Page 35 of The Emerald Boa’s Lover (Operation Colonise #3)

Charlie

“Daddy!” Suzu, my lovely Suzu, turns to sulk at Dal, her usual go to, and slaps her tail in a huff on the floor.

We’re all in the living room and Dal is trying to work at his desk, but is being dragged into our spat.

“Daddy, please make him see reason? Dad is being unfair. This is the first time I’ve met a boy I like, and he’s coming here so he can meet you both first?

That’s super reasonable, right?” Dal sighs and turns on his coil on the stool his tail is gripping to look at us both.

“He wants to take me to the Hokesh festival and take me shopping for a new bead necklace. Please Daddy?” She puts her hands together, begging Dal.

“He wants to meet you both first. I said that bit, right?”

“We’re only going to watch the parade and buy a bead necklace! Not shuck.” She hisses and slams her tail again.

“What your mouth young lady. Is that tone I’m hearing?” I point at her and she whines with frustration.

“Dad, please, don’t embarrass me when Vekna gets here?

Please?” Just then Uzoti slithers down from the hygiene level and Suzu tries to get her brother to come to her defence.

“Uzoti! You’ve met Vekna. He’s really noble and sweet, isn’t he?

You’d trust him to take me to the Hokesh festival for the parade and a bead necklace, right? ”

“What did Dad say?” Was his immediate response.

He moves to my side, folds his arms and narrows his red eyes on Suzu.

“Because meeting a guy on a school trip to the wrestling arena, is not the same thing as being alone with him at a romantic festival.” That’s my boy.

I even fist bump with him, and smirk at Suzu.

Her bottom lip starts going, and I shake my head, because I know exactly what’s going to happen next.

“Daddy!” Here we go. I put my hands on my hips and Dalahan abandons his desk to go to his weeping daughter.

Oh Lord, he’s so whipped. “It’s not f-fair.

I’m 16. Why can’t I go on a date? Vekna is a nice guy and he’s coming to meet you first. I work hard at school and I’m a good girl, aren’t I? Why don’t you trust me?”

“Oh honey?” He tries to soothe her, his tail coiling around her. I share a look with Uzoti when he huffs, equally not impressed, and he turns to hiss by my ear.

“She’s been talking about Vekna non-stop for the last 2 months. They talk on their com-gems all the time. He’s into computers and books and is such a nerd.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd.

” I remind him. I wish Uzoti would be a bit more into books, if I’m honest. He’s more of a jock, which again there is nothing wrong with.

I went to college on a football scholarship, after all.

Uzoti spends hours at the wrestling area.

He is excellent with a javelin and plans on being a hunter when he grows up.

The thought of him out in the jungle scares the shit out of me, but Dal explains that as a hunter he will be providing not just for himself, but Orna’s food supply, so it’s a highly honoured position.

He will be respected and earn a really good wage for his services.

Since he’s going down that route, I encourage him to train.

So I don’t worry as much when he’s out there on his own or with a hunting party one day.

Uzoti is also obsessed with his training, so I don’t have to worry about girls, or boys, with him.

“Uzoti? Can you take your sister up to your room please?” Dal asks sweetly, and the deadpan on my face matches Uzoti’s perfectly. “Now?” That wasn’t a request.

“You heard him.” I urge Uzoti into action. I won’t undermine my husband, but I’ll kick his ass when the kids are out of earshot. The moment both their blue scally tails are out of sight, I round on my lover. “What are you doing?”

“Hang on.” Dalahan coils his tail loosely around my feet and reaches for my hands. “Now just hear me out.”

“I always do.” I brace myself with a smile. Dal doesn’t undermine me either, but he’s really good at persuading me to see his side. Sneaky minx.

“Look, Suzu is 16.”

“I’m aware.”

“She’s going to be interested in boys and dating now.

If we coop her up forever she’ll end up rebelling and doing something far worse than going to a Hokesh festival for a bead necklace.

The place she’s going is a regular hang-out for youths, and we’re going to meet Vekna first. If we don’t like him, we can send him on his way. ”

“Agreed.” I nod firmly.

“But? If we do like him, I think we should let them go.” Dal chewed his green scaly lips together and waited for me to agree. When I didn’t, he huffed and rubbed his thumbs over my knuckles. “Let’s just meet the boy. Apparently, he’ll be here any minute.”

