29. Seth
twenty-nine
Seth
" S o there I was, attempting to multitask, as one does when their female has told them that she'll press her warm body against him as soon as he showers and downloads the latest season of Pursuing His Mate . I had the comm tablet in one hand, soap in the other, and I may have gotten confused a little bit because one thing led to another, and my comm was damaged." Phial uses his hands to accentuate his story and the way he speaks would make it seem like this was all some great tragedy instead of him being an idiot and getting his comm tablet wet and not telling anyone.
"I still don't get why you didn't message anyone else on the ship. You could've sent a message in the group, and we all would've seen it," Sloane says, earning Essa glances from everyone sitting in the kitchen area.
We're just past Haven III's atmosphere and awaiting approval to return to Rythar to drop Holoth and K'Vella off and maybe stay a little while. The plan was to be back on the ship last night, but after the ceremony, we were a little distracted until the morning. Thankfully, there was plenty of room in Essa's family home for everyone to stay.
Essa clears her throat and answers Sloane so quickly and quietly that no one can make out her words. She's nervous, though, and I don't like that. I don't keep the information to myself very well because Adam's tense behind her, throwing accusatory looks at anyone who might even think to make her feel even more distraught.
"What was that?" Phial asks, his lips pulling up in a grin that tells all of us he has no problems annoying Adam.
Now that we're part of the crew, everyone's been a whole lot more open about how entertaining they find agitating Adam. It doesn't help that he makes it so easy. I'm just waiting for the day he swings at one of them. It'll cause a whole bunch of issues because whoever swings back will have to deal with Essa. But it'll be entertaining as hell.
"I said that I messaged you to see if you wanted to find a use for all of the explosives we all know you have hidden," Essa says louder.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Phial crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes darting around to all of us.
"You probably have them back on board now," Adam tells him, mimicking the crossed arms. We're cleaned of paint, but we're both still wearing our collars. We put them on this morning before leaving and haven't taken them off yet. Plus, there's something comforting about knowing that we're Essa's and having a physical reminder. "Didn't you just threaten to blow up an entire palace?"
Phial frowns, his eyes narrowing on Adam, but he refuses to answer. It's a good thing that everyone else in the theater believed there weren't actually explosives, or there might've been more of an uproar than the barely anything that happened.
"We can discuss this another time," Essa says, wrapping her tail around Adam's ankle and squeezing when he opens his mouth to say something else. "We'd like to turn the pleasure crew room into our bedroom. Are there any objections?"
"You wish to sleep in there?" Phial asks, his tongue sticking out to make his disgust known. "Think of how many fluids have been spilled in there. Tell them, Sloane, I'm sure it was many."
Jovi wraps his arm tight around his mate, whispering something in her ear that distracts her from answering. However, I'm sure she'd have no problem with it, considering some of the things Essa has told us that the women aboard the Jolly Folly talk about during girl's night.
"You act as though the room was never cleaned." Essa waves her hand in front of her, shooing away Phial's attempt to dampen our excitement for having the best room in the place. "We have use for the many things that can be done there."
"Ew!" Phial sticks his tongue out again, making a gagging sound to accompany it that has Adam tightening his fists by his sides. Essa reaches over and twines her fingers in one of his twisted fists. He might snarl at her when she does it, but his body also visibly relaxes with her contact. "No one here needs to know what you're doing in there."
"You don't want to know who's putting what where?" I ask, hiding my smile when his green scales seem to darken in color. Either revulsion or embarrassment. Either way, this is payback for when he asked if Adam and I were fucking. "You were so interested when we first got here to know if Adam was giving me that good dick."
"Enough, mercy!" Phial covers the sides of his head where I assume his ears are, even if they aren't external. Adam looks over at me, a confused furrow in his brow. I don't think I've ever once said anything about him giving me 'that good dick,' but there's a first time for everything, especially when it puts us both on the offensive against an irritating lizard man.
