The forest was a blur of shadows and muted colors as Garrus carried Katie through the night. His pace never slowed. The weight of her in his arms was a constant reminder of how close he'd come to losing her.

Hours passed, marked only by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the rustle of leaves beneath his feet. The dense undergrowth gradually thinned, giving way to rockier terrain. The change in landscape was a welcome sight—it meant they were moving into higher ground, potentially safer territory.

As the first hints of dawn began to color the sky, a new sound reached Garrus's hearing: running water. The turian adjusted his course, heading directly towards the source. After a short trek, he found himself standing at the edge of a small mountain river, its clear waters flowing swiftly downstream.

Garrus's mandibles flared slightly in a smile. This was exactly what they needed. The river would help mask scents and cover tracks, making it much harder for anyone to follow. Without hesitation, he stepped into the shallow part of the stream, the icy water lapping at his ankles.

Garrus didn't feel the cold, he didn't feel anything but her. Katie had fallen into an exhausted sleep in his arms. Her face was tucked against his chest plate, her breathing steady and even.

He kept walking upstream. When he felt they'd put enough distance between themselves and potential pursuers, he began looking for a suitable place to rest. The turian needed to get some sleep as well and wanted to find somewhere defensible where they could stay safely.

As the sun began to rise in the north, he spotted a promising location. A cluster of rocks jutted out from the riverbank, surrounded by thick bushes that would provide excellent cover. He stepped out of the water, feet numb from the cold, and made his way towards the natural shelter.

Pushing aside some of the vegetation, Garrus discovered that the rocks and bushes formed a sort of green cave, spacious enough for both of them to fit in comfortably. It was perfect—easily defensible and well-hidden from prying eyes.

With great care, he lowered Katie onto the soft moss within their new shelter. She stirred slightly at the movement but didn't wake. Garrus took a moment to look at his human. Her face was peaceful in sleep. The lines of worry and fear that had become all too familiar were smoothed away.

He laid down beside her, feeling a surge of emotion he was too exhausted to explore. With a gentleness that was so unlike him, Garrus brushed a strand of hair from Katie's face. The alienness of her beauty struck him once again not as something to question, but as something that made perfect sense—as natural as breathing. And like breathing, it lulled him gently as sleep began to claim him, her warmth and soft sounds beside him a comfort he never knew he needed.

It was late morning when Garrus awoke. The first thing he noticed was Katie's absence, her scent faint but still present. Panic gripped him, his military training kicking in as he reached for his weapon. Had someone found them? Had she been taken while he slept?

He burst out of their shelter, eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of threat or struggle. That's when he saw her, walking towards him from the direction of the river. Katie's tunic was clutched in her hand, dripping water onto the rocky ground. Her hair was wet, clinging to her neck and shoulders in a way that looked oddly appealing.

"Garrus," she said softly, her voice a mixture of surprise and something he couldn't identify.

The sound of his name on her lips sent a strange flutter through his chest, but he pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the more pressing matter at hand.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice tight with concern. "Are you alright?"

Comprehension dawned on Katie's face, quickly followed by a flush of guilt that colored her cheeks a deep red. "Yes... I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up. You slept so peacefully."

The tension drained from Garrus's body at her words and the gentle smile that accompanied them. She was safe. He took in her appearance—her wet hair, the soaked tunic in her hands.

As if reading his thoughts, Katie said, her smile turning shy, "Just needed to clean up. It's been a while."

He could smell the difference. She washed away most of the smells that gathered on her skin and in her hair, leaving only one. Her own. His gaze involuntarily traveled down her body, taking in the sight of her in nothing but the small black undergarments humans favored. It was more of Katie than he knew he needed to see, and though he'd seen her like this before, the sight stirred something in him that grew harder to ignore with each passing day.

The smooth expanse of her skin, so different from turian plates, fascinated him. The curves of her body, alien yet somehow alluring, drew his eye in a way that both confused and excited. His talons itched to trace those soft contours again, remembering exactly how her skin felt beneath his touch.

