Page 37 of Alien Soldier

“Fine,” he says. “Pour me a drink.”

“Are you sure?” Taraven asks. “It’s…a bit of a stimulant. You won’t be able to go back to sleep for a while.”

“I wasn’t sleeping anyway,” Malix says. “And clearly, I need to prove something to the human.”

I chuckle. “Damn right.”

Taraven shakes his head with a grin as he pours a glass for Malix, then refills his own. He faces me and holds up his glass, and Malix mimics us. The two of them dwarf me, so I puff up my shoulders to look bigger.

“How about a toast?” I say, staring at them both. “We have to look each other in the eyes as we do this, or we’ll be cursed with bad sex for the rest of our lives.

Malix frowns. “I do not know what a ‘tote’ is, but I don’t like the sound of curses.”

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Taraven says. “Frankie is superstitious.”

“And who’s gonna be laughing when I’m still having great sex years down the road because I’vealwaysmade eye contact during a toast?” I ask. “Come on—raise ‘em up, and look me in the eye.”

I look from Malix to Taraven, settling on the latter. His eyes dance with lazy magenta light, just like a few night ago when we had sex.

I want him again.

Por los Divinos…I want him again really badly.

“To a successful operation,” I say. “Salud.”

Taraven and I slam our drinks back, having donemanyshots together in the past few months. Malix slowly follows suit, and I watch as a lump in his throat goes down, down…

He groans as he finishes swallowing, a touch of booze on his lips as he rights himself.

“That was…delicious,” he says.

I can’t hold back a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand. Taraven joins me, practically cackling at the sight of the straight-laced Lyran trying alcohol for the first time.

“You coerce me into this, and then you mock me?” Malix demands. “Very rude of you.”

“Again, not making fun of you,” I say. “Just…not the reaction I was expecting.”

“And what were you expecting?” Malix scowls.

“For you to spit it out and retch,” Taraven says. “That’s what I did the first time I drank—though, I may have overindulged.”

“It was only a sip,” Malix says, though his cheeks are dewy with sweat, a droplet crawling over the scattered scales on his neck. “And I think that I’m settled for now—I don’t need any more.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” I say. “Especially if you want to sleep a wink tonight.”

“Sleep can come after our mission is accomplished,” he says. “So…what do we do now?”

“Usually we talk,” Taraven offers, “have more drinks, laugh, sit…”

“Or we could fight,” I say.

Both men turn to look at me, and I put my hands on my hips. I want to fuck something…or fight. Or both. Either works.

“But you’re so…small,” Malix says. “You truly believe that sparring with me would even be a useful exercise?”

I glare at Malix as Taraven blows out a breath, shaking his head. “And now she’s mad.”

“What?” Malix asks. “I’m only being honest.”

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