Chapter 16

Traze swiftly jumped into action. Despite the shuraa being nearly the size of Traze, he went to lunge at it.

He grabbed the snake-like creature by its neck, preventing its fangs from sinking into his skin. It was a smart move, the only move, because Veda knew the creature was venomous. It had all the same markings that would signify venom on Earth with an elaborate pattern of bright colors. In the scales of its skin were colors of neon orange, deep purple, and sunset pink… all in geometric circles and triangles. Veda thought it would have been a beautiful creature to observe… if it hadn't been trying to viciously attack them.

Veda heard a splash from behind her and turned around to see Traze's lawe had jumped in the water behind Traze. He began growling at the shuraa and fighting him alongside Traze.

Veda had seen the Aterans as this massive, strong, dominating species, and it was bothersome to her to see how hard it was for Traze to wrestle this massive snake. Until this point, Veda had not seen just how intense Atera could be. The Aterans were certainly not the only powerful species on this planet, which worried her. She had not once been concerned about Traze's safety because, well, he had always seemed pretty safe to her.

But as she watched him wrestle with this creature, she began to panic that he may not come out victorious. Even with his lawe sinking his teeth into the shuraa's back, it continued to try and fight him.

And its mouth was getting dangerously close to Traze's face. Veda didn't know what the venom would do to Traze, but she knew it couldn't be good.

Suddenly, it became clear to Veda how important Traze was to her. In her panic and fear, thoughts of losing him haunted her. What would she do if he died? She couldn't bear the thought. It put a pit into her stomach. She actually felt nauseated watching Traze wrestle with the shuraa. He had to win. He had to be okay… Or else Veda wouldn't be.

Veda closed her eyes for a moment. Not just because the scene of Traze and his lawe splashing around in the water with the snake was too much for her, though it kind of was, but because she felt the need to pray. She wasn't particularly religious, so she had no idea what exactly she was praying to… The universe, perhaps? Hell, the Goddess Eana, if she was real? She would pray to whoever would listen.

She bit her lip and wished over and over again in her head for Traze to be okay. Just let him be fine, let him live, please let him live…

Veda had loved her time on Atera. She genuinely enjoyed the planet, but she realized that with Traze gone, nothing was left here for her. She didn't even really care to meet her mate anymore, to be someone's kode. She would be willing to give that dream up if only she could see Traze get out of this situation alive. She needed him, even if she wasn't his kode. He made her smile, made her feel safe, brought out a vulnerability in her that she didn't think she'd ever let herself show again, but she was willing to be vulnerable for Traze. He was special, unlike anyone she'd ever known.

He had to be okay.

Veda opened her eyes, and to her relief, it seemed like Traze was actually winning! His lawe was almost entirely on top of the beast now, his teeth sunk into its neck, and it had stopped moving so wildly. Was that it? Was it dead? Veda hoped so and watched with bated breath.

Traze, the shuraa, and the lawe were frozen together like a statue. Traze was afraid to let go of the creature's neck, fearful it may move before the lawe could pull his teeth out. It seemed to Veda that the thing must have been dead.

So she began to move forward, to swim a little closer to Traze. At first, he didn't notice her, but when she shifted through some grass, Traze turned his head around violently.

"No! Veda! Stay back!" he demanded, yelling so loudly it scared her. "Do not come any closer! It is not safe!"

Suddenly, with Traze's head turned, the shuraa began to jerk around again and knocked the lawe off of it. Traze fell back, nearly falling on top of Veda and forcing her into the water underneath him.

Veda panicked, being trapped under Traze's body. She opened her eyes under the water, but they had kicked up so much mud, she could not see anything.

So she struggled to get out from under Traze, who was moving wildly, likely because the shuraa was on top of him jerking around.

She was finally able to get out from under him, but not without injuring herself first. A sharp pain surged through her thigh as she scraped herself along some rocks. It was excruciating, a lot more painful than she would have expected, but she was able to free herself just as she felt she was running out of air.

She swam to the surface, gasping for air, her red hair tangled in front of her face so she couldn't see anything. She quickly pushed her hair out of the way just in time to see Traze's lawe deliver one final blow to the shuraa. The shuraa let out an ungodly screech and then flopped down in Traze's arms, its mouth closed and lifeless.

Veda understood now why Traze had frozen earlier. He knew the shuraa was not dead. When it died, it went limp. Veda was foolish to get closer to it.

Traze tossed the dead animal aside and then rushed to Veda.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Veda nodded. "My leg hurts, but… I'll be fine."

When Traze realized she was alright, his attitude quickly changed.

"How could you?" he snapped at her. "How could you be so reckless? Don't you see how dangerous Atera can be?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"

"Do not come near me while I'm fighting again, Veda! Not ever! You cannot do this. You cannot keep doing risky things and expect that nothing bad will happen. Something bad will happen. You will get hurt. Please, keep yourself safe!" he demanded.

"Okay, okay, I will!" Veda shouted back. "I'm sorry!"

But hearing him yell at her this way hurt Veda. Her heart began to race, and she felt nauseated.

She hadn't meant to upset him, and she knew it was entirely her fault that she had. She had no business getting close to him while he was battling the shuraa, and she was embarrassed to have made such a mistake.

"I… really am sorry, Traze," Veda said softly. She didn't want to fight with him. It was making her feel physically ill.

Traze nodded. "It is okay. I just do not want to see you in danger. It would hurt me greatly to ever see you hurt. I cannot lose you."

Veda looked at him curiously. She wanted to ask why. Why couldn't he lose her?

But she was feeling too nauseated to ask.

"What is wrong?" Traze asked as he put a gentle hand on her cheek.

"Nothing, nothing. I just think I got a little sick when you yelled at me. It happens to humans sometimes… when we feel stress, we feel sick."

Traze nodded. "Come. Let me get you out of the water."

He took her hand and led her to the edge of the pond where he lifted her up and pulled her out.

She sat next to the edge, but being out of the water was not making her feel better, nor was Traze's comforting hand on her back. Every second that passed, she seemed to feel worse, despite the fact that she and Traze were no longer arguing.

Traze seemed to notice. "You look pale."

"I'll be fine, I just need a minute…" Veda said quietly.

But she wasn't so sure. She was feeling faint, weak, and hot around her neck. She had no idea what had come over her. Was it exposure to the Atera heat? Was it being on the lawe all day? Was it all the fear of the shuraa fight catching up with her?

She didn't know what it was, but she was getting rapidly worse. She began to close her eyes and groan.

"Veda!" Traze yelled frantically. "Veda, what is wrong?"

She shouted out in pain as she grabbed her thigh. It hurt more than ever, and it was throbbing now. She forced herself to open her eyes, and she could see bright red blood running down her leg.

But it wasn't the kind of blood she expected to see. She had imagined she'd gotten a big scrape or a cut against the rocks. But there was no scrape, no gaping wound. In fact, the blood on her leg was quite mild compared to what she was expecting. Just only two thin streams of blood dripped down from two small holes.

She couldn't figure it out at first as her head was becoming increasingly foggy. How had she managed to poke two small holes in her thigh? That didn't seem right… And why did they hurt so badly?

And then it hit her.

"Traze!" she yelled frantically as she stared at her leg. "Traze, I think it bit me!"

Before Veda could even see his reaction, her world went black, and she fell down into the grass.