Bonus Content – Beauty and the Beast
QUINN
As soon as we returned to Earth–okay, not as soon as, but as soon as Bahre let me out of bed after we returned to Earth–I traded my car in for a Jeep. No top, no doors so he wasn’t folded in half. He’d been pleased with this and took to driving it himself.
But for me, he’d insisted on a bulletproof, armored SUV with blacked out windows and a security system that would alert him–and all of his Atlan friends–that I was in trouble with the push of a button. When he went to work at the Brides Program Testing Center, he drove the Jeep and took the corners so fast his wheels squealed and he left tire marks on the streets in our neighborhood.
When I drove to work, I was in a tank. Which, knowing there might be more bad guys like Lukabo out there, was just fine with me. And when we were together, Bahre liked to spoil me. Which I protested against–because hey, I knew how to drive just fine. But I loved that he wanted to take care of me, so I let him. We were on our way to do a follow-up interview with Mr. Kaur and his backyard alligator, Howard. And, as usual, when I was with my warlord, I didn’t drive. Bahre did. Everywhere we went.
I grabbed the handle above the door as Bahre made the tires of my SUV screech around the turn to the highway’s on ramp. “Mr. Kaur is related to Braun’s mate, Angela. He is her grandfather.”
“I am honored to meet him. Braun shared the stories. Angela’s grandfather is a veteran with a cyborg leg. Braun said his mate’s grandfather is honorable. He tasked me and the others with looking after Angela’s family here on Earth.”
“I thought they went to The Colony.”
“Only to visit Angela. They do not remain.”
Considering, I looked up at the bright blue sky out my window and thought about all the worlds out there in the Coalition of Planets. “I’d like to go to The Colony one day and visit. There are a lot of human brides there. That’s what Warden Egara said.” I’d met the warden on our trip back from the place that I never wanted to think about again. She had been very kind and pretty and professional. I’d liked her at once. Too bad I had to meet that jerk, Lukabo, first. He’d totally ruined the space experience. Besides being mated with the Atlan cuffs, I was legally married to an alien now. We’d filed the paperwork at the local courthouse and made everything Earth legal. Bahre insisted once Warden Egara told him about Earth’s laws. If anything happened to him, he wanted me to be taken care of.
For a big, scarred brute he was the sweetest warlord in the universe.
“I would be pleased to visit The Colony with you. There are many warriors there who would kill to protect you. It would be a safe place for you to explore.”
I laughed out loud. Of course that would be his first consideration. “What about Atlan?”
He considered and I hid my smile behind the back of my hand. He was so cute when he worried. “I would need to make some comm calls and hire security. I have not been home in many years.”
“Do you want to go home?”
He looked at me, just for a moment. “I am home.”
“I am going to jump all over you the second we get back to the house.”
His gaze was intense. “I could pull over.”
“Don’t you dare. I scheduled this visit days ago and if I let you touch me, I’ll have to go home and redo my hair and makeup.”
His deep rumble of laughter made butterflies fly around in my stomach and he held my hand the rest of the way.
“Mr. Kaur was shown on my Local Treasures segment sharing a treat with an alligator that lives in the swamp behind his house.”
He slowed at a stop sign and looked my way. My insides melted–again–at the heated look. Every look was heated.
“I do not know anything about these alligators,” he replied. “Are they dangerous?”
“Not the little ones.” I couldn’t lie to my mate, but I didn’t want him to worry. And with him next to me, I had to wonder if Howard would dare show himself.
“You’ll know all about them now.” I lifted a bag of beef jerky from the floorboard and wiggled it in the air. “Maybe you’ll even make a new friend.”
He tipped his head. “Those are the things the alligator likes to eat?”
We’d stopped at a convenience store and picked up several packages of jerky in different flavors. I nodded. “Yes. Well, in the wild I think they eat rabbits and birds and other small animals. But Mr. Kaur insists that Howard likes this stuff. So I got beef, turkey and fake jerky.”
I wanted to be a good guest and bring something to the visit, but I had no idea if Howard the alligator had any preference.
“I would like to try it.”
I ripped open one of the packages and pulled out a leathery piece of dried meat and handed it to him.
He bit it, but had to gnaw a little to rip a section off. “It stinks something awful,” he said, chewing hard. “It is spicy. Why is it so difficult to eat?”
