Rykhan (Book 1 of Mate Search Series) by J.A. Hornbuckle Read Free Book Online Page A

he had been wearing the
standard Galaxi uniform of black leather trousers and sleeveless
vest with boots. At some point though, he had altered his attire.
“As far as I could tell, most human males dress simply unless they
carry a small suitcase unit. The standard clothing for males is a
simple shirt, these blue cotton pants, and shoes with thick
soles.”
    “A t-shirt or a button-down also known as an
‘oxford’, jeans and sport shoes—which go by many names,” Rykhan
corrected. “Did you get anything for us to go out in, something
more in keeping with an upscale venue?”
    Tyshar nodded and reached for another bag.
“Yes. For you and Wyst I picked out trousers made of a more formal
fabric and design along with a dress jacket, a belt, and leather
shoes.” He raised his gaze and grinned at Rykhan. “The sales clerk
said it was perfect for ‘hooking up with the ladies’.”
    Wyst rolled his eyes but grinned when Rykhan
shoved the new clothes into his hands.
    Bronsyn cleared his throat to regain the
attention of the group. “Tyshar has set our TIPS in place and I
have a lead on a rental domicile complete with furniture. While
Rykhan and Wyst attend tomorrow night’s event, the rest of us will
follow them to the surface and set up our residence.”
    “The search for our mates will begin,” Gyard
clarified on a low growl.
    “Yes,” Bronsyn agreed and felt his stomach
tighten.
    “It’s about fracking time,” Wyst added, shoving
his new clothes back into one of the plastic bags.
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    Rykhan Nillr pressed his palm to the panel next
to his assigned room. As the door slid open, he twisted himself to
fit through the narrow opening, the plastic carryall in his hands
crinkling as he pulled it through. Everything onboard the Crusader
was too small for his taste, not for men the size of the
Protectorates. He could not imagine how Gyard or even Bron handled
living in such small confines being the largest two of their group
of seven. Though Rykhan was just as tall, he was not as broad and
wondered how the other warriors coped with sleeping in a space
small enough to allow him to stretch and touch the opposing walls
easily.
    As the door swooshed shut, he tossed the bag to
the metal floor before grabbing the tail of the belt that held his
wrapped shirt closed. Even though the clothes they had been given
were lightweight and finely made, he preferred to be nude within
the confines of his cabin. The truth of the matter was that his
sleep space was so small all it took to warm the space was the heat
emanating from his body, frequently warming it to a level that was
uncomfortable.
    Tossing the sleeveless shirt onto the narrow
bunk built into the bulkhead, he reached for the drawstring of his
pants while letting his mind roam over that day’s
meeting.
    They had accomplished much in a short amount of
time, such as, choosing the landing site, studying, and planning
how to blend in as humans. Nevertheless, it had been Tyshar’s
initial exploratory venture, initiated and strategically thought
out by the warriors on quest instead of those who chosen to lead
from afar. As ever, success had only come because the warriors had
mounted the charge instead of debating the issue to death. No
longer happy to wait for decisions to come down, the Protectorate
warriors had stepped up and simply but succinctly stated their
decisions.
    All done without any prior
agreement.
    Although they had talked, complained together
about how slowly the Committee was in moving, of how long it took
to get them to make a decision in any area. To Rykhan’s way of
thinking, the Quest Committee had too many politicians and not
enough leaders within their ranks, each trying to secure their own
place of power within the Gal-Trol Committee.
    Power struggles, Rykhan thought bitterly as he
disentangled his feet from his pants before throwing them
carelessly to join the shirt on the bed. Yes, there had even been
power struggles in his branch of