“Almostsince day one, whatever.” He grinned, rolling his eyes good-naturedly before sobering. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ve been the only one to mistake this pull, Zig, and the Hydrassians capitalized on that biological response for financial gain.”
Sighing, I dejectedly stared at the squirming creature, unable to ignore how I found the odd ratio of their enormous eyeballs and furry face to beslightlyadorable.
“What’s the matter? Do you want upsies with your space daddy?” Micah cooed in the ridiculous, sing-song voice I’d often witnessed him use back on Earth with the babies in his family.
Which is slightly adorable as well.
Pedro responded with a squeal and a scrabbling of their claws until I retrieved the creature from Micah’s arms, placing them back on my shoulders with a sigh.
Fine.
It’s practice.
To my increased annoyance, theLacertuschuckled. “Why are you seeking to return this Trol to Karn? Clearly, they have found loving caregivers in both of you.”
Micah smiled softly. “Well, I don’t know if life aboard the Lodger is the right kind of set up for a baby, no matter how much I want to…” He cleared his throat, blushing deliciously. “And we should at least try to reunite them with their own kind, right?”
TheLacertusstared at my stellar collision thoughtfully. “I have often wondered whether all the species in the galaxies should be as segregated as we are… While you both look similar at the moment, you are not the same.”
You’d be surprised.
“Yeah, about that…” Micah rubbed the back of his neck. “Have you really not heard of Earth, Krunk? Or theLacertus’history with Earthlings like me?”
The lizard cocked their head, visibly intrigued. “What are the coordinates for Earth?”
Even with this new ground between our species, I wasn’t eager to give these lizards a map to my mate’s home planet.
“It’s difficult to chart to outsiders, since the locals call their galaxy ‘Milky Way,’” I deflected. “But it’s a fertile, blue planet with a single moon, about three or four galaxies past Taius.”
“Gaia!” the umber-coloredLacertusfrom earlier called out, hesitantly lumbering closer.“03-Via Lactea.”
Recognition lit up the purpleLacertus’reptilian eyes. “Ah, yes… I remember now. That was a colonizing mission that failed when the Stellarians appeared to claim supremacy once again.”
Should I correct them?
I don’t think I will.
Unfortunately, Micah did not share my deeply ingrained need to dominate when it came to theLacertus.
“Actually.” He raised a finger.“LacertusDNA is still alive and kicking on my home planet. I can even show you proof!”
Here we go.
Micah dematerialized his Eki robe before wrestling his phone out of his pocket and swiping through his photos until he found one of him and Zion in full supe form.
“This is my eldest brother.” He turned the device to show Krunk. “He has a deathpond too.”
TheLacertuspeered at the phone screen.“Eldestbrother, you say? They are so small… like a baby.”
Oh, Iwillbe sharing this assessment with Zion.
Micah snorted. “I’m sure Ziggy can’twaitto tell him you said that.”
He knows me so well.
What followed was my mate convincing Krunk and several otherLacertusto pose for selfies so he could “show the haters back home how the big dogs hang.”
Whatever that means.
