Aercek must have had enough of the social niceties, because he starts barking out orders to the affable Eyjolf.
“Start prepping for departure. We need to make two stops before we leave the atmosphere, so make sure everything is in order. Ahstahl and I are retiring to our quarters, and we aren’t to be disturbed unless it’s of grave importance. Am I clear?”
Eyjolf nods decisively and replies. “Understood, Aercek,” before turning on his heel and striding off deeper into the ship.
Ashtahl slinks over and stage whispers. “So, we may have failed to mention that Aercek is the Captain of this vessel and is the head warrior-hunter in our village.”
Aercek’s head drops back, and he stares at the ceiling in exasperation.
Whispering back to Ahstahl, I prod at Aercek’s dwindling patience. “You don’t say, I never would have guessed something like that.”
Whirling on us, Aercek’s crimson eyes are full of irritation at our needling, and he bares his teeth in annoyance before grabbing me and tossing me over his shoulder.
Laughing at him, I call out, “Was it something we said?” Only to completely lose the battle with my laughter when he snarls in response as Ahstahl follows behind to wherever it is we’re going.
Chapter 20
Ahstahl
Entering our personal quarters, I watch Aercek gently toss Keelie on the soft surface of our bed and have to stifle a laugh at the disgruntled look on her face. Myfraterhas laughed more since meeting Keelie than he has the entire time he and I’ve been bonded. It warms my soul to see him finally letting loose. I’ve never felt shorted or that I wasn’t enough—our relationship is fulfilling in its own way—but having a mate allows him to show his softer side.
Setting her backpack on the low-backed couch in the common area, I move over to the elevated bed and extend a hand to help her down. At the same time, Aercek stalks over to the vidsystem to check on any communication we may have missed while wooing our mate in the woods.
“Come, little one. Let me show you our quarters.”
Pulling her along, I show her the sanitation room and how to operate the controls to the cleansing stall and waste disposal unit. By the time I’m through showing Keelie everything so she can be somewhat self-sufficient, Aercek is done at the vidsystem and is sitting at our personal dining table staring at the bed.
Ah.
I hadn’t thought of that. Our species is communal sleepers, even if it’s platonic. We don’t do well alone, but Keelie’s consented to so much already. Is it really fair to ask her to share a bed with us?
“Aercek and I will be happy to sleep elsewhere, so you can have the bed to yourself, Keelie.”
She pauses for a moment, looking back and forth between the bed and us before making a decision.
“I don’t want to run y’all out of your room or bed. I’m not quite ready to jump into sex, but sleeping together doesn’t bother me. To be honest, I’m tired of sleeping alone and waking up cold.”
Her tone ends almost bashfully, and I lean down to nuzzle her cheek with mine. “It will be as you say. We just want to make sure you are comfortable here with us.”
Keelie yawns in response. “I’m not sure what time it is, but it’s got to be pretty late. I’m going to get ready for bed.”
And with that, she fetches her backpack and goes back inside the cleansing room, the door whooshing closed behind her in a decisive motion. Glancing over at Aercek, I see that his face is slack in astonishment. Neither of us was under any kind of impression that she would feel safe enough to sleep between us. Especially not the first night aboard our ship.
Grinning at him, I move over to the bed to pull the covers back. “How did we ever get lucky enough to have a female like her?”
Rubbing a hand across the base of his horns, he replies. “I don’t know… but I, for one, am going to thank the gods daily for blessing us with her.”
“You and me both,frater.”
KEELIE
After brushing my teeth, I pull on my pajamas and peer at myself in the mirror. A set of men’s red and black flannel pajamas is reflected back at me. Thankfully, this isn’t a set of Wayne’s old clothes, because that would be a little bit too weird for me. They’re not skimpy or revealing since I packed for camping out in the mountains, not with seduction in mind. A pang of regret hits me, and I have to take a moment to think about my feelings.
Do I want to seduce my mates?
The more I use the word, the more I’m sure I’ve made the correct decision. Somewhere deep inside me, it feels right to be here with them. Even with that said, I know I’m not ready to jump into having sex, regardless of how physically appealing I’m beginning to find them. I’ve always fancied a good monster romance book, and now I’m living it in real life.
It’s literally every book girl’s dream come true.
