Epilogue “You’re ruthless.”

It took all of ten minutes on Veloci Major to understand I had found the home of my heart. The large planet boasted a wealth of flora and fauna, including a healthy population of Veloc and the other species they’d befriended across the universe. Had I known I would meet someone from every sentient race, I would have gotten a few extra journals so I could draw, study, and take notes on the people I crossed paths with.

Within thirty minutes of arrival, I learned why the Crimson Feet were so determined to adopt me into their clan. Her name was Emerald Kissed because she had a small stripe of emerald feathers in her crimson crest. Most Veloc were varying shades of a color, but not Emerald Kissed.

Her crimson remained one shade from muzzle to tail, leaving her with limited options for clans.

She barely qualified to join the Emerald Crests, and only due to a technicality. Her mother had been an Emerald Crest, and the splash of green in her crest was sufficient proof of affiliation.

At two feet tall, Emerald Kissed would be a baby for many years, and she still struggled with the loss of her parents, who had been killed during a dispute with traffickers. The targeted victims had been homo sapiens , and the traffickers had not realized they’d stumbled onto Veloc hunting grounds. Six Veloc had died, but fortunately for the sanity of the Crimson Feet, only Emerald Kissed had been orphaned.

The Crimson Feet were many things, but they lacked the nurturing nature of the gentler clans. Emerald Kissed’s mother had been one of the few kinder spirits among them, settling into the role of caretaker for many of the hatchlings.

The other hatchlings had grieved, and sometimes, I heard them keening at a distance, quieting at the calming coos of their parents.

Emerald Kissed regarded us with dull eyes, and I went to her, knelt before her, and went to work smoothing her ruffled feathers, which were in dire need of a proper grooming. After checking to confirm her claws were all capped, I picked her up and settled her weight on my hip, continuing to coo to her. “Is she multilingual yet?”

The three Crimson Feet who’d accompanied her exchanged looks, their crests flat to their skulls. After some silent communication, mostly done in the tilting of heads and the relaxing of their crests, they settled on the smallest of them, a Veloc female with crimson feet, yellow hands, a blue tail, and a pale body, and an emerald crest.

She shook herself, stepped forward, and spoke to the hatchling in Veloci. I recognized an introduction, and when the older female finished, Emerald Kissed rested her head against me.

“She’s not yet multilingual, but she will be a quick study. We don’t usually teach them until they’re a little older, but learning to speak with you will be good for her. She is naturally xenodiverse, and she struggles with the deaths of her parents. But she is familiar and comfortable with homo sapiens , part of why we hope you will help her adapt.”

“Of course.” When honest, I would have helped without payment. “Has she been rejecting grooming?”

“Unfortunately. She wants her mother and father to be the one to groom her. We’re hopeful she may accept attention from homo sapiens , but most are not brave enough to help groom and feed a hatchling.”

Fools, all of them. “You’ll have to show me what to do and give me the supplies. Where’s a good place to bathe her?”

“There is a nearby public bath we use to allow the stressed a chance to relax after returning from space. Please, follow me.”

“Waldren, contain the beasts, please? I’ll see about taking care of Emerald Kissed. You can battle me for your chance for her attention when you’re done with the animals.”

He scowled at me. “You’re ruthless.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive taking care of a cat, a bird, and two death horses. Just let the death horses play with the Veloc while you care for Palta and Squeakers. You can figure out where we’re staying, and then you can have your turn with the hatchling.”

“We can assist you with parking your ship in its proper place, taking care of your forms, and settling your animals,” the Veloc female said, and she raised her crest. “Yiyi will guide you to the baths and help you clean her feathers so she can have her supper.”

The tallest of the Veloc bobbed his head. “Please come with me, Camellia. We will return your companion soon enough.”

I smirked at Waldren. “Hear that, Waldren? You’re my companion.”

“You’re a wicked woman!”

Yes, I was. On the voyage to Veloci Major, I’d found numerous ways to drop hints about merging our quarters, and Waldren’s confusion over the whole thing amused and encouraged me. Me , have any interest in a grump like him ? Hah!

