Bay's Mercenary [Unearthly World Book 1] Read online

  With reluctance, Bay reached for the treat; the doctor patted her on her head and Bay groaned. He rattled off a few more words and stroked her hair as though she were a good girl. Bay narrowed her eyes and thought—if you think I’m going to lick my own ass, you weird freak, or chase a ball, I really will piss on your furniture.

  The doctor rose and returned to his reading. Bay stuck the popsicle in her mouth and sucked hard trying to deal with her pent-up emotions; she was fuming. The frozen substance soothed her throat, but the hard sucking hurt and she ceased her assault to lick at it normally. She studied the doctor while she ate. The creatures hadn’t been cruel—except for the smack to her nose. They were huge and scary-looking, different. They weren’t too bad now that she was used to them, perhaps it had been their great size that had really frightened her.

  Bay wondered if they thought she was ugly. The Tonan had been handsome, spoke English and looked like a large human man under his armor that seemed to absorb into his flesh on command. He had also been brutal with her, making him appear more hideous than these new creatures. These creatures were no less scary to gaze upon, but they seemed concerned for her well-being. They seemed intelligent—although a bit dense when it came to her.

  Bay finished her popsicle; she glanced around and noted a container on the floor, she rose and walked towards it and as she got closer, she realized it must be a garbage of sorts. It held a few more of the long flat sticks she was holding onto as well as the container the doctor had tossed. Bay dropped her garbage in and turned to go back to her mound of sheets. She was stopped by the doctor’s incredulous words and expression. When he rushed towards her Bay was terrified. He may be a doctor of sorts but he was still at least seven feet tall and built like a tank that meant business. She dropped to the floor and curled into a ball wondering if she had done something awful.

  When the doctor picked her up, he took her to the soft furniture and held her on his lap crooning to her. It took Bay a moment to realize he was praising her—not angry. Her breathing slowed as she had been hard-pressed to take in air. The erratic pounding of her heart calmed. It was then she noted he repeated the same two words over and over. She had heard those words before, from Blu when she had stopped struggling in the bathtub. Her mind racing she realized he was telling her she was a good girl or perhaps good female. Bay was amazed, if her throat hadn’t hurt so badly she would have repeated what he said. She could learn this language; she could learn it and speak to them if she concentrated and studied them. Once her throat healed, Bay could make them understand she was intelligent.

  * * * *

  Blu walked into the doctor’s office and glanced around the room; his female pet was curled in Finn’s arms, sound asleep, while he looked over paperwork. Finn looked up, smiled sheepishly and set his papers down.

  “I was giving positive reinforcement and she fell asleep while I was holding her. I didn’t have the heart to move her and she really weighs nothing—although, I think now my arm’s asleep, so really, Bay wasn’t in the way.”

  “Bay?”

  “It’s the funniest noise she makes, kind of like a booer bird. When they make noise, it sounds like ‘booer’ so that’s where they get their name. She makes a noise that sounds like ‘Bay,’ so it just sort of fit.”

  “Well, my shift is done; has it eaten or should I take more baby food with me?”

  “I think maybe she should stay here tonight. She’s eating but not much; I’m worried about her throat. When she moves, she’s stiff; I wish I could give her something for pain, but I don’t want to kill her by accident.” Finn shifted her in his arms and settled her onto the couch; he ran his hand down her hair in a gentle manner. Blu widened his eyes. “The floor may be too hard even with the sheets. She doesn’t shed either—obviously.”

  “Do not get attached,” Blu warned. “She’s a pet for Zane.”

  Finn looked annoyed. “Fine. But if Zane won’t keep her, I want her. You don’t have time for a pet, and I can take her wherever I go.”

  “Thought you needed a sterile environment.”

  Blu picked her up into his arms. He felt Bay was a good enough name as any, and Bay felt warm; her body seemed to curl against him, her cheek pressed to his chest. Blu had to admit he could see why the doctor liked this thing. It was a lot cuter than a toffling, a lot lighter and a great deal more affectionate and sweet—when it/she wasn’t making noise. Blu gave his head a shake, finally wrapping his head around the fact he was indeed holding a she/her/female creature pet.

