Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Um…all right.” Andi wasn’t sure what else to say. She appreciated Goodie Bo-long’s hospitality and generosity but it felt like her hostess definitely had an agenda. She hadn’t rescued Andi purely out of the goodness of her heart—she wanted to use her as a pawn against the New Order cult.
Andi didn’t like that idea—didn’t like it at all. It felt like the conflict with the NOs was going to lead to trouble, but she wasn’t sure how to extricate herself and Cade from the situation.
She wished again that the Moon shuttle was already there so she and Cade could leave this awful little planet behind. Things were escalating faster than she liked—both with the people she’d met here and with the big Hybrid. It felt like events were very close to spinning out of control and Andi didn’t like that feeling—not one bit.
She just wanted to get out of this town and off Zo’rath Three as soon as possible before things went any further!
44
ANDI
That night, though Andi had sworn not to let it happen, Cade mounted her again.
She hadn’t meant to let him do it, it just sort of happened, she told herself. And it started innocently enough—she’d just wanted to give him a bath because he’d gotten rather messy at dinner.
The food that Goodie Bo-long’s chef had prepared was, as promised, exquisite. The main course was long, thick noodles in a blue cream sauce topped with bright pink balls of tender, succulent meat. There was fresh baked bread as well, with a pale green, zesty butter-type spread to put on it. Dessert was a kind of light, whipped confection that reminded Andi of chocolate mousse, though instead of chocolate, it tasted of some kind of citrus.
All of it was wonderful but Andi hadn’t wanted to send Cade under the table to eat with the other Manimals. One of them was Manny, the Manimal who’d attempted to mount her earlier and she knew they wouldn’t get along. Plus, it hurt her heart to see the big Hybrid down on the ground, eating with his face in the plate like some kind of animal.
“Please, Goodie Bo-long,” she had said, when they came to the grand dining table which could easily have sat twenty rather than just the two of them. “Please, could Cade sit here beside me instead of eating under the table? I’m sure he could manage to be fairly neat it if I cut his food up for him first.”
Goodie Bo-long had given her a considering look.
“You really care for this male, don’t you my dear? He must not have oppressed you or beaten you before he became a Manimal for you to still have feelings for him now.”
“Oh, he never did either of those things—Cade is my Protector!” Andi said earnestly. “In fact, none of the Kindred would beat or oppress a woman! They worship a Goddess, you see, and they believe that every woman has a little piece of her within them —a spark of divinity that is worthy of worshiping and cherishing.”
“Do they now?” Goodie Bo-long put her chin in her hand and stared at Cade thoughtfully. “How very…unique.”
“They are unique and Cade was—is—very special to me,” Andi told her. “Please, I don’t want to treat him like an animal. I know he’s in there somewhere—I’m already going to have so much to explain once he gets back to his right mind. I don’t want to make him eat off a plate on the floor.”
“Very well, my dear—you may try.” Goodie Bo-long nodded her head graciously. “But I doubt he will be able to handle any cutlery.”
“We’ll see,” Andi had said. “And thank you so much. Cade—come here. Sit beside me.” And she had seated the big Hybrid to the chair on her left, so she could reach over and help him with the food if necessary.
Goodie Bo-long had been right about the fact that Cade wasn’t able to handle the cutlery provided. But to be fair, they were eating with long, slippery, silver sticks that were very like chopsticks. He did manage to hold one of the sticks in his big hand and stab the food to bring it to his mouth. The process was still rather messy, but much better than making him eat on the floor like a dog, she thought.
Afterwards, Andi decided to give the big Hybrid a bath in the large marble tub. She didn’t get in with him though—she was afraid that would lead to more of what had happened in the playroom earlier that day.
Instead, she knelt beside him and washed him thoroughly. She started by gently unfastening the leather thong from his thick, golden-brown hair, then she washed it by hand.
Cade seemed to enjoy this. He growled contentedly and closed his eyes as Andi worked her fingertips into his scalp. She washed his beard too and then, when she’d rinsed everything, she got a big, puffy sponge and began scrubbing his muscular chest and arms. He rumbled with pleasure when she made him lean forward so she could scrub his broad back.