With a little luck and some persistence, I’d succeed and begin teaching him the rather lovely ways we could keep each other company on long voyages.

In the meantime, I’d bide my time, help take care of Emerald Kissed, and enjoy the general festivities.

Rather than answer him, I flicked my tail and followed after Yiyi, ready to take on the Veloc planet by storm.

In the weeks before the ceremony that would see me formally adopted by a Veloc clan, I managed to break my own heart through introducing Emerald Kissed to the gentle Veloc of the Emerald Crests, succeeding at transferring her to a new nest, where she would be treasured by a pair who’d recently sent their younglings out into the world. The situation essentially guaranteed I would accept adoption from the Crimson Feet, as rather than posture, offer gifts, and otherwise try to convince me to join them, they fretted over the fate of their orphaned hatchling.

Accepting them meant they would be able to keep a close and careful eye on their little baby.

Perhaps one day, Emerald Kissed might return to them, but for the moment, she would experience peace, comfort, and love in their purest forms.

I wanted to keep the hatchling to myself, but I realized I couldn’t.

Veloc preferred the safety and comfort of their home worlds.

I needed to fly.

Not only did the Crimson Feet encourage me to fly, they wanted me to shine in new ways. They would do the fighting, and I would help the displaced find new homes and purpose. I would be able to give people new opportunities.

Like the Emerald Crests had done for me, I would be able to travel to the sites of tragedy and assist the survivors. If there were others like me, I would be able to help them.

I suspected the Emerald Crests would win a place on Veloci Major for the next period solely due to the protectorates on Melody and Harmony. With the Crimson Feet backing them due to my adoption, only a fool would try either clan.

I’d already heard whispers of the Veloc making changes to their society and how they determined which clans had rights to nest on Veloci Major, change that would see the most vulnerable of their people safe under the watchful eye of all the guardian clans.

The clan that adopted Delta would have to deal with Melody and Harmony as well, as he was determined to see Squeakers and her kin thrive. The Emerald Crests already had a small flock of the birds, and Squeakers could come and go as she pleased.

Delta wanted entire flocks of the little birds on his home world, kept away from predators and in an indoor version of paradise. They would have their regenerative crabs, beaches, and waters lapping at their shores. If a bird broke its beak on the rocks provided, they would be removed, healed, and sent off to become a prized companion of a sentient.

Their lives would go on in the peace and tranquility of Melody, but all throughout the universe, existing without fear and worry and able to maintain their odd culture and society.

Squeakers and her kin did a lot to change perceptions of avian intellect and sentience. Technically, they didn’t classify as true sentients. However, nobody could deny the truth: the birds had created a society, and they had developed a culture unique to them.

If I did need to return to a world for schooling, Squeakers, Plague, and Pestilence would need to go with me. The death horses disliked when I left them alone for more than a day. Squeakers had learned to sneak into any bag I carried if she wanted to stay with me, which was often.

She currently napped in my purse, a gift from a Crimson Feet female particularly determined to be friends with me. Like Emerald Kissed, she was almost completely red, although she had some variances to her hues. She had six blue feathers, and unfortunately for her, they were isolated, barring her from joining any of the azure clans.

One day, she might gift me with her name, but I simply called her my friend.

The purse had been designed specifically with Squeakers in mind, including a small pouch she could nest in, more pouches for treats, and space enough for the things I needed to carry to keep the Veloc from fretting.

Part of me wanted the festivities to end, as the Crimson Feet kept picking fights with the expectation I would rob them of their baubles. I enjoyed the brawls, as it let me work out the worst of my nerves, but I didn’t need any more damned baubles.

Waldren had escaped being decorated with baubles. At his last grooming, the Veloc had keened and wailed over the situation.

A cut had been in order to restore his scalp’s health, and what remained was too short for baubles. As it was, Waldren would need treatments for three weeks to restore his scalp.

