Pets in Space: Cats, Dogs, and Other Worldly Creatures Read online

  Pets in Space

  Cats, Dogs and Other Worldly Creatures

  S.E. Smith

  Susan Grant

  Cara Bristol

  Veronica Scott

  Pauline Baird Jones

  Laurie A. Green

  Alexis Glynn Latner

  Lea Kirk

  Carysa Locke

  Contents

  About Pets in Space

  A Mate For Matrix by S.E. Smith

  About A Mate for Matrix

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Acknowledgments

  Also by S.E. Smith

  About S.E. Smith

  Stray by Susan Grant

  About Stray

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Epilogue

  Recipe for Puttanesca Sauce

  Also By Susan Grant

  Acknowledgments

  About Susan Grant

  Spark of Attraction by Cara Bristol

  About Spark of Attraction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Cara Bristol

  About Cara Bristol

  Star Cruise: Stowaway by Veronica Scott

  About Star Cruise: Stowaway

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Also by Veronica Scott

  About Veronica Scott

  The Real Dragon by Pauline Baird Jones

  About The Real Dragon

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Also by Pauline Baird Jones

  About Pauline Baird Jones

  Spike by Alexis Glynn Latner

  About Spike

  Spike

  Also by Alexis Glynn Latner

  About Alexis Glynn Latner

  StarDog by Laurie A. Green

  About StarDog

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Also by Laurie A. Green

  About Laurie A. Green

  Space Ranger By Lea Kirk

  About Space Ranger

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

  Also by Lea Kirk

  About Lea Kirk

  Escape Run by Carysa Locke

  About Escape Run

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Epilogue

  Also by Carysa Locke

  About Carysa Locke

  Thank You

  About Pets in Space

  Even an alien needs a pet...

  Join the adventure as nine pet loving sci-fi romance authors take you out of this world and pull you into their action-packed stories filled with suspense, laughter, and romance. The alien pets have an agenda that will capture the hearts of those they touch. Follow along as they stop a genetically-engineered creature from destroying the Earth or find a lost dragon; life is never the same after their pets decide to get involved. Can the animals win the day or will the stars shine just a little less brightly?

  New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Best selling authors have eight original, never-released stories and one expanded story giving readers nine amazing adventures that will capture your imagination and help a worthy charity. Come join us as we take you on nine amazing adventures that will change the way you look at your pet!

  The Authors of Pets in Space would like to make a special dedication of this book to our friend and cover model Vikkas Bhardwaj, in memory of his beloved dog Simba, who passed away while we were collaborating on this anthology. Vikkas had shared many wonderful photos and stories of Simba with us and his other followers on social media, and described “discovering the love” of pet ownership with Simba. He viewed his canine companion as “the most loyal and most compassionate…” of dogs. To this day Vikkas speaks movingly of his late, much missed companion Simba and we’re happy to take this opportunity to acknowledge the special bond of a man and his dog.

  A Mate For Matrix by S.E. Smith

  About A Mate for Matrix

  A human woman, an alien male, and a determined cyborg wolf hybrid who wants a family can only lead to one thing… A Mate for Matrix.

  Jana Dixon loves her job as a vet assistant. Her life might not be the most adventurous, even with the three kittens she adopted, but it is hers. However, when a trucker brings in what he thinks is a wolf, Jana’s life gets more exciting than she could have ever dreamed!

  Matrix Roma and his partner, K-Nine, are elite agents in the Cyborg Protection Unit, a shadow warrior division of the Zion military. Their current mission becomes critical when K-Nine disappears while on the hunt for a deadly genetically-engineered creature known as a Crawler.

  Matrix soon discovers that his hands are full and his life is in chaos. He might be a match for the deadliest creatures in the solar system, but can he handle one curvaceous human and her three mischievous kittens? He’s about to find out the hard way.

  One

  “Matrix,” a deep, familiar voice called out, pulling his attention away from the blood-splattered interior walls of the freighter.

  Matrix rose and turned, his face grim. “General Roma,” he greeted politely, waiting when several warriors turned the corner and paused when they saw the General.

  The men saluted and waited for permission to pass. Terrex Roma nodded to the warriors and motioned for them to continue before returning his attention to Matrix. Drawing in a deep breath, Matrix was about to speak when he saw another familiar figure walking down the bloodstained corridor.

  “Mother!” Matrix hissed, glaring at his father. “She shouldn’t see this.”

  His father released a long sigh. “You try stopping her. I gave up years ago,” he retorted in a dry tone. “Sennara, what have you discovered?”

