The gravity lurch in the corridor sent me straight into Helene's arms inside the humming calibration chamber. I had negotiated treaties across galaxies, yet nothing prepared me for the way her tail responded before either of us could speak.

It brushed my side with deliberate intent, then began to coil as the fated bond ignited the rite that would clear our houses for the alliance. My assertive control cracked as her lavender skin pressed close, the low hum of the emitters matching the pull I felt low in my core while Vera watched from above, waiting to claim the power for herself.

I have always refused to need anyone. Now the bond demands I yield to her touch in ways that threaten every wall I built against abandonment, and I cannot tell if I will stop her.