“Okay.”

“And you need to be nice.”

“What do you mean by that?” I take my hands back and fold them over my chest.

“Well?” Dal sang like he wasn’t sure how to tactfully explain himself. “Suzu just told me she’s afraid you’re going to scare him off and gloat that you know how to kill a man without leaving any medical evidence.”

“…good?” I do.

“Charlie?” He chides me.

“Dal?” I counter. He sighs and hangs his head forward.

“She is 16. All she wants to do is go to the festival and get a bead necklace. Very tame, very public, very sweet. Nothing untoward. What’s so bad about that?”

“Because I was a 16-year-old boy once, and yes, I wasn’t into 16-year-old girls, but I still remember how 16-year-old boys think. And what they think with.” Dal snorts and folds his arms, shrugging and chuckling.

“I seem to remember you thinking with the same part of yourself last night? You’re not 16.”

“No, I’m happily married, the kids were at a friend’s house, and you put your Gcorket outfit on for me.

So it was your fault.” I smirk. We still had a strong spark of attraction, even after 16 years.

We have been bonded and married for well over a decade now.

I thumb at the underside of my platinum wedding ring.

It has an emerald in the centre of the thick hand, and a tiny sapphire on either side.

Like a visual reminder of my family every time I look down at it.

“I also remember you being just as into it, thank you very much, and you know what worries me?”

“What?”

“That our this Vekna boy is going to look at our daughter and-” The front door bell rings and the moment has arrived.

“Well? Let’s meet the boy, shall we?” I march towards the front door, but Dal reels me back with his tail around my waist and goes to the door first. Probably so the first parent the kid meets isn’t the one who is practically frothing at the mouth.

“G-good morning sir.” I fold my arms and hang back as Dal lifts up on his tail to make a good show of intimidation towards the younger male. Good.

“Good morning. I am Dalahan. Suzu’s father.”

“A pleasure to meet you sir.” I raise a brow. The owner of that soft voice sounded rather timid. Also good. “I’m Vekna. I-I have come to introduce myself, and then I hope to escort Suzu to the Hokesh festival.”

“I am aware.” Dal answers, and I grin. Goooooood. He’s giving off serious don’t mess with my daughter Dad vibes. “Come in Vekna, and let me introduce you to her other father, and then you can tell us more about yourself.”

“Thank you sir.” Okay, still sounds timid, but he’s being very polite.

Some of my daddy wolf hackles are lowering.

Dalahan moves out of the way and an Ucfeni slithers inside our home.

He is pale pink, has dark pink ridges on his head like horns that travel down in an elongated V to the tip of his tail.

His eyes are magenta and he smiles wide enough for me to see his gums. “You must be Charlie. A pleasure to meet you sir.” He offers me his hand, a very human gesture I notice, and I shake it.

“Suzu has told me a lot about you both.”

“Has she told you what I do for a living?” I smirk, and behind him Dal is waving his hands in an X telling me not to do it, and to behave myself.

“You are a doctor.” Vekna nods with pride and his tail coils around himself. I notice he’s wearing a solid dark pink wrap-around skirt to match his eyes, and he is wearing a brown leather satchel on his left shoulder. “And Dalahan, sir, are an architect and business owner.”

“Yes I am.” Dal slithers over to my side and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Of course, you’re 16, so you don’t have a profession yet. What do your parents do?” Vekna’s neck scales darkened magenta pink, and he twisted both hands nervously around the strap of his satchel.

“Oh. I wasn’t expecting you to ask me that right away.” He chuckles nervously. So he bloody should.

“Well we have? Is there a reason you don’t want to tell us?” I press.

“Oh, well, it’s just that you might treat me differently once you know, and erm, I just wanted you to meet me first, not…

the son of my parents.” His tail coils around himself a bit tighter, really nervous, and he looks up at the hole in the ceiling.

I know Suzu is peering down at us, but she’s too smart to come down and draw fire just yet.

“Regardless, I’m going to need to know who they are in the event that for some reason, my daughter doesn’t come home safely and in one piece. So who are your parents please?” He closes his magenta eyes and sighs.

“You might as well tell them!” Someone calls out from outside the house and Dalahan lifts up on his tail in alarm.

“Who’s that?”