This chapter's not working so well. For some reason it won't post all of it. I'll have to work on it.
Alec felt soft lips against his and he moaned in pleasure. "Mmm... Satrina."
A familiar voice greeted him. "Guess again, baby."
Panic rushed his blood and Alec's eyes shot open. Full, pouty lips, brown hair and brown eyes filled his vision. "Max?" Sitting up quickly, which he instantly regretted due to the pounding in his head, he scooted away from her. Instinctively, his hand clutched the back of his head because of the pain.
"Alec," she purred his name.
"Oww... Max, what's going on?" Panic rose in his voice. "What am I doing here, why does my head hurt and where's my shirt?!"
She giggled and moved closer to him. "What do you think is going on? I was in heat and you helped me. Your head hurts because we got a little ... rough. Oh, and sorry about your shirt."
Alec glanced at her quickly. "What happened to my shirt?"
Tilting her head to the side, she let confusion settle on her face. "You don't remember?" And then her face lit up. "Of course you don't remember! After the workout we had last night, it's understandable. I got too excited and ripped it off." Leaning towards him, she went to kiss him, but he hastily got off the bed, arms flailing as he did.
He looked at Max like she had coaxed him into a deal with the devil. "We couldn't have done anything. I love Satrina and I wouldn't..."
"It wasn't her name you were screaming last night." Max lounged on her bed like it was no big deal.
Alec ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "What you're telling me can't be true! You hate me! And I love Satrina!"
Taking long strides and ignoring Max's snide comments, Alec b-lined to the door. When he flung the door open, he saw something he never expected to see at that moment.
"Satrina!" Alec practically shrieked.
He watched her take in his topless form and saw her eyes grow in horror. "Alec ... what are you doing here like that?"
"I can explain!" Alec raised his hands as if to prove they were clean.
She took a step back. "Did you ... did you sleep with Max?"
He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No, at least I don't think so." Tears glistened in her eyes which caused Alec's heart to break. Without thinking, his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to happen. Max was in heat and my body couldn't help it." It was then that he noticed tears coming from his own eyes. He felt so awful, he wept.
His sniffles reached Satrina's ears and she pulled back from his embrace. The instant she saw the tears, she regretted her and Max's plan and hated herself.
"Oh god, honey. No, no, don't cry! You didn't sleep with Max!"
He blinked. "What?"
Resting her hands on his chest, she explained it to him. "It was a joke. I'm sorry. After you dropped me off, you came here, but before you and Max got anywhere, Cindy hit you with a frying pan. You didn't do anything," she said feverishly.
"A joke?" It came out a whisper.
She put both hands on either side of his face. "I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't think you'd fall for it."
He stepped back. "A joke! It was a joke!"
Before he even got started on his rant, Max walked into the room. "Oh, quit your crying." She stood with her hands on her hips. "Satrina felt like you were mad at her, and when I told her I was in heat, she thought you had slept with me. I told her that nothing happened but she still felt betrayed. So, I thought this would make her feel better." Max went to the couch and flopped down on it. "God, you both love each other so much I could hurl."
Alec met Satrina's pleading eyes and smiled. That made her heart leap. "Forgive me?" she whispered.
"Only if you forgive me."
Smiling, her arms slithered around his waist. "You know, the next time something happens with Manticore or you genetics, tell me about it so I don't think you slept with another woman."
"Deal" And they sealed it with a kiss.
Max sighed disgustedly and rolled her eyes. She grabbed a pillow at and threw it at them. "You guys are sick! Get a room!"
They continued kissing, so Max continued yelling. "Hey, girl gonna lose her lunch over here." When they wouldn't stop, Max went over to them and slapped Alec in the back of the head. "Would you cut it out already! It's enough that I had to kiss you and see you without a shirt to add you two making out on top of it!"
Satrina laughed at Max. "Ah Max, how can you say that about this adorable looking man! He's just a teddy bear!"
Alec quirked an eyebrow at Satrina. "Just a teddy bear huh?"
A grin spread over her face. "Uh huh, a teddy bear for me to love," she drew him closer, "and pet." She began petting his well toned stomach.
Letting out an annoyed scream, Max ran to her bedroom and came back with Alec's shirt. She threw it at him hitting him square in the face. "That's it! You and you," she said pointing to both Alec and Satrina. "Out! I'm going to have nightmares now." She shooed them out of her apartment.
