“I don’t want to think about those monsters right now, Samantha.” He pulled her close, his arm sliding beneath Olan’s so that they caged her in. “Let us love you.”
She sighed, closing her eyes as she gave in to the request.
13
Zuran
“I already told you, Marsel is dead. Why do you want to go back there so badly?” Samantha’s blue eyes narrowed on him as she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.
“We have unfinished business with your humans, Fanahala,” Zuran told her gently, tucking a few unruly strands of hair behind her ear. As much as he wanted to bask in the glory of having a mate, he knew they would need to deal with the issue of Marsel and the other human men who had harmed Vasa. Ama demanded their deaths.
His breeding heat, though tempered for the moment, was still very much a problem. Like Olan, he had thought their night with Samantha would mean an end to the constant hunger and irritation, but they had been wrong. The bloodlust still raged through him, even now.
“Not every human on that ship thinks like Marsel, Z.”
“That may be true, but even one in agreement puts the Seyton at risk. Humans are dangerous.”
“Am I dangerous?” One of her dark brows arched in a challenge.
“Samantha…”
“What about Curtis? Is he dangerous?” When he only looked at her she sighed, rubbing at the sides of her head. “We are examples of humans who are not dangerous, who have helped the Seyton. There are more like us on that ship.”
“Be that as it may, we are still going back to confront them.”
His little mate let out a frustrated moan, plopping down on the blanket Olan had brought with him last night. “Who is ‘them’ and where the hell is Olan and his damn diplomacy when I need him?”
“The ‘bad’ humans, if you wish.” He shrugged the way he’d seen Samantha do many times. “And Olan is helping to gather the war party.”
“The war party?” Her mouth moved like a water dweller’s for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t find it amusing, but he wasn’t perfect. “Z, I just told you there are children there, babies!”
“Ama has offered sanctuary for any who are willing to coexist peacefully. The only humans we want are the ones who harmed Vasa. They will need to pay for their crimes.”
She sighed in resignation. “So why do I need to go? I could stay here. I’m sure I can be useful.” A shudder worked through her body. “If I never have to see that place again, it’ll be too soon.”
He understood her reasons for wanting to stay behind, but they would need her on the front lines. “We would never ask you to return if it was not important, Fanahala.” He crouched down in front of her, his hand engulfing her little ones as he plucked them from her lap. “If your people decide to come peacefully, having you there, a familiar face among the Seyton will comfort them.”
“I didn’t consider that.”
Her shoulders drooped as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. She was hurting. He wished he could take that from her. “I know this is hard, but if we do this now we may be able to stop many unnecessary deaths.” A purr rumbled in his chest, a sound he hadn’t ever made before, but the way Samantha shivered he was going to make it as often as possible. “The sooner this mess is taken care of, the sooner Olan and I can bring you back here and taste your cunt again.” The musky smell of her arousal was so strong he swore he could taste her already.
“Right.” She swallowed thickly, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. “L-let’s get this over and done with.”
The network of hunters that lived around the village came together as quickly as possible when they heard what had happened on the ship. Zuran recognized many faces and was glad to have them with him in the event the aliens decided not to go peacefully. The trek back wasn’t as hard as trying to convince Vasa she needed time to heal. She was insistent that she should be present for their punishment; Curtis, who had become her shadow, championed her fight. Despite their protests, Vasa walked alongside them, her broken wing bandaged and bound tightly against her body. Her hunter father stayed a few steps behind the couple, his sharp white gaze never straying too far.
When they reached the edge of the clearing where the ship rested, Zuran blinked in surprise. Standing outside the enormous metal walls were hundreds of humans. Males, females, kits, entire families were huddled together as if they had been waiting for them.
A grey-haired male stepped forward, his hands raised high in the air. “We don’t want any trouble with you and your people.”
“How do we know this isn’t a trick?” Zuran asked Ama as she came to a stop next to him.
“It’s not.” Samantha insisted. “I know him. That’s Egmond Troy, he’s a proponent of the Alien-Human alliance. That means he is pro-alien. He’s not like Marsel.”
Ama met the human halfway with Samantha on her heels and Zuran not far behind. “Any who are willing to surrender on our terms are welcome within our villages.”
Egmond nodded. “I’m not willing to fight a war because a human made the wrong choices. I won’t leave my children fatherless. We’ll hear your terms.”
“The first is that you leave behind any human weapons you might have.” A murmur ran through those gathered close by, but no one openly protested. “The second, and most important, is the promise to hand over the beasts that dared to hurt one of my daughters.” The voice that came from Ama’s mouth wasn’t her own, and Zuran watched as the human male’s eyes widened as he stumbled backward.
“W-we don’t know where they went.”
“You don’t know?” Zuran’s eyes narrowed.
“Some said they headed to her ship.” He pointed at Samantha. “We didn’t know what had happened at that point. There was no reason to stop them.”
Ama tilted her head as if she was trying to decide if she was going to believe the male. Finally, she turned, her hand brushing Samantha’s shoulder. “We will bring all who wish back to the village. Have them gather their things and prepare to depart.” She glanced at Zuran. “Ready your hunters. We will track down these monsters.”
