by C. W. Gray
Hack groaned and hugged Fire tightly until his giggles stopped. “Thanks, Fire.”
Fire started to reply, but the cargo ramp lowered and he felt a gust of heat. “Gotta go!”
He ran past Kelly and dropped his own bag, along with Hack’s, at her feet.
She gave him an amused glare. “Yeah, I’ll just take care of these.”
“Good,” he yelled over his shoulder and ran down the ramp.
Fire pulled his clothes and shoes off as he ran past the gathered Burnished officials, ignoring their startled shouts.
As soon as he was naked, he shifted into his elemental form, human body twisting and burning away into flames. After that, he was lost to the heated desert sands.
It reminded him of the deserts of Genarg. He remembered the planet calling to him and deepening his awareness long before he was given a body.
All of that was eons ago, and he’d taken many forms since then, but his elemental form always brought back that feeling of wild freedom. While this planet didn’t speak to him like Genarg, it was still a comforting presence in the back of his mind.
As he moved farther away from Star’s Oasis, the bare shrubs and cacti grew scarce, and the animals were harder to spot.
A skinny jackrabbit hopped behind a bush. It looked like a much smaller version of Fire’s friend Abbot. Mo had found Abbot as a baby right here on Burnished Outpost.
Hours passed as he raced across the beautiful desert, and he lost track of his direction. He spotted the occasional traveler but kept far away from them. Sebastian had told him that the Burnished outside of Star’s Oasis may not be friendly.
A spark of light reflecting off metal caught his attention, and he darted toward it, curious.
A small group of travelers rode large, long-eared mounts down a sand dune. Two of the riders were children, and the youngest even had a goat tied to the back of his mount. The boy and girl looked frightened, and he didn’t like it.
The third rider was an older woman, face lined with worry and pain. She pulled the reins of several more of the mounts behind her, but he could tell her hands were hurting.
Fire’s attention focused on the last rider, and he froze in the air. The man was one of the Burnished with long, narrow, pointed ears and dark skin. His birthmarks were different than Hack’s though. Leti’s mate’s marks were jagged and sharply angled. This man’s markings were curved and elegant, somehow appearing softer.
He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, and the man’s face was a rough contrast to his delicate markings. His black hair was cut close to his head, and a long scar cut across one of his eyebrows.
Mate. The word echoed through every particle of Fire’s being, and the planet beneath him grew warmer as the knowledge seeped into his soul. It approved.
It took a moment for Fire to notice the bundled infant strapped to his mate’s chest. Curious, Fire flew closer, circling them from high above.
His mate’s group reached the bottom of the dune, and the woman called out, “Quig, they’ve seen us!”
“Fuck,” the man said, teeth grinding together. “Aster, take Cyrus. Gram keep heading north. We’re still a week out from Star’s Oasis, but you can get them there.”
“Dad, no,” the girl gasped as she fumbled to hold bundled infant. Fire only then noticed her eyes were darker and unfocused. “Don’t leave us.”
His mate – Quig, the woman had called him – handed the baby to the girl. “I’m sorry, sunrise, but I have to stop them.” He looked at the boy. “David.”
The boy ducked his face, tears falling hard. “We love you, Dad. We’ll take care of Cyrus. I swear.”
Quig looked at the three kids, dark eyes so sad that Fire wanted to hug him and never let go. “I love you too. All of you.”
He turned his mount around and made the hard trek back up the sand dune.
Fire followed him and finally noticed the large group of riders growing closer.
Quig leaned forward and patted his mount’s neck before sliding off the creature. “Get back to them, Cactus. Watch over my kids, okay?”
The mount bleated softly, sounding a lot like Leti’s goat, Trixie. Cactus didn’t move from Quig’s side, no matter how loudly the man yelled at him.
“I don’t want you to die, Cactus. Please go.” His mate was near tears, and Fire couldn’t take it.
Fire landed between his mate and the approaching riders. He shifted to his human form, uncaring that he was naked. He frowned, feeling the malice coming from the riders. What would Fluffle do? he thought, quickly counting the riders. Fluffle would go for the throat.
