Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1)(69)

Viper looked over and smiled. It was a broad grin filled with fangs.

"Holy crap Hope!" Faith whispered. She then looked back at Hope's adoring gaze. "You really do have a thing for him don't you."

Hope nodded and smiled.

Justice had wrapped himself around one of Viper's legs, Charity on the other like little anchors sitting on his feet as Viper walked to the entertainment unit on the wall.

Faith laughed at their antics.

"I think that just ruined any chances of me having nightmares featuring your betrothed. It's so weird how he changes colors." Faith shook her head.

"Yeah, we made our friend Acris change all the colors of the rainbow when we first met her." Tara explained.

"Thank you for rescuing us." Faith kissed Hope's cheek.

"It's all I could think of once I calmed down enough to process what was happening. I'm just lucky Viper had the authority to do it."

"She's being modest he's like the prince, and these people have control over several solar systems." Tara crowed. "Your baby sister even has a fancy title."

"Dear god when you do it, you go all out don't you Sis." Faith shook her head. "So what's your fancy title princess?"

Hope groaned. Faith was going to throw that one in her face. When Hope was little their dad spoiled her rotten. He called them both princess, but Faith would taunt her with it when she thought Hope had unfairly gotten her way.

"Uxorem." Viper overheard and replied.

The way he said it with a roll of his tongue and a growl in his throat was terribly erotic.

There was a knock on the door. Viper opened it to find Ophidian standing there. He looked at them all and bowed his head slightly. His gaze lingered on Tara. Hope didn't know what was going on there but she felt pretty sure it was something. Tara diverted her eyes.

"Yep one of these days one of them is going to act on that and then I'm going to have a good time harassing Tara. Serves her right." Hope mused.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Prognatus we have a problem at the eastern camp border." Ophidian reported with consternation.

"Sorry I need to leave." Viper nearly growled in frustration.

"I was thinking of showing everybody the community building and playground." Tara suggested.

"That is fine. I will have someone escort you." Viper started to say.

"It's on the way." Ophidian jumped in.

Hope had to stifle a smile at Ophidian's eagerness.

"If that is acceptable." Ophidian corrected himself.

"I can't go I'm supposed to meet Acris at our place to work on the ceremony." Hope replied. "You guys go, the kids need to run around and play with the others."

Viper escorted them all out and dropped Hope off at their pod. He bent and kissed her. The man tasted like the delicious spice she'd quickly gotten addicted to.

"Ew gross!" Justice hollered.

Gotta love kids.

"Be safe." Hope said as she rubbed Viper's chest.

He rumbled with a silent groan of pleasure.

Hope was still shocked the Anguis had two hearts, it seemed strange.

"I will return as soon as I can. Then we can all have last meal together." Viper suggested.

Hope nodded then watched as her family and friends went off. Her niece and nephew ran every which way exploring their new and unusual environment. Hope grinned happily feeling complete.





14 Trouble in Paradise



Viper

Viper's mood refused to be squelched by the aggressive protesters that had breached the edge of the colony. Nothing smelled quite like Hope when she radiated happily. Her floral scent wasn't musky like when she was turned on, this was fresh like a sunny day. Viper meant it when he said he'd give her anything, particularly if it made her beam like she had earlier. He wished he hadn't had to cut their afternoon short.

It came as such a relief that her family awoke without too much stress and fear. The children were little balls of excitement, so accepting. Viper felt blessed he'd been able to give Hope this reunion   with her family. What he wouldn't do to have his siblings back, but some things cannot be.

Anguis medicine was advanced, but there were still things they could not cure. Even now there were a few highly secure labs that held quarantined Morbo, hunting for a cure. The creatures were hard to kill and dangerous around living creatures of a certain genetic back ground, which included most sentient beings. At least they could be quarantined in thick glass, rock or metal rooms where their only contact was a machine taking samples.

As long as no part of the Morbo's body, especially the probe-like tongue, pierced your skin you had a fighting chance, but even a scratch was a fatality with these beasts. Once they infected you, you had only a matter of days. The longer you survived the more viruses replicated inside. The Anguis sadly discovered that during the invasion. Now if someone was infected, once they passed out, their quarantined body was incinerated before the creatures emerged.