Page 41 of Unwrapping Chase

“You’re acting as if this is permanent.”

“It is,” Tam growled, and my eyes widened. “This is permanent. Chase is permanent.”

“What?”

“Do not act as if you don’t feel this as well,” Tam snapped, voice still a whisper. “Chase is different. I know you see that. And I will not be waiting ten years for you to get your head out of the sand and see our human.”

“Are you saying he’s meant for you?” I asked carefully.

Mulkrakes, Tam’s sex, had the ability to sense when someone belonged to them. It was the mulkrake in a relationship who brought new people into the joining, though not everyone was all equally together. My brother only had one spouse, a mulkrake, but his spouse had four other spouses, and of those, not everyone was together, and yet they made one family. Lollikrakes weren’t as simplistic in their romantic partnerings as some other species.

“He’s both of ours,” Tam said, their hands clenching into fists. “Chase is meant to be with both of us and an equal member of our joining.”

My hearts throbbed as I gathered the small human closer to my side, and he muttered in his sleep, a hand resting over the center of my chest. I didn’t have to let him go. Chase could come back with us. He would live with us, and I would see his and Tam’s perfect faces every day. I shook my head. No. Just because we desired Chase to join us didn’t mean he wished for the same thing.

For us lollikrakes, Tam’s feeling was enough, and any of our species would agree, though I had refused to believe Tam for a very long time. My coupling was a beam of sunlight, and it had been hard to believe they were meant for grumpy old me. However, they had won me. But this was different. One day wasn’t enough for a human to form a lifelong bond.

“Tam,” I started, then stopped.

“Do not tell me you don’t want and love Chase.”

I glanced down at the human who was so perfectly pressed against my side. I did want Chase desperately, and I feared I’d already fallen deeply in love with him, but I was worried he would never return the sentiment.

My eyes fixed on my coupling, my heart, and my soul, then I said, “I do. But it’s too fast.”

Tam cupped my cheek. “I’m not jealous, Nyx.”

“I didn’t think you were, though it did take a significantly longer time for me to accept you.”

A quiet laugh came out of Tam, and they pressed a kiss to my lips. “It did. The best ten years of my life chasing you. This time, though, you have me to help smooth the way.”

I claimed their mouth again, moaning at the silk and pressure. “I will always be grateful and love you, dear one.”

“I know, and I love you too, Nyx. But I need Chase too. I love him. It’s different than my love for you, but no less potent or important. I will not leave this planet without him.”

Cupping the back of Tam’s head, I pulled their forehead to mine and we gently rubbed on each other.

“I don’t want to leave him either,” I confessed. “I love him as well.”

“Then we’ll take him with us.”

I smiled sadly. “Chase is human, and he might not desire us the same way that we do him.”

Tam shook their head. “No. He has to. He wants us too, Nyx. I know it. I can feel it when he kisses me. I can see it when he looks at us. He wants to be right here, in this relationship with us.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I mean it,” Tam said, voice deepening. “I’m not leaving without Chase, and you’re not leaving without me. So he is coming home with us, or we are living here until he does.”

I kissed Tam and didn’t say anything more. I wished to take Chase home with us too. I wished for him to be bound to us, to be a part of us, to never leave us, but we couldn’t force him to be with us, as much as we wanted him to.

“Get in the bath,” I said, my voice husky, “and let me fuck you.”

Tam groaned. “I want that.”

I kissed their forehead. “Of course you do, you’re insatiable.”

“You’ll bring Chase upstairs?”