Page 82 of The Safest Place She Knows

“I have beensedated since I started hanging out with you.”

His eyes werewide. “Holy shit. You are right.”

“I am alsoworried, hungry, insecure, and a bunch of other stuff.” She flexedher fingers on her broken arm at him. “And I am hobbled.”

“Oh, geez. Ithink we need an assistant or an omega wrangler.”

“Funny.”

“Not joking.Venka has some family, nephews or nieces, that may be available tobe housekeepers and bodyguards.”

She wrinkledher nose. “Well, if I actually get some tools and a garage to wreakhavoc in, I won’t have to run around. I will be more than contentto stay here and putter around car engines and play withsnakes.”

He chuckled. “Iwill make sure that Noh and Venka are aware. I must say, watchingthose clips gave me a heart attack.”

“It seemedappropriate at the time. If you will note, I had much better muscletone and body fat ratios during the filming.”

“Notedagain.”

In thesolarium, he moved to a cupboard and brought out the materials, acontainer, and pearlite. “Will you take her to the sink and rinseher off?”

“Yup. I willtake Smudge; you take the eggs. Do you have anything for her in thefreezer?”

“Yes. Well, Ithawed it when we saw the eggs.”

She smiled, andthey got to it. She sighed with relief when she had Smudge in herarms. She walked with her to the kitchen sink, ran the water tomildly warm, and rinsed off the egg smell. If they didn’t do it,Smudge would keep guarding her eggs, even if they weren’t there.She wouldn’t eat and would lose even more body condition thanlaying had left her in.

He had set theeggs to one side and quickly removed the substrate from the layingsite. He replaced it, and Lya was able to ease her scaly friendinto the enclosure. There were a few tongue flicks, and she glidedright in.

Allor smiled.“We will deal with the eggs and get them in the incubator. Are yougood at dividing them?”

She smiled andcarefully palmed an egg, pulling it gently from its brethren. Heslid the container of damp pearlite next to her. She nestled theegg in and got to work, being careful to keep them lay-side up.

It took tenminutes to get the eggs situated with marks on the top so that theywould know if it rolled over. He marked the container and set theeggs in the incubator. “There we go. The next generation is on theway.”

She smiled.“They should be here before the end of summer.”

“They shouldbe. We will candle them in a week or two. You checked her forretained eggs?”

“Yes. She’sclear. No eggs left behind.”

“Great. Now,let’s go back and see what kind of a reckless lunatic I haveshackled myself to.”

Lya frowned. “Iam not reckless. I am calculating. The alpha who broke his leg wasreckless. The rest of us just tried to win.”

“Have you madean ultralight before?” he muttered as they walked back to theliving room.

“Three.”

He paused.“What?”

“I have builtthree. All custom builds and all passed by the inspectors.”

“I... oh.” Hepaused. “That rather changes things.”

“Yeah. When Iam at my normal, I am very competent and quite strong.”

He nodded. “Ilook forward to examining your body at regular intervals.”

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