It only took two hours to reach Luresta and then they waited while the other ships docked as well. Everyone met on board the Purlane ship and left together, in hopes of finding Tryval. Their group was larger and they garnered more attention than Dryden liked, but no one seemed too anxious to mess with them.
“You asked the other ships to meet us so we’d be too formidable for anyone to fuck with us, didn’t you?” Dryden asked.
Warlyn smiled. “Of course. We’re completely safe as long as we stay together.”
Plivarian and Sumari had joined Kijaro’s ship, and Dryden was thankful for their presence. Everyone within five galaxies knew you didn’t mess with the duo. They were known for gutting you first and asking questions later. While they may have been just the types the leaders of the games were looking for, he trusted Warlyn when the alien said no one would mess with them.
The coliseum loomed before them and they made their way to the dais where the leaders sat and surveyed the games. The roar of the crowd filled his ears as they made their way up the winding staircase. Four leaders sat on bronzed thrones wearing flowing white clothes.
“What is the meaning of this interruption?” the eldest looking one asked.
“We’ve come seeking a friend,” Warlyn said. “A Traxian who was captured by pirates a few days ago. His name is Tryval.”
The leaders murmured amongst themselves before the only female smiled in their direction. “We are familiar with Tryval. What is it you want with him?”
“We wish to purchase his freedom,” Dryden said. “He’s important to my mate and she would be devastated if anything happened to him.”
The female focused her attention on Dryden. “And why should we care if your mate is upset?”
“Please. She’s expecting and I don’t want her to feel more stress than necessary. It would mean a lot to us if Tryval could leave Luresta and come back to Zelthrane-3 with me. I’m sure you have cages full of gladiators. What’s one less?” Dryden asked.
The leaders murmured amongst themselves again.
“Very well,” another said. “You may have Tryval if your Skuriu and Zelthranite warrior pair remain here for three days to compete in our games. No money will be necessary. All we care about is having a good show.”
Plivarian and Sumari looked at one another before agreeing.
“You don’t have to do this,” Dryden told them. “There must be another way.”
Plivarian smiled. “Nothing will happen to us. We’ll kill our opponents slow enough to keep the crowd entertained and in three days we’ll return home. I’m sure Kijaro will wait for us.”
Kijaro nodded. “I’ll ask for accommodations for me and the crew. I believe it would be best if the two of you remained out of the cells.”
The female stood. “Only the best rooms for our guests. I’ll have a contract drawn up and once all parties have signed it, I will release Tryval into your care. A copy of the document will be given to you in good faith. If we break the terms of the agreement, your council can send ships to retrieve your warriors.”
“We won’t break the terms,” the eldest said.
The leaders ordered food and drink for everyone as a contract was created in order to free Tryval. The ship captains reviewed the terms, conferred with the council via handheld Vid-Comms, and signed away three days of combat for the warrior pair in exchange for Tryval’s freedom. When the Traxian hybrid was brought to them, the relief in his eyes was apparent.
Before the leaders could make any other requests of them, they took their leave, with Kijaro and his crew remaining behind. Instead of boarding with Warlyn, Dryden and Tryval decided to travel back to Zelthrane-3 with Keylon. The ship was cramped, but anything was better than what the hybrid had been through over the last several days.
Dryden contacted the council once the ship had lifted from the planet and jetted out of the atmosphere. As Luresta became smaller and smaller, the unease in the pit of his stomach lessened. The council appeared on the Vid-Comm screen.
“We have Tryval,” Dryden said. “The games leaders kept their word and Privlarian and Sumari stayed behind to fight. I’d like to request that something special be done for Warlyn and his crew. If it weren’t for them, we never would have found Tryval.”
“I’m sure we can come up with something,” Borgoz said. “Warlyn requested time on Earth for himself to seek a mate, but perhaps his crew would like to be included. I’ll also see that some Earth credits are waiting for them at whichever Terran Station they choose.”
“Thank you,” Dryden said. “We’re on our way home.”
“You should call your mate. She’s been worried, especially since learning you went after Tryval,” Borgoz said.
“I’ll call her next. Thank you for your support in the search for Tryval.”
Borgoz nodded his head and the Vid-Comm went dark. Dryden dialed his parents’ home and waited for someone to answer, but the call was never picked up. He wasn’t worried because he knew how much his mother loved to shop, especially if she was worried about something, and she’d have taken Haven with her. The trip home wouldn’t end soon enough. He longed to hold Haven in his arms again.
Stretching out on one of the beds in the crew room he was using, he folded his hands behind his head and allowed himself to relax for the first time since receiving the messages from home. It had been a full day, but it had ended well, and that was all that mattered.
Now the only thing he had to worry about was Tryval stealing his mate. Not that he thought Haven wanted anyone else, but it wouldn’t stop the hybrid from trying. Facing possible death changed a male, or so he’d heard. What if it had made Tryval more determined than ever to mate with Haven? It wouldn’t be long before he found out. Dryden just hoped for the outcome he wanted most -- Haven by his side for the rest of their lives.