Realizing the direction of his thoughts, Garrus quickly averted his gaze, feeling a heat rise in his neck that had nothing to do with the morning sun. When he looked back at Katie's face, he noticed a flush in her cheeks that mirrored his own discomfort. Shit. He had made her uncomfortable with his staring. But there was something else in her expression, a fleeting look that he was unable to decipher. It was gone before he could analyze it further, leaving him with a sense of missed opportunity.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Garrus stepped aside to let Katie pass. He held the vines apart for her, a gesture of chivalry that felt both natural and slightly ridiculous given their circumstances. As she slipped into their shelter, he followed.

It looked like a huge hollow bush, Katie thought. A bubble of vines, and rock, and leaves, with enough space for both of them. Her eyes scanned around it pensively, searching for a spot to hang her tunic to dry. She threw it over one of the branches. Then she took her wet hair in her hands and started squeezing out the excess water. He observed her curiously, never moving a muscle, his strange avian eyes alert and focused. Katie realized he was watching her and blushed. Turians had no hair, and those pointy spikes growing on their heads were nothing like it. He looked composed, almost relaxed, but his eyes… They were restless, searching hers. What she saw in them was overwhelming in its intensity, like staring into a sun. Katie swallowed hard.

"I probably look pretty weird to you," she said, attempting to break the tension with a nervous laugh.

Garrus tilted his head, considering her words. "Not weird," he said after a moment. "Just different... In a good way," he added hastily, not wanting her to misunderstand.

His words seemed to ease her somewhat, but there was still a charged energy in the air. He found himself unable to look away, drinking in every detail of her appearance. The way water droplets clung to her skin, catching the filtered light. The subtle shift of muscles beneath that soft, puff flesh. The depths of her violet eyes, so expressive and unlike anything he'd seen in his own species.

Before he was fully aware of what he was doing, Garrus closed the distance between them. His hands found her waist, the feel of her warm skin against his palms sending a jolt through his body. Katie shivered at his touch but didn't pull away. Encouraged, he leaned in closer, bringing his forehead to rest against hers in a turian kiss.

Her eyes closed at the contact. When she opened them again, Garrus saw her pupils dilate. And suddenly he knew what it meant. The realization triggered something primal in him, a response so deeply ingrained in turian biology that he acted on pure instinct. His chest expanded, muscles flexing beneath his plates in an unconscious display of his male strength and virility to his female. A mating dance.

One thought eclipsed all others, the same one that he now realized had been haunting him long before he dared admit it. The question that both tormented and sustained him, that had carved itself into the very core of his being: Was she his?

His hand slid to the small of Katie's back, pulling her closer until he could feel the heat of her body against his bare torso. The way she looked at him in that moment made Garrus's heart race. Her eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of wonder and doubt that he'd never seen directed at him before. He felt his plates shifting, his body responding to hers in ways he never before thought possible with a human.

Her lips parted as she drew in a shaky breath, human scent changing to something that made his head spin. It was intoxicating, this new dimension to her familiar smell. He wanted to lose himself in it, to explore it fully.

But then, as quickly as it had appeared, that look in Katie's eyes vanished. In its place, Garrus saw something that made his blood run cold—fear.

She pulled away from him. "I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Katie?" Garrus reached for her confused.

"No!" The word burst from her with unexpected force, causing him to freeze in place.

He watched a myriad of emotions play across her face. Uncertainty, longing, and above all, a crushing resistance that wasn't hard to understand. She took another step back, her body pressing against the leafy walls of their shelter as if trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

"I can't," she repeated, her voice breaking. "This... us... it's not possible. It's not right."

Garrus felt as if he'd been struck. "Katie, I—"

She cut him off, her words sharp with panic. "You're a turian," she said more to herself, then to him. "We're supposed to be enemies, not... not whatever this is."

She gestured frantically between them, her breathing coming in short, rapid gasps. Garrus took a step towards her, his hands outstretched in a calming gesture.

But his approach only seemed to agitate her further.

She was confused, thoughts racing wildly as the body started to shake. The look on his face was just too much. She felt trapped, unable to breathe. So Katie did the only thing she could. With a strangled sob, she pushed past him and out of the shelter, leaving Garrus standing alone, surrounded by the scent of her fear.

For a long moment, he remained rooted in place, trying to process what had just happened. Every instinct screamed to chase after her, but the rational part of his brain told him to give the female space. His talons clenched and unclenched as he fought against his own nature, eyes fixed on where she had disappeared.

