Total pages in book: 175
Estimated words: 166095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 830(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 830(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
“Anything. You know that.” He sets down his eating sticks and clasps my hand, giving me his undivided attention. I love that about Jamef. He always makes me feel important and seen.
I try to think of the best way to approach it. “Zakoar gave me something before he left.”
To my surprise, he gets a weird look on his face and his tail twitches. “Is it…another bed toy?”
Oh. I giggle, because he’s probably still a little flustered given that Bethiah used the strap-on on him last night while he fucked me. It was really sexy and I make a mental note that I want to wear the strap-on tonight, just to see that awkward-yet-aroused look on his face again. “Not a bed toy. It’s a serum full of nanobots that will mask the clone markers in my blood. The downside is that it’ll show they’re masked and everyone will assume I’m hiding something, which usually means criminal. I wanted to talk to you and Bethiah about it because I want to make sure we’re all on board before I take them.”
He nods slowly and glances at the door. When there’s no Bethiah coming through, he gives my hand a firm squeeze. “If it will make you feel more comfortable, I want you to do whatever you’re happy with.”
“I would do it to feel safe. To know no one’s going to imprison me—or worse—just because I’m a clone. I already know how I feel about it, though. I want to know what you think.”
“I personally think it’s not a bad thing to hide the fact that you’re a clone. But if you’re worried about what the nanobots might entail, maybe wait and see what Bethiah brings first.” His mouth curves in a tiny smile.
“Why?”
Before he can answer, the door slides open and Bethiah waddles in, hefting an enormous steel box in her arms. “Kef me, this shit is heavy.”
We both jump to our feet. Jamef moves to her side and takes the other end of the box, and they set it on the end of the table together.
I move to Bethiah’s side, unable to take my gaze off the box. “What is that? Ship parts?” That’s the logical answer, but if so, why bring them to dinner? “You couldn’t leave work alone?”
“Ha.” She reaches down and grabs a handful of my hair, tilting my head back and plants a smacking kiss on my mouth. “You are gonna be so in love with me once you see what’s inside.”
“I’m already in love with you, dummy,” I tell her, amused. Then her words sink in. “It’s a present? For me?”
“It is. Kef, it’s hard to keep a secret around here, too. I don’t know how you manage, Jamef. I’ve been bursting for ages.” Bethiah moves over to his side and slides an arm around his waist. They both look smugly pleased with themselves, watching me.
This feels a bit like Christmas. It takes all I have not to wriggle like an excited puppy. “You two conspired to get me a gift? What is it?”
“Expensive,” Bethiah blurts immediately.
Jamef nudges her with his elbow. He turns to me. “Just open it.”
I approach the box and it’s half the size I am, wider than it is tall. I don’t know how she managed to carry it, given that there’s all kinds of technological gobbledygook on the lid. They look like controls of some kind, but I do recognize one button for a “hatch” and press it. The moment I do, the lid hisses and a cool puff of air breezes out.
“They’re in hibernation so they could travel well,” Bethiah explains. “So don’t panic.”
They?
The misty smoke clears and the lid tilts all the way back, revealing two opalescent lizard-cat cubs curled around each other.
Oh.
Ohhhhh.
I burst into tears. “You got two carinoux babies?”
“Jamef was right,” Bethiah says. “Alice was looking for the right home for them and wasn’t interested in money. Well, somewhat interested in money, but I got a discount because we’re friendly. One’s for you so you’ll always have protection on the ship, and the other we need to drop to Risda for Simone. You get first pick of course.”
I cry buckets of happy tears as I reach in and pull one sleepy lizard-kitten out. The thing is long and has so many legs that it’s like trying to cradle a slinky, but I pull him (or her) against my chest anyhow. Immediately, it curls against my neck, burrowing its face against my warmth and starts to purr. “Oh my god,” I weep, beyond joy. “This one is mine. He’s so cute. And perfect.”
“They’re both boys,” Bethiah says, casting a smug look of pride in my direction. “The males are more protective than the females and as long as we don’t get a female near them, we don’t have to worry about babies. That should work for Simone, and for us, because by the time he’s old enough to mount anything, we’ll be out on the Spot again, and you’ll be piloting our ship.”