Page 5 of A Mate For Matrix (Cyborg Protection Unit #1)

Chapter Three

J ana sighed, looping the flimsy leash around Linguine’s neck and fastening the clip with a soft click.

He didn’t have a collar, and none in the clinic’s supply closet had fit—not even the oversized one meant for Saint Bernards.

Fortunately, there were a few extra leashes in a drawer labeled For Forgetful Pet Parents .

“You better not bolt on me,” she warned, crouching in front of him. “This thing’s about as sturdy as dental floss, and I’d rather not get dragged down the sidewalk like a rag doll. Also? Please don’t strangle yourself trying to chase a squirrel or something.”

She affectionately ruffled the fur on the top of his head.

“Oh, and before I forget, I’ll need to stop at the gas station or we’ll be walking home, so no barking at everyone,” Jana instructed before she released a laugh when Linguine sneezed and looked at the thin cord with distaste.

“I promise to take it off the minute we get home. I live way out in the sticks—you’ll feel right at home. ”

Jana stood up. With a grin, she picked up the small travel carrier with the meowing kittens inside. She had concluded that unless she wanted to drive with kittens climbing all over her, she had better get them used to being in the carrier.

“Okay, the office is clean, the kittens are confined, and the dog food is in the trunk. The most amazing thing is that you are on a leash without a fight. Everything’s good to go, so let’s make like a tree and leave,” she announced with a bright smile.

Jana cast one last glance at the quiet vet’s office, its porch light flickering in the afternoon haze. A warm breeze stirred the wind chimes above the door, jangling out a soft tune like a farewell. Ahead of her, the leash tugged lightly. She smiled.

“Alright, Linguine. I’m coming. I’m coming.”

Jana giggled as Linguine walked calmly beside her.

If he was a wild wolf, she was Tinkerbell in sneakers. There was no way a wild wolf would behave like this. Heck, she didn’t know many domesticated dogs that were this good on a leash. He had to have been trained, maybe as a service dog or something.

She would take a picture of him and print out posters to display around town this weekend. Surely if someone had lost him, they would be eager to have him returned.

She opened the back door of her old Camry, set the carrier on the seat, and clicked the belt over the handle.

Walking around to the other side, Jana opened it for Linguine.

Her mouth dropped open when he jumped in without her having to say anything, and circled before sitting down. Her eyebrow rose when he sneezed again.

“You’ve definitely done this before,” she murmured with a shake of her head. “Okay, gas station, here we come.”

Jana shut the back passenger door and walked around to the driver’s side. She paused, blinking. Linguine was now in the front passenger seat.

She frowned and glanced at him, then the back seat, before returning her gaze to his dark gray eyes.

“Okay, you’re a front-seat kind of dog,” she murmured, reaching out to shut the door with a shake of her head. “I’m good with that as long as you stay on your side of the console.”

Jana fastened her seatbelt and started the car.

She immediately rolled down the windows.

The air conditioner had died last summer, and she didn’t have the money to fix it.

She didn’t need it all that often anyway.

She slowly pulled away from the vet’s office and onto the main highway.

There was a convenience-gas station a half mile down the road.

Turning up the radio, she reached over and absently scratched Linguine’s back as he stuck his head out the window. She sang along with the song playing and tried to think about what she was going to do with the next two months off.

“We could go to the lake,” she murmured between songs.

“Or, I’ve been wanting to put in a new flower bed in the backyard, near the tree with the swing.

I could do that too. I was thinking of going up to Canada, but that’s kind-of hard to do with four animals.

It will be nice to save some money anyway. ”

Doc Wilson had been very generous. He had paid her for the two months in exchange for her keeping an eye on the office.

It wasn’t like that would take too much time.

She had cleaned it yesterday and had been finishing up this morning when the truck driver appeared.

She’d go in once a week to make sure everything was okay.

Other than that, there wasn’t anything else to do but enjoy her own mini vacation.

Heat shimmered off the asphalt in rippling waves. The station was a faded island of concrete and buzzing neon surrounded by tall weeds and a cracked lot.

“Remember, no barking at anyone,” Jana warned in a soft voice as she pulled into the gas station and up to the pump.

“Woof,” Linguine replied with a low rumble.

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes, ma’am’,” Jana replied dryly.

