I was thinking about sampling some of the Aesirheim delicacies. Indulge in something I can only get on-planet, if you know what I mean...”

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