Chapter 10

Lynix

"Fleck," I cursed as I took off after Yanna.

She screamed a roar I hadn't thought she was capable of as she raced toward the group of Dayloes who held the arm of a small scrawny human. I thundered behind her as she slung her arm with a vicious whip. The rock sailed through the air and caught the Dayloes between the eyes. The clang on his body plated armor echoed off the surrounding tree trunks, and he growled as he tossed the small human to the side and raced toward Yanna.

But he didn't see me until it was too late. His eyes went wide as he skidded to a halt. Gloved hands fumbled at his belt, but I was on him before he could draw his weapon. He was dead before he could utter a sound, his throat ripped out with my claws.

Yanna switched direction and raced toward the other human, who stared at her as if he had seen a ghost.

The clearing was chaos. Dayloes weren't sure what to do, chase down the humans or flee from me. Their indecision was their downfall. I was fueled by the power of my cora-eternal mating, and I'd never felt this kind of strength. I felt like I could rip a tree out of the ground, roots and all. But that wasn't necessary. I sliced into the Dayloes, and they fell to the ground in pieces along with the rest of them.

When every Dayloes lay dead, I turned to find Yanna crouched in the front of the human, stroking chin-length hair off his face. I stepped toward them, but the small human—a male, the Dayloes had said—hissed out a warning and threw his small body in front of Yanna. He held up his small, dirty fists. He swiped at the crusted blood on his lip and nose while he took up a fighting stance. But he was hobbled as his right ankle was twice the size of his left.

Still, he made to defend Yanna against me. I'd been hesitant to save another human. I'd only killed the Dayloes so Yanna didn't get hurt, but the sight of this human male preparing to go to battle for Yanna made my chest tight. He must have the same values as me. She is All.

Yanna placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. That lion man? His name is Lynix, and he's on our side."

The boy's arms shook. He had small biceps, and his ribs were visible through the many holes in this threadbare shirt. His blue eyes bulged in face, round and frightened.

"Are you sure?" he rasped, his voice a series of cracking dips and squeaks.

Yanna pushed down on his fists. "I'm positive. You're safe now."

The boy trembled. Staggered. But remained on his feet seemingly out of pure will. His eyes leaked, and he sniffed as he rubbed at his face. Despite his chin wobble, he kept his lips pressed together, still eying me with caution as he fought to be brave.

My heart thudded in my chest. I had never seen a human male. Never desired to. I hadn't expected them to be anything of worth, but this small male… he impressed me. I stepped forward and went to a crouch in front of him. He had to look down at me, as he was only slightly shorter than Yanna. I noticed a translator implant behind his ear,

"He's not full grown?" I asked, poking at his stomach with a claw.

The human narrowed his eyes and smacked my paw away. "Don't touch me." He pressed closer to Yanna.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

His gaze softened only slightly when he looked at her. "Kyle."

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"I'm Yanna."

His head cocked. "What're you doing here?"

She laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "I wish I could tell you that."

His eyes were a bright blue, and his light brown hair hung in his eyes. "I don't know either. I think they thought I was a girl. I have a twin sister, so…" he shook his head. "At least she's still home. Safe." His blunt teeth caught his lower lip. "I hope."

Yanna didn't lie to him. "I hope so too. But if she's not, and she's somewhere here, we will find her." She pointed to me. "He'll help us."

The boy—Kyle—still watched me with caution. "How do you know he's not lying?" He rubbed his chest with a grimace. "Everything on this planet hurts us."

"We've been through a lot, Lynix and I," Yanna smiled. "He's proven himself to me time and time again. He's going to take us somewhere safe. There's another human woman there with his brothers. Actually, two women."

"A-And they will still take care of me even if I'm a boy?"

"Yes," Yanna and I said at the same time. Kyle wasn't a female, but he meant something to Yanna. Therefore, he meant something to me.

The last of the fight seemed to leave the kid. His body swayed, and his lashes fluttered. "Fuck," he muttered as his face paled. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple. "I'm just…so tired."

