rescue Adam?”
“I gave you my word.”
“You sure you want a human female as a mate? We’re a lot of trouble.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” Trayon replied, getting to his feet.
The sneaky Askole had me over a barrel and he knew it. To save Adam and the kids, I would do what was necessary. Even sharing a bed with him. I held out my hand. “We have a deal.”
“You will not regret your decision.” Trayon gently shook my hand.
A giggle escaped me. Trayon looked like the marshmallow man in that American horror movie. Ghost something or other.
“You find me amusing?” Trayon flashed me an image of myself. I was coated in the sudsy foam too and only my eyes were visible.
I smirked at him. “This is like a bubble bath gone wild.”
“You bathe with bubbles?”
“I do.”
Pepe shook his fur, flinging the foam in every direction.
Adoz launched himself into the air and spun wildly. Large flakes of foam rained down on us.
“How do we get rid of the stuff?” I batted at the foamy crap.
Trayon tapped his gauntlet. A bright blue light rolled over the room. The suds vanished.
LooLoo and LeeLee scurried down to my shoulder. “No like him.”
I gently stroked their fur. “Are there any more of you on Threll?” I flinched as tremendous power flooded the room.
“An excellent question,” Zarek growled. His body armor literally bristled with weapons.
The Tabors hid in my hair and LooLoo whispered, “Others sold. Only us left. You find our mommas?”
“Yes, I promise you we’ll find your mommas. What’s your momma’s name?”
LeeLee bounced happily. “She called Uma. Our father is Bono.”
I looked at Zarek. “Do you know them?”
“No, but Bey will.”
“My mother’s name is Timbu. I need to know if she still lives,” Chiara said sadly.
Pepe licked her head. “My momma take you home.”
“I’m sure Trayon will do his best to get you back to your mother and we’ll help her however we can,” I promised.
Trayon’s tentacles squirmed about his head. “No one knows the location of the Shani’s home world.”
“I bet Zarek knows,” I stated.
His deadly amber gaze settled on me. “What makes you say that Jia?”
“You’re the Overlord, you know everything,” I replied.
A laugh broke from Zarek. “Not everything.”
“I thought the Shani were able to create mini worm holes and travel wherever they wished,” Trayon said.
“Chiara is too young.” Zarek shook his head in disbelief. “You have quite a menagerie here, Jia.”
“Babies and critters are drawn to me,” I said with a shrug.
Trayon watched Adoz fly around the room. “Once the Draconic hatchling has been properly trained, he will make an excellent scout.”
With all their technology, they still used animals as scouts? A sudden thought hit me. “Merda! You left Loki and Ivan back on Threll.”
“My warriors retrieved them, and they are sitting in the brig,” Zarek advised.
“Oh.” Adoz landed on my shoulder and started purring like a cat. Stroking his soft fur, I tried to figure a way out of my predicament, but I couldn’t come up with anything. Me? Mated to an alien. Never in a million years had I seen that one coming.
“My father gave the Overlord six times the bride price for you. The contract has been signed and you are now legally mine,” Trayon said out of the blue.
“What?” My temper ignited and I spun to face Zarek. “You sold me like I was a horse? You can’t do that.”
“I can do whatever I wish,” Zarek shot back.
Pepe buried his head under my arm. “He scary.”
Adoz wrapped his wings around my neck and chirped in agreement.
“The higher the bride price, the more honor for the female,” Trayon quickly inserted.
My hand dropped to the butt of my laser pistol. “There’s no honor in being sold. If you wanted a slave to fuck you should have stuck with the pleasure houses.”
Trayon’s tentacles stood straight out from his head. “You are not a slave! You are my chosen.”
“And what about adopting Tiny? Was that in the contract?”
“It will be added,” Zarek interjected.
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”
“You doubt my honor?”
A jolt of raw fear shook me at the expression on Zarek’s face. “No sir, sorry sir. I meant no disrespect.” If I wasn’t careful, he’d mind wipe me.
“I have found your birth father,” Zarek announced suddenly.
My jaw dropped. “You have?”
“You are a Jones,” Trayon crowed.
“I’m a Jones?”
“You are a genetic match to the Jones clan.” An amused smile touched Zarek’s mouth. “Any lingering doubt was erased after you destroyed Threll. Blood always runs true.”
I felt almost giddy with joy.