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Ardol preened and patted her hand. “Of course not. With me as your husband, you’ll have no need.”
Jade smiled politely as they finally joined the surging crowd. Not what I meant—kinda cute that he thinks it’s about him. Or maybe he knows it’s about the money...
ARDOL FELT LIKE A SPRING compressed into a tiny container. Any second, the lid would pop off, and he’d explode with tension. He celebrated with his crew members from the periphery, doubts about his plans gnawing him. Too late to back out now.
There was music and dancing. Food filled the hall. Couples were everywhere, and single Lynxians eyed him with envy as he claimed Jade for every dance.
Not that she did him justice. Leopardines had natural, sensual grace. They had moves that would put any Queen into heat. He had those moves, he knew it, even though he had never danced with a Queen before.
So how come Jade was stiff and jerky in her steps, her body held near his without molding to it? “Don’t you like to dance?”
Her smile was that cool, flat sham that never made it to her eyes. “I never had much practice.”
“Mmm. I’ll teach you,” Ardol purred, placing his nose against her neck as he pulled her back to his chest.
“I have to go ask Griselda to take part in our evening ceremony,” Jade pulled her hands gently from his paws. “I should change, too.”
“As you wish. But hurry, you don’t want to miss Talos and Wendy’s ceremony this afternoon.”
Jade gave him a silent nod and fled from his grasp faster than he liked. His eyes darted around to see if anyone had noticed, but everyone was too busy celebrating to observe the way she left him.
“What the hell was that?” Kamau was suddenly (annoyingly) beside him.
“What?” snapped Ardol.
“I have never seen a Knight try to make a Queen dizzy as a form of seduction. What were you doing to her, Ardol? Trying to make her spit up on your fancy purple waistcoat?”
Ardol’s tail lashed, and his fangs itched. “What are you talking about? My bride has only left to change into her gown.”
“I thought she ran off because you were spinning her around until she was about to vomit,” the Servali said complacently.
“What business is it of yours how I dance? All Leopardines are masters at seduction.”
“Uh-huh. Is it too much to ask that you don’t work your magical ‘moves’ on her until you have her near your quarters? I’d prefer it if she wasn’t sick in the middle of the Comet Stalker’s passageways.”
“You’re a nosy, gossipy, overpaid cook,” Ardol suddenly hissed, glowering down on the shorter, slighter Felid. “You fuss over those cubs like they’re your own. You feed the human Queens like they’re going to carry your cubs, not Rupex’s or Talos’. You don’t have a Queen of your own to seduce, so you spend your time with your nose in everyone else’s business. If we were on Leopardine-One, you would not dare open your mouth around me.”
Kamau backed up, blinking in surprise.
That’ll quiet him, Ardol thought, smug satisfaction settling into his chest.
But Kamau’s surprise turned into a grim smile. “We’re not on Leopardine-One, agbaya, and if we were, you wouldn’t speak to me like that. The ones with the big mouths do the least with them.” Kamau smirked and turned on his heel. “Unlike some members of this crew, I’m going to help set up for Talos and his Queen, and I have their wedding cake to retrieve from the sheriff’s house. You could stop counting your spots and go set up screens so Talos’ parents and brothers could watch their son get married!”
Ardol smothered a curse as the shorter Felid stormed away. “I don’t even know what agbaya means!” he hissed after him.
Marcus sashayed past, a giggling Lycen in his arms. “My late wife was Servali. It means idiot. Cheers!”
Chapter Nine
Jade watched the newly married couples sitting together, heads close, bodies in contact. The huge, imposing-looking Tigerite was beaming as he rubbed noses with his bride. The Leonid captain rose when his infant cubs began to fuss, and then set both his wife and children in the protective circle of his wide torso and muscular arms. His Queen looked up at him adoringly.
Perfect little family. Beautiful couples in love.
I can fake an orgasm. It’s just groaning when he groans, throwing your hips around, squeezing muscles inside.
I can’t fake happy. I can’t fake love.
“Oh, Bastet’s handmaidens, aren’t you a sight?” Griselda put both paws over her face when Jade stepped from the rear hallway of the town hall.
