Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Lorna

Our days with the Loppies were filled with trying new foods, visiting with Mable, and spending time alone in the steaming pools. We kept ourselves busy. Whitten helped with chores around the settlement—he worked with the IT Loppie on improving his comm device and other tech gadgets. Whitten pulled carts stacked with clay bricks for new dwellings to various locations underground. The amount of time it took him to push one cart of bricks would have taken the Loppies ten times that. The young Loppies loved to line the streets when Whitten worked, marveling at the amount of weight he could pull. Sometimes, they'd dart into the street to poke his muscles or pull his tail before darting back out of his way with mischievous squeals. Whitten never complained. He volunteered to do as much as he had time for.

As for me, I put my preschool teaching skills to use. The younger Loppies had learning time each morning, and I taught them crafts as well as geography lessons about Earth. They were quite dexterous despite their stubby paws and loved to pet my exposed skin.

Whitten and I both wanted to give back for all the Loppies had done for us, and I found myself vowing to visit them after we left. They were kind, generous, and funny. The neighbor to the right of our dwelling often made sweet treats and dropped them off at our door. The neighbor to our right played harmful pranks on us—sometimes leaping out from behind doors and bushes with a growl before running away.

The days went fast, full of laughter and socialization. As much as I wanted to go home with Whitten, I also knew I'd miss the Loppies terribly. They'd shone me love, affection, and generosity in a time and place I wasn't sure that existed.

I learned they had effective methods of defense—there were only two access points to their underground village, and both were heavily monitored and booby trapped. Mostly, they were left alone by the more aggressive species of the planet as they kept to themselves. I grew to understand that saving us was a big risk, and that made me even more grateful or them.

As the days drew closer to sunrise, Whitten grew more pensive. Sometimes I'd catch him deep in thought, brow furrowed over his light eyes, tail swishing with agitation.

During one of our private moments in the pool, after I'd ridden Whitten's cock while he sat on the pool ledge, I forced him to open up to me. I sat straddling him in the water, and his head was leaned back, eyes to the ceiling.

I forced him to look at me, and it took him a minute to focus on me. "Yes, mate?" His voice didn't hold the languid calm he usually had after he'd spent his release. Already a concerning tension had returned to his tone.

I smoothed the fur of his face. "Something's wrong. Tell me."

I hadn't asked him directly up until now, hoping he'd choose to confide in me on his own. But I realized that might not be fair. Whitten was definitely the type to hold in his emotions for fear of burdening or worrying me.

He sighed and scratched an ear. His jaw opened to speak. Then he stopped. Tried again.

"Hey," I rubbed at the tightness in his shoulders. "I know you might think I'm a fragile female, but we're partners. Mates. We share burdens. It's not fair that you are holding something inside in an effort to protect me, or not worry me. I want your concerns."

His gaze held mine. "I don't think you're fragile. I'm not quite sure where to start. I've never said this out loud. I had never planned to."

He sighed and clasped my waist. His paws squeezed. "I told you that my father was stolen from Planet Corin, home of the Drixonians."

"Yes."

"That's not the whole story. Only I know the true fate of the Drixonians. Not my father. Not Queen. Not my brothers. I learned of it much later, and I've kept it to myself."

Dread licked at my spine. "What you do you mean by their fate ?"

"Drixonians were known for their excellent defense of their planet. Most enemies couldn't even get close to the planet, let alone land on the ground due to the constant patrolling of the Drixonian defense system. So one of their enemies did the only thing they could think of to gain access to the Drixonian population—they unleashed a virus that they had thought would weaken the military. But it was too strong. The virus killed off all the Drixonians females and most of the older males. All that was left were the younger Drixonian male adults and the male chits."

"No," I gasped. "That's absolutely horrible. What happened to them?"

"They didn't know who unleashed the virus. They traveled to the sister planet and worked for a species who they thought were their allies—the Uldani. But they quickly learned the Uldani were responsible. They fought them and were victorious, but the damage was done. The Drixonians are a dying species."

