glasses so the little
girl could see him and not be scared by a faceless stranger.
He set them on the ground as he rubbed a hand across the
girl's back in a soothing gesture.
"Y-you're R-raven," the broken voice whispered in
awe.
"You know me?"
The little girl nodded. "We saw your show. You
were great!"
"Thank you." Raven reached for his communicator.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Trisha."
"Nice to meet you, Trisha," Raven said. He pushed
the emergency button to call the local authorities. After he
explained the situation, they assured him someone would
be dispatched immediately.
"Someone's on the way to take care of you," he told
the despondent girl.
The next few minutes were the most nerve-racking
of Raven's life. Raven had never had anyone rely on him
5
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
before. It felt strange to take care of someone else, strange
but good. He was glad he had come along to help the little
girl. The thought of her left alone in a dirty alley with her
dead nana broke his heart. He didn't know what had
happened to the woman on the ground, but it wasn't his job
to figure that out. In fact, his part of this whole ordeal was
going to end as soon as planetary security came to pick her
up.
"Security," a deep voice boomed into the darkness.
"Over here," Raven shouted.
Raven was momentarily blinded as a high-beamed
light flashed across his eyes. He held up a hand to block the
glare.
"Stand up and put your hands where I can see
them," a voice said behind the light.
Raven slowly raised his hands, turning his head to
keep from being blinded.
When the light finally pointed downwards, Raven
gave a sigh of relief until a security officer came over to
search him.
Efficient hands patted him down impersonally and
removed his wallet. After looking at his identicard, the
officer stepped back. "I'm gonna run your ID, and I want
you to come back to the station and answer some
questions."
6
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
There went his dream of getting a night of hot sex.
Raven nodded his intention to cooperate and
allowed the man to lead him to one of their vehicles. As he
ducked his head to get into the back of the hovercar, a
scream ripped through the air.
"I want Raven. No, no, no." Her hysterical screams
got louder and louder until a security officer raced over to
Raven, pulling the little girl by her wrist behind him. "I'm
going to have her ride back here with you."
Raven slid onto the back seat and scooted over for
the little girl. For the first time Raven got to see what a
pretty thing she was even with her blond ringlets flattened
against her head and her face blotchy from tears. Cleaned
up and smiling, she probably shattered little boys' hearts all
over the place.
Surprise overtook him when she scooted closer,
rested her head on his chest, and wrapped her thin arms
around him. Silent sobs shook her slender body while two
security agents slid into the front seat of the hovercar. The
driver flashed them a brief look before taking off.
Raven muttered nonsense words as he stroked the
golden head, trying to figure out where along the way his
night of debauchery had turned into a baby-sitting
assignment.
7
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
CHAPTER TWO
As they walked into the security station, Raven
didn't understand all the stares sent his way until he
realized he didn't have his hat and glasses anymore. He
must've left them back in the alley. Raven hoped the
onlookers weren't transmitting his image across the
galacticnet.
His agent would have puppies.
Man-eating puppies.
The security officers led them to a room with four
chairs and a table—an interrogation room—though Raven
hoped they weren't going to use it as such.
"Want something to drink? A cookie?" one of the
officers asked.
"Want a cookie, sweetheart?" Raven asked the little
girl. She shook her head. "Maybe some water for us both."
After all that crying, she needed fluids.
A moment later they were given two
girl could see him and not be scared by a faceless stranger.
He set them on the ground as he rubbed a hand across the
girl's back in a soothing gesture.
"Y-you're R-raven," the broken voice whispered in
awe.
"You know me?"
The little girl nodded. "We saw your show. You
were great!"
"Thank you." Raven reached for his communicator.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Trisha."
"Nice to meet you, Trisha," Raven said. He pushed
the emergency button to call the local authorities. After he
explained the situation, they assured him someone would
be dispatched immediately.
"Someone's on the way to take care of you," he told
the despondent girl.
The next few minutes were the most nerve-racking
of Raven's life. Raven had never had anyone rely on him
5
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
before. It felt strange to take care of someone else, strange
but good. He was glad he had come along to help the little
girl. The thought of her left alone in a dirty alley with her
dead nana broke his heart. He didn't know what had
happened to the woman on the ground, but it wasn't his job
to figure that out. In fact, his part of this whole ordeal was
going to end as soon as planetary security came to pick her
up.
"Security," a deep voice boomed into the darkness.
"Over here," Raven shouted.
Raven was momentarily blinded as a high-beamed
light flashed across his eyes. He held up a hand to block the
glare.
"Stand up and put your hands where I can see
them," a voice said behind the light.
Raven slowly raised his hands, turning his head to
keep from being blinded.
When the light finally pointed downwards, Raven
gave a sigh of relief until a security officer came over to
search him.
Efficient hands patted him down impersonally and
removed his wallet. After looking at his identicard, the
officer stepped back. "I'm gonna run your ID, and I want
you to come back to the station and answer some
questions."
6
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
There went his dream of getting a night of hot sex.
Raven nodded his intention to cooperate and
allowed the man to lead him to one of their vehicles. As he
ducked his head to get into the back of the hovercar, a
scream ripped through the air.
"I want Raven. No, no, no." Her hysterical screams
got louder and louder until a security officer raced over to
Raven, pulling the little girl by her wrist behind him. "I'm
going to have her ride back here with you."
Raven slid onto the back seat and scooted over for
the little girl. For the first time Raven got to see what a
pretty thing she was even with her blond ringlets flattened
against her head and her face blotchy from tears. Cleaned
up and smiling, she probably shattered little boys' hearts all
over the place.
Surprise overtook him when she scooted closer,
rested her head on his chest, and wrapped her thin arms
around him. Silent sobs shook her slender body while two
security agents slid into the front seat of the hovercar. The
driver flashed them a brief look before taking off.
Raven muttered nonsense words as he stroked the
golden head, trying to figure out where along the way his
night of debauchery had turned into a baby-sitting
assignment.
7
Mate Dance
Amber Kell
CHAPTER TWO
As they walked into the security station, Raven
didn't understand all the stares sent his way until he
realized he didn't have his hat and glasses anymore. He
must've left them back in the alley. Raven hoped the
onlookers weren't transmitting his image across the
galacticnet.
His agent would have puppies.
Man-eating puppies.
The security officers led them to a room with four
chairs and a table—an interrogation room—though Raven
hoped they weren't going to use it as such.
"Want something to drink? A cookie?" one of the
officers asked.
"Want a cookie, sweetheart?" Raven asked the little
girl. She shook her head. "Maybe some water for us both."
After all that crying, she needed fluids.
A moment later they were given two
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