“You can’t have my mate!” Fire held his hands out. Flames danced around him and spread to the sides, making a long, flaming barrier. He let the heat grow, burning with a white light.
The riders came to a stop at his flame barrier and watched it spread out, east and west.
One of the men dismounted and watched him through the flames. “Who are you to stand between me and my enemy?”
Fire glared at him. “I’ve seen your type all across the galaxy. You’re a big, stupid bully, and I won’t let you hurt them. They’re mine now, all of them, and you won’t touch them.”
He called the flames higher, and they shot into the sky.
The man stepped back as the heat grew.
Fire made sure the man was watching him before speaking again. “You better go away.”
The man looked past Fire. “This isn’t over, Quigley. The child dies along with you and all of your broken family.”
Fire growled and focused his power. A large, fiery creature grew from the flames. He formed it to resemble the toughest being he knew: Fluffle. A large, fluffy housecat made of flames surveyed the riders below her, then roared, spewing flames above them.
The riders shouted, fear clear on their faces, as their mounts startled and bucked.
The man across the barrier hurried back to his mount. “Retreat! Quickly!”
Fire smiled as he sent the mock Fluffle after them, ordering his creation to nip at their heels until they were far away.
The barrier of flames remained, and Fire blew it a kiss, ordering the flames to stay there. It would make it hard for the riders to catch up to his new friends.
“What are you?” Quigley asked, awe filling his voice.
Fire turned around and hurried to his mate’s side. He ducked under the man’s arm and hugged him. “Wow, you’re taller from the ground. You’re even taller than Hack and he’s big. Are you Quigley? I’m Fire and I’m your mate.”
“Family call me Quig.” Quigley licked his lips, eyes wide. “Mate. You’re really my mate.”
Fire nuzzled the bare skin at the base of Quigley’s throat. “You smell really good.” He licked him. “Hmm, you taste good too.”
Quigley swallowed hard and stepped up, holding Fire away from him. “You’re naked.”
“Yep.” Fire looked down, feeling his dick stir. “Hey, look! That didn’t happen when I went out with Liam Doney.”
Quigley’s eyes narrowed, his face growing fierce. “Who’s Liam Doney?”
Fire pointed at his dick. “Focus, Quig. I’ve never gotten to have sex in any of my cycles, and it’s supposed to be really good.”
Quigley’s lips twitched up. He went to his mount and dug through one of the packs before pulling out a pair of loose, white pants and a long, tan, sleeveless tunic.
He tossed them to Fire. “We need to catch up to my family.”
Fire’s lip trembled, and he looked down at his erection. “Really?”
Quigley’s laughter rumbled around Fire, making him shiver. “Come meet my family.”
Fire squealed and hurried into his clothes. “I saw them. You have a Gram and three children. I was just telling Sebby that I wanted babies, and now I’ll have three. I didn’t even think about having a Gram. Is she nice? What do you do with a Gram exactly? Hack and Leti have a Grandpa Moses, and he spends a lot of time with the kids while they’re working. I
s that what Gram will do?”
Quigley caught Fire as he started to topple, legs caught in his pants. “One thing at a time, mate. Clothes first.”
Fire nodded and grinned. “Clothes, then family, then sex.”
Quigley gave him a half smile and helped him pull up his pants. “Sex is important, huh?”
Fire shrugged. “I think so. I was never interested in it until recently.”
Quigley brushed a thumb across Fire’s cheekbone. “Gram told me that finding your lifemate is like finding an oasis when you’ve been out of water for two days. She says the world suddenly comes alive.”
Fire gasped and pushed his face into Quigley’s hand. “Is that what’s happening? All I can feel is happy. I’ve wanted a person of my own for a long time, and now you’re here. I’m going to take such good care of you. I promise.”
Quigley swallowed hard. “I think Gram was right. Come on. I’ll help you get on Cactus.”
Fire hugged Quigley one more time, then ran over to the funny looking mount. “I’ve never seen an animal like you. Hi, Cactus. I’m Fire and I’m your person’s mate. We’re going to be friends, okay? I’ll introduce you to Jellybean, Fluffle, Princess Buttercup, and all the other pets. You’ll like them.”