  “She’s not diseased and she’s housebroken; she really is intelligent. You only have to show her something once and she picks it up. That odd sound her belly made seems to happen when she’s hungry, so it’s not hard to determine when to feed her. She’s not growling at you—she appears to have no control over it.”

  “Well, if Zane doesn’t want her, you can have her. It’s cute, but I have no time for a pet with my lifestyle. You’re right, it—she,” he corrected when Zane scowled, “needs commitment. I’ll drop her off first thing tomorrow. I’m sorry but I won’t have time to wash her.”

  “I can.”

  “Well, she hates cold water; it needs to be warm, and I’ll bring a brush with her, but you have to watch her with it. This creature plays fetch, but expects you to retrieve the item. And don’t put her in the shower stall; the blast will tear the flesh from her bones. And please no vida bugs—the damned things eat her. Her blood is red—what the hell kinda thing has red blood?”

  “Warm water? How warm is warm?”

  “Well, not hot or you may cook her. I had her in cool water and it was still too cold, so maybe try tepid. And you have to talk to her while you wash her, or she splashes everywhere. She’s pretty playful when she gets to know you, but her bare skin is the devil to hang onto when she’s slippery. And try not to scare her, it triggers her alarm; she has no off switch. It’s brutal.”

  “This pet of yours certainly is unique.”

  “Tell me about it. Half the warriors on the ship want one now and have been asking all day where I got it and if there are more. She didn’t come from a litter; she was the only one.”

  Blu shook his head at the idea of Zargonnii males owning female pets, as he strode from the room. Male toffs were the only pets Zargonnii warriors knew about. They were the only male creature Blu knew of that gave birth to more male toffs. The male tofflings were taken from their parent, as grown male toffs ate their young. It was known when the toffs were ready to give birth and they were turned off. Once the switch was pushed, the toffs entered into a deep sleep while giving birth. The tofflings were boxed and cost a great deal of exchange to purchase—they were rare enough and found only on the planet Toho.

  This female Earth creature was new and helpless and surprisingly had no off switch, though it did seem to sleep a great deal. Toffs were rough, loyal, fierce—and huge. This little creature was small, vulnerable and cute. Imagine, a female that was helpless; it was laughable. Maybe that was what the hype was about. Zargonnii females were larger than the warrior males and sometimes nasty. The warriors gave them a wide berth and didn’t enter their domain.

  Their kind bred once a year, every other year or more; sometimes the male was killed in the female’s enthusiasm, though it was rare and Blu understood the female was remorseful. Blu didn’t think the females killed on purpose; they were just so much larger and more powerful. And because there were more females than males, the females tried their best to be gentle, but it was difficult for them. Their species accepted one another as useful and necessary, but they lived separate lives, spoke separate languages. Except for breeding, they had nothing in common.

  Blu had never felt the urge to mate. Zane had, but Zane was older and had hit his cycle; Draven was the result. Blu had yet to enter into his cycle. He preferred not to and knew of many Zargonnii warriors who preferred to get off on their own. Mating a female was dangerous; they were high-strung, intent on only their own satisfaction and domination.
Blu knew a few of the larger warriors wanted to go out in search of a female just to appease their curiosity. And some, like Zane, had wanted a son.

  Zane had said he enjoyed the mating except it was brutal, and he didn’t want to leave Draven an orphan if his next encounter was with a younger female—who had less control than the older ones. After mating, the females went back to their area, well away from the males they were no longer interested in, as their blood time had stopped.

  If a female Zargonnii gave birth to a male, she would leave it near the male warrior’s area after it had been weaned at a month old. Though the females wanted nothing to do with males, the mother would, nevertheless, watch her male infant until he was found by a warrior male—normally, he was left near his sire’s home. Blu had never seen a female Zargonnii infant or child. Their mothers were possessive to the point of being deadly when encountered if they had their female offspring with them.