The cause amused me. In my absence, he had begun scratching at his hair, something he’d done as a child when anxious and stressed. My return had calmed his fretting for the most part.

Whenever I caught him raising his hand to give himself a good scratching, I swatted, asked if he actually had an itch, and if he did, took care of offering relief, just as the Veloc had done for me while my ears were healing.

While we waited to enter the amphitheater, Waldren fidgeted, and rather than assault his poor scalp again, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Why must there always be drama?”

“They’re Veloc, Waldren. That’s what they do. They’re so dramatic they begged to be able to use Plague and Pestilence for the ceremony. I spent an entire week teaching them how to do a demonstration of their agility, prowess, and beauty. An entire week of my life, gone!”

As Waldren had enjoyed the week as much as I had, he snorted at my commentary. “They would have used Squeakers, too, but she kept taking naps and ruining their plans, which is why she’s riding in your purse. They stole Palta!”

“Palta loves riding Pestilence, Waldren. You’d break her heart if you kept her in the crowd when she could be showcasing her majesty.”

“Why are we doing this? We knew weeks ago which clan is getting you. There are no surprises here. Hell, the other clans have been tossing us presents because they’re pleased with the outcome. They aren’t even trying to convince you to join them. They’re just relieved Emerald Kissed has a nest again and that their elite feathered murder machines aren’t wandering Veloci Major keening over the situation. There isn’t going to be a surprise with Delta’s adoption, either. He’s going to be picking one of the azure clans because of how closely knit they are with the rest of Veloc society. Honestly, I think he’ll be adopted by all the azure clans, because they’ve been distressed by what happened to Emerald Kissed—and to your friend.”

I nodded. “I understand why they go by the color of their feathers, but that’s nothing a little dye can’t fix as needed. Bleach the feathers, dye them the color of their clan, and it’s fine. I’ll be reminding them bleach and dye are real things they can use at their leisure. If Emerald Kissed hadn’t melded well with that pair from the Emerald Crests, I would have started bashing heads together until she was in a suitable nest for her.”

“The Crimson Feet adore you for that, by the way. You gave them what they needed the most: a good future for their little hatchling.”

“I’m still questioning where they got the money for that damned racer and all your upgrades,” I muttered.

“The Veloc are stupidly rich, and the Crimson Feet are richer than most Veloc clans. They are adventurous for Veloc, and they’ve uncovered numerous shiftgem gates over the years—and they protect those gates viciously. They also have high numbers, and all of them are elite feathered murder machines. And the Crimson Hands and Crimson Tails are just as vicious. Between their numbers, drive to end trafficking of sentience, and drive to roam even in space, they have accumulated great wealth.” Waldren shrugged. “I’m pretty sure your death horses are going to be battling Veloc so the Veloc can win the right to claim you as their adoptee. It’ll be rigged in favor of the Crimson Feet, but if the Veloc do not get their drama, we’ll hear about it for years to come.”

“I hate that you’re probably right.” I sighed, well aware that my death horses would enjoy beating the snot out of Veloc, especially Plague. Pregnancy hormones had transformed the mare into a demonic entity capable of destroying worlds, and if she was not pleased by something, she let everyone know about it. I escaped her temper, as did Waldren, Pestilence, Palta, and Squeakers, but every other living creature was fair game.

I hoped there were no literal deaths by the end of the day. The last thing any of us needed was listening to an entire planet of Veloc keening.

“It’ll be fine. Once you’re adopted, they’re going to move to phase two of their plans, which involves you establishing a nest. That’s what Veloc do. After they secure their pet homo sapiens , they marry them off. These ceremonies are fun and games for them. Marriage ceremonies? Now that is what Veloc live for. And as Delta and Viva already had their ceremony, you’re next.”

I wouldn’t be next if the target of my romance kept insisting on resisting my advances. “If they think I’m next, I have news for you, Waldren. You’re next.”

“I am not the spunky woman who decided attacking Veloc and robbing them was a good idea. As you’ve charmed the entire species with your daring, you’re next.”

