Crystal

Iwasn't at all surprised to find Drelix wresting with the Yetag in the most dodgy bar on the station. But the fact he's on the sticky floor and struggling to get up is not a good sign. Coupled with the scuffle taking place in the street outside the bar, I need to get to the bottom of what's going on and get the hell out of here.

There's a pitcher on the table, which I take a sniff at. Whatever the contents were, the bitter scent suggests there was something other than alcohol.

Surely Mr. Big and Growly hasn't fallen for the oldest trick in the book, the old poisoned chalice.

"Did you drink this?" I demand as Drelix continues to attempt to roll over.

He ceases his movements and squints up at me with one eye closed. "Ale wine," he says with a smile, and a long line of drool running from one corner of his mouth.

"For fuck's sake," I mutter as I put the pitcher back and bend to help him up.

Damn, Drelix is heavy, and it's with some considerable effort I get him back onto the seat. He places both clawed hands in front of him, head bowed, and breathes heavily, smoke and embers firing from his nostrils.

"We've got company," I say as another pulsar bolt rings out.

The Habosu have clearly paid the station controllers handsomely in order to be able to fire pulsars with impunity. Personally, given how well I know this place, I wouldn't risk discharging anything, given the crumbling nature of the station.

"We need to get out of here," I add, just in case Drelix hasn't got the urgency notice.

"Poison." He groans, lifting his head, where I see his pupils are mere slivers in a sea of fire.

"Paraxio more like," a familiar voice says behind us.

"Nayl?" I give him a quick glance. "Come to help the Habosu again?"

Nayl slithers in and gets hold of Drelix, who is somewhat limp, his tail waving half-heartedly.

"No, I've come to help you…and the Sarkarnii. I promise, Chrissy."

He heaves Drelix upright, and it's clear he's not going to be able to walk unaided, which, if it was just me, would be problematic. I need Nayl, even if I can't trust him. I shove the cylinder which Drelix was attempting to catch in the back of my pants and loop my arm around his waist.

"We need to get to the private dock," I tell Nayl. "It's where his ship is."

"He's not going to be in a fit state to fly it," Nayl says as we maneuver the bulk of Drelix out the rear of the bar.

I toss Drelix's credit chip to the bar creature, a Taikin, all fur and fangs. "You haven't seen us," I say.

He looks at the chip and his middle eye widens at the figure. "Seen who?" he replies with a grin.

There's a crashing sound as the Habosu and their cohort get into the bar.

"And stall them?"

"With pleasure," the Taikin says, reaching beneath the bar and bringing out a double barreled pulsar rifle.

"Shit! Time to go." I shove at the hardly responsive Drelix, and with Nayl's help, we get into the service passages, noises of pulsars being fired ringing down the metal tube.

"Crystal?" Drelix says, lifting his head and attempting to look at me. "Why is there two of you?" he asks, his forked tongue struggling to get around the words.

"What the hell have they given him?" I ask Nayl, as Drelix goes floppy once again and we're practically having to drag him.

"The only drug which works on a Sarkarnii, paraxio."

"A poison?"

"Not really." Nayl pants as we finally make it into the dock. "More of an incapacitant, depending on how much he's been given." He stops to catch his breath, grabbing Drelix by the chin and turning his head from side to side. "Looks like he's enjoying himself, anyway."

"How can you tell? All he's doing is drooling," I reply.

"That's how I can tell," Nayl says. "He's not going to be able to fly his ship though, not in this state," he adds as we drag Drelix down the gangway to his craft.

"I'm going to fly it."

Nayl comes to a halt again. Drelix groans. "You? You're leaving?"

"Not only am I married to this thing, but he's my only ticket off here. I know what the Habosu want and they're not having it. I'm safer around big and drooly here than I am on the station. Sorry, Nayl. I have to go."

"I'm sorry too," Nayl hiccups. "Sorry I deceived you and forced you away. Hayla isn't going to forgive me, especially as you haven't met our young yet."

"Not wife," Drelix mumbles.

"Tell Hayla I'll be back…wait—" I'm cut off mid flow by Drelix words. "What?"

"Not wife," he says again as we reach his ship and he stumbles forward out of our grasp, nearly taking a header into the void below before Nayl catches him.

"Fuck it, he's rambling," I say as we heave him into the secondary pilot seat.

"I think he's saying you're not his wife," Nayl says with his customary bluntness. "But I thought you were?"

"He told me because he bit me, he'd claimed me and we were…married? I don't know?" I glare at the soggy male sprawled in the chair.

"He's in rut for you!" Nayl exclaims.

"He's what?"

"In rut. Sarkarnii rut for their females. They can't help it. When they find their fated mate, it's triggered and they…" Nayl's eyes twinkle with mirth. "Well, let's just say they won't leave you alone until their rut is complete."

There's so much wrong with that sentence I don't know where to start.

"And when is the rut complete?" I blurt out.

"When I have filled your belly, little morsel," Drelix says, coming to life and running his tongue over his lips salaciously.

I look at Nayl.

"What the Sarkarnii said. He'll want to breed you, Chrissy." Nayl grins wildly.

"No! Absolutely not!" I exclaim. "That is not what he said and…" My body doesn't seem as averse to all of this as my brain is, given the way my core clenches.

Drelix's eyes open and he inhales. "Mate."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, is that all aliens think about?" I feel like kicking something. "I am not your mate." I settle for a punch on Drelix's muscular arm which probably hurts me more than him. "And you lied to me."

"Jus' wanted to be close to you," he slurs, head rolling on his neck.

"I don't know how much they gave him, but it's not looking good if you thought he could help you fly his ship," Nayl says unhelpfully.

At the back of the private port, something very heavy slams into the entrance.

"I locked it," Nayl says. "But it won't keep them out for long. The Habosu want you both. You're going to have to leave if you want to be safe."

"Okay, now I've considered it, I'm hardly safe with a massive drugged up rampant alien dragon who lies through his teeth, am I?" I retort.

"You're safer with him than with anyone else in the entire galaxy," Nayl says quietly. "Do not judge him. His rut will make him do anything for you, and once you are claimed, once you are entirely his, he'll destroy the galaxy if anyone even looks in your direction."

"DESTROY!" Drelix roars awake, levering himself out of the chair and just about managing to stand upright.

"See?" Nayl says.

"Not helpful." I give Drelix a shove, and he drops back to where he started with an idiotic smile on his face. "Go on then, fuck off," I say to Nayl. "Unless you're coming too."

"I wish you the speed of starlight and all the luck of the gods, Chrissy. You deserve it," Nayl says as he backs out of the cockpit.

The door to the dock bursts open and far too many green-skinned, heavily armed Habosu tumble through.