I missed him. Hap had been injured in an attack by a neighboring clavas, and he took it hard he had been struck down before he could defend us women. Luckily, the other Night Kings had arrived in time to save us, but Hap struggled with his injuries.
He refused to leave his room, no matter what we said. One of the eldest Drixonian males still alive—a healer named Shep—had arrived at the Night Kings a few days ago. He was the only one who’d been able to draw Hap out of his room. Under Daz’s orders, Hap and Shep had left the clavas yesterday on a two-alien getaway. Us females viewed it as a kind of intense therapy and rehabilitation. We were eager for them to return, but after talking with the kind Shep, we knew he was in good hands.
I barely had my pants pulled up around my ass when my front door burst open. Two little feet slapped across my wooden slat floor before the small horned creature dove into my fur pallet and tugged the covers over her head.
Anna rushed in immediately afterward, frantic as she searched for her daughter. “Miranda, I’m so sorry for not knocking. I saw your door open and—”
The furs moved, and a nearly imperceptible giggle filled the room. Anna pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.
“It’s no problem, Anna,” my voice slightly louder than usual. “What’s up?”
She leaned against my door frame, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Oh nothing. Nothing at all. Just doing some cleaning.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’m working on Bazel’s room right now, but I can’t find her to ask her which toys she wants to keep, so I’m just going to throw them all out.”
A shriek followed her words as a blue head popped out of my furs. “No, Mommy! Don’t throw my toys away!”
“Ah-ha!” Anna exclaimed as she lunged at her daughter. “Caught you!”
Bazel screamed with joy that her game of tag had been renewed. She tore out of my furs, flew past her mother, only to get caught up at the door by Frankie. She swooped the little girl into the air and tickled her belly while Anna stood nearby, hands on her hips, trying to look annoyed but failing.
The scene was so wholesome I had to take a moment to snapshot this in my head. As much as I missed the hell out of my family at home, I had one here. A growing one.
Anna met my eyes and smiled. “How come she always sneaks in here?”
“She likes my plants.”
“Ah.” Anna looked around and leaned in to smell a large orange flower which smelled like citrus. “I don’t blame her.”
Anna had met Tark about ten years ago when she’d been stolen from Earth and her captors had crash-landed on this planet. Tark had left his clavas to keep her safe. They remained alone for ten years until Daz and Frankie found them with their five-year-old. She was the first of us—and the proof—that Drixonian and humans could procreate successfully.
With the increasing unrest on the planet with the Drixonian’s enemies, the Uldani, Tark and Anna decided to abandon their solitary life and come live in the Night Kings clavas for protection. With them came Bazel, and their dog-like pet, Rufus. Bazel was adorable and rambunctious with light blue skin, nubbed horns, and Anna’s delicate human facial features.
Frankie placed Bazel back on the ground, and she wasted no time racing out of my hut on another adventure. Anna sighed and looked to the ceiling. “Okay that’s it. I’m done for the day. I think her father can handle her now.”
“Yes, go treat yourself.” I gave her hand a squeeze.
Frankie, now unburdened by the child, sashayed into the room, and flopped dramatically onto my pallet with her forearm over her eyes. “I don’t know how you do it. I’m exhausted and hot just walking from my hut to this one.”
“You’re pregnant. And kinda whiny on a good day.”
Frankie glared at me from under her arm as I laughed.
“The beginning was the worst,” Anna told her. “But good news is you’ll only have to deal with five more months of this. My pregnancy was six months long, and Bazel was maybe a three-pound baby. She grew at an abnormal rate after that, but at least I didn’t have to push out eight pounds with horns attached.” She walked toward the door. “With that said, I’m going to go chase down my spawn. Miranda, I’m almost done that shirt for you.”
“You’re amazing, Anna.” Long ago, she had found a plant that bloomed with a substance which could be spun into a cotton-like material. It was a lot cooler than the antella leather the men favored.
She gave us a wave and left, shutting the door behind her.
I turned to Frankie who was giving me a weird look. “Why are you wearing pants?”
I sat down on the pallet next to her. “So, since Reba fell, Ward is staying with her. I convinced Gar to let me go hunting with him.”
Frankie bolted upright, her head nearly colliding with mine. “What?”
“Yeah, I want to—”
“Miranda, no. The forest is dark and full of terrors.”
I rolled my eyes. “The Game of Thrones references are tired, Frank.”
She ignored me. “I’m serious. You didn’t nearly get eaten by those hippo things. You weren’t chased by the giant wasps.” She grabbed my hands. “Stay in the compound. It’s safe here. We have pie.”
“Pie is great, but I really want to do this. For myself. I don’t like being dependent on anyone. You know this. I was the first to volunteer for the translator implant because I didn’t like not knowing what was going on around me. I wanted to communicate with the Drix. And now I want to know if something happens, I can survive out there.” I threw my hand out. “I get that you’re scared for me, and this isn’t something you want to do, but I need to do it for me.” I squeezed her hands. “Please understand that.”
Her eyes watered, which had been happening a lot since Daz knocked her out. Her nose twitched and she looked down at our joined hands. “I understand,” she whispered.
“Frank—”
“No, you’re right. I just hate being separated from you. From day one in this new life, it was your face I saw.” She glanced up at me with a wobbly smile. “You’re my good luck charm.”
I wrapped my arms around her, drawing her to me. I closed my eyes, remembering when I’d handed her my lucky necklace when she was off on her dangerous mission with Daz. When they’d been captured, they’d used the wishbone charm to pick the locks of their bonds.
Frankie’s words only solidified my reasoning for wanting to learn to hunt. They relied on me, even Frankie, who as the leader’s mate was something of a queen to the clavas.
“Look, I’ll be fine,” I pulled back, swiping the tears off her pale cheeks. “I’m with Gar of all aliens. He’d cut off his arm before I was harmed. You know that.”
She sniffed. “I do. But you watch your back too, okay. And if you’re going to do this stupid life-risking thing, you better pay attention and come back like fucking Katniss.”
“You like shows where everyone dies, don’t you?”
She scrunched up her face. “The books were better.”
I groaned. “I miss books.”
“Tabitha’s short stories of pure filth she’s been writing for us have been getting me through.”