  Blu entered his room and stood holding his pet female; he looked for a place to set her down. He was tired. The limp pet in his arms shivered, and Blu took her to his sleeping quarters. Blu placed her at the foot of his bed. He stripped, turned down the lights and settled under his covers. He curled his arms back behind his head and gazed for a moment out his window into the dark galaxy sky. The little female stirred and looked disorientated for a few moments before crawling closer to him. She cuddled up next to his waist and settled. Blu let her stay where she was. It must be frightening for such a tiny thing to be all alone and cold in a new place. Hopefully, she felt a little safer with him than the damned Tonan. Blu pulled the blankets around her and crooned a soft noise male Zargonnii normally used on babes.

  For a moment, he reached down and stroked her hair. She was so soft under his hard skin. Blu had the most entertaining idea. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if females were weaker and needed protection in the hard world? What an interesting concept—and laughable. Bay was a pet, of course she needed him. Real females were vicious; they had to be because they protected their young. Blu was grateful females were powerful and possessive—he would be dead if it wasn’t for his mother. She had kept him safe from the unearthly creatures of his planet until his father had found him.

  The thought made Blu wonder. Zane would have to protect this female from the creatures of his world; it was a good thing his home had a penned in area. If not, then Finn would take her. It was a relief knowing he wouldn’t be saddled with such a big responsibility. Blu closed his eyes; the female was warm, her tiny hand had worked its way into the fur on his chest and she rubbed him. It felt nice. She smelled much better; Blu was happy he had saved her.

  Chapter 4

  Bay watched from a corner as Blu and another male creature argued. She had been plopped onto a massive black padding when they had entered into the home. They had landed on a planet hours earlier, departing the space vessel after Bay had wept a tearful goodbye to Finn. The doctor had been kind to her over the last three days. He had taken care of her and made her feel safe. He seemed to understand her need for clothes and had fashioned a workable wrap from an old blanket. It covered just above her breasts and just below her behind. Bay wondered if the good doctor thought he was making the equivalent of a ‘doggy coat’ just to aid in keeping her warm. The ship was very cool, but both Finn and Blu had turned up the heat in their quarters for her when they noted her odd goose bumps disappeared when she was warmer.

  Though Bay still couldn’t speak actual words, she was learning more of their language and she realized Finn had grown fond of her—even if he still thought of her as a pet. Bay had known he wanted her to stay with him. Bay had found herself curling up to both males when she was feeling distressed, or just for the security they offered.

  Now Blu and another creature were yelling at one another. Bay didn’t care; with Blu nearby, she knew she was in no danger. She caught a few words here and there; Finn and the ship were mentioned often. She didn’t know enough to understand what was happening, but enough to know Blu would return her to the ship and Finn.

  The world she had been taken to looked a little unearthly. There was some sun, but gnarled dark brown roots of trees and thick greenish vegetation made where Blu had taken her look like a dismal jungle. Fog rolled from the ground in a surreal fashion, swirling at her feet like a horror story effect, as she had walked pressed close to Blu’s side. Strange noises emanated from all around, grunts and growls; at one time there was a high pitched scream. The air seemed thicker, heavy and cool but not too cold. The ground beneath her feet was black dirt, rich soil, it explained the heavy foliage.

  Massive boulders and rock formations were covered in heavy moss in some places; others were brown, bare, slippery-moist, smooth looking. Vulture-like birds, two feet high, sat poised on thick gangly branches, watching her with dark black eyes; their inky black feathers lay flat. Yellow talons curled around the branches, sinking into the bark. Sharp beaks followed her, heads turning as she walked by, causing goose bumps to rise on every part of her partially-covered flesh. The birds were eerily silent; lips at the base of their beaks rose in a sinister smile.

  Every so often, a wind rustled her hair, making an odd moaning noise as though it were alive. The breeze came from all different directions bringing strange scents, some pleasant, others not so much. Long vines hung over branches and Bay was certain they moved, slithering along like snakes with no beginning or end. A few of the trees sported leaves that looked like accordions. One moment, they were squished together—seconds later, they unfolded quickly, exposing sharp, deadly-looking points.

