The most difficulty he had was getting through tight spaces where the thorns from the Huka tree blocked narrow paths. One scrape of the poisonous barbs against the exposed skin on his hands, neck, and head and he would be in the infirmary undergoing skin grafting procedures.
He’d lost one Cyrox to the thorns. He’d heard a loud cry two clicks after successfully navigating a tricky patch. The fool most likely had taken the exact path as Xrez instead of finding a more accessible way through. Xrez chalked that rookie mistake up to greed and stupidity. Greed would’ve kept that hunter from buying the necessary clothing to protect his skin from the dangers of hostile vegetation and stupidity would’ve made the hunter believe that Xrez didn’t know he was followed.
One down, three to go.
Xrez made mental notes about what areas needed improvement; there were obvious well-worn paths. He didn’t use any of them. He took pictures with his comlink and sent them to Bradliix, telling him to make sure the trails were filled in between hunts to make each hunt fresh and new. Overall, he was impressed at how well the jungle thrived.
He fondly remembered how excited Osazo had been when he’d decided to invest in what had been a forgotten part of the arena. The crawling vines from Meutune that were aggressive enough to wind up the skyscraping trees from Ubrovis, threatening to overtake the giants. He’d also acquired animals that would thrive in the reinvented enclosure.
Osazo had loved everything about The Hunt.
Xrez had to make sure that his legacy lived on.
Xrez found his way to the human camp easily. As he got closer, he smelled hints of them. He’d even caught tracks of two, seeing clearly the bushes they’d trampled over. He didn’t spend any time inspecting the tracks. There was no point in putting the opportunistic hunters on that trail. If they found those prey, they would have to do so on their own.
Xrez tried to ignore the other scents he came across. From what he’d read in the report there was only small animal game in Level One. Osazo hadn’t wanted animals that would cause harm to the prey or hunters—that was reserved for the higher levels. He’d intended the jungle itself to be the danger.
As Xrez picked his way through, getting closer and closer to where the humans had made their camp, the smells became stronger and more intense. His acute olfactory senses were better than most of the other hunters and from what he’d read about the humans, a thousand times better than theirs.
Each human smell he came across was unique, and every one had lacked the biotechnical enhancements that Xrez smelled in other species. Humans didn’t have a dose of nanomites in their blood that helped to fight disease. If the hunters paid for it during the processing, the medical team would dose the humans before the hunter took their prize from Turolois. It would be up to the hunters to provide the annual follow-up doses.
Xrez could easily tell the female from the male scents. Their pheromones were distinguishable. The male pheromones made him feel possessive and aggressive while the female pheromones made his stomach clench and balls tighten. But there was a particular scent that he wanted to know intimately. And to get a hit on her he had to visit where she’d spent most of her time.
After spending the better part of the day covering the ground around the human camp and only after losing one more follower, Xrez finally made his way to the field.
He smelled the humans before he saw them; a male and a female. Surprising, since he’d expected the camp cleared by now. They’d had ample time to hide.
Five clicks out, and he could hear them talking, muffled at first, then, as he got closer, louder. The implant behind his ear translated what was said. There were a multitude of dialects the humans spoke on their planet, and he’d made the proper upgrades before joining The Hunt.
Although Xrez was still at least three clicks out, he didn’t require his heightened senses to home in on the two; they made so much noise that anyone could hear their chattering and rustling from far away.
“Do you think I should write a book about my experience here?” The voice was high and had a chirping quality to it.
“Why not?” This voice was baritone and sounded bored. “It’s sure to be a best seller. I’m going to hit all the talk show circuits. I’ll rake in so much money.”
“But what would be the point?” The female sighed. “I already have all the money that I need.”
Xrez only understood a part of what they talked about. What did they have to sell? And how would he be best at it?
The translator, emitting sound that only he could hear, provided the meaning of “talk shows”.
Entertainment viewing for those who don’t have important work to otherwise occupy their time.
Money is equivalent to credits.