They laughed with each other as Max shoved them into the hall slamming the door behind them. Alec took Satrina's hand and kissed it. "I love you." He spoke the words to her with more honesty than he had ever said anything. "And I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."
A swell of love formed in her throat. Gently taking his other hand, she brought their hands to her chest. "Sometimes I just can't handle you. Did I ever tell you that not too long ago, I didn't think I was attractive or worthy of love? That's why, when you came to my apartment that first night, I really truly thought that I wasn't worthy of you. That I was beneath you and I could never mean anything to you."
Sorrow filled his eyes. "Satrina..."
She hushed him with a kiss. "Even though you told me that I was important to you, I really believed it when you came to save me when White kidnapped me. I didn't know if you would come for me. But the fact that you were willing to give up your freedom so I could live, that's the moment I fell in love with you."
He stroked the side of her face. "I fell in love with you the moment I thought I lost you."
"You will never loose me." Leaning in, she went to kiss him but was interrupted by yelling.
"Could you guys please get away from my door!" Max yelled though the door. "Leave! Go frolic in the park or something."
Rolling their eyes at the same time, they began walking down the hall. "So Alec," Satrina began.
"Yes?"
"When I first met you, you didn't think much of norms, or much of the world outside Manticore."
He nodded his head slowly. "Right."
"And," she continued, "I kinda thought that maybe you missed Manticore and you wanted to go back."
"I actually did."
Looking at him genuinely curious, she asked, "After all that's happened; working at Jam Pony, getting friends, loving me ... would you still go back, if possible?"
Their slow walk stopped abruptly as Alec turned to meet Satrina's gaze. In Manticore, he would have warm food, a nice bed and a clean place to live. But he would have to be their slave again. He wouldn't know freedom, fun or love. The outside world offered him everything Manticore couldn't. And he knew it.
Alec brought his hand to her hair, gently stroking it. "Never."
A soft smile curved her lips as she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Alright, sweet cheeks. Enough of the mushy stuff, let's go do something ... maybe something that involves mud."
He grinned down at her. "Or snow."
She matched his grin. "Exactly."
Alec felt soft lips against his and he moaned in pleasure. "Mmm... Satrina."
A familiar voice greeted him. "Guess again, baby."
Panic rushed his blood and Alec's eyes shot open. Full, pouty lips, brown hair and brown eyes filled his vision. "Max?" Sitting up quickly, which he instantly regretted due to the pounding in his head, he scooted away from her. Instinctively, his hand clutched the back of his head because of the pain.
"Alec," she purred his name.
"Oww... Max, what's going on?" Panic rose in his voice. "What am I doing here, why does my head hurt and where's my shirt?!"
She giggled and moved closer to him. "What do you think is going on? I was in heat and you helped me. Your head hurts because we got a little ... rough. Oh, and sorry about your shirt."
Alec glanced at her quickly. "What happened to my shirt?"
Tilting her head to the side, she let confusion settle on her face. "You don't remember?" And then her face lit up. "Of course you don't remember! After the workout we had last night, it's understandable. I got too excited and ripped it off." Leaning towards him, she went to kiss him, but he hastily got off the bed, arms flailing as he did.
He looked at Max like she had coaxed him into a deal with the devil. "We couldn't have done anything. I love Satrina and I wouldn't..."
"It wasn't her name you were screaming last night." Max lounged on her bed like it was no big deal.
Alec ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "What you're telling me can't be true! You hate me! And I love Satrina!"
Taking long strides and ignoring Max's snide comments, Alec b-lined to the door. When he flung the door open, he saw something he never expected to see at that moment.
"Satrina!" Alec practically shrieked.
He watched her take in his topless form and saw her eyes grow in horror. "Alec ... what are you doing here like that?"
"I can explain!" Alec raised his hands as if to prove they were clean.
She took a step back. "Did you ... did you sleep with Max?"
He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No, at least I don't think so." Tears glistened in her eyes which caused Alec's heart to break. Without thinking, his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to happen. Max was in heat and my body couldn't help it." It was then that he noticed tears coming from his own eyes. He felt so awful, he wept.
His sniffles reached Satrina's ears and she pulled back from his embrace. The instant she saw the tears, she regretted her and Max's plan and hated herself.
