Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 280(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 280(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Lettie says to Wrath. “This is better than what you did to Shan and me when you abandoned me pregnant in the wilderness.”
Wrath pauses for a moment, blade in hand. He wipes a streak of prey blood off his cheek with the back of his arm.
“This is an argument we could have forever.”
“And we will,” Lettie says. “We will.”
Wrath
I should have known the two others would disappear as soon as I told them not to. Being obnoxious seems to be a human trait. I want to worry about one human, my human, but I do feel responsible for everybody in this little group.
“Can you shut up?” Allie snaps at Lettie. “Just get over it, you psycho.”
There’s a brief moment of silence, in which Lettie and Allie size one another up. Shan and I are both holding knives and covered in blood. Lettie holding the infant means that nothing is going to happen physically, though I do have to wonder if Allie isn’t starting to reach the end of some invisible tether.
“What’s your problem?” Lettie asks. “Is it because you’re fucking the evil bastard? You want me to forget what he did to me?”
“I was a soldier, Allie says. “I committed atrocities for corporate interests, and I was good enough at it to earn my retirement. I’ve been trying to keep a low profile. I’ve been trying to avoid trouble. But after what you did to me, I don’t want to hear you ever complain again. If I do, you’re going to regret it, and there won’t be anything any saurian can do about it, you absolute bitch.”
There’s a shocked silence as Allie asserts herself in a way she probably never has before.
“Babswowute bitch!”
The baby repeats Allie’s words with glee. The first word is somewhat butchered, but the second is incredibly clear.
Lettie’s eyes widen. She looks at her baby, and then at Shan. Shan is also staring, quite astonished. I get the sense this is a more momentous occasion than it seems.
“Those were her first words. I hope you’re happy.” Lettie’s voice is replete with bitterness.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Allie replies.
“Bwosute bitch!” The baby giggles, very pleased with itself.
“Maybe you should take the baby back into the shelter,” Shan suggests.
“Maybe we should move out on our own,” Lettie says. “Maybe everybody here is a bad influence. Maybe…”
“Go back inside, Lettie. Now.”
Shan’s voice lowers to a tone of authority that I haven’t heard him use with her before. It’s effective. She pauses, looking at him with a querying lifted brow.
“Now!” he repeats.
She scuttles back into the tent with the baby.
“Good work,” I congratulate him.
“I’ve been careful with her since she had the baby,” he says. “But I’m starting to think she never needed much in the way of gentle handling. She dared drug me. She dared attack my city. She dared… how did the ship crash?”
“She dropped a loaded weapon and it discharged, hit the control panel, and caused the ship to malfunction.”
Shan growls. “Could you and Allie please look after the baby tonight? Lettie and I need a reckoning.”
“Nothing would give me more pleasure.”
10 HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Allie
I am so glad to be looking after the baby. Wrath can’t whip me for Cadence and Casey, who are still missing, with the baby in our shelter. The child seems quite happy to be with us, which I take to mean our energy is calm, centered, and safe. I start to think that laying an egg one day might not be the absolute worst thing to happen.
“She’s kind of cute, isn’t she?” I smile the question over at Wrath, who has made himself comfortable after a long hunt. He looks at ease. If he still intends on punishing me, there’s no sign of it now.
“Bwitch,” the baby gurgles.
“And she really likes that word.”
“It has a certain kick to it,” Wrath agrees.
The sound of something like a lash hitting something like bare flesh is emanating from the other shelter, and we are all pretending not to hear it. Me, especially, because I don’t want Wrath getting any ideas.
“This is good,” he says. “Once Shan is back in control, Lettie will be much less dangerous.”
“She’s still going to be in trouble, though, isn’t she? She’s still a criminal. You can’t level a city block, crash a ship, and expect no consequences.”
“If Thorn finds her, yes, there will be problems. But it is possible that in the future she and Shan will live elsewhere with this little one, thereby avoiding detection, not to mention apprehension and punishment.”
I marvel at him. “Wow,” I say. “Your plans really do work out for you one way or another, don’t they. You’re getting everything you wanted. Lettie will be under your control, all the human women are trapped on this planet, and the baby is going to live in your world too.”