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Shedidn’t go right away though.First, she needed something to barter with.Sheknew there was an emergency kit located in a small cupboard at the very top of the kitchen cabinets, so she went to get it.Astall as she was, she still had to stand on tiptoes to open the cupboard and claim the small pouch, which looked a little like a high-tech fanny pack.
Insidewere several types of currency that were used on most inhabited planets in the galaxy.Therewere the gold-edged cred chips in different denominations and the sharp-edged blood-coins used in planets ruled by theBite—vampire like creatures who lived on blood.
Andihandled these with care—they weremeantto cut you because the coins weren’t legal tender until they’d been dipped in blood.Ugh!Luckily, theBitewere mostly relegated to a few solar systems on the far edge of the galaxy so she didn’t think she’d be using the blood-coins.
Lastly, were thin coins made of solid gold and silver.Whenin doubt, precious metals could usually be used, even on planets that didn’t use the other two currencies.
Andistrapped the money pouch around her waist but it was made of silver mesh and she was afraid it looked too obvious.Ifonly she had a jacket to wear over it!Butshe hadn’t expected to be someplace cold, so she hadn’t bothered to bring one.MaybeCadehad something she could use.
Shewent into one of the two small bedrooms where they slept on longer missions.Itoccurred to her that more than once she’d lain in bed and wished her bigProtectorwould come in and suck her nipples and do…other things.Andnow, when he’d finally made a move,Andihad been forced to push him away.
“Iwish you were in your right mind,” she said toCade, who was still following her on all fours.Itwas jarring to see him moving with the sinuous grace of an animal even though he still looked completely humanoid.Itmade her wonder again how the women of this planet dealt with their own men turning animalistic.
InCade’sroom she found an extra uniform shirt hanging in the clothes storage unit.Itwas deep blue and made of a heavy, satiny material with gold buttons running down the front.Andiput it on and was pleased with how well it covered the currency pouch.Itwas quite large on her and she had to roll up the sleeves to make it work, but when she wore it open in the front, it really did look like a kind of oversized jacket.
Lastly, she grabbedCade’sweight bar again.Itwas still dialed to a manageable weight and could be used as a weapon.Andihoped she didn’t need it, but she would rather have it just in case, she decided.Itseemed like a bad idea to go around a strange planet completely unarmed.
“Allright,” she said toCade. “Iguess we’re ready to go.”
Hemade a low growling sound in his throat and butted his head against her legs as she walked to the shuttle’s main door.Luckilythere was an emergency release for situations such as this, where the shuttle was without power.Andipressed it and the door slid open smoothly.
Acold wind swirled inside, bringing the scent of fresh strawberries with it.Andiwrinkled her nose.Whatwasthat smell?Normallyshe liked strawberries but this scent was so strong it was almost cloying.
Cadedidn’t seem to like it either.Hesneezed several times and shook his head.
“Stayclose,”Anditold him. “We’regoing to the town over there to see if we can get some help, okay?”Shedidn’t know how much he understood but he seemed to be attuned to her emotions, which ought to help with their now very limited communication.
Takinga deep breath, she stepped out of the shuttle and closed the door behind her.Whatelse could she do?
11
ANDI
Thefield they had plowed through had certainly been some kind of crop,Andithought, as she bent to examine the vegetation around the shuttle.Theplants were about knee high to her and had thick purple stalks with bulbous green things growing on the ends of them.Afew had been broken open by the passage of the shuttle andAndisaw that they had a bright pink interior.
“Ihope these things aren’t too expensive and nobody expects us to pay for them,” she muttered as she picked her way through the field.Thedirt the plants were growing in was a purple so dark it was almost black, which stained her white sandals immediately.
Thewind blowing through the field was cold—not bitterly so, but chilly enough for her to clutchCade’sshirt around herself tightly and shiver.Whyoh why had she chosen this particular mission to wear a cute, flirty dress and sandals instead of jeans and proper work boots?Shefelt like an idiot for trying to look pretty for herProtector—look where it had gotten her!
Cade, for his part, seemed pretty happy—he was looking around and sniffing the air with obvious interest.Atleast he seemed willing to walk upright now that they were out of the shuttle, which was something of a relief.Itfelt a little more normal to have him walking beside her rather than going around on all fours.
“Comeon,”Anditold him, when she finished examining the plants. “Weneed to get to town before it gets dark.”
Alreadyit looked dimmer outside than when they had landed—she didn’t want to be stuck outside on a strange planet at nightfall.
Cadefollowed her willingly enough.Hewas even a little ahead of her when suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
“Cade?”
Andicame up beside him and put a hand on his arm.Toher surprise, he seemed extremely tense.Thetriceps under her hand was hard with tension and his entire big body was frozen in place—obviously attuned to something she couldn’t see or hear.
“Cade?” she asked again.
HerProtectorput his nose in the air and inhaled deeply, sniffing and turning his head from side to side, as though trying to locate a smell.
Andididn’t know what he was doing—all she could smell was the extremely strong fresh strawberry scent.
Ugh, if we ever get back to theMotherShipin one piece,I’llnever eat strawberries again,she told herself.Shereally was getting sick of the smell which never seemed to dissipate.