He felt the animal’s mind brush against his, but until they got to know one another, Fire knew he wouldn’t be able to talk to him.
Fire hugged the mount. “Don’t worry. We’ll spend lots of time together.”
Quigley cleared his throat, his dark eyes full of amusement. “Are you done hugging my Oryx?”
“Not yet,” Fire said and patted Cactus’s nose. “Making friends takes time, Quig. Don’t worry though. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
4
Quigley pushed Cactus hard, hurrying to catch up with Gram and the kids. It bothered him to think that they believed him to be dead. I thought I was dead too, he thought, still a little unsure that he wasn’t imagining the man riding behind him.
Fire’s arms were wrapped around him and his chin nestled on Quigley’s shoulder. “Jellybean likes running in his ball, but you have to watch how fast you go. He gets upset if you leave him behind. It wasn’t so bad when Marshmallow was alive because she ran at his pace, but she’s passed on. Now, she’s a ghost guinea pig and guards Seshi. He lives down the road, by the way.”
Quigley’s mate had been talking from the moment they left the fire barrier, and Quigley didn’t understand even half of what Fire was saying. I’ll figure it out, he thought with a smile, enjoying the excitement and joy in his mate’s voice.
My mate. His eyes watered as he thought of what Sara would say. It had been a month since she’d died, and there wasn’t a day that went by where he didn’t think of her. She would adore my mate.
Fire was an odd-looking young man, with short, rounded ears, light skin, and yellow hair. He had no markings like the Burnished, but he certainly had a fire. He was fire. Even if Quigley hadn’t seen what Fire could do, his eyes gave him away. They swirled with golden flames, looking much like the Burnished’s eyes did when pulling from their inner fire.
Quigley hadn’t known what he was seeing when he first saw his mate in what he called his elemental form. Fire had been a twisting, ever-moving ribbon of flames. When he had shifted and created the barrier, flames had surrounded him, curling against him like a lover, but leaving his soft skin untouched.
Soft, naked skin. Quigley couldn’t wait to get his hands on his mate, but he found himself reluctant to move quickly. In the past, his sexual encounters had been hurried embraces hidden in the shadows. His clan elder would never have accepted a man loving another man, and Quigley couldn’t risk anyone seeing his birthing line in any case.
With Fire, Quigley wanted to take his time. He wanted to learn everything about his mate.
“Sebastian saved me, so he’s like my favorite person in the whole world,” Fire said, next to his ear. “He protects me and loves me. His mate, Alois, does too. They’ll let us live in their attic forever if we want. I like to play with Nina and Mordy too. You’ll like them. Nina is really smart and knows how to get the candy jar open. Mordy snores really loud when he naps, but he likes to snuggle so that’s good. Then there’s Periwinkle, Mustachio, and Mocha. They’re good friends, but they spend a lot of time away. Peri loves Gravy, who lives next door, and Mocha spends a lot of time with Alois. Mustachio, of course, goes everywhere with Sebastian. I told them that I want a cat, but now I have three babies, so I think I can wait on a cat.”
Quigley grinned, not understanding why anyone would name a person Gravy. Offworlders are different, right? Don’t think too hard on it.
It took them a little less than an hour to catch up to Gram and the kids.
When Gram saw him, she pulled the Oryx to a stop and slid off Nadine. “Quig!”
Quigley barely had time to dismount before she was in his arms. “I’m here, Gram. I’m so sorry that had to happen.”
“I thought we’d lost you too.” She buried her face against his chest.
Aster and David ran to him, and he pulled Gram down so he could brace for their hug.
“You’re alive,” Aster said, holding Cyrus between them so she could hug him. “How?”
“It doesn’t matter how,” David said, body shaking with his sobs. “Don’t leave us again, Daddy. Okay?”
Quigley held them to him for a long while, his cheek balanced on Gram’s head. He watched Fire watching them. Thank you, he mouthed the words.
Fire nodded, tears falling, as he grinned widely. Quigley’s mate had saved his life, and he would never be able to repay him for that.
