PROJECT: CAYRO

Cayro Bracton:

September 5, 2025

19:37 CST

Zaraki Mansion

Cedar Rapids IA.

Star stood beside me, tears tracing their way down her cheeks, each drop a testament to the shock and turmoil of the last two days. Hell, who am I kidding? I was in shock too. A few weeks ago, I was just an ordinary guy, hoping to live an ordinary life. Now? I’m a re-engineered human, thrown headfirst into a rebel group, caught up with a girl I’ve fallen for, who I had to rescue by embracing the fate my father laid out for me—becoming something more than human. In the span of a heartbeat, I killed two people, got stabbed, escaped an enemy ship, almost had sex in a skycar, traveled to the one place I’ve always wanted to see, and, to top it all off, became a co-owner of one of the most advanced research companies in North America. It’s a lot to process. I’m eighteen, barely out of high school, and I feel like I’ve crammed a lifetime’s worth of experience into just a few weeks. So, yeah, I get what Star is feeling right now.

I’d say this is all a dream, but I’m sitting shirtless on the plush carpet of Star’s bedroom in her father’s mansion, with an aching shoulder that’s a constant reminder that this is very real. At this point, if a werewolf crashed through the bedroom window, I wouldn’t even blink.

My mind finally just... broke down. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just sat there, staring at the wall, numb. All the excitement about being at SkyTeam Aerospace Foundation? Gone. I was too overwhelmed to care.

It wasn’t long before Star moved into my line of sight, leaning down to check on me. She pushed her hands into my hair, stepping into my personal space, and straddled me. She didn’t say anything at first—just sat there in my lap, her eyes searching mine, trying to figure out what was going on inside my head. I locked onto her gaze, feeling the steadying effect of her presence as she ran her fingers through my hair. She was my anchor, keeping me grounded in the middle of this chaotic storm.

Closing my eyes, I leaned my forehead against hers, letting the sensation of her hands in my hair wash over me. She tugged at my hair, pulling my head back slightly, and then I felt her lips press against mine. The softness of her lips sent a jolt of exhilaration through me. I leaned into her, wrapping my good arm around her waist, pulling her tight against me. Her tongue grazed my lips, seeking entry, and without a second thought, I opened my mouth to her. Our tongues met, moving slowly against each other, and a soft mew escaped her lips, driving me wild. She tasted of home, of fresh, salty air, and I wanted more.

Her legs wrapped around my hips, and she began to rock against me, her scent shifting from the soothing sweetness I adored to something darker, more primal—cherries and musk, with a hint of bitter chocolate. The change in her scent, signaling her arousal, pushed a growl from deep within me. As it rumbled out, she responded with those sweet, beautiful mews, setting my blood on fire.

I slid my hand up under her shirt, dragging my fingers slowly up her waist and around her back. Her reaction was immediate. She broke our kiss with a husky moan, rocking her hips hard into mine. Her hands dropped to my shoulders, gripping me tightly, causing a spike of pain to shoot through my injured shoulder. I grunted but held her close as she slumped against me, shaking and breathing heavily. Leaning my head into the crook of her neck, I held her, feeling the heat of our shared moment.

“Are you okay?” I asked her softly, my voice rough with the lingering intensity.

She nodded against me, her breath still shaky.

“Did you mean for that to happen?” I asked, responding to her nod.

She shook her head slightly, her hair falling forward to hide her face. I gently lifted her chin so I could see her, her cheeks glowing bright red with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go that far. I just wanted to kiss you,” she apologized in a small voice.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. Hell, it was more than okay—it was amazing. I could feel my own arousal straining against the confines of my armor. If it wasn’t for the damn suit acting as a barrier, I was pretty sure things would have gone even further. To be honest, I wanted to go further.

“What was that? It just overwhelmed me all at once,” she whispered, trying to hide her face again.

“I think you came from rubbing against me,” I explained, fighting back the grin that was threatening to take over my face.

“Came? What do you mean?” she asked, cocking her head slightly.

“You orgasmed,” I replied, unable to hold back the grin any longer.

“Oh… I’ve never experienced that before,” she admitted, her blush deepening.

“Really?” I asked with a smirk. She nodded, looking down and letting her hair fall over her face again. My heart swelled at how shy she was—it was incredibly cute.

Summoning my strength, I pushed myself to my feet, lifting her up with my good arm. At first, she tried to stand on her own, but I clasped her ass with my hand, pulling her tightly against my waist. She got the message and wrapped her legs around me, using one arm to hold her upper body close to mine. I carried her into the en suite bathroom, flipping on the light before setting her down on the vanity counter. Releasing her, I turned toward the shower, adjusting the faucet to warm before engaging the shower. Placing a finger to her lips, I indicated for her to wait. Her eyes met mine, flaring with that brilliant amethyst spark. A devious grin spread across her face before she grabbed my wrist, preventing me from leaving, and then—she bit my finger.

