Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 17.1 Early Morning Happenings [full chapter]

The morning found a pile of happy reptiles and one warm mammal in the middle. Alex was the last to awaken, as usual, and also as usual, no reptile would move away from the luxurious warmth that was Alex.

Razz had wisely kept oil on the bedside so they passed the time oiling each others' hides, except for Gaia, who didn't need it.

Zilik's tail wound around one of Alex's legs and Lok's the other.

Once Alex stirred and stretched, Razz motioned the others to stay still.  Eyes still closed, Alex's hand patted down first Razz's back, then Dex's, then Zilik's, then Lok's.

When she reached Gaia's smoother, moister hide, her hand patted more, then more, then Alex sat up straight in shock, dislodging them, and her hand flared with power.

"No need to be alarmed." Razz snuggled closer until his muzzle was against her neck. "Gaia is Dex's potential sleep-mate. He asked for your permission."

"Permission? He doesn't need my permission! I emancipated him!"

Zilik's and Lok's tails tightened around her legs but Razz stayed calm as Alex's anger cleared her morning fog.

"Wait, why is everyone here?" The light from her hand died and she ran her fingers through her hair.

"You were inappropriately ashamed of your nightly power," Razz said. "We decided to create a group bed and report to you in the morning."

"Still a calming sensation," Dex mumbled from the pile of bodies.

"I felt joined to Dex," Gaia said with wonder. "No one mentioned that."

"I did not know either," Dex said. "The power felt different, magnified this time, with joining you, Gaia."

"Joined?" Alex tugged her unruly hair down. "I guess that's good, right?"

"It was wondrous," Gaia said. "To truly join with someone you love? Such a gift."

Alex yanked a snarl out of her hair. "I don't think I'm comfortable with that."

"It felt like when my family was one," Razz said. "Dex and Father and Mother and I in our first den, before we ran from the warrior Anolis females."

"You ran?" Alex gave up on her hair.

"Neither fast enough nor far enough," Razz said. "But you have rescued us and now we must prepare for the future."

He slid out of the pile on the bed and landed silently on the floor. He trotted over to door, opened it, and spoke quietly, obviously to someone just outside.

When he shut the door, he had several pages in his hand. "There, breakfast is ordered. I asked the cook to mix fruit juice with both wine and chunks of fruit for you, Alex, since we do not have the 'mimosas' that you enjoy." Razz waved the papers. "Now for work."

Alex groaned. "Work before breakfast?"

Zilik chuckled softly and Alex turned her attention to him.

"Heeeyyyy, you didn't say anything." She peered at Zilik with suspicion and tapped on his tail wound around her leg.

He grinned and reached forward to stroke her hand. "Don't worry; I enjoyed all the familial love."

Alex chewed her lip and unconsciously tapped his tail more.

"Nothing more, anxious one," Zilik said.

"Okay, Lok, tell the truth," Alex commanded the smiling Chameleon lounging on the bed. "What did you feel?"

"Ah, familial love. It was wondrous." He batted his eyelids in an absurd way. "What about you? What did you feel last night?"