Acceptance
Matt spread his hands helplessly. He was unable to understand how his brain could insist on one thing when he knew another. How could his lovers fathom it when he wasn’t capable of doing so? “Did you ever think I might be too messed up to keep around?”
A growl trickled from Kom. Avir shook his head, protest written all over his face.
“Listen.” Masok guided him to the lounger. They sat, the Imdiko holding him close. “You haven’t had any experience among people who’ll accept you as you are. But we do accept you. There’s nothing you could do to stop us from caring about you. Nothing you might do would make us want you to leave.”
“But—”
“No.” Avir knelt by his feet. He grabbed Matt’s hands and pressed them to his lips briefly. “No buts. You’re part of this clan. This is where you belong, with us, for the rest of our lives. Case closed.”
Did they mean it? Avir’s and Masok’s faces had blurred, thanks to the tears standing in Matt’s eyes. He couldn’t see their expressions well, but their tones had rung in conviction and feeling. He drew a shuddering breath.
“Thank you. I’ll try to do better, I really will.”
“You’ll do the best you can, which is good enough,” Masok said. “If you get scared, it’ll still be fine. We’ll be here.”
“Damned right. No more job interviews, no more leaving you alone until you can handle it,” Kom vowed, sinking onto the lounger and crowding close.
Matt gazed at him, misery threatening. Kom had already sacrificed so much for him. His gaze fell on the artificial arm, the gap between it and the robotic hand. If Kom hadn’t spent years searching for him, he’d have been at home instead of hurt by an explosive.
“Mattie.” The Nobek’s eyes narrowed, perhaps discerning where his thoughts had gone. “My breed lives to protect and fight for others. Keeping you safe is what I was born to do. Not keep order at the docks, not test pilot shuttles, not train retired Nobeks for productive last years. You, Avir, and Masok are my primary concern, above all others. You know why.”
You know why. It was the closest a Nobek could come to an outright declaration of love. Matt swallowed, warm gratitude bringing the hint of a smile. “I know.”
“Come here and let me show you.” Calloused fingers gripped his chin, pulling him into Kom’s kiss.
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His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.
Matthew Larsen should be happy.
Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan
determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined
possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will
reclaim him.
Nobek
Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance
of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect
future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t
protect someone against his nightmares.
Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss.
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