Bondmate Read Free Page B

was the correct woman to complete his bond with Mateen, but
she might refuse them, might prefer the known, if perilous, ways of the camp to
the mystery of life with Alphan bondmates. He knew
Mateen was counting on him to convince her, charm her, because his partner felt
he was too gruff to make that connection. It was a vital task. Bynton already knew he’d be pitched into depression if she
fled them.
    She
moved, and he watched her shadowed form. She’d caught on to the basics of the
functions of the room, and he’d left her for a moment so she could disrobe,
even though he longed to be the one who pulled her soiled clothes from her
body. The privilege of seeing her beauty was something to be shared with his bondmate , however, something to be arrived at by mutual
consent.
    “May
I help you with anything, No?”
    His
question must have caught her by surprise because she let out a squeal and
slipped in the shower. He saw her body topple, and without hesitation he rushed
to the barrier, swinging it aside to find her crumpled on the wet floor, a
small, damp towel clutched to cover her as she stared up at him with wide,
pleading eyes. Long wet hair slithered over his skin as he gathered her up, her
skin cool so cool and damp against his own.
    “Mateen!”
    His
summons was quickly answered by the other man who crowded into the shower
module, his face set in a stern scowl as he evaluated. “What happened?”
    “I
startled No, and she fell.”
    “Why
are you calling me No?” The young woman’s voice quavered, and she shook as Mateen slowly flexed her limbs. She winced when he reached her
right elbow.
    “That’s
what you said your name was.”
    “No.
I mean, no isn’t my name.”
    Bynton
lifted her carefully at Mateen’s nod and carried her to the bed as the other
man collected some dry towels. He reached for one and rubbed at her hair as
Mateen inspected her elbow more closely, running his fingertips along the joint
and gently bending her arm. It was an injury neither of them would have noticed
in training or battle, but his stomach knotted with worry for her regardless.
She was so much smaller and more delicate than they were, and despite his
growing compulsion to engage in intercourse with her, part of him wondered how
she might be able to accommodate him or Mateen in their aroused states.
    Without
a word, Mateen slid from the bed and exited the room, leaving Bynton to
continue to dry her. She modestly pulled the wet towel over her torso until he
draped a dry one over her and tugged the damp one free. She raised her eyebrows
and sat up, tucking the covering around herself as he applied himself to her
slender legs. So curvy and smooth, so unlike his own. They were fascinating, as was her scent, a haunting mixture of musk and
sweetness he’d never encountered before. That wasn’t a surprise. He’d rarely
encountered women of his own species, and she was his first human female. Just
as he was considering nosing along her calf to gather more of her in his nostrils,
his bondmate reappeared with a cold pack, which he pressed to her injury.
    “It’s
a minor contusion,” Mateen said as he frowned at her, glancing over her exposed
arms and legs. Tiny bones showed under the skin of her shoulders and knees.
“She’s undernourished.”
    “That’s
a good reason to eat now.” Bynton smiled at her, pleased she was practically
unharmed. Perhaps they would eat here in the bed, share the dishes and learn
more about each other in a less formal environment.
    “What
is your name?” Mateen’s question sounded harsher than
he probably meant, and she jumped.
    “Avanelle Rein, of the, ah, formerly of Puerta Santigo .” Her little
flash of pride, her attempt to emulate their own titles was a good sign she was
growing more comfortable with them.
    “How
old are you?”
    Mateen
sounded like a commander taking on a new trooper he hadn’t requested, and
Bynton tried to send him a message to ease back by eyeing him. Mateen caught