Page 61 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

“Maya. Please don’t think about it like that.”

“Don’t you tell me what to think! Isn’t it enough that you’ve manipulated what I’ve been feeling?” Maybe I should slap him? He certainly deserved it. “You had no business writing those letters or reading mine. I didn’t write them for you.” A sudden thought pierced through my chest with alarm and mortification. “And the video? Oh, my God, please don’t tell me you watched the video, too.”

At my mention of the video, his eyelids hooded his gaze. His tongue slipped out, licking his lips. And I knew for a fact that he’d watched it.

Tingles of arousal skittered down my bare arms, poking holes in the shroud of my embarrassment. I diverted some of my anger at him toward myself. How could I still be turned on by this guy, even after everything that had just come to light?

“The video had my name on it,” he stated with emphasis.

“What?” I felt sick to my stomach. “No, it didn’t! Why the hell would I put your name on it? It wasn’t meant for you!”

“I don’t know why. But you did. It said ‘For Kear’s eyes only.’”

The point of that video was to get my mind off him. I had tried so hard not to think about him when I made it.

Had I failed so completely? Had I subconsciously addressed my private video to the professor instead of my boyfriend?

It seemed highly possible, which made everything so much worse. I groaned, shaking with anger and burning with mortification.

Someone cleared their throat by the door. “Um...”

I realized Jazir was still there, holding the door ajar.

“I beg your pardon, Professor. I know this isn’t a good time, but Governor—”

Kear roared, really roared like a feral beast, stomping his hoof and angling his horns at poor Jazir, who now held the door like a shield between them.

“Kear, you should go.” I gestured at the door. He jerked his head to me, but I wouldn’t let him say a word. “Go. Get out of here. I honestly can’t see your face right now.”

His shoulders sagged, like the air had deflated from him, taking his irritation too. His voice softened.

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

I strained to keep it together. “Trust me, that is the best you can do for me right now. Get the fuck out of here!”

Jazir froze, his eyes open wide in shock. He’d never seen me so angry before. I didn’t remember ever feeling this enraged, either.

Kear seemed to be taken aback, too. He nodded, retreating to the door.

“Take a few minutes. Focus on your breathing—”

“Fuck off, Kear,” I snapped.

Turning my back to him, I walked over to one of the huge windows and pressed my forehead to the cool glass. Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about any of it. My blood boiled with anger at Kear, yet I did what he’d said, breathing slowly in and out.

The door behind me opened again.

“I said go away,” I mumbled without turning around.

“I will if you insist,” Professor Egus, not Kear, spoke behind me. “But I think you may need company.”

“Why would you think so?” I made an effort to pull myself together before turning to face him.

He smiled, somewhat sheepishly. “I happened to be close to the door when Jazir held it open. Forgive me, but I overheard Thormus raising his voice at you.”

He did raise his voice. But I yelled, too. It was a nasty argument, one that wasn’t even over yet.

I scraped a hand down my face. Oh, what a mess this was.

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