Free Intact by Viola Grace Page B

thin slices of meat into a peculiar stir fry. It was hard to manage Terran-familiar foods, but with enough research and a few nights spent over her lav, she had managed to find blends that suited her palate and allowed her a balanced diet.
    Berenghetti shared her fascination with attractive foods and this was not the first time that Nya had found the avatar nearby at mealtime.
    Sharing just seemed the ideal method of learning more about the only other oddball that was walking this world of gemologists and jewellers.
    Nya tossed the meat and sliced vegetables together and ran a light sauce across the whole brightly coloured mass. She dished it out onto both of her two plates and placed the eating prongs on them at an angle.
    Berenghetti pulled out another wine glass and served her. "It is from Arcros's best vintage. I stocked your wine rack with it."
    "Thank you." She inclined her head and waited for the avatar to start eating before she picked up her own prongs. She took a bite and smiled at the taste. "Now, no rudeness intended, Avatar, but what the hell are you doing here?"
    Berenghetti raised one finger and swallowed. "It is a complicated matter, but in a nutshell, you know that your presence here is not a coincidence."
    "I know that. No one comes to one of these colonies without someone behind the scenes pulling some strings. So, who was it that wanted me here?" She dug into her food and sipped at the wine while Berenghetti formed a reply.
    "Antonya, what do you know about the Draikyn?"

    Chapter Two
    "They are a winged race. They are fairly insular and rarely leave their homes." Nya put a few slices of shredded veg into her mouth and chewed slowly while she thought about them. "No one knows that much about them aside from a mythical link to ancient dragons."
    Berenghetti finished her meal and focussed on the wine. "They are not so mythical. There is one of their ancient kind sleeping beneath the surface of Arcros and that is where the problem comes in."
    Nya blinked in surprise and bided her time. She finished her own food while Berenghetti got her thoughts together.
    "He is waking up and I have accidentally allowed the Evian onto his territory."
    "I see. Do you want me to mediate?"
    "No, an agreement has already been reached. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of the terms."
    The avatar was sipping at her wine, studiously not looking Nya in the eye. Suspicion immediately flared.
    "Please explain why I need to be included in this little matter." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her breasts.
    "Well, I accidentally let the Evian mine in the nesting site he had contracted for and since I was in default, he demanded that I produce his match immediately." Berenghetti turned her head and it was Arcros meeting Nya's gaze with calm and serenity. "We engaged in the search and found you."
    The brilliant glowing green energy was quite noticeable in comparison to the normal placid red of Berenghetti's gaze.
    "I see. So, I am a default on a contract?" She had to look at it in the confines of her job or she would fly apart.
    "No, of course not. He would have courted you himself, but he has been burrowing out from under the Evian mines for the last few months and he wishes to be presentable when you meet."
    Nya knew that Terrans were in demand as mates for certain species, but she was fairly sure that the Draikyn were not completely compatible with humans. "The last few months?"
    "He started to shift his position the moment that you landed. Hyfor will be here in a matter of days."
    "I can't possibly be his mate. From the little that I remember from basic training, Draikyn were on our incompatible list." She was clutching at straws, but it was all she could come up with on such short notice. The idea that there was a dragon under the settlements digging closer to her was a little mind boggling.
    Being available for a mating and reproductive situation had been part of the Volunteer contract. They were