On Her Axis

by Jeanette Lynn

  "Whatever you say, sweetie.” I swear I could feel her eyes rolling at me. “Now, make sure you wear something nice and wear your hair up,” she instructed, ever the dictator, “You look like a hoodlum when you wear it down. Too wild... too..."

  "Moth..."

  "Oh, no! Gotta go!” she jumped in, cutting off my protest, “Don't forget and don't be late! Kisses bub bye!" Then a 'click' as she hung up on me.

  Chuffing in irritation, I glared at the phone and put it back on the receiver.

  "Woman needs to stop drinking caffeine..." I muttered, clucking at her plucky attitude.

  "You need a com link," Marre said thoughtfully as he eyed my outdated phone.

  "No, I don't," I barked defensively. So sue me, I like my phone as much as my car. They're awesome!

  "Yes, you do," Marre said simply back.

  "Do not," I argued, snorting and sticking my tongue out at him.

  "She doesn't," Perre replied smoothly, cutting off any further arguments as we stopped our teasing banter and blinked at him.

  "What?" Perre shrugged, winking at me as he sipped his coffee. "She's going to marry us and move in anyways," waving his hand, he gestured to my vintage phone, "We can hook it up in the master bedroom if it means so much to her."

  "Where is Perre and what have you done with him?" Marre accused/demanded, raising his brows at Perre.

  I grinned and hopped into Perre's lap.

  "You just want to get into my good graces so I'll nurse you." I giggled, nipping his ear suggestively.

  Perre grinned, a grin only for me, and tugged me closer.

  "Maybe... Is it working, princess?" he purred and chuckled darkly.

  "Playing nurse or nursing?" Marre asked lecherously as he eyed my cleavage, "Because I'm up for either one, goddess."

  I grabbed up a cinnamon roll and tossed it at his head, his eyebrows still waggling at me lasciviously.

  He caught it effortlessly and took a huge bite, saluting me with it smartly as I snorted in his general direction, ruining my dirty look and put out expression by giggling.

  I shook my head at him and rolled my eyes.

  "Whoever said you two were lambs was either friggin’ blind or a liar."

  "Only with you, heathen. You bring out the best, of the worst, in us." Perre smirked, chuckling as his hands started to travel up my rib cage advantageously, venturing to my breasts, stopping there to cup the mounds in his hands. His thumbs and index fingers pinched my nipples teasingly through my clothes, eliciting a heartfelt moan from my startled but pleased lips.

  "Mean. You're a mean male, demon lord," I gasped out as he pushed my hair aside with his upper arms and sucked on my neck.

  "Ah, but you like it," he purred in my ear.

  Marre's eyes lit up and he sauntered over to have his fun too.

  It was a long time before we ever actually left my place.

  Would have been longer, but two giant, pink, sex monkeys were eating me out of house and home and we needed to replenish our reserves.

  Wedding bells in Nichton

  Perre

  "Where's Little bit?" Ponne asked, plopping down next to me on the couch.

  "Promised her parents she'd go to some thing in Nichton," I grumbled unhappily, already missing my little partner in crime.

  She brings out the ‘beast’ in me, I thought, growling a little under my breath.

  God! Just thinking about her makes me want to hunt her down, tear her clothes off and make her scream my name. Again.

  I sighed morosely and stuffed another miniature spinach pie into my mouth, growling at Jaye when he tried to snag one for himself.

  Can’t a male sulk in peace?!

  "Get your own," I grumbled, hugging the plate closer to my chest.

  "Fine, I don't want any of it anyways!" Jaye exclaimed dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest to mutter loudly about bullying pink miscreants.

  "Shut the hell up, Squidger!" Neyenn yelled from his perch on the sectional, tossing an empty two liter bottle at his head, "Some of us are trying to watch the game."

  Jaye glared at his older brother and rubbed his forehead.

  "I'm telling Mol!" Jaye glared at his much larger sibling, pulling out his phone threateningly and waving it around.

  "You do that, Jayevellan, see where that gets you." Neyenn snorted and chuckled confidently.

  "Who said he could come, anyways?" Ponne complained as he swiped the can of soda Jaye was getting ready to open right out of his hands.