Placing the car in park, she turned off the ignition and unbuckled her seatbelt. She quickly wound the thin cord of the leash around the headrest before she opened the door and slid out. It wouldn’t stop a determined gnat, but it might buy her two seconds if he lunged.

“Stay and be good,” Jana ordered again before she grabbed her wallet and headed inside to pay for the gas.

K-Nine turned his head to check on the kittens, since he didn’t hear them making any noise. Through the small openings, he could see them piled up on each other, sound asleep. Turning his head back toward the front, he watched the surrounding activity curiously.

There was a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and conditions of transports either pulling into the refueling stop or passing by. His ears twitched, tracking sound after sound—clanks, voices, engines. There was too much noise. Too much data.

The sensors embedded in his nose were collecting information as well, but being unable to process it at the moment was very frustrating.

His head turned when a dark gray transport pulled up beside Jana’s car. Seconds later, a male stepped out of the transport and closed the door. K-Nine’s head tilted as he studied the tall, slender male for a moment before his attention was caught by a window sliding downward.

“Daddy, can you get me a water and a bag of chips?” a small girl with dancing green eyes chirped from the backseat.

“Sure, what kind?” the male asked.

“Can I go get them?” another girl asked, leaning forward to peer out the window.

“Go with your mom, Violet,” the male finally said. “Gracie, do you want to help me pump the gas?”

“Sure!”

K-Nine watched the small human emerge, her golden curls haloed by sunlight. She was delicate, energetic, curious—the perfect target for any predator. Yet she approached him with fearless fascination.

His systems logged her features, memorizing them instinctively. This one… was special. He could sense it.

For a moment, she wavered between coming toward him and following the male. He saw her cast a longing look at him before she disappeared around the back of the transport.

K-Nine understood that this was a family unit on this planet. It differed little from Zion. He listened as the man explained what needed to be done. It was obvious the male cared about the little female. A few minutes later, the sound of the fuel pumping slowed before it cut off.

His head turned when he saw Jana hurrying back toward her transport.

She had a drink in one hand and a bag in the other.

She walked around the front of her transport, opened the door, and placed the items inside before beginning to fuel it.

She was almost done when he heard the little girl’s voice again.

“May I pet your dog?” the girl asked Jana.

Jana paused before she nodded. “Sure, just be careful and let him sniff your hand first,” she said.

K-Nine stuck his head out of the window when Jana and the girl called Gracie walked around the back of the transport. He tilted his head and studied the little girl closely. She had vivid green eyes that seemed to dance with innocence and intelligence.

“My name is Gracie Jones. We’re from New York,” Gracie said with a smile. “Where are you from?”

“Here, I’m afraid,” Jana laughed. “What are you doing in Glennis?”

“We’re on our way home. My mom and dad had a convention to attend. It was fun. People were talking in all different languages and didn’t know that Violet and I could understand them,” Gracie said with a grin. “What kind of dog is this? I’ve never seen one with blue fur before. Did you color it?”

Jana shook her head. “No, he was brought into the vet’s office this morning where I work. A trucker had hit him. Initially, I thought he was a wild wolf, but he’s way too friendly for that,” she explained.

“I’m gonna look him up when we get home. He might be a hybrid or something,” Gracie said with a thoughtful nod.

“How old are you?” Jana asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Seven, but I’ll be eight soon,” Gracie replied with a giggle. “He’s so beautiful.”

“Yes, he is,” Jana replied, watching as Linguine lowered his head and ran his tongue carefully over the back of Gracie’s hand.

K-Nine felt something stir in his core systems—a longing. A pull. This one would make a good pack.

He rubbed his head against Gracie’s hand when she started scratching him behind his ear. He wondered if he could take this little girl with them. She really knew how to scratch.

“Gracie, time to go,” Violet called out. “I got you some candy, too.”

“I have to go. Thank you for letting me pet your dog,” Gracie said, turning and running back to her transport.

“Bye! It was nice meeting you,” Jana called out, taking over scratching his head. “I think you are a charmer.”

K-Nine grinned and pulled his head back inside Jana’s transport. He let out a surprised ‘woof’ as the little girl blew him a kiss from the window of the departing transport.

Yes, there is something very special about that little human. It would be interesting to see what she accomplishes when she grows up, he sighed, sticking his head out the window when Jana pulled out of the refueling station.

His eyes narrowed to protect them from the wind, and his tongue hung out as the transport picked up speed. He was really beginning to like this world.

It is time… he decided, for a pack of my own.