Page 46 of All You Need is Alien Love
Once Kai had started reading his epically romantic poem to me, I kind of forgot anyone else was here. All I could see and hear was him.
I make my dissatisfaction with this request known as I reluctantly release Kai and cross my arms with a pout as I stare down Iris.
Like the elderly badass she is, Iris remains unfazed by my show of defiance. I’ve got to give her props for that—my pout is rather impossible to resist. Not that I use it to get my way.Who me? Never.
“Let’s give a round of applause to our grooms, who have successfully completed the first day of the Sanctioning Ceremony. Day Two events are reserved for close friends and family members only, but everyone will be able to return for our third and final day. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.”
Kai and I are dragged off by our families like star-crossed lovers separated by a cruel twist of fate.
Okay, it’s only for the night, but still.
Itfeelsso much more painful than that.
My circumstances as a kid kind of forced me to be independent and self-sufficient from an early age. Benji was a very loving caretaker, but he wasn’t always the most responsible or detail-oriented kind of guardian. I learned fast how to handle most of adulting on my own, especially when it came to paperwork and following a weekly schedule. We made it work, but I learned how to take care of myself and be independent early on. I didn’t ever need, let alone want, to rely on someone else.
Until I met Kai.
Being apart from him even for a few hours feels like days. Our lives have become so intertwined, in the very best of ways, that it’s painful when we can’t be together. I want to be at his side all the time so I don’t miss a single moment we could share together.
“I love you, Kai Genaro!” I yell across the hangar.
“I know!” he yells back with that damn sexy smirk of his.
I clutch my heart. He just Han Soloed me like a romantic badass. It’s kind of become our thing, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
And at that moment, I vow to the Time Lords of the universe—they’re totally out there—that we won’t ever be forced apart again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Vardox found it quite satisfying to torment his Katnu adversary, who was steadily losing ground in their vicious battle.
Khamos had always been arrogantly overconfident in his abilities and tended to underestimate his opponents. That’s how he’d lost one of his eyes to Vardox previously.
Vardox had considered the gesture a polite but clear warning. He could have easily taken the space pirate’s life but instead gave him a chance to redeem himself. So much for showing mercy. Men like Khamos didn’t change their colors so easily. Vardox had witnessed it time and time again. Most of those whom he dealt with failed to learn from their mistakes.
He’d only shown leniency to Khamos before because his precious Starblade valued that. His handsome captain was purehearted but far too naïve for this universe.
Cold fury building, Vardox wielded different blades with four of his tentacles and one in his hand. He delighted in slashing and stabbing at Khamos, turning him into a bloody, disgraceful mess.
“Death by a thousand cuts seems only fair and appropriate for you, Khamos,” he explained icily. “Are you ready for the pain?”
—The Tentacular Tales of Captain Starblade, Ch. 161
Kai
Apparently,sleep becomes elusive when you can’t stop thinking about your husband pleasuring himself with a tentacle-shaped dildo because he’s missing you.
After a cold shower at the crack of dawn, I down a pot of coffee and get ready for Day Two of the Sanctioning Ceremony.
On the one hand, I’m grateful that this day of the ceremony is for close friends and family only because it involves baring all. Emotionally, that is. But on the other hand, I’m a ball of nerves since I don’t fully know what to expect from today’s trial.
When I arrive at the Valley of Fire base, it’s much quieter than yesterday. More than half the crowd from the first day is gone and just our nearest and dearest are part of the event.
Instead of using the enormous hangar space, we move to the largest conference room. All the furniture has been removed, and the room is lit by a rainbow variety of luminescent stones from the Iyaran home world that my grandparents brought with them. They lend a soft glow to the dark room.
My family covered the walls with a variety of tapestries depicting iconic myths that are part of Iyaran culture, including the Great Tentacle with an all-seeing eye wide open in the center of it.
When River walks into the room and sees it, he comes to a complete stop, gaping openly.
