Page 55 of A Mate For Matrix
A barrier. Not just shielding—sophisticated encryption. He cursed under his breath. Asking K-Nine to try might be dangerous. The last thing they needed was another neurological implosion or, worse, an opening for the Hive.
His jaw tightened. He nodded to K-Nine.
“Open the safety hatch. Be ready.”
K-Nine moved forward. “I should mention,” he added in a grumble, “the gray-skinned male—Seal—has genetic and skeletal similarities to you. Almost identical structure… but across his entire body.”
Matrix stiffened. “That much augmentation would kill a man.”
“Apparently not,” K-Nine replied with zero reassurance.
A low clang signaled the inner lock disengaging.
Matrix drew in a breath as the Triterian entered first—and the breath caught in his throat.
Stars above… He had forgotten how massive they were. A full head taller than Matrix, broad enough to block the light behind him, and wearing the relaxed confidence of someone who could disassemble a tank with his bare hands—all six of them.
Only one Triterian had ever left an impression on Matrix: Kantor the Vicious. A bloodthirsty ally during an undercover operation who’d gutted an entire pirate crew with disturbing joy.
Matrix stiffened when three streaks of fur bolted past him.
“What the?—”
“NO!” K-Nine barked. “MY PACK!”
Matrix watched in abject horror as Butter, Biscuit, and Honeybun dashed across the docking bay, mewling excitedly.
The Triterian chuckled and bent with impossible grace, scooping each kitten into a separate hand with the ease of a seasoned handler.
“Well, aren’t you just precious little fluffs of chaos,” the alien rumbled. His laugh was deep and unbothered. “Feels like I’m back on the Lula Belle.”
Seal groaned behind him. “Please no. Not the Lula Belle. I still have neural scarring from that mission.”
Matrix’s mouth opened to demand answers—but before he could say anything, Jana burst through the hatch between him and K-Nine in a frantic dash, her eyes wide with exasperation.
“Stop! No, kittens!”
Matrix reflexively lifted his weapon. Seal lifted both hands.
“Don’t shoot!” Seal called quickly. “I bruise easily.”
The Triterian kept laughing. “Hell, this is exactly like the Lula Belle.”
Jana skidded to a stop and stared at the Triterian with wide eyes. “Oh, my! You… you look like a dragon!”
The Triterian straightened, kittens still cradled against his armored chest. His eyes softened, and he gave a low, graceful bow.
“You honor me, gentle female. I am Bulldog Ti’Death. At your service.”
Matrix groaned under his breath. Ti’Death! Of course, that’s why his name sounded so damn familiar. Kantor the Vicious’s name was Kantor Ti’Death.
Jana beamed. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Jana. I made a cake. Would you like some?”
“That sounds delightful,” Bulldog replied with a pleased grin and rubbed his stomach. “And a pleasant change from the replicator. I never did care for dehydrated meals.”
Jana reached for Honeybun. “I’m so sorry about the kittens! They can be a handful. K-Nine is trying to teach them some manners, but they love meeting new people. I have coffee and tea. We bought them on Earth. I wasn’t sure if you’d have coffee here in outer space. The woman checking me out thought I was nuts for buying so much, but I didn’t know when we'd find another grocery store. It’s not like they have one on every moon. Get it? No? That’s okay. It wasn’t a very good joke.”
Bulldog gently set the other two kittens down with a low chuckle. They immediately scampered to K-Nine and began rubbing against his legs.