My fingers tightened in his fur. Now I could understand more why he fought so very hard for his offspring not to be used by the Xaberians. My body had the potential to grow the only Drixonian babies in the galaxy. "I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

"I didn't tell my brothers or Queen, because I thought it didn't matter. I had long assumed me and my brothers were sterile. And even if we weren't, we had no way of procreating. No females on this planet are compatible with us. Until you humans came along. Until my brothers brought home their cora-eternals. Until I met you and our bonded loks appeared. Until Fatas changed everything. Now it matters. Now my brothers deserve to know. We are all at risk. At any time, one of us could be captured by the Xaberians and used as a breeder. And now it's even more important that Six be found. What's he being used for?" Whitten shook his head. "And will my brothers and Queen forgive me? I had thought I was protecting them by not telling them. And now I'm risking them by not telling the truth. It has to come out. And the closer we get to sunrise, the closer I am to changing our lives forever."

"Whit," I whispered as tears filled my eyes. My heart ached for him. He trembled beneath me, and his ears twitched in distress. "I understand why you did what you did. That's the decision you made with the information you had at the time. Now you have more information, and you came to a different decision. They might be angry at first, but I saw how much they cared about you. You're their brother. They will accept what you have to say."

"Queen…" His voice choked off. "I think this news will break her. She always seemed to find comfort in the fact that Father came from a well-defended, productive, and happy society. If she finds it all was destroyed…" he closed his eyes. "I can't take her pain."

"But you'll be there for her. Your brothers. Kyle, Kini, and Yanna. Me. We'll all be there for her. We can't change the past. We can only move on from here."

His gaze held mine. He swallowed. His paw slid up my back to settle on the nape of my neck. "I guess I should have confided in you sooner. Your words have eased the knot in my chest."

I smiled. "Well, now you know for the future. Tell me everything. We can't always fix things, but we can get through it together."

"Fatas knew what she was doing when she blessed me with you." He nuzzled his nose into my neck. I caressed his head and scratched between his ears until his chest rumbled with a purr.

"Fatas is the smartest woman I know," I whispered. Our lips met, and the pool room got a whole lot steamier.

Whitten

The Dark was retreating. The sun was rising. I could feel it in my bones as the threat of the Ev receded once more. They would return as they always did. But the long Dark was over for now. Which meant my mate and I could go home.

Every sunrise eve, the Loppies threw a party call Lightful. Lorna likened it to something called a holiday. And with our imminent departure, the entire settlement came out to celebrate. Lorna called it a going-away party, and the Loppies adopted the term. All day, the Loppies had been busy with preparations, and Mable had been out overseeing the decorations, food, and entertainment.

With her arm linked in mine, Lorna nearly skipped to the center of the village where the main festivities were to begin. A stage had been set up. Food was everywhere, garlands hung from roofs, and the young Loppies ran around with paws and mouths sticky from treats.

Our time with the Loppies had gone much faster than I expected. It felt like just yesterday that we'd crashed into their lives on an inflatable pad. I was conflicted about leaving. As much as I wanted to return home, a large part of me was dreading it. While I knew Lorna would be happy in Akoma, she was also so happy here. The Loppies loved her, especially the young ones as she'd worked with them a lot. She explained that on Earth, her job had been to teach very young humans, and I'd been amazed at what she was able to get the rambunctious young Loppies to do.

As we entered the center of the village, the young Loppies mobbed us, touching us with their sticky paws, and shouting in their high-pitched voices. "Loppies miss No Fur. Loppies want No Fur to stay." One smacked my leg, and when I glanced down, he glared up at me in an expression that I supposed was meant to be frightening. Lorna called him Spark, because she said he reminded her of a spark plug, whatever that was. "Beasty takes No Fur from Loppies." He folded his short arms over his belly. "Loppies not like Beasty."

