The Swords of Gregara - Jenala, a sci-fi romance Read Online Free Page A

pointy, tiny eared, beaked head to her hoofed feet.   She had a whip of a tail covered with hair interspersed with quills.   Get too close and she’d shoot one at you, closer still and she could snap her tail and take your hand off without letting loose a single quill.  
    If her tail wasn’t dangerous enough, her beak was filled with razor sharp teeth that could rip your arm off with one bite.    To top this all off, the damn thing purred.
    Santro stood next to Jenala and stared.   There were few things that put the fear of the divine into him.   Lottie was one of them.   Lottie didn’t like him.   He knew it.   Could feel the hostility.
    “Come on, I’ll introduce you,” Jenala said as she walked up to the beast.
    “I think I’ll stay right here.   I can meet her from a distance.”
    “Don’t be silly.   You have to ride her, in order to do that you need to meet her.   Just follow my lead.”     Jenala when up to Lottie and hugged her.   “Lottie my sweet girl, this is Santro.”   She motioned for Santro to step forward and as he did she took his hand.   Electricity shot up his arm.   Suddenly his fear of the snarlot was nothing.   He’d ride the snarlot or a zogamac or any other wild beast just to be near to her.   He’d never felt this kind of immediate all consuming attraction for anyone before.   It took him by surprise and left him breathless for a moment.  
    “He’s going to be with us for a while, so I want you to be nice.” Jenala said to the snarlot, petting her neck.   Lottie’s purr was so loud it almost resonated through him.
    He approached Lottie slowly.   She bent down and first, smelled him.   He held his breath and his heart thundered in his chest.   Then she looked him in the eye.   He held completely still, afraid that if he moved she’d think it was aggression and attack.   She closed her eyes and nudged him with her head, asking for a scratch.   Santro obliged.   He let out his breath.   Much his relief he’d passed the test.
    Jenala gave him a brilliant smile.   “See, I told you it would be okay.   Lottie doesn’t let anyone near her that she doesn’t like.   As a matter of fact, you’re the first.”
    “I’m honored.”   And thankful he amended to himself.   He wasn’t sure what he’d done if Lottie hadn’t accepted him.
    “You should be.   If she hadn’t like you we’d have to find another mode of transport for you and then wouldn’t make it through the pass before the first snow of the season.   As it is we will be in the valley a good week before Zlaten and his thugs.”
    “Good.   We’ll need the time to prepare.”
    “What do you have in mind?”
    Santro had given this a bit of thought last night between trying to sleep and picturing the beautiful woman he’d just partnered with gloriously naked.   The real reason he was doing this was the woman.   She was magnificent.   Fighting toe to toe with Zlaten and holding her own, even winning.   If he hadn’t shouted at Zlaten and distracted her, she would have won.   He recognized her skill and was impressed.   Her wound was his fault.   He should have just charged forward and engaged Zlaten.   
    “We need to protect the perimeter and set up an alarm system in not only the house but the mine as well.   The warning systems need to be set so we have enough time to get back to the house from the mine.”
    “That won’t be a problem.”
    “You already have alarms set up?”
    “No.   That’s a good idea though.   I was talking about getting from the mine to the house.   That won’t be a problem.   The entrance to the mine is in the house.”
    “Clever.   No one can find it and pilfer your ore that way.”
    “True.   Not that there’s much to pilfer.

    *****

    The trip to the valley was long and arduous, even on Lottie it took ten hours.   It would take Zlaten on his tankipa three days to cover the same amount of ground.   They would arrive way before