Page 9 of Vylit: Glowing for Her
"Signal locked. Female human, matched to Mavtrosian. Unclaimed."
"Bond status?"
"Incomplete. Ripe for harvest."
Maya's body went rigid against mine. I felt her pulse spike, her temperature rising with panic or rage, perhaps both. The voices continued, discussing her value, the price she would fetch in certain markets, the breeding potential of her compatibility. Each word burned like acid against my skin.
"They're going to take me." Her voice emerged flat, clinical, as if she were observing a specimen rather than discussing her own fate. "Even with the signal dampened. We can’t escape."
I pulled her closer, every protective instinct firing simultaneously. "I won't let them."
Her eyes met mine, sharp with understanding that cut through false reassurance. "They outnumber you. They have ships. And according to them, I'm 'unclaimed.' What exactly does that mean, Vylit?"
The directness of her question caught me unprepared. My secondary gills fluttered with embarrassment, sending ripples of pink across my chest. "Our bond is... incomplete. We've shared proximity, but not the genetic exchange that would mark you as fully claimed."
Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Sex. We need to have sex to complete the bond."
My translator struggled with her bluntness, but I nodded, unable to hide the truth. "The final bonding requires intimate genetic exchange. It creates a permanent marker in your biochemistry that other species recognize. Pirates avoid fully bonded mates. The separation sickness can render them worthless."
More voices filtered through the rocks. They were discussing explosives, ways to breach our sanctuary without damaging their prize. My fists clenched at the thought.
Maya's gaze never wavered from mine. "Then mate me."
"What?" The word barely escaped my constricted throat.
"Mate me. Now. Before they break through." Her hands gripped my forearms, fingers digging into luminescent flesh with surprising strength. "If it's the only way to protect me from being stolen, then do it."
I shook my head, even as desire surged through my patterns in betraying waves of color. "You don't understand what you're asking. The bond is permanent, irreversible. It alters your biochemistry forever."
"I understand enough." Her jaw set with stubborn determination. "I'm choosing between a permanent bond with you or being dragged off as breeding stock by pirates. Not exactly a difficult calculation."
My hearts hammered against my chest wall. Every instinct urged me to claim her, to complete what the Registry had started. But beneath my desire lurked… respect for her agency, fear of taking advantage.
"You're choosing under duress," I argued, even as my body betrayed me with wanting. "This isn't true consent."
She laughed, sharp and bitter. "Welcome to my entire experience since being pulled through that Gate. Nothing about this situation is ideal, Vylit. But I'm making this choice with open eyes."
Her hands moved to my face, small and warm against my cooler skin. "I have one condition."
"Anything," I breathed, already half-lost to her touch.
"Promise you'll take me home when this is over. Once I'm safe from pirates, once we figure out what's happening, you'll help me get back to Earth."
The request pierced me like a physical wound. To find my genetic complement after so many cycles of searching, only to return her to her world... But her eyes demanded honesty, not comfort.
"I promise," I vowed, knowing I would keep my word even if it broke me. "When you're safe, if you still wish it, I will return you to Earth."
Her expression softened, relief mixing with something more complex. "Then I choose you, Vylit of Mavtros. Not just as the lesser evil, but because—" She hesitated, vulnerability flashing across her features. "Because there's something between us I can't explain, and I'd rather explore it on my terms than lose the choice entirely."
My bioluminescence exploded in response, bathing the cave in pulsing light that matched the frantic rhythm of my hearts. I growled, a primal sound that vibrated through the water between us. "No pirate will ever touch what's mine."
I reached for her Breather, carefully detaching it from her face but leaving it dangling around her neck should she need it quickly. The cave contained enough oxygen that she could breathe normally for now.
She gasped as the mask released, strange cave air filling her lungs. Her eyes widened at the raw sensation. I’m sure she scented the salt, ozone, and the heavy taste of pheromones that saturated the space between us.
"I can breathe," she whispered, wonder overtaking fear.
"My proximity alters the water," I explained, voice rough with need. "But only temporarily. Don't move far from me."
