Kade: Alien Adoption Agency #2 by Tasha Black

Author:Tasha Black [Black, Tasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 13th Story Press
Published: 2021-01-20T18:30:00+00:00

16

Kade

Kade was hitching up the wing-steeds when Aurora came out to join him with Lyra on her hip.

“Hey there,” Aurora said gently, offering bits of cold johnnycake in her open palm to the birds.

“Careful,” he said. “They’re...”

But the words died in his throat.

The male wing-steed had gently pecked the treat out of her hand and then thrust his head down.

Aurora massaged the back of his feathered neck as he made a crooning noise.

“I thought you’d never seen a wing-steed before,” Kade said softly.

“I like animals,” she said, shrugging.

The male wing-steed lifted its head and began nosing around in her garments looking for more treats.

“That’s all for you, bud, sorry,” Aurora laughed. “I had to save a bite for your wife.”

The female was shy, but Aurora was patient.

At long last, the slender necked bird took the treat and lifted her head back quickly so as not to be tricked.

“Good girl,” Aurora murmured. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Lyra let out a string of cheerful nonsense syllables and Aurora turned to her and nodded.

“Yes, Lyra, exactly,” she said. “We’re all going to be good friends.”

He was amazed once again at the natural confidence of his mate, even if he wasn’t always thrilled with how she chose to express it.

She eyed the coach, and then him, her unspoken question clear.

“I was going to practice my sharpshooting,” he told her.

It was the last thing he wanted to be doing, with all of the other work that surely needed to be done to help them all settle in. But Aurora had gotten him involved in this silly challenge, and now it was his duty to see it through. And according to the poster, sharpshooting was the first leg of the Sheriff’s Cup.

“Then we’re going too,” she said, her tone making it clear that it wasn’t up for debate.

Kade shook his head and offered her a hand up into the coach.

She took it and he felt the familiar ache of pleasure at her soft touch.

He swung himself into the seat next to her and whistled to the wing-steeds. They traveled in silence, as if a cold curtain had been created by the unspoken words that hung between them.

“They were drawing their weapons,” Aurora said suddenly. “You were going to wind up dead or having to kill someone.”

Her words struck his heart.

“You insulted my honor,” he told her.

“What good is your honor when you’re dead, or a murderer?” she asked, her beautiful cheeks flushing with emotion. “There is no honor for Lyra if she has to watch her father kill or be killed.”

Her father…

“I am not her father,” he said automatically. It was the truth, no matter how appealing it sounded. “She is a pod baby, grown from the DNA of her fallen ancestors, born to accept their glory.”

“Like hell you aren’t,” Aurora retorted. “Listen to yourself. You sound like an overblown quote from the news feed. Who takes care of her? Who protects her?”

“It is my job to protect and care for her,” he said quietly.

“Is it your job to love her?” Aurora demanded.

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