Page 92 of Xefe
“Mama!” He screeched and dove for my hand, piercing my thumb before I could react. In seconds, he took his fill and swept his tongue over my cheeks, slurping up my tears. Then he scrambled up my arm and hugged my neck, taking deep breaths as he nibbled on my skin.
“Bad spike, good? Friends?” King Pango wrung his little hands, the ring of flowers on his head off center. His tiny wings flapped as he studied the warriors.
“Friends. All friends.” I cuddled Baby.
“I want to pet one.” True wiggled out of Veras’ lap and sat on the couch next to me. “They’re so cute.” She reached out—
“Blood! Blood! Blood!” the pangos chanted, and before I could warn her, King Pango took a bite.
She didn’t even flinch. True was obviously a toughmamasota.
“Good. She good. Good-Blood. Yum.”
“Yum.” The pangos chanted her new name. “Yum.”
“You get one taste. That’s it!” Veras pointed at the leader of the pack, his voice booming. “No more.”
“Boo.” King Pango’s long ears dropped, his soulful eyes going round. “Mean, No-Spike. Mean.” But the king let everyone else know there would be no more nibbles.
“What are they saying?” True cuddled one of the teenagers who’d been brave enough to crawl onto her lap.
“They named you, Yum.”
“Oh! Well…okay.” She laughed and we all watched the innocent pangos frolic and play.
With Baby in my arms, I could finally breathe. Finally, see through the fog and remember my main goal. Yes, they’d taken Valentina and Nieve, but they were here somewhere. There had to be a way to find them. The over-dramatic alien, Veras, was just going to have to tell us how.
I caught his eye. He’d obviously been watching me. “How do we get them back?”
He tipped his chin up in a nod. “Good. You are not broken. I was worried.” Sunny’s body tensed around me, and I could feel the glare he aimed at Veras. When I glanced back at him, one of the female pangos was sitting on his shoulder, combing through his hair.
“This was a hub for all of the returning Nozaroc warriors before my people retreated to the center of the planet, where the Oro is strongest. The Aavvee defeated them because of the acts of a traitor.” Veras clenched his hands, his double thumbs tapping. “But there were many of us who were off planet when it happened. That is where I believe some of you were taken from.” He pointed toward one of the hallways. “I have an observationroom where I can track almost everything the Aavvee are doing. As long as your friends haven’t travelled off planet, I will find them.”
“How long will that take?” My voice was hoarse from crying.
“I don’t know. What do you know of these warriors? The triad?”
“They were loyal. Dedicated to our supreme. I do not think they will harm the earthers,” Sunny answered.
“Yeah, but all they kept talking about were theiralmaxes? W-would they force themselves on them?” My voice shook.
“They have honor. They will have no feelings for them unless they are their true mates. Their rod will be hidden. If we can find the earthers, and they are not a match, I think they will return them.”
“And if it turns out that one of the girls matches with one of the guys? What then?” I asked.
Veras came over and pulled True back into his lap, as if he couldn’t be away from her. The pangos swarmed, jumping on and off of him, picking at his hair. He did not look happy. “Only one would be a match.”
“What do you mean?”
“They are a triad. Three parts of the same whole. They will share one mate.”
“Alien thrupple.” True nodded and adjusted the crooked flower wreath atop King Pangos’ head.
I shrugged it off. To each their own. “Ok then, ifoneof them is theiralmax. Then what?” It was a no-win either way, although Nieve had been pretty interested. But that was before they kidnapped her.
“Then they will fight us to the death to keep her.” Sunny rested his chin atop my head and tightened his arms around me. “But we will win. Unless the earther does not want to come with us.”
“I will kill them if they hurt my sister.” Sensing my anger, Baby came over and caressed my cheek. “I know Nieve can take care of herself.” She’d have those three wrapped around her finger in seconds.