“It’s dried meat.”
He grunted, then finished the piece. “No wonder humans are so small. No warlord could grow eating such things.”
I didn’t disagree. “It’s more like a snack, although high in protein. A treat.”
He harrumphed at me and I stroked his adorable cheek. He was cute when he was grumpy. And I was sappy, dopey, totally and completely in love with my alien.
“The third house on the right. Yes, that one.” I pointed to the small home Angela had given me directions to over comms. From The Colony. In our living room.
That was something I was going to have to get used to, for sure. Again, Bahre had insisted and Dr. Helion had agreed. Too many bad guys out there not to be able to reach Bahre at a moment’s notice. So, now I had a space telephone in my house. Which was actually really cool.
We rang the doorbell without response. “Angela said to go around back. If her grandfather’s outside, he wouldn’t hear the door.”
Bahre carried the jerky packages and took my hand to lead me around the side of the house.
“Mr. Kaur,” I called.
The older man pushed to his feet from his chair on the patio and smiled, coming over to us.
“I’m so glad you’re here. Howard is, too.” He pointed to the alligator laying in the sun at the edge of his lawn, about three steps away from Mr. Kaur’s chair. I knew they were fast moving animals, but if Mr. Kaur wasn’t afraid, then I wouldn’t be. Of course, Bahre wouldn’t let anything happen to me or Angela’s grandfather. But an alligator was certainly a new threat for him.
Bahre bowed to him. “An honor, sir.”
Mr. Kaur laughed. “Just like Braun. Come, sit with me and Howard.”
“We brought treats… for both of you.”
His face lit up when he saw the snacks.
“Excellent.”
He returned to his chair and indicated for us to sit with him around the outdoor table. The sun was warm and I was glad to be wearing a sundress and sandals.
Bahre was glad too, because the dress gave him easy access to my body, which he liked to touch frequently.
We spent an hour with Mr. Kaur. Bahre took a picture of Mr. Kaur and I with Howard for the evening news spot. We knelt behind the alligator and placed our hands on his back. I was terrified at first, but Howard didn’t even lift his head.
“He knows we’re not a threat,” Mr. Kaur insisted, but I let him take his place closer to Howard’s maw. I did not want those teeth anywhere near me.
Touching the warm back of the alligator was a new experience. I’d expected the animal to be cold and scaly. Instead, Howard felt like a warm piece of old wood under my palm. “This is amazing.”
“He’s a good boy, aren’t you Howard?” Mr. Kaur patted the alligator like a pet and I shook my head, glaring at him on Angela’s behalf.
“You didn’t do that in front of Angela, did you?”
Mr. Kaur’s look was pure mischief. “Howard is harmless.”
“Right.” I agreed, shaking my head.
Bahre was still chuckling when we were finished. Howard hadn’t moved an inch the entire time we were there. Alligator nap time was, apparently, serious business.
When we returned to the SUV, I asked, “Well?”
“I did not like Howard’s teeth near you.”
I nodded, trying to swallow a smile. “I think I was safe.”
“I did not like your hand on his body.”
That made me laugh. “Don’t worry, Bahre, the only predator I want to touch is you.”
That made him snarl at me as his beast flashed to the surface just long enough to let me know he approved of my words. My beast did enjoy being praised. And petted. And taking me up against the wall with my high heels digging into his backside in encouragement.
Bahre cleared his throat and started the vehicle. “I have to say, mate, that life on Earth is interesting.” He slid his tongue over his teeth, winced. “And your dried meat is too spicy for me. I am extremely thirsty and I feel a fire in my stomach.”
I laughed. “Jerky is an acquired taste. We’ll stop and get you some heartburn medicine.”
He reached into the glove box and pulled out a ReGen wand. He’d brought several from the space station, a requirement, he’d said, for being here to ensure I stayed well on such a primitive planet.
“This will do.” He turned it on and waved the wand over his chest, his shoulders instantly relaxing. After he’d recovered, he put the wand away and looked to me. His face was close, so close that I could kiss him.
Which I did.
“Let’s go home, mate. I am ready for the jumping all over me you mentioned.”
So was I.
As he backed out of Mr. Kaur’s driveway, I couldn’t wait to get home.