“Who’s that?” Aster asked, waving toward Fire. “He feels different than us.”
Fire’s eyes grew round. “You can feel me? Am I a good feeling? Like when I eat a whole pie and curl up with Marmalade for a nap?” His eyes heated as he looked Quigley up and down. “Maybe it’s like when I’m pressed against Quig and my–”
“Please just answer him, Aster,” Quigley interrupted, face heating with embarrassment and a little bit of arousal.
Gram watched him, eyes dancing with humor. “I want to know what he was going to say.”
“Me too,” David said, twisting around to look at Fire.
“No, you don’t,” Aster said, wincing. “I think he’s Dad’s mate, and you know what newly mated people do all the time.”
David made a face. “Sex.”
Fire came to them, body completely at ease. “Your dad makes my–”
Quigley covered Fire’s mouth with his hand. “This is Fire. He’s my mate. He saved me from the clan.”
“Are you an offworlder?” David asked, eyes focused on Fire’s ears. “If your ears are just broken, it’s okay. We’ll still love you.”
Fire licked Quigley’s palm, making him jump and move his hand. “Thank you, David, but my ears are okay. My body is human. Mostly.”
Gram tilted her head and frowned. “Your body?”
Fire shrugged. “It’s kinda a long story, and I want to cuddle with Quig some more. Can I tell you tonight?”
Quigley flushed and pulled Fire into the hug. “That sounds like a plan. The clan won’t come for us anytime soon, but Star’s Oasis is still a long way away. Let’s ride.”
David sighed and pulled away to run to his Oryx. “Hurry, everyone. I want to hear the story.”
Gram kissed the side of Quigley’s head and stood. “I don’t care what you are, Fire. You saved my grandson. Welcome to the family.”
Fire’s eyes glistened. “I have a Gram. Quig, I have a Gram.”
Quigley chuckled and brushed Fire’s hair back from his face. “You may not want her when you get to know her. Gram is a pain in the ass.”
Gram snorted and mounted her Oryx. “Just for that, I’ll lead and you pull the other Oryx behind us.”
“I’ll do it,” Fire said, bouncing in place. “I need to get to know them.”
He hugged Aster and Cyrus and watched Fire hurry to gather
the lose reins of the spare Oryx they travelled with.
“Whatever he is, he’s ancient,” Aster said quietly. “I can feel the age on him.”
She handed him Cyrus. The baby was grumpy from the heat and constant motion of the Oryx, but he settled down when Quigley strapped him to his chest.
“What else do you feel?” he asked, curious.
“He feels like love and wildness,” Aster whispered. “He feels like my love for you, Gram, and David. How you felt for Aunt Sara. How Gram felt about Grampa. The love you feel for Cactus and the other Oryx, even if you don’t like admitting it. He feels like all of that, Dad, but he also feels like dancing around the fire at night as Gram tells us the stories of the stars. He feels like racing down a dune with David to see who has to clean up from dinner.” She smiled softly. “Love and wildness. I’ve never met anyone like him.”
“Me neither,” he whispered, watching Fire pet Gracie and talk to David. “I wish I could feel people the way you do.”
“You’ve always told me every person has their gifts.” Aster’s voice grew rough. “Dad, we can’t lose you. Okay? We need you to hold us together. David thought you’d come back. He acted like he didn’t, but he had hope. Gram and me thought you were dead. We can’t go through that again.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I can’t promise you that I’ll never die, sunrise. Everyone dies. I can promise you that as long as I live, I will fight to stay with you.”
Aster stroked his cheek, then nodded. “I love you, Dad.”
“Love you too.” He stroked Cyrus’s covered head and watched Aster go straight to her Oryx and mount. His children were both so special, and it humbled him every day to get to be their father.
Cyrus cooed and looked up at him. The tips of the baby’s ears twitched, and he wiggled his tiny fist at Quigley. His faint markings looked just like Sara’s, and Quigley suspected they would darken to a deep black like most of his family’s did.
“It will be okay, Cy,” he whispered. “You are well protected.”
