Page 31 of The Monster's Mate

“Of course. We’re tired of his moping too.” Kalrian grins. “We volunteered to come to another planet.”

“And we have to follow him around to make sure he’s safe. Going hunting by himself and getting the largest kills possible. If his brothers weren’t so wrapped up in their mates, they’d have noticed how fishy he’s been acting,” Mejak says.

“While we’re on the subject of Lucy liking Skiden, how do you feel about me, Samantha?” Kalrian asks.

I swear my cousin goes gray and her eyes shoot to Mejak.

Awkward.

“Um, you’re a great guy…”

“Great like me?” Mejak asks.

Now her eyes fly over to Kalrian.

Oooh… this is even more awkward. Did my beautiful, self-assured cousin dabble with both of them? Sort of testing out the waters? What the hell?

“Yes,” she chokes out. “You’re great also.”

I can’t help the cough that almost strangles me as I realize she didn’t have time to try one, then the other. “Oh. Wait a minute. All three of you?” How the hell did I miss that?

And Sam’s blush is full on now.

“Yes,” she snaps.

Then Kalrian leans back, satisfied. “Just making sure everything’s out in the open since we now know about Lucy and Skiden getting it on.”

Sam glares at him, knowing full well that he just pushed her into revealing their relationship to me.

Just like these two pushed me into revealing what was going on with me and Skiden to her.

“You’re both a sneaky sort, aren’t you?” I ask.

Mejak grins. “Learned it from your lover.”

Chapter Nine

Skiden:

It’s impossible to avoid family dinners.

Such a rambunctious clan… Tiiblets under the table having their own stream of conversation. Giggling and interspersing their opinions into our discussion now and again.

Bel glowing because she thinks my fool brother has already gotten her with child. River and Tiran cooing at each other.

It finally gets interesting when Bel asks Bronan where all the other applicants are.

I settle back, ready for the drama to unfold. Bronan has brought it upon himself by not telling her that he intends to keep her as his mate, instead of a breeder. I even tried to help the fool out when Isabel stormed out of his home once, confused over the feelings she felt with his first clumsy attempt at kissing her.

I tried to make my sweet sister understand the connection between her and Bronan was real and deep. That she wouldn’t feel the same way about any old kiss. Because poor Bel had never been kissed by anyone else. Not by her dead mate, who shoved her face in a pillow and took her from behind, never caring about her pleasure—or pain.

So, I had kissed her. It had the desired effect. She was so shocked by the lack of connection between us, she tried to force it… and clumsily cut her lip on my teeth. A more awkward kiss couldn’t happen between two people. I tried not to laugh, but had gotten her ice from the kitchen and left her pondering why her kiss with Bronan got her so fired up.

Silly human. My brother is perfect for her, if she could just see it. Yet, after cuddling with Bronan for two days straight, she still asks where they stand with other candidates who want to run in our Javelink’t trials, a condition Bronan has set for breeder candidates.

“It may not be a good time to host a trial yet,” Maman soothes everyone. “After all, the cold is coming. But I am sure that over the next warmer season, names will crop up.”

“Oh, okay,” Isabel says.

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