"Oh god, honey. No, no, don't cry! You didn't sleep with Max!"
He blinked. "What?"
Resting her hands on his chest, she explained it to him. "It was a joke. I'm sorry. After you dropped me off, you came here, but before you and Max got anywhere, Cindy hit you with a frying pan. You didn't do anything," she said feverishly.
"A joke?" It came out a whisper.
She put both hands on either side of his face. "I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't think you'd fall for it."
He stepped back. "A joke! It was a joke!"
Before he even got started on his rant, Max walked into the room. "Oh, quit your crying." She stood with her hands on her hips. "Satrina felt like you were mad at her, and when I told her I was in heat, she thought you had slept with me. I told her that nothing happened but she still felt betrayed. So, I thought this would make her feel better." Max went to the couch and flopped down on it. "God, you both love each other so much I could hurl."
Alec met Satrina's pleading eyes and smiled. That made her heart leap. "Forgive me?" she whispered.
"Only if you forgive me."
Smiling, her arms slithered around his waist. "You know, the next time something happens with Manticore or you genetics, tell me about it so I don't think you slept with another woman."
"Deal" And they sealed it with a kiss.
Max sighed disgustedly and rolled her eyes. She grabbed a pillow at and threw it at them. "You guys are sick! Get a room!"
They continued kissing, so Max continued yelling. "Hey, girl gonna lose her lunch over here." When they wouldn't stop, Max went over to them and slapped Alec in the back of the head. "Would you cut it out already! It's enough that I had to kiss you and see you without a shirt to add you two making out on top of it!"
Satrina laughed at Max. "Ah Max, how can you say that about this adorable looking man! He's just a teddy bear!"
Alec quirked an eyebrow at Satrina. "Just a teddy bear huh?"
A grin spread over her face. "Uh huh, a teddy bear for me to love," she drew him closer, "and pet." She began petting his well toned stomach.
Letting out an annoyed scream, Max ran to her bedroom and came back with Alec's shirt. She threw it at him hitting him square in the face. "That's it! You and you," she said pointing to both Alec and Satrina. "Out! I'm going to have nightmares now." She shooed them out of her apartment.
They laughed with each other as Max shoved them into the hall slamming the door behind them. Alec took Satrina's hand and kissed it. "I love you." He spoke the words to her with more honesty than he had ever said anything. "And I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."
A swell of love formed in her throat. Gently taking his other hand, she brought their hands to her chest. "Sometimes I just can't handle you. Did I ever tell you that not too long ago, I didn't think I was attractive or worthy of love? That's why, when you came to my apartment that first night, I really truly thought that I wasn't worthy of you. That I was beneath you and I could never mean anything to you."
Sorrow filled his eyes. "Satrina..."
She hushed him with a kiss. "Even though you told me that I was important to you, I really believed it when you came to save me when White kidnapped me. I didn't know if you would come for me. But the fact that you were willing to give up your freedom so I could live, that's the moment I fell in love with you."
He stroked the side of her face. "I fell in love with you the moment I thought I lost you."
"You will never loose me." Leaning in, she went to kiss him but was interrupted by yelling.
"Could you guys please get away from my door!" Max yelled though the door. "Leave! Go frolic in the park or something."
Rolling their eyes at the same time, they began walking down the hall. "So Alec," Satrina began.
"Yes?"
"When I first met you, you didn't think much of norms, or much of the world outside Manticore."
He nodded his head slowly. "Right."
"And," she continued, "I kinda thought that maybe you missed Manticore and you wanted to go back."
"I actually did."
Looking at him genuinely curious, she asked, "After all that's happened; working at Jam Pony, getting friends, loving me ... would you still go back, if possible?"
Their slow walk stopped abruptly as Alec turned to meet Satrina's gaze. In Manticore, he would have warm food, a nice bed and a clean place to live. But he would have to be their slave again. He wouldn't know freedom, fun or love. The outside world offered him everything Manticore couldn't. And he knew it.
Alec brought his hand to her hair, gently stroking it. "Never."
A soft smile curved her lips as she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Alright, sweet cheeks. Enough of the mushy stuff, let's go do something ... maybe something that involves mud."
He grinned down at her. "Or snow."
She matched his grin. "Exactly."