He pushes me out of the way and collects things for me. “That is done. Your marriage is in the book of the Gods. Why wouldn’t I admit that?”
Instead of helping, I take to watching him with my arms crossed, leaning up against the wall. “Not jealous?”
He laughs. “I was a jealous idiot when I thought we were just about sex. As soon as I realized how mine you were, I stopped giving a fuck. Go ahead and let half the galaxy stick their cocks in you. Marry the star prince. If anything, it fuels me because you can do all of that and yet you’ll still get on your knees for me because you’re mine.”
I want to wipe all those self-congratulations off his strikingly handsome face. I take the shirt and pants he hands me. Both items are loose and clearly meant for battle. How peculiar. I also get socks, boots, and a long brown leather jacket. Merrick looks me over, appreciating my ass for too long.
“Stop it.”
“Was Zhang okay with your attitude problem? I’m not.”
Clenching my fists I repeat the mantra,I will not attempt to murder an angel. “I deserve a fucking medal for not finding myself a starblade to shove through your chest.”
“Charming, but mortal beings can’t kill an archangel, my sweet.”
“Archangel?”
“Yep. I’m an archangel now. It’s new. I’ll show you all my new runes later.” He waggles his eyebrows, insinuating what he’d like to do to me later.
It’s time to take the wind from his sails. “No can do. I promised Zhang just him for one year. You’ll have to wait.”
He snarls. “Why would you go and do something like that?”
“Because.”
“He doesn’t matter anymore. You’ll never see him again.”
I note the way he words that. I might be crazy, but I think he’s genuine about not being the brainchild behind his actions. I don’t get caught up in that thought yet, and it’s unsettling how much faith I have in the fact that I will see Zhang again.
He’ll come for you.
He didn’t before
He would have had he known.
Ugh!
“Orions have a thing called honor. Ever heard of it?”
“What does it matter when you’ll never see him again?”
I don’t respond to that. I’m not talking about it.
“I’m still disciplining you,” he says. “You need that, Treyu.”
I sigh. “I need that. Fine. He wouldn’t mind that.” Zhang would rather it be him, but he’d want me to get what I need.
“Very well. Let’s go before all the angelberry custard is gone.”
* * *
I get hungry, so hungry that I eat through three helpings like a ravenous animal. It disgusts Merrick and I get immense satisfaction from that. I push the soup bowl away from me and wipe my mouth with the back of my forearm.
“What? This is how Orions eat. At least I have more manners than Atlanta.”
“Were you always this barbaric or did Earth do it to you?” he asks.
I don’t dignify that with a response, letting out a huge burp. Maybe if I gross him out enough, he’ll return me. “What now?”
