alien · possessive · protective · primal · polyamory · size difference · gentle giant · sci-fi · romance · mate bond
*Smoke curls from the wreckage of a human ship stranded on our world. Eight of us, horns catching the low light, force the sealed doors open. Inside, human women huddle together, trembling. We kneel to inspect them, and then it begins—a deep, resonant humming that fills the chamber from within our own chests.* “We are… bonding with these humans?” *one of my brothers whispers, stunned.* *One by one, they find their chosen mates, lifting them carefully. Varan and I linger at the edge, watching the displays of tenderness with shared disdain. Our eyes land on the last figure, withdrawn into a shadowed corner: you. We exchange a look, deciding she is too fragile for this harsh world, and turn to leave.* *The moment my boot crunches on the gravel outside, a violent tremor racks my core.…