Page 100 of Tribute
“Yeah. Jealous?”
Aled smiled at him. “Absolutely. I’m taking it out on your ass later.”
Kai’s eyes flashed green. “Is that a promise?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether that big hulk is fucking you at the time.” He slid his hand under the table and pinched Kai’s half-erect cock hard enough to make him jump. “I assume that’s what you’re aiming for?”
Kai slowly let out his breath. “You okay with that?”
“If I have to be.” He pinched Kai again and then released him before turning his attention back to Landis Khan, who was watching him with a slight smile.
“Did I mention that I know your grandfather, Aled?”
“No, sir.”
“I met him at the council chamber for your district when he was governor. I believe he fought in the military as well.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Do you intend to resume your military career?”
“I thought being immersed inUngrichspace meant I had the freedom to choose my own destiny.”
“One might hope so.” The president sighed. “However, having a man such as you remain in the military would be an enormous benefit to our troops.”
Kai’s arm snaked around Aled’s shoulders, pulling him close. “He’s not going back to being a military grunt. He’s coming to live with me.”
“You would also be an asset, Kai Mexr.”
“I don’t deal with authority figures well. Palk hated my guts.”
At the mention of Palk’s name, everyone around the table became more alert.
The president put down his glass, carefully aligning the base with the pattern of the fancy tablecloth. “General Palk is no longer in command of the Tribute program or anything else.”
“Surely that’s because there is no Tribute program anymore?” Rehz asked.
“It’s not quite that simple, Rehz Akran.”
Rehz sat forward. “Are you seriously telling us that after the fucking nightmare we’ve been through, you still intend to deal with those monsters? Don’t you understand what they wanted to do?”
“I fear we might have misunderstood their motives.”
Anna stood up. “I didn’t.” Her voice was shaking. “They took my eggs. They are creating something in their labs!”
“It’s okay, Anna.” Rehz took her hand and coaxed her back into her seat.
“It’s not okay. Anna’s right.” Aled nodded. “I was there.” He glared at the president. “How can you countenance dealing with them again when you know their true agenda?”
“We signed a treaty with their race.”
“A treaty which they broke,” Rehz snapped. “They took Anna and Aled without permission.”
“That’s not true,” the president said. “They believed they had Palk’s permission.”
