Page 40 of Stealing Jia

Juri nodded. “She did.”

“What did you do to provoke Jia?”

“Nothing,”Juri said innocently.

I gave him the stink eye.“I didn’t know who they were, and they sniffed me. After Toothless and his buddies, I wasn’t taking any chances.”

“I see.” Trayon’s lips twitched.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“Not at all. My clan is very curious about you.”

“I see. I’m like a freakshow, huh?”Call me cranky, but I was at my breaking point.

Trayon hugged me.“Not at all.”

“Momma.”Cason held his arm out.

I took him from Trayon. I had to keep it together for the kids and Adam. “Have you been a good baby?”

“He bit Soval,”Trayon said almost proudly.

“Who’s Soval?”

Trayon pointed to the pygmy Askole. “Soval is our medic.”

I winced at the rather large bandage on his arm. “How many times did Cason bite him?”

“Three times.”

“Soval must have done something to scare him.”

“He ran a scanner over Cason.”

“Oh.”I tapped Cason’s nose and pointed to Soval.“No bite.”

Cason gurgled at me.

I made a frowny face.“Biting makes Momma sad.”

“Sad?”

“Yes.”I nodded.“Very sad.”

Cason kissed my chin. “Ax.”

“Is that Rodan for sorry?”I asked Trayon.

“The word sorry is not in the Rodan vocabulary.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that.”

Soval walked over to us and bowed slightly.“Commander. My lady. Dway’s injuries are not serious. He will be fit for duty tomorrow.”

“I will adjust the roster,”Trayon said.

“I want to apologize for Cason biting you.”

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