Page 87 of Made For The Alien Warrior

“I will do so.”

She shook her head, pressed the flat of her slender hands on his chest and pushed. “You stay here and continue to rest. I’ll see if I can rummage something in the kitchen.”

“There is no need for a meal.”

“When was the last time you ate?” She slanted him a stubborn look. When he did not respond, she said, “Thought so. You’re going to eat something. You need food to regain your strength.”

A corner of his lips tilted up. “Were you a terros on earth? You enjoy barking orders.”

“Ihaveto do that when the alien I like is so stubborn.”

“Like?” He arched an eyebrow. Tiegan had heard Sah-ah and the others use the word ‘love’. Did it mean the same thing?

Sim-pony ducked her head. His neural connector snapped with her nervousness. “I… I’ll be right back.”

He wanted to capture her hand and drag her back to bed, but his comms lit up with an incoming message.

“You should get that.”

“It is not a comms from my tribas.”

“How do you know?” She stared curiously at his wrist.

He swiped his fingers and the holos floated up, especially bright in the dark room. “Our tribas has a special symbol. It is used to identify us wherever we go.”

“You should still answer even if it’s an unknown number,” Sim-pony said. “That way, Iknowyou won’t try to sneak out of bed.”

He sighed, but she did have a point. Though Tiegan was tired and a little famished, he would rather hold her soft body close than seek nourishment. After the dream he’d had, it would feel better to have Sim-pony within his sights anyway.

“I’ll be right back.” She settled the covering over his body and smoothed it around him the way a mother would with her brood. Pressing a kiss on his forehead, she murmured, “Answer the call.”

Tiegan would be a fool to think that was a suggestion. He watched Sim-pony’s hips sway lightly as she left the room before he lifted his wrist and accepted the comms.

Daz’s face appeared before him and Tiegan scowled immediately. “What do you want?”

“How do you fare?”

“Do not pretend to care,” Tiegan said through gritted teeth.

Daz pinned his lips together.

Consider having a conversation with your father. One that’s calm and civil.Sim-pony’s words wafted through his mind.

Tiegan glanced aside. “Did you need something?”

“I have a gift for Sim-pony, but she does not have a comms. Can you show her the recording I will send you?”

“What is it about?” Tiegan asked suspiciously.

“It is an interrogation. We questioned the Plutonian who attacked her.”

Tiegan jolted. “Why did I not know of this?”

“The Healer doesn’t know of this.”

“Of course. It is against Plutonian law. You have no jurisdiction to restrain him.”

“It is his terros who allowed him to go astray without admonishment or correction. Those who do not follow our ideals may choose to live life as they please, but they cannot bear the name of a tribas.”