Az
I’m awoken from the best – and somehow the most torturous – sleep of my life by a scream.
Not just any scream, though.
Even in my sleep, I knew it was my Lois.
Before any kind of thought fully forms in my mind, my arm is reaching for the hand ion blaster I have taped to the underside of my bedside table.
“Whoa there, princey,” comes a familiar voice.
Lois is gripping me tightly – clinging to my side like her life depends on it. I can feel the thrumming of her heart against my ribs as I point the blaster at-
My teammates.
“Vex?” I ask, still a little cuddle-drunk.
Vex grunts and grabs my gun by the barrel, taking the weapon off of me. “You could have killed any one of us, and don’t call me that!”
Varrex hates his nickname, but it suits him so well.
“So…” Ral grins down at my Lois. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Sitting up, I block his view of her. “Not to you, I’m not.” Knowing Ral, he’ll have charmed her Permission out of her before I’ve had a chance to buff my horns this morning.
“What is going on?” Lois squeaks from behind me, her cheek pressing into my naked back, her arms wrapped around my middle. It’s like she’s using me as a shield, and for some ridiculous reason, that gives me a ‘fang-boner’, as Lois puts it.
Varrex’s brows rise in that disapproving sort of way that so often finds its way to his face.
He clears his throat and addresses Lois directly.
“We apologize for intruding on…” his hands flap around my bed, his brows now taking up their second favorite position – drawn in in further disapproval.
“… whatever this is, Lady Lois. We had not anticipated that you would be… sharing bedchambers?” He says the last part like it’s a scientific equation he’s not quite sure he’s grasped yet.
Now it’s my turn to grin. “It was a cuddle,” I inform him, patting Lois’s hands proudly. “And it’s the best fucking thing in all the known universes.”
Instantly, my teammates burst into conversation all at once.
Varrex and Jorren start going in on me about how dangerous this activity is – so much so, I think Vex’s eye is twitching.
Zevan, our resident rookie, along with Ral, want to know more about how to perform a cuddle.
Meanwhile, Thax, the gentle giant of a male that he is, stands there with his arms folded next to quiet Rykor, Pax’s replacement as our Arena Master.
“Alright! Alright!” I yell, silencing everyone.
It’s at that moment that Zek, Lois’ staff member, bustles into the room, looking all kinds of pissed. “Prince Az! We need to talk about your security, or lack thereof!” he demands, folding his arms over his chest.
I sigh to myself. This day was starting so damn well!