Alien Mate (Zerconian Warriors Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

like a sister to me.”
    Ooh, Fedora didn’t like hearing that. But it explained why Dex was so friendly with her. Dex saw her as a little sister, but Zoey was willing to bet that Fedora had been hoping for much, much more.
    Fedora smiled coldly. “I wish I had been here when you arrived to greet you, but I was visiting friends. Come sit down, Zoey. You must tell me how the two of you met. It must be quite the story.”
    Zoey sent Dex a pleading look, but he just smiled and nodded. Clueless man.
    Lunch was torture. Dex and his father kept their heads together—talking about God only knew what—leaving Zoey to the tender mercies of his mother and ‘sister’. The two of them chatted together, obviously very comfortable with each other. Zoey couldn’t help but feel left out. Particularly as they kept slipping into Zerconian.
    She supposed she couldn’t blame them. They had nothing in common with her. Still, it made for an awkward and boring lunch that went on and on. And included most of the dishes that Zoey hated. Zerconians loved spicy food.
    Her stomach did not.
    “Zoey, are you not eating? Are you trying to slim down?” Fedora asked with false concern.
    Actually, Zoey had lost quite a lot of weight after Targos attacked her and she hadn’t regained all of it back.
    “No. Just not hungry.”
    “Here. Try this.” Fedora picked up a dish with some dodgy looking red balls on it.
    “No, that’s all right. Really, I’m full.”
    “This is a Zerconian specialty,” Fedora insisted. “You must try it.”
    Zoey stared at Fedora, who didn’t even flinch. She just smiled and nodded at the balls. “You would not turn down one of our special foods, would you?”
    Zoey smiled widely. “Of course not.” She picked up a ball and popped it into her mouth. How bad could it be?
    Fire erupted in her mouth and she swallowed quickly, hoping that would help. But the fire just travelled down her throat. Opening her mouth, Zoey panted, gasping as her eyes watered and her stomach surged in protest. Grabbing up a glass of water, she gulped it down.
    Shit! That only made things worse. Gasping for breath, sweat broke out on her skin as she searched for something, anything, to ease the fiery pain. It was like swallowing hot coals that had been doused in hot sauce and chilies.
    “Zoey? What happened?”
    Through her blurred vision, she saw Dex crouching before her, his concern clear.
    He barked out something in Zerconian then a glass was pressed against her lips. She moved her head away. No way was she letting anything else near her poor mouth.
    “Zoey, drink it,” Dex urged. “It will help.”
    Suspicious, she drunk a small sip of the cool liquid. Instantly, it soothed the burning in her mouth. She gulped down the rest and sat back with relief as the fire was doused. Shaking, she wiped her arm across her sweaty face. Urgh, gross. She blinked, bringing Dex back into focus as he stared at her in concern.
    “Is that better?” he asked.
    “Yes,” she croaked, trembling slightly.
    “Why would you try a Zota ball?” he asked with a hint of temper. “They are extremely hot. You could have harmed yourself.”
    She wasn’t entirely certain that she hadn’t hurt herself. Could her insides be lit on fire without inflicting damage?
    Zoey glared over at Fedora, who held a hand up to her mouth. “It is my fault, Dex. I did not realize she would have such a reaction.”
    Dex glared at the other woman. “You gave her a Zota ball?”
    “Yes, I was trying to help. She was not eating. I thought she would enjoy one. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”
    A few tears ran down her cheeks. Zoey watched her suspiciously. Surely, Dex wouldn’t buy this bullshit. But his shoulders relaxed and he smiled up at Fedora. “Do not worry yourself, sister. You could not know that Zoey cannot handle hot food.”
    “I will never offer her food again.”
    Everyone tried to soothe Fedora, totally ignoring Zoey. It wasn’t like she wanted sympathy or