“Yeah, but you could have more.”
The female laughed. It was light, soft and tickled his ears. He decided instantly that this female wasn’t the one that had caught his eyes. He’d watched countless footage and had never seen her laugh. There hadn’t been any reason to.
No one who’d suddenly woken with a collar around their neck and in a hostile environment would find humor in this situation. Well, anyone with any sense wouldn’t. It was an integral part of The Hunt. It was a way to test the survival skill levels of different species and to exploit them to the highest bidders.
Xrez should’ve felt wrong about the last point, but The Hunt had been established well before his thirty-five birth cycles and as popular as it was, would continue long after his bones turned to ash.
He stalked closer, keeping low to the ground and careful not to step on anything that would make a sound and give his position away. A scent…one that he couldn’t rightly place wafted toward him.
“Give me some of that. My elbows are so dry.”
“Here, don’t use a lot,” the female said. “I’ve been trying to use it sparingly. I’m hoping it will keep the stench of the great outdoors off me. Is it working?”
“I mean, it does smell like you could use some deodorant, but at least most of the smell is covered up by vanilla and brown sugar body butter.”
Slap.
“Hey! I was joking.” The male laughed.
The male was sexually attracted to the female. The pheromone spike from his body was evident.
Xrez paused just outside their camp and watched them through the leaves and branches. It was his first time seeing a human in the flesh. They were even smaller than he’d imagined. Where was their muscle tone? They were both so pale and had hair that was also shiny, stringy and so very thin.
The male wore pants that appeared sturdy enough, but his shirt wasn’t of good quality. The scent of sweat and musk clung to it and most likely would still after it was washed. Now that Xrez had his smell it would be hard for the male to hide from him. That was if Xrez wanted to hunt him.
The female wore a one-piece outfit that didn’t cover her arms, shoulders and not much of her legs. The material seemed thick and restrictive which would make it uncomfortable to wear not only in a jungle but in any setting. And if that wasn’t bad enough her clothing sparkled. The sun’s rays danced off little beads and reflected like a giant beacon screaming, “Here I am! Come capture me!”
Xrez was immediately disgusted, not only by how weak they both appeared, but also by their lack of self-preservation. Humans didn’t know about space travel and had never ventured to another planet. This mere fact should’ve made them scared and confused. These two were lounging on their sleeping bags, relaxed.
They were a stupid species. Without his help, they would all inevitably die or get captured within the day.
If he expected to get any of them to Level Two, it would take more involvement than he’d initially planned. Leaving things to chance would ultimately result in disaster.
Xrez shook his head. It was probably for the best that these two weaklings were captured in Level One. He doubted if even he could help them progress forward.
Xrez straightened and pushed aside the branch he’d hid behind.
The humans in front of him were of no threat.
“Hey! Wha—”
The male’s words were cut off by the female’s scream that pierced the air.
“Why haven’t you left the camp?” Xrez demanded.
The humans whimpered and stared at him in shock. They huddled and clung together.
Such a pathetically weak species.
Xrez sniffed at the air. So many scents.
Even though they were disturbed by his presence, the humans hadn’t attempted to defend themselves or run away. Xrez inwardly sighed. Why hadn’t Bradliix talked his father out of this ridiculous endeavor? Surely Osazo would’ve listened to his counsel.
Xrez accepted his decision. The humans before him weren’t worth saving. He made his way around the small area, picking up scents from the various humans. He approached the area where the female he’d watched had spent most of her time. Xrez crouched low, allowing her scent to coat his nose and his brain, memorizing every delectable molecule.
A rock hit him on the back and rolled over his shoulder to fall on the ground in front of him.
Xrez turned with a snarl, bearing sharp teeth.
The male’s eyes were wide, and a high-pitched sound came from his mouth. The stick he held shook in his grasp. “Get out of here you…you monster.”
