“Oh. I don’t know.” I bite my lip, Niki and Bex’s words of warning crashing through my head.
“You are lying,” he says, irritation plain in his tone.
“Fine.” I lie back, and he returns a moment later, wiping off the evidence of our sexcapades with a cool, wet cloth and gentle hands.
“Are you going to tell me what you were thinking when you made this face?” He scrunches up his face, puckering his lips, looking for all the world like he’s just bitten into a lemon.
I burst out laughing. “I did not look like that.”
“Well, you were also glowing,” he says seriously, “but I cannot make my skin do that.”
I whack him with one of the little pillows littered on the bed.
He waits, one eyebrow raised.
“Fine,” I repeat, blowing out a breath. “The girls were telling me you have some kind of a reputation. They were worried about me.”
“And do you care that your husband has a past?” His features are arranged in careful neutrality. “I already told you as much.”
“Do you care that your wife has one?” I retort.
He takes my hand in his, pressing a kiss across my knuckles. “I only care that our future is together, my flower.”
I crawl onto him, hugging him to me as he runs his fingers across my bare skin.
“I am proud of you for joining the Trials,” he said. “No matter what happens.”
“No matter what happens?” I ask, jerking my head up to look at him. “What, you think I survived the temple but can’t survive a little Warlord Trial?” My chin juts out aggressively, the effect somewhat ruined by the fact he’s jiggling my ass with his hands.
“Oh, I know for a fact you can and will. I just like it when you get mad, Indiana Jones.”
I blink at him, then burst out laughing again, nestling under his chin. When I fall asleep in his arms, I’m smiling.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
KANUZ
My gaze swings around the training yard, assessing the four females’ stances. Draz assists Ni-kee, correcting the way she holds her sword. They are not used to using anything but knives and guns, but in the Trials, they’ll need to be proficient with a sword, too.
Alvez and Dergoz are helping the other two females, who make up for what they lack in the finesse and skill of Ni-kee and Gen with pure youthful energy and what looks to be unfettered rage.
I’m not sure who the female they call Abby’s wed to, but I plan to send a prayer up to the mother goddess on his behalf anyway.
Gen’s skin sparkles with sweat and her ever-present glow, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“Adjust your weight,” I tell her, and she complies, sinking more evenly into her stance. “Good, my flower.”
She swipes her sword at me, and I barely block it in time.
We’ve only been at this for a week now, the trials looming in just seven days time, but already she’s shown much improvement.
“Son of bitch,” Abby cries out, throwing her sword down.
“Control your temper,” Ni-kee yells at her. “You represent all of Earth here, am I understood?”
Abby nods her head, then blows out a huge breath, picking up her sword once more.
“Is it time for a snack break?” Bex’s happy little voice echoes through the arena.
Dergoz, her husband, immediately swings his attention to where she stands at the edge of the training field, a platter full of treats in her hand. She’s dressed in bright colors, looking pretty as a spring day, but Dergoz grunts in irritation, then storms out the other side, ignoring her completely. A Brute indeed.
Bex’s face falls.
“Why is he such an asshole? It’s not like anyone tricked him into marrying her.” Gen says, sliding her energy sword into the scabbard at her back with a refined flick of the wrist she picked up so quickly it made my cock stand up straight.
“He will not talk about her.” I shrug. “I do not know.”
“Well, if anyone wants a snack,” Bex says, her voice faltering. Gen nudges me with her elbow.
“Of course, we want snacks, Bex,” she calls out, pulling me beside her.
Abby continues to practice her stances, but the rest of us file over to where the platter of treats rests on a small bench where Bex stands, wringing her hands together.
“This was really nice of you,” Gen tells her.
“Do you think—” She bites her lip, then smiles brightly at all of us. “Never mind. Enjoy it, you guys definitely deserve it. I'll just go back and help Michelle with her research.”
She leaves, walking so swiftly away she’s nearly running from the training ring.
Draz shoots me an irritated look.
“What the fuck is Dergoz’s problem?” Gen says, clearly not caring who she offends. “Bex is so fun, and sweet, and pretty, and he’s just going to ignore her forever? Does he want to divorce her? He’s making it worse.” She grumbles something under her breath, then shoves whatever it is Bex brought into her mouth.
“Oumughud,” she says through the mouthful, crumbs flying from her lips. She swallows, then wipes the back of her hand on her mouth. “They taste like chocolate chip cookies.”
Niki grabs one, then takes a huge bite of it. “Heaven,” she finally pronounces. “Abby, put your sword up and get over here.”
Abby frowns at Ni-kee but does as she asks.
“What are chocolate chip cookies?” I ask Draz, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Probably can-dee,” he says wisely. “Ni-kee loves can-dee.”
“My mate likes to eat can-dee shaped like small children,” I tell him.
Draz stares at me, horror struck. “Is this true?”
Ni-kee coughs, and Gen slaps her on the back, and then all the females are laughing.
“Sour Patch Kids?” Ni-kee finally croaks. “Oh my god.”
“I didn’t stop and think about how an alien species would react to that particular candy, okay?”
“Small children,” the black-haired one called Juls wheezes. “I can’t. I can’t.”
“Is that not what you call kids? Are they not small children?” Affronted, I hold my hands out, waiting for one of them to correct me. They all laugh harder, clutching at each other.
Draz shoots me a look of sympathy.
“Okay, but we need to do something about Bex and Dragoz,” Gen finally says when the laughter slows down.
“We cannot,” Draz says. “They will need to figure it out on their own.”
“And how’s that working out for them?” Gen asks, her tone dripping with acid. I snort.
“She’s right,” Ni-Kee says. “How can they work it out when he refuses to even see her?”
“We could mediate, considering her translator isn’t working,” Gen says slowly.
Alvez laughs at this, shaking his head. “Dergoz would rather Crigomar shit; I can tell you that much. There’s a reason we call him the Brute.”
“And the one they call the Beast?” Abby takes another bite of the cookie, and I realize that must be who her husband is. The Warlord known as the Beast is… unstable at best.
I sniff one of the treats Bex brought, but it smells much too sweet for my liking. I put it back, drawing Gen into my chest instead.
She is the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Not too much. Just right.
“The Beast will be here for the trial. All the Warlords will,” Draz says slowly. Abby lowers the cookie, putting it back on the plate half-eaten. Without a word, she strides back into the ring, picking up the exercises right where she left off.