Chapter 21

Abby

More than a week has passed since Rojtar and I started…dating, I suppose I’d call it. We’ve managed to devise a system for when we want privacy. Because I don’t want Carter to feel like he can’t be comfortable in the tent we share, Rojtar and I often sneak away from the village for our many make out sessions. Ones that have been going progressively farther each time.

He must have also either asked one of the other women or the men mated to a human about dates, because he’s been bringing me small trinkets and gifts every day. Yesterday it was the most adorable ketri figurine he whittled out of wood. A skill his dad taught him before he died. The day before that was the best gift I’ve ever received. My own bow and arrow fit to my size.

“I’m going to spar with the others. See you when you get back,” Carter calls out.

“Have fun and be careful.”

There’s the sound of the door flap swinging out as well as his voice meeting those of the other kids before it grows faint.I step out from behind the hung changing sheet wearing a clean hunting outfit excited to try out my new weapon with Rojtar.

He and I are heading into the hills to find a herd of the alien goats they call dhibani. While I haven’t done too badly with the small spear he made, I had a close call with a dreri the other day that didn’t take too kindly to me trying to kill it.

Rojtar has become a tad over protective since then which has me conflicted. On one hand, it’s sweet that he’s trying to keep me from getting hurt. But on the other, I’ve been independent and done what I choose to do for far too long to take his hovering well. I love that he wants me safe, but he’s also driving me crazy.

I snag my bow and sling the quiver of arrows Rojtar crafted over my shoulder so I can head out. It’s going to be a beautiful day if the morning is any indicator. The temperature is comfortable and there’s not a single cloud in the lavender sky. I’m still not used to the wrongness of the colors on this planet, but I’m learning to tolerate it a bit more. Maybe because so much of it reminds me of Rojtar’s skin tone which I love.

Other hunters stride through the village with their various weapons on the way to the central fire where I’m meeting Rojtar for breakfast before we leave for the day. I’m slowly coming to accept the fact I don’t have to rely only on the food I provide for myself and that it’s perfectly fine to partake of what’s readily available.

My form has filled out since moving to the village as well. Not that my clothes are getting tight, because they were a little big to begin with. But my cheeks are a bit rounder along with my ass. Even my belly is more slightly rounded. A fact Rojtar must love considering the amount of time and attention he spends paying homage to it when we escape for alone time.

As always, he’s waiting for me with two bowls in hand. Evren is with him, which isn’t unusual since I’ve discovered they’re close friends. He’s also the same guy who took my bundle of leburin at the tanning tent the day Lewis attacked me.

“Good morning, keeshla .”

“Morning.” I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and take the bowl he passes to me. “Hey, Evren.”

“Greetings, Abby.”

“Are you going hunting with us today?” I’ve been working on my people skills and while I like Rojtar’s friend well enough, I’m still a bit selfish with wanting to spend time alone with my mate.

“Not this turn, but perhaps another,” he says. “Jodah, Rassim, Katem, and I are tracking a luani.”

“Good luck and please be safe.” Rojtar has told me about the massive mutant alien leonine-like animal that’s the most dangerous creature on the planet. In fact, one almost killed Jodah not that long ago.

Evren fists his chest. “You have my thanks. I sense luck will be with us this turn.”

He claps Rojtar on the shoulder, gathers his weapons from where they’re propped up against one of the benches, and heads for the front entrance. I set my bow and quiver in their place and take a seat. Rojtar squeezes in next to me and the heat of his thigh pressing against mine sends warmth through it. The familiar weight of his tail wraps around my butt and hips. I like that I’m getting so comfortable with all his casual touches. It’s one more effect of the trust I’ve been placing in him.

“Are you ready to try out your new weapon?”

“Definitely.” We’ve had a few basic lessons on how to hold the bow, nock an arrow, and release the sinew string. My aim has been improving with each launch, too. It’s not any worse than my aim with the spear so we’ll see how the hunt goes.

My fingers still sting from the effort, but Rojtar’s assured me my skin will toughen up over time. They actually tingle with the memory of him rubbing the healing salve into them. Which led to other parts of me tingling and then a hot and heavy make out session where I very nearly begged him to fuck me.

I lean more fully into him while I eat the hearty grain he sweetened with the shurup nectar he loves. I’m coming to love it as well. Sweets weren’t readily available to those of us on the bottom tier unless we were willing to pay a whole lot of credits for them. Something most of us didn’t have. At first the nectar had been too sweet since I wasn’t used to the flavor, but it’s growing on me.