Xrez rose to his full height, towering over the sniveling humans. He flexed his muscles and expanded his chest. His claws raked against the rough pads of his palms as he curled his hands into fists. “I didn’t come here to hurt you human, but assault me again, and I will put you out of your misery.”
The collar around Xrez’s neck sent out a low vibrating pain signal. It wasn’t enough to make him flinch. It was a warning the sensors had picked up that his irneal gland was inflamed, an indicator of aggression for the Dar’E. If he calmed down, there would be no recourse, but if the spike continued he might find himself in severe pain.
“I-it’s talking!” the female cried. She clung to the male’s arm and trembled like an infant.
Was she expecting this male to protect her? Xrez wanted to laugh. The male was shaking just as much as she did.
Pathetic.
Xrez squinted and tilted his head. “Of course I can talk. Why wouldn’t I be able to?”
“Oh, God!” She closed her eyes and hid her face behind the male’s back in a fit of cries and hiccups.
“D-Don’t hurt us!” the male yelled. Fear rolled from his body.
Xrez shook his head and dismissed them both. He went over to where the female and her beast had slept and committed her scent to his memory as well.
“Hey, you,” the male said. “I’ll give you all the money you ever dreamed of if you get us out of here.”
“Your money has no value to me.”
“How did you get here? Did you drive? I’m sure you can fit us in your car. If not we can lap up. I demand that you take us home.”
“That is not an option.”
“W-why not?”
“You’re in The Hunt. There are three ways to leave the arena. You can get yourself killed, captured by a hunter or win.” He briefly glanced their way. “From what I’ve observed so far you’ll be captured and processed before the day is over.”
“Hunt?” the male asked. His eyes were opened wide. Panic and fear splashed across his face.
The female gasped and clutched the male tighter, pressing her body against his back. “Arena?”
Xrez stared at them, pitying them for the circumstances that they’d found themselves in. It wasn’t their fault they were useless. They were a product of their species. And it wasn’t their fault they were on Turolois. His father was to blame for that.
“My advice? Summon an escape pod. Two hunters followed me and should be closing in on our position. If you leave now, you’ll have a chance to put distance between you and them. They are pack hunters and skilled at what they do. Leaving here on foot is no longer an option as they’ll pick up your scent and corral you into a trap.”
The male scrunched his face, and his lips thinned. “You sound bonkers, man. If you aren’t going to help, get out of here.” Spittle dropped from his lips. “What’s with the bad costume anyway? Are you some cosplayer?”
Xrez didn’t have the energy to indulge these two any longer. No matter what he said, it wouldn’t register in their tiny brains. He’d given them sound advice, and they hadn’t made a move to save themselves.
He took one last glance at the pair of weaklings. If a hunter didn’t capture them soon, their stupidity would get them killed. Yes, it was best that they were taken right away so he could focus on helping the other humans to Level Two.
“I’m so scared of that thing, Spencer,” the woman cried. “It’s so ugly. It looks like a monster.”
“Don’t worry, Mary Ann. This is just a crazy scheme to frighten us. I hate weirdos like him,” the male said in hushed tones. “Ignore him. Maybe if we do, he’ll go away and leave us alone.”
Monster? Ugly?
Is that how humans viewed him? The females of his species found him attractive, virile and strong.
Xrez shrugged. The female didn’t know what a good mate was considering what she’d been use to on Earth.
Xrez left the opposite way he’d come, following the scent of one female in particular. He hadn’t gotten two clicks away before he’d heard the screams. It seemed the Cyrox’s efforts had paid off. They’d acquired a male and female without having to do very much work at all.
Chapter Nine
Esme trudged along, following behind Ben and Miranda as they winded through the jungle keeping to a narrow path. Ben hadn’t wanted to take the trail. He didn’t know where it led or who’d made it. But trying to climb and push through overgrown vines and branches had proved time-consuming.
After thirty grueling minutes, they were exhausted, sweaty and hadn’t made it twenty feet from where they’d started. Luckily they’d stumbled on the well-worn path and decided the benefits had outweighed the cons.
