Page 5 of All I Want For Christmas Is An Alien
“I would never say less of your sweet mate,” Torin quips. “But I also would sooner eat dirt and meika worms than her cooking.”
“Taste it,” I order, tiring of Torin’s digs about Emily’s cooking. While he’s speaking the truth, she’s been helping out with the kids and keeping me company for the past three days since Torin informed me my mate would be late.
No explanation. Just late.
But Torin appears relaxed enough.
‘Trust in my crew.’Those are Havok’s words that I’ve been replaying in my mind over and over.‘Trust in me.’
I do.
“You’re angry at Torin,” Ruby says. “I’ve picked up theundercurrent but haven’t said anything, but this is going too far, Jade… trying to kill him with that cookie.”
Ruby’s joking, of course. Not the part about Emily’s cooking being deadly. We all agree it is, but she worries I blame Torin for Havok not being here. Maybe if Torin had gone with Havok, given him the proper backup—I cut myself from going down that dangerous line of thinking. Torin has saved Havok countless times and would trade places with him in a heartbeat if he could. The entire crew ofThe Relentlesswould.
“I’m not mad. I’m just…” Fucking worried.
Torin takes the cookie from me and shoves the entire thing into his mouth.
“I married a masochist,” Ruby says.
Torin’s silver eyes widen and his horns bend back. “It’s good. Truly good.”
Ruby studies her mate. “He’s not faking. That’s his ‘I’m approaching orgasm’ face.”
“Drekk, this is not something I wish to hear.” Makov rises and heads into the kitchen. I laugh, not because Makov is the grump everyone believes, but because he’ll use any excuse to be with Emily.
“Maybe I should ask Havok to retire, like Makov.”
“Don’t you dare,” Torin says. “We need him.”
“I need him more.” I didn’t intend to say that, but now that it’s out there, I’m not taking it back.
“Hey, Emily,” Ruby calls into the kitchen. “Have any of those cookies left? Torin wants more.”
“Sure do!” Emily runs out and sets a tray of the horrendous looking cookies on the table. “I’m making kirkas beef for dinner, so I have to get back before it burns.”
Torin sniffs the air. “Too late.”
“Burnt kirkas it is,” Ruby says. She’s being so acerbic today to Emily. My sister may look all put together in her leathers with her knives at her side, and unlike me, she’s always beena kickass, but her anxiety comes out in other ways. Digs, usually. Thankfully, Torin can handle her.
I shove a cookie into her mouth. “Eat up or shut up.”
She looks ready to spit it out, but then her eyes widen in utter surprise and she eagerly finishes the cookie. “OMG, this is sooo good. What the hell did she do right?” Ruby throws up a hand. “No, don’t ask her. I’m afraid to find out what she put in it. I’d rather eat in blissful ignorance.”
I laugh, something I thought impossible before seeing my sister give in on her ban against eating Emily’s cooking.
“I told you it was good. You didn’t believe me. Or your mate.”
“Never would I have imagined Emily could cook something edible, let alone really good! It’s a Christmas miracle!”
“That’s not the miracle I want.” All the anxiety returns, threatening to drown me.
“He’ll be here. But I’ll say this, sis. He better have one fucking good excuse.”
“He does,” Torin says, allowing himself to grin. “Missions never go as planned. Never. But Havok finds creative solutions. He’s working on it now, I assure you.”
I relax. Torin’s truly not worried. That and the sounds of the kids playing outside lift my spirits. “Did I ever tell you how Havok finally convinced me to go with him when he came to rescue me and Clem from the warlord’s prison?”
