Page 28 of Loving the Alien Spy

An incessant pounding rouses me from a pleasant dream. At least, I’m pretty certain it was pleasant before it disappeared like a wisp of smoke. I blink my eyes open and wait for the sound to come again. Maybe I just imagined it. Except, it does come again. Someone’s at the door.

With a groan of annoyance, I throw back the blankets and pad out of my bedroom. I press the button on the control panel, and all three of my friends appear on the screen. Olivia raises her arm, no doubt to start pounding again, so I open the door to prevent it.

She pushes past me. “Good, you’re awake.”

Quinn and Devon do the same, and all three stand in the middle of my living area when I close the door and turn around.

“I wasn’t, actually. At least not until my lovely sleep was interrupted.” I’m not usually this snarky, but these areextenuating circumstances. Plus, I’m really annoyed for some reason.

Only Quinn and Devon wince at my attitude. Olivia doesn’t appear fazed at all. Not that she doesn’t care or she’s not a great friend. She’s just…Olivia. She never takes offense when Quinn gets short or snippy with her either.

“We’re here for an intervention,” she continues.

“An intervention for what?”

Olivia laughs. “Nothing. I’ve just always wanted to say that. We’re actually here to drag you to the market with us for some retail therapy and breakfast so we can gossip about guys.”

I glare at them. “You seriously woke me up for that?”

“I suggested waiting until lunch but was overruled,” Devon points out.

“See?” I gesture in her direction. “That’s a real friend.”

“You love us all equally,” Olivia says with a wide grin.

“Not at the moment,” I grumble, although she’s right. I also can’t figure out why I’m so cranky. It’s really not like me.

Quinn walks over. “If you truly are upset and want us to leave, we will. No one will hold it against you or have any hard feelings.” She stares at our friend for a second. “Will we?”

Olivia tosses up her hands and rolls her eyes. “Of course not. I’m not a complete asshole.”

No, she isn’t. None of them are. That’s why I count myself lucky they’re my friends.

“Give me a few minutes to get ready.”

“Yes!” Olivia crows.

I bite back my smile and disappear into my room. In near-record time, I’ve cleaned my teeth, managed to get my hair to look reasonably decent, and changed into clothes that don’t resemble pajamas. When I return to the living area, the three of them are chatting.

“We’re heading to Erik’s first,” Quinn says.

As if perfectly on board with the idea, my stomach grumbles. I lock the door behind us, and we head toward the lift.

“Where’s Mak?”

“She’s with Janik at the palace. I think she misses him,” Olivia says. “Plus, he’s got some meeting with a few Bohnari from the High Council, and she offers extra protection. Not everyone is keen on the fact that he’s now the ruling prince while Alik is…you know.”

The news doesn’t surprise me. To some, Janik is still the guy who led the rebels and attempted to overthrow Alik. I think some of them blame him for the attacks on the three cities and the deaths of so many Bohnari people. I was just as bad when it came to Bannik. The blame lies completely with Mohneek and her asshole lover, though.

Multiple shop owners call out greetings when we pass. When we first got here, humans were considered an oddity. Anytime we walked through the city, people stared. For a while, it was extremely uncomfortable. I’ve never been more grateful for the fact that we’re kind of old news now.

The city is looking a lot better. Reconstruction has been taking place and moving swiftly with the bots doing the work. Bohnari also assist and oversee things, but it’s a cooperative effort between males and machine.

Finally, we reach Erik’s. It’s one of Quinn and Olivia’s favorite places to eat. I’ve only been here a few times, but I agree the food is really good. Plus, Erik’s a little smitten with Olivia and tends to give us dessert for free. That’s a solid enough reason for me to come.

Given the early hour, it’s quiet inside. Two Kundartha males sit at a table, and Zerim carries a tray of food to them. I always startled a bit when I first saw alien species on the planet who aren’t Bohnari. Not that the Kundartha are the most non-human-looking species I’ve ever seen. They’re bipedal, along with having two arms and two eyes. But that’s as close as they come to resembling a human.

Same with Zerim, who is Njeri. He’s native to the neighboring planet of Tavikh but sought refuge here years ago. From what Olivia told us, he’s the only one of his kind on Bohna. Apparently, the Njeri have a terrible reputation for not only warring but also slaving. His snow-white flesh, bald head, and blood-red eyes make him resemble what Olivia once called a vampiric snowman.