While You Were Creeping - Poppy Rhys Page 0,21

alien fortune cards to ‘read’ me, I got a tentacle monster, nine-hearted grig cup, and an upside-down saucer. That was the day George told me it was over.

There was no way I was letting her read me again.

No fucking way.

“Sounds... fantastic!”

I dug the heels of my hands into my eye sockets.

“Walk around naked...” Aunt Gretta’s voice faded, like she was talking to herself as she moved down the hall, laughing to boot.

My chest deflated of air and I stared flatly at a smirking Kye.

“You handled that well.”

“Zip it.”

ELEVEN

HOLLY

The cube burned a hole in my satchel as it sat on my hip, slung across my body.

Not literally, but I found myself checking every few minutes for signs of smoke. Who knew what was possible now that interdimensional prisons were a thing?

Kye was still in with Riq, the tailor, getting all the last minute deets squared away and making sure it all fit.

We’d escaped down the back and I thanked my lucky nebulae that none of my cousins had been in the garage.

Had I really been living under a rock to not know about interdimensional prisons? Was this common knowledge?

I needed insight on this from someone who might know because time was ticking. I had my end of the deal to uphold and, besides that, how awful.

To be stuck in a prison, alone. Kye’d described what it was like. Yet... I still hadn’t bolstered the courage to ask why he’d been imprisoned in the first place.

It was there, on the tip of my tongue, begging to be asked but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t nervous as hell about the answer.

What if it had been an inexcusable crime? What if I’d blindly agreed to help free an intergalactic criminal?

I groaned, dropping my face into my cupped palms. That would be just my luck too...

Despite the real possibility of that being the case, I just... couldn’t wholeheartedly get behind it. Maybe he was a huge criminal, maybe he wasn’t, but something inside me said no.

“I’ll just have to ask,” I mumbled aloud.

“Ask what?”

I jumped, turning to find Kye standing there. “You scared...” My eyes dragged down to his black-capped hooves and traveled back up, giving him a thorough once-over. “Wow.”

Kye cleaned up well.

His black pants fit snuggly around his thighs and I tried not to focus on the bulge at his crotch that proved he was all male.

His fitted, cream colored sweater cut into a V at the neck, showing his fur, and a brown leather jacket with white wool lapels draped off his broad shoulders and drifted to his knees.

“These clothes are unnecessary,” Kye grumbled and I noticed his horns looked... shinier. Buffed, maybe?

A slow grin split my lips. “Really? Because I think you look good in them.”

Kye’s eyes narrowed and he rolled his shoulders, adjusting his jacket before picking up the luggage bag Riq had kindly offered. It would play perfectly into my plan, since Kye was supposedly traveling to see me.

In a gruff, dismissive voice, he said, “Thanks.”

Why was I still staring at him with a stupid grin on my face?

Silly thing was, I’d actually been relieved he’d agreed to my plan. Yeah, I needed someone to play Krampus because I’d be damned if I was going to let down the women of Tinsel who wanted playful spanks. But more importantly, I was so tired of showing up at events alone.

I’m sure I could’ve gotten a date, had I tried, but at my age, most people weren’t just dating to have fun. They were dating to find their partner and build a future.

Maybe I wanted that too. With someone. I just hadn’t met them yet.

“Aren’t we going to be late for third meal?”

“Oh, shit!” I snapped out of it and checked the time. Third meal would be in forty minutes. “We’ve got enough time to make one more stop. This is important. C’mon.”

We stopped at a shop and, after a quick perusal of the right liquor, I handed that and a bouquet to Kye.

He looked down, turning the items over in his hands with a pinched expression. “Er... thank you?”

I snorted and set the transport for home. “They’re not for you.”

He looked relieved.

“You’re going to give them to my parents.”

“Why?”

“Because my mother’s a walking cliché and loves exotic flowers. If you show up with these,” I flicked one of the yellow petals on a flower that was bursting purple stamen from its center, “you’ll get on her good side. And if you get on Mom’s good side,