Page 33 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
Mads turnedthe fire pearl over in his hands. The motion helped organize his thoughts.
He had hope, and hope was a dangerous emotion. It hurt as much as it bolstered dreams and made no distinction between attainable results and fantasy.
Karl came to Earth hoping to find a way to slow or even reverse the degenerative disease destroying his people. That hope failed to deliver, ruined Karl’s career, destroyed his relationship with his brother, and kept him isolated on Earth, living and working in an abandoned warehouse. Karl lost everything except his hope.
Was he on the same desolate path as his uncle?
He could see the life he wanted, yet it remained just out of his grasp.
He liked Earth. He felt comfortable on the planet in a way he had never felt on Reilen. He loved Odessa. The first glimpse of her aura nearly blinded him with its radiance and playful colors. He had been young, yes, but he knew they would be mates. All he desired was a future with his mate and her calf, on Earth, away from the interference of Reilen and toxic reilendeer superiority.
All he needed to do was find a way to remain on Earth and to win Odessa’s heart. Simple.
He unfurled the tool kit, revealing chisels and hammers suitable for stonework. The tools were small, machined for delicate work. Again, he turned over the fire pearl. The stone belonged to Odessa. He knew that the moment he saw the rough stone gleam in the sun.
The red light blinked on the communication unit. “Status update requested.”
Mads carefully composed his reply. “Subject is no longer with the university that employed him. I am following potential leads to his current whereabouts.”
There. That should satisfy Svallin.
Mads hated to deceive his friend, especially since Svallin used his influence to get Mads the contract, but he had no intention of apprehending his uncle.
Or returning to Reilen.
The return reply came instantly. “Stop fucking with me. What are you doing? I’ve got higher-ups breathing down my neck, convinced you’re going to disappear like your crazy uncle. I swore you could be trusted. Don’t make me a liar.”
Svallin did not mince words.
Mads disliked misleading his friend, but he would, to obtain his ultimate goal. It was a treacherous path but necessary. He was sure Karl felt the same way, once.
Chapter 10
Odessa
“We’re heading over to Pour House when our shift ends,” Bonnie said, hands hooked in the back pockets of her jeans. “Want to come?”
The invitation came every Friday without fail and Odessa always declined. “No one wants to hang out with their boss after work,” she said.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. “I thought you were smart.”
“Excuse me?”
“I wouldn’t keep inviting you if I didn’t want to hang out with you. Obviously.”
“You’re just being polite,” Odessa said. At least, that’s how she always labeled the invitations, as polite-but-not-really-a sincere-invite. A non-invite, really.
“And what are you doing tonight that’s better? Oh!” Bonnie clapped her hands in excitement and rocked up on her toes. “Do you have a date with that hot guy who asked you out but then you yelled at him? Did you change your mind because he was so patient and didn’t get rattled even though you were huffing and puffing and all red in the face?”
Bonnie finally took a breath and stopped talking. She tilted her head to the side, like a dog waiting for a command.
Odessa pushed back the stray hairs that escaped from her ponytail, tucking them behind her ear. Bonnie was the closest person she had to a friend, which was sad because Bonnie was her employee. “I’ve got a hot date with the laundry,” she said.
“Lame. Come out with us and dance.”
Lame or not, it wasn’t an excuse; she really did have a mountain of laundry waiting at home. Ruby spent every Friday night with the Beckers, so she was free to go out for drinks. No one would judge her. She knew exactly the last time she went out to have fun because that night resulted in Ruby.
But she also really wanted to fold laundry and watch an adult movie—not that kind of adult movie, just something stronger than a G rating—with cursing and maybe a naked butt.
