Argurma Monster (The Argurma Chronicles #2)

Chapter 20

Beverly’s eyebrows climbed as she followed Zoreth and Talech out of the housing complex. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky, but aside from the long shadows it cast it was still technically daylight. They were actually taking her out in the day? A part of her was petrified knowing that those things out there would be able to see her, but the rest of her was actually... relieved. Relieved that she could rely on her senses and possibly carry her own weight on her own feet for a little while. Did that mean that they trusted her capabilities as a functioning member of their little group? She still didn’t know if she did after yesterday, but if they believed in her then how could she not believe in herself at least a little?

Uncertain, she waited outside the door for one of the males to pick her up but blinked in surprise when they both filed past her and waited expectantly. They... wanted her to walk. They really didn’t see her as helpless. Unable to restrain her smile, there was an undeniable spring in her step as she stepped out of the building. Perhaps there was something to what they said. So what if she couldn’t see well at night like they could, and they had to compensate by carrying her since she was virtually blind? That was fair. She would just look for other ways she could contribute while it was light. She wasn’t exactly sure how, but it helped knowing that they didn’t resent her as a burden. Unless she missed her guess, they almost seemed pleased that they got the opportunity to carry her around. That they respected and cared about her enough to leave her on her own two feet despite that gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling deep inside.

She shook her head, her spirit lightening as she fell in step behind Zoreth. The corners of his mouth curved faintly in a rare smile just for her that made her feel on top of the world even as her skin prickled with a welcome awareness as Talech took position behind her. It all felt right and natural at that moment. She felt safe sandwiched between the males while retaining her independent mobility. It was nice—like they immediately understood upon waking exactly what she needed. It provided safety while giving her some sense of control. Her lips pursed. It was a pity that she hadn’t held on to the metal pipe. It had been pretty gross with the gore hanging off its broken, sharp end, but being armed in some way would be nice.

Her gaze casually fell on Zoreth—which wasn’t difficult since the male was right in front of her—and slowly skimmed over his body. Although the male was powerfully built, with wide shoulders and a body sculpted with muscle under his armor—including a very nice ass, she had to admit, but then every Argurma she’d met seemed to be blessed spectacularly in that area, and she’d spent considerable time admiring Talech’s ass—it was the weapons strapped to him that drew her eye. Her tongue slid over her bottom lip nervously. She was working up her courage to give voice to what she wanted only for the male to stop so suddenly that Beverly stumbled to keep from running right into him.

Vibrissae fanning out as they began to rise and twist, Zoreth glanced back at her. “Is there something that you desire, anastha?”

Beverly blinked and flushed at the heat in his words despite how innocuous his question was. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it that took her mind straight from the blasters and blades adorning him to an entirely different part of his body. One that she’d felt pressed up against her from both males, bulging and subtly writhing, every night as they slept.

Like a snake caught in a sack.

Heat rose into her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t wondered what it would be like. Meg had always made enough noise when she was alone with Kaylar to convince her that the woman had enjoyed it. Hell, she’d even been envious because when was the last time she’d gotten good dick, much less great dick that made her scream the walls down? They had only walked a few steps from the shelter. All she had to do was give the word. But she was also abundantly aware that having that dick came with a hefty price tag—her freedom. Argurmas didn’t just fuck. They mated. Even in an unusual situation where an Argurma fucked without mating right away, such as in the case of Kaylar and Meg, it was still obviously the intended result. It was never casual. She knew that being with either Talech or Zoreth would not only mean sacrifice, it would also be forever.

Was that something she was ready for or even wanted? She wanted to be with them, but when she had toyed with the idea while lazing on the ship, she had imagined it on her terms and far more casual than what mating implied. Mating was a commitment that frightened her.

She needed to focus.

“I was wondering if I could have a weapon—a blaster maybe?” She rushed to get the words out, and his head cocked in curiosity.

Was there a flash of disappointment there in his gaze as well? If there was, it was gone too quickly for her to be certain.

Beverly jumped when he spun toward her, drawing a blaster from his thigh. The weapon was held up toward her, the nose of the blaster pointed toward the ground. With a cautious glance at his face to make certain he wasn’t going to suddenly withdraw it, she reached for it, her hands closing just above his on the handgrip. He grunted softly and let go, and her arm dropped, unprepared for the weight. She immediately lifted it when he made to grab it again, and his mandibles clicked softly in approval. It was heavy, but she would manage. With a blaster like this, she could take out enemies with them. She certainly felt dangerous and impressive holding it.