  His mother was pale, but poised. She wore a dark gray protective suit and long gloves. A warm smile curved her lips, but the frailty in her gaze worried Matrix.

  “Some very disturbing information, I’m afraid. I’ll explain what I’ve found in the briefing. Matrix, I would hug you, but I think it best to refrain at the moment,” Sennara greeted. “I heard about your new promotion. Congratulations.”

  Matrix glanced at his father who gave a brief nod and small, genuine smile. Matrix returned his mother’s smile with a slight bowing of his head.

  “Thank you,” he resp
onded, leaning forward and brushing a kiss against her cheek. “You don’t have any blood there.”

  Sennara released a strained laugh before the humor faded from her eyes to be replaced by concern. Matrix could feel her wavering between seeing him as her son and as a Zion officer. Eventually, she drew in a deep breath.

  “There is a briefing in a few minutes in the lower storage bay. It is the only room not… covered in blood,” she explained. “Matrix, I can tell you that this is like no other species we have ever encountered. I don’t know where the Triterian found the genetic markers for the Crawlers, but they aren’t from any star system controlled by the Zion forces.”

  “General, the other teams have arrived,” another officer informed him, halting several feet away.

  “We’ll be there shortly,” Terrax responded.

  The officer nodded, saluted, and left for the lower storage bay.

  Terrax returned his attention to his son as they moved at a slower pace back through the freighter to the lift. “The Triterians have agreed to assist us on this mission, despite the recent decimation of their numbers. Volunteering to work with others is a very unusual overture on their part, and the Confederation Council has asked that we try to maintain a diplomatic peace with them,” Terrax said in a clipped tone.

  “What do you plan to do?” Matrix asked, glancing at his father as they moved back through the freighter to the lift.

  “Pacify them, then send them in the opposite direction,” Terrax retorted. “The last thing we want is for them to decide one of these creatures needs to be studied. You’ll learn more in the briefing. I’ve given specific orders that none of the information on these creatures is to be withheld from the CPU teams. My briefing with the head of the Triterian will be slightly less... informative.”

  Matrix couldn’t keep the grin from his face when his mother released a soft, delicate snort. Less informative meant the Triterian would only receive the information the Triterian already knew, nothing else.

  Within minutes, they stepped into a large area filled with metal containers. In the far corner, Matrix could see the other five CPU teams; each team consisted of both a warrior and their cyborg animal partner.

  Matrix stepped closer to where his own partner sat waiting. Cyborg Protection Unit K, Production Unit Nine, or K-Nine as Matrix called him, glanced at Matrix with a look of inquiry before turning his head back toward several senior officers standing in front of a large, empty tube. The group parted as Matrix’s father and mother stepped forward, and began their opening statements.

  “Where have you been?” K-Nine asked Matrix in a low undertone.

  “I heard my father was on board,” Matrix replied with a shrug. “I became distracted by a mark left by one of the creatures.”

  “What kind of mark?” K-Nine asked.

  “I’ll send it to you once we are on our way,” Matrix answered quietly.

  K-Nine nodded almost imperceptibly. “I’ve downloaded the vidcoms from the lab on the asteroid.”

  “How did you download them? I thought the asteroid had been destroyed,” Matrix muttered, ignoring the raised eyebrow from another team member.

  K-Nine shrugged and scratched at his side. “The scientists who escaped the asteroid left the transmission open when they contacted the crew on board the freighter to warn them. I imagine the creatures on the freighter broke free and attacked shortly after the transmission began, since the attack from both were recorded. I’ve notified our superiors and the other team members of my findings.”

  “This is a top secret mission,” Terrax informed the assembled CPU teams. “The creatures you are hunting are very dangerous. They are also unlike anything you have ever encountered before. We have just received additional information. First Officer Manacore will brief you on what we now know.”

  The Chief Science Officer nodded and stepped forward. “There were six emergency pods on board the freighter. The vidcom footage indicates these were no ordinary escape pods. The data is still being reviewed, but we know these emergency pods were specifically designed for long-range voyages. Each contains a unique power and environmental system and is capable of traveling at speeds equivalent to those of the CPU Starfighters,” Manacore explained in a grim voice.

  Matrix wasn’t the only one to emit a soft curse. Their starships were among some of the most advanced. If the pods were designed with those same capabilities, it could only mean one thing… they had been manufactured at the same space facility. This would generate some very serious repercussions.

