Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“What about Cerius Prime, then?” Grath demanded. “You didn’t tell me we were going to actually dive into the ‘Divine River’ to talk to the Cerians! I spent two days wet to the fucking bones while you ‘communed’ with them!”
“Staying on the floating islands wouldn’t have earned their trust,” Mattie protested. “I had to dive into the Divine River. Didn’t you see how they opened up to me once we were submerged together?”
“What I saw was you breaking the rules and diving in without even asking me to check the water for any kind of dangerous predators first,” Grath growled.
“Because it was a Class 1 planet!” Mattie protested. “So I knew there weren’t any dangerous predators.”
“Cerius Prime is only considered Class 1 regarding its land masses,” Grath told her, narrowing his eyes even more. “Its oceans are Class 2 and there are dangerous predators in those waters. You’re lucky none of them got you before the Cerians agreed to talk to you and brought us into their stronghold!”
“Well, I just—” Mattie began, but Commander Sylvan held up a hand.
“Please,” he said mildly. “I understand the two of you have had your differences…which is precisely the reason I’m reluctant to send you to Vi’ri’tex to pretend to be a mated pair.”
“Commander Sylvan, please—we can pull it off! I know we can,” Mattie pleaded.
Commander Sylvan looked at Grath.
“Protector Grath—what is your opinion?”
Grath blew out a breath and ran a hand through his thick, black hair.
“Look, Commander—if you send us, I’ll try. I have my oath to fulfill—I’ll do anything in my power to keep Dr. Porter safe. But unless the Vi’riens have couples that fight all the fucking time…” He shook his head. “I just don’t know how believable we’d be.”
“We wouldn’t fight if you’d be a little less grumpy and surly!” Mattie exclaimed.
“Well, maybe if you didn’t go rushing into fucking dangerous situations without even telling me first, I’d be less grumpy!” Grath growled. “I said it when I first met you and I’ll say it again—you’re too damn little and delicate to be running around the galaxy stirring up trouble on alien worlds!”
Mattie put a hand on her hip, feeling like her temper was about to blow like a volcano.
“How misogynistic can you be?” she bit out. “No, really—I mean it—are you going for some kind of record here?”
“Is it misogynistic to tell the fucking truth?” Grath demanded.
Sylvan frowned.
“It’s clear the two of you are at odds. I’m afraid the Vi’riens just wouldn’t believe you were a harmonious couple. And the consequences if they found out you weren’t mated would be dire.”
“So now I’m going to be limited in my choice of missions by him?” Mattie demanded, stabbing a thumb at the big Hybrid. “This is ridiculous! I’m a scientist, Commander Sylvan! I should be able to collect data wherever I want—there’s no way I should be restricted by the Protector you assigned to me! So maybe you should give me another Protector.”
Grath crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest.
“Fine by me,” he growled. “Maybe they can assign me to a female that’s not as much trouble as you are!”
“And maybe I can get a Protector who isn’t afraid to protect me!” Mattie snapped out.
The big Hybrid’s eyes narrowed until they were nothing but black slits.
“You doubting my courage, little girl? It’s because you’re so little and breakable that you’re such a pain in the ass to protect! The slightest thing might break you—kill you! I’m just fucking afraid that I might not get there in time before you get your damn self gobbled up. Especially the way you go rushing into situations without even talking to me first!”
“I’m just going where the science leads me!” Mattie exclaimed. “I can’t help it if you can’t keep up with me.”
“You—” Grath began and it looked like they might spend the rest of the meeting in a shouting match. Until a soft voice said,
“I have an idea.”
Mattie, who had been turned to face the big Hybrid, her face flushed with fury, realized it was Sophie talking. Taking a deep breath, she made an effort to calm down—maybe her friend could convince Commander Sylvan to let her go to Vi’ri’tex Delta after all—despite what a total ass Grath was making of himself.
“Yes, Sophie?” she asked and Commander Sylvan said,
“What are you thinking, talana?”
“It seems to me that what Mattie and Grath need before they go to Vi’ri’tex Delta is practice,” Sophie said. She had turned around and was standing by her husband’s chair as she spoke.
“Practice?” Mattie and Grath said at the same time and Mattie added,
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you need practice pretending you’re a couple,” Sophie said patiently. “And what better place to practice than at your family’s holiday get-together at your home back on Earth?”
Mattie felt like her stomach had dropped down to the floor.