Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Regan

“Y ou could have knocked me over with a feather when Madison invited us to hang out with them tonight.” Lomax set my small table with bowls and utensils, before pouring us both a glass of water.

I stirred the soup, tasted it, and added more seasoning. “If you do not wish to go, we do not have to.”

“No, I’d like to,” she said. “I’m just surprised because you told me that Krey doesn’t like you, which is weird because you’re great.”

I stirred the soup and didn’t reply. Not telling Lomax what I had done to Madison was a dangerous decision, but it would destroy our friendship and change how she looked at me. She would see me as everyone else did - a monster.

“You okay?” She had joined me at the stove, and the touch of her soft hand on my arm sent tingles of awareness straight to my dick.

“Yes, taste this.” I held a spoonful of soup toward her. Her pretty pink lips pursed and blew lightly on the soup, and watching her lips slide around the spoon made me half-hard. I leaned closer to the stove, ignoring the heat against my midsection as Lomax grinned at me.

“Delicious, as always. Seriously, Regan, if you ever wanted to quit the king’s guard, you could have a career as a chef. Your food is as good, if not better, than Jarka’s.”

Embarrassingly pleased by her praise, I said, “I am average at best when it comes to cooking.”

She scowled, and I forgot how to breathe when she reached up and cupped my face with her tiny hands. “Don’t do that. You always do that, and I hate it.”

“What?” My voice sounded rougher than a vroha in hyperdrive.

“Put yourself down or downplay your talents,” she said. “You’re great, Regan, and I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m really glad we’re friends. You’re my best friend.” She paused. “Here. You’re my best friend here at the castle.”

“You are my best friend here as well,” I said.

She dropped her hands, and I could breathe again. I turned away so she would see neither the bulge at my crotch nor the disappointment in my face. I meant what I said about her being my best friend, but I also hated that a friend was all I would ever be to her. But what could I do about it? If she was not attracted to me, nothing I said or did would change that.

“The soup is ready,” I said. “Can you bring the bowls?”

“Sure.” She gave my arm a friendly squeeze.

When we were seated at the table with the steaming bowls of soup, Lomax lifted her glass and smiled cheerfully. “To finding a new best friend.”

I tapped my glass against hers, and we both drank. As Lomax spooned soup into her mouth, I said, “I am not fucking Lori.”

She sputtered and choked before breaking into a coughing fit that turned her face an alarming shade of red. I jumped up and circled the table. She pushed back from the table, standing and bending over as her coughing grew more jagged and her breath whistled in her throat. I whacked her several times on her back with the flat of my hand.

“Krono!” The impact pitched her forward, and my tail whipped out to wrap around her waist, stopping her from landing face first on the stone floor. She hung in my grip as I rubbed her back. “Breathe, small one. Take a deep breath.”

Some of the fear gripping my heart eased when she drew in a harsh and wheezing breath before coughing again and then sucking in another breath. My tail still snug around her waist, I helped her straighten and brushed her hair back from her face. “Are you all right, small one?”

She nodded and coughed again, her eyes watering and her face still red. “Yes,” she said hoarsely. “Sorry. I inhaled the soup instead of swallowing it.”

We stood silently as she caught her breath. I was gripping her hips with my hands and my tail was still around her waist. She glanced at my tail and embarrassed, I released her, stepping back as she smiled a bit shakily. “Okay, better. Thank you, Regan.”

We sat down again, and she drank some water and took a tentative spoonful of soup.

“I am sorry,” I said.

“It’s fine,” she said before giving me a furtive glance. “What, um, what did you say about Lori?”

“I was told today that others believe I am fucking Lori. I am not,” I said.

“She’s telling everyone you are,” she said.

“She is lying,” I said. “Tomorrow, I will speak with her about spreading those lies through the castle.”

Lomax didn’t reply, and feeling weirdly panicky, I said, “I have never slept with her, small one. She is a liar, and she was rude and cruel to you. I would never take her to my bed, I promise you.”

“I believe you,” she said. “I’m sorry she’s spreading lies about you.”

I stirred my soup before making myself say it. “There are also rumours that we are…”

“Sleeping together?” she said.

I nodded, and she laughed. “My God, they’ve got you as quite the stud in the castle, don’t they?”

