Page 60 of Orange Tundra
But as I thought of Roqs somewhere in the darkness—his scent that called to my soul, the bond growing stronger despite distance—my cock stirred traitorously in my pants. Even now, even here in enemy territory, my body responded to thoughts of my mate.
I reached my quarters and locked the door, leaning against it as arousal hit me like a physical blow. The stress, the danger, the knowledge that tomorrow might be my last day alive.
I stripped quickly, my hand already moving to my aching cock. Roqs. Golden eyes that saw straight through my soul. The way his nostrils had flared when we first met, recognizing something in my scent that called to his beast.
"Fuck," I groaned, stroking myself with rough urgency. I imagined his hands on me instead, those claws tracing down my chest, marking me as his. The fantasy consumed me—Roqs claiming me properly, his teeth in my throat, his cock buried deep inside me while he growled possessive words against my skin. His tail choking me. Punishing me for capturing his precious Zirc.
And Brynn. Sweet-smelling Brynn whispering in my ear?—
I came hard and fast, biting my lip to muffle the sound. Cum spilled over my fingers as pleasure tore through me, leaving me shaking against the door.
For a moment, the fantasy felt real. For a moment, I wasn't trapped in this nightmare of manipulation and violence. I was simply a male aching for his mates, desperate to be claimed and held and protected.
But reality crashed back quickly. I cleaned myself up with mechanical efficiency, the brief respite over. The coming days would bring blood and chaos, revelation and reckoning. The pit would claim its victims, crowds would have their entertainment, and somewhere in the midst of it all, I would discover whether redemption was possible for someone like me.
Whether sacrifices could triumph over a lifetime of manipulation and lies.
Whether the male whose scent haunted my dreams would forgive me for the choices I'd made.
I was about to find out.
And gods help me, I was ready for whatever came next. Even if it killed me, I would see Roqs and Zirc safe. Even if it cost me everything.
Some things were worth dying for.
Some people were worth saving.
And this time, I would prove it.
26
NIM
The crystal chamberhummed with ancient power, its walls lined with veins of luminescent stone that pulsed in rhythm with something deeper than heartbeats. I stood at the threshold, analyzing the energy patterns while my beast stirred restlessly beneath my skin. The White Tribe's technology was unlike anything I'd encountered. Organic and mechanical simultaneously, as if the chamber itself were alive.
"It's beautiful," Brynn whispered beside me, her hand instinctively moving to her swollen belly as another contraction rippled through her.
The crystals flared brighter at her words, responding to something in her voice, her presence. I watched with fascination as the energy patterns shifted, becoming more coherent, more focused. They were recognizing her.
"Stay close," I murmured, guiding her deeper into the chamber. Sim flanked her other side, his analytical gaze cataloging every detail. The crystal formations here were more elaborate than those we'd encountered in the outer ruins. Spiraling columns that reached toward the vaulted ceiling, theirsurfaces carved with symbols that seemed to move in the shifting light.
Brynn gasped, stumbling slightly as a sharper pain lanced through her. The moment her knees hit the crystalline floor, the entire chamber erupted in brilliant white light.
"Fascinating," I breathed, watching the energy cascade through the crystal network. "They're not just responding to your presence. They're actively scanning you."
The light settled into a warm, golden glow that seemed to emanate from Brynn herself. Her purple eyes widened as the pain that had been plaguing her for days began to ebb. "I can feel them," she whispered. "Like they're... welcoming me. But why is that? When Crix made me touch crystals before, nothing happened."
Sim knelt beside her, his hand joining mine on her shoulders. "The crystals are designed for this," he realized. "For cross-species medical intervention."
"Oh." Just one word, but her understanding was complete.
I nodded, my mind racing to process what we were witnessing. "The White Tribe's genetic experiments weren't just about creating hybrids. Based on what I've gathered, they developed technology to support those pregnancies. This chamber is essentially a medical bay specialized for exactly your condition."
"A medical bay that's been waiting centuries for the right patient," Sim added, wonder coloring his voice.
Brynn's breathing had steadied, her face relaxing for the first time in days. The crystals pulsed gently around us, their energy washing over her in waves that seemed perfectly calibrated to her physiology. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "For the first time since this started, it doesn't hurt."
Sim gently licked away her tears, water was precious in our world, and seeing her weep distressed us both in ways we couldn't fully explain.