Chapter Eleven
Haven was still sniffling long after Dryden had come home. When she’d gotten the news that he was joining the search for Tryval, she’d worried that he too would be taken by pirates. It had ended well, for everyone except Keylon’s crew. She worried about Plivarian and Sumari, but had been assured they were the best fighters within five galaxies. She hoped they would return home soon.
The council had put Tryval up in The Towers in a small apartment similar to Dryden’s. From what she understood, he was allowed to stay as long as he wanted. Haven worried a little about how he would take the news that she had no intention of mating with him. Even though Tryval and Dryden had been on Zelthrane-3 for hours, she had yet to see him. She could only imagine how traumatic it had been to be captured by pirates and sold. He’d probably thought he would spend the rest of his life in the gladiator games, however long that might have been.
Dryden pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. “Everything is going to be fine. Tryval seems to have survived the ordeal just fine and is probably resting. I doubt he slept much the last few days. He’ll come see you before the end of the day.”
“You’re awfully calm about the entire thing,” Haven said. “What if he tries to claim the baby and me?”
“Then we’ll tell him you’re both mine and he can have visitation rights. I’m sure he’s a reasonable sort. While looking death in the face changes people, he seemed to have retained some of the humor we saw in the Vid-Comm chat you had with him.”
Haven nodded.
“Why don’t you go get ready and I’ll call him and let him know we’re going out for a while. Maybe he’ll join us along the way. How does lunch at the Earth diner sound?” Dryden asked.
“I’d like that,” Haven said.
She’d already showered for the morning, but she went to brush out her hair, added a little lip gloss, and changed into one of the summery dresses Tilia had purchased for her. All of her maternity clothes from Earth were for winter, but there was no such thing as winter on Zelthrane-3. The coldest it got was seventy degrees, and Haven was loving every minute of it.
She slipped on a pair of
sandals Tilia had purchased as well, and met Dryden by the front door. She’d assumed Tilia would be with them, but her future mother-in-law was absent. Haven looked around, but didn’t see nor hear Tilia anywhere in the house.
“Mom isn’t coming?” she asked.
“She had some errands to run and said she would let us have some fun on our own. I’m supposed to invite Tryval for dinner when we see him. I was able to reach him on the Vid-Comm and he said he would meet us at the diner in an hour.”
“Where are we going until then?” Haven asked.
“There’s a new store that opened this morning. I believe you call them pet shops. One of the brides was lamenting over the fact she hadn’t brought her pet with her, so the council agreed to opening a pet shop. Normally, our pets are raised in someone’s home and later they find a loving family. I think this is an experiment that may not stick around for long.”
“Are they just Zelthranite pets or did they bring in some from Earth?” she asked.
“I believe it’s a mixture. Some from my world, some from yours. In future, they may carry pets from other galaxies. It will depend on what they eat and how easy it is to stock their food supplies.”
Haven nodded. “I’m anxious to see the shop. I’ve always loved animals, but I was never allowed to have a pet.”
“Then maybe we should get one.”
“Or maybe we should wait until after the baby is born.” She smiled. “I’ve heard babies are a lot of work.”
“Whatever you want to do. We can just look today. Maybe they’ll let us play with some of the animals.”
Haven took his hand and they headed toward the main strip where most of the human-like shops were located. The pet shop was easy to spot, as there was a line out the door and halfway down the block. Dryden was going to move on to something else, but Haven really wanted to see the animals.
“Do you have a zoo here?” she asked.
“You mean those parks where wild animals are kept behind bars or glass?” he asked.
Haven nodded.
“Not exactly. We have Fendrix, who is like a zoologist from your world. He takes care of any wild animals that are injured and in the case of some of our rarer species, he keeps breeding pairs in captivity long enough for them to safely have offspring, and then he sets them free again. He rotates the breeders out so the herds stay diverse and aren’t populated by only one set of parents.”
“Can people visit the area where he keeps the animals?” Haven asked.
“I suppose. I don’t believe anyone has ever asked before. Remind me after the baby is born and I’ll call to ask. His home was on the outskirts of town and it would be a far walk. He doesn’t allow vehicles near his home for fear of frightening the creatures.”
“That’s understandable. I look forward to possibly seeing them.” She smoothed a hand over her belly. “After this one is born.”
“Have you thought of a name for the baby?” Dryden asked.
“I had thought about giving her an Earth name,” Haven said. “Would you be all right with that?”
Dryden pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You can name her whatever you want. I just want a healthy daughter.”
“So, you’d be all right with me naming her Amelia?”
“Amelia?” he asked.
“My favorite woman in history was Amelia Earhart. She was brave and adventuresome. She was an aviator who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She tried to fly around the world, but her plane vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. There’s still a lot of speculation over what happened to her.”
“She sounds fascinating,” Dryden said. “Perhaps our library has a book about her, and if not, we could request that one be added.”
“I’d like that. There are a lot of great women in the history of my world. I’m sure some of the brides would enjoy learning more about them.”