  "What the hell, people?!" Jaye shouted indignantly, leaping at Ponne to try and wrestle the soda back from him.

  I busted up laughing. It was comical it was so ludicrous. You don't wrestle a male with four arms to your two.

  It was like the ultimate game of keep away.

  "Fine, keep it," Jaye muttered, his tone leaning towards amiably, even with his voice muffled. He was trying to shrug his shoulders nonchalantly, acting as if he wasn't currently in a wrestling hold, his face smooshed into the carpet as he tried to get out of the arm bar two of Ponne's arms had him pinned with.

  Ponne let him go and sat back, and Jaye snagged the soda back, dancing quickly out of Ponne's reach before he could get him.

  Jaye ran and opened the can quickly, chugging it all down in one swig, slamming the empty can down like he'd just made a touchdown, doing some odd victory dance as he gyrated like a wounded goose in front of the television, blocking the game I was trying to watch.

  Ponne's phone rang and he answered it, talking quietly to someone and then hanging up to come back into the living room.

  "Here, Jaye. Fetch!" I said, tossing a mini pie at him, watching as he dove for it, unblocking the TV as he stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and chewed it up quickly.

  "Oh, man, those are awesome," Jaye groaned, licking his fingers for any crumbs as he finished off one of the pastries my little heathen had made for me.

  I had a whole freezer full of delicacies Mags had made me to tide me and Marre over until she comes back.

  A weekend is too long in my book...

  I forget where she said she was going with her parents... a birthday party? Baby shower...

  Shit if I can remember.

  She was naked when she’d tried to remind me the other day, but I was a little preoccupied. Had other things on my mind at the time, like seeing how many times I could make her squeal before she had to go to work.

  I coughed to cover up my shit eating grin at that and let my mind wander a little, imagining my lush little mate, wet and willing for me...

  "You know," Jaye said thoughtfully, tuning me back into the current conversation "You aren't the same since you hooked up with my little buddy. You're... what's the word I'm looking for?" Jaye hummed, tapping his chin, searching for the right word.

  "Animated... Fun," Neyenn put in, saluting me with his drink from across the room.

  I raised my glass in silent acceptance and Jaye frowned disconcertingly.

  "Nah," he grunted, shaking his head. "You're more of an ass now." He snickered, his eyes gleaming at me, thinking he'd gotten one over on me.

  Pfft, amateur!

  "What's the difference?" I grunted in indifference, smirking at Neyenn's chuckle and Jaye's disappointment when his comeback hadn't hit its intended mark.

  Or was it?

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jaye's hand slowly making its way towards my plate as he mock pouted and whined, trying to distract me with his jabber jaws long enough to filch my treats. My treats.

  Chuh. Idiot.

  Like I'm not going to notice a giant, blue mitt reaching towards me?

  I waited until he got close enough and put my hand on his face, pushing hard as he tried to snatch one up.

  He flipped over the couch and landed with a 'thunk' on the floor.

  "Hey! You oversized, naked, mole rat! Share!" he grumbled, stumbling back to the couch.

  I snorted and stuffed the last three into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he huffe
d indignantly and stomped his foot.

  "You look like a chick when you do that," I informed him, taking pleasure in the verbal sparring and the angry look on the blue idiots’ face.

  Even if the sparring is a little one sided. Guy is outnumbered and he knows it.

  It goes like this...

  Ponne and Neyenn pester Jaye because he's annoying.

  Me? I'm just freakin' bored.

  Hey, I have to do something to pass the time or I'm going to go crazy.

  She's only been gone a few hours, but it was odd being without her. After spending most of our time together this past week- okay, all of our time-it was like someone had taken off with one of my limbs or something.

  We'd really gotten to know each other better too, bond more these past few days. Great doesn’t even begin to describe it.

  I've fallen even more for her, if that's at all possible, enjoying all the facets that make up my sweet, spunky mate.

  "I thought you said Mags was with her mother," Ponne asked, a frown marring his brow as he sat down, his upper arms' elbows resting on his knees, lower arms crossed over his chest.

  "She is." I raised my brow at him questioningly.

