Page 3 of Monsters in Love

My comm display turns black as the connection cuts off. I don’t like it. Adalyn is flighty, but she wouldn’t reach out to me unless she needed something. For some reason, the girl is afraid of me, and would rather ask anyone for help with her problems before coming to me.

That she did tells me something is gravely wrong.

I dial Mrs. Roads, and she answers before the ringtone sounds. “Yes, sir?”

It grates me when she calls me ‘sir’. I run this hub of the Nexus; my men who answer to me barely address me as their urso or leader. Taurines are a practical lot. Rank means nothing. We follow those who earn our loyalty and respect, which usually translates as the one who can win in a fight.

I remain undefeated.

“Is Adalyn working today?” I ask. I double-wrap my tone with care. Mrs. Roads is a treasured Dame. It would not be appropriate to upset her needlessly.

I have a hard enough time keeping the soldiers from locking horns when their chosen female is with another paramour. An upset Mrs. Roads would tip the scales into chaos.

“No, sir. Adalyn is on a personal day, which usually means she’s getting some beauty treatments done.” There is a pause. “She usually calls, though. And I believe she expressed she would be at lunch to chat with the girls. Sort of a brunch date, and I do not recall seeing her. It’s not like her to miss an appointment, client or otherwise.”

I know this as a fact. Adalyn is sweet and submissive. A darling in the house. She is always careful to avoid upsetting anyone. Considering her long list of clients, she is precious indeed if she can so skillfully manage so many male egos. And many Taurine egos among them.

A sour feeling settles into the pit of my stomach. If something happened to that girl…

A hint of worry tinges Mrs. Roads’s unflappable demeanor. “Is something amiss, sir?”

“No, nothing,” I say in what I hope sounds like a soothing tone. I am more used to speaking to a troop of soldiers and not honored females. “Just checking in on her schedule. Is she free this evening?”

“Why? Are you finally availing yourself of our hospitality discount?”

I balk at the idea. If ever I were to avail myself of a partner, she would not be house-bound. Counter-culture as the thought may be, I dislike sharing my chosen partners.

I do not want to offend Mrs. Roads, so I sidestep the question. “I have heard some chatter around the Nexus, is all. Please keep a close eye out for any suspicious activities. We are looking at anyone incoming within the next rotation. When is her next client expecting her?”

“This evening. A Lupus from House Darkclaw.”

The hackles on my neck raise. Though we are technically allies, the Lupines and other wolfkin shifters had been a major nuisance for the past hundred years with their endless skirmishes at the borders of others’ territories. They made it difficult to maintain order.

“Thank you. Please forward the client’s information to the guard on duty. They will need to postpone any arrivals by at least one solar day. Will that cause much upset at the stable?”

Mrs. Roads huffs. A clear image of her ramrod-straight spine and starched suit appears in my mind. “Do not worry, sir. I will handle the roster and scheduling. This is nothing out of the ordinary. The stable’s security means more than a few ruffled feathers.”

I nod in approval, though she can’t see me. A bull with half her sense would do wonders among my ranks. “I will send more guards to the house to increase patrols as a precaution. Please call for backup if any of the clients become disrespectful in any manner.”

She huffs again, this time in challenge. “I will be certain to do so, though it will be my pleasure to remind them of house protocol, especially regarding the Dame. Will that be all, sir?”

“Indeed. You are the pride of the stable.”

“Remember that when next we meet for the budgeting committee.”

As soon as the line clears, I send a message to the relief unit commander that he and his men will go in a day earlier than planned to head off a threat. I also make it abundantly clear that if any of the house guests so much as look at Mrs. Roads with disrespect, he would be free to pluck out the offenders’ eyes and haul them off-property.

My next message is in coded text to my second-in-command, Tag. “Gather your most discreet and elite soldiers. Potential extraction mission.”

He answers back. “Wet work?”

“High possibility.”

“Off world?”

“Yes.” Adalyn’s last ping shows on my screen. Earth. Of course. A non-extradition, non-inducted planet. Perfect setting for the scum of the galaxy to operate, especially as it is a natural hub with many portals. “Terra Prime. We’ve already lost ten minutes triangulating her last coordinates.”

Tag responds. “My team is ready. Boots on the ground in five.”

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