Page 44 of Aleko
“You would be good at that,” said Alex. It was true, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to do it.
“So, we’re clear that this isn’t… We’re not… This is just for now. I can’t do… I don’t do permanent things.”
She was watching him, and he could see by the tightness in her shoulders that he had to get this right. Part of him wanted to argue—to demand that she admit that she belonged to him. Butarguing with her was what she expected, and he couldn’t do that because she was a fighter. She had the kind of spirit that spoke to his wolf. The kind that wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t lie down, and just kept fighting even when it was the wrong decision.
“Not permanent,” he repeated with a nod. “I understand. But it’s a lot of translating. Couldn’tjust for now,be for a week or two?”
The tension in her body eased slightly, but her head dipped down indecisively. He crossed the room to her, getting close enough to hug her, but not daring to touch while she was still thinking. He tilted his head so his jaw rubbed along her temple. She let out a soft sigh and pushed into him. Taking that as permission, he put his arms around her.
“This is cheating,” she said.
“Why? Because you like it?” he asked.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Oh, then I’m going to cheat all the time,” he said, and she made an annoyed noise, but she pushed her face into his shoulder. He breathed out softly, trying not to reveal how triumphant he felt.
Episode 26
Translations
Eliandra
Lia paused on the threshold of the dining room and. She felt overwhelmed and intimidated by meeting new people. She didn’t think she had always been that way, but she couldn’t remember when anxiety had become her primary response to other human beings. At least the Green brothers had clothes on this time. She recognized the man at the head of the table—she had dealt with him before when she’d translated for the refugees. She liked him. He had been kind and professional to the refugees. He’d been stuck between pandemic regulations and incoming ships—using refugee labor had kept his timetable, but it had left him in trouble with the dockworker’s union. She hadn’t envied him the headache. This morning he looked like a very crisp businessman in a vest and tie, with his suit jacket over the back of the chair. She thought his name might have been Pellos.
Sebastian entered behind her and also paused.
“Oh my God,” Sebastian said, pointing at the man reading the paper and poking at his yogurt drizzled in honey. “You look so cute in your suit!”
The comment reminded her of the reaction of her high-school boyfriend’s uncle upon seeing their prom pictures. Pellos looked up and sighed, which her boyfriend had also done. She remembered now that Sebastian had said that Alekos had adopted Pellos. She hadn’t connected the adult, in-charge man she’d already met as that same Pellos.
“You say that literally every time I wear a suit,” he said.
“But it’s true every time,” said Sebastian with a chipper grin,and Pellos sighed again and went back to the paper.
“Come on, Lia,” said Sebastian, patting her shoulder. “I’ll show you the food, and we’ll ignore Pellos. He’s grumpy in the morning.”
Lia took another look at Pellos. She suspected that he was really only grumpy at Sebastian in the morning.
“Is this thing with Sergio’s businesses going to be too much trouble?” said Alekos, coming out of the kitchen with a platter of sausages. The Greens did not stop chewing but waved excited forks in his direction. “If it’s going to be too much trouble, don’t worry about it. I can take care of it.”
Pellos looked up from his paper again. “I put on a suit. I did not climb Mt. Everest. It’s a meeting with lawyers. I am taking care of it.”
“But if it’s too much trouble,” said Alex, off-loading sausages onto the Green’s plates and then leaving the platter on the sideboard in front of Sebastian. Sebastian speared one for her plate and took three for himself. Lia watched as Pellos cast his eyes heavenward as if asking for strength.
“It is not too much trouble,” said Pellos patiently.
Lia realized she was not the only one that Alekos tried to over-care for and felt relieved. He didn’t think she was incompetent—he just worried about his people. And judging by the spread of eggs, oatmeal, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, he also believed in feeding them. A lot. She waved off more food from Sebastian, took a biscuit, made tea, and went to the table. By then, Alekos was back with another platter of food. He looked like he was going to say something else to annoy Pellos and Lia found herself opening her mouth.
“Did you ever sort out that situation with the Union?” she asked Pellos as she buttered her biscuit.
His head cocked to the side, questioning why she had asked, and Lia realized that it was a wolf gesture, which seemed oddbecause she was certain that Sebastian had said he was human.
“Oh, you’re bilingual,” she exclaimed, finally identifying what other language she kept trying to speak around Alekos and Sebastian. Pellos’s head tossed up in a wolf laugh, and she copied the move in agreement.
“Oh, fuck, that was weird,” said Sebastian, still standing by the buffet with a sausage on his fork. Alekos was also staring. Lia glanced at Pellos. Had she done something wrong? Pellos let out a snort through his nose with a little lip flare in their direction.
Deal with it.