“No, you’re the poor, sad, and lonely little male who has been in need of healing because some evil Veloc whisked away your sister, capturing her in marriage.” Waldren’s sister, who would be somewhere in the amphitheater with her husband and the Emerald Crests, would spend the rest of the day laughing at her brother upon finding out about our argument. “The poor, sad, and lonely little males must be dealt with first, for they whine and stress their clan into unscheduled molting. You’re next.”

My friend, who had given herself the job of making certain we made it to the ceremony, approached, her head tilted to the side with her crest raised. “Are you two literally arguing over which one of you is going to romance the other first?”

“He’s next because I have a head start on him,” I informed her in a solemn tone. “As such, he’s the one who is going down first.”

“I do not think that is how romance works, Camellia.”

“It does when the poor, sad, and lonely little male in question is stubborn, grumpy, dense, and hasn’t figured out when to stop running,” I complained.

My friend regarded Waldren, and she flattened her crest. “You can continue to be stubborn and grumpy, but you really need to fix the dense and prone to running portions of this. You exhaust your female, you exhaust us, and you exhaust your clan. Get caught already. If you get caught, we will be forced to fling presents upon you. I am confident we can secure a second racer so that you can compete with your female. We can even help acquire proper stalls so you can take turns hauling your racers when you aren’t taking both of them.” She leaned closer to Waldren, displayed her teeth, and issued a warning growl. “And should you run, know you cannot hide, because we—and I mean we —will hunt you down and drag you back to your new nest kicking and screaming if we must.”

I loved the Veloc, especially when the anti-social elite among them decided to take the abrupt approach with problems. To reward her, I snuggled into her plush feathers and preened her neck with my fingers. “There, Waldren. Now you have a tempting dowry to lure you into being next. An entire racer, all for you, and all you have to do is sacrifice some of your pride and permit yourself to be captured. But don’t worry. You and Palta will be offered a most comfortable nest, free from the clutches of your sister’s husband, the evil being that he is.”

I’d met the Veloc responsible for having brought the siblings into the Emerald Crests, and he tolerated being ambushed, snuggled into submission, and robbed with grace.

I wore his green shiftgem crystal in my hair, one of my favorite prizes.

Waldren’s sister had apologized, repeatedly, for all the trouble he kept causing me, especially on the romance front.

Waldren’s grumpy ways made an appearance, and he leveled his most dour glare my way. “You’re siding with them!”

I nodded. “They know what I want, and they’re siding with me , sir. You’re next . You can surrender or put up a fight, but you are not escaping. You will be transferred to your new nest kicking and screaming if you refuse to cooperate. And not a single Veloc will assist you. Your fellow homo sapiens won’t lift a finger to help you, either. They know better than to come between a female and the male she hunts.” Then, to make it clear I would not lose, I said, “And once I have captured an entire Veloc clan, I will have them help me. And your clan will betray you . They’ll help me. Why? Because they like me.”

Waldren raised an eyebrow. “You are confident.”

“I am. I am the one being adopted today, as is Delta… and Delta is on my side. All he has to do is say a few words, and his new clan will join forces with me to make certain you are appropriately transferred to your new nest. But just keep your eyes on the various prizes. You will be safely claimed, and you will no longer be hunted by female Veloc seeking to breed adorable little hatchlings with you. You will be gifted with a beautiful racer you can ask me nicely to upgrade for you without your clan helpfully sabotaging the pieces.”

“Helpfully?” Waldren flung his hands in the air. “They sabotaged my entire ship . That was not helping.”

I took my turn raising a brow and staring him into submission. “You were brought to me for my enjoyment for weeks. They were helping me. Had you resisted less, your ship would have been just fine, but no. You’re stubborn. And I’m immune to your grumpy ways, so don’t even try that with me, sir.”