He felt it all. Her fear, her dismay. The utter confusion on her face was his own. The terror of letting these feelings take you whole was something he knew so well.

But there was something else, lurking beneath the tumultuous surface. Subtle human signs, nuances he couldn't figure out. Until now. Like pieces of a puzzle finally falling into place, realization dawned on him with blinding clarity.

She was his. All of her.

Hesitation shattered like glass, Garrus strode after her.

Katie stood in the shallow part of the river, arms wrapped tightly around herself. The cold water lapped at her ankles, but she welcomed it. She preferred the cold. It was better than feeling everything else.

"Katie..." he called softly, not wanting to startle her.

She turned sharply at the sound of his voice. Tears streaked her cheeks, glistening in morning sun like tiny crystals. "Don't," she pleaded, raising a hand as if to ward him off. "Don't come any closer. Please."

But Garrus couldn't stop. He took another step forward, his eyes filled with concern and a warmth that belied the tension of the moment. "It's okay..." he began, trying to reassure her.

"No!" Katie's voice rose. "There is nothing okay about this!"

Her face contorted in what looked like physical pain. The sight tore at Garrus's heart, making him ache to comfort her.

"Just get out of the water," he said gently, taking another careful step towards the river's edge. "It's too cold."

A sob escaped her as she looked down at her feet. Garrus seized the opportunity, extending his hands.

"Come here," he coaxed, his voice low and soothing. "Come to me."

For a long moment, Katie remained frozen in place. Then, slowly, as if moving through a dream, she reached out.

The turian took her hand gently. With infinite care, he pulled her towards him, guiding her out of the frigid water.

"Garrus..." Katie's voice was barely a whisper, filled with a vulnerability that made his protective instincts flare.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth. To his relief and joy, she didn't resist, instead melting into him.

"I know," he murmured softly, his subvocals purring with comfort and reassurance. "I got you."

Katie's body shook with another sob. "I don't... I don't know what to do..."

In response, Garrus lifted her effortlessly. Her arms encircled his neck as if holding on for dear life.

"Stay with me, Katie," he said, dual-tones caressing her senses. "Just stay in my arms."

She nodded into his chest. It seemed simple enough. She could do that.

He carried her away from the water, sinking down on the river bank. Something settled in him then, a peace he didn't know he was lacking. All he needed was right here—her warmth seeping into his plates, her weight in his arms, real and alive and his. His beautiful human. His Katie.

The last of her sobs faded into silence as violet eyes met his. Time seemed to slow, each heartbeat stretching into infinity as they held that fragile moment between them. Then, hesitantly, her hand rose to trace the blue lines on his plated turian face, caressed his mandibles, making them twitch. Her many fingers went lower, to the softer hide of his neck. Garrus stilled instinctively, eyes fixed on hers, as her gentle touch moved closer to his throat. A low keening sound found a way out of his chest, and his mandibles went slack. His head cocked to the side exposing the throat. For her. He was hers, if she wanted him. Did she?

In one breathless moment, she closed the distance between them, her lips finding his mouth plates. It was an intimate human gesture, he could tell. Unlike his, her mouth was malleable, moving in the most unimaginable way, making soft wet sounds as it did. Whatever it was, he didn't want her to stop. He made a high-pitched trilling sound. His subvocals purring for her, urging to keep going.

Katie could tell he liked it. She pulled away to look at him, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"What was that?" he asked quietly.

"A human kiss," she answered, and he grumbled softly. "Do you like it?"

"Hard to tell," he drew. "It ended too soon."

She smiled at him, but before she could even answer, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth plates back to her lips, imitating her gesture as best he could. And she gave him what he wanted—more. Her lips moved across his plates with unbelievable subtlety, each gentle press sending sparks through his nervous system. Garrus could feel her kissing getting more confident, more passionate, her breath coming in little gasps against him that made his plates shift with need. When she opened her mouth slightly, he mirrored her action, curious if humans too used their tongues like turians did. Her lips found the edges of his mouth plates first, exploring their texture in a way that made his mandibles flutter.

