"Taz," Hope's tone was warning but I kept my gaze firmly on Penny's face.Dargo had sworn up and down that his buddy was honorable, but I didn't like the look on my friend’s face right now.If she needed out of this situation, I was getting her the fuck out.
Penny's shoulders climbed to her ears the longer I stared at her until she looked wound tight enough to snap.
"It's complicated," she mumbled, picking at the woven floor.
"If he's doing things to you, or keeping you here against your will-"
"He's not!"Her head snapped up and a spark of something like anger lit up her dark eyes."Adak wouldn't hurt me, I swear."
I held up a hand."I believe you, I just had to check."
Hope was glaring at me like I'd kicked a puppy but I wasn't going to apologize for looking out for Penny.Someone had to, and not someone trying to get laid.
"You better not be a bitch about this, Taz," Hope said, crossing her arms."I saw you walk in with Dargo.You agreed to be his mate."
"No, I made a deal I'd be his mate if he helped me save you two.That deal doesn't apply if you were both here and safe when I made it."Just remembering Dargo's stupid face made me mad all over again.
"That raging asshole is trying to get paid without doing the work," I muttered, mad all over again that I was a tiny bit disappointed I wouldn't be taking him up on any of his sexy offers.
Whatever.Getting all swoony over a guy wasn't my thing.No matter how bold his flirting or nice his muscles were.
Hope didn't look convinced.
"You know mating isn't just about getting laid to them, don't you?"
I rolled my eyes, ready to hear a buttload of romantic delusions from the girl in the honeymoon phase of her relationship.
"Sure it's not.They're guys, alien guys, but still."
"It's really not, Taz," Penny piped up, looking a little more relaxed now that she wasn't the center of attention."Their culture revolves aroundUlto, claiming their mate.They don't date or sleep around or anything."
"They also don't have divorce," Hope jumped in."So you can't piss him off until he bows out.If you slept with him, you're stuck.I mean you could ignore him, but he’s going to follow you around like a lost duckling."
"I didn't sleep with him," I snapped, feeling cornered.I'd thought about it, sure.Dargo had pretty much introduced himself by saying he wanted to go down on me.Whowouldn'tthink about sex after that?
"I thought I was getting a bath and snacks, not a lecture on the care and feeding of an alien mate."
"Oh."Penny jumped up and ducked behind the curtain.The clamor of metal banging together filled the tent and I wondered what she was digging through to make so much noise."Is cold water okay or do you want to wait for it to warm up?"
"Cold is fine."I was suddenly hyperaware of the sheen of sweat that had dried to my skin while I'd been puking my guts out.I was sticky and I smelled terrible, I could bathe in beer and I’d be cleaner.The curtain fluttered and I spotted a makeshift tub that looked like a giant metal barrel that had been sawed in half.
"You have a tub?"I'd been barely surviving, living off snack food and sleeping in a folding chair and these two had been living in the lap of apocalyptic luxury.
Penny whipped the curtain closed, hiding the shallow tub, her eyes darting all over the room.
"Yeah, it takes forever to fill up, I was just going to get you a bucket and a wash cloth."
"Okay," I said, wondering what had her so jumpy all of the sudden.
"Here."She shoved a bucket my way, and water splashed over the sides and onto my lap."There's fresh soap, too."
I caught the unopened box of soap in my free hand.
"That's my contribution," Hope said looking proud of herself."We raided a bunch of stores while we were looking for you two."
"You were looking for us?"I set the bucket down and started stripping out of my clothes.If they were uncomfortable with a little nudity, they could look away because I was too eager to get clean to care.
"Aeko claimed me almost as soon as I stepped outside.It took a couple days for me to get back to town and by then you guys were gone."
