Page 55 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol. 1
A few seconds later, I’m out the door, shoes on, trying not to lose sight of my furry speedster.
I start to worry a little when I realize we’re heading toward the lake. But Wingo stops beside a small bush, tail wagging.
“Look!”he says.“These are the same berries from my home planet! Pherebos had the idea—when he rescued me, he brought some back and planted them here. It’s the first time they’ve ever borne fruit!”
I crouch down to get a closer look. The shrub is compact, its branches dotted with small, dark berries.
“Really? These are from your world?”
“Yes! Pherebos planted them when we first arrived. I’ve been watching them, but until now, they only grew leaves. And this morning—berries!”
“That’s amazing! Do they even taste good?”
“I’m not sure—I haven’t tried them yet,” Wingo says, eyeing the berries.“But they look pretty ripe.”
“So what are you waiting for, you goof?” I tease, gently ruffling the fur on his head.
He hesitates for a second, then leans in, licks one of the dark berries, and pops it into his mouth.
I watch him chew slowly, thoughtfully, and I can’t help but think about Pherebos. He actually brought back a berry from Wingo’s home planet and tried to grow it here—just for him. That kind of gesture says everything. He really cares about our little furball.
But then, out of nowhere, Wingo freezes. His eyes go wide, and he flops backward, tongue hanging out, stained dark from the berry juice.
My heart leaps into my throat. I drop to my knees beside him, panic rising fast.
“Wingo? Wingooo!” I press my hands to his side, desperate for a sign of life. “Oh no, what do I do? PHEREBOOOOS!”
“Whoa, not so loud—you’re gonna blow out my eardrums!”
“Wingo? Are you okay? What just happened?!”
“I’ve died… of pleasure!”he declares dramatically.“I haven’t tasted that exquisite fruit in two years…”
“You fell! You weren’t moving! Are you sure you’re okay?”
The little rascal lifts his head, grinning like a fool, tongue still lolling to the side. Then he winks.
“Better than ever. I can’t believe I get to eat the fruit of my childhood again.”
“Ugh, you scared me, you idiot! I nearly had a heart attack,” I say, half-laughing, half-serious. “Don’t ever do that again—or I swear I’ll kill you for real next time.”
“If Pherebos doesn’t get to me first,”Wingo quips just as my handsome Asgarnian comes running up, clearly worried.
He’s wearing his usual—just loose pants that hang low on his hips, showing off that perfectly sculpted stomach—and I can’t help but stare.
“Yeah, keep staring at him like that! As long as he’s distracted, he won’t start yelling at me,”Wingo mutters sheepishly in my head.
Pherebos slows to a stop, eyes scanning me.What’s going on here? My Faksaya, are you all right?
“Oh, sorry,” I say quickly, trying to cover for Wingo. “I saw a huge bug and freaked out.”
Pherebos raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Wingo’s innocent face isn’t helping our case.
“Look, Pherebos… Wingo was just showing me this berry bush you brought here and planted for him. That was such a sweet gesture.”
“I can see that. So, in the eighty seconds it took me to run over here—alarmed by your very dramatic call—you managed to escape a terrifying giant insect, find this bush, and Wingo had time to taste it and smear it all over his chin. Did I get that right?”
My handsome Asgarnian gives me a long look, a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. But then his expression shifts—his eyes narrow, and his brows draw together.
