My shoulder, but semantics.
I send a direct stare up at him. Not being challenging, just letting him know that I’m not buckling under his intimidation.
My gaze drops from Zadeon’s killer face to what—who—he’s holding.
Not toning down his lethalness at all, cupped between his massive hands is a tiny body. A tiny toddler’s body. Dark scales, big luminous eyes trained on us, and he’s wearing the world’s tiniest t-shirt, one that reads I’m always getting picked up by cute chicks. He’s being worn in a front-carrying harness just like the other babies, one that lets him ride right up against his dad’s hearts. And instead of continuing to glare at me, Zadeon transfers his attention to my mom. “Would you like to see him?” he asks, his broad thumb brushing over his son’s hornless head.
“I’d love to,” my mom answers like she’s caught in a trance, and I realize she’s been staring at the infant—but her answer is almost drowned out by my sisters. They swarm the giant alien like he’s not dangerous, and they coo over the itty bitty baby he’s holding. Then they’re all over Angie and Arokh’s three daughters, and the Ox brother loses his triplet nieces as they get dispersed amid my baby-loving family.
“I suddenly suspect we might survive this,” Inara breathes into my ear, her tail wrapped tightly around my legs, her arm around my waist, her side locked to mine.
I drop my face to the top of her head, using my cheek to nuzzle her thick strands of hair, and murmur back, “Good, cause otherwise I was going to suggest we make a break for the Boss. We can probably tear out of here faster than they can chase us, but that option would really only have been an option if my family hadn’t shown up and put themselves in the path of crossfire.”
Inara pulls away with shock. “My littermates would never shoot weapons at human women.”
“No, baby, it’s a saying. I mean, yeah, it can mean literal shooting, but in this case I meant it in the tension sense… but that is so not a problem anymore,” I muse, angling my head on top of Inara’s to watch my mom snuggling half-alien babies like she’s getting to handle her next grandkids on pre-order. The look she sends me tells me that’s exactly what she’s imagining: me and Inara’s babies.
“I wish my family could come with us,” I tell Inara.
“They can,” she replies immediately. “And they should. We have an excellent colony of humans on our planet. Your family can adjust alongside you, and I find I’m already fond of your siblings and dam. I would love to have them near.”
“I'll mention it,” I say with a grin, wrapping my arms around her tightly and giving her a loving squeeze.
CHAPTER 26
For now, my family isn’t going to come with us. It just isn’t feasible; it’s too much uprooting for each of their households. But if I can’t take them with me, I want to say goodbye. I thought we’d have more time, but if we manage any sort of departure party now, it’s going to have to happen at breakneck speed.
Speaking of breaking necks, I’m not sure if I want to hit them or thank them, but the camera crew is still filming us like we’re zoo animals, which is annoying, but at the same time, they’re actually deterring the crowd from getting any closer to us. There’s a woman dressed to the nines in heels that I’d call Jimmy Choos (but only because it’s the only heel brand I know), a jet black blazer, a designer dress shirt, and a conservative but stylish skirt.
Lawyer.
She looks familiar, but I don’t know her. Seriously though, she’s got to be a lawyer. She’s got a stack of forms tucked confidently into the crook of her arm and she’s giving a cold stare to each and every person trying to creep closer, passing them a sheet. Consent forms or something, I’m not sure.
“They’re ours,” Arokh explains, seeing the direction of my glower.
I look at him.
“They are informing everyone that we are shooting a movie. With their presence, we should have a way to reach your home, gather your things, and escort you safely to our ship.”
My mom pulls her cell phone from her ear, tucking it near her throat so she can speak to us. “The boys say they’ll be at the Loop in ten. They’re bringing all the kids.”
She means my brothers-in-law, with my nieces and nephews, so I can see them in person one last time.
And Inara will get to see them for the only time. My heart twists.
Fingers knitted with Inara’s, I turn back to Arokh, and his mate, Angie. “Okay. Let’s head to my place.” I look behind him. “Do you want directions?” I point to the Boss. “Because I’m not leaving that here. So we’ll be driving, probably faster than you can follow on foot.”
Angie gives me a smile and holds up something that looks like a cell phone. “Just give us the address. We’ll be there.”
Stacy rides in her car, my mom’s got all my sisters, and Inara’s family gathers its troops and starts their march as Inara and I peel out of the lot.
My family is assembled at my door when we arrive, and it’s hugs and confusion and upset for all the kids as I let them in and explain who Inara is to me and break the news to them that I’m moving away, as in right now.
With a hand on the small of her back, I usher Inara to our bedroom and pull down suitcases and bags from the top of my closet. “Get your stuff together, sugar. I’ll grab mine.”
Between the Boss and my sisters’ cars, we’ll be able to get the ships packed with my and Inara’s belongings. Stacy volunteers to help with the moving effort, and since all the hands on deck are appreciated, I tell Stacy to invite Christian to the moving party, and absolutely thrilled, she does.
Is Christian freaked out to meet aliens, learning that Inara and company are real? Of course. Does he chill and play it cool? He does.
Until he’s needed, he parks it on the floor by an armchair, and Stacy tucks herself between his knees, resting against him.
My couch wasn’t built for giants, so most of Inara’s brothers are crammed on my living room floor too, but each one takes the brunt of the floor and offers their laps to their women. It’s damn sweet, actually.
My human brothers-in-law are going through the stuff I’m not taking, sorting what they want from my belongings and setting aside the rest for donation after we’re gone.
My sisters are stripping all the household supplies from cupboards and cabinets, gathering what they can use for their families.
My nieces are taking turns holding the babies, absorbed in the tiny horns and tails and scales, and some of my nephews are curious too. Having alien children present has kept the human broods quiet and well-behaved, which is a perk no one could have anticipated but everyone appreciates.
My mom commandeers my kitchen and proceeds to empty my fridge of ingredients, beginning to make sandwiches and every other quick dish she can. This serves two purposes: my fridge will have less in it that they’ll either have to take to their homes or throw out, and we’re fulfilling the unspoken rule that during any gathering, food must be provided or we’ll shame our ancestors.
People and aliens begin to eat, and during one of my trips from my room to the door where we’re setting a pile of our stuff, I notice that the camera guy has entered my place, taking up a spot on a loveseat, the woman in a headset beside him, with the lawyer perched on the arm of the sofa nearest to them.