Zuran nodded and set to his task. When the humans were ready to leave Zuran found Samantha watching them, murmuring softly as groups of her people passed by. He had thought the peaceful turn of events would have made her happy, but she frowned as she fisted her hands on her hips. “Something isn’t right, Z.”
“It isn’t?”
“Nuh uh. Hey, Curtis?” She called to the young human male who was assisting an elderly female. He excused himself and ran up to join them. “How many men did you all lose during and following the crash?”
“Four, I think was the total.”
She shook her head. “There’s far more than that missing.”
Curtis shrugged as he looked out over the crowd. “We won’t know for sure until we can get a full head count.”
Zuran said goodbye to Samantha once they reached the forest where Olan waited to take her back to the village. He had one more thing to take care of before he could begin his new life. It took him most of the day to track the males. When his group of hunters and Curtis finally reached the spot they had been driving them into, they all stopped short at the strange sounds of screaming and the eerie call of a carnera.
“Please, have mercy!”
“Call it off! It wasn’t anything personal!”
“Marsel forced us to do it!”
“Shut the fuck up, you idiot!”
The sound of Marsel’s voice shocked Zuran. Samantha had been so sure he was dead. Before he could decide on a course of action, Curtis was bolting past him into the small clearing. “Human! Wait!” When Zuran burst through the trees after him he found a strange sight. The four human males he had seen in the cells were all attempting to scatter up trees away from the massive, gnarled carnera. At the beast’s side stood Vasa, her yellow eyes blazing as she sneered, seemingly unaware that they had stumbled upon her.
“You are a pac
k of liars, unfit to even be considered monsters.” She snarled, and the carnera growled as if it agreed. “I will bear scars for the rest of my days because of you!” The beast leaped forward, snatching one of the men from a low hanging branch and tearing him limb from limb before seeking out the next male, who had decided to take his chances and make a run for it. His screams died faster than the first male’s.
The third human, the one Zuran remembered bringing them the tray of food, slipped from his perch in his panic and landed with a loud crack, going immediately still. The carnera pounced all the same, crushing the alien’s skull in its massive jaws.
“And you.” Vasa’s entire body seemed to come alive, currents rippling up and down her body as Marsel scrambled on the ground. His torso was wrapped in dirty bandages and he struggled to breathe as the beast paced toward him. “You thought you broke me, but I am a daughter of the All Mother. I will not be broken.” At the flick of her wrist, the carnera pounced, its teeth ripping into the muscle and bone of the human’s chest and torso. Marsel’s dying screams rang through the forest, coming to an abrupt stop as the carnera bit down one last time.
Zuran turned just as Vasa’s legs gave out, but Curtis was there to catch her. They sank to the floor of the forest, his arms wrapped tightly around her as her body shook. “I lied.” He heard her whisper. “I am broken. I’ll never be whole.”
“Tell me what you need, Vasa.” Curtis’ soft response brought on more tears, and Zuran retreated to give them privacy.
The carnera licked its bloody muzzle as he stepped around it, giving the creature a wide berth. It was an old female, battle-worn, and weary. One of her ears had been lost, her right eye was beginning to cloud, a sure sign that she was going blind. Zuran wasn’t sure how Vasa had come to befriend the beast, but he sent up thanks to the All Mother for unlikely bonds. “Take good care of her.” He whispered to the old female.
Epilogue
Olan
Olan had known from the moment he stepped out of the pod on the day of his choosing ceremony that his whole life, like his physical body, had changed. He was expected to mate, to have kits that would carry on his family's blood. These things were a part of regular life for many Seyton breeders. Love, though wonderful and encouraged, was not seen as being necessary in a union. A soft sigh brought his attention back to the present, back to the female curled up in his bed. She was on her side, her face turned toward him and her faded violet hair spread across the blankets. Zuran lay behind her, his arm slung over her hips, tail curled around one of her legs.
If someone had told him all those solars ago when he stepped out of the bloom that he would be here, he would have thought them mad. To have the love of not just Samantha, but the male who had been his closest companion growing up was more than he could ever have hoped for.
“What are you thinking about?” The deep voice of his bondmate rumbled along his skin and he smiled.
“You and Samantha.”
Zuran stretched, arching his back. “So sentimental today.”
“It’s an important day.” Olan squared his shoulders in mock offense, but a smile spread across his lips as he leaned over to rub his face along his bondmate’s arm. Today he would get his piercing. It was something that wasn’t practiced as often as it had once been, but Olan had been looking forward to this for many solars.
“We should wake her up.” Zuran murmured, his lips pressing against the scars on their mate’s skin where she had been claimed. They never failed to excite his blood.
In the weeks since the alliance with the humans, life had slowly found a new normal. They had set to work building Samantha a hut close to the cliffs so that she could watch the suns set over the water every night or sneak out with a blanket and recreate that first night they shared with her. Instead of spending his nights alone, staring into the darkness wishing for something more, Olan spent his nights making love to the two beings he cared for more than anything else in this world. Each day they were learning new ways to please each other, and each day, Olan thanked the All Mother for bringing Samantha to them.
