Page 72 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
Chapter 20
Mads
They departed the warehouse fire. In the privacy of Mads’ vehicle, Svallin activated the ship. “It will be ready to depart when we arrive,” he said.
“No. We cannot wait. Call it to us.”
“It is too much of a risk. It will be seen.” The male shook his head.
“We will take the risk,” Mads said.
Svallin cocked his head to one side. Soot marred his complexion and Mads knew he looked no better. “Are you the mission commander now?”
“We do not have time to measure our dicks. Let us agree that mine is most impressive, as you’ve already seen it, yes?”
“This has nothing to do with your cock and everything to do with you and your family believing that the rules don’t apply to them. Actually, I take that back. If you kept your penis in your trousers, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Mads growled, fangs fully descended. He gripped the steering wheel. If he attacked Svallin, he had no doubt he would be the victor, but he could not afford the delay. “Write me up for insubordination. Karl has my mate and, apparently, a ship. If he jumps to quantum, we have no way of tracking him. We are wasting time.”
Svallin’s nostrils flared. “I should write you up for desertion.”
Mads did not deny it. “How can I desert when you have me tagged like a dog?”
“What’s adog?” Svallin over-pronounced the G, nearly swallowing it.
The males stared at each other. Mads wanted to be hard, to be angry, but a grin crept across his face.
“What’s a dog?” he repeated, bemused.
“Is it a human thing? I do not want to know what you do with your human,” Svallin said.
“It’s a canine, a companion animal,” Mads explained. “Man’s best friend,” he added, even though those words meant nothing to the other reilendeer male.
Svallin tapped on his forearm. “I agree that time is critical. The rogue must be apprehended. We will take the risk.” He gave Mads a critical inspection. “Do you have a weapon?”
“In the trunk.” He pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and retrieved an energy pistol from the locked box in the trunk. Placing it in the waistband of his trousers, the burn on his shoulder pulled tight. Reilendeer healed quickly but accelerated healing did not diminish pain.
“The ship will meet us in a discreet location. I’m sending you the coordinates,” Svallin said as Mads returned to the driver’s seat. “We’ll track the ship’s energy signature.”
“Unless it is a decoy,” Mads said.
Svallin frowned. “It is improbable enough that the rogue has one ship. How would he have access to two?”
Good question. Private ships were prohibitively expensive, which was the only reason Mads never purchased his own ship to return to Earth. A soldier’s salary could never afford a private ship. Reilen laws prohibited charter and transport vessels from Earth. He could have tried his luck with a less reputable ship, the kind that did not care about laws and quarantines designed to protect developing planets, but those were risky. Half the time, they would hold their passengers hostage. The other half, they would blackmail their passengers to keep quiet about their dodgy destinations or cargo.
“The sympathizers on the Council,” Mads said. “Let us assume one member with more money than sense gifted Karl at least one ship.”
They rode in silence, until Svallin said, “I cannot believe you shifted right in front of me. That is so primitive.”
“It’s natural. I refused to be shamed for something that our bodies are made to do,” Mads said. He also refused to accept that shifting was somehow regressive and uncivilized.
“But, like, right in front of me. One minute you are on two legs, then the next, bam, naked. Antlers. I cannot unsee that shit.”
“Why would you want to? My physical form is admirable. Envious, even.”
Svallin snorted. “I do not envy your physical form.”
“But you do a little,” Mads said.