“Stud?” I asked.

“Never mind,” she said. “Sorry that they’re saying we’re sleeping together.”

I frowned. “It is fine.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” she said, “but I’ll start reminding people that we’re only friends, and hopefully that helps dispel the rumour a little.”

“I will do the same,” I said. Could she hear the disappointment in my voice?

She rolled her eyes before saying, “Man, this castle is worse for gossiping than a high school. Aren’t we supposed to be adults?”

“It is the cold season,” I said. “People get bored once they are stuck in the castle.”

“Ridiculous behaviour,” she muttered. She glanced at her phone. “Yikes, it’s almost seven. Eat your soup a little faster, big guy.”

My appetite was gone, but I spooned the soup into my mouth. I could not resist anything my little female asked of me.

* * *

“I will never understand jorken.” Madison tossed her cards on the table, giving Krey a look of frustration. “I’m a smart person. Why am I not getting this?”

“It took me ages to figure it out.” Ellis gathered the cards and shuffled them. “I eventually had to get Candy’s kid, Roden, to teach me. He’s like a savant at the game.”

“What does savant mean?” Galan asked.

“Someone really good at a particular thing,” Ellis said. “Inara’s sister Wendy is a savant with singing.”

Galan thought this over as I tried and failed miserably to ignore how Lomax’s shirt clung to her breasts as she stretched beside me. Most of her borrowed clothing was either a little too small or a little too big. I preferred it when she wore the too tight clothing.

“Lomax, you played well the last two rounds. Do you understand it?” Madison asked.

“God no,” Lomax said. “It’s a combination of luck and cheating off of Regan.”

Krey laughed as I gave her a mock look of disapproval. “You said you were not looking at my cards when I asked.”

“Totally lied,” she said blithely. “Besides, it’s your fault for holding your cards so carelessly.”

I growled at her, and she stuck her delightful pink tongue out at me. My pants grew uncomfortably tight, and I shifted in my chair.

Galan laughed and took the cards from Ellis. “Jorken has two versions of the game - a child version and an adult version.”

“Wait, you mean Roden has been playing the child version?” Ellis stared at him as Madison stood and walked over to the kitchen counter.

“No,” Galan said. “Luka taught him the adult version after Roden mastered the children’s version so quickly.”

“Oh shit,” Madison called over her shoulder. “Tell me we’re not playing the children’s version, and I’m still super bad at it.”

“We are playing the adult version,” Krey grinned. “Do not worry, sadora.”

“My brother plays a version he made up himself,” I said. “It is a combination of the child and adult one, and he has everyone at his university playing it now.”

“Lomax said your brother will be working on a cure for the virus that makes it so difficult to have female babies,” Ellis said. “That’s very cool.”

I nodded. “My parents are very proud of him.”

“They’re proud of you, too.” Lomax nudged me before saying, “His dad used to be the head of the king’s guard and threw a big party for Reagan when he became head of the guard.”

Galan grinned at me. “My mother did the same.”

Krey stood and joined Madison at the counter, his tail slipping around her waist. “Can I help you with that, sadora?”

“Yes, please,” she said. “Can you grab the small plates and forks from the cupboard while I cut the pie?”

He nodded and did as she asked as Ellis sat a little straighter. “Wait, did you say pie?”

Galan grinned and plucked her from her chair, sitting her on his lap as his tail curved around her hips. He nuzzled her neck affectionately. “For how little you are, you eat more than a groden.”

She laughed and leaned against his broad chest. “I have a high metabolism, and I love food. It’s a great combination.”

“What’s a groden?” Lomax asked me.

“It is a large and hairy beast, black or grey in colour. Its meat is delicious, but it is highly aggressive and very skilled at killing,” I said. “We rarely hunt it because we usually die trying.”

Ellis poked Galan in the chest. “Oh my God, I thought a groden was something small and cute. You’re comparing me to a big hairy animal that likes to kill Draax?”

“It has a large appetite,” Galan said. “The analogy rings true.”

Lomax laughed so hard she had to lean against me for support. My tail flicked rapidly, and I fought the urge to wrap it around her waist. My desire to claim her as Krey and Galan had done with their mates was a maddening itch deep in my brain.

