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“He must be busy.” Wren focused on the tablet in front of her.

“Busy? He’s either on a mission with you or hanging around here waiting for you to finish work so he can fail to get you to go out with him for the night. Or has he finally found a woman to tame him?”

“I doubt it. He’s as wild as ever. I don’t pay attention to his private life.” She placed the tablet down carefully, ignoring the wave of jealousy that flowed through her. Striker had probably gone straight to one of his special friends to get some release after their return. It didn’t matter. They’d had a couple of make out sessions. That didn’t mean marriage, kids, and a white picket fence on Mars was heading her way.

But it was like he’d vanished. He hadn’t even called to see how she was doing after they got back with the animals.

“I saw him grabbing breakfast this morning,” Dallin said. “He looked pissed. Did something happen when you were on the mission?”

“A lot happened. I was grabbed by the Gente, the ship crashed, we saved a load of animals, then we got rescued.”

Dallin raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

Wren gritted her teeth. She shouldn’t be defensive. Dallin was a great guy, but she didn’t know how she felt about Striker. She should be happy he was staying away. But her heart was anything other than joy filled.

“I’m taking this norkie to my room. I thought if I introduced her to Dinky, it would help her recovery. It could be that she’s lonely. They’re sociable creatures. Being in a cage on her own isn’t doing her any good,” Wren said.

“It’s worth a try,” Dallin said. “Let me know how you get on. You never know, you could find yourself a breeding pair.”

“Two breeding pairs in one day. That would be amazing.” Wren extracted a carry case and placed the norkie in it. “I’ll be a couple of hours getting her settled in with Dinky.”

“Take your time. I’ll have a coffee ready for you when you come back.” Dallin smiled at her as she left the room.

Wren hurried along the corridor, the norkie making small panicked sounds in the carrier. “Relax. It’s just a short trip. And you’re going to meet a new friend. I think you’ll like him. He’s adorable.”

She nodded at several people as she passed them in the corridor. She stopped outside her door, opened it, and hurried in.

“Hey, where are you, Dinky? I’ve brought you someone to play with.” Wren set down the carry case but kept the door closed.

Dinky wandered out of her bedroom, yawning.

“You lazy old thing. Did I disturb your nap?” She checked the time. It was already an hour after her usual bedtime. “I’m sorry. I got distracted at work. I’m sure you’ll forgive me when you see who I’ve brought you to play with.”

Dinky stopped moving and cocked his head. His nose twitched.

“She’s very sweet but a bit sad. I thought you could cheer her up. And don’t mind that she’s fluffier than you.”

Dinky approached the carry case.

“Go slow. No sudden movements. I don’t think she’s used to people, so I’ll stand back and let you two get acquainted.”

Dinky sniffed around the carrier.

The norkie inside made several chirping noises but seemed much less panicked. Their noses met, and there was a rapid bout of sniffing.

It all looked promising. “Okay, let’s get this door open.” Wren eased the door open. She scooped up Dinky to give the other norkie a chance to get out and not feel trapped.

Her little nose appeared then her fluffy head.

Dinky squirmed in Wren’s arms, eager to meet the new arrival.

“Give her a minute. She’s finding her feet.”

The norkie emerged from the carrier. She looked up at Dinky and flicked her tail.

Dinky responded with a similar tail flick and a deep rumbling purr.

Wren set Dinky down a short distance away from the other norkie. “Why don’t you go say hello?”