Chieftain Swift Tail pointed out.
Penny had a sudden idea.
“I know,” she said to Lady Bright Coat. “Why don’t we trade necklaces?”
She still had on the gorgeous gold and rainbow shell necklace V’rex had given her to wear, which he’d told her was so expensive it could buy two of his ships.
“This rare necklace—” she began, hoping to sell the royal Fox’ens on the idea. But she needn’t have bothered.
“Done!” Lady Bright Coat was already taking off the Eye of Ten’gu and handing it over to Penny eagerly.
“Your Commander Sylvan is going to owe me a lot of credit,” V’rex informed her, but when Penny looked up at him, he was smiling. “Not that I mind,” he added. “Even if he doesn’t pay me back, I got the best deal out of everyone.”
“You did?” Penny asked, trying out their new link for the first time.
“Sure, sweetheart—I got you. That’s worth more than anything else in the universe to me.”
“Oh, Vrex…” Penny said aloud, smiling up at the big Hybrid.
She felt like she had made a pretty good deal, too, getting V’rex for her mate. And she had the rest of her life to enjoy it.
Chapter 109
After the Hulu-rah and the successful barter session with the royal Fox’ens, Chieftain Swift Tail officially elevated Penny and V’rex’s status to “Esteemed Emissaries.” They were given their own little cave-house to live in, right down the road from the royal residence, and the Chief asked them to stay awhile to make their visit official.
Since they knew the Kindred ships that were coming wouldn’t reach them for at least a week, if not a little more, they accepted.
Penny enjoyed herself thoroughly, studying both the culture of the Fox’ens and also the artifacts of the ancient Kindred. When it became known that she was interested in such things, all the Fox’ens in the tribe began bringing her whatever they found. They were eager to curry favor with the “flat-faces” who had gained the royal ear by losing a Hulu-rah with the Chieftain and bartering so graciously with his mate.
“You’re gonna have enough of this stuff to open your own ancient Kindred museum pretty soon,” V’rex complained good-naturedly as Penny sorted through a new cache of artifacts one of the Fox’en miners had brought her.
“I know—isn’t it fantastic?” She picked up a perfectly preserved blue bowl made of some ancient metallic alloy. “The miner told me he found this not far from where they first found the Eye. Speaking of which…” She cleared her throat.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart—it’s safe,” V’rex assured her. “Got it locked up in my safe in the ship. We won’t bring it out until we go to meet with Commander Sylvan.”
“Good.” Penny shivered. “That thing gives me the creeps! I didn’t even like handling it when Lady Bright Coat gave it to me. It gave me the feeling of spiders crawling up and down my arms!” She shivered again. “I don’t know how she stood wearing it for so long.”
“Well, let’s hope that getting rid of it helps her fertility,” V’rex remarked. “I know she really wants a, uh, litter badly.”
“She’ll have one,” Penny said confidently. “And I bet she’s going to make a wonderful mother.”
“You’re going to make a wonderful mother too, sweetheart,” V’rex growled meaningfully. “Maybe sooner than you think, considering I’ve been breeding you every night—not to mention all hours of the day as well.”
Penny felt her cheeks getting hot.
“V’rex…” she murmured, not knowing what to say. They still hadn’t discussed what would happen if she ever did turn up pregnant—which seemed like a distinct possibility now that the effects of the Mother’s Milk she’d been given in the Compound seemed to be in play again. At least, her breasts continued to fill with nectar which V’rex delighted in sucking out every time they made love. Not only that, but she had been eating a lot of the Fox’en breedalot herb as well, mainly because it was delicious.
Penny was certain the combination had amped up her fertility considerably. And though the idea of having a baby had once turned her off, she found she kind of liked the prospect of having one with V’rex. The only question was, what would they do and where would they live afterwards?
If it was up to her, Penny would have gone back to the Mother Ship. First because Kat had told her how she planned the most beautiful Joining ceremonies in the Sacred Grove. And second because they had the best medical care possible for pregnant