  “We discovered that two of the scientists from the lab had previously worked in the Zion Command Laboratory and Research Center. Investigators have been dispatched to ZCLR to look for additional evidence of espionage. This is the least of our concerns for the moment, however. Our primary mission is to eliminate the creatures that were created,” he continued.

  “What are they?” One of the team members asked.

  Matrix’s gaze locked on his mother’s face as she stepped forward when the CSO turned to her. She still looked unusually pale. A worried frown creased his brow.

  “Their designers called them Crawlers,” Sennara Roma began. "Their genetic origins are unknown at this time. What we do know is that these creatures are not natural, they were created in the lab. A group of scientists, led by Elaine Brim, used the remote location and the Triterian government’s funding to enable their own covert experimentations.”

  “I’ve heard that name before,” one of the men muttered under his breath.

  “She was a member of the Zion Science Council until she was removed because some of her experiments violated ethical guidelines,” Sennara replied in a soft voice.

  “She was the one that started the Cyborg Protection Unit, long before it was called that,” one female member stated. “It was her research that lead to the enhancement of the animals in our program.”

  “Which is yet another reason why this needs to remain classified,” Terrax interrupted. “Please continue.”

  The CSO stepped forward again and touched a portable projection device to the side of the metal container. Matrix watched the vidcom of the Triterian attacks on the asteroid and the freighter’s vidcom of the crew’s death. The creatures were huge. Each had a dozen limbs and six eyes. Matrix grimaced when he saw one creature spew what appeared to be acid on a crew member. The flesh of the male melted away.

  “The crew was killed in a variety of ways. The creatures have the ability to travel underground if given a chance. They used the maintenance shafts on the freighter to access the different levels. This will make it difficult for you to follow them. As you saw, a Crawler is capable of ejecting an acidic substance which is deadly. Fortunately, it needs time to regenerate that substance. A hard, outer shell protects most of its body. The limbs are vulnerable, but if they are removed, the limbs will regrow if given enough time to do so. It detects movement through a sensor in its frontal lobe, and it is programmed to detect and destroy a distress signal,” the CSO continued.

  “They are very intelligent,” Sennara stated, stepping forward when the CSO turned to her again. “The creatures killed six Triterian military units before the order was given by their government to cleanse the asteroid. They are programmed to observe, learn, and adapt.”

  “I’m sure you’re getting an idea of how hard it is to kill these creatures. The Triterians are not part of the council, but this is a threat to us all, and the Confederation council has requested the help of the Zion military. The Cyborg Protection Unit will assist because these things have programming similar to your cyborg partners. From what Brim told us, the six Crawlers on board the freighter were mature females, ready to reproduce.” Sennara drew in a deep breath before she continued. “It could mean the deaths of millions if you don’t eliminate them before that happens. There’s a very good possibility that many of you may not survive the encounter. I’ve had my team working on some new equipment which, hopefully, will give you a slight advantage.”

&nb
sp; Matrix listened carefully as the CSO, his mother, and his father concluded the briefing. There were very few questions; the briefing had been clear and concise.

  “Matrix.”

  He turned, hearing his mother’s soft voice as she broke away from the group. She quickly caught up with him. His father was talking with the CSO.

  “Yes,” he responded, softening his tone when he saw the fear in her eyes.

  “Please, be careful,” she whispered. “I wish….”

  Matrix lifted his hand and brushed back a stray strand of hair from her cheek. His thumb caressed the faint wrinkles next to her eye. She leaned her face against his palm.

  “I know what to do,” he promised. “Besides, I have a Despairing Wolfhound as my partner. Nothing gets by him.”

  “No, not a thing,” K-Nine agreed.

  “I know,” Sennara replied, clearing her throat and stepping back. “But, as your mother, I ask that you be careful and return.”

  “I will,” Matrix promised, locking eyes with his mother, then glancing over his mother’s head to nod at his father who had noticed Sennara’s distress.

  “I’ll even find him a life mate and bring her back,” K-Nine promised. “And a pack for me.” He added.

  Matrix scowled when he heard his mother’s chuckle. “I already told you to forget it! I don’t need a life mate,” he growled. “And where would we put a pack for you? We barely have enough room for the two of us on the transport!”

  “I’ll find myself a small one,” K-Nine retorted. “The starship is larger than the transport. They can always sleep in either ship when we’re not on a mission.”

  Sennara watched as her only child walked away. She didn’t hide the grin curving her lips. Elaine Brim had done many horrific things, but the Cyborg program had not been one of them.