Slag: Book Four in the Galaxy Pirates Alien Abduction Romance Series (Shifter) by Alana Khan (i like reading books .TXT) 📗

to him being bare most of the day so he can shift whenever he wants and not shred his clothes. No one else seems to notice, though. I’m hanging with an interesting bunch of people.

The males do all the heavy lifting as the females and I catch up with news and gossip. Even wary little Allura has left the safety of the ship and has joined us.

“How did you know to come pick us up?” I ask Thantose an hour later after we launched into hyperspace and are congregating in the dining area.

“We couldn’t hail you. I knew you’d pick up instantly if you could. I figured you two were in trouble.”

“Well, thanks again.”

A’Zul was either isolated or drugged when we were onboard before, so I’m enjoying watching him get to know the others as we eat dinner together in the cozy dining area. I’m surrounded by women of my species, and although it’s like I’m living in a Sci-Fi movie, at least I’d seen Sci-Fi movies and what I’m seeing isn’t too fantastical.

A’Zul, on the other hand, came from what sounds like an idyllic, primitive planet. He has no one here who looks like him or speaks his native language, all of the equipment and tech is beyond his wildest imagination. You’d think he’d feel awkward and homesick, but as he allows himself to be pulled into conversation with the males he looks . . . relaxed.

When I catch his eye, I wink at him. He tries to mimic me a couple of times, then squinches both eyes in response. Such a childish expression on the huge angular green face is freaking adorable.

“It suddenly strikes me that we have two new victims . . . I mean players for our weekly klempto game,” Thantose announces as he goes to a cabinet and pulls out a beautiful box. He opens it to display what looks like poker chips. Some seem to be real silver, others are precious and semi-precious gems.

He shows us the deck which has fifteen cards in each of four suits. Instead of Kings, Queens, and Jacks being the face cards, they’re all of different alien species.

“Klempto is the galactic version of Texas Hold-Em,” Brin, Thantose’s mate, tells us. Then she adds in a conspiratorial whisper, “The way he talks, you’d think he’s a card shark, but actually, it’s Lexa you really have to watch out for.”

A’Zul and I are strong-armed into learning the rules. My mate’s eyes glaze over quickly and Allura and Brin rescue him to watch nature vids on one of the screens plastered on every wall.

I used to play Five-Card Stud back home and am trying to make the switch to this intergalactic version of the card game.

I think I might win this hand, but am having trouble figuring things out since the suits are different here. An excited squeal grabs my attention.

I look over to see a little blue animal, a cross between a pug and a hedgehog capering on the floor. The two women are entranced. A’Zul is nowhere to be seen. I put two and two together and realize my mate is the little animal scurrying between their feet and begging for scraps of food left over from our meal.

Thantose, possibly because he knows he’s lost this hand, sets his cards on the table and wanders over to have a look at what’s causing all the excitement.

“We were watching vids of the screythins from the backwoods of Aeon II and A’Zul shifted into one of them,” Allura exclaims. The animal has scampered to the cold box and is bumping its nose against it, wanting more food.

“It’s so ugly it’s adorable,” Brin says as she dutifully opens the cold box to grab some food for the little guy.

“I don’t see how this is possible,” Lexa says. “I was a psych major, science wasn’t my strong suit, but I do know that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. How can that big hulking male—no offense intended . . .”

“None taken,” I reply.

“How can that big hulking male turn into that ten-pound animal?”

“Clueless,” I say as I watch my mate amuse his new friends. Thantose soon tires of the show and returns to the table where Lexa, the males, and I resume our game. I didn’t win that hand, someone’s flush beat my straight.

“Let’s up the ante,” Thantose says as if he just this minute had the idea to do so. I imagine this is standard operating procedure for him. I picture him in the old west sitting around a table in a saloon bilking everyone in sight of their hard-earned cash. He thrives on winning, even though he staked us all to the game and will only be winning his own money back.

Five hands later, there’s a loud burst of laughter from the females gathered in front of the huge vid screen. This time, a different animal is at their feet. The spotted yellow creature sporting a covering that looks like a combination of fur and feathers is on its back, purring as it has its belly petted by the females.

Thantose suddenly seems interested in the creature. “The animal just shifted?” he asks.

“Yeah,” his mate replies. “He looks just like the animal on the screen.”

Thantose tosses his cards to the middle of the table and stalks to where the females are sitting, appearing more like a male on a mission than someone looking for entertainment. He grabs one of the ubiquitous computer pads that litter every flat surface on the ship and starts frantically scrolling.

“This!” He thrusts the pad in front of the yellow animal’s face. “Shift into this!” He’s trying to make it sound like a request, but it comes out as an order.

The little animal’s eyes widen in fright and it runs to me and hides at my feet. I pick it