Orex hugged her.“Excellent.I have always wanted one, but Karogyn is afraid of them, so this is a great reason to have one or more in the house.”
Zelda turned in his arms.“You want one?”
He grinned.“Children are useful things.”
She started laughing, and Aretta giggled.
* * * *
Karogyn had grown upat the palace and known Lord Orex her entire life, and she had never seen him looking truly happy before.The girl and her mother were pale, but they had the same genetic stamp.The different eyes were odd, with the lady’s sisters each having two matching eyes, but it was another thing that made her exotic and ideal for Lord Orex.
The lady herself was calm, and she seemed kind and matter-of-fact.Whatever she had been through on her world, she had not let it make her hard.That was a skill few achieved.Marta had been brittle and fading fast.It was a relief that she was switching occupations.Lord Orex had found someone who was much better suited to the rigours of being a consort.
Yendal.She shuddered.She knew that Lord Orex would take care of them, but they were terrifying predators.Having two in the house would be nerve-wracking.
Two hours later, Karogyn watched the family and the yendal cautiously getting used to each other.Lovely.It wasn’t two of the creatures; there were seven.
* * * *
Zelda knelt on theground, and the yendal came to her and rubbed their heads against her.
The breeder was startled.“They don’t normally take to people so quickly.”
Aretta smiled.“Predators always got along with Mom.”
Orex grinned.
“Oh, right.Oops, sorry, Lord Orex.”
The breeder laughed quietly.
A three-eyed feline in pewter was sniffing around Orex.Aretta had a soft lavender creature in her arms, and the remaining five kits were looking at her with their tails lashing.
“How many kits in each litter?”
“There are three here, and the collection is three, three and one.”
“Which is the solo kit?”
“The one that is playing with his lordship.”
“And one that isn’t related to the one Aretta has?”
He pointed out the three in the line.
She nodded and got up.She held up her hand and tried to project.“Stay.”
She walked backwards, and a powder-blue kit was looking at her, and its tails were moving slowly.The others had come running.
She sighed.“Sorry, folks.I need a kit that knows how to stay when I need them to stay.”
The four disappointed kits mewed and sulked when she went and took the pale-blue one into her arms.
The breeder told them about the diets and about the life spans.The yendals were going to last seventy years with proper care.They didn’t start breeding until they were thirty.
She looked at the breeder with the kit held in her arms.“Where do we go to get the inoculations?”
“Lord Orex can manufacture it here in the palace.”