Chapter 15

15

Drak

An-nana has surprised me many times on this day and the sun is still in the sky. Perhaps the most shocking thing she has done is speak so plainly with me about mating. We have never discussed the topic before, and I am glad I now know that we can.

I feel as though our friendship has grown a great deal on this day, and it pleases me immensely. There are many things I would like to ponder over while sharing words with An-nana. As a different species, there is much for her to teach me. And me, her.

We allow our puny hu-nim fire to burn for many moments, even as the sun begins to shift downward. I believe there are hours of sunlight to remain, but not many. When I offer to burn down a patch of trees to gain more attention from afar, An-nana does not accept. In fact, she is rather startled by the suggestion.

"Absolutely not," she snarls at me. I adore how her lip curls up with anger. I do not understand her fury, but it is beautiful nonetheless.

Blinking, I tell her, "I mean no offense, Mean One."

An-nana drops her rigid shoulders and sighs. "I know you didn't. But Drak, you can't burn down a forest. What if there are people hiding in there?"

"I hear no hu-nims," I assure her.

"What if they're hiding too close to the water and you can't hear them over it," she challenges, only her voice is not snappy and harsh, it is soft. "Or what if they're undergroun—" Her eyes widen and light up, the white bits flashing brightly. "Oh, fuck!"

"What is wrong?" I immediately inquire, worry creeping in.

"There's a cave system here!" she shouts, standing to her feet. "It's behind the waterfall, and I can't believe I freaking forgot it. Caleb and I used to hide in there when we were little."

"You think your brothers may have returned there," I gather, getting up as well. "Should you like to go look?"

An-nana nods and starts to gather her things, tightening her belt and checking her weapons. I do not have to prepare as all my things are in order, so I simply watch her as a redness blooms up her neck. Her heart is beating very wildly, and I believe she is excited at our new lead.

"Do you have a flashlight?" she asks, looking at me all over like she may find what she is asking for on her own.

"What is this flash-light ?"

"Portable light for the dark cave," she clarifies. "You have a literal laser bomb, if you don't have some kind of light, I'll be genuinely shocked."

Scratching my chin in thought, I pull my multi-tool from my belt. It is a small cylinder with many shifting options inside of it. Knives, smashing tools, and more.

Gliding my fingers over the touch commands, I select ‘sun' and watch as bright light with a surrounding purple hue flows from the tip of the device.

"Will this work?"

An-nana covers her eyes, backing away, and I click it off as it seems to be harsh on her eyes. " Damn ," she exclaims. "Does that thing have any lower levels?"

Actually, yes, it does. "I can turn it down," I inform her.

"Well, that'll work then," she replies, rubbing her eyes and blinking a few times rapidly. "And what is it with your planet in making lights purple? The lasers were purple too."

"It is the color of our sun and sky," I state proudly. "Your hu-nim lights are white and yellow like your sun."

"Right," she agrees, shaking her head at herself like she has been silly. "Can we go now? I want to get out of there before sundown so I can sleep on the ship instead of being stranded in a cave."

"You would not be stran-dead," I declare. "If we take too long, I will simply carry you back to the ship so you may do your sleeping."

"I—" She looks like she may argue with me but decides against it. "Alright, let's go." I hope she takes too long so I must carry her. It would be most pleasing to do this for my Mean One.

Flashing my fangs at her, I grin. "Lead the way, An-nana."

Only several minutes later, I am not smiling at all. The cave An-nana wishes to explore is much too small for me to fit inside. When I inform her of this, she suggests that I wait outside of it while she goes in alone.

Obviously, the thought is horrifying.

"No, An-nana, it is not safe."

My tiny hu-nim friend gives me a scathing look that makes her appear less tiny. "Did you just tell me no ?"

"You are not thinking properly," I tell her with a wince.

She only glares at me harder. "I'm not what? "

I breathe out, trying to find my words. "An-nana, there could be other hu-nims in there. Bad hu-nims. The water is too loud for me to hear properly. What if you enter and they take you from me? How will I save you if I do not fit?"

"I have to check," she counters stubbornly. "What if they're here or they have been? I have to check, Drak."

I hesitate. It is entirely unsafe, but if I deny An-nana this, she may resent me for it. She is a capable hunter, but she is very small. If she is cornered on her own, I do not know how she will fare.

"You will take my blaster," I tell her firmly. "It will not run out of metal thingies like your hu-nim gun."

Immediately, it is as if the sun consumes her with the way she glows. She tosses her arms around my middle and squeezes. She pulls away before I may return her hug.

"Thank you, Drak," she says softly. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"You will use your voice loudly so that I can hear you in there?"

"I will," she vows, eyes bright with determination.

