Page 37

A delightful interlude.

Vince was pressed against the arm of the couch, eyes flicking over his screen.

He was sitting with his legs crossed at the ankle, and he was wearing a short red dress that I’d bought him, which I loved, but my focus was on his mind, which was alive with images and emotions.

I’d recently discovered a love of Vince reading.

His thoughts almost pictured the scenes like it was happening and I could feel his growing excitement, worry, fear, or in some cases, arousal.

I didn’t always know what every creature Vince read about was, in this case, men who turned into large, hairy predators. But he was enjoying the mystery, the romance, and the sex if his emotions were anything to go by.

Originally, I’d been playing my new harpsichord and watching an instructional video as I tried to gain some proficiency with the instrument, but I became almost immediately distracted by Vince.

When he’d picked up his screen to start reading—something that I adored he did now—I hadn’t noticed much.

But the book had moved into a sex scene that Vince had very much enjoyed, and it had distracted me.

Now, I was just lying on his lap, eyes closed, and reading along with him.

The images and emotions raced across his thoughts as the story picked up.

My own soul started to thud against my ribs, vibrating in a rapid beat, as the story grew nearer and nearer to the climax, and to another sex scene, I assumed, from the way the two men were speaking to each other.

I licked my lips, tail whipping, more than a little excited.

All of sudden, it all stopped so fast I groaned from the rough transition. What had happened?

Vince stared down at me, his eyebrows pulled together. He stroked my cheek, and I released the slightest moan. The feel of his skin on my scales would never become old.

“You stopped playing,” Vince remarked, continuing to stroke my face with the barest of touches.

“Yes,” I replied, voice rough from his ministrations. “Quite some time ago.”

“Why?”

“You were distracting me.”

He laughed, and I swore my soul leaped in my chest. That noise was as perfect as he was. Vince said, “It’s a good book.”

“I was enjoying it as well.”

A smirk firmly in place, he asked, “Which part?”

I looked away, my tail flicking.

“You’re not getting away that easily,” Vince teased, pulling my chin so I looked back in his direction.

I simply smiled at him. Things had gotten so much easier of late.

Since Vince had admitted what had happened, since he’d talked to Seth and Teddy, since he’d started talking to Camden and Pierce, since we’d had sex—everything.

There was a lightness to him that hadn’t been there.

I’d caught glimpses of it previously, but now, I was truly seeing it.

Vince was starting to heal. It was going to be a very long journey, but he’d taken a step, and that made me beyond happy.

“I enjoyed the whole story,” I eventually said.

“Hmm, I’m sure.” Vince bent over me, and my pulse skittered at his close proximity. He whispered, “Tell me the truth like the good boy you are.”

My cock took notice and started to grow. I couldn’t say why I liked my Vince calling me a good boy, but I did—a lot. I swallowed, his nearly black eyes boring into me. I forced out, “The sex scenes.”

Why my enjoyment of them should embarrass me was also a mystery. Sex wasn’t shamed in Drakcon culture, nor was I young anymore. But some part of me felt fragile admitting that I liked it in front of Vince. Perhaps it was the content of the sex scenes themselves—one partner dominating the other.

I had no trouble imagining Vince telling me what to do, as he’d already done that, and taking me from behind, folded over a large red chair called a Chesterfield, though far more gently than the fucking in his book.

Vince rewarded me with a kiss and warm brush of happiness in his thoughts. He said, “Let’s finish this, then I want you to play for me.”

“I would like that.” This simple domesticity was starting to become a routine, and I feared when it was gone, I would not survive.

I was lying on my stomach on Don’s bed, watching him get dressed.

Over the last couple of days, I’d sucked him off before jerking myself a handful of times, but last night had been the first time on the bed.

I was getting better with him. I’d even managed to get my shirt off last night. Next, I wanted him to touch my chest.

I was accepting, though, that I needed to go slower and give myself some grace.

I couldn’t immediately jump into everything.

Talking with Camden and Pierce almost everyday was helping with that too.

They understood in a way that no one else did, even Seth and Teddy.

They’d helped me realize this trauma was going to take more time and hell of a lot more work than I wanted to overcome.

But I’d like to think that I helped them too.

Both Camden and Pierce were struggling, though differently than me.