Ellis snickered before flinging her arm around Galan’s shoulders. “You’re lucky you’re so damn cute, Galan.”

I hid my disappointment when Lomax straightened before reaching for her juice. I enjoyed the feel of her soft body against mine far too much. I had enjoyed everything about this evening, much to my surprise. I did not expect to have as much fun as I did, and I’d come only because it meant more time with Lomax. But, to my shock, the evening had been a pleasant one. While I did not think Krey and I could ever truly be friends, I suspected that if given the chance, Galan and I could.

Over the last week, I’d been impressed by his intelligence, strength, and sword skills. I could see why he was head of the guard, and the respect his guard showed him was enviable. Watching Galan work with his guard made me realize how much I lacked as head of Eastolf’s guard. My guard did not respect me and why should they? I did nothing to earn it.

“Hey?” Lomax’s soft hand rested against my forearm, and my unease and disquiet instantly calmed. “You okay?”

“Yes, my ma -” I cleared my throat. “Yes, small one. I am fine.”

Krono, referring to the little female as my mate when I barely knew her, was madness. Especially since we would never be anything more than friends and I would never see her again in a moon's time.

Madison returned to the table, carrying a dish I had never seen before. She set it down, and I studied the round pan it was in as Lomax leaned forward and inhaled. “Oh my God, is that apple pie?”

“It is,” Madison said happily as Krey set the plates beside her. “Krey loves apples, and a few months ago, he tried apple pie on Earth and loved it. So, I asked Jarka to bring in the ingredients, and now I make one for him every month.”

She dished out pieces of the pie in triangular wedges, and Krey passed plates to each of us. “I’m not the best baker, and my pie crust definitely needs work, but it’s a sweet taste of home, you know?”

Ellis had already taken a big bite of her wedge of pie. “Oh my God, Madison, it’s delicious. The best apple pie I’ve ever had, swear to God.”

Madison gave her a pleased smile as Krey said, “My mate is an excellent cook.”

Lomax, the pickiest eater I’d ever met, scooped up some pie on her fork and ate it without hesitation. “Ellis is right. This is amazing.”

She smiled at me. “Try it, Regan. You’ll like it, I promise.”

I ate a bite of the pie, my eyes widening at the sweet, gooey filling and its brown encasing.

“I enjoy this very much,” I said. “What is this casing that surrounds the sweet?”

“It’s called a pie crust,” Lomax said. “It’s a pastry made from flour, water, salt, and butter.”

I ate another bite as Ellis said, “I’m surprised Jarka brought in butter for you to use.”

“Me too,” Madison said before smiling at Lomax. “The Draax don’t generally drink cow’s milk. They think it’s gross.”

“I have tried it,” I said. “Once when I was on Earth, a female I fuc -” I glanced at Lomax. “A female I knew gave it to me to try.”

“What did you think of it?” Madison asked.

“It was gross,” I said.

I glanced at Galan and Krey when the three little females burst into laughter. They both shrugged in the same confusion I felt, and I quickly finished the pie before eyeing Lomax’s piece. It was only half finished, but she grinned at me and said, “You can have the rest of mine.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

She nodded and slid the piece onto my plate.

“Thank you, small one,” I said.

“You’re welcome.” She gave my arm another friendly squeeze, and my tail thumped hard against the floor. Galan glanced at it before studying me and then Lomax.

“So, will Jarka bring in any Earth food you want?” Lomax asked Madison.

“Usually. Once a month, he goes to Earth and,” Madison laughed, “grocery shops for lack of a better word. But he can’t bring anything in right now, not with the storm.”

“Oh right,” Lomax said, disappointment in her voice.

“What is it you want?” Ellis asked. “Jarka might already have it.”

“A peach,” Lomax said. “They’re my favourite fruit, and I used to eat them almost every day back home.”

Ellis frowned. “There are often apples and all sorts of berries and, weirdly, a lot of kiwi, but I don’t remember ever seeing peaches.”

“Definitely ask Jarka,” Madison said. “The chances of fresh peaches are low, but maybe he picked up a few cans. He loves buying random canned food and bringing it back.”

“I’ll check with him tomorrow,” Lomax said. “Thank you, Madison.”

“You bet,” Madison said. “Now, who’s ready for another round of jorken?”