Rathal’s other hand was just snaking its way into my flight suit when Aga’s voice bellowed from the bulkhead door.
“Would you two quit grabassing and get in here!”
Rathal sighed and removed his hand from my suit, pulling the zipper back up with a quick, irritated jerk. “I don’t think he likes me, my prize. Whatever shall I do? How will I go on?”
I smacked his chest. “Stop that,” I laughed, pulling him along behind me as I made my way across the busy hangar bay of the Cutter and up a set of stairs to where Aga waited on the landing just before the airlock doors with his arms crossed.
The croc shook his head at me, his scowl deepening. “You used to be the sane one, Callie. What happened?”
Rathal chose that moment to pull me into his body, his head coming to rest on top of mine. “She had that stick removed and replaced with good dick. It changes a female.”
I thought I was going to have to tackle Aga to the ground but he stopped himself at the last second, sheathed his sword back into the scabbard on his back and stalked through the bulkhead and down the corridor, finally disappearing around a corner.
I rolled my eyes up to where his nose protruded over my forehead. “The saying is technically ‘stick up the ass’ and you aren’t getting that monster you call a cock anywhere near my ass.”
Rathal’s put out sigh was full of dramatics. “Ass. Pussy. The results were the same. You’re welcome.”
“I don’t think you can reasonably be called responsible for all the changes in me. My girls have a fair bit of credit for that. Not to mention the whole abduction by aliens thing,” I told him as we followed in Aga’s steaming wake down several corridors. The crew was marching back and forth past us chattering excitedly about the coming war. Erral had all but emptied for this, onlythose with small children and the elderly staying behind. All automated security systems had been put on full alert. The station had become a fortress in little under a day.
It was a testament to how organized Som’ae kept the seemingly slapped together chaos of Erral to have been able pull this off with little to no notice.
Rathal snagged my attention by gripping the back of my neck and giving me a little shake as we walked.
“Must you be so technical, wife? I’m trying to flirt here,” Rathal sighed. “It's the martyrs folly to love a practical person. Woe is me,” he deadpanned, one hand splaying over his chest while he put the back of his other hand to his forehead.
We entered a lift and I tiptoed to kiss at the corner of his mouth. “I think you’ll survive.”
Rathal leaned down, pointing at his mouth. “Maybe, but kiss me again just to be sure.”
Someone made a disgusted sound and got off the lift before the doors closed and I startled. I hadn’t even noticed someone was in here with us.
“Snob,” Rathal called after the male who’d exited before tapping his lips again. “About that kiss? Callie?” Rathal edged, nudging me.
Rolling my eyes, but smiling I did as he asked, kissing him with the intention of it just being a quick thing, but Rathal had other ideas. His arms gathered me close while he deepened the kiss. I shrugged, smiling into his mouth, and threw my arms around his neck.
The lift hissed open and an irritated scoff broke us apart. Rathal looked over my head, growling. “Oh, fuck off. When and how I kiss my wife is none of your concern.”
I unwound myself from Rathal so I could turn and see that it was of course, Aga, burning a hole through Rathal’s forehead with his glare.
“Cut him some slack, Rathal. He’s just mad he had to come all the way out here just to find I’d slept with the enemy. I’d be pretty mad too. Plus, I’m sure the main reason he’s so pissed is because he had to leave Sam behind. Iamsorry, Aga. I didn’t plan this. But I chose Rathal. I married him. He’s mine. Deal with it.”
Aga stared at me for a long moment that grew kind of awkward with the whole bridge crew watching us, including Som’ae. Finally, the grumpy male sighed and dropped his arms to his sides with a shake of his head.
“There is no need to apologize, Callie. I know this wasn’t your fault. I place the blame fully on that—” he looked like he was searching for a word that was appropriate to use in front of a matriarch, “—pirate’sfeet” He shot a withering glare at Rathal. Aga’s glares were extra effective because his orange eyes always appeared to be glowing, even if it was just the brilliant color and not any actual luminescence. His gaze softened when it found me again. “I will be less—” He made tiny circling motions with his hand, searching for the right word.
“Assholey?” I supplied, helpfully.
Aga inclined his head, a smile twitching at his lips. “—assholey to your chosen mate. Though, I still don’t like you,” he finished, narrowing his eyes at Rathal.
My husband gave Aga a bored look. “I shall endeavor to survive without your good esteem.”
Aga snorted, finally smiling fully for the first time since he showed up here. “I’m sure you will.”
“If we are all done with the family squabbling I do believe we have a war to fight,” Som’ae’s dry voice cracked through the air.
All three of us jumped, turning to give her identical guilty looks. “Sorry,” we said at the same time.
Som’ae shook her head. “Children. You are all the same. No matter the species.”