Lorna immediately dropped to a crouch in front of Spark. "Hey now, that's not nice. Me leaving isn't Beasty's fault. My home isn't here."

"No Fur belongs with Loppies." He wasn't giving up.

"I belong with Whitten's family," she said with a pat on his head. "But I'll visit. I promise."

He wasn't satisfied. He gave me another wicked glare before something else caught his attention, and he ran away.

Lorna looked at me with a smile and roll of her eyes. "I'm sorry."

I drew my arm over her shoulders. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad the young Loppies see how special you are."

"But you did a lot of work here too."

"And the older Loppies have thanked me many times. I can handle a temper tantrum from a little one."

She patted my arm just as Mable stepped onto the small stage. Her footsteps were nearly silent on the brick floor as she made her way to the center. The gathered crowd, which had to number in the hundreds, soon fell silent. Or mostly silent. Young Loppies could only be contained for so long, and many still ran around as their parents tried to catch them.

"Today," Mable said, her voice carrying over the crowd, "Loppies celebrate no more dark. Loppies celebrate rise of sun. Loppies celebrate Lightful."

The gathered crowd stomped their small feet, creating a rumbling sound that seemed to shake the ground.

"Loppies say goodbye to Beasty and No Fur." The crowd stomped their feet again, and many in the crowd tapped their chests, which I'd learned was a gesture of affection. "Beasty and No Fur help Loppies greatly. Loppies miss Beasty and No Fur. Loppies wish Beasty and No Fur to visit. Beasty and No Fur wish to speak?"

Her eyes filled with tears and her hands clasped to her chest, Lorna spoke first. "Thank you so much for all you have done for us. You saved our lives, and you gave us peace and safety at a time where we weren't sure we'd ever feel that again. Whit and I will miss you all so much, and we will absolutely visit."

Lorna spoke so well, but the Loppies were looking at me to speak too. "Thank you," I added. "My mate and I are in your debt. We will never forget what you did for us. You always have allies among us Beastys."

The crowd erupted. Feet stomped, voices raised in a cheer, and the party kicked off. On the stage, Loppies sang in groups in an odd warbling mixed with sharp chirps. My translator didn't detect words, but I felt something in my chest at the sounds of elation. Lorna loved it, clapping along and trying to imitate their sounds in a way that the Loppies encouraged.

I sat off to the side while Lorna danced with the young Loppies. Beside me was the Loppie who'd invented the comms device that I'd used several times to call home. I'd nicknamed this Loppie Nervy, since he always seemed to be one moment away from trembling out of his fur. Today, Nervy was the calmest I'd ever seen him. He was younger than I realized, with a new mate and no offspring. His mate was quiet like him, and I'd seen her around Lorna a lot as she was a teacher for the young Loppies.

Nervy ate a treat that dripped with a sticky syrup. He was a mess by the end, resembling half the young Loppies running around with messy fur. I'd grown fond of Nervy. He'd shown himself to be very brilliant, and he treated his inventions like most Loppies treated their offspring. Part of his dwelling was reserved for his tinkering. I'd helped him with a few inventions, including an upgraded security system that would alert him to any intruders sooner.

He finished his treat just as the Loppies singing took a break. He shifted toward me. "B-Beasty will visit Loppie?" He stammered sometimes.

I patted him on the shoulder, and he jerked in alarm before relaxing. "Lorna will want to, and where she goes. I go."

He didn't seem satisfied by that. "B-but does Beasty want to visit Loppies?"

My heart gave a little lurch. Nervy wanted me to want to visit. "I do. Beasty absolutely wants to visit the Loppies."

That made him smile. His ears twitched, and his head ducked. If he had thin skin like Lorna, I bet he would have blushed. I realized that since that first use of his comms device, I hadn't actually complimented him or thanked him. "Listen, you were the reason I was able to talk to my brothers. So many of your inventions have made life easier and safer for the other Loppies, like your water irrigation system for the crops, and the surveillance monitoring. You're important here. And I owe you a lot."

