Page 10 of Orange Tundra
I reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re not just a backup plan, Sim. You’re you, and that’s more than enough.” I couldn’t pretend to understand the depth of his pain, but I could offer him the human connection he desperately needed.
The guard at the door shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting from me to the twins, clearly unnerved by the raw emotion in the air. But I couldn’t stop now – I needed to understand.
“So all this time, when you were appearing in public together...” I began, trying to piece together the puzzle.
“We were perpetuating the illusion of twin heirs,” Nim finished, his voice strained. “It gave the tribe stability, knowing there were two of us. But it also made us targets.” His eyes were filled with a weariness that belied his age, a weight that I could see in his every movement.
“More like target practice,” Roqs growled from his position near the door, his tail lashing back and forth, a clear sign of his simmering anger. “Every rival gang and opposing tribe saw two potential heirs as twice the opportunity for chaos.” His voice was rough, laced with a possessiveness that sent a shiver down my spine.
I leaned back against the cushions, trying to absorb everything. The weight of their secret, the years of pretense, the constant danger… Yet somehow, it made perfect sense. The way Simrod always seemed to be watching Nim, mimicking his movements. The subtle tensions I’d noticed between them. Yet, Sim cannot hide his true nature which is very vocal. And Nim who liked to be in the background.
“And now?” I asked, looking between them, searching for answers in their strange, alien faces. “What happens now that I and a few others know?”
Nim and Simrod shared another look, but this time I could see the shift in their dynamic. The truth had changed something between them, lifting a burden they’d carried for too long.
“Now,” Simrod said, his voice stronger, his eyes burning with a new intensity, “we stop pretending.”
“Just like that?” I asked, a mixture of disbelief and hope rising within me.
Nim shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips, and Sim let out a wicked grin. “Exactly!”
I nodded, a strange sense of relief washing over me. Nim used his other arm and placed it around Sim, pulling him close. “My mate,” he breathed with conviction, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve long wanted to call you that out loud, not just in my head. No more shadows, no more spares. Just us.” His words were a declaration, a promise, and I felt a warmth bloom in my chest.
Nim placed his forehead against Sim’s. To my and everyone else’s shock, Nim kissed Sim hungrily, his palm tight against the back of Sim’s head. It was raw, passionate, and utterly breathtaking. Unbidden, I grasped Coone’s hand tightly, who moved so that he’s sitting beside me. It was as if I was a voyeur watching a private moment unfold between two souls who had waited a lifetime to be free.
“Now,” Sim declared with a wicked gleam in his eyes, “we don’t need to pretend by fucking a female or other male between us.” His words were provocative, a challenge, and I felt a thrill of excitement course through me.
I snorted while others laughed. Of course, one thing they all have in common is their pursuit of being the best in sex on this planet. Like those famous Nimsims, thus their name. Coone chuckled beside me, the sound a low rumble that vibrated through my skin.
“Cool, you’re also mated to Zirc, right?” I declared happily, feeling a surge of affection for my strange, alien family.
The temperature in the room dropped, and it felt as if someone scratched chalk on the board. Coone stiffened beside me, his eyes widening slightly. The three looked at Roqs, their faces tight with apprehension. Shit, I forgot Roqs was touchy about this subject. He wanted to be Zirc’s mate since forever, but it turned out he’s mated to another. The sting of that realization was a sharp, bitter taste in my mouth.
Roqs’s eyes flashed with anger as he declared, “Zirc was only ever mated to Coone, and now to Brynn. That’s it. He is not mated to another manasty.” His tone left no room for argument, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. What he wasn’t saying, Zirc still has a chance to have a manasty mate.
I felt my face flush with embarrassment. “But...I thought...” I trailed off, looking between Nim, Sim, and Zirc in confusion. “How come Zirc was intimate with you two? Doesn’t that hurt Coone?” The complexities of their relationships, the tangled web of connections, it was all starting to feel overwhelming.
Coone squeezed my hand gently, his touch reassuring. “I was always cool with it, sweetheart. That’s just how Manasties andNekoslike me operate. There’s usually a central person that holds us all together.” His words were calm, but I could see a flicker of something deeper in his golden eyes.
My brow furrowed as I tried to process this. “Has it ever happened before that a female can be mated to more than one?” I asked hesitantly, a tremor of fear running through me.
Nim’s expression grew solemn, his eyes losing their usual light, same with Nim and Sim. “Our female race has been gone for about a millennium now. We know of no other female species compatible with us except-“ He cut himself as if he was about to say something else. “Until you, Brynn. And now you’re pregnant with a child.” His words were heavy, a reminder of the responsibility I carried, the impossible position I was in.
He did not say our child even though I’ve been intimate with him. Which reminds me. “How come you are sure that my baby isn’t Coone’s?” I stopped and looked at Coone. Horror in my eyes. Could it be that he was -
Coone just smirked. “I’m not in heat, sweets. We can only make a female pregnant when we’re in heat.”
“Oh,” I said deflated. So my baby daddy is either Zirc, Nim and Sim if what they said was true. Only fated mates can impregnate a female. How...convenient for them.
Before I worked myself up to a frenzy, Sim piped up, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of hope and trepidation. “There have been rumors about the Silver Tribe finding a solution, particularly the last Alphas who were Zirc’s parents.”
Roqs’s frown deepened, his jaw clenching. “That is not my story to tell,” he said gruffly, his voice laced with warning. “It’s the most closely guarded secret of our Tribe.”
5
COONE
That night,dinner was a bit subdued. Brynn’s stomach seemed unsettled, and I couldn’t help but worry about her. The next morning, we gathered again in the common room, and I could feel the tension in the air. My spy senses were tingling.