  "Tawn just called," Ponne nodded, gesturing at the phone, "She, Darlah and Molilah ran into Constance at the store."

  "No, can't be, it's someone else. She's with my little heathen." I shook my head, "They're going to some family thing a planet over," I shrugged, waving it away, "She planned it all out with Mags. Tried to guilt her into it until she finally agreed. Mags told me all about it."

  Ponne looked like he was going to say something.

  I looked at Ponne and gave him a warning look.

  "My princess wouldn't lie to me Ponne," I grumbled defensively, knowing my little heathen.

  "Princess?!" Jaye guffawed.

  "I didn't say she was," Ponne explained, putting his hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture, "but Tawn's sure it was Mags' mother."

  My eyes grew wide and then narrowed as my ridges whistled and bristled warningly.

  "Where's Mags, then?" Neyenn asked, frowning, smacking Jaye upside the head to shut up his incessant cackling.

  "Ow!" Jaye scowled. "I've had just about enough of all of you!" he warned, pointing at us accusingly as he rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head.

  "Mags' mother doesn't want Perre and Marre together," Jaye put in helpfully in a know it all tone, giving Neyenn a sniff of disdain, then dodging him as Neyenn tried to cuff him upside the head again.

  "She doesn't? Why?" Neyenn asked, surprised, completely ignoring Jaye now.

  "Better you than the pansy she'd originally tried to set her up with," Ponne muttered.

  A thought niggled in my brain and took root.

  No. She loves me. I know she does.

  Stop it, Perre! I growled at myself.

  So why is my stomach churning? Why do I feel like my guts are twisting?

  Pulling out my com, unable to shake it, I called Mags’ cell. She answered on the first ring.

  "Hello?" Her voice was broken and crackling, like she had bad static on her end of the line. "Perre, you there? You're cutting out?"

  "Princess?" I growled impatiently, socking Jaye in the gut for being too close to me when he snickered again at Mags' nickname. I ignored his belly aching and concentrated on my phone call.

  "I ca... fin... I... you... it...big... a... island..."

  "Island? You're on an island?" I demanded, cupping my ear to hear her better.

  Anxiety was beginning to creep into me from our mate bond and I could hear it in her voice.

  I growled in frustration.

  "The girls’ just saw your mother at a store, Mags," I told her honestly.

  "Who's whe..." she kept cutting out.

  Her phone crackled and then the line went dead.

  "Mags...? Baby?"

  I balled my hands into fists, trying to stop myself from doing something stupid.

  "So, call her mom," Ponne said reasonably.

  Mags had programmed it into my cell for emergencies, so I dialed it and waited.

  "Hello?" Constance answered.

  "Why aren't you with Mags?" I asked her outright, striving to keep myself in check, lest I break something.

  "Oh, it's you," she cleared her throat unnecessarily and sniffed with disinterested politeness, "Didn't Magenta tell you?"

  "Tell me what?" I growled into the phone.

  "No need to be so rude. I can't believe she was actually going to consider marrying the two of you."

  "She wasn't considering, it's a done deal," I informed her in the same snide tone.

  "Really?" she asked with an odd note in her voice, "Then why is she in Nichton at a honeymoon resort with Kertt?"

  "SHE WHAT?!!" I exploded, my head spinning as fear, nausea, denial and anger all fought for dominance inside me.

  "You better pray for Kertt's sake that isn't true," I snarled, "Your grandbabies will have to visit their daddies in prison if he lays a finger on MY! WOMAN!" I roared.

  "Grandbabies!" Constance gasped, but if she'd said anything else, I wasn't listening.

  Storming out, I charged to my hovie and hopped in, quickly backing out and flooring it as I headed for the nearest space port shuttle.

  A wedding resort island in Nichton. Nichton is small. Shouldn’t be that hard to figure it out.

  "She's not like Ausha! She's not like Ausha!" I chanted, my heart pounding in my chest as I headed for answers.

  To Nichton!

  Marre

  I pulled up in front of Ponne's and hopped out quickly, rushing up the cemented in drive as Tawn, Molilah and Darlah pulled up and hurried out too, rushing to meet me half way.