Before I could react, I watched and felt her lips wrap around my digit, sucking on it softly. Pushing my wrist away, she let go with a soft pop, licking her lips slowly. My mind went completely blank, the whole act sending a shockwave through me. Before I could do anything in return, she pushed against my chest.

“Go and get our stuff,” she growled playfully.

I stood there for a moment, trying to kick-start my brain again. The stuff… Our stuff… The bags in the bedroom… That’s right, I was going to get our belongings. Leaving her on the counter, I retrieved both of our bags from the bedroom and returned to the en suite. She was still sitting where I left her, that devious grin still on her face as I placed the bags down on the floor by the door.

The next thing I knew, she was standing behind me, her hands sliding up my back, sending chills up my spine. She traced the scars on my back with her fingers, her touch light and tender. When she reached my stab wound, she stopped and gently began pulling back the bandages. As she removed them, I heard her let out a soft gasp.

“It’s nearly closed, Cayro,” she said, her voice tinged with surprise.

Looking over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of her eyes as she studied my wound.

“It still hurts like hell,” I admitted.

“It probably will for the next couple of days, but it’s healing quickly,” she replied, leaning in to kiss the wound.

The touch of her lips did more than any painkiller ever could, dulling the pain and stoking the flames that were already burning through my body. I felt the soft pad of her tongue graze across the wound as she let out a low growl. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Her scent shifted, becoming darker, tinged with a sharp metallic tang that melded with the scent of her arousal. It was a strange mix, cooling the fire in my veins just enough to notice.

I turned to look at her. Her face was etched with anger, a fierceness I hadn’t expected. The tang in her scent was anger, pure and seething.

“I’m going to kill that bitch if I ever see her again,” she growled, her voice husky with rage.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise at her crass words. Normally, I’d say something to calm her down, but seeing her like this, so fiercely protective, was seriously heating me up. She wanted to protect me as much as I wanted to protect her. I’d always seen her as the one I needed to shield, the weaker one. But the woman standing in front of me wasn’t weak. She wanted revenge for what had been done to me. Is this what it would be like to have her in my life permanently? The two of us, fighting to protect each other?

As I watched, she knelt and began unlatching my boots from the lower portion of my armor. She tugged each boot off carefully, tossing them over her shoulder without a second thought. Each one landed with a hard metallic thud against the ceramic tile floor. It didn’t take her long to figure out the latches of my armor. Before I knew it, she was peeling different parts of the armor off. It clung to my skin, almost like it was glued to me. Each time a piece left my body, goosebumps pebbled across my skin as the cool air hit, followed by the warmth of the steam from the shower. It wasn’t long before all that was left was the pelvic piece, barely concealing my straining arousal. She was about to have me completely exposed in front of her.

“Star…” I groaned softly, her thoughts flooding my mind. She wanted to see me—her thoughts were sure and determined. She reached up and unlatched the last two pieces holding the remaining armor in place. It fell to the floor with a heavy thud, leaving me completely exposed.

She continued to kneel in front of me, looking up at me. You know, most guys fantasize about this kind of situation in high school—standing here, completely exposed in front of the woman I was head over heels for. But instead of feeling triumphant, I was more nervous than a chihuahua stuck in a snowstorm. Part of my brain was screaming no—the part that was taught to be respectful, to protect women. But the other part, the feral part, was screaming yes, and it was winning. It didn’t help that her thoughts were swirling in my head, that part of my mind where she now resided. She loved what she saw standing in front of her.

The scent of her arousal intensified as she took me all in. Standing up, she dragged her nails up my thighs, past my thick, hardened arousal, up to my abs, finally stopping at my chest. Involuntarily, I let out a low growl of pleasure as she explored me with her hands.

“My turn, Master Bracton,” she growled in a sultry tone, her voice sending a shiver down my spine. She took my hands and placed them at the hem of her shirt. I was at a loss for words, but I did as she asked, slowly pulling her shirt up, snagging her bra along with it. As I pulled both off together, I was left speechless. She was the most beautiful being I had ever seen—a goddess among men. Her alabaster skin sheathed her sculpted, tight muscles, which stretched across her slim frame. Her hourglass figure led from her tight hips up to her full, ample breasts, peaked with soft pink nipples that seemed to beg for my touch.

She lifted her arms above her head, clasping her hands behind it. The motion caused her breasts to heave up, making them jut out toward me. A wicked smile stretched across her face as she spoke again.