His eyes rolled back into his head, and I caught him before he hit the ground.

When I returned with two dead quirts hanging from a string, Kyle was awake again. His pale cheeks had some color returned to them, and he was clean—his hair slicked back off his young, angular face. Yanna must have taken him to the stream to bathe. He wore a pair of clothes we'd raid from the Dayloes supplies which hung on him as they were too large.

Yanna and Kyle sat close together near a fire I'd started before I left to hunt. They glanced up as I approached. Yanna smiled, big and bright, while Kyle's cheeks flushed a deep red. "Sorry about that," he murmured as he looked up at me through dripping lashes.

"I told you not to apologize," Yanna placed a hand on his arm. "You're injured, hungry, and dehydrated."

He held a skin of water in his hand, and eyed the quirts as I dropped them on the ground. He licked his lips. "Is that food?"

"It is," I skinned them quickly with my claws. While Yanna busied herself tending to the fire and organizing our supplies, Kyle watched me. I noticed he glanced down at his fingers a few times, at the blunt, broken nails there.

I beckoned to him. "Come here."

He shuffled toward me on his knees before sitting back on his heels. I handed him a blade and showed him how to properly skin the quirt for eating. He listened intently, nibbling his bottom lip, and I let him skin the second quirt by himself. It wasn't pretty, but he'd managed to preserve the meat, which was all that mattered.

"I've never done that before," he breathed. "I've never even been on farm." He glanced at Yanna. "I lived in DC. My dad worked security for a politician, and we didn't travel much."

"I'll teach you what you need to know," I told him.

I slid the quirts on a spit over the fire, and Kyle paid rapt attention to my movements. He was an eager learner, and I noticed he kept the knife I'd given him clutched in his white-knuckled fist. "That's yours now."

He glanced down, seeming to notice for the first time how tightly he gripped the knife. His fingers loosened. "Really?"

"You'll need a weapon. I'll teach you how to fight, to defend yourself and protect the females."

His eyes brightened, a deep blue that reminded me of the water. "I'd like that."

"I can do some fighting to protect myself, you know," Yanna grumbled.

"You're one of us," I explained to him with a pat on my chest. "My brothers and I live by the creed She is All. Females are to be exalted and protected. They are our future. Do you understand?"

He swallowed before nodding solemnly. "I always protected my sister." He pointed to a scar along his hairline. "I got this when I fought some kid who was hassling her at school." He fidgeted with the knife. "The night I was taken, she wasn't home because she was sleeping over at a friend's house. I'm glad it was me who was taken and not her. As long as she's safe…" Suddenly his eyes went wide and panicked. "Wait, is Earth okay? Was there an invasion or something?—?"

"No," I answered quickly. "Earth is fine."

His chest heaved. "How do you know? What if?—?"

"Whitten would know."

"Who's Whitten?" Yanna and Kyle said at the same time.

"One of my brothers. An Earth invasion would be a massive undertaking. We'd know. Earth is fine. The Xaberians want the humans to keep breeding on their own, so the Xaberians can steal a few at a time."

Kyle relaxed at that. Somewhat. "If you say so."

"When we get home, I'll have Whitten show you proof."

Kyle nodded and his shoulders slumped. "Yeah. Okay."

When the meat was done, I showed him how to pick it. "Females get the best cuts with the most fat and calories. They need it."

I placed a pile of greasy meat in front of Yanna, but she shook her head. "No, Kyle gets this."

I frowned. "But?—"

At the same time Kyle puffed out his narrow chest with a protest on his lips. "I'm fine."

"He needs the calories," Yanna cut us off with a slightly raised voice. "He's a growing young man. If he was on Earth, he'd be eating everything in his house and annoying his parents. He needs as much food as we can give him right now, Lynix. Please understand this and trust me."

Kyle eyed the meat like it was the most precious thing on the planet. His fingers twitched, but he didn't reach for it. His gaze lifted to mine and held as he curled his fingers into fists. "She can have it. She is All."

