Page 36 of Devin
Devin didn’t know who to comfort first, his upset mate, the hell kitten or himself.
Kave took a deep breath and deflated. “It's my fault. I’m the warlord. I left.”
“No.” Devin shook his head. “It is my project. I was distracted.”
“But I dishtracked you.” There was a glazed look growing in Kave’s eye.
“Nivy is venomous. You should return to your quarters.”
“No, we must give rites to Haxit. I must shpeak with hish mate.”
Jane finally stepped in.
“Charlette is out like a light. Zenik, help Kave to his quarters,” she said, motioning for her husband to support the warlord. “Rites will wait.”
“Whash a Nivy?” Kave slurred.
Before Devin could answer, Zenik scooped his head under Kave’s arm before the warlord passed into total unconsciousness and half dragged Kave back to his quarters and mate.
If they were going to keep Nivy, they’d need a vaccine against his venom. He couldn’t have the thing biting anyone that disagreed with him. He turned to the med bay to get started. He would not have another innocent thing slaughtered just because he failed to do his duty. Val followed him.
“What are you doing?” she finally asked as he took a blood and saliva sample from the purring kitten.
“Putting the computer to work on an antivenom. If one cannot be designed for mates, Nivy will have to go back to the jungle.”
“Oh. Good idea. I can’t imagine having to leave him by himself without his mother.”
Even after claiming her as his own, her scent was having arousing effects on him once more. He needed to… he needed her, and that was unacceptable at the moment. Once he set the computer to its task, he strode away, back to his - their quarters. She followed along as did her damning scent.
Chapter 21
Val
It had been an awkward ride back to camp after Odette had kindly explained the ins and outs of Mahdfel mating. Sure, you could have sex, but once a warrior bit you, the whole thing was permanent. So despite Devin’s protests, it was clear he’d done the deed and there was no going back now.
Val had security. No one could force her back to Earth where she’d lived paycheck-to-paycheck, where it was possible they’d send her back to prison, this time in a blue jumpsuit. It only cost being stuck with a green alien hunk that would hardly look at her.
Even now, smeared with dirt and what she guessed was blood, that warrior could make her heart skip a beat. She refused to let that show.
“You. Shower. Now,” she ordered. For once, he silently obeyed.
Back in their cabin, Devin turned on the shower.
“Nivy, you might want to-” she began.
Val didn’t finish her sentence because Devin shucked his shorts to the floor and she lost her train of thought. He was hard again, but apparently able to ignore it. He stepped under thestream of water and Nivy left his shoulder but did not leave the shower.
Nivy was soon soaked. The water proved that most of him was hair. He had a small central body mass and spindly legs that seemed to be able to rotate in any direction.
Val backed out of the bathroom after staring too long at Devin’s naked ass. “Note to self. Jungle catopuses… catopi? Are not afraid of water. Why would they be? They live in a rainforest.”
She’d already showered. That had been about all there had been time for before Kave had shown up. He had been jubilant and had gloated a little too much about his success, all the while staring at her neck. Then the news that Haxit was dead came over the com, and despite her protests to the contrary, Val found herself back on the shuttle headed back to the alien that didn’t want her… sort of.
Emerging from the shower, Nivy looked like a drowned rat, perfectly happy but soggy nonetheless. A little shake and he poofed right back out again. It was the cutest thing she’d ever seen a poisonous carnivore do. Devin took Nivy and settled him into a crumpled towel. The creature seemed content to burrow in and take a nap. As cute as it was, Nivy did not distract Val from the anger growing inside her.
“You left me,” she said furiously, trying not to shout.
“It was only temporary. I had work to do.”
