I decide that I’m not getting up; I prefer watching her. I know how much she and the bots have been looking for ward to this party, and I feel responsible for causing the stiffness in her body as she puts the finishing touches on the buffet of sorts that they’ve laid out on the table. I didn’t really want to tell her, and I feel like I’ve betrayed something that I shouldn’t have. Mostly because I have.

However, she’d dragged me off, sitting me down and probing me about my other activities, and after awhile, I’d figured out that she knew something was wrong. I tried explaining that it wasn’t Toga, and that nothing was wrong between is, but damned stubborn woman that she is, my mate wouldn’t listen. You’d think after living with her so long, the tears wouldn’t break me, but they do every time. I let her go on about how it was her fault for a bit, knowing that she was never satisfied until she’d placed all blame squarely on herself, and could beat herself accordingly.

And then I told her. I just couldn’t watch her anymore. She was just ripping herself up and there was no reason. Course I say that with having given absolutely no thought to what the two alpha females might do to each other if their mates were threatened. You believe me, right? I mean, while it might be a wet dream in action for me, Will and One to watch those two tear at each other for awhile… I doubt it would make for a good dinner party. Plus, we’d wanted to stock up on first aid equipment before hand, if the last rumble was any indication.

When I finished spilling the beans, she just looked at me blankly. I could almost feel her warring with herself inside. My hand found hers, and she shook it off as if it had burned her. She was silent for long that I thought perhaps she was in shock or something. Finally, she stood, her eyes seeming vacant and lost, and started to walk away. It was the set of her shoulders that gave her away; I knew exactly what she was going to do, and I couldn’t let her for more reasons than she could possibly imagine. Moving as quickly as possible, I grabbed her arm, spinning her backwards onto the bed, and pinned her there.

The look she’d given me could have melted carbonite, it was so hot. But I held fast, keeping her pinned while I had a nice, long one sided conversation about why she was not going to even consider doing what I knew she was headed downstairs to do. She, of course, kept interrupting with her usual nonsense, but I wasn’t having any of it. Big talk for someone holding down the limbs that would probably thrash me later, I know, but I had to get into her head that that damn fool ignoble stuff never works out like she thinks it will.

She asked what I meant by that, and then the fur started flying, because I didn’t probably the second stupidest thing I’d done all day by bringing that night up. Her face went even darker, swirling like a thunderstorm brewing, and I knew I’d fucked up good. A torrent of virupitive invectives spewed out, only most of which were aimed at me. I was, I admit, a bit amazed by the subject of most of it, and when she finally finished her rant, I just waited. Somehow, I knew I was about to step into something that I wanted no part of. This’ll teach me to shut my mouth and leave things be. Maybe.

And it all came out. More than I’d ever wanted to know, and some of it, I should have known or maybe guessed, but perhaps I simply had not wanted to know. Denial makes for a great deal of people’s blindness. When she was done, we both just kind of stared at each other. It had all been unburdened, and though it might not have been the best timing in the world, it gave us this sense of completion. I could feel it shimmering in the air, and it was comforting.

I released her limbs, and she wrapped around me, holding me close. We laid there for an hour or so, before T poked his head and said Loth was ready to set up. Our lips met for the lightest, airiest brush, but it didn’t affect me nearly as much as the look that passed between us before I stood. Volumes were read, understood and promised all in that one look. I knew she would be patient and not fly off the handle. It would be okay.

So now I’m sitting here watching them shuffle napkins and light candles, and I’m hoping that I’ve saved the day rather than wrecked it. The sheer tension rolling off my mate in waves has yet to affect the bots, but I can with all certainty the clones who will be arriving will feel assaulted with it when they walk in. Maybe they’ll just assume she’s nervous. I roll that idea around in my mind for a moment and then discard it. It might work for One, but Will would know immediately that something was wrong.

Drumming my fingers on the chair restlessly, I can only see one option. A good one, mind you, but not the easiest in the world and more likely to piss her off at first. Waiting until she’s got her back to me fully, I catch Loth’s eye, who smirks and catches T. They nod in unison, and I sneak up behind my woman, tossing her over my shoulder. I check the clock on the way up the stairs. I’ve got plenty of time to make her forget before the guests arrive.