Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,59

considering the paparazzi are parked outside your building. Seriously, though. Spill it. The secrets, not the wine.”

“Ha-ha, as if I’d ever waste a drop of wine, no matter how bottom-shelf this stuff is,” Jenna joked. “But really, it’s… it’s something kind of weird.”

“Perfect. I love weird.” Jade leaned forward eagerly.

Jenna nibbled her lower lip and then let out a deep breath. “Okay, so here it is… Remember how we had to sign that stupid release form for the catering event at Drokten Main the other night?”

Jade nodded. “Yeah, of course. The potential-mate clause or whatever it was called.”

“Yeah, that. Well, you signed it, too, right?”

“Of course, I did. They wouldn’t have let me through the doors if I hadn’t, and that job paid primo,” she replied. “I mean, as far as shady contracts go, it’s not the worst I’ve seen. Besides, the actual likelihood of being selected as a mate for a pair of Drokten males is so far off the charts crazy that it’s not even worth worrying over. You probably have a higher chance of winning the lottery or something.”

Jenna’s face flushed hot as Jade spoke.

Her friend narrowed her eyes. “Jenna, you’re turning pink… Oh my god, you’re actually blushing.”

“Well,” Jenna drawled, “there’s… there’s a reason for that,” she admitted reluctantly.

Jade’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Wait, you can’t be serious. That’s why you were walking with them and holding their hands? I guess I thought…well, I don’t know what I thought because now it seems obvious. I saw people debating it on the news channel, but I thought, no way. I mean it’s only ever happened one other time, to that one British girl…and I guess I thought that was a fluke. A one-off. But, is it really true? Are those two your mates?”

Jenna sighed, deciding it was best to start at the beginning. “You saw me talking with Hiren that first night. Didn’t you?”

“Yeah, a little. I saw you walking over to the Drokten side of the room and I was trying to figure out why. Then someone asked me a question and I got sucked back into the job. I was super busy replenishing the fancy snacky-snacks on those dinky-ass silver trays. Then the next thing I knew, I looked over again and you were gone. Just, gone. And I’ve been texting you ever since, trying to find out why you left work early, but you were semi-ghosting me. And then I see you’re on the news, holding hands with two Drokten!”

“Well, this all started at the event when I overheard Secretary Wells plotting to eliminate the Drokten. So, of course I had to warn them.”

Jade spat out her drink. “What the hell? He did what?”

“Yup, it happened,” Jenna confirmed. “Turns out the guy who’s the leader of negotiations between us and the Drokten actually despises the Drokten.”

“Asshole.”

“Right? And so, I went over to warn the Drokten commander and his ambassador, but the secretary, or his spies, overheard me talking and then swooped down and had me put in a holding cell, which I managed to escape.”

Jade nearly dropped her glass of wine. “Oh my god, Jenna! Since when did you turn into a ninja-level spy?”

“I know. I know. It’s crazy. But I had to get out of there because I overheard the two Drokten saying they were going to immediately take me to their ship. I thought they were trying to kidnap me.”

“Kidnap you? Are you sure?”

“Well, I thought I was right. But I think I just misunderstood. But I really did need to get away from Secretary Wells. But then the very next day, while I was at the diner, Hiren and Sevith showed up. They’d found me.”

“Holy shit, girl. So, this is real. They really did meet you and instantly knew you were the one? Wait—so you’re, like, an official Drokten mate now? Oh, what’s the term for that…” Jade trailed off.

“Oso. It’s called an Oso,” Jenna mumbled from behind her hands.

“Yes! That’s it! Oh my god, so you’re an Oso. My best friend is an Oso,” Jade mused aloud.

Jenna peeked through her fingers to see her friend’s dumbfounded expression.

“You have to give me all the details. Did you guys all, you know, do it yet?”

Jenna lifted her head from her hands, eyes wide. “Holy crap, Jade, no. You know me. I’m not like that.”

Jade shrugged. “I mean, that’s what happens. Right? You get chosen and then you do it and become a triad. That’s how it goes. Even I