Page 41 of Into Orbit
His eyes flickered back to me. He sat up, took a blanket from the pile next to the examination bench, and spread it over his lap. I let go of his cock reluctantly, making an embarrassing squeaking sound a moment later when he pulled me into his arms.
He pressed his face into my neck. I tried to steady my breath; this wasnice, as nice as being held by Elswyth, as nice as anything I’d ever felt. Warmth spread in my chest again; I tried to deny it, but I knew what it was.
Feelings.
‘I’ve done that before,’ he murmured eventually, his lips moving against my skin. ‘A hundred times. A thousand times.’
I froze. ‘Does that mean you’re bonded? But you can’t be bonded. Your name isUnclaimed.’
‘I am unclaimed,’ he said quietly, his breath whispering over my hair. ‘I don’t have a family. I don’t have akaria.’
‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Oh. You bonded a male? Or –’
‘I bonded a male.’
Some strong feeling flooded my chest as I turned that fact over in my mind; it might have been anger – or disappointment, maybe. I pushed myself off his lap. ‘So what the fuck was this then, Willow?’
He blinked, startled. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You’re bonded. Like,foreverbonded. So what the fuck are you doing here withme?’
‘Iwantto be here with you,’ he said sharply. ‘Which he is fully aware – and supportive – of.’ He met my gaze calmly, seeming to weigh up his next words. ‘We’ve been waiting. Waiting for the right family. Waiting for akariato claim usboth.’
My breath caught at his tone. ‘You’re joking,’ I said flatly. ‘You can’t meanme, Willow.’
He gave me a look that confirmed he did, indeed, meanme.
I backed away from him. ‘I know how your families work. I can’t be yourkaria. I’mhuman. How could I possibly be what you need?’ A thought struck me – not just a thought, but asuspicion. ‘Do I know him? Your bonded?’
He studied me a moment, then silently inclined his head.
‘Who is he, Willow?’
He swallowed.
‘Who,Willow?’
He cleared his throat. ‘Ashton Unclaimed.’
My heart beat hard in my ears. I didn’t give a shit about the nature of their relationship. If I’d been on Earth, I wouldn’t have even blinked – I’d be the worst kind of hypocrite if I did – but we weren’t playing by Earth rules.
‘Ashton’s not allowed to bond without permission, though, is he?’ I said slowly,furiously. ‘And it’s not just that – he’s in love with Elswyth, so obviously that it’s fucking painful.’ My hands clenched into fists. ‘The Captain didn’t say shit about Elswyth bonding me, so there’s a good chance she’d approve me for Ashton, too, isn’t there? I solve all your fucking problems, don’t I?’
‘Maeve, that isn’t –’
‘Fuck you,’ I said furiously. I turned and pulled on my shirt, the fastest I’d gotten dressed in my entire life. ‘You fuckingcowards. I get not coming out – I really do – but using me as a cover?Fuck you, Willow.’ I turned back to face him. A dull ache was spreading through my chest, my stomach churning with a hurt so fierce it almost took my breath away. ‘You don’t really want me at all, do you? Either of you.’ My breath caught. ‘I’m just a means to a perfect end. You get Ashton and he gets Elswyth, and no one gets in trouble for breaking the rules. One big, happyfamily, with a humankariatoo stupidto see what was going on, to see that she was never really part of it.’ I rubbed my chest; it did nothing to ease the pain. ‘Serves me right.’
He went utterly still. ‘Maeve, please –’
‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘Absolutely not. You’re right, doctor. Someone else can take your fuckingnotesfrom now on.’
With that, I turned and stormed from the clinic.
‘Willow?’Ashton’svoicewassharp.
‘I …’ I trailed off, staring blankly at my wrist screen.
‘Will? What’s wrong?’