They moved quickly and in silence. Even Adam seemed to recognize the importance of keeping noise to a minimum. Miranda had swaddled Lexi to her back facing Esme, hoping Esme could help to keep the infant occupied as they made their getaway. So far that plan was working. Lexi seemed content with Esme’s attempts at funny faces.
Lexi’s blinks became heavier and slower, soon her head lolled forward in sleep. Only after she was sleep and Esme didn’t have to keep her occupied, did Esme finally look up. She squinted at the sky, trying to make sense of it. It would be easy to pretend that the bright orange sun looming over them was the same sun she’d known all her life. Spencer and Mary Ann had done it.
How had Mary Ann and Spencer convinced themselves they were still on Earth? Nothing was the same. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Spencer or Mary Ann pay much attention to the sky at all. Whenever the group talked about the sun or the cotton candy looking planet hovering there, Spencer and Mary Ann had always seemed preoccupied with private whisperings or selfies.
Esme couldn’t ignore what was right before her eyes. This sun was brighter, oranger, more prominent, hotter and closer.
She was a biochemist who dealt in facts for a living.
A logical explanation was that she’d fallen and slipped into a coma and this was all a very intense dream.
But this felt so real. As crazy as this experience was, everything about it even screamed real.
Her instincts told her she wasn’t dreaming. But how could that be? It wasn’t possible for her to be on an alien planet. The whole idea was just crazy.
But her eyes weren’t lying to her.
This wasn’t Earth.
The sun wasn’t Earth’s sun.
That other planet wasn’t any planet she’d ever seen or heard of before.
Hell, even the trees, bushes, grass and dirt were different. Esme could deal with the odd colors, but the way the plants and everything appeared; foreign, fake, cartoonish, furry, slimy, and crunchy was all to
o alien. Under different circumstances, she would’ve liked to analyze the clear goo oozing from holes of a ten-foot-tall branchless green tree, or to inspect the black and silver bush that fluttered without the help of a gust of wind, or analyze the trunk of a tree where there was fur instead of bark.
And animals. She would love to study them under a microscope. There were some that resembled what was found on Earth and some that looked utterly foreign. Snake with wings, cyclops squirrels, monkeys with four arms and three legs, things Esme couldn’t wrap her mind around. But as odd as the animals were, they didn’t approach, they seemed content to get out of the way, or like the strange looking animal that most resembled a monkey, watch the group from the trees.
“Can we stop?” Miranda let out a wheezing breath. She peered ahead to where Ben walked a few feet in front of them. “Just for a little while?” Sweat dripped from her head and rolled down her flushed face.
Esme watched Lexi. Her little head and ringlets of curls bobbed to the side as she slept. Her cheeks were round and red. The sun was baking her.
“It might not be such a bad idea to get out of the sun and find some shade. Lexi is turning into a tomato.”
She was thinking about Lexi, but Esme also had a hard time keeping up with Ben’s grueling pace and she didn’t have the excuse of carrying the extra weight that both Ben and Miranda had. Esme’s shoes were sensible work shoes. She’d bought them because the reviews had been good for both walking and standing for long periods. But hiking shoes they were not.
Her heels were on fire, and her arches ached. Her socks didn’t help any to cushion her steps, they were thin and long. She’d gotten them because of the microscope designs. They rubbed against the side and back of her heels, making the area painful and raw.
“Maybe a lunch break?” Esme added when they didn’t slow their pace.
Ben stopped reluctantly and turned to give Miranda and Esme a once over then turned his gaze to the sky. “We haven’t gotten very far. I was hoping we would’ve made it ten or so miles away from camp by now.”
“I have kids.” Miranda took in heavy breaths and leaned over to brace her hands on her knees. She was darker and redder too. Tendrils of wet hair had escaped her braids and clung to her face. “And I’m not gonna lie. I can’t keep up the pace.”
The Game Warden's Mate: An Alien Abduction Romance (The Hunt Book 1) Page 7