I had always wanted chits, but I imagined chubby things that cooed. Not a half man-boy who looked to me as a father figure. But as Kyle's eyes sought my approval, I felt a weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I couldn't fleck up with him. He needed me to be a role model. He depended on me for survival now, but one day, he'd had to depend on himself, and it was my job to make sure he could.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Yanna's annoyed tone cut into my musings. "This is ridiculous."

Yanna

These two males were going to be the death of me. "Look at me," I snapped. "Both of you."

Two sets of eyes turned to me. One bright blue. The other a light lavender. I pointed at each of them. "Listen here. You can recite She is All until you're blue in the face…" I frowned at that. Because Lynix was already blue. I fluttered a hand. "Whatever. Anyway, She is All also means taking care of yourselves. Because that's what I want. That is surely what Queen wants, and also your brother's mate. We want you healthy and happy. So Kyle, you take that meat, and you shove it in your mouth, and you chew and swallow. And you keep doing that until you're full. Because that matters to me." I jammed a thumb in my chest as I felt my eyes water. Jeez, why was I getting emotional? "You both matter to me."

Kyle didn't look to Lynix for his approval this time. He murmured a yes ma'am that honestly made me cringe a little—because when the hell did I turn into a ma'am?—and then dug into the greasy meat with shaking fingers. When was the last time he had protein? We had a lot of catching up to do. I would have to make sure he was communicating with us on when he was hungry. Kyle's health mattered so much at this age. Where could I get him some calcium supplements? He needed that for his growing bones.

Once Kyle started eating, he didn't stop. I kept placing meat in front of him, and he'd devour it with small groans until his stomach was slightly distended. He probably should have taken it slower, but when he finally stopped eating, grease dripping from his chin, he leaned back on his elbows, turned his face to the sun with a solemn, thoughtful gaze. And in that expression, I could see the man he'd become in the current boy's face.

And I would help him turn into a good man. One like Lynix. I was twenty years older than Kyle, old enough to be his mother, and my gut clenched at the thought. I'd never wanted kids, mostly because babies and toddlers didn't appeal to me. But babies and toddlers grew up. They became teens like Kyle who looked at his elders with an eagerness to learn.

In a short time, Kyle had adapted well to his entire life being turned upside down. He'd lost his home, his family, and nearly his life. I vowed then and there to make sure he was taken care of for the rest of his life, that he knew the love of a found family, and he could grow into a man his sister would be proud of.

I cleared my throat, feeling oddly emotional. Earth me would have absolutely never become attached to a teen boy within an hour. Teen boys were obnoxious, smelled bad, and popped boners.

But this wasn't Earth. This was… I frowned. "What's the name of this planet?"

Lynix looked up from his organization of the supplies we'd stolen from the Dayloes. "Kew."

"Kew," I echoed.

"In the Rinian Galaxy."

"Huh," I mumbled. "Well then. Not in Kansas anymore, are we, Toto?" I joked to Kyle with an elbow nudge.

He stared at me. "My mom makes that joke."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you calling me old?"

His lips tugged at the corners. "Are you going to make old jokes?"

"You know what?" I tossed my hair. "Yes, I am. And if you don't like it, I'll give you a knuckle sandwich."

Kyle groaned and dropped his head into his hands. I cackled out loud while Lynix's gaze ping-ponged between the two of us with a pout to his lower lion lip. "I don't get these jokes, and I feel left out."

Kyle patted his furry shoulder. "Count yourself lucky."

"Hey!" I protested. "Watch it. I'm hilarious."

Kyle shook his head, but I saw the smile he tried to hide as he ducked his head. Look at me, making friends. I had gotten this scared, starving boy to smile despite our absolutely shit situation. Earth me would maybe, actually, be proud.

"I'm funny," Lynix said, his chest puffing out. "I have made Yanna laugh several times." He was showing off for Kyle, who had—in under an hour—begun to look at Lynix with a bit of hero worship.

