Chapter 34

Brexl

CW: descriptions of hunting and killing animals

It was mid-morning by the time we made it to the east mountain. The cool fall air was refreshing as it swept across my face. We had about one full moon left, maybe two, before the snows came. If we were not successful today, then our chances for gathering enough food both for the dekes and for the offering would be slim.

“I will take the lead,” Axon announced. It was a given that he would do so. His heightened senses gave him the ability to know if something was coming long before it got to us.

“I will take the rear,” Rhaz suggested. He was not made for killing like I was, and he didn’t have any heightened senses, but by the goddess, there was nothing on this planet that could kill him.

I nodded my head and shifted into my monstrous form. I did not feel shame as I looked down at my bone-plated hands. You are not a monster. You are good at killing things on a planet where everything is trying to kill you. That is a blessing, not a curse.

Taylor’s words ran through my head. I am not a monster. I am not a monster.

“Ready?” Axon asked, already in his spider form.

“Ready,” I agreed.

The three of us climbed up the side of the mountain one silent foothold at a time until we were above the large solete nest made from the bones of their victims.

One bird had the body mass of two full-grown sirret hunters. Their wingspan stretched the length of four males.

Axon nodded his head. Then he and I moved behind each bird. At Axon’s signal, we jumped.

I sunk my claws deep into the back of one bird’s neck. It let out the most horrifying shriek. Rhaz and Axon were attacking the other bird together. It was flailing wildly as they slashed and clawed at its weak points.

Before I could slash through the neck again, my bird reared back, slamming me against the rock. I fell to the ground next to the bird’s sharp, talon-tipped feet. It lifted one and, I rolled out of the way just in time to not be stomped on.

It shot fire from its beak next singeing my clothes, but I was able to roll again to avoid more of the flames.

Rhaz growled to my left as the other bird scratched his arm. A hyperfocus settled on him like it did for most of his hunts. The only time he seemed calm was when he was fighting.

I slashed at the underbelly of my bird and it bent its legs as if it were about to spring up and fly away.

“No!” I shouted and started to slice those, too. It lifted its leg higher, which I had not been expecting, and pinned me to the ground under its foot. I still had my claws embedded into its skin as it attempted to crush me.

We needed this. My dekes needed food. Your life is valuable to me. I could hear Taylor’s voice in my head. I had promised her I wouldn’t be reckless. I had promised to return.

My fight with the bird was lost. It was either release my claws or be crushed. With a heavy heart, I withdrew.

The bird lifted into the air and flew away. Taking my last bit of hope for lasting the winter with a full storage room with it.

I joined Rhaz and Axon in taking down the other bird. One would be better than none. The three of us were successful and soon it stopped trying to breath fire on us, and drew its last breath.

Sweat dripped from Axon’s brow and blood trickled down from the multiple scratches on Rhaz’s neck and chest. We were alive, and we’d killed one solete, which was more than anyone in our dekes had done before, but we did not celebrate or even smile. We needed two birds to survive the winter and, we only had one.

Once we caught our breath, we pushed the bird out of the nest onto the ground and started our long trek home.

Our steps quickened the closer we got to the mountain. Well, my steps quickened and Rhaz and Axon graciously sped up to keep pace with me. I wanted to be home. I wanted to see my mate again.

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to keep my promise to join her in the furs before it set.

As soon as the clearing came into view, I nearly started running.

“Brexl,” Rhaz growled in displeasure. “This bird is too heavy to run while carrying it.”

“He wishes to see his mate. May we all be so lucky to have someone to come home to one day.” Axon explained on my behalf.

“Brexl!” As soon as I heard Taylor’s voice, I dropped the carcass and ran to her.

“My mate!” We collided into a tight embrace. I lifted her into my arms and kissed her as I’d been longing to do all afternoon.

“You’re alright? Not injured?” What a lucky male I was to have a mate who asked about me before inquiring about our hunt.

“I am well. No injuries.”

The entire dekes had filed out into the clearing. Ashley looked relieved to see Axon had returned uninjured, but her relief quickly turned to sadness, and she turned and walked back through the entrance.

Axon tracked her movements, undoubtedly hearing her every footstep even from this great distance.

Drondia and Karo surrounded their son.

“You did well,” Karo assured Axon.

“You came back uninjured, and that’s what matters.” Drondia hugged her son.

“We were not successful,” Rhaz frowned.

“That does not mean you did not do well,” Nahrul, Jax’s father, who had basically adopted Rhaz as his own, assured him.

Rhaz gave him a weak smile and allowed himself to be led inside.

Jax, Sozu, and Talia dragged the bird inside and started cleaning it.

I carried my mate to the bathing chamber where she helped me get clean and then I joined her in the furs, like I’d promised where I knotted inside her many times that night.