“I’m glad the weather is getting warmer.” While the Tavikhi winter didn’t last long, there had been so much snow and it had been far colder than the previous one, even if we weren’t here for the entirety of it.

“I am glad for you as well since the cold season does not agree with humans.”

“Because it’s freezing.” I laugh. “We’re not used to it back on Earth. At least not that level of cold.”

“From what you have told me, perhaps that is the only good thing about your planet,” Rojtar says. “That your weather is milder.”

“The upper tier has it great, so I’m sure there are no complaints from them about our planet.” Although, after hearing bits and pieces of what brought Sage, Zara, and Remi to Tavikh, maybe the upper tier wasn’t as perfect as I’ve always been led to believe.

“I hope that after you have been here longer, you will feel the same about Tavikh.”

Rojtar gets a small shoulder nudge from me. “I don’t need to be here longer to know this is a pretty good planet, especially because you’re on it.”

He bends his head and kisses me, licking the shurup nectar from the corner of my mouth. “My soul light burns for you.”

With each new time he tells me that, a greater part of my heart opens and he inches farther into it. It’s not those three little words, but I still hear them. Considering how soul lights work, to me, it means he loves me. I’m almost positive I love him as well—or near enough to it—but I keep holding myself back.

I lay my hand on Rojtar’s chest where his heart beats a steady rhythm beneath my palm and let the kiss linger a bit longer. Strong and steady just like him.

“If you continue touching me like this, keeshla ,I may steal you away to your tent and we will forget all about hunting for the day,” he murmurs against my lips.

As unopposed as I am to the idea, I know how important providing food for the village is to Rojtar. It’s becoming just as important to me as well. With far too much reluctance, I draw back and meet his gaze. “As tempting as your offer is, we really should see if we can bring back a dhibani or two.”

“Perhaps I can tempt you again when we return.”

“Perhaps.” I act coy, even though we both know it won’t take much effort on Rojtar’s part.

We quickly finish breakfast and grab our weapons. Our pace is swift as we stride out of the village and through the field on the way to the tree-covered hills. Random dhibani dot the side of them, but they’re too far away to be of any use to us.

The silence is peaceful as we make our way up one of the dirt paths. Kala, Sorin, and the few remaining Krijese live out here somewhere according to Rojtar. Aside from Sorin there is only one other child, as well as a handful of females and warriors. The rest of the members of their tribe are all elders.

It’s hard to reconcile the vicious monsters who killed my father with the two Krijese Rojtar and I hunted with. None of them have said whether Kala had ever raided the human settlement and I’ve never asked. Some things are best left unknown.

Perspiration dots my forehead and a bead of sweat drips down between my breasts. Beneath the quiver, my shirt grows damp. Still, it feels good to be out in the wide open with nature. The slope up the hill steepens and my breaths quicken. Finally, it levels out. Right as it does, Rojtar calls a halt. He gestures toward a narrow break in the trees to our right and I squint to try and locate whatever it is he sees.

Sure enough, a herd of dhibani stand around. Unlike the dreri we hunt, the alien goats aren’t grazing. They’re merely standing there without a care in the world. Little do they know their time is limited. Poor things.

Rojtar slowly moves closer and I step exactly where he does so I don’t make any sounds to alert them of our presence. When we’re within shooting range, we stop. Quickly, I get an arrow prepped and ready to fly. He does the same. Once we’re both in position, he nods and we let loose our shots. To my shock, two creatures go down and the rest scatter. I jump with a loud whoop.

“We did it.” I crow and do a little shimmy.

“Well done, keeshla .” He smiles with pride.

“Same to you.”

Together, we make our way to the fallen dhibani. Rojtar does have to finish off one of them—most likely mine—and the guilt swells again. I need to improve my aim so they don’t suffer.

“Are we going to track the rest of them and see if we can get a couple more?” It’s still early enough in the day that we have plenty of time to do so.

“Carter will not worry if we are gone longer?”

I shake my head. “He knows we’re hunting. Besides, you won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Never. I will protect you with my life,” Rojtar says and it sounds like a vow.

“I know you would, but I don’t ever want it to come to that.”

He dips his head. “Then we will continue on our hunt. If we find them easily and bring down more than we both can carry, we will make a sled to haul them back to the village.”

I’ve read about those in the book I found. “Let’s do this then.”

We pick up the goats—which, thankfully, weigh far less than a dreri—and head deeper into the trees. A loud popping sound causes the alien birds—mellenje—to shriek and soar from the trees away from the noise. It takes a second for me to process that Rojtar has fallen to his knees. When he topples over, I stare in horror and scream his name.