Free The Spur of the Platypus by Jackie Nacht

Chapter One
     
     
    Flex listened to Abby.
    “We really need a sanctuary for about fifty of our family.”
    Never in Flex’s life would he have expected a scenario such as this one to pop up on his beach. House fifty while the rest of the venom on the beach go and fight to take back Mission Territory? Why in the hell would they trust him? The only one he really knew was Striker and vaguely Boone.
    However, Flex was really going to have to thank his friend later for bringing Flex’s mate to him. What were the chances of that happening? He could already feel the need to take down everyone around him with his spurs. It couldn’t be helped. As a platypus venom, his venom was solely to protect his mate, and that meant any fucker within a ten-yard radius of him. It didn’t matter if the guy was friend or foe. He was near what nature was saying was Flex’s perfect match.
    Too bad the guy was giving him the stink eye. Hmm, it was as if he already didn’t like Flex. And Flex hadn’t even done anything...yet. Well, Prescott—that’s what Striker said his name was—was going to have to get used to him.
    Wait. Flex focused back on what Abby had asked him. That was fine and dandy. They could all go off and fight, and he could play the babysitter except...
    “He’s not fighting, is he?” Flex tilted his head toward Prescott.
    “Yes,” Prescott said next to him.
    Yeah, Prescott hadn’t been on the beach five minutes, and Flex was already laying claim to the guy. Flex wasn’t blind. He knew what Prescott was to him even if the anti-venom didn’t yet.
    “No. You’re staying, Prescott,” Kalder said firmly. I like this guy already!
    “I can handle myself. I’ve done it for over twenty years, Kalder,” Prescott argued.
    Kalder shook his head. “If any of the anti-venom got caught, you would be living in hell if you lived at all. We don’t even know what we’re walking into. Some of us wouldn’t be focused on the battle, only on protecting you.”
    “I’m not mated,” Prescott insisted.
    Oh but you are. You just don’t know it yet. Flex eyed Prescott, and he was staring daggers at Flex. Huh, maybe he did know they were mates. Flex smirked.
    “I’ll let the others stay if he does,” Flex said, and he chucked a thumb toward Prescott.
    “What?” Prescott shouted. “Who the hell said you could make decisions on my life?”
    “You want sanctuary, you play by my rules. You stay or they go,” Flex said cockily. It was an asshole ultimatum, but Prescott wasn’t going to fight. At least until Flex got to see how well Prescott could protect himself. No fucking way.
    The beach quieted down as they faced off against one another. Boy, if looks could kill... Flex stared back with a challenging smirk. God, he was in love already.
    “I’ll stay,” Prescott said through gritted teeth.
    TL chuckled within the group that had gathered. “Well, now that we got the tiny lovers’ quarrel out of the way. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
    Flex waggled his brow at his friend Striker. Prescott stalked away.
    Striker came up and clapped him on the back. “Thank you.”
    The rest of the venom thanked him before they walked off to gather weapons for the travel to Mission Territory.
    Flex stared at the huge number of venom and anti-venom on his beach, wondering what the fuck Striker was thinking bringing them there. Was this really going to happen? Had it come to war already?
    He loved the quiet life. That’s why Flex lived in Point Loma with his fellow platypuses. He just wanted to live peacefully away from all the power-hungry assholes in Venom City.
    Flex stared at his longtime friend, Striker. He rubbed his chest at the thought that Striker had survived. All these months, he thought his friend was gone. When Flex saw what happened to Striker’s parents, he thought for sure Striker had been killed. Striker’s eyes showed that the venom had been through too fucking much in the last year. He was jumpy, wary and his