CHAPTER THREE
"Come along," Purple urged, floating after Red, and beckoning to Mia from the hologram. "The opening ceremonies are about to begin."
Mia stumbled after the Skorls like an automaton, inwardly reeling with horror.
He was an Aurelian? Oh, Goddess, she'd just done bodily harm to one of the most ferocious, warlike races of beings in her own galaxy—and probably this galaxy too.
The Aurelians waged war on any sentient beings unwary enough to venture into territory they controlled, or those unlucky enough to inhabit a planet they wished to control. They were feared and hated on a galactic scale that nearly equaled the Quark O'gren, against whom the Solar Wars had been fought.
And she'd just clawed one of them.
Great Tygress, she was lucky he hadn't murdered her on the spot, torn her apart with his bare hands.
She knew one thing—he might be as powerful and boldly virile as a Quasi-Ball champion, but he was a stone-cold killer who had no business in this contest, and she'd rather partner with a sulphur-stinking Bartian than with him. She'd come out of their first encounter unscathed, but who was to say that in future he wouldn't decide she wasn't worth keeping alive?
She squared her shoulders and set her jaw. She was an unmated Tygress, she obeyed no man except her father—and lately she hadn't been doing so well at that, either. She certainly wasn't going to trot after this male like an obedient minion.
She waited, tapping her foot until sufficient time had passed. Then, head high, she walked from the small room behind Bartoo.
The Skorl led the way along a short hallway into a large, brightly lit space. It was an amphitheater of sorts, with tiered benches lining the walls. Walls and benches were fashioned of silvery metal. It created a dramatic backdrop for the beings who were scattered about on the rows of seats, like gems from all over the galaxy scattered in a cerametal setting.
Some were human, or at least humanoid.
A stocky man with broad shoulders, brown hair and a tan that spoke of years in the sun looked at Mia with interest, and smiled. She smiled back, not only because his look was openly appreciative, but because it was friendly. A pleasant change from the Aurelian.
A lean, cool-eyed Serpentian male with a shock of yellow and orange hair gave Mia an open once-over and flicked his forked tongue at her. She rolled her eyes as she turned away. Nothing subtle about Serps. He'd no doubt have sex with her in the passageway if she so much as beckoned.
Some of the other males looked interesting, but to Mia's mingled disappointment and relief, none of them were Tygers. Disappointment because at least she understood and could communicate intuitively with her own race. Relief because most Tyger males were alphas, bossy as all seven hells. And she was here to have an adventure, not be told to step back and let a larger, stronger male handle the exciting parts and then expect her admiration and even sex as a thank you.
Mia was not, however, the only female feline shifter. Perhaps the contest organizers would let her partner with another woman—that would be fun. They'd be a team, making up with cunning and brains what they lacked in physical strength.
The other female felinoid's hair was ebony, and she either had actual feline ears or she was wearing a headband that made it appear so. She gave Mia an assessing look, smiled politely and looked away. When she preened under the gaze of a nearby male, Mia's hopes dissipated. Not much promise of friendship there.
Another female was entering the opposite side from Mia. A bit taller than Mia, she was curvy with blue-black hair and skin. She fairly bounced to a seat, her eyes bright with what looked like sheer excitement. Mia saw that she'd joined a group of three other beings, one of which had similar coloring.
The woman spoke, gestured to her companions and they all laughed, a chiming, melodic sound.
A short creature with four arms ambled in next. Possibly Sandarian, Mia wasn't sure. He or she stopped in the center of the room and turned, surveying the assembly with bulbous black eyes before plopping onto a seat.
Mia turned as well, and saw a large, white humanoid watching her from the top tier of seats. His gaze—she was sure from the breadth of his shoulders and the size of his arms that he was male—was curious, but not hostile. That was good, because he was certainly large.
"Pardon, Tygress." A slim, silvery skinned alien passed before her. His or her comlink was nestled in a cavity at one side of the head. Mia watched him or her glide up the steps to sit near the white-skinned male. They made a striking pair.
Mia turned another step, and stopped as she saw the Aurelian. He was seated several rows up, back against a wall. Clustered about him were three females—a Serpentian with flaming hair, and two human women, one blonde, one brunette. All three were smiling and batting their lashes at him as if he were some kind of hero or media star.
Mia's nostrils flared in distaste. They would soon discover his vile manners did not match his stunning looks.
He looked up at that instant, and caught her watching him. Very slowly, one corner of his mouth quirked up, as if her interest amused him.
Probably expected her to rush up there and join him and his fawning females. She curled her lip and turned away with a toss of her hair, strolling over to find her own seat near a pair of young, human males, one fair-skinned, the other dark as coffee.
"Hello," she said, smiling at them.
The fair one flushed and swallowed visibly. The dark-skinned one nodded. "Hello," he replied in a pleasant drawl. "You are of Earth?"
