“M-maybe not the last. But one more?” she whispered, backing up. “Or not. Oh, God. Jaxson, I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice barely a gasp. “I was so selfish. I’m so sorry.”
“Wait, wait!” Jaxson caught the fleeing girl by the arm, pulling his friend back to him as her eyes overflowed. “What’s happening here, Kay?”
“I wanted the arrow to hit you like it hit Marcus. I know it was just a stupid example, a dumb story, and I... I’m so selfish, I didn’t think. I just... I wished, I didn’t think.”
His tail rose slowly. Gave a single cautious wag.
“You wished?”
“For you to be okay to love someone again.”
“Someone here? Right here?” he shook her arm, not hard, but hard enough.
Kaylie nodded miserably. “Yeah. Can you just... Would it even be possible for you to forget I did this stupid thing?” she whispered.
“No. Because it is possible. It’s possible for this heart to be open again, to let love in again. It’s possible, and probable. Highly likely, in fact, but it depends on you, too. If you’re gonna shoot me full of arrows, missy, then you gotta be prepared to take a hit back.”
He was surprised when her formerly limp fingers snatched the paper arrow from his palm—cunning lightning with a watery smile.
“Pa-twing,” she whispered and showed him the red paper arrow landing against her chest. “Direct hit.”
KAYLIE APPRECIATEDhow Jaxson crushed her to his chest, cradling her like she was precious, but the conversation wasn’t over. He cupped her face, searching it with his intense gaze.
“You love me, Kay?”
“Mmhm. Tried not to. Told myself it was rude to hope some big, burly Canid hero could love a little piece of Sapien-Three refuse like me, foolish to even dream that I could fill a spot that someone like Alana filled... No, I’m not a fool, I’m just... well. I am a fool. For you.”
“What? You’re kidding yourself! I’m older, widowed, got baggage, and scars—”
“You’re talking to a walking media ad, the kind of cautionary tale that makes other galaxies avoid coming to Sapien-Three unless absolutely necessary,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“You are young and beautiful, and a tough survivor with an education and a good career ahead. You know you could have any Felid you wanted, any man, too? Elio probably—”
“Not going to happen,” Kaylie put a finger to his muzzle to silence him. “I fell in love with you while I was still asleep, when you would talk to me, dragging me back to the waking world, helping me fight off the overdose of drugs they pumped me with, the botched hypersleep I was lucky to wake up from. Your voice was the kindest, warmest, steadiest thing I had ever known, and I knew with you, I would be okay. With you, I would belong. Be safe. On Sapien-Three, they have this story about a princess who was in an enchanted sleep, woken by true love’s kiss. I don’t buy that. I know there are no spells in the world, no magic, but I have felt like I had my own personal hero, my very own knight to save me ever since I met you.”
Kaylie moaned softly when Jaxson’s lips moved to catch hers, and then moved down her neck, nuzzling while his paws were kneading and his tail was wagging.
“You never went on a date? And no one has ever made you feel that way but me?” he mumbled, voice muffled as he bowed himself lower to kiss her neck, sharp teeth and soft lips sending her senses haywire.
“No.”
“So... so we need to go nice and slow. And everything should be at your pace.”
“Oh.” Kaylie knew her voice sounded sad, and her body visibly drooped.
“Oh?” Jaxson pulled back, eyebrows arched.
“No, no! You’re right. It would be smart to take things slow. And not... I don’t know. Rush back to my quarters and ask you to teach me all the stuff I’ve been missing out on, all the stuff I used to think was going to be horrible, but now all I can think about is trying it with you.”
“Well, we could do that—and go out on lots of nice dates while we’re on Lynx-19. I hear they have a shopping center. We could have movie nights. Game nights. All the kinds of nights.”
“I like the sound of all the nights being with you, Jax.”
“WHAT SOUNDED GROSS? I won’t do those things,” Jaxson whispered when they were alone in her quarters, Felid-sized furnishings making her small size even more obvious.
“See, everything felt gross. Guys would rub up against me in the hall, and I’d just have to push past and shove them away. They’d slap my ass, or try to grab my collar—”
Jaxson’s explosive growl silenced her, and he coughed into his fist. “Sorry. Offer to eradicate predatory scum still stands.”
