Page 5 of Orange Tundra
My path was clear. Find them all. Reclaim what was mine. Protect what remained of our fractured family.
Zirc stirred in the depths of our shared consciousness, his grief momentarily overshadowed by determination. For once, we were in perfect alignment.
We will find them,I promised him.And when we do, nothing will separate us again.
2
BRYNN
I stoodat the edge of the coral-colored ocean, watching the gentle waves lap at my bare feet while memories of Zirc in the forefront of my mind. The chaos of the past few days—his disappearance, the frantic fleeing from the Purple Tribe—left me exhausted but unable to truly rest.
"Barefoot and pregnant," I murmured, resting my palm against my stomach. No visible bump yet, but the hunger pangs had intensified lately. I'd gone from barely stomaching alien food to craving it at all hours.
The three suns of Planet Manasty hung low in the sky, casting everything in a soft amber glow. This momentary solitude was rare—my mates rarely let me out of their sight these days. Mates, as in plural. When I get back, how do I explain that to my parents and friends? Anyways, I savored the illusion of privacy, though I knew watchful eyes monitored me from a distance.
My thoughts drifted to Zirc. Where was he now? Had he discovered the truth about Roqs's new mate yet? The thought made my chest tighten. I'd seen how deeply they loved each other—childhood friends turned lovers. The revelation would devastate him.
I walked parallel to the shoreline, letting the warm water soothe my aching feet. It seemed so strange that the manasties feared water when it felt this inviting. Swimming would calm my nerves, but it would also trigger instant panic among my mates. I'd learned that lesson the hard way when I'd first arrived.
A slight twinge in my lower back made me wince. The pregnancy symptoms were subtle but unmistakable. No morning sickness, thankfully, but my body was changing in ways I couldn't fully comprehend. How fast would this alien pregnancy progress? The uncertainty terrified me.
"They let you out?"
I shrieked and spun around, heart hammering against my ribs. "Oh, it's you," I gasped, recognizing the Captain of the Red Guard.
His eyes widened in alarm. "Ah, fuck," he smacked his palm against his face. "My apologies, Brynn. My life is now forfeit." Without waiting for my response, he vanished—literally disappeared in a blur of movement.
Almost instantly, Coone materialized before me, his golden-brown eyes scanning me for injury. Nim and Sim flanked me on either side, their purple fur nearly identical except for the subtle green streaks in Sim's.
"Who was it?" The growl came from behind me, deep and threatening. Roqs. Goosebumps bloomed across my body when Roqs pressed his back against mine. Unbidden, I felt a pinch in my heart when I thought about Roqs’ mate. I hoped Zirc hadn’t heard about it yet. I wanted to be there for both of them when Zirc learned about Roqs's mate.
Goosebumps prickled across my skin as he pressed his back against mine. His new possessiveness had escalated since we'd left the Purple Tribe palace, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by this hair-trigger intensity.
When Coone finished his inspection, he met my gaze and raised an eyebrow. The silent question hung between us - What's wrong with Roqs?
"Brynn?" Roqs pressed harder against me, his growl deepening. I noticed Nim and Sim exchange worried glances, their attention fixed on Roqs's head. The tension crackled between them like electricity.
"I'm fine. It's just Clitasoxd?—"
"—The fuck!" Coone interrupted, tail lashing.
"—What did he want?" Nim and Sim demanded simultaneously, though I noticed Nim's voice carried more authority while Sim's held an undercurrent of anxiety.
Before I could answer, Roqs shifted away. I instinctively grabbed the end of his tail, halting his retreat. His muscles tensed beneath my fingers.
"Which way did he go?" he demanded, still not looking at me. His chest rumbled with a continuous growl that sent vibrations through my fingertips.
Nim's brow furrowed deeply while Sim tried to pull me gently away from Roqs. That small movement caused Roqs to freeze completely. We all held our breath, waiting.
After what felt like an eternity, Roqs's shoulders dropped slightly. I exhaled slowly. When he attempted to move away again, Coone called out.
"Wait. You need to tell us what's going on with you, Roqs." The unspoken accusation hung in the air - the violent energy simmering just beneath Roqs's surface was becoming impossible to ignore.
I studied him, noting how different he seemed from the calm, confident alpha I'd first met. Back then, I hadn't even realized he was an alpha. I'd assumed that role belonged to Zirc. Now, watching the rigid set of his shoulders and the constant twitch ofhis tail, I wondered if I was finally seeing the true alpha nature he'd kept carefully controlled.
"Don't. Move." Roqs's whisper was barely audible, but the command in it was unmistakable. "Fuck," he cursed loudly, his body going rigid.
"Brynn," Coone said softly. When I looked at him, he subtly directed my gaze toward Roqs with his eyes.