  Ponds were covered in a green scum; the scum lifted up off the water as Bay and Blu continued on. Like a blanket, or carpet, the rolling substance rippled as though tiny waves made love to the stagnant contents. A small creature approached the water’s edge and was immediately enveloped in the pond scum, sucked under. Bay shuddered as seconds later, bones spilled back up onto the pond’s edge; they lay white and shiny like a gruesome game of pickup sticks. Blu seemed unconcerned; Bay was certain she was close to a nervous breakdown.

  When she caught glimpses of the elusive sky, Bay had seen colors, not clouds. Green shining streaks alight with shades of oranges and blues, reds and purples. The heavens were like a rainbow run amok, aurora borealis meets pastels. Three foggy round lights hung in the air, one encircled by a black ring, and she wasn’t certain if they were moons or suns. Patches of inky black rolled within the disarray of the sky; surreal pools of skyward tar moved as though the blackness ate the color and spit it out behind.

  While they walked, Blu’s eyes glowed a brighter red, and he was watchful of something. Bay caught a whiff of something unpleasant, a terrible odor not unlike a dead fish left to rot in the sun. At one point, he stopped and dragged her up under an arm and growled into the mist. Blu’s muscles bulged larger; his teeth, that once looked normal, appeared twice as big as their regular size, filling the space that separated the teeth and becoming sharp as tiny daggers. The fine black fingernails on his hands also grew to about three inches long and ended in razor sharp points. Bay could have sworn he grew in height as well. The wrinkles on his hard flesh stretched taut, making him appear well over seven feet in height. He looked horrifying, and Bay would have screamed if she hadn’t known he meant her no harm. Blu seemed to be protecting her—from what, Bay had no clue.

  Blu seemed to concentrate hard, and swirling smoke turned to fire as his gaze intensified into the jungle. Bay heard a screech, caught sight of a tiny flame and heard an angry snort as the fire suddenly went out. Bay looked up at Blu; his red eyes not only glowed fire, but seemed to be fire.

  Whatever had been in the woods backed away; Bay had seen the vegetation rustle but saw no sign of what it was. Obviously, it wasn’t interested in more of a confrontation—or figured she wasn’t worth the risk of battle. Once the danger had passed, Blu took a deep breath and his features returned to normal. Bay breathed a sigh of relief, but from that point, Blu kept her in his arms, pressed to his chest, maintaini
ng the fiercest expression. His huge hands stroked her skin to calm her and he crooned to her.

  Bay’s attention was drawn from her thoughts to a child who was close to her size. The boy of their species—Zargonnii from what she interpreted—was cute and shy. He gazed at her with a look she wasn’t certain she could decipher. Curiously, Bay looked around but could see no mother; perhaps she was in a different room. Bay had yet to see any female of their species, perhaps they were skittish.

  The structure Bay was in was interesting. The same dismal foliage surrounded the outside of the building. Inside, it was brighter, homier. There were over-large, stuffed pieces of furniture, white furred carpeting on the floors, and a window looked out over a backyard with a very high, solid-looking black fence. The same white carpeting covered the walls and ceiling like one giant pelt.

  There were different items placed strategically around the room; some looked out of place and Bay wondered if this Zargonnii male was a collector. She had yet to determine what occupation Blu was in. She guessed him to be a type of warrior, but while she had been aboard the space vessel, there had been no fighting she was aware of. If Blu was a warrior, he never showed that side to her; he was very gentle when he touched her. Irritatingly, both Blu and Finn had continued to wash her like a pet. When Bay tried to take the soap or push their hands away, they were too persistent, and since they weren’t hurting her, she gave up.

  The two large creatures continued to shout at one another—they seemed to be arguing about her. Blu was waving his hands in exasperation and finally headed towards the door and motioned her to follow, calling her name. Bay rose immediately. She wanted no part of the angry-looking Zargonnii creature. He was a tad smaller than Blu but massive nonetheless and frightening. The male child cried out and both men turned to look at him. He pointed at Bay and went to his father, obviously pleading his case. Blu looked smug and the other male creature, Zane, Blu had called him, looked none too happy.