My friend hooted her amusement, and as she was likewise immune to Waldren’s grumpiness, she nuzzled him. “They were teaching you she is ready to fly, and they put her in a position where she could shine while you drooled like the hopeless and dense male you are. You lose nothing from being next, and you gain much. She will drag you across the stars with your precious Palta in tow, and you will find joy in the journey. But if you resist, we all have a great deal of fun. So do at least posture some to drive her new clan a little wild. Please, at the very least, accept that your nest now has two occupants instead of one. We can wait, at least a while, for the wedding ceremony. But do not think you are escaping the ceremony. I will drag you to Veloci Major for it myself if need be. You are on notice, Waldren. You’re next .”

I loved everything about the Veloc and their twisted society. I kissed my friend on her muzzle before planting my hands on Waldren’s shoulders and shoving him in the direction of the amphitheater entrance. “We can discuss this more in our quarters tonight. But there is no more my quarters and your quarters. They’re our quarters, and any of our quarters with beds too small for two will be destroyed. ”

“Upgraded,” my friend corrected. “Those beds are expensive, so they will be upgraded rather than destroyed.”

“If he resists tonight, the bed gets what it deserves.” I hissed at her, well aware the Veloc enjoyed when I stood my ground.

She hissed back.

Waldren turned, wrapped his arms around my shoulder, and dragged me away before I could pick a fight and try to steal another bauble. “But what if I want you to be next?”

“We can discuss that in our quarters tonight.” To make it clear I wasn’t fully domesticated, I took a swipe at my friend and hissed at her. “Go ahead and push me, you feathered menace! Once I’m finished with him, maybe you’ll be next.”

“Oh, no. I am being threatened with matchmaking and romance. I am not certain how I will cope.”

To my delight, she did the Veloc equivalent of death throes, flopping onto the ground and twitching, sprawled every which way. While I laughed, Waldren dragged me well out of reach. “You are such a cat sometimes, Camellia.”

“Well, maybe if you’d resist a little less, I wouldn’t have time to showcase my status as a cat. This is your fault, Waldren.” As I couldn’t reach my friend, and he would drag me to our seats without even a hint of remorse, I gave up the fight and went along willingly, checking to make sure we hadn’t disturbed Squeakers.

The little bird still slept, safe and sound in her nest within my purse.

“I’m starting to think my sister gave me some bad advice,” he muttered.

His sister would, as she enjoyed drama. “What advice did she give you?”

“For the best result, put up a long fight.”

That evil woman would pay. “It’s been plenty long!”

“Prove it.”

I yowled my frustration for the gathered Veloc to hear, aware I drew more than a few pairs of eyes with my antics. “If it wasn’t for this dumb ceremony, I would!”

“You can prove it after,” he reminded me.

“But that’s not now, and I want now .”

With a sigh promising his patience had been tested to its limits, he herded me to our seats, which were located in the front and center of the bowl. As one of the two prizes up for grabs, I’d be seated next to Delta. Waldren would sit beside me, and Viva would keep her partner contained.

At some point during the ceremony, we would be expected to bolt for freedom, scuffle with members of our future clans, and be dragged, with as much drama as we could muster, to the stage, where we’d be cuddled into submission.

I looked forward to the whole ridiculous thing.

“I’m sure you’ll survive until after the ceremony,” Waldren replied, chuckling over the whole damned thing, not that I blamed him.

Several months of frustration left me with a tendency to want to bite, drag Waldren off, and do as I wished with him. Without that frustration, I would have been laughing, too.

“It’s entirely possible I will perish before the conclusion of this ceremony.” I plunked into my seat, crossed my arms over my chest, and huffed, turning my ears back.

A rather amused Viva headed our way, dragging Delta behind her. “What is it with these two, Waldren? They’re being adopted, not murdered.”

“Mine is suffering from nesting syndrome and wishes to be in her nest conquering,” Waldren informed the fox hybrid in a solemn tone. “Yours?”

