Read Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) for Free Online

show even
opens."
    "And no one saw it happen," Ms. Mishley
whispered to Vallory. "And some of us were even around when it
supposedly happened."
    "The committee will answer for this. They
better find those cats fast," Mr. Pyman said loud enough for the
words to echo in their part of the building.
    Cats? Then her daubpups were safe.
    Or were they? They probably were, but her
heart still skipped fast.
    "Excuse me," Vallory said, and ducked away
before Ms. Mishley could continue her gossiping. The woman would
talk for hours with something like this to spur her on.
    She had animals to check up on. After all, if
one group of pets were gone, there might be others. Did anyone
think to check all the other enclosures in the same
building.
    Getting through the crowds slowed her down,
but her heart raced as if she'd run a marathon. Enclosure after
enclosure of rare breeds of small pets, but none of them hers. Each
enclosure with animals in them. That must be a good sign,
right?
    Her "excuse me" and "pardon me" lines became
more terse and frantic as she pushed her way through the groups of
people. Didn't they know others would need to get through? Others
as worried as her?
    Her breath came out in short frantic puffs as
she finally came to a stop in front of the right
enclosure.
    To find both Penny and Clementine sitting at
the front, as if waiting for her arrival.
    The relief was tempered by the realization
that the two were watching everything outside. All the people
talking or going back and forth. Their ears angled forward and they
sat up straight on their haunches. Two of the others moved to the
front of the enclosure to adopt the same pose.
    They were a little too interested. Enough they
might want to come out to investigate.
    "Please, vacate the area if you are not
involved in the investigation," Vallory heard someone say in a loud
authoritative voice. "We have brought in additional security
personnel. Your pets are safe."
    Vallory heard some of the pet owners question
that. If she were them, she might also. If she didn't have daubpups
as her 'pets.' After all, a daubpup wouldn't stay where they didn't
want to be. They'd proven that more than once.
    "Please, stay inside," Vallory whispered at
them. "Just for a little while longer."
    Penny cocked her head at her before going back
to watching the show of the people around the enclosure. Vallory
got the point. The other people were more interesting than
her.
    She settled herself on her knees. This would
be a long night if she needed to stay in order for them to feel
comfortable enough to settle down. But, she would do it if needed.
She'd already put the rest of her life on hold for the
creatures.
    "Oh, I'm sure they'll find the missing
creatures," Ms. Mishley said as she walked past Vallory on the
other side of the aisle. "Redpoint One has excellent scanners at
all the docks."
    "It wouldn't be the first time smugglers
transported animals through tight spaceports," the deeper voice of
Mr. Pyman said.
    "But, an alien spaceport?"
    Their voices faded out, to mingle with the
other conversations in the room. Other groups started moving, as
well. The daubpups watched it all, their heads rotating as they
followed one person after another as they walked by.
    "Eat a little something," Vallory said through
the screen of the smaller feeding door. "Go to sleep."
    The daubpups paid her no mind. Not even when
she opened the door to reach in. Usually, a few would come over for
a few scratches. This time, not a one gave up their position along
the front of the enclosure.
    Vallory finally closed the door and tried to
make herself as comfortable as she could on the hard cold floor. At
least they weren't trying to leave the enclosure. It was a small
blessing.
    "Please, clear the building for the night. We
are shutting down," a voice announced through the PA
system.
    But, the people in the building were already
well on their way out. The large aisle in front of the enclosure
was almost empty, with the