Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Finally Ana squares her shoulders and looks back at the Queen. “I got help. I went on medication for a little while. I got my head on straight. But you and Giselle will never let me forget it. It’s like you want me to stay sick so you two can always feel superior to me.”
“That’s not it at all!” the Queen says, her features stricken. “It’s just that whenever you get deep into one of your fixations, we worry that—”
“My fixations?” Ana’s voice goes unnaturally high. “You mean my hobbies? Like looking for the deeper truth of things in the world around me? What’s so wrong with that? I work all day in retail, for Christ’s sake! If I didn’t have something more meaningful to do with the rest of my time, I’d want to put a bullet in my brain.”
What is a bullet? This does not sound good. I frown down at Ana but she’s already moving on.
“I know you don’t respect my research, but it’s literally what keeps me sane. Not to mention, that, hello? I was right about the freaking aliens!”
Ana is breathing hard when she finishes her speech and I clasp her hand, hoping she’ll allow the contact now. She does and she squeezes back, like she’s glad for my support.
The Queen has taken a step back and blinks repeatedly, her mouth open. “Shit, Ana… I didn’t know you felt that way. I— I’m sorry.” Her eyebrows furrow and though I’m still not expert at reading human facial expressions, I believe what I see on her face is remorse. It appears genuine… But it could be false. A manipulation of some kind.
“I’m so sorry, Ana,” Shak’s mate continues, her words a rush now. “Please. Can you forgive me? I’ve been a horrible bitch. I was just in mother hen mode for so long, I didn’t see that you grew up. And God knows I’m in no position to judge. I stayed with Robbie and lied to you guys for years.”
The Queen’s face crumples and now water streams from her eyes.
Ana moves forward but I hold her back by my grip on her hand. “It could be a trap,” I whisper.
Ana just shakes her head. “She’s my best friend. It’s okay.”
Reluctantly I let go of her hand and she hurries forward. She and Shak’s very pregnant mate embrace. Before long, both of their eyes are gushing waters but they are laughing at the same time.
Shak comes over to stand beside me. “Strange creatures, these human females.” He tilts his head and peers at them, then a smile breaks over his face. “Strange and wonderful.”
Finally, I smile too and clap him on the back. “Your words have never been more true, my friend.”
We stand watching our mates in peace for several long moments when the noise of a loud motor vehicle behind us has me turning in alarm. Shak must not have closed the gate after we came in.
“The guest is expected,” Shak says when I reach for my scylathe which, of course, is not at my side. I was not allowed to bring any of our weapons or technology down to the surface with us. I’m sure Shak has one somewhere, since he’s King.
I’m not without my defenses, though. The Draci are more than three times faster than the humans and four times as strong.
The car comes to a stop beside Ana’s and another female gets out. She’s tall and has long, yellow hair.
She puts a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun, looks at me and Shak, then over to Ana and the Queen’s water-streaked faces. “Damn, what I’d miss?”
Chapter Eight
Ana
“Wow,” Giselle says, sipping her coffee and glancing between me and Juliet. We’re sitting in Juliet’s opulent living room, looking out on the huge, beautifully landscaped garden within the compound’s high walls. It seems almost impossibly lush for Northeast California and I wonder if they borrowed some terraforming tech to plant it.
Shak and Ezo are outside attempting to grill in the backyard. Juliet asked if they wanted any help but Shak looked offended and just said, “I can perform this common human male task to provide cooked meat for my mate.”
Apparently he saw it on TV—some bro dude show about manly men grilling—and took it as a directive that he’d been failing Juliet in a crucial male duty.
“So now you’re both shacked up with aliens.” Giselle shakes her head, glancing out the window for a long moment before looking back to us. “Are they good to you? Just tell me if they’re good to you.”
“Oh honey,” Juliet says, reaching out and grasping Gisele’s hand. Because she’s at home, she’s wearing a loose spaghetti strap maternity top, and the golden scales along her breastbone, forearms, and upper arms shine in the sunlight from the window. She has her wings tucked in but whenever she opens them… It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “Shak is the best.”