Page 55 of Igid's Bounty
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I’ve just finished settlingtheShadein her spot inside the bunker attached to the compound. With a loud sigh, I look down at my mate, who is curled up in my lap. Her tail is flicking across the back of my neck, while her fingers toy with the front of my shirt.
“Ready to face everyone?” I ask, knowing full well that the moment we leave this ship, the entire human population of Pamia will be swarming us.
Igid scrunches her face. “Maybe we can find an uninhabited planet—a tropical paradise sounds nice—and we can just live there for the rest of our lives without telling anyone.”
“Even Rovos?”
She scrunches her face up again. “Everyone but Rovos. And Anna. Bela and Treto too,” she adds as an afterthought. “Our kits will need playmates.”
“Kits?”
She runs her finger down my throat without looking up at me. “Well, we’ve discovered my suppressants are useless around you. And I have no intention of setting you aside while I’m…” Her eyes lift to mine, and I don’t miss the heat behind her look. “So, yes, it’s safe to assume we’ll have more than one.”
“Well, I can see you’ve given this some thought.” I laugh and then carefully ease her from my lap. “We might as well get this over with.”
Moments later, the hatch opens to a chorus of shouts.
“Welcome home, Uncle!” Ravi’s shout is the loudest as the ramp descends.
Besides him is the young female who came with Bela from Lux. I don’t miss that they are holding hands, and their fingers are intertwined. When I arch a knowing look at him, he only grins wider, while Skylar blushes, but neither of them make a move to break apart.
“C’mon,” Igid sighs, flicking me with the back of her hand as she strides past me. I can’t help watching the way her hips sway and her tail swishes as she walks down the ramp to disappear into the crowd without waiting for me. My cock stirs, and I give Ravi a wink before jogging after her to catch up.
“Igid!” I hear Anna’s squeal before I’m even through the door of the compound. Then even louder, “Rovos! They’re back! Come on, tell meeverything!”
By the time I make my way inside, Anna and a group of females have Igid surrounded, all of them asking her excited questions. She looks up, her eyes searching the room before landing on me. The small smile she gives me has my heart damn near pounding out of my chest.
Comforted that I’m nearby, she gives her attention back to the females.
“Mated, eh?” A hand comes down hard on my shoulder, and I turn to see Keeghan at my side. His face is lit up with a wide grin. “I truly never thought I’d see the day.”
“How did you know?” I ask him. I haven’t talked to my brother since we left over a span ago, and neither of us have said anything, except to Rovos, and he isn’t the sort to gossip.
Keeg’s eyes wander to where his wife is standing in the group of females surrounding Igid. “Because I’d know that besotted look you both have for each other anywhere.”
Before I can respond, Rovos appears across the room and waves to me. I clap Keeghan on the shoulder and, with one more look at my female—who looks perfectly content sharing with the other women—I make my way over to him.
“Tell me what happened at Kurrahstka’s house,” he says quietly.
I sigh and quickly fill him in on everything that happened since I last spoke with him.
“Are you sure you can trust Volethos?” Rovos asks me. His brow is deeply creased as he worries his thumb back and forth across his bottom lip.
I roll my shoulders and tip my head back to stare up at the ceiling for a moment. “I do. I’m not sure if I should, but I believe he meant every word when he told me he wanted to rescue the women.”
Rovos nods once. “And have you heard from him?”
“He told me the females had been moved to Kurrahstka’s private estate, which he thinks might be in the Honnah Quadrant.” My stomach clenches and, not for the first time, I hope I’m not wrong for trusting him. “I think that’s a ruse to keep seekers from finding his actual estate.”
Rovos grunts and shakes his head. “No one would be insane enough to have an estate there.”
“I agree, but I think he’s right that they’ve been moved to wherever his estate is.”
“We’ll get some feelers out and find out where that is,” Rovos says. “In the meantime, I guess we have to see where this leads. Most importantly, you brought Igid back safely. For that, I am deeply thankful.” He narrows a golden-eyed look at me. “Now is the part where I tell you that if you ever hurt her, I’ll—”
Before he can finish, Igid appears at my side and jabs one of her fingers into Rovos’ chest. “I’m perfectly capable of killing him myself if he wrongs me. I don’t needyourhelp.”
