Defending Hippotigris by Smith, T.L. (intellectual books to read txt) 📕

coming from him sounded agonizing, but his chest rose and fell, then rose again, and again, each time with less panic.

Zemor sounded pleased, waving her hand at Remy’s body, but then flicked her hand when she reached Remy’s head.

“Yes. Let’s let him see Mrs. Batista.” Jonas looked at me, still clinging to Remy. “Keep in mind his condition. Don’t expect too many miracles. From here out we’re facing a whole new set of challenges.”

“I understand.” Remy squeezed my hand. “So does he.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

 

 

“How’s it working?” I watched Remy pace across the room, slowly turn and walk back.

He looked up, smiling. “Much better. Told you it would only take a few tweeks.” He stopped, raising his leg and flexing the knee. “A lot more stable.”

“Well, once the bone grafts are set you won’t need those braces anymore, though I’ll take you any way I can.”

Remy took the last few steps to reach where I sat on the edge of my desk. He leaned over me, pulling my hips to his. “How about right here?”

I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck. Scars still zigged and zagged on his cheek and down one side of his neck, disappearing into his shirt. New patches of skin still settling in. I really didn’t care. He was alive and we were back, if only for a visit. “Yinet and Gerret will be howling for us to join them any minute. We’ve been gone forever.”

“Well, they’ll just have to wait a little longer.” He kissed me, leaning me backwards over the desk as his hands fumbled with my jeans.

“Remy!” I laughed, trying to push his hands away. “You’re being crazy. We have to go.”

“Not yet.” His hands grabbed mine, pinning them down on the desk. “A deal’s a deal. We’re going to start that family we’re always talking about.”

“Right this second?” I squirmed, which didn’t help. Neither did his teeth behind my ear.

“Right this second…” He let go of one hand, reaching for the zipper of my jeans again.

He was winning this argument, until the door opened. “Oh, geez. Remy, put your pants on!” Lizzy giggled, slamming the hut door and yelling through it. “Learn to use the lock.”

“Killjoy.” He turned his back and reached for his jeans as she opened the door again.

“It’s not dead, just deflated a bit.” She grinned at me.

I scurried to tuck my shirt back in, glaring back at Lizzy. “You could learn to knock.”

“Yeah, I could.” She smirked. “Glad to see you still have all the working parts, Remy.”

“Another minute you’d have gotten the full show.” He had his pants on and turned back around. “We heard congratulations are in order. Schaeffer tamed you.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Lizzy rolled her eyes away from both of us. “I just thought that I could pitch a more permanent tent here.”

“Well, permanent remains to be seen. No matter what Yinet might like, our staying on here, in any capacity, has to be approved by all the clans.” I grabbed both our coats, while Remy pulled his boots on.

“Well, that’s why I came here, I think. Yinet wants to take us somewhere. I think it’s a meeting with the clan mothers, though she’s not explaining it as thoroughly as usual. She’s using words our translator program doesn’t know yet.”

“Well, now you have my attention.” I gave Remy a smile as he grunted. “Sorry, babe. I promise to let you have your way with me later.”

“Yeah, promises.” He put on his coat and went to the bags, packed in case our first outing ran late and we had to spend the night with the Parredet.

I started to go help him, but resisted. He insisted on doing everything he could, but agreed to ask for help when he got tired. He gave me a wink as he pulled his own pack on, then handed me my own. “Lead on, Lizzy.”

“Zip up. It’s full on winter.” She pulled her hood up and threw the door open again. Thankfully it wasn’t a straight blast of cold air. Small windbreak tents had been constructed onto the front of the hard tents, as a buffer for the real cold and to knock off snow.

I stayed beside Remy as Lizzy led us towards the shuttle landing pad. Our first exposure to the elements had played havoc with his braces. He’d spent our first hour here reinsulating the electronic leads. Now we’d really find out how good a job he did fixing them.

We reach the shuttle without a breakdown and he made it up the ramp on his own. We squeezed through another buffer screen and into the shuttle. I brought up the rear, stepping through last and into a hug from Yinet. Remy got a similar treatment from Gerret, just not as vigorous. They’d been warned he was still recovering.

I mumbled through the coat and bear hug, until Yinet put me down again. “Yeah, glad to be back too. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I told you they wanted to take us somewhere.” Lizzy rolled her eyes and went forward to where Schaeffer sat waiting to take off, getting to slide into the co-pilot seat. “We’re ready. Crank up the heat and let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Schaeffer started closing the hatch. “She’s gotten real bossy around here while you were gone. Worse than you were.”

“Bite me, Dick. You know how it works.” She leaned over her chair as he extended his cheek, giving him a nuzzle. “You might be sheriff, but I’m substitute Clan Mom around these here parts.”

“Clan Mom?” Remy asked.

“Substitute?” I spoke at the same time.

Lizzy swung her chair around as we got buckled in, Yinet and Gerret settling into a bench with improvised safety straps. “Yeah, someone had to slide into the role when you left. That was the problem before, besides liking you, there wasn’t a female clan leader for them. By their standards and your behavior, you were clan mother, like Yinet. Right?”

“Yezzz. You arrre Clan Mother.” Yinet responded with her version of a