“You aren’t done yet, love,” she teased playfully.

Taking the hint, I knelt down and untied her boots, slipping each one off, followed by her socks. Unlike her, I neatly placed them to the side next to our bags before looking back up at her. She was still standing in that same position, beaming down at me. Her eyes flared brightly, just above the sight of her breasts, and the whole image was breathtaking.

Reaching up to her waistband, I unfastened the rigger’s belt that held her pants up, then popped the button. They dropped instantly off her hips and hit the floor, revealing the black boxer briefs she was wearing. I blinked for a moment and looked up at her with a cocked eyebrow, realizing they were my boxer briefs.

“Are those my boxers?” I asked, a grin creeping onto my face.

She shrugged, her smile growing wider. “Sooo, I like them. They’re comfortable to wear,” she answered, not a hint of shame in her voice.

Shaking my head, I began to pull them down slowly, revealing her completely to me. Once they were at her ankles, she stepped out of the pile of clothing at her feet and slowly turned in a full circle, giving me a view of her entire body. She was spectacular, every inch of her radiating a beauty that was both fierce and delicate.

When she had fully turned around, I clasped her tight ass, leaning in to place a kiss on her navel. She let out a squeak of surprise, followed by a soft mew that sent a jolt of excitement through me. Her hands dove into my hair, and I worked my way up her body, placing kisses everywhere I could reach. I could taste her arousal on her skin as I made my way up to her breasts, placing soft kisses on each nipple. Her reaction was beautiful—she let out a husky moan, arching into me as she called out my name.

I captured her lips with mine, pulling her tight against my chest with my good arm. The pain in my shoulder was momentarily forgotten as our lips met. She let out another moan as our tongues danced together, the heat between us building to a nearly unbearable level.

But then she broke our kiss, leaning into my good shoulder, and I felt a sharp pain shoot through it as she bit down on me. I let out a growl of pleasure mixed with pain as a huge release of tension crashed over me. Without thinking, I bit down on her shoulder, clamping it tightly in my mouth. The warmth of her blood flowed across my tongue, tasting of her sweet scent and the dark cherries of her arousal. She shuddered against me, and I dragged my tongue across the bite, lapping up her blood. I felt her doing the same, and we held each other tightly, sharing in the intensity of the moment.

Pulling away, I looked down at the bite mark left on her shoulder. It had four puncture marks that looked as if they came from fangs. Glancing up into the vanity mirror, I was caught off guard by my appearance. My eyes were flaring an eerie yellow instead of my normal blue—or the emerald green I was just getting used to. All four of my canine teeth had extended nearly an inch longer than normal. Star turned around to see what had interrupted us. As she moved, I felt something wet and slick rub against our skin. Looking down, I saw a rather large mess spread across both our abdomens. I blushed as I realized what it was.

“Sorry,” I said, my voice tinged with embarrassment.

She smirked and shrugged. “Don’t be. It was amazing.” She replied before guiding my head back to the mirror. Her eyes were still flaring as well, and she gave the mirror a full-tooth smile, revealing that she too had elongated canines. I was a bit taken aback at the sight. Low and behold, my shoulder also had fang marks pierced into it as well. Our marks were identically placed on our right shoulders, just below our necklines. We stood there for a while, just admiring the mess we had caused, before I began to feel the hints of exhaustion spread over me.

Guiding her to the shower, I helped her step in before joining her. The hot water washed over us as we stood chest to chest, holding each other. I had no idea what it all meant, but one thing was for sure—she was mine.

We spent the next hour or so slowly washing and exploring with our lips and hands, memorizing each other’s bodies. With the tension between us subdued, the experience was more intimate and loving. By the time we got out, we were both exhausted but thoroughly clean. We dried off before making our way to the large king-size bed. We didn’t even bother getting dressed. Flipping the covers over, I climbed in first and lay on my side. Star followed after me, turning out the light before she climbed in next to me. She navigated the room perfectly, snuggling up against my body and laying her head on my injured shoulder as she looked into my eyes.

“Are you able to see clearly in the dark?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, it’s in greyscale though,” I replied softly.

“Huh, so can I,” she stated, a note of curiosity in her voice.

“When did that start happening?” I asked.

“I’ve always been able to,” she replied.

“That’s odd. You haven’t gone through your augmentation yet. I didn’t gain that ability until after mine,” I explained, confusion lacing my tone.

“I know. It’s just like I could scent that you were aroused, and it was driving me to satisfy you,” she explained in return. I pondered what she said, turning it over in my head before replying.

“Maybe we should ask Scuzball when we wake up?” I asked, letting out a big yawn.

“Yeah,” she replied, snuggling tighter against me and placing a chaste kiss on my jawline.