Page 52 of The Safest Place She Knows

The alphaslooked at each other. Noh asked casually, “Was she pregnant?”

“No. Theytested us before we went to the competition.”

He asked,“Could she have gotten pregnant after the test?”

Lya paused,opened her mouth, and then snapped it shut. “Huh. I can’t sayanything else without voiding my warranty on the show, but thatwould explain a lot. Like, a lot, a lot.”

She pattedherself. “Where did my phone end up?”

Allor broughther coffee over. “It’s charging. It’s also been beaten tohell.”

“It stillworks. Mostly.”

“A replacementhas been ordered, and I am picking it up. Porting your number wasmore difficult without you, so you will have a new number, and yourlocation will be linked to our phones. Tamara’s as well.”

Lya frowned.“Sensible, I guess.”

Venka said,“You will be with one of us at all times until you have recovered.And then probably the same.”

Tamara smiled.“She has been talking about omega sitters. Her family is full ofthem.”

“Oh.Delightful. Nothing will make me feel more useless than ababysitter.” She waved at Noh, who was still helping her eat. “Thisisn’t helping my sense of self-worth either.”

“You can beindependent when you can punch me in the jaw,” Noh murmured.

“Right. Thatwould break my hand again and put me right where I started. You aretricky.”

Venka got upand brought some jam over. Noh put the jam on the toast.

Tamara wassmirking. “This is hilarious. Until she got her arm broken, sheopened all the jars in the house when needed.”

Venka checkedher phone. She paled. “Oh, no.”

Noh looked ather. “What’s wrong?”

“Mom’s comingwith some of my aunts. They want to get to work on her clothes,which is funny because my mother doesn’t sew. They are just beingnosey.”

Tamara smiled.“It will be fine, Mom.”

“You slippedinto that so easily.”

“You’ve been mymom for years. Now you get to wear the title. Don’t worry. Youaren’t up for Miss Congeniality.”

Lya chuckledand took a bite of the toast that Noh held for her.

Venka gesturedto Tamara and muttered something about making sure the snakes wereall contained. They left, and Lya continued to eat.

Noh smiled.“You have been fairly compliant with us.”

“You haven’tpushed me to my limit yet. I push back hard.” She bit another pieceof toast. “I am also sedated right now.”

“Ah, there isthat. I look forward to your return to full health.”

“Me, too. Whendoes the arm get looked at again?”

“If theswelling remains down, we have to go to the clinic. The design isjust waiting for the final measurements.”

She nodded. “Italmost looks normal, and I have a lot of play inside the cage.”

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