"So, is anyone objecting to us using the room, or are we to let it sit unused forever?" Essa asks.
"No objections," Alik answers for everyone, looking around once to ensure his words are true. "There's also Holoth's room if you'd prefer a nonpleasure crew room."
"Does it have a swing?" Adam asks, his tone way too serious to be asking about a sex swing. When Alik's chest flushes a deep violet, and he shakes his head, Adam continues. "Then we'll take the pleasure crew room."
"Speaking of my room," Holoth pipes up. He's been busying himself by tucking various blankets and fur around the female Varon pregnant with his baby. This is the first time he's spoken since we've been on the ship. "Where's Helna?"
Essa lets out a loud cackle before covering her mouth quickly. Phial shoots her a nasty glare that has Adam stepping between them.
Before he can make the situation worse, though, Essa wraps her arm around him, whispering something in his ear he can't keep to himself even if he wants to because he's useless at closing his mind off when it comes to Essa.
Let's go try out that swing you're so interested in. Adam repeats the words over and over as he swallows hard. He's still debating fighting Phial for making a face at Essa, but her offer has him wavering in what he thinks is most important.
Essa decides for him, grabbing his leash in her fist as she raises her tail higher up on his thigh. She drags him backward toward the kitchen door.
"Phial lost your sister in less than a week!"
With those parting words, Essa steps out of the kitchen, and I follow her, all but skipping down the hall toward the pleasure crew room.
"Before we get Seth strapped down, we have something else to do," Adam's voice sends a thrill down my spine.
I thought we were putting Essa in the swing, but I'm not too picky if my partners want to spoil me instead.
"We have nothing else we need to do," Essa counters, opening the pleasure crew room and trying to drag Adam inside. He plants his feet, not budging.
If Essa wanted to, she could have him in that room without a fuss, but she's barely trying to pull on him. She's much more careful with his leash than mine.
"Get in here. I wish to do things to both of your bodies and would like to do it without venom."
I let out a long breath of air, trying to make it so I'm not a whimpering mess before we even start. I'll whimper and beg for them in a little bit, but I don't need them to know I'm so easy that them even thinking about wanting to do anything with me has me ready to beg.
"I want to see your whiteboard," Adam says, his lips pulling up in a smirk as Essa's eyes go wide. "Oh, now I really want to see the board."
Adam steps further into the hallway, angling his body like he's going to bolt for Essa's bedroom. She tightens her hold on his leash, and the tinge of worry in her eyes makes my chest pinch.
I don't like either of my partners worrying about anything, but I also know that whatever's on her whiteboard is the reason the crew of the Jolly Folly has agreed to let Adam stay on the ship.
I don't doubt that if he hadn't been welcome, Essa would've gone with us wherever we decided to make a home. Adam also would've done whatever he needed to if it would've allowed him to stay on the ship.
He was losing his mind at the idea of being separated from Essa, and he was about to lose it at the wedding reception. He would've done anything Alik asked at that moment if it meant he could stay with Essa. Navigating through the crowd of dancing bodies took longer than we meant for it to when we went to go find him to calm him down, and when we found him, he was fine.
Essa doesn't look like she's going to let Adam go any time soon, so I use my freedom to run down the hall to her room and sneak inside before Essa realizes that it's two on one and not in the way she and Adam usually like.
It takes me a second to find the light sensor, not that there's too much stuff in the room. Based on the few times I've been in this room and the fact that there's only one place the whiteboard could be since her bed is up against the other long wall, I could probably find it in the dark.
There's a scuffle in the hallway. I can't help but laugh, but I keep it quiet so the two don't know I'm laughing at them and not with them.
It sounds like Essa's letting Adam think he stands a chance at keeping her occupied, and maybe there's a part of Essa that wants us to see whatever it is that Alik was talking about.