She sat gracefully on the bench before them and shook her head. "No, I'm Tygean. And you?"
"We are from Earth II. I am Mak and this is Petr."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Mia."
The fair-skinned Petr blushed even more, but managed to open his mouth to speak.
However, a loud fanfare of dramatic music drowned his words. Mia's heart leapt with excitement as the lights dimmed, except for those focused on the main floor.
A wide aperture opened in the base of the far wall. In time with the music, several beings—Mia counted at least twenty—filed in. Bartoo was among them. Mia realized that she'd been so fascinated seeing the other contestants, she'd forgotten the little Skorl. The others in the procession were garbed similarly to Bartoo. They must be all the handlers.
The music swelled, and a smiling, silver-haired man strode in, followed by a pair of attractive blonde women. They were at least a decade younger than he and much taller. These three wore snug, fitted suits with blue tops, the Race emblem large on their shoulders.
As the trio reached a certain spot, they stopped, and the floor began to rise, lifting them all up with it. As the man continued to beam his practiced smile about at the contestants, his section of floor rose even more, so that he was now the taller of the three. A slender podium rose in front of him, and he placed his hands on the edges with practiced grace.
"Welcome," he cried in the plummy tones of a holovid salesman. "Welcome, one and all, to the pre-ceremonies for Octiron's Great Space Race, Number Two! As I look around, I see a splendid array of beings here today. Thank you for visiting our humble little contest."
Here he paused, and feminine voices rose in laughter, led by the two blondes. Mia laughed too, but more because she was so excited that things were beginning than because his faux humility was amusing.
"Now, for those of you visiting from other galaxies," he went on. Then he gave a roguish look and wink. "Wait, that's nearly all of you!" Another pause for laughter. "My name is Suede Harrington."
The blondes led feminine bouncing and shrieks of excitement. Mia wasn't about to go that far. He preened at the podium, giving them a faux-bashful grin until they quieted.
"Yes, yes," he said finally, holding up his hands. "Thank you. Now, we here at Octiron are very excited about this year's contest. We know you will find surprising and exciting changes—in fact, dare I say we have some rather special challenges for this second race.
Another pause for applause, which this time most of the contestants joined in.
For some reason, Mia looked up over her shoulder, to find the Aurelian sitting like a chilly, foreboding island, elbows on his upraised knees, hands steepled loosely against his lips. Over this barrier, he gazed down at Suede Harrington as if the man was a foe he was deciding how to annihilate. He ignored the three females clapping and giggling around him.
"So, without further delay, let's get our contestants paired!" As Suede Harrington spoke, the Aurelian suddenly cut his gaze to Mia, his eyes hooded. For a breathless instant their gazes locked. Ice and flames shimmered between them in invisible, potent waves.
Then one of the blondes on the podium clapped her hands and called for everyone's attention. Mia tore her gaze from the tractor beam of the Aurelian's gaze, and watched as Bartoo and the other contest employees scurried about.
It seemed some contestants had not been assigned partners. They were herded to one side of the room, while half the group moved to the far side. Many of them were animated, hopping up and down with excitement. Mia's stomach flipped and then flopped.
"Come," beckoned Bartoo to her, her voice loud in Mia's ear.
Mia ran lightly down the steps to meet the little Skorl, who handed her a large, faux coin. It was blue, with a star shimmering on one side.
"What am I to do with this?" Mia asked.
"You will see," Bartoo said in hushed tones, turning to watch the crowd. "Not that you need worry, since you are already—"
"Does everyone have their coins?" Harrington asked."All right then. Contestants, find your matches!"
All around her, beings were matching up into pairs. Mia's heart thumped. This was her chance to find a new partner, one who was civilized, one with whom it would be fun to go on an adventure.
She hunched her shoulders against the strange feeling that a certain chill gaze was boring into her back. Not him—anyone but him.
As a tall, stern-faced woman with short, light brown hair turned to face her, looking about at the noisy contestants as if searching for her own partner, Mia had a sudden inspiration. She moved closer to the woman, and when a slim, handsome man with twinkling eyes looked from Mia to the woman and held up a coin in query, Mia beamed at him.
"Let's be partners," she said.
His eyes widened, and his smile grew. "I'd be delighted—"
"Wait," said the tall woman in a voice that matched the frown she bent on Mia. "I have the coin that matches his. See? The Aquarius constellation."
"I'll trade you," Mia offered. "You'll appreciate my partner much more than I. He's very... serious, like you. And... and large. Most foreboding. Why, I'm certain he'll frighten away any who try to get in the way of your victory."
But neither of them were watching her anymore. They were gazing over her shoulder, and they bore nearly identical looks of awe, tinged with fear.
"I... see what you mean," the woman breathed.
"There is only one problem with your scheme, feline," said a deep voice over Mia's head.
