Page 53 of Riv's Sanctuary

And every time he went, he was guaranteed to find an animal there that was abused in some way.

He couldn’t save all of them, but at least he tried. And he would keep trying.

If there’d been someone like him out there doing the same when he was a chid, then maybe he’d have had a better life. Maybe he’d have been found in that same market.

Grot had been in that market many orbits back, abused and stolen from his home planet.

He had been put up for sale as a hunting animal and Riv was sure what would have become of the little beast.

They’d have worked Grot to the ground, hardly fed him, then he’d have been left for dead when he could work no longer.

He knew, for it’s what had almost happened to him.

So he’d bought the little black thing, despite how it had snarled at him, and despite how it had growled, its four eyes watching him warily the entire time he’d traveled back to the Sanctuary.

It had hated him.

It took many turns for Grot to finally trust him and once that trust had been established, the tevsi never left his side.

So, why in Polvrak’s name was Grot acting like that with the female?

Had years on the Sanctuary made him soft?

He could see how that would happen. They hadn’t had much contact with anyone since he’d brought the animal so far out to live.

Maybe Grot had forgotten his hatred for strangers.

The only contact they both had with beings that weren’t the animals on the Sanctuary was contact with his younger brother, Sohut, and the occasional visit from his one and only friend, Ka’Cit.

In a short space of time, this female had entered his Sanctuary, changed the place with her scent and had even gotten Grot to like her somehow.

It had to be her scent.

They liked her scent.

Riv swallowed hard as he walked.

He only knew that because her scent still lingered in his nose even now.

Heading to the tilgran enclosure, he entered their pen and slammed the gate shut. The animals lifted their long necks to look down at him, as if he was being aggressive.

“I’m not,” he muttered, grabbing the tool he used to shovel their feces.

The tilgrans still looked down at him, blinking slowly. “Look at me like that and I’ll leave you to shovel your own dung.”

The animals turned away, ignoring him.

As he went about the chore, Riv frowned.

The animals better not get used to having anyone else around. People couldn't be trusted.

If his brother, Sohut, hadn't left the sanctuary on some business, the female would be in his hovercar heading back to Geblit immediately.

He'd take her now. Right now. Only, he couldn't leave the Sanctuary unattended without planning first.

The animals needed him.

The umus alone would make such a racket, they would be heard for miles if they didn't get fed on time.