I stand in front of the board with my hands on my hips, glaring at the pristine white sheen of the board. Okay, so maybe there's been a misunderstanding. I'm about to call out to Adam and tell him it's not here anymore when I see a little handle on the edge that looks like I could grip it. I grab it, and the whole board tilts.
While they're still scuffling, I pull the board away from the wall until I can spin it around. The other side is filled out to capacity in various colors, with doodles added to the white spaces. She not only took the time to come up with things to write on it but also to decorate it.
"Oh gods," Essa whispers.
I turn my attention to where she's standing in the doorway. Her dress is askew enough to show off the dark tips of her breasts. Her hair's messy now, and her lips are swollen like they were doing more than fighting out in the hallway. Her eyes are wide, pupils vibrating softly like she doesn't know if she needs to get upset or stay aroused.
Adam's behind her, on his ass, though he's stopped caring about stopping her now that she knows I've seen the board. Her tail twitches behind her, and Adam goes to grab it, missing it when it flicks away from him. Then, Essa walks into her room, fixing the dress as she does.
"I can explain," she tells me.
"Explain what, princess?" Adam says, standing to follow her. He wraps his arms around her. Not in a sweet way, but in a way that keeps her arms pinned to her body so she can't move them unless she's willing to go for round two. "Explain how, in Seth's words, you wanted this good dick?"
I flush at the reminder of what I said earlier. I can't believe I said something so stupid, but hearing it from Adam's lips sends a nice little thrill down my spine.
"You think too highly of yourself," Essa mutters, but she's not upset. If anything, she's relaxing in Adam's hold as his arms move to a more comfortable position, and his eyes track over the whiteboard like he's seeing her naked for the first time.
Love.
All-consuming love radiates off him as he reads over Essa's plans. Things she worked on, decided, and planned before she even really knew us. With how much detail is put into this and how much research would've had to go into it, I wouldn't be surprised if she started this the day she met us.
"Princess," Adam says the term of endearment like a vow. I urge him in our mind to tell her how he feels, and for once, he listens. "I love this. I love–" He swallows hard before trying again. He's only ever said the words while her venom's been coursing through him, but I believe he can say them now. "I love you. Even without this. I love you."
Essa smiles, a little laugh escaping her as she turns to look at Adam over her shoulder. "And I love you, which is why I'll kill them all with or without your love."
"I know," Adam says, pressing his lips to her temple.
"I think you should tell us the full plan," I tell her, standing in front of her so she's sandwiched between Adam and me. Her pupils dilate, but I'm serious about wanting her to explain her plan to us. More than that, I want to help in some way. "I think knowing how you plan to avenge us would be some amazing foreplay."
"That's a great plan," Adam says cheerily as he pushes away from Essa, slapping her ass with a loud crack.
She startles, her tail wrapping around his thigh tight before releasing it just as quickly. He wiggles his fingers, beckoning me to Essa's one person bed.
Essa watches us, her nipples pebbling underneath the sheer material of her dress. She didn't do a great job of readjusting it when she finished fighting with Adam, but it just means we get a great view of her tits as her chest heaves with her ragged, aroused breathing. She takes a deep breath, trying to let it out slowly before nodding to herself.
"The plan needs a better name," Essa says sheepishly, her fingers tangling as she examines the title written in big, bold letters across the top of the board.
"No." Adam shakes his head, his lips pulling up in a smile. He's trying to play it cool, but his heart is still racing, and love and adoration pour from him. "I think Essa's Plan of Killing the Scientists Who Hurt Adam and Seth has a nice ring to it."
Essa's fangs press into her lower lips, but her silence only lasts a few seconds before she launches into telling us every single aspect of what she's figured out on her own so far and how she plans on getting justice for what was done to Adam and me. While she talks, I can't help but let my eyes stray to the bottom right corner. Her writing there is small, but it was important enough for her to add it to the board. Important enough, I want to sear its image into my mind.
'Convince Adam and Seth I can protect them.'
And in even smaller writing below it.
'Make them fall in love with me?'