“Mine just likes being wild and free, and his status as unclaimed ends today. He’ll get over it.” Viva shoved Delta onto his chair and sat. “Camellia, I recommend that you ask your new clan to help you drag the subject of your affections to your lair. Once there, lock him in and remove your clothes. Then remove his clothes. He will understand the point the moment his clothes suffer from a violent accident. The trick is to engage in consensual violence, where the only actual victim is his attire if he does not get out of it before you take him out of it. Once the clothing is removed from the equation, even the most stubborn males accept their fate. If he didn’t want you ripping him out of his clothes, he would have said no by now. He’s been raised by Veloc. Veloc females absolutely will use force on stubborn males. Make your move, and good things will happen.”

“She can’t help it she’s a cat,” Waldren said. “Cats have to play with their toys first.”

Delta snickered. “Don’t bother denying it, Waldren. You’ve been running because you love when she chases you.”

To my disgust, Waldren nodded his head in agreement. “Mostly, I wanted to see how far she’d go. I’m not sure she’s getting much farther without literally going insane, though. I think I’ve managed to drive at least three or four Veloc clans to madness as well. Apparently, they’re digging through Earth customs and offering a dowry if I take her.”

“What kind of dowry?” Viva asked.

“A racer like hers.”

“I would not be holding out if that kind of racer was put on offer,” she admitted. “Are you going to take pity on the poor woman already? I actually like her, and I’ll miss her if you manage to drive her completely insane.”

“I’m going to let her convince me tonight when she drags me off to her nest,” he replied in a solemn tone. “A racer like hers is serious business.”

“The woman isn’t a bad acquisition,” Viva reminded him. “She can fix your ship. She’s going to end up fixing mine , and that’s saying something. Sure, she can’t pilot yet, but you’ll have the best maintained ship in the universe with her on your team. You’ll have plenty of time to teach her the joys of the universe. Just let her rile up every Veloc here and put up a fight first. It’s more fun that way. Camellia, you have to wait until after the presents. It’s your turn to gather some life-debts, and you have an entire clan of them headed your way.”

Shit. “I did nothing to earn a life-debt. I refuse!”

“You can’t refuse. You helped to make sure Emerald Kissed thrives, and the Veloc take their hatchlings seriously. If you’re not careful, you’re going to end up with an entire species of life-debts, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

To make it clear she was an entity of pure evil, Viva cackled at my misfortune.

I sighed. “Please tell me she’s joking, Delta.”

“She’s really not. Misery loves company, and while Viva helped a hatchling in a much different way, to them, it’s the same importance. Because of you, Emerald Kissed thrives. You gave her what she needed the most in her time of need, and that’s a life-debt you’re just going to have to live with.”

“Are you sure we can’t run to our nest now, Waldren?”

“I’m sure, but I’ll help you forget about those mean old Veloc and their life-debts after the presents,” he promised. “Just know I come with a furry tyrant of a supervisor. In good news, I’ve learned that my furry tyrant enjoys naps after she’s given her supper, which will leave us with plenty of time for our private discussion over which one of us is going to be next. I feel I should be the last man standing. I’ve held out this long!”

“If the Veloc do not get their fancy wedding ceremony, they will keen for all eternity,” I warned him.

“They can have their fancy wedding ceremony as long as I have the satisfaction of your surrender.”

I considered him through narrowed eyes. “Who taught you how to flirt?”

“You did. I just paid attention while pretending to be completely oblivious to your attempts to lure me into your quarters. I was just following my sister’s excellent advice and biding my time. If you surrender, I get a racer all my own, Camellia. I’ll even enter competitions with you, and we can place bets. I’m sure we can come up with many mutually beneficial bets once I have a racer, too. I have needs. A racer like yours is one of my needs. I just didn’t know it until I saw yours.”

As I could understand his point, having not known I had needed a racer until receiving mine, I nodded my acceptance of his stance. “But what does surrendering win me ?”

“A thorough exploration of all the ways I might make you purr,” he replied.

Who needed pride with such an offer on the table? “Okay, I accept your terms. I surrender. Make these Veloc hurry up so you can get this show on the road. I now have plans for this evening, and the feathered murder machines are not invited.”

“Try to be a little patient. You’ll get exactly what you want and deserve tonight, I promise.”