Page 20 of The Monster at the End of This Courtship

"Oh." He studied himself for a moment, and then turned his attention to me, both in the mirror and sitting beside him. "I like it," he whispered. "I look more relaxed, like you."

Relaxed? Me? "You must be joking. I don't know what relaxed even means."

"For someone who arrived on Ignitas less than a year before I did, you've got your shit together."

"I mated with an opportunistic alpha and produced two eggs that never hatched." I couldn't bear to look at myself any longer, so I turned the equipment off again. "I do not have my shit together, as you say."

"I agreed to marry an opportunistic woman who wanted to use me for insurance money." Axel grinned. "I think we're perfect for each other."

It took a moment for my brain to catch up to what he was saying. "You're still straight, though … right?"

"I told my adoptive parents about you. They'd like to meet you." His smirk was back in full force. "My mom didn't skip a beat when I told her you were a he instead of a she. In fact, they told me they thought it was weird I was straight, since the adoption paperwork had explained the alpha/omega relationship."

"You get along with your adoptive parents?" I asked.

"Yeah. Didn't you?"

"I did." I sighed. He was my mate. It wasn't like I could keep it a secret forever. They'd been the most influential people in my life. "They died in a car accident when I was nineteen."

"Oh, gawd, Tuft. I'm so sorry."

Even though I knew we were both speaking some form of common kobold language our brains translated into English, he still managed to sound like a southern boy to me.

"I missed them every day back on Earth. When I came here, I vowed to let them go. Their parenting skills got me here, but now it was my turn to take over." Fuck, why was my face wet? "And then I went and fucked it all up."

"You did not." Axel's arm was warm around my shoulders, and he smelled so good, like fast food, but beneath that was the same alpha scent I'd fallen for. "I'm sure they're proud of you."

"I hope so." I leaned into him and noticed smear marks on his shirt. "I take it I'm not the first person to cry on your shoulder, er, chest, today."

"My mom," he said.

"Not the fiancée?"

He laughed. "She was too busy fucking her best friend."

"Gods, I'm sorry." That must have been hard. He'd been ready to marry her. Unless … "Were you going to marry her because you loved her, or only because of the baby?"

"The baby," he admitted. "I liked her all right, but I don't think I know what love is."

I turned into him, shoving my face against his chest again. "I'm glad you came back. At least now we have a chance to find out."

He patted my back. "Yeah. Me, too."

"We have a meeting with Mac tomorrow after your classes," I said, not wanting to let him go just yet. "We could walk the grounds afterward, if you want?"

"I'd like that." He dragged me into his lap and tucked my head beneath his chin. "I'd like to court you properly, if you'll still have me."

"I thought you'd never ask." I cuddled against his chest and held him for a moment, reveling in his alpha scent.

I felt bad for comparing him to Weld, but he was more in every way. He smelled better. He held me without asking. I couldn't wait to compare how they kissed. Weld had been good, but I bet Axel was even better.

I couldn't keep thinking about Axel's kiss, not if I wanted to stand up in these pants. "Tomorrow, then," I said. "We'll make it a date."

"Tomorrow," he agreed. "That means I should be going, then."

I pulled back, searching his face for any sign he was rejecting me.

"If I stay here any longer, we might have to skip this courtship thing entirely," he said. "You smell good enough to eat." He leaned in and sniffed my neck. "I need some time to get used to you."

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