The Loppie beamed at me with a smile I'd never seen him use before. In fact, I wasn't sure I'd ever seen any Loppie smile that big. "Loppie likes Beasty," he said. "Loppie wants to be like Beasty."

I had my flaws, but I didn't correct him. His reaction made me wonder if I'd ever spoke to my brothers that way. If I ever spoke the words to Eleric to thank him for keeping us alive, to Bastian for his strength, Tain for cooking, Lynix for his courage and boldness.

I wasn't sure I ever did. And I'd have to remedy that when I got home. Starting with Queen.

The festivities continued long after the flowers had started to dim to signal nighttime. By now, the dark would have retreated. The sun would be out. After one more night here, we'd be on our way home.

I rose to my feet and stretched. Nervy had been sipping on one of the Loppies homemade brews, and he'd long ago lost his inhibitions. I'd had as many drinks as him, but I couldn't feel a thing. But then I wasn't the size of a Loppie. Lorna had some as well, and her cheeks were flushed a bit pinker that normal. Her eyes shone in the dim lights as she laughed with some female Loppies, including Nervy's mate.

Affection swelled in my chest. I'd long kept so much to myself. I hadn't wanted to share my burdens with my brothers, and I'd wanted Queen to live out the rest of her days conflict-free. But because of Lorna, I now saw that keeping my brothers in the dark was not for the best. And after witnessing all Lorna had to go through and still be able to smile and love, I now realized Queen was far stronger than even I realized. She'd want the truth. She understood reality.

And I owed all of this to my mate.

I took a step toward her, and as if she sensed me, her head turned, and our eyes met across the room. Her mouth was open in a laugh, her hair in thick braids with curls escaping. She wore new clothes she'd been working on for days—a dress dyed in a riot of bright colors. Fleck, she was beautiful. She beckoned me toward her with a curl of her fingers, and a smiled curled my lips. I took another step just as a piercing sound cut through the celebrations.

Somewhere in the distance, the doors to the underground entrances slammed shut. The alarm continued.

Chaos erupted. Loppies squeaked in distress. In concern, Lorna reached for the ones around her, but they fled to their dwellings, gathering their children as they went. My senses went on high alert. Someone was attempting to breach the Loppie village. I looked for Nervy, but he was nowhere to be seen. Mable caught my eye, hurrying toward her home with a contingent of spear-holding Loppies surrounding her. Her guard.

The Loppies had no military. No physical defense. They were a prey species who knew nothing but fleeing.

I raced toward Lorna, who spun around in a circle watching the Loppies helplessly as they squealed in fear as they ran to their homes. I grabbed my mate's arm and tugged her to me as I went after Mable. While she was ahead of me, I closed the distance quickly with my long strides. The alarm had stopped, but the air in the village was permanently changed. Something was wrong.

"Mable," I called out. "What's going on? How can I help?"

She whirled around, and her eyes grew big when she saw me. She swallowed, glanced at her guard, and then schooled her face into one of a controlled leader. "Mable thinks false alarm. Ev sometimes trip sensor when Dark retreats. Mable wants Beasty and No Fur to return to dwelling."

This didn't seem like a false alarm that happens sometimes, not based on the reaction of the Loppies. "But?—"

"Beasty and No Fur return to dwelling." Mable spoke in a strained voice. My fur stood on end.

"I can help," I said. "Beasty can help."

"Mable will let Beasy know if Mable needs Beasty." She tilted her chin in a slight show of defiance.

This was it. She was stonewalling me, and I had to defer to her. This was her village. Her Loppies. I was a guest. "Okay," I acquiesced. "My mate and I will see you in the morning. We plan to leave on time."

Mable raised a paw stiffly. "Mable will see Beasty and No Fur then." With that, she turned on a heel and scurried off with her guard, leaving Lorna and I alone in the empty village center surrounded by trampled decorations, tipped over chairs, and spilled food. The sound of the slamming security doors still rang in my head.