Sometimes when we got together it was laughter, and other times hard discussions of what actually happened, and occasionally we just sat together, all struggling with our own experiences.

Another thing that was helping was Don letting me have control while we planned what we were going to do beforehand, with him reading my thoughts and sharing his own. It had eased most of my tension. We never deviated from the plan unless one of us proposed a new change and the other agreed.

Not the most spontaneous, but spontaneity wasn’t something I was currently comfortable with.

We hadn’t had a thorough permission conversation, because at any given moment I never knew what I would be okay with, but this sharing and planning was protecting us both and allowing us to enjoy a wonderful intimacy that was feeding my touched-starved self.

“I’ll never make it to Command on time if you keep thinking about fucking me,” Don commented.

I laughed. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

Don kneeled on the bed, shirtless, and kissed me. I gripped his cheeks, deepening the kiss, and his long earrings tickled my cheeks and his hair formed a curtain around us. I tried to pull him all the way onto the bed, but he wouldn’t be moved.

“No, I need to go to my duty shift, and you promised to meet Camden and Pierce in the canteen.”

He was right. Of course. I licked my lips, and Don swallowed. I chuckled. God. He made me happy. It was indescribable how happy and safe I felt with him. “I will try not to distract you today.”

“Thank you.”

I gave him a quick kiss. “Bye, Sweetheart.”

When he left, I took a leisurely shower before yanking on some clothes.

Camden, Pierce, and I were supposed to meet for breakfast. I’d originally planned to spend time with Seth and Teddy this morning, but Seth had successfully wrangled one of the doctors from the nesting facility back on the drakcol homeworld into agreeing to speak with him, yet again, about his growing child.

Apparently, everything in the doctor’s house had gone haywire, which I hadn’t thought much about, but Seth had clued me in that Edith had probably done it because he’d complained about not being able to speak to the doctors. It had to be nice to have a scary supercomputer sidekick to bully people.

Teddy had then decided he and Mindy needed to go running, a.k.a foreplay chasing before they fucked, though he’d extracted a promise from me that I wouldn’t stay holed up in my room.

So I reached out to Camden and Pierce, who were both game for breakfast. Afterward, Brad, Roman, Seth, Teddy, and some of the other humans would join us.

The experience suites were booked, but we figured we’d hang out in my room and drink.

Nothing like being abducted as a reason to start day drinking, though I’d been avoiding drinking away my issues.

With friends, though, it seemed less toxic and more like a fun time.

I stepped into the cafeteria and immediately spotted Camden with his towering height and blonde hair, and Pierce with her deep red curls.

“Hey,” I called, sliding onto the stool next to them.

“Hey,” Camden said while Pierce grinned at me.

“You seem happy,” she commented.

“I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, besides the fact we were all abducted,” Camden said, “you walked around with a stick up your ass the first couple weeks. Now you’re all smiley. It’s disconcerting.”

I rolled my eyes. I was allowed to be happy. If part of that was due to Don, then so be it. “How are you guys?”

“I’m fine,” Camden said. “No nightmares last night.” Like me, he’d been having nightmares nearly every night.

“Brad never complains when I wake him up, but I feel bad.” He ran a hand through his golden hair, and I swore it practically glowed in the artificial light.

No one should look that good, but he did.

“I’ve been talking to an Amorian therapist.”

“You have?” I asked.

He nodded. “Klars offered it, and why wouldn’t I take him up on his offer? I need help processing everything.”

“Yeah, but…” I trailed off. Therapy had never been my thing.

Camden frowned, crossing his arms. “There’s nothing wrong with therapy.”

“I didn’t say there was,” I snapped.

“I heard a tone. I need help and I refuse to be ashamed of it.”

“And I’m not shaming you. I didn’t say anything.”

“Seriously,” Pierce said, “both of you need to calm the fuck down. Vince, you were shaming. Own it. Think about why you are, then work on it. Camden, drop the attitude. We’re all in this together.”

I glanced at Pierce, but she was staring at the table.

Camden scooted closer. “Are you alright?”

“Perfectly,” she replied. “I’m not allowed to call you two out on your bullshit?”

She was, and did so frequently; I just hadn’t expected it to be so harsh, anymore than Camden had.

He moved even closer. “You look upset.”

Pierce sighed, running a fair hand through her red curls. “Me and Bimwoxcol have been sleeping together.”