She spun to face him, her hair flying out to settle over her shoulder. "What?" she demanded. "There is no problem. You don't like me, and I really don't like you."
His eyes gleaming like silvery-green ice, the Aurelian bent his head so they were nearly nose to nose. Mia stopped breathing.
"I don't want to trade partners," he told her. "I'm keeping you."
And with this, he held up a red coin that matched hers. Mia could only watch as her own coin slipped right out of her hand, snapped into the small space between them to meet his, and melded in a swirl of light and color.
Then a tiny beam of light shot out from this central point, one to the comlink on his ear, and one toward hers. As she watched in utter dismay, his comlink shimmered and then changed, the tiny gems on the rim now forming a glimmering star. From the smug way he regarded her, she assumed the same was happening to her new comlink. Quark it!
Bartoo popped up beside them, beaming as he hovered at their sides. "Excellent! Team Starry Night has been formed."
"Oh, that's just starry, all right." Mia wanted to kick the smirking Aurelian in his long, hard shins, and then pitch a hissing fit. She settled for glaring at him. "I don't even know your name."
He bowed. "Commander D'arek A'Renoq, of the Aurelian Federation Forces. And you are?"
"Mia Jag, of the Lyonsgate Jag clan, planet Bryght." With a father and brother and other relatives and acquaintances who are every bit as fearsome as you, she added silently.
"Jag, hmm? As in jaguar?" His pale jade gaze dropped over her, his eyes hooded. He bent his head, as if to impart a compliment. "I would have taken you for more of a... mawwr."
She snarled at him, baring her teeth. "And I took you to be exactly what you are—a marauding barbarian, intent on getting your way with force and violence."
Flame ignited behind his eyes, and he loomed closer. "Then you won't be surprised when I—"
"Now, now," chirped Bartoo, thrusting himself between them so suddenly Mia fell back against the contestant standing behind her. "Remember, you are a team now."
Mia righted herself with a mumbled apology over her shoulder, her entire body shaking with anger. Not at Bartoo, but Commander D'Arek A'Renoq—who had been about to do something unforgivable, she was certain. Like kiss her, or something.
Ugh.
Just the thought of those wide, chiseled lips against her was...too horrid to contemplate. Made her feel all strange inside, as if heat was curling low in her female parts, while a swarm of kit-bugs flew around in her middle. She'd never felt this sensation before with a male, and she hated it.
She and the Aurelian glared at each other past Bartoo, who was chittering with what sounded like nervous laughter. "We must maintain civility, yes? For the next few weeks... or months. Team Starry Night's stars must twinkle together, not in opposition to each other."
"Our stars must twinkle together?" Mia repeated, her lip curling at the obnoxious cuteness of the phrase. Then the Skorl's other words registered.
"Months?" Mia turned her glare on the Skorl. "No, I can't be gone that long!"
The Aurelian looked ready to grab the Skorl by the neck again. "I was told the Race can be finished in twenty of this galaxy's days. That's approximately three of our common galactic weeks, not months."
Bartoo made a sound like steam escaping from a liquid cooker. "Er... yes, it is possible, if all goes perfectly."
"What's the longest time anyone's taken?" Mia asked, with macabre fascination.
Bartoo made the noise again. "Well... erm, I believe... yes, er—five lunar months."
"What? No!" She couldn't stay in this galaxy that long, and certainly not in a small ship with the Aurelian. She'd murder him.
"Don't worry," Arek told her. "We'll finish, and win, in far less time than that. I'll make sure of it."
She glared at him again. "As will I—less time in your company."
"Now, let us all go and have libations or inhalants to calm ourselves. Yes?" Bartoo urged. "Legals, of course."
"Fine," Mia snapped. She could do with a glass of wine, or more.
"Right," D'Arek agreed, his voice equally clipped. "Lead the way." He stepped back, bowing again with exaggerated courtesy.
"Well, perhaps not quite yet," Bartoo said. "First, we must go and array ourselves. In festive wear, for a most special occasion such as this."
The Commander cast the little Skorl a sidelong glower filled with such loathing that a gurgle of laughter escaped from Mia's throat. She tipped her head and smiled sweetly at Bartoo. "Thank you, Bartoo. I do so love to dress up. Lead the way."
She gave the Aurelian a little finger wave as she passed him. "See you later, Commander. I hope you can find a suit that will fit over that giant chip on your shoulder."
"And I hope you can find a gown that will make you look like an adult female instead of a silly little mawwr kit."
Mia's back stiffened as this shaft hit home, but she tossed her head and hurried after Bartoo toward the lifts.
Okay, that was it.
She was going to find a gown that would knock that male's icy-hot green eyes right out of his head. And then she was going to find that other, cute male she'd met, with the twinkle in his eyes and take him somewhere private and have hot, Tyger sex.
Even if she didn't generally behave that way. If ever there was a time to start, this was it.