“Good news,” she said asSeventered.“Noone has been bitten, mauled, ravished, or turned into a zombie while you were gone.”
“I’m relieved,”Sevsaid dryly.Hehad to admit, her sense of humor was growing on him.
“Youshouldbe—around here, that counts as a productive five minutes,” she snapped, but there was no anger in her voice.
Sev handed her the blanket first and was pleased whenRavikallowed her to step back just enough to wrap it around herself, though he watched the process with intense concern, as though she might vanish if he blinked.
ThenSeverinhanded him the sleep trousers.
“Put them on,” he ordered.Hisfriend needed to cover up—maybe it was because he’d been pressed against the curvy little human, but his shaft was standing at attention in a painfully obvious way.
Ravik glanced atCassandraas though looking for confirmation.
She pointed at the trousers firmly.
“Pants.Now.”
Ravik took them.
“Yes,Mate,” he rumbled obediently andSevwatched in disbelief as his enormous, half-infected, frequently stubbornBeastKindredpartner obeyed her instantly.
Ravik stepped into the trousers and pulled them up, though he did not bother fastening the waistband properly untilCassandracleared her throat and made a pointed gesture to where the crown of his thick cock was poking out of the top of the sleep trousers.
“All the way,” she said.“Comeon, big boy—cover up.”
Ravik looked down, adjusted himself with no apparent embarrassment whatsoever, and fastened the trousers.
“Better now,Mate?”he rumbled.
Cassandra covered her eyes with one hand and shook her head.
“Yes, that’s better.”Shesighed.“I’veseen more alien male anatomy today than any woman should have to see before dinner.”
“You are the one who insisted on pants,”Raviksaid.
“I insisted on pants because of the, er,anatomy,” she said.
Ravik considered this, then nodded solemnly.
“Mate is wise.”
Cassandra made a sound that might have been a laugh and might have been a sob and shook her head again.
“I only wish you were right about that, big guy,” she said.“ButIwouldn’t be here in the first place ifIwas ‘wise.’”
Severin looked away before either of them could see the strange expression that crossed his face.Hewas feeling things he couldn’t quite name.Somethingin him warmed whenRavikhad praised the little human…and something in him ached when she laughed.Hedidn’t know what to do with either reaction, so he pushed them aside.
“What are you making?”he asked, trying to distract himself from the flood of unfamiliar emotions.
“Supper,”Cassandrasaid.“Ormy best attempt at it.Ifoundkareth pearls,fenpods, loompa root, dried sserka strips,and broth stones.Iwas going to make something like soup or stew, because apparently even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, men still wander into kitchens asking to be fed.”
“Ravik can help,”Raviksaid at once.
“Yes, so you mentioned,” she said and the corners of her mouth twitched.
“I am a good cook,” theBeastKindredinsisted.
“So you also mentioned.”Cassandranodded.
