Unwrapping His Mate by Ellen Cross

Author:Ellen Cross
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Gay, Shapeshifter, Short Story, GLBT, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Erotic romance, Holiday, Christmas, Adult
ISBN: 9781487416638
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Published: 2017-12-20T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

Azzy climbed into the ship and waited for Maggie to make her slow way up before he activated the remote switch to seal the entryway. It raised the steps and sealed the hatch with a soft hiss. Maggie was more shuffling than walking as she passed under the decontamination field and into the hallway that lead into the depths of the ship. Azzy had caught the look of discomfort on her face before she passed him. Although she’d tried to quickly mask her pain when she noticed him watching, the pinched lines around her eyes and mouth had remained. Decades earlier, Maggie had worked in one of Elcar’s largest metal fabrication factories. The fumes she’d been subjected to as a smelter had caused lifelong damage to both her lungs and her bones. Emphysema and crippling arthritis had become her constant companions, yet she never complained of the pain or hardship it caused.

Azzy wanted to retrofit the side entry hatch of a shuttle with a ramp, instead of the steps it currently had, but Maggie relentlessly refused. She swore Azzy was still not too big to go over her knee if he kept the nagging up. His grandmother was nothing if not stubborn. She also bore a strength of spirit and heart far larger than her frail, small body should have been capable of possessing. He couldn’t have asked for a better role model while growing up, even if she refused to let him call her Grandmother. She’d claimed that it made her sound old, which was something that she refused to be, yet she had given him the love and firm guidance he had desperately needed after his parent’s death.

“Stop giving me that look, Azzy. I’m as fine as ever.”

“I know that,” Azzy replied softly. “We’re still getting that ramp, though.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and jabbed her thumb in the direction of the ship’s med bay. “Just get the little fellow in there so we can see what we’re up against.”

Azzy led the way into the med bay and gently placed the limp bundle of white fur on the treatment table. He smoothed a hand down the dog’s body. He’d never seen one like this before. Its fur was dense and soft, its features fine and almost fox-like. He almost wished it were still awake so he could tell if its eyes really were the startling shade of sapphire he’d first thought they were. It was better that the animal remain unconscious. There was no telling how domesticated the poor creature was or how frightened it would be. Frightened and cornered animals bit, and despite the sass he had given his grandmother about bringing the dog on board, he kind of liked the idea, too. It sure got lonely on the long-haul runs they often undertook, and he could easily see both himself and Maggie enjoying the fluffy guy’s company.

Maggie chuckled as she swung down the auto scanner, adjusting the height and setting it to analyse broad species. It didn’t take long before the data started to roll in and the first diagnostic alarm to sound.

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