“I’ll mention it to the librarian and he can put the request in with the council. The council funds our library so any purchases have to be approved by them. Barstoc is allowed to accept donations if anyone wants to bring books from Earth and give them to the library, but that doesn’t happen often.”
“Well, I’m greedy and want a bookshelf of my very own at home, but maybe on some of your trips you could pick up some new books for the library. Could we afford to do something like that? You mentioned travelling to Earth once a month to check on the shop. Maybe a handful of books each month wouldn’t cost too much,” Haven said.
“I will be happy to donate books to the library, after we have your own bookshelf stocked. I noticed my father has already started building one.”
Haven smiled. “He started it the moment Tilia said I wanted one. When we found out you’d joined the search for Tryval, I told him there was no rush on building it, but he insisted.”
“Sounds like my father.”
The line moved forward and they were now within a few people of being able to go inside. Haven hadn’t lied when she told Dryden she’d always wanted a pet. Her mother had claimed that animals were nasty and dirty and didn’t want them on her furniture. In all fairness to her mother, their furniture had all been light colors and would have gotten dirty easily, but who didn’t love animals? She hadn’t even been allowed a hamster that stayed in a cage because she was told they were nasty rodents that stunk.
As the line moved again, Haven could finally see inside. She heard birds chirping and could see glassed-in areas where kittens and puppies romped and played. There were no lizards or fish, but she saw some unusual animals she knew had to have come from Zelthrane-3. One was blue with fuzzy fur and two sets of eyes, with small antennae on its head. A black tongue flicked out to lick its snout and she heard it make a chirping sound.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to it.
“Vardril. They’re quite amusing and move quickly. You have to watch them though because they like to stay close to their owners and can trip you.”
“What about that?” she asked, pointing to a green-and-orange creature with fur and feathers. Its yellow eyes seemed to glow and it had a beak instead of a nose.
“Santor. They tend to nip and can be very loud, but they make loyal pets,” Dryden said.
When they were motioned inside, Haven didn’t know where to look first. She checked out every pet in the store, stopping to play with all but the Santor. It snapped its beak at her several times, so she kept her distance. The Vardril was adorable and ran around its glass cage, following her with its eyes. She came back to it, reaching inside to scratch the creature on the back of its neck.
“He likes you,” Dryden said. “Are you sure you wish to wait for a pet? If we bring him home before the baby arrives, he should bond with her and be quite protective.”
“You think I should get a pet so close to my due date?”
Dryden shrugged. “I will leave it up to you, but if you want the Vardril, I will be happy to purchase one for you. I can assure you my parents won’t mind having a pet in the house. I had a Cartoo when I was younger.”
“What’s a Cartoo?” she asked.
“They’re bright pink and dark purple. Their fur is really soft and they make purring noises like your Earth cats. They are hard to find though as they aren’t from our world. There was a breeder here when I was little, but he has since moved away and took his Cartoo mated pairs with him. I believe they come from a distant galaxy, but they enjoy eating the fruits we have here on Zelthrane-3.”
Haven smoothed her hand over the Vardril’s fur and it rumbled at her while closing its eyes in contentment. Dryden reached into the cage and lifted it out, handing it to her. It had six legs that kicked at the air until Haven wrapped her arms around it and held it close.
Sistin came over, a smile on his face. “Did you find a pet you want to take home?”
“I like this one,” Haven said, as the Vardril licked her cheek.
“I see that he likes you too. He’s only a few months old and won’t get much bigger. I’ll ge
t some food for you. Will you need anything else for your pet? The room through the archway has bedding, bowls, toys, treats. I tried to stock a little bit of everything, but hope to add more if the shop is a success,” Sistin said.
Haven smiled. “We had to wait a while to get in here. I think you can call it a success. I’ll take a water dish, food dish, and something for him to sleep on. What types of toys would he like?”
Sistin rubbed his chin. “We’ve never had toys for pets on our world, but he might like those squeaky dog toys I supplied for the puppies. His teeth are sharp, but I don’t believe they will tear up the toys too quickly.”
“Then I’ll take two toys as well,” Haven said then looked at Dryden. “That’s all right, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Sistin, we’re meeting someone for lunch and I don’t want Haven to overdo it too much. Would you hold the Vardril and his new things until we’re finished? We can come back and pick him up in about an hour or two.”
Sistin nodded. “I will move him to a cage in the back so no one else will try to buy him.”
Haven reluctantly let go of her pet, but not before kissing it on the head. Then Dryden led her out of the pet shop and toward the human diner. Tryval was already seated at a booth waiting for them. He smiled when he saw Haven, but to her, it didn’t look like the smile reached his eyes.
She slid into the booth across from him, with Dryden scooting in next to her.
“You look beautiful, Haven,” Tryval said. “The pregnancy is going well?”
“I haven’t really had any problems. My blood pressure was a little elevated on Earth, but it seems fine now. Dryden and his family have been taking excellent care of me.”
“Good.” Tryval glanced at Dryden. “I have heard that you wish to claim Haven as your mate.”
Haven and the Alien Mechanic Page 13