"Do not take long, do a quick sweep and come back out," I advise. "You can go back in at any time, but it's important not to get lost or hurt."

"I was thinking that too," she admits. "Great minds, I guess."

"What is this?"

She chuckles. "It's another silly hu-nim saying," she explains, teasing me with my words from before. "Great minds think alike."

"Hmm, perhaps not all hu-nim sayings are silly."

I like that An-nana believes my mind to be a great one.

Removing my blaster from my belt, I pass it to her and let out a breath. I must remind myself that it is very unlikely a horde of hu-nims or zom-bays are lurking within this cave system. There are practically no signs of life in this area, so I must remain sensible… but I will tear apart this rock with my bare hands if I must.

Nothing and no one will take my Mean One away.

Once she has the blaster secured, I give her the light tool so that she may see her way through the impending darkness. She takes it eagerly, flicking it onto a lower hue and pointing it at the dark rock in front of us. An-nana readies herself and disappears into the depths of the small cave entrance before I can change my mind and demand that she does not leave my side.

Every moment that she is gone, it feels as if my chest is on fire. The burning sensation is uncomfortable and makes me weary. I do not like that we are separated, even if she will not be gone for long.

"So far, so good!" her feminine voice rings out, allowing me to expel a held breath. I can hear her just fine, and she is okay. If I can hear her yell, I'd be able to hear other creatures inside. My Mean One is going to be okay.

More moments pass, and I wait in silence, keeping my ears trained for any sign of trouble. If An-nana makes even the faintest sound of distress, I will hear it.

I do not know how long she takes, but it is short enough that I don't claw my soul seed from my chest in worry. As she emerges, I don't hesitate to reach for her.

"What are you— ohmygoooood ," she squeals as I lift her from the ground.

"You are safe," I vow, more for my own ears than for hers.

She laughs and relaxes as I set her back down. "I found something, too!"

With an excited smile, the female lifts a small metal gadget that I do not recognize. "What is it?"

"It's a watch," she reports, holding it tightly. She doesn't want to let it go. "Watches are human devices that tell time. This one was my dad's."

"Truly? How do you know?"

Smirking, she flips it over to reveal a small etching in the silver metal.

"That says, Logan . It's my last name, and that's my mom's handwriting. She gave this to him before she died. I don't know why he would leave this behind, but it was just laying on top of a rock. So, maybe they stayed here recently? I don't know, but this is an actual clue. We're getting closer, I can feel it."

She is so pleased, and I find myself smiling with her.

"I should like to tongue twist with you, pretty An-nana."

Perhaps it is a poor move to be so bold with her, but I cannot resist the craving any longer. I want An-nana to know what I am thinking.

Her head rears back in shock. "Tongue twist?"

I concentrate, trying to think of what Stee-vee calls mouths meeting for affection. Aprixians twist tongues but hu-nims… " Keesh? Ka-iss?"

"Kiss?" she guesses, and I nod eagerly.

"Yes," I confirm. "I should like to do this kiss with you, my Mean One."

She hesitates. "Why do you want to kiss me, Drak?"

"I would be a fool to not wish to kiss you, An-nana. I am no fool."

Her fangless teeth capture her bottom lip, and I wish to do it myself. How does she taste? As decadent as she smells? I must know.

"Friends don't kiss, Drak," she tells me, and my shoulders fall in disappointment. Only softly, she speaks up again. "So, if I let you kiss me, you can't get all weird on me. You'll still be my friend, won't you?"

With new confidence rolling around in my chest, I cup the side of her face. "I will be more than your friend, my beautiful, stubborn female."

Her breath catches in her throat and I dip down, putting my lips inches away from hers. Her lovely eyes become heavy, holding my gaze before she fully gives in.

"Fuck it," she breathes, threading her fingers around my neck to tug me close. Our lips brush fiercely, coaxing a small noise from her throat.

An-nana lifts onto her toes to push us closer together, clinging to the back of my neck so I cannot let her go. As if I would dare. This is the best feeling in the world, so much so that I am praying to The Mother that I do not spend myself in my pants.

This lovely hu-nim tastes like honey-coated raindrops, and I am starving for every bit of her flavor. I am content to only taste the outside of her inconceivably soft lips, but An-nana is daring in her pursuit for more. She glides her slippery little tongue along the seam of my mouth, sending a roll of arousal down my spine that has me gasping.

Using the opening of my lips, she thrusts her tongue against mine, and my cock throbs as if lightning has struck it. Her taste invades my every thought, and I wrap my tongue around hers, trying to suck it from the source.

An-nana moans. A sweet and sharp sound of enjoyment that has pride budding in my brain. She is everything .