Page 20 of Bonded

The Ship’s disembodied voice seemed to speak directly inside my head. “Each life form has their own reactions to being linked. Priya will recover soon and is well within parameters. I suggest rest and refreshment before being fitted into a suit.”

“Suit?” I tried to lift my head, but all I could manage was a weak bob. So, instead I spoke to Ruzan’s neck. “What suit?”

RUZAN

“Is this how it’s supposed to fit?” Priya asked from her side of the room divider.

I did not want to make Priya nervous, so I had stayed on the far side of the room with my back toward her as she tried on suits that would fit her.

It was the hardest thing I had to do. “It is supposed to be fitted. And then the life support systems will be activated with your biometrics.”

We had decided that it would make the most sense for Priya to always wear a suit, even though most only wear one when they are out in space. That we could track her location better was a side benefit. She was already nervous about interstellar travel—that she could have another layer of protection made me feel better.

“Huh,” she said. “I can’t get the sleeves to be the same.”

I could imagine her sweet face scrunched up in curiosity. If only I could feel her soft skin beneath my lips once more. What I would not give to taste her… “Do you need help?”

“I think I might. If you don’t mind,” she added as an afterthought.

Mind? Iwanted to. But Vryek was right; we didn’t want to overwhelm her. And being linked with her for even just a little while proved she was more scared than she let on.

She also had thoughts she hid, but I wouldn’t take that personally. She would learn to trust us eventually.

“Okay, I’m coming in,” I said, as if talking to a child.

I peeked around the room divider and fought to keep a straight face.

She was adorable, my precious soul. Her bodice was crooked, and one of her sleeves extended well past her hand. She flopped the excess material around, trying to correct it.

My heart expanded all the more with all the love I carried for her.

“Here, let me do this,” I said, taking hold of the offending sleeve. I made the adjustments and the suit fit both her arms as it should.

And then I did a few more customizations so that the suit conformed to her body properly.

Turning from me, she sought her reflection in the mirror, giving me a glorious view of her backside. I imagined peeling that suit off her to get to her delicate skin.

My thoughts were interrupted when she gasped.

My body went on alert. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I searched for any source of injury.

“No, of course not,” she said, her face beaming up at me. “I think this fits well. What do you think?” She raised her arms and twirled again, as if I had not already surveyed every bit of her I could, fantasizing about what it would be like to hold her against me once more.

I forced my mind to fill in with white noise; one of Vryek’s mental clarity exercises he had been trying to teach me. “I think it’s nice,” I said in a strained whisper.

Are you okay?Vryek said in our shared link.It’s like your brain short-circuited, then went blank.

I had been restraining myself, but I found I could do so no longer. All the yearning and desire I held for my soul rushed out of me in a torrent onto my link with Vryek.If you could see her…

Faster than I thought possible, Vryek appeared beside me.

“Oh Vryek! You’re here too. What do you think?” she asked brightly.

Vryek merely blinked at our soul. At least I was not the only one struck dumb in her presence.

Priya’s face fell, her brow gathered. I learned that this meant she was worried. “Is there something wrong? Once Ruzan helped me, it seemed to be fine.”

Say something, I commanded Vryek.She worries she has done something wrong.

---