His hand slid over her hip and he danced his claws along the flesh of her belly, a tingle running through him at the thought that someday she would carry their kit within her. They had spoken about the possibility and what that meant for all of them. Even though Zuran was infertile, Samantha was adamant that any kit, or child as she said humans called them, was going to have the two most amazing fathers on the planet. Looking at Zuran as he gently brushed his hands over Samanth’s hair, he knew she was right.
“Fanahala.” His bondmate whispered. “The suns have risen.”
“Good for them.” She moaned before turning her face into the soft blankets.
Olan laughed, slipping his hands underneath her to lift her into his lap. “It’s time to wake up. We cannot be late this morning.”
“Late for what, exactly?”
“Olan gets his cock piercing today.” Zuran reminded her as he rolled out of bed naked, his own cock bouncing excitedly.
She gasped, twisting to look up into Olan’s face. “That’s today?”
“It is, and you have tried to sleep the morning away.”
Laughter bubbled up her throat. “Hey now, who kept me up all night?”
“I’m pretty sure Olan and I were the only ones up.” Zuran gestured toward his hard length, and he felt Samantha shiver just before she whimpered quietly.
“None of that.” Olan chastised. “Get your pretty behind out of this bed before we have to listen to another lecture from Vasana about never being on time.”
Samantha’s laugh rang through their hut. He had gotten an earful from the healer the last time they had shown up late thanks to her distractions and he didn’t want to be taken to task again.
* * *
“Is it time to take it off yet?”
Olan looked up from his spot on their bed to see Samantha’s head peeking through the door. With a laugh, he waved her in, sitting up so that he could look under the bandage. “How about we check on it?”
Samantha came to sit down next to him as he pulled back the red seaweed wrap Vasana had applied following the piercing. While the Seyton were exceptionally quick healers, especially compared to the humans, the seaweed accelerated the process. The piercings he had gotten just that morning should have fully healed. He rubbed his hand over the metal balls that attached to the bars sitting just underneath his skin, five in total stacked horizontally along the underside of his length.
“Oh, Olan! They look amazing!” She exclaimed, leaning forward to examine the decoration more closely. “Do they hurt?” He shook his head, his cock beginning to harden under her gaze. Her brow arched, a smile tipping the corners of her mouth. “Can I touch them?”
A growl rumbled through him and his cock jerked upward. “Please do.”
Soft, warm fingers brushed lightly over his flesh, making him shiver and drawing a moan from him as his eyes closed. This little female could set him off with nothing but a look. Samantha’s hand closed around him, pumping slowly, her thumb rubbing along the metal. He felt the warmth of her mouth close over the head and his eyes shot open, immediately locking on Zuran where he stood watching the scene from the doorway, his cock already in his hands. These two were going to be the death of him.
* * *
“This is beautiful.” Samantha ran a gentle finger over the hard surface of the vilebloom. The crystal-like surface pulsed red beneath her touch. “I remember holding it in my hands the day Zuran brought me into the village, but my translator hadn’t caught up yet, so I had no idea what it was about.”
“It’s a tool used to test fertility in females.” He glanced toward Zuran. “Infertile females become hunters. Unlike males, females have no physical signs. If the vilebloom glows in your hands, the way it did when you held it, then they become breeders.”
“And that’s why I was given to you?”
“Correct.” Olan nodded his head.
“Do you
think it would be ok if I held it again?” she asked, glancing around the central hut. They were the only ones inside at that moment.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see why not.”
Samantha’s face lit up as she carefully lifted the bloom, eyes widening when it glowed warmly. “I wish we had a lab here. I’d love to understand how this works.”
“Some things are not meant to be understood,” Zuran said softly, his eyes on their mate’s face, the red glow making her skin appear to be a shade close to his.
“Z…” She took a step toward him, but her foot caught on one of the soft rugs spread across the floor, and she gasped as the precious stone slipped from her grasp. The light from within winked out the moment it left her hand, and he rushed forward to grab Samantha’s arm before she could hit the floor. “Shit!”
Zuran caught the bloom just before it would have smashed against the floor, sighing heavily. They all paused for a moment before the hut filled with laughter.
“Nice catch. I’m sorry, guys.”
“No harm done.” Zuran smiled before setting the stone back on its display.
Olan’s eyes widened. “Pick that back up.”
“What? Why?”
“Stop asking questions and pick the vacking thing up,” he demanded.
Zuran raised a brow but reached out to cup the vilebloom in his palms. It immediately lit up brighter than he had ever seen it.
“There is something wrong with it.” Zuran murmured in confusion.
“What’s going on?” Samantha asked, her eyes darting between them. “Explain it to the human in the room.”
“It only glows when held by fertile Seyton,” Olan whispered.
“Oh. Oh!” Her hand went to her mouth when she finally understood. “But that would mean-”
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