Then the tip of her wet human tongue found his, and he tasted her. Spirits alive and beyond! Her taste. Garrus growled into her mouth, as his prehensile appendage darted inside, exploring feverishly and insatiably. That wasn't the tip of her tongue, he quickly realized, that was all of it. So small and soft, and nimble. His own was way longer in comparison. He was snarling and panting into her, as he couldn't get enough of her taste. His hands were moving along her body uncontrollably, relishing in the divine softness of her skin. He could barely hold his plate seam from opening.

Her own hands moved to the back of his head, gently pulling at his fringe, making him ecstatic as she was so close to where he needed her to go. When her fingers finally found that one sweet spot under his fringe and caressed it, his turian body trembled with pleasure. Garrus growled his need and breathed more of her in, feeling her scent change. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel his head spinning more with every breath he took.

"Sweet spirits, what's that smell coming off you?"

"What?"

"Is that…?" he paused. "Are you aroused?"

Her face flushed, but her eyes never left his. He saw them dilate. The scent of his female aroused was now forever imprinted into his subconscious mind.

She kissed him feverishly, her body writing against his in ways that made him burn from the inside. Every point of contact between them was electricity, her curves pressing and moving in a rhythm that threatened his sanity. Garrus wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing to him, if she understood how each little sound that escaped her lips was unraveling his control. When she started moaning into him softly, something primal stirred in his chest. It was all too much—her heat, her scent, her trust. She was too much.

His plates finally shifted and he emerged from within. Unplated for her. Legs spread wider in a turian mating habit, as he was instinctively showing his female what he had to offer. She felt him. Her body shivered. And Garrus realized he was suddenly very self-conscious. He didn't know how she'd react. Would she even want to—

He gasped when her hand moved to his crotch and cupped it gently through the fabric of his undergarments.

The bulge of his groin made her eyes widen as realization struck her. Garrus watched every subtle shift, every micro-movement in her expressive face, searching desperately for any trace of fear or hesitation. Self-doubt clawed at him—was he too big for her human body? Would he hurt her? The thought of causing her pain made his chest ache. And yet... would that stop him if she asked for more? Did he want her so badly that he'd risk it? The answer thundered through him, visceral and undeniable—yes, he fucking did. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life, more than breath itself. But the thought of her seeing him, really seeing how alien he was... His mandibles tightened with anxiety. He knew he was very different from human males, knew how foreign and potentially frightening his body might appear to her.

But she didn't look. Instead, her body pressed harder against him, moving with an instinct older than thought. His face found the crook of her neck, where her scent was strongest, and his rough prehensile tongue snaked out to taste her skin, drawing a soft moan from her throat while he explored, swirling behind her ear where her pulse thundered against his touch. A light sheen had started forming on her skin, and the sweet, sharp taste of human sweat hit his senses like a drug. Garrus grunted as his chest erupted in a deep rumble, growing louder with each passing moment.

His subvocals were warning the female, telling her to submit, unless she wanted him to be rough and forceful. Most turian females would welcome it, prefer it even. Their plated bodies were made for such passionate violence, designed to take whatever force a male could deliver. But nother. Spirits, not his Katie. The soft, delicate form beneath his talons was a constant reminder of how easily he could damage it. Garrus fought against his own nature, struggling to maintain control. It was the hardest battle he'd ever fought.

He rolled her on her back with fluid grace, movements precise despite the thunder in his blood. His keel bone pressed down against her, carefully measured pressure that let her feel the weight of her mate. The dominant part of his brain was screaming now, demanding to let loose, to claim, to possess. More growls and snarling sounds escaped his impatient body.

Garrus felt her hands roam his broad chest, thin fingers finding their way deep into spaces between his plates, touching the sensitive hide beneath in ways he'd never known possible. No turian could touch like this—their talons too sharp for such delicate exploration. Each gentle press of her fingers made his body ache with need. His own hands traced down her curves, memorizing every dip and swell, as his grey tongue lapped at the tender flesh of her neck and collar bone. The way she responded to him was maddening—every touch drawing out little gasps and shivers, her body writhing in his hands like she was made for them. She was so sensitive, so alive beneath him.

