Page 34 of Double Cut

“I do not know what this ‘tits on a boar’ means, but you are correct: we would not protect Engineer Arrenji from a potential threat, only an actual one,” Sarus said.

Evangeline sighed. “That’s what I mean. In my world, we have a saying about wrapping someone in cotton wool to protect them from harm. You two are wrapping me in so much cotton wool that you’re suffocating me. You can’t protect me from every potential threat, and I don’t want you to try. I’m not stupid, guys, so quit treating me like I am.”

“We do not consider you stupid,” Horas said, tail swishing in agitation.

“Then quit treating me like I am,” she repeated. “Credit me with the intelligence to assess risk and be responsible for my own well-being.”

Sarus stood. He took a seat in the chair opposite his mate’s. The tip of his tail twitched.

“What do you know of the Ahn’hudi people?” he asked.

“Hardly anything,” Evangeline admitted. “I’d hardly gotten through the first few pages of the information manual when the embassy was attacked and you guys rescued me.”

“You may not be aware that only one of every eight children born to the Ahn’hudi is female. The imbalance keeps us strong in terms of military might, but the long war with the Sivuul and the Ogranox have depleted our numbers.”

“So, I’m just a broodmare—a baby maker—for you?”

“No, of course not,” Horas interjected. At her expression of blatant disbelief, he scrambled to explain, “But you do not understand the instincts of an Ahn’hudi male. We aremated. Only mated males can sire young. Unmated males are incapable.”

“Once again, I’m just a baby machine to you guys.”

“No, you are not just a ‘baby machine,’” Sarus said. “A mated male puts his mate above all else in his priorities.”

“That’s the reason for Sarus’ outburst,” Horas said, “although we should have expected it.”

Sarus glowered at him.

“You are not the only one who has lost a career,” Horas explained. “Mated males are not permitted to serve as warriors in active duty. This is why military outposts are populated by unmated males.”

Sarus added, “Were the emperor in danger, we would not leave your side. Were an asteroid to crash into Ahn’hudin, we would save you and ensure your health and comfort and ignore the emperor and the rest of our people. Mating puts our loyalties into question.”

“Our loyalties toyouare not doubted,” Horas clarified. “We are loyal to you first and foremost. We will never abandon our duty of ensuring your health, safety, and comfort. To do otherwise goes against every instinct we have.”

“And we Ahn’hudi are aligned with our instincts,” Sarus said.

Not having realized that these two overbearing males had lost much, too, Evangeline blinked, then said without an ounce of sympathy, “Well, you’ll just have to learn to work around those instincts, because I amnotgoing to let you keep me a slave.”

Horas blinked. “Do you understand, little flame, that Sarus has lost his command?”

She nodded and shrugged. “I lost my entire life. I lost my world and my culture. I lost my veryhumanity.”

Sarus blinked. Horas stared at her, apparently never having considered that she would resent what she had lost rather than appreciate what she had gained.

Evangeline’s lips parted to bare her blunt teeth in what was not a friendly expression.Well, I guess I finally made my point.

Poppet, having finished his meal, walked across the space, tail held straight up. He paused before the chair in which Evangeline sat, then leaped into her lap. She gathered him gently into her arms and pressed her face into his fur. She did not see her two mates look at each other in worry. Without making a sound, the two big males retreated into the kitchen for a private discussion. The tiny apartment allowed little distance and even less privacy.

“Does she feel nothing for us?” Horas whispered at a pitch below human hearing and wondered again as he did so if during Evangeline’s transformation she had also acquired an expanded range of hearing.

Sarus exhaled through his pinched nostrils, the air whistling as it passed through. “I’d say she feels contempt and anger toward us right now.”

Horas winced at the other male’s unflinching candor. “I liked it better when she screamed with pleasure rather than shouted at us in anger.”

Sarus snorted. “I, too. But already the mating fever ebbs, and our little flame could use some rest.”

Horas rolled his massive shoulders. “As could I, to be truthful.”

“Perhaps she is correct.”

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