She gave him a hard look and his brother rested his hand on his shoulder.
If she was going to do this, Ajos needed to keep his shit together.
“When I woke up, two purple guys with four arms—”
“Krinqrids,” the tall alien corrected.
“I’d rather call them assholes.” Kerena frowned and someone chuckled. “When I woke up, I heard them talking about meeting someone who was to take me away to the Tasqals as a sort of peace offering.”
There were loud murmurs at that, and through all that noise, she heard another growl. Ajos was probably starting to see red again, and she tried not to look at him.
“What did you just say?” the tall alien said.
Kerena repeated and there were more murmurs.
“How do we know she speaks the truth? The Krinqrids are dead. There is no one to question.”
The tall alien cocked his head at her, willing her to answer.
“I have no reason to lie.” And she hadn’t lied…yet. She’d told them the truth.
There were a few more murmurs before someone asked something. “They attacked you?”
“They would have. Whoever they were to meet was late and I was beginning to think they didn’t know what to do with me. They had communicated that their plan was a secret and that the commanders, and the council,” she added, “didn’t know about it.”
Eyes darted around the council members.
“If their friend didn’t turn up, they didn’t know what to do with me.” She’d surmised that on her own. “I did what I had to do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here right now. I passed out again after I, uh, killed them. Commander Ajos found me.”
The tall alien frowned.
“Passed out?”
“Yes.”
“I can confirm that.” A voice rang out and she turned to see Aker in the crowd. She hadn’t noticed him there before. “This is the human who has gone through extensive physical strain to have made it even possible for us to have something that reacts to the Tasqal’s disease. It was this same human who helped retrieve the strange device from the fallen Tasqal vessel.”
More murmuring and Kerena smiled a little at the doctor.
“This human?” The tall alien beside her asked, eyeing her with disbelief.
“Yes,” Aker answered.
“And you can confirm that this…feeble-looking being has the propensity to kill two grown Krinqrids?”
Aker’s nose moved. “The humans have cells within themselves that attack each other. I am sure that is enough proof that they are a vicious species.”
Kerena choked on a laugh and cleared her throat instead.
The tall alien blinked.
Someone stood up. Another tall alien like the one beside her.
“This is a farce of a trial. We don’t care about the qrakking Krinqrids. If the human is telling the truth, which we can assume she is judging from the character of most Krinqrids, then we can forgive her for the basic instinct of defending herself. Now,” he said, “tell us more about what happened to you and tell us more about this…weapon.”
Murmurs of agreement rang out and Kerena glanced back in Ajos’ direction.
He settled back in his seat, his eyes on her, and she smiled a little.
It had worked better than she had planned.
32
For what felt like the next three hours, she and Aker were drilled for information.
It turned out that this new development with the flower she had accidentally found was like a ray of hope to all the commanders.
Akur joined in, saying that he had managed to harvest more of the flowers using her blood and that brought more conversation.
Judging from her background, or probably because she was the discoverer of this new plant, she was tasked formally with leading the research with Aker.
She was exhausted by the end of the three hours and suddenly she felt herself being lifted off her feet.
“Wait, what are you doing? We aren’t finished discussing this,” the tall councilor said.
“It will have to wait. You have exhausted my mate and that is not your job. It is mine.” Ajos settled her over his shoulder.
The councilor’s mouth opened and shut.
“Your mate?” Xul stood from the seats, his eyebrows rising on his forehead.
“Do you have a problem with that, Commander?” Ajos asked.
Xul’s face split into a grin. “No. It’s about time you got some—”
Athena’s hand flew over his mouth and she looked mortified.
If blood wasn’t rushing to her head from the way Ajos was holding her, Kerena would have laughed.
“Go, Brother,” Akur touched Ajos’ shoulder. “I will stay here and help Aker as much as I can with these ongoing questions.” He stared pointedly at the councilor. “Rest well, suini,” he leaned down so she could see his face and she saw a smile in his eyes.
Kerena nodded and then she was moving.
Ajos didn’t speak and neither did she as he took her back to the lift and it began to rise, taking them above ground.
The dirt bricks that paved the road were her view as he headed back to their apartment.
Their apartment. It still didn’t feel real.
“You know, you have to stop doing this Tarzan and Jane thing.” She chuckled. “I can walk.”
“I don’t want you to walk.” He squeezed her ass. “I like your ass right here. I can smell your sugar even now.”
Kerena’s mouth opened in shock and she felt her cheeks grow warm.
“You can smell me?!”
“And you smell so, so good, Keh-reh-nah. My tongue and cock are both twitching. They want your sweetness.”
Kerena blushed harder. “Put me down right now, Ajos Khattull!”
He stopped walking for a second before he squeezed her ass again.
“No.”
“Ugh!” She feigned annoyance.
“You know my name.”
Kerena blinked. “Yes.”
“Did I tell it to you?”
“I’m not sure.”
Fuck. She only remembered, somehow, from that time that she’d been snooping on him while in the shower.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes,” he said, and her fingers brushed against some flowers.
She didn’t realize they’d made it back so quickly.
“It matters because now I know,” he said.
“Now you know what?” she asked as he set her down on the bed.
“Now I know you cared enough about me to go snooping into my records.”
Kerena licked her lips. “Do you