Garrus gripped at her tiny shorts, a frustrated snarl escaping him, and pulled them down in one fluid motion. She gasped at his urgency, but made no move to stop him, her body arching to help him instead. The scent of her want crashed over him then, pure and unfiltered, no longer muted by the thin fabric. His touch went down, below her stomach to the apex of her thighs. Her breathing hitched, and she tensed at the contact. She was unplated. That's how she was all the time, he suddenly realized. Always open and exposed. His hand felt her gentle folds and traced them carefully with fingers, minding the claws. She was soft down there. Even softer then everywhere else. How could this even be? And, Spirits, she was so wet. So foreign to him. Turian females were all heat, friction and resistance, a battle of plates and edges. Males had to ease the way in themselves, providing all the lubrication required for the initial penetration. After that, it was pure intensity, a savage dance of ridge against ridge. Like striking sparks from a flint, until a spark big enough could set it all ablaze.

She was so different. Her sheath was too soft, too delicate against his touch, like something he could damage with a single wrong move. As he caressed her gentle human folds, her hips rose to meet his touch, drawing a rumble from his chest. The scent of her need spiked anew, and he breathed it in until his head spun. Her smell, her taste was suddenly not enough anymore. He wanted more. Needed more, needed all of her. He loosened his pants and let himself free, then spread her legs wider, drawn closer to her heat.

She felt willing, looked like she was going to submit. But her subvocals remained silent. He didn't know the human signs.

"Katie," he growled, voice shaking with self-control. "I need you. Let me be inside of you."

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze, and whispered one single word held both permission and trust, "Slowly."

And that's how he took her. Slowly. His sharp angular hips rocked into her core. The turian and the human moaned in unison at the sensation. He was moving carefully, gradually thrusting more and more of him inside of her heated sheath. Spirits, she was tight, so tight. Her sounds were driving him wild, all he wanted was to go faster, more forcefully. But he was terrified of hurting her. He could feel he was big for her, could feel her stretching around him as he was getting even girthier at the base. With one final thrust he buried himself into her to the hilt. The sound she made then struck through him like lightning—unreadable. Her hands gripped desperately at his cowl, and fear clawed at his chest. Was it pain in that sound? Was he too much for her? Garrus froze inside of his mate, terrified to move, every muscle locked as he gave her time to adjust.

"Did I hurt you?" he was breathless.

"No," she answered, her voice low and so irresistible.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No. I don't want you to stop."

Her words sent him reeling and he gave her what she wanted. Who was he to deny his female. Garrus started slow, picking up his pace. Grunting louder now, getting more vicious with every thrust. She was so different from turian females. She had no ridges, she didn't need them. He never felt anything so tight. Her walls squeezed him, gripped at him, pulled him in. So unlike anything he ever knew.

Soon they were both gasping. Her sounds got louder. Mixed with her roused scent they were driving him insane. It was getting hard to concentrate. Garrus tried to stay in control of his predator instincts, but the dominant part of his brain was taking over. It was unavoidable in every mating, something he could not stop or control. An intrinsic part of his male turian biology. He was grabbing her by the waist, holding her in place for him to pound. Talons dug deeper into her soft flesh, his thrusts were getting more aggressive, more forceful, his eyes went completely black.

Katie opened hers to look at him. He was unhinged and wild, his growls were feral, animalistic. She knew she had to be afraid, but wasn't. His hold on her got almost painful, but instead of tensing in his arms she relaxed into them even more. A loud possessive snarl escaped his heaving chest as the turian felt his female submitting.

He finally said what he had been thinking for so long, "Mine."

Garrus started mating her in proper, pounding inside of her fiercely, making her cry out with every thrust. Her heartbeat grew faster, her grip on his arms and chest more urgent. Her blunt human nails dug deep into his hide, making him hiss, adding much wanted pain into his pleasure. Her body started shaking, but not the way he had felt so many times before.

"Garrus…" she moaned his name in a way he immediately came to adore.

He couldn't answer. His heart slammed against his rib crest with such force he thought it might crack. Mandibles hung slack and twitching, mouth falling open in pure turian shock. He couldn't explain what was going on right now. Never imagined pleasure could be so complete, so devastating.