Behind her, Talech rumbled with uncertainty, making her aware of the weight of his eyes on her.

“Do you know how to use it?” he asked.

She winced, suddenly feeling like an idiot as his query brought her right back to reality.

“No.” She sighed and lowered the pistol and held it out to Zoreth. “We had rudimentary weapons like blasters when I was stationed at the island, but they weren’t licensed to private citizens or anyone other than military personnel.”

Zoreth’s hand closed over hers, but to her surprise he didn’t take the blaster. Instead, he pulled against his body and positioned her so that her back was to his chest and she was in place for him to reach around her comfortably to readjust her grip on the weapon.

“Firing a blaster requires knowing two important mechanisms on the weapon and refining one’s aim. The first will not be difficult, the latter will take practice.” He ran her forefinger over a large impression on the side and pressed down, drawing out a hum from the blaster. “You must initiate the firing system.”

He then dragged her finger down to the broad trigger. It seemed that the location and design of a trigger was common regardless of species, distance, or even time. It was something that didn’t even phase out in human weapons even if it underwent subtle changes.

“This is where you will command the blaster to fire after you are certain that you have adequately aimed.” His voice was practically a purr in her ear now, and Beverly quashed the urge to shiver in response as his body perfectly cradled hers.

Together they lifted the blaster toward a mass of debris that they passed on their way out to the street. From the corner of her eye, she could see the faint smile of approval on Talech’s face. She bit back a smile of her own with the realization that while neither one of them had an issue with her not knowing how to fire the weapon, they also weren’t going to coddle her or insist that she didn’t need to know because they would protect her. Instead, they were both pleased to teach her how to protect herself.

That meant so much to have her independence and capability respected and honored. They would continue to protect her—she had no doubt about that—but they were supporting her in what she wished to do too. Perhaps that would extend to more areas in her relationship with them beyond killing zombies. It made her cautiously optimistic about giving more thought to the whole mating business.

“Line up the mark along the center of the blaster. There is a nodule there, do you see it?”

“Yes.” The nodule was small, but with the blaster lined up with her vision it jutted out obviously.

He grunted and lowered his arms from around her. “Good. Fire when you are ready.”

She licked her lips and cast a cautious glance around. “Are you certain that this won’t bring zombies down on our heads?”

Talech chuffed softly from where he stood. “Learn fast then.”

Her eyes shot to him in a panic, and she pressed her lips together to smother her own laugh as Zoreth chuffed behind her.

“All right,” she murmured as she sighted down the barrel of the blaster.

She squeezed the trigger.

The blaster didn’t kick. In fact, she didn’t feel any reaction from within the blaster itself and wouldn’t have known that it fired at all if not for the crackling hiss as it fired a bolt of energy that burned a hole through the fallen boards and various building materials and blackened the stone beneath it. She blinked in surprise. Zoreth was right. Firing it wasn’t difficult at all. Even her aim wasn’t bad, and she felt the beginning of a smug smile curling her lips as both males began to purr with obvious pleasure. If that weren’t telling enough, the sharp-toothed grin Talech gave her contained so much pride that she felt a warmth curl from her chest down into her belly as she returned his smile.

From behind her, Zoreth’s arms closed around her, and his cheek and mandibles brushed the side of her face. The embrace and show of affection were brief, and he stepped back far too soon for her liking, but it helped to further ignite that warmth of happiness rushing through her. It didn’t hurt that zombies weren’t bursting out of the woodworks to spoil the moment.

She was tempted to drag them back into the complex and say fuck it to her doubts, but the moment passed and Zoreth kneeled before her with the holster in hand. He had removed it from his thigh and expanded the strap. She eyed it curiously as he wrapped the modified length around her hips and secured it in place. He tugged on it gently and then grunted with approval before standing again. She knew that all she had to do was say what she wanted, but her tongue remained fixed to the roof of her mouth as she watched him turn and proceed down the road again.

Beverly fumed at herself as she followed after him. What was wrong with her? Was she that afraid of sacrificing some of her freedom, or was it something else? After all, if she was going to study under their medic, what she had planned had already changed. Mating would just bring her in closer as a true member of their mother house. Or was she just simply afraid of a fundamental change to her life more than she thought she was? She’d happily embraced a future in space that she’d already been dreaming about, but she had to acknowledge that her decision in part had been motivated by her fear of what Earth had become. Perhaps she was afraid of becoming emotionally dependent on them. That was one fear she wasn’t certain how to conquer.