“Pretty much. She enjoys chasing him and I think Kas has it in his head that he’ll win someday.” She smirks. “He’s wrong, of course, but we don’t tell him that. How’s Helen?”
“Better,” I say. “They just went to the med-bay to listen to Ruth’s baby’s heartbeat.”
She hops to her feet. “I’m joining them, then.” She cups a hand to her mouth. “Kas, baby, I’m heading out.”
Kaspar slows down, turning toward Alice, and in the next terrifying moment, he’s tackled by the large lizard-like feline. It growls and covers him with its large body, and Kas flails his arms and legs.
“Be nice, Sterre,” Alice says. “No chewing!”
“No chewing,” Kas agrees, his voice muffled.
I cross my arms over my chest, watching as Sterre bats at Kaspar’s downed form with several of her big paws. She eventually settles for licking his head, as if she’s trying to groom him, and then rolls off of him and lays on her back on the track, her belly in the air. Kaspar immediately tackles her, rubbing the creature’s fat belly with both hands. “Who’s my good girl? Who’s my good Sterre?”
“I thought that was Alice’s pet,” I say, amused.
“She is,” Kas agrees, grinning up at me as Sterre bats his hands away again. “But she thinks I’m Alice’s pet, too, so she tolerates me.”
Figures. “How have things been on the Gaze?” I ask. “Any luck with catching slavers?”
“Not nearly as much as you.” He gives me a wry look. “What happened to an ‘information gathering’ trip?”
“Plans changed. We ran into Zebah ak’Ven and it went downhill from there.” I give him a quick recap of our adventures, and he grimaces in sympathy when I mention Bethiah’s name.
Kaspar gives Sterre a last firm pat on the belly and then hops to his feet. “I should have gone with you. Most of our slaver-chasing has been remote. The navigator got more action than I did.” He looks displeased at the thought. “I barely got to hit anyone.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to return to the Little Sister at any point. Zebah says she’s going to switch over to the Scarlet Gaze and I’ve promised Bethiah we’ll take her back to her ship.” I secretly think Zebah is leaving because she doesn’t want to be on the same ship as Bethiah any longer, not now that there are no more distractions to keep the other female occupied. “After that, we’re heading to pick up Jade, or else Adi is going to murder me.”
“All back together once more,” Kaspar says happily. “And then what adventures are we up to?”
I don’t have an answer for him. With two pregnant females? And what if Helen doesn’t want to stay? I can’t picture the future of the Little Sister. Not yet. Not with so many things in the air, the biggest one being our enemy that has yet to be taken captive. “I need to talk to Straik and see what the plan is for Lady sa’Rin. All of this is pointless if she’s not stopped.”
CHAPTER 103
MATHIRAS
“Lady sa’Rin is as good as stopped,” Kaspar tells me, a lazy expression on his face. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Why? What did I miss?” I haven’t had a chance to talk to Straik yet, but as far as I knew, nothing was resolved.
“It’s genius, actually,” Kas says, moving to my side. Sterre rolls onto her feet and moves behind him, head-butting his leg as if she still wants to play. He tries to ignore her, reaching down to swat her away, only for the carinoux to mock-attack his hand. Distracted, Kas leans down and rubs the carinoux’s head again.
Trying not to grow impatient with my brother, I prompt him for answers. “What’s genius?”
Kas looks up again. “Oh. That. Come on. I’ll let Straik tell you.” He gently pries his hand from Sterre’s menacing-looking teeth, scratches the carinoux’s chin, and then moves to the door. “He’s in his quarters.”
I follow after my brother and the fearsome carinoux, making sure to keep a safe distance between us. Sterre might be used to Kas at this point, but she’s not used to me and I have no desire to lose a limb.
We head through the echoing halls of the Scarlet Gaze, and again I’m struck at how spacious and clean and new everything is on the ship. Helen would probably really like it here, and she’s friends with the clone crew. Ruth will be here, too. The Little Sister is not great, but it does have Jade (or it will) and Alice.
And me. If she decides she truly wants to be my mate, I’m going to lick her cunt for days to make her realize how grateful I am for someone like her. It’s a good plan, I decide. She can have an easy, comfortable life here on the Gaze, or she can come with me and I’ll mouth her cunt for her all day and all night long, until she’s whimpering with happiness.