Then it happened. Her back suddenly arched, heaving her chest upwards, pressing it even more into his keel. Her throat strained with a loud mewl of pure bliss. The scent of her climax hit his nostrils. The second it came, her body shook with waves of it. Her walls suddenly gripped at him, convulsing, and Garrus almost cried out in surprise. How was this even possible? Was she even doing this or did he imagine it? It was madness, pure madness, and it was all too much.

Her body sent him over the edge, and Garrus erupted loud and hard. He barely had time to pull out of her, split second before he started spilling on the ground beneath them. He grabbed himself, stroking violently, every movement sending waves of aftershocks across his body, making him spill more of his seed. He was stroking and growling like a wild beast for what seemed like forever, until the sensation finally died down. Still shaking and panting, he looked down at his mate. She was pretty much the same. Her eyes were closed, mouth opened with labored breaths, face flushed with signs of her pleasure. And at that moment, she was the most beautiful he'd ever seen her.

She climaxed so fast, he thought. Was that normal for humans? Since females could only come once per an encounter, turian males learned to prolong the mating act and come as many times as possible before their mate finished, such was the nature's design. Garrus thought, it was a shame he couldn't make Katie last longer, but he didn't know the human signs to draw it out for her. In any case, he managed to pleasure his female, he knew that much. And that was the most important thing. Spirits, her pleasure… It was almost tangible in the air. Garrus purred.

The female was tired and ready for nesting. His arms went beneath her, scooping her relaxed limp body of the ground, as he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. His chest kept purring for her. In the absence of a proper nest, his body warmth would be enough.

"Why are your eyes like that?" he finally asked.

She was laying on him, her cheek pressed against his chest plates, warm breath ghosting across the hide. His hand moved through her hair, fascinated as always by its alien softness. It was a perfect day—warm sun, gentle breeze, the sound of water flowing past mingling with rustling leaves. Peaceful. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this... complete.

Katie's fingers traced idle patterns across his plates, and he knew she could feel the contentment rumbling through him, the steady vibration of his subvocals speaking what words couldn't express. She looked up at him then, those remarkable eyes catching the sunlight as she smiled a soft smile.

"It's a genetic mutation. A very rare one. Humans who were born in the Dobrovalski colony in Hades Nexus, Pamyat System, would sometimes have it."

Garrus had never heard of it. There was no reason why he should have. He knew next to nothing about human colonies and their environmental effects on her people.

"It was a small mining planet, controlled by Altai Mineral Works," she continued. "Rich in element zero, which still remained undiscovered by my people at the time. So they were mostly mining aluminum. Some colonists got exposed to large amounts of dust-form eezo which caused biotic mutation. In some cases, the side effects included the change of eye color."

It explained a lot, Garrus thought. That's what made her such a powerful biotic. Humans were very adaptive. Similar to other species, they developed element zero nodules throughout their nervous systems and could generate mass effect fields by mere brain impulses. But there was a key difference—some humans, like her, didn't need amplifier implants that most biotics across the galaxy depended on to enhance and control their powers. It was no wonder Theia wanted her so bad.

"So there are more people with eyes like that?" he asked. She was the first one he ever met.

"Not too many, one in every three hundred or so colonists had it. And the colony was not that big…"

"Were you born on Dobrovalski?"

"No," she said, turning her face away. "My mom was. I got them from her…" Her voice trailed off into sadness.

He could feel there was an unpleasant memory there. Garrus didn't want his mate to go in it, so instead he started brushing the skin on her back with his fingers, making it crawl. He liked how her body reacted to his touch. Thousands of tiniest bumps—goosebumps, she called them—were rushing to the surface, standing at attention from a simple contact. So responsive.

She suddenly shifted on top of him, as if in discomfort. "Garrus…"

He looked down at her.

"The sun… It burns."

Fuck. Garrus sat up so sharply that she let out a startled squeak. He'd completely lost himself in her. What time was it? Almost noon. The Lindor sun was climbing towards its zenith. No omni-tool to warn him with its faithful 'beep'. Stupid, careless turian! His heart clenched as he checked her skin for burns. Had she felt it in time? He scooped her up in his arms, all urgent protective instinct and awkward concern. As he turned to carry her away from the dangerous sunlight, something caught his eye. He paused, then bent down to retrieve her tiny human shorts.

She giggled at his fumbling care. He loved that sound.