Page 63 of The Monster's Mate

“Very sensitive,” Tiran says, cutting his gaze to me. “You won’t like accidentally making them cry. I swear their eyes grow bigger and huge teardrops run down their wrinkly faces.”

Stratek winces. “I made the mistake once of telling Lilaina’s companions to take a vacation. Apparently, they assumed I was banishing them. I forgot the number one rule with Tiiblets—their pride. They never just accept something. They always feel like they have to earn it.”

Tiran’s eyes grow wide. “What did you do?”

“When I couldn’t take their wailing any longer, I had to make a public announcement that I wanted them to take a human week’s vacation because I was selfish and wanted them to myself.”

Next to him, a larger Adroki guffaws, holding his belly. “He had to follow through too. Left his mate for seven rotations of the sun so he could escort them through the village like royalty, taking them to various events. And by then, both Tiiblets had little ones, so it was an entire family of four.”

Stratek winces. “Their bablets are as loud as a full grown Tiiblet. I think I’m hard of hearing now. Come, you’re about to find out.”

“Ours are not breeding,” Tiran says with a frown. “Maybe we should have Mikhail check that.”

Stratek shakes his head. “I’ll bet I know what it is. The conditions have to be right. Since their captivity, they seem to have shut down that aspect as a defense mechanism. But once they feel completely safe—and it takes time—they’ll go into a productive heat.” He clasps Tiran on the back. “Fun to watch.”

River snickers.

Their village is magnificent—a huge, towering castle sitting within stone walls with a drawbridge surrounding it.

“I think they feel safer since we created that moat,” Stratek says. “Since Tshiki couldn’t swim. It has to be wide, though.”

“I’m not sure we have a space where we could create this,” Tiran says.

“Maybe some wells, then? Lilaina tossed her companions in a well to keep them safe during a Tshiki raid. They floated out of reach of those long legs until we were able to pull them out.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Samantha look around, wondering what these Tshiki are. I hear Mejak assure her they’re wiped out of existence by the Adroki.

Stratek calls out that Tessa calls them “humongous spider-people.”

I’m excited to learn about this strange new world and one look over at Samantha? Her face is glowing when her eyes meet mine. She’s always been the outdoorsy type and I know working as a chauffeur for an entire decade for Duke—probably free—was torture for her. Trapped inside a vehicle, acting prim and proper, all the world in sight but unable to join in.

And now she has everything she ever wanted right around her, a mate to keep her safe on either side of her.

I’m so happy, I bury my head in Skiden’s neck and hold him tight while he rubs my back. He doesn’t have to say anything. One thing Maman got right was that he is indeed her most sensitive son. He knows exactly how overwhelmed with happiness I am.

When we near the drawbridge to their village, I squirm in his arms.

“You want to walk, Lucy my love?” he whispers, kissing my ear before setting me down.

I wrap my arm around his lean waist as we make our way over the drawbridge, which is a lot bigger than it appeared from a distance.

“We can actually walk across the water,” one of the Adroki leans in to whisper. “But the Tiiblets don’t know that.”

So it’s an illusion of safety, but done out of love for their Tiiblets.

Another Adroki glares at him. “If we ever see another Tshiki, we’ll dig a deeper one. It was just a lot of hard work in the hot sun for nothing and we were tired.”

“Baby!” A red-headed woman screams, a toddler on her hip, and comes rushing across the walkway. Stratek rushes out to meet them, lifting her into his arms and swinging them both around.

“Ladies, meet my Tessa. And this little male of my heart is Sol.”

River goes over to hug Tessa, and then the redhead says hi to both Sam and me as Stratek takes their son from her.

And even though I have no idea where they came from, a puffy, wrinkly creature with a long sweeping tail tugs on Stratek’s tentacles. “Who’s this, huh, prince? More humans?”

“Yes, two more for the Bronian clan, Driki. Meet Samantha and Lucy.”

He scowls. “Driki’s pleased to meet you.”

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