The closest he’d ever come to that level of intimacy was when he watched Vrateus and Svetlana in the mess hall during those few sessions.
Unlike the rest of the crew, Wyck hadn’t touched himself, then. He’d been fascinated by what had been happening in front of him. Svetlana, always distant and on guard with everyone, had melted into Vrateus’s touch, becoming soft and pliable in his hands. Their calm and collected captain had nearly come undone when he held her in his arms.
After that, Wyck became intrigued, watching the connection grow between the two, week after week. All of it was so new to him—a woman willingly committing to a man, not just in body but in spirit and soul. He saw the way Svetlana looked at Vrateus, as if she were ready to cuddle him or to die for him or both.
She’d ended up fighting for Vrateus and even killing for him—both things that, according to Wyck’s upbringing, only a family would do for each other. For as long as Wyck knew him, Vrateus had always been alone. Until Svetlana became his family.
The errocks on the Dark Anomaly abhorred and ridiculed this kind of connection between a male and a female. Yet Wyck found it...enviable.
Why didn’t he feel the way the rest of his kind did? There must be something wrong with him. He wished he could talk to Nocc or any of his brothers about it. He’d venture speaking with Crux had he been alive. Except that Wyck was absolutely certain he’d only be laughed at, provided he could even find the right words to express what he felt.
The best way he knew to touch a woman would be to copy Vrateus’s hands on Svetlana’s body. As much as the idea of feeling Nadia’s bare skin excited him, he wouldn’t like having to recall Svetlana when touching her.
At the same time, the idea of letting someone else touch Nadia filled him with a rage so strong, it burnt through his insides like acid, urging him to punch something.
He drew in a long breath, fighting the feeling of worry and unease about Nadia’s performance tonight. He’d never seen a woman dance before and was actually looking forward to experiencing something new. He just hoped the rest of the crew would find the dance an acceptable substitute for the entertainment they were expecting.
He punched the code into the door panel, bracing himself for the onslaught of panic that always hit him the moment he faced the glass walls of the room and the open space beyond.
Lesh slinked around his legs in greeting the moment he’d entered.
“Ready?” He asked...and froze, speechless.
It wasn’t the lights that shocked him this time but the sight of the smiling Nadia, standing in front of the clothing rack. She was wearing something so beautiful it could’ve only come out of a dream.
Her outfit consisted of several layers made of the dresses she’d cut to various lengths. The top one was trimmed with yellow feathers along the edge of the long skirt. The material of different colors was light and transparent, each layer slightly visible through the rest, giving the entire outfit the iridescent effect of a rainbow. With the most layers being over her breasts and hips, he couldn’t see all of her body through the fabric—just a teasing whisper of her curves underneath it.
Her scent was only a slight tendril at this distance. Combined with the sight of her in this outfit, however, her scent had the effect of a punch to his chest, leaving him breathless.
“Do I look okay?” She smoothed a hand over her straight, light-brown hair she’d let down for the night.
The dancing lights of the Anomaly cast streaks of gold on her long tresses. The fear in her green eyes was softened by the smile on her lips.
“Yes, um... You look...okay,” he mumbled as soon as he’d found his voice.
His insides twisted at the thought of taking her out there to be gawked at by hundreds of males. Everything in him urged him to hold her tight, to keep her to himself. He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, fighting the unexplained wave of possessiveness.
“We should go,” he croaked.
Before I change my mind, take you for myself, and get us both killed.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Let’s do it.”
He opened his eyes, finding his worry and anxiety reflected in hers.
“I’ll keep you safe,” he vowed, fully intending to keep his promise, no