Maggie
Driok is uncharacteristically silent when I challenge him about his decision to disappear on me, without a word and without a trace.
Of course, I was too damn proud to ask any of the other warlords where he had gone, contenting myself with snippets of information from my friends mated to those warlords, right up until the day I realized it had been far, far too long without a period.
Like I didn’t already know it would be just my luck my one night with Driok would result in me ending up pregnant while he was missing in action.
But it’s not like I haven’t faced down adversity before, on my own.
I was prepared to do it all again. I was prepared to be on my own, with my baby, and carry on.
But here is Driok, larger than life, still not prepared to tell me why he left, and yet I still let him in.
I let him in again and again. What does that say about me? I’m still here, with him, in the comfortable quarters he could have brought me to at the beginning of our trip, rather than a damp cave so he could show me what a terrible barbarian he would make.
Although, this place does show what he can do, such as operate the food dispenser which always seemed beyond me, as well as making it warm and comfortable.
Not that it changes anything. Driok left, without a word, and now he’s back, he wants all of me once more.
“Spitfire!” I hear him calling to me, and I slam out my hand which makes contact with his face, as I push him backwards.
“Leave me alone,” I moan. “I ache all over and it’s because of you.”
Not that I’m going to admit to being a more than willing participant in our enthusiastic love-making. Not even to myself.
“You need to wake up, my little mate,” Driok says.
I open my eyes, about to tell him that we have yet to establish the whole mate thing as a certainty, and find him gazing down at me, his eyes filled with fire, the slit pupils mere lines.
“What is it?” I stretch out.
“We have to leave this place.”
“Why? Is it on fire?” I chuckle at my own joke.
Driok doesn’t reply immediately, and I sniff at the air, sitting upright to check we are not actually on fire.
“I am required to return to my quadrant.”
“Well, off you go then.” I lie back down. “You left me once before. I’m sure you can manage again.”
Yes, it’s a low blow, and one I’m not proud of.
“I will never leave you, little mate. And I am sure you will never leave me either.”
Oh. Ouch. It would appear Driok can give as good as he gets.
And now he’s holding out his hand to me.
“Come, I have your clothing here.” He pats a small pile next to him.
“You have a clothing maker here?”
Driok shrugs. “It would appear Deus does. So I made you something to wear, for expediency’s sake.”
“Expediency will have to wait.” I get to my feet as my bladder makes itself known, and I scramble to the bathroom.
As I turn to close the door, it’s blocked by a huge Sarkarnii.
“I prefer to pee alone,” I tell him.
“You are my mate,” he replies. “And I said I would not leave you.”
“I am going to take a pee. Your presence is not required,” I respond.
Is that a wicked glint in his eye? I’m not sure because he’s assumed a face the best poker player on earth would be proud of.
“My word is my bond. I will not leave you.”
“Fine!” I flounce over to the bowl which acts as a toilet, although rather than having water, it swirls with absorbent crystals, something which has always made me think of cats.
I pull down my pants, desperation getting the better of me, as I plonk myself onto the alien loo.
As I look up, I’m sure my display will have made Driok leave. But instead, he’s still there, leaning one bent arm on the door frame, carefully inspecting me.
Given he’s had access to every intimate part of me, why this should feel wrong is anyone’s guess. Just because I’m using these bits for a different function doesn’t mean they become different.
So, if Driok wants to watch, let him watch. I’m done being embarrassed. About anything. Especially anything to do with him.
Once I’m done, I use the drying function as I normally would, enjoying the experience and, over the sound of the dryer, I think I hear something else.
I think I hear him groan.
But I ignore him, washing my hands and walking back out past him to pull on my clothes, yet again, not bothering about his looming presence.
“So?” I turn back to face my new shadow…the one with the tail and wings. “When do we leave?”
Driok’s jaw is somewhat slack.
Perhaps I broke him.
I tap my foot. His eyes are drawn down to my boot then they trail back up me to my face.
“I need to comm my crew. They will meet us by the outer exit,” he says slowly, as if waking up from a dream.
“Outer exit? You mean we’re not flying out?”
“We aren’t staying on Vorostor, my mate. I need to be…elsewhere.”
The glaze in his eyes has gone and Driok, the big arrogant one, with the ego, is back in the room, clearly reveling in the mystery he’s still choosing not to tell me.
He is such an arsehole.
But, it appears, he is my arsehole, and it looks like, at some point, he’s going to do a big reveal.
Which means I need to be there in order to be entirely unimpressed.