“Mated in the emotional sense,” I clarify. “It’s mostly just been a lot of physical petting and bringing each other to orgasm—”
“What Helen is saying,” Matty interrupts, “is that our circumstances are changing, and we wanted to talk to you about it.”
Immediately, Jerrok’s expression grows wary. I can see him pull back from Mathiras emotionally as well as physically. His eyes narrow. “Go on.”
“I have a mate, and she’s considered a very pricey prize, so it doesn’t make sense for me to continue to captain a pirate ship,” Mathiras explains, his arm around my shoulders. “Helen can take care of herself but I don’t want her to be forever on alert.”
Jerrok’s gaze flicks to the rolling pin I have tucked under my arm. “I see. So you want to move to my station permanently?” His tone is carefully neutral. “So you can hide her here?”
“Actually, no,” says Mathiras.
Jerrok immediately relaxes. “Well, thank kef for that. I don’t mind you showing your ugly mug around here every couple of months but I think I might have to kill you if you tried to move in.”
I stiffen, pulling out my rolling pin.
“Figure of speech,” Mathiras says quickly, squeezing me tight. “He’s joking, love.” He gives Jerrok an uneasy smile. “It’s been a rough time for Helen, so maybe we don’t joke about harming me in any way. We’re friends.”
He’s obviously stressing the words so Jerrok will pick up on them. But Jerrok just gives Mathiras a questioning look, his arms crossing over his chest with a metallic clang. “If you’re not trying to move into the station, what are you asking about, exactly?”
“Kas and Adi both have pregnant mates,” Mathiras continues. “And we’ve got Sterre and her kittens to think about as well. We’re looking at setting up a station of our own and doing a business similar to yours. Paying for scrap and for salvage, no questions asked. I figured we could fix up a station and make it a comfortable place to live that won’t have the women in danger and give us room to raise our families. But I wanted to talk to you first, because I didn’t want you to think we’re trying to steal your business.”
Jerrok’s eyes widen and for a moment he looks utterly delighted. He reaches out and puts a hand on Mathiras’s shoulder, and I twitch with the need to react, but I remind myself that he’s a friend. “Please,” Jerrok says. “Please, please, steal my business.”
Mathiras chuckles, his expression slightly confused. He glances down at me and then back at Jerrok. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Mind? I’d be keffing delighted,” Jerrok growls. “We already get too much traffic here as it is. Take it all. I don’t keffing need it. I’ve got enough scrap ships floating around this station to keep me busy for a lifetime. You’d be doing me and Soph a keffing favor if you took some of our business.”
“Oh.” Mathiras seems surprised. “That was easy. You’re sure?”
“I have never been more sure,” Jerrok reassures him. “I just want to be left alone in peace with Sophie.”
Matty rubs my arm, and I can tell he’s pleased. “It might take us some time to get things established, so don’t celebrate yet. We still need to talk to Lord va’Rin about the station he was considering selling, and if it’s even doable.”
“You need my help? You need some scrap? Just ask,” Jerrok says. “I will give you anything you want. Just don’t move in.” He pauses and then adds, “And take Jade with you. She’s a nice female and all, but I want my mate back to myself, and Sophie’s been hovering over Jade since she arrived.”
“We’re all leaving together,” Mathiras assures him. “Just as soon as everyone’s ready to head back to Risda III.”
“That I can help with,” Jerrok says. “Let’s get you ready to head out.” He sounds ready to throw us out the airlock already.
“Uh, we were hoping to stay overnight,” Mathiras continues, glancing over at me. “Helen wanted to look at the gardens and we wanted to spend a bit of time with Sophie and catch up. She’s family, you know.”
Jerrok sighs heavily, as if he’s inconvenienced by the thought of our visiting. “Fine.”
CHAPTER 112
MATHIRAS
For all that Jerrok hates company, dinner that night is a pleasant affair. There’s a massive pot of noodles and veg for all of us to share, and Jerrok breaks out a cask of ooli brew. Adiron and Jade sit across from Helen and myself, and Jade spends most of the evening snuggled up against Adiron’s side, giving him contented, soft-eyed looks that tell me how much she missed him. For his part, Adiron feeds his mate chunks of veg, carefully avoiding the noodles, and skips out on the ooli brew entirely.
Not so much Kaspar. He and Jerrok get sloppy drunk, while Alice chuckles with amusement at her mate’s antics. Kas has decided to tell a story about how Sterre “found” them and it involves a lot of hand gestures and bragging. Sophie rolls her eyes at a particularly loud comment on how big Sterre’s fangs are and how fearsome, and she steals a sip of her mate’s brew. He immediately pours her a cup and gives her a doting look that I don’t think I’ve ever seen on Jerrok’s face before.