Odin (Alien Adoption Agency #5) - Tasha Black Page 0,4

been here before.

“The rented beasts always know to follow Tia,” Root confided. “She manages the stable, and the animals’ larder.”

“Oh,” Liberty said, trying to keep up.

“Changed the wheel, eh?” Root asked, leading her by the elbow toward the inn. “Did she shame your manliness, Odin? Is that why you’re so grumpy?”

Liberty tried not to laugh.

Odin only scowled.

“That’s just a little joke,” Root said. “He’s always grumpy. Gods only know why. He’s got every gift known to man and woman.”

“We’ll need two rooms,” Odin said. “And dinner - plenty of it.”

“You can have as much dinner as you want,” Root said. “But I’ve only got one room.”

“Don’t give me a hard time, woman,” Odin growled. “We need two rooms.”

“You see how he treats me?” Root said to Liberty. “I don’t have two rooms, boy. I only have one. Take it or leave it.”

“Which room?” Odin asked suspiciously.

“Does it matter?” she asked. “Are you planning on sleeping in the stables if you don’t like it? Or were you just going to push on to the highlands instead?”

He muttered something unfriendly under his breath, but Root only laughed and opened the door to the inn.

The interior was dim but cozy. A floating sofa hovered over a rag rug in cheerful colors in front of the fire.

Root tossed Odin an old-fashioned bracelet with a laser chip to key their room.

“The lovers’ room?” Odin said, his jaw clenched like it was the worst thing he’d ever heard of.

Liberty had half a mind to be offended by his reaction. Sure, she wasn’t interested in sleeping with this guy, but she’d had her share of men sniffing around her after Wyn passed. She might not be a holo star, but she was pretty enough.

“You should see yourself,” Root scolded him lightly. “Yes, the nicest room in the place. Aren’t you lucky? Dinner in your room?”

“Yes,” he said tersely.

“Alright,” Root nodded. “Well, I suppose you can find the room well enough on your own. I’ll just warm you up a couple of plates and grab a cradle for the child.”

Odin tromped off toward the narrow staircase without another word, and Liberty followed.

“He’s alright,” Root whispered to Liberty.

Liberty smiled at the woman, who was obviously very kind. But she was beginning to wonder about Odin. She had admired his forthright anger at first, but was the man ever happy?

The top of the stairs opened onto a large landing. She followed Odin a bit farther down a long hallway until they reached the very end. He waved the bracelet and the wooden door slid open to reveal a snug little room.

There was a massive, sleigh-style bed, a pretty realistic looking hologram fireplace, and absolutely nothing else. The cozy space couldn’t have accommodated much else even if Root’s decorating desires had been more creative. As it was, Liberty wasn’t sure where a cradle would even fit.

Suddenly she understood exactly why Odin had been frustrated with this set-up.

They weren’t just going to be in close quarters, they were literally going to be in bed together.

“Is that the bathroom?” she squeaked, pointing to a door in the corner.

“I’ll take the boy,” he said, nodding. “Go on.”

She handed the baby over and made a beeline for the bathroom. It would be good to freshen up, and even better to get a minute to think.

4

Odin

Odin sat on the edge of the bed, cradling baby Colton in his left arm as the whelp finished off another bulb of milk. Odin smiled down at him. For a creature that spent most of its time asleep, and most of its waking time eating, the little guy sure was enchanting.

Colton stared back at him with an expression that might have been a smile and might have been gas. After a moment, the whelp let out a loud burp and nodded off once more, leaving Odin alone with his thoughts.

His thoughts of Liberty.

The room was already redolent with his mate’s delicious scent, and it would only continue overwhelm him until his resolve melted and he begged her to accept his claim.

He stood again and began to pace, rocking Colton as he did. Although he wasn’t sure if the two strides it took him to cross the room even qualified as proper pacing.

There was a light tap on the door, and Odin opened it to find the T-4, holding a small cradle.

“Your honor, I bring you the cradle for—” it began.

“Thanks,” Odin interrupted. He had no patience for the robot’s old-fashioned politeness.

The T-4 rolled into the room, deposited the cradle beside