Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“What have you got to barter?” the merchant asked, looking with interest at her white fur pouch. “I’m running a special right now—three anal seepages for the price of two—providing you have good items to trade, of course.”
“Um…” Penny began, not sure how to turn him down.
“Perhaps we’ll come back later, friend,” V’rex said, giving the scent merchant a genial nod. “At the moment, we’re going to be introduced to Chieftain Swift Tail and his lovely lady.”
The merchant’s eyes widened.
“Oh, why you must be very important persons indeed! Don’t let me keep you. Here…” He pressed a blue cut-glass bottle into Penny’s hands before she could protest. “The finest female anal scents—my most expensive blend—a mixture of three different Alpha tribes,” he explained. “No, no—I can’t take any payment—it’s on the house.” He winked. “Though of course, if you might happen to open the bottle and let the scent waft out past the estimable Chieftain’s sensitive nose, I would be forever grateful.”
“I’ll try,” Penny promised, tucking the blue bottle with its cut-glass stopper into her furry white pouch. “Uh, thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome, lovely lady!” The merchant bowed low, his bushy tail wagging joyfully as they finally resumed their walk.
“Told you that wasn’t your kind of perfume,” V’rex murmured.
Looking up, Penny saw amusement dancing in his pale gold eyes.
“You could have warned me!” she hissed. “I mean anal gland scents?”
He shrugged.
“Hey, what can I say? I told you the Fox’ens have an incredibly strong sense of smell—scent is what turns them on more than just about anything else. Though they do like a female with a shiny coat, too,” he added, stroking the black fur over her shoulder.
“Oh, you!” Penny gave him an elbow to the ribs but the big Hybrid just laughed and she couldn’t help grinning herself.
At last, after winding their way completely through the busy marketplace, they came to a vast set of carved double doors that stood at least three stories high. There were two more guards in front of the doors and the guard who had brought them from the front entrance introduced them formally.
There was a polite bit of shuffling while the guards at these doors said they thought the Chieftain might be too busy to receive guests. However, when V’rex produced two more of the strong smelling meat balls, the new guards appeared to remember that this was actually the perfect time to introduce visitors to their Chieftain after all and the carved doors at last swung open.
Inside was a shining cavern with hundreds of gleaming stalactites hanging from the vaulted ceiling—some of them almost a hundred feet long. Seated in the center of the cavern, on thrones that appeared to be carved out of the same kind of stone as the stalactites, were two extremely well groomed Fox’ens.
“Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat,” the guard intoned and bowed low so that the furry tips of his ears brushed the stone floor.
Penny and V’rex bowed as well and when they came up, she was able to get a better look at the Fox’en ruler and his mate.
Chieftain Swift Tail had pitch black fur and brilliant blue eyes that reminded Penny of an Australian Shepherd. Lady Bright Coat certainly lived up to her name—her fur was a brilliant, spotless white, tipped all over with the barest hint of silver. The color combination made her fur appear to shimmer and flow like liquid when she moved even slightly.
But it wasn’t her gorgeous coat that caught and held Penny’s eyes. On a bright silver chain link necklace around her slender neck, Lady Bright Coat wore a pendant painted in gold and brilliant blue.
It was shaped like an eye.
Chapter 100
The Eye of Ten’gu! She’s wearing the Eye of Ten’gu!
Penny couldn’t take her eyes off the pendant around Lady Bright Coat’s neck. There was no doubt it was the artifact they had come to find. It looked exactly like the drawings from the ancient Kindred archives.
But it had already been claimed by the Fox’ens—now what were they going to do?
She glanced at V’rex and raised her eyebrows but the big Hybrid only gave her a small shake of his head.
“I’ve got this,” he murmured, for her ears alone. Then he lifted his head and smiled brightly at the royal Fox’ens on their stone thrones.
“Ah, Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat,” he said, stepping forward to address the Fox’en Chieftain and his mate directly. “Many light years have I traveled to see the wonders of the hidden city beneath Mount Ra’gar and many stories have I heard of the boldness of the Kin’kee Chieftain and the beauty of his lady.”
“You speak with a honeyed tongue, Merchant.” The Fox’en Chieftain sounded bored. “But you must have good barter or my guards would not have let you disturb my day.”