Chapter 12

Serval

"SERVAL! I heard you got a mate!"

Wincing back, Serval immediately regretted answering the comm. Korvii's loud, obnoxious voice nearly broke his speakers. He didn't know why he still answered comms from the annoying male. There was probably something wrong with him.

Sophie was off editing her videos for the day. They had dropped out of their subspace swing yesterday, allowing Serval to send his video to Nox. Within the mark, the interview was posted and, immediately, people had devoured it eagerly. Not just because fans of his were interested in seeing his mate, but because humans were popular. Both for their rarity and their inherent beauty.

Serval had been answering messages and coordinating with his contact on Holivair. They were going shopping in the same pod he was investigating, making themselves very public. There was no reason for anyone to think he was on the trail of a story here. Thanks to his fame, Serval was often invited out among celebrities and royals. He had many friends and contacts across the galaxy and, if he genuinely wanted to spend a relaxing day somewhere fabulous, he easily could. It would also make a good cover for being there.

They hadn't yet reached orbit around Holivair, but they were closing in. While working, Korvii's name came across his comm, and he just answered it. He wanted to gloat that, already, Korvii wasn't the only one mated, and his mate would be helping him too. Not to mention, she would look even better on camera than Hela did.

However, he didn't get the chance. Korvii immediately took over the conversation.

"I caught your segment," Korvii laughed, his three eyes glowing with amusement. "Nox finally got you with your fluff piece, eh? You were overdue for one. I thought you were going to be covering that princess' birthday party, but your own mate? I got to admit, I lost on that one. I couldn't make my mate a news story."

Serval smirked. "Of course not. My mate is far superior. Worthy of being broadcast to the universe. Much more interesting than your female."

Korvii laughed, head thrown back, fangs glinting in the light. "Interesting? More sexual, maybe. But my Hela is more beautiful, more powerful, and more useful."

"By no measure is your female more beautiful than mine," Serval scoffed. "If we had a poll right now, everyone would pick Sophie, and you know it."

Korvii leaned in, smirking at him. "Sophie, eh? So that's her name. The only reason she'd win a beauty contest is because the male half of the audience would be voting with their cocks. Anyone could tell that my Hela is far prettier. Your female is only curved. My Hela is strong and muscular with a gorgeously toned physique and a stunning face. Yours is cute, at best."

Serval's olules wiggled in their ribbon, eager to strike out at Korvii for daring to suggest that anyone could be lovelier than Sophie. And he was certain that Korvii would find their sting far less pleasant than his mate did.

But since he couldn't sting through a screen, he sneered instead, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sophie is far prettier than Hela. And I'll concede that your mate would be stronger, but mine is far more pleasurable. I can't deny your nature any more than you can deny hers. Humans are inherently sexual. She will do things that your Hela would never be able to accomplish."

Korvii scoffed. "What? Be conquered without breaking a sweat? Please. She's pretty. She's sexual. I'll give her that. But she's useless. You're going to get one interesting story out of her. Maybe two when you breed her, and you get to present the first allowee hybrid. But after that? Nothing. My Hela is going to be helping me on all my stories."

Serval laughed. "So confidently wrong you are, Korvii. I'm chasing a story on Holivair right now. And Sophie is going to be invaluable in my information gathering."

Korvii snorted in derision. "How? Is she going to distract everyone with her human wiles?"

Serval gritted his teeth. Affronted and annoyed. A reaction that Korvii didn't miss as his eyes widened with mirth and he let out a loud, obnoxious hoot of amusement.

"She is! You're going to use her sexuality as a distraction! Oh, yes, Serval. What a great help your mate is going to be. Shake her pretty ass at your targets until they forget to focus. How many times do you think that will work, eh? And how disrespectful from you!"

"Excuse me?"

"You're really going to demean your female like that? By parading her around as some sensual object of distraction? Ha! I would never disrespect my female in such a way!"

"Like you could even if you wanted to! Hela isn't nearly pretty enough to be a distraction. And I'm not foolish enough to bring my female into danger!"

"No, your female is too weak to bring into danger!" Korvii smirked, fangs glinting. "But we'll see. Hela and I are chasing a story on Jettiron. We'll present our segments, and the one with the most views wins. Seems a fair competition, don't you think?"

"Depends on the story."

Korvii smiled, the thrill of a challenge in his gleaming red eyes. "Don't be a coward. We'll judge by the next story's view count. And if my story just happens to be better than yours, that also proves that I'm better than you at picking topics."

Serval opened his mouth to counter him, but the comm ended before he had a chance.

Growling low in his throat, tightening his hands into fists, he cursed Korvii in the elegant deepsea language, hating how easily the other male riled him up.

Better than him?

Ha!

Serval and Korvii had been chasing stories for almost the same amount of time, but Serval had always been better than him.

Sure. There were occasionally times when Korvii's story was more popular, but that was just to be expected. The useless domini male had to stumble upon something good sometimes, or he wouldn't be worth the credz Nox paid him.

But to suggest that he was better? Never.

And the absolute gall he had to think that Hela was better than Sophie!

True, Hela was stronger than her. Humans were naturally smaller, softer, weaker than other species. They had no natural defenses or offenses – aside from their cleverness. But intelligence really was the minimum requirement for being a sapient species. Other than that, the only thing they were good for was producing hybrids.

She could be a distraction for him. There was no shame in that, and she seemed eager to do it. But Serval would never allow his mate to be in danger. If Korvii was going to do that so flagrantly, then he was a fool who would pay the price for it one day.

Serval's grumbled musings were interrupted by another comm. He immediately scowled, thinking Korvii had forgotten something else annoying to say, but he wasn't the one on the other end of the comm.

"Nox," he greeted his boss, glad that the secretive male never used video comms. He wouldn't see how irritated he was. Nox thought the animosity between himself and Korvii was stupid. And it was. Serval had no idea why he still entertained the fool.

"Your story on your mate is doing fantastic," he said immediately. "Everyone loves her."

"Of course," Serval said proudly, smirking.

"Where are you now?"

"About to enter orbit around Holivair. Got a good one."

"What is it?"

"Illegal exotic animal trading and a guilty shinuk prince."

"That is good. Keep me updated."

Serval hesitated only a moment before asking. "What story is Korvii chasing?"

Nox made a long, groaning sound of aggravation. "You're both the most annoying idiots. I'm not telling either one of you what another reporter is working on! What kind of cheap, roadside vit-show do you think I'm running here?"

Nox cut the comm without any further comment. Which was all Serval deserved. Really, what did he even hope to accomplish eavesdropping on another journalist's story? His was better anyway. Even if Korvii could use Hela in his reporting in ways he couldn't use Sophie.