  "What the hell's going on?" I barked, startling the women.

  I cleared my throat and tried again, reaching deep down somewhere inside of me, striving for calm. It felt as if I was failing miserably as I clenched me teeth and held back a snarl.

  A few deep breaths later and I felt a fraction more composed.

  "I'm sorry,” I said as calmly as possible, “I'm just a little... what happened?"

  Ponne, Jaye, and Neyenn came outside and joined the impromptu party.

  "We saw Constance at the store," Darlah started.

  "And I called Ponne," Tawn explained, smiling at me wanly and flashing a hurt look at her husband, "I didn't think he was going to tell Perre. I asked him to bring it up casually, see what he said, you know? I didn't want him to think the wrong thing, jump to the wrong conclusions..."

  "What happened? Tell Perre what?!" I demanded, growing even more impatient. Perre's emotions were roiling as they came at me through our bond. It was like they were battering me, he was so upset.

  What the hell is going on?! I wanted to shout.

  I could feel Perre's fear, anger, disbelief, worry, confusion and pain. Mostly confusion and pain.

  "Wait, no,” I shook my head, even more confused, “Constance is with Mags at that wedding deal in Nichton."

  "No, she's not," Mol told me reluctantly, as if sorry to contradict me, stepping forward a little and shaking her head.

  "You know about the wedding, and you're okay with it?" Ponne blurted incredulously, his eyes widening like saucers in his angular pink face.

  I frowned at Ponne, "It's none of my business. What's it to me?"

  Choking and gasping, Ponne's eyes looked like they were about to bug out of his head, "Are you shitting me?"

  "You don't care if Mag's gets hitched with this Kertt guy?" Jaye squawked, slack jawed.

  "Kertt and Mags aren't getting married! Stop doing drugs, Harvick," I snapped. Seriously? I shook my head. This guy... "Really, man, just say 'no'!"

  Ridiculous... where does he come up with this crap! And now he has Ponne believing it too!

  What's this world coming to?

  "I'm not doing drugs, you dim witted idiot!" Jaye shouted belligerently, stopping only when Dar squeezed his arm, settling for grumbling and muttering about pink,
bald bastards instead.

  "Perre called Constance and asked her point blank where Mags was. Didn't know what she'd said at first, but he tossed his phone and ran out the door, taking off like the fires of hell were chasing after him," Ponne relayed grimly.

  "Yeah," Neyenn added, "I picked up his phone and she was still on the line. Asked her what she'd said to him and she admitted she'd told him Mags had left him to marry Kertt in Nichton."

  "Oh, god," I panicked, "I have to get to her before Perre goes and fucks everything up!"

  I called the spaceport immediately, my heart ready to burst from my chest, and it went straight to a voice message, letting me know the shuttles had closed for the day.

  NO! NO! NO!

  "Shit! Shit! Shit!" I growled in frustration and slammed my hand onto the ground, cracking the concrete with the force of it.

  The women all jumped and backed away.

  I ignored their reaction and glanced up at Tawn.

  "Is Kertt really there?" I asked, my voice barely audible as it lowered to a deep, gravelly snarl, hoping for otherwise.

  Tawn looked at Ponne and he nodded.

  Mouth turned down sadly, she stared at me helplessly. "It's Kertt's cousins' wedding. I called Mags' dad and he gave me all the details. Then he suggested I call Kertt's mom as well. I contacted her and she said she was headed to Nichton as we speak and that he'd left the day before. Don't worry too much, though. Karen, that’s Kertt's mother, is an angel, and after I explained what was going on to her, she's promised to run interference with Kertt. She had no idea Mags was seeing anyone or she wouldn't have agreed to Constance's scheme. She feels terrible."

  "Kertt was in on it, Mags is the only one who doesn't know, and no one can reach her," Ponne added.

  "The slimy little frog. I'll kill him" I snarled out, long and low.

  "Frog?" Jaye inquired of anyone and everyone, confused, brows beetling together, "What frog?"

  I shoved my phone into my pocket and stomped through the yard, heading towards my hovie.

  "That green little toad kept sniffing around my mate. She said her mother wanted them to be together, but Mags didn't want to."