Page 25 of You're Not My King!

“There.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving my arm a little shake to test its fit. “It’s very nice.”

She placed a hand over her heart, and dipped her head in a respectful bow. “You are welcome, my brother.”

“Puu-kah!” a female voice bellowed in the distance, and we both startled, eyes darting to the source. There was an older, lady lee-zurd standing on the other side of the fire pit, face like thunder. I didn’t recognize her, and I didn’t know what she wanted, but Puu-kah seemed to have been expecting the interruption.

She groaned skyward, rolling her eyes before turning to shout back in her language. The other alien crossed her arms over her chest, looking decidedly unimpressed. Puu-kah faced me again, wincing. “I have to learn,” she said sheepishly, twiddling her fingers like a chastised kid. Guess she’d ditched class just to talk to me. I was almost proud. “We will speak another time?”

It was voiced like a question, and my mouth was moving before I could even think. “Sure.”

She beamed, tapping my shoulder before skipping away. A very brief encounter. She was a whirlwind, always needing to be in two places at once, and I was amazed she didn’t suffer from whiplash. She reminded me of Kat when she was younger—all smiles, wavy arms, and busy feet. Never embarrassed to be seen with her big brother, always happy whenever I’d walk into a room.

It was scary how much had changed.

The flap to Fiona’s tent was pinned up, so I peeked in to make sure she wasn’t too busy for visitors. She was standing hunched over her table, grinding up herbs for potions, but when she sensed my presence, she waved me inside. “Oh, in you come, lovey. You’re castin’ shadows.”

I wandered in, plopping myself gently onto the nearest stone stool—which I hadn’t managed to do on my previous visits, so yay for that—and resting my elbows on the edge of her workstation.

I sighed.

Fiona let out a soft snort, not even looking up from the table. “Want to talk about it, pet? Or is this another silent visit?”

Welp, I was becoming predictable. “I’m so bored.”

“Are your duties not to your liking?”

“I have no duties,” I grumbled, crossing my arms on the tabletop, head sagging into the divot. “What am I expected to do?”

“Please our leader.”

She said it so matter-of-factly that it made me scoff. I rolled my head to face her. “Seriously? That’s my only use? Ugh. I’ll go batshit.” I buried my face in my arms, muttering to myself about the injustice and how demeaning it was to be a sex toy.

Fiona must have taken pity on my sorry ass—or she was already sick of my shit—because she sighed, setting down her tools to ask, “What are your skills?”

I thought about it, slowly inching up onto my elbows. “I can play guitar?”

She smiled kindly. “Practical skills, my love.”

“Oh, um…” I was great at running from my problems and giving head, but that only benefited the role I was protesting about. “I can crochet.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my, um, grandma taught me when I was a kid. It never really left me.” I didn’t bother admitting that I’d picked it up again in rehab seven months ago. It felt redundant.

I absently reached out to play with some herbs on the table, but Fiona slapped my fingers away, carrying on despite my dramatic pout. “Alright, that may be of use in the colder months, even if it’s just for us. The aliens have different body temperatures.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” I huffed, thinking back to how hot Voh-ack’s scales were. Every night since our mating, even though he hadn’t tried to fuck me again—and, low-key, what was up with that?—he had slept curled around me, holding me protectively against his chest.

He was a furnace.

“We could add some of your creations to the trade baskets,” Fiona said, “and share the rest with the other clans.”

“Baskets? You mean the ones left at the trading post?”

“Yes.”

I had meant to ask more about all of that after watching those shark and bird aliens load their ships on the landing strip, but I’d been a little preoccupied. Now was as good a time as any. “What’s with the whole trade thing anyway?” Fiona raised a questioning eyebrow, so I elaborated. “What does U’suhk have that the other, more techy planets don’t? I’m sure they’re not making the trip for homemade spears and knitwear.”

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