Page 94 of Mated on Live

Korvii, grinning again like an idiot, made a sound of appreciation. “That makes sense. The building is way too big for just a storage depot for a few traveling people. But if he’s using it for beasties too, that would explain things. What’s he using for transport?”

“Standard suspension pods.”

“Oh, smart. No need to feed or exercise something that’s unconscious.”

Serval nodded. “According to my sources, the trapping is done illegally, the transportation is hidden, and the sales are indiscriminate. He doesn’t care why you’re buying the animal – food or sport or a menagerie, it’s all the same to him. As long as the credz are good, they’ll trade. Some of the animals, however, are extremely rare or endangered. Even sacred to some planets.”

Korvii made a thoughtful sound. “And I thought my druggy politician bust was going to be big. That certainly is more impressive than my angle.”

Serval couldn’t keep a smirk from his face.

“So, how are we getting in?”

“Huh?” Serval frowned at him. “We?”

“Yeah.” Korvii grinned. “The front door is clearly out, and there aren’t any windows. But our stories are worth nothing if we can’t get the proof of them, so we need to find a way, right? What was your plan?”

Serval gave him a look. It was one thing to admit what he was looking into, but they had basically confirmed they were after, essentially, the same thing. To actually go after the same story together like that was…

“We don’t collaborate,” Serval mumbled.

Korvii chuckled, nudging him with his elbow. “It would be one great show though, wouldn’t it? The views would be record breaking. Oh! Yes, let’s actually do that.”

“What?”

“You’re a genius. A collaboration between us? Our viewers would love that!”

“That is not…” Serval crossed his arms. “I thought you wanted us to compete over who would get the most views on this story.”

“Exactly. And this way, we can remove the story’s subject as a variable. I cover my angle, you cover yours, we break the same story at the same time. Most views wins!” Korvii smirked, turning his arm over, showing the screen embedded into the bracer. “This is our best idea ever.”

“I didn’t agree,” Serval hissed, annoyed. Not with Korvii; with himself. The idea actually sounded like a great one.

He and Korvii weren’t friends, but he certainly trusted him more than anyone else on this barely terraformed rock. Going into a dangerous situation like this, it was better to have someone to watch his back.

Someone who wasn’t his delicate, untrained, unarmed mate.

But why did it have to be Korvii, of all the fools?

“Hela is moving around to the other side of the compound,” he was saying, like Serval hadn’t even spoken. “A place that big has to have vent holes somewhere. If we can find one, we can drop a bug in it at least. Get some pictures without ever having to go inside.”

“Great plan,” Serval said sardonically. “Except there’s no way that a place as secretive and secure as this one would have vent holes big enough for anything useful to be pushed through. And if they did, they certainly wouldn’t make it a straight, easy entrance.”

Korvii frowned. “Good point. It’s a start at least. And it… Ah-ha! I was right. She found something.”

He held up his arm, showing Serval the beeping message from Korvii’s mate. It was short, to the point, simply stating ‘here’. But she didn’t need a lot of words for this.

“I’m surprised,” Serval said, frowning at the device as Korvii lowered his goggles.

“Oh, don’t be. Hela is really fast. Fantastic runner. She’s got these amazing thighs. I love feeling them tighten around my-”

“No, not that,” Serval cut him off, annoyed again. “I’m surprised you are so unbothered about your mate being here. And on her own no less.”

Korvii snickered, holding his head up proudly. “My mate is strong and fearless. Unlike yours.”

Serval glared, olules flaring to Korvii’s amusement.

“I’m just saying, I understand why you’d be extra concerned about your little Sophie. But I assure you, since my mate is superior in every way, I don’t need to worry about her.”

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