First Words—August 15, 2018: C.M. Simpson

I’ve been away for a bit. Things got busy, and I got sick… again, and then I changed my routine, which threw me out. It always does. I think I’ve got that sorted, now, so I’ll get back into posting the first words of the day. Today, I worked on the fifth book in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series, with Cutter and Mack’s crew back to being their dysfunctional selves. Given I’ve put down 15,000 words since the last time I did this, this snippet is a bit longer than most.

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Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9

“You have to give her orders to get her to behave?” He made it sound like the joke of a millennia.

I didn’t have to look at Mack to see his mouth curl in distaste. His answer said it all.

“Yup.”

Barangail laughed, and I could see several of his guards smirking. Right now, I wanted to smack the ever-loving crap out of all of them… with my blaster. I felt my hand twitch, and then my arm froze.

“Not right now, you don’t,” Rohan said, and I knew he’d taken control of my limbs, again.

It almost made me regret teaching him the trick of which synapses to fire to drive a human. Almost. Him getting me out of a very bad place before even worse things could happen to me just about made up for what was happening, now.

“I’m saving your ass. Again,” he said, sounding disgruntled. “Pretty sure Mack would kick me ten ways to stardust if I let you do something stupid and got yourself shot.”

Given Mack would probably get his ass shot off at the same time, I didn’t think Rohan was in any danger of Mack doing anything if the boy let me loose.

“No, but I could.”

And there was Tens, sticking his nose in just where it didn’t belong.

“Mack’s kinda integral to the ship,” he said, then added, “You, too, I suppose.”

He didn’t have to sound like he hated the idea so much, but, before either of us could say anything else, Barangail stopped laughing.

“Inside,” he said, all business. “There’s a meal, as per the invitation, and we have business to discuss.”

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Would you like to read more? 

The first three books and the short story in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series: Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins, The Depredides Dance, Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host, and Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach are also available. The fourth book, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour will release shortly.