The cat-like creature squirmed. She set it down.
"You leave Kiera alone," she ordered sternly.
The creature loped ahead, darting out of sight down another hall. Evelyn followed leisurely, unconcerned with being lost on the massive ship. If she became turned around, all she needed to do was touch the wall and tell it where she wanted to go, and the glimmers would guide her there. Or Romas would come searching for her.
Evelyn hugged herself before looking down at the massive diamond on her ring finger. Bubbling with happiness, she hummed as she strode through the corridors in search of Romas.
He was in their quarters and stood as she entered. He was naked, as if awaiting her. She smiled and flung herself into his arms. They made love for the umpteenth time since their wedding. Afterwards, she snuggled into his arms, content with the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his arms around her. Just as she drifted into sleep, the spaceship's internal communication system awoke her.
"Your woman's sister needs attending to."
The male voice came from nowhere and everywhere and disturbed the two naked forms on the dark grey bed. Evelyn raised her head lazily, unable to quell the urge to seek out the source of the voice even knowing she wouldn't find it.
Your woman. There had been several dozen mistranslations from the small translator attached to her ear lobe. This one was oft repeated and rankled her whenever she heard it.
"She'll be well," Romas said. He nuzzled her as she started to sit and pulled her back into his body. She relaxed, his warmth and presence lulling her into comfort she didn't want to leave.
"Your woman's sister needs attending to."
This time, the calm male voice was accompanied by a distinctly feminine wail in the background. She shot up and scrambled for her clothes. Romas followed. If she looked, she feared she might find him amused. After Kiera's three months of tormenting him, he would find turning the tables satisfying.
"You have to be understanding," she reminded him again. "You know Kiera well enough. She's really emotional. You have to be less … you know. You just have to be understanding."
Romas snorted in response. She hurried from the room without her shoes and tucked in the alien clothing: soft, silky tunic into soft, silky pants that adjusted in size to fit her form. She stepped into the hallway, unwilling to await a purposely slower-moving Romas, and touched the wall.
"Take me to Kiera," she said. Glimmers lit up along one wall, guiding her through the maze of the ship. She'd been contemplating how to break the news to Kiera. How did you tell your best friend that aliens were real and oh, by the way, I married one and am taking you with me to his planet, for your own good? She was doing what she thought was best for her friend, and Kiera would hate that.