I couldn't let Lynix get all the glory. "He isn't funny at all," I whispered loudly to Kyle, so Lynix could hear. "I faked laughed to make him feel better."

Lynix opened his fanged jaws to protest, but only a squawk came out before his eyes narrowed on me suspiciously. "You're teasing me." His tail thumped the ground, and his gaze took on a glint that promised retribution. "You just wait," he said to Kyle. "My brothers will back me up. I'm the funniest out of all of them."

"I believe you," Kyle nodded solemnly. "Do your brothers all look like you?"

Lynix explained his brothers to Kyle like he did to me, and I found myself once again eager to meet them. To meet Queen. And to see Kini again.

"And they…" Kyle kicked at the dirt with a filthy sneaker. "They'll accept me?"

"There is no doubt," Lynix said quickly. "You will be safe in Akoma. Queen will dote on you."

"Who's Queen?"

"My human mother."

Kyle's forehead wrinkled before his brows flew into his hairline. "Your mother is human?"

"She didn't birth me, but she is my mother all the same. She took care of us since I was born."

Kyle's head swung to me. "Did you know this?"

"I did," I answered.

"Wow," Kyle breathed.

"And there is already another human there," I added. "At their home. She was saved by one of his brothers."

"Saved?" Kyle's head cocked.

So I told Kyle my story. How I woke up in a cage, met Kini, was drugged for a while and then woke up in a container. "And then I…" I bit my lip as I decided how much to tell Kyle, but he was going to be living with three women soon. Plus, he had a twin sister. "I got my period. They saw the blood and must have thought I was dying. When they took me out of the container to kill me… I got away."

Kyle's eyes were huge in his face, and he swore under his breath with a voice cracking, "Fuck."

"And just so you know," I slashed a hand in the air. "If we were on Earth, I would tell you not to swear, but I figure on this planet, we have bigger issues than…"

"Than my potty mouth?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

I smiled. "Yeah, that. I think you earned the right to swear."

"I think I did too. So what happened after that?" He pointed to Lynix, who was fiddling with the vehicle that the second group of armored aliens had arrived in. Supplies were already loaded on the back, and I knew it would only be a matter of time until we got out of here. I was eager for it.

"And then I hid in a town, stealing what food and water I could. But the aliens there caught me, and I was pretty sure they were about to kill me, or at least punish me in a way that would be extremely painful, but Lynix saved me."

Lynix took that time to show up. "And then you stabbed me." I opened my mouth, but he held a claw up in the air to silence me. "Twice."

"You stabbed him?" Kyle's jaw dropped.

"And kicked me the nose." Lynix bent down and pressed on the light blue fur covering his nose. "It bled."

I pinched the skin between my eyes. "We couldn't talk to each other, and you were a scary Lion Man with claws and fangs. Excuse me for defending myself."

"I could have died," Lynix said, widening his eyes in the picture of non-threatening innocence. "She's mean, Kyle."

I rolled my eyes.

Lynix burst out laughing. His purple eyes lit up like lavender blooms, and for a moment, my breath caught in my chest. His gaze landed on mine, and he grinned with heat. "Her fighting only made me want her more."

Kyle squirmed, and I smacked Lynix. "Not in front of the kid."

"Wait, are you?" It was Kyle's turn to look between us. "Are you two, like, together?"

"She's my mate," Lynix reached for my hand, and even though I batted him away, he succeeded in mashing my fingers in his big paw. "My cora-eternal. She is mine until I die."

Kyle didn't seem to know what to make of us. "I, uh, okay?" He held up his hands. "I'm not judging. I just didn't realize…" He eyed Lynix, and something flitted over his gaze that reminded me he was a fourteen-year-old boy after all. "So like, do you have any sisters?"

"Kyle!" I yelled.

"What?" He protested back. "I'm still a virgin, and I'd like to have a girlfriend before I die on another planet. And I don't discriminate." He grinned, and dimples creased his cheeks. "I'm sure alien girls are hot."

I face palmed. "Lord help me."