Chapter 6

As they walked, Rael watched Elian.

The human walked through the wilderness of Vasz beside Rael, working hard to keep apace in the gnarled trees and the thick underbrush. Rael had draped him in a light travel cloak, the garment helplessly oversized on the lean little human.

Ever since his first escape attempt, Elian had seemed obedient. Over the last few days, he”d walked placidly enough alongside Rael, obeying commands with only a moment of cautious hesitation. They”d traveled together through the wilds, heading towards Rael”s destination. By all accounts, Elian had learned his lesson.

Rael didn”t buy it for a second.

Humans were devious. Everyone knew that. Whatever Elian was going to try next, Rael would be ready for ti.

But that wasn”t what the thing about Elian that put Rael most on edge.

Instead of Elian”s cunning, it was his vulnerability.

The human was a creature not made for this place, not adapted to its harsh environment. His eyes were sharp, taking in everything around him, but there was a fragility to him that screamed prey animal.

It was infuriating. Rael”s instincts kept locking on to Elian, on this creature who obviously needed protection.

And that wasn”t all.

Elian”s scent was in the air, a warm and earthy smell that filled Rael”s head and stoked his instincts.

Rael gritted his teeth, and focused on the mission. He was no mere pup, about to have his head turned by pheromones on the breeze— but it was a distraction. When walking the wilds, a distraction was the last thing you wanted.

Nonetheless, the scent teased him. The urge to claim, to mark, to make sure that everyone in earshot knew that this particular mate belonged to him — it burned within him.

Rael had to tear his gaze away from the sight of Elian, and focus on the path in front of him. It was safer that way.

Safer for both of them…

His brooding was shattered by a hiss.

Rael”s head whipped around, just in time to see a thick, scaly body rear up from the underbrush. The snake was enormous, its mottled green and brown scales the size of coins.

Damn! Rael had missed the signs, distracted. There was no time—

The viper lunged for Elian, its fangs bared.

Time seemed to slow. Rael”s sharp senses took in every detail of the scene, from the way that Elian”s eyes widened in terror, to the flex of the snake”s powerful muscles as it prepared to end the human”s life.

And then Elian was simply… not there. The snake”s fangs snapped shut on empty air, as with a speed that Rael could barely track, Elian was already leaping away, jumping for safety.

He could be fast when he wanted. It came with being so slim and nimble, Rael had soon learned to appreciate. Elian was so much smaller than Borraq, able to move faster than Rael”s expectations.

That turn of speed had caught Rael by surprise during his escape, as Elian had flipped himself from what appeared to be a dead sleep and sprinted out into the night.

It hadn”t been fast enough, of course. But it had been a good try.

But there was no time for Rael”s curiosity at human speed. With a hiss of rage, the snake turned to follow its prey. It lunged after Elian, its enormous body moving in a blinding-fast horizontal strike.

Rael was faster. With a single leap, he was between the snake and its target. He brought his blade flashing down, the honed steel slicing cleanly through the snake”s thick body.

Rael”s heart pounded, and for once, it had nothing to do with the danger. He sheathed his blade and turned to face Elian. ”Are you unharmed?”

”I— I think so. I mean, other than needing a change of pants…” Elian looked up at Rael, those big eyes as blue as a rare clear sky. ”Thank you for saving me.”

Rael”s heart pounded.

It was ridiculous. The snake was already dead, its two halves left behind on the forest floor as a testament to Rael”s speed and skill. There was no danger to him or his mission.

And yet, his heart pounded still…

Elian”s wide, startled eyes as he looked up at Rael, the heaving of his chest as he caught his breath, the sweat beading on his skin… Rael”s gaze strayed to the thin material of Elian”s thin shirt, clinging to the lines of his body.

It was ridiculous. Elian was soft and weak, with no survival instincts to speak of. The most fearsome enemy of the Borraq had turned out to be useless, a vulnerable, pathetic thing.

Rael should despise Elian. He had to despise him.

Everything that his body was telling him now, feeling the urge to save the human, to protect him from danger… Well, that was merely his instincts as an alpha, misfiring. Whatever he was feeling was just a lost shadow of real feelings, nothing more.

Rael”s gaze drifted to the horizon, seeking a distraction from the infuriating human whose scent seemed determined to burrow under his skin. A glimmer of steel in the distance caught his eye, and relief washed over him.

”There,” he said, gesturing towards the distant buildings with a nod of his head. ”Outpost Zekara. That”s where we”re headed.”

Elian squinted against the glare of the twin suns. ”What is that place?”

”An outpost,” Rael explained. ”The Borraq have cities on Vasz, but they are few in number, concentrated. Most of us live in our own territories out in the wilds.”

He swept his arm in an encompassing gesture, indicating the harsh, unforgiving landscape that surrounded them. ”The outposts are dotted across the planet, halfway points between the cities and the wilderness. Places where those of us who live traditionally can come to trade, or receive news from the cities.”

Elian nodded slowly, his brow furrowed as he took in this new information. Rael could practically see the questions forming behind those inquisitive blue eyes.

”So, you don”t all live in cities then?” Elian asked. ”Some of you live out here, in the middle of… all this?”

There was a note of incredulity in his voice. Rael felt a flicker of annoyance. Of course the human wouldn”t understand the ways of the Borraq, raised as he was in the artificial confines of his technological havens.

Rael curled his lip. He knew that humans looked down on the Borraq way of life, scoffing at their connection to the wilderness and the traditions that had been passed down through countless generations. To the so-called ”civilized” humans, the Borraq were little more than savages, clinging to outdated ways.

Before Rael could bite out a retort, however, Elian surprised him. ”That sounds... nice, actually.” The human”s expression turned wistful. ”Ever since pollution wrecked Earth, we”ve all been crammed into big megacities or living in space stations. There are gardens and parks, sure, but it”s not the same as being out in real nature, you know? Like in the old stories and vids...”

Rael blinked, thrown off guard. He studied Elian”s face, searching for any hint of mockery or condescension. But the human seemed sincere, a melancholic longing in his eyes as he gazed out at the rugged landscape surrounding them.

It was... unexpected. Rael had always viewed humans as the arrogant technological elite, looking down their noses at any species that still lived off the land. But Elian”s wistful words painted a different picture, one of a people who had lost touch with their roots, forced into artificial cages by the very technology they had put their faith in.

A strange sense of kinship stirred in Rael”s chest, quickly followed by a flicker of guilt. He pushed the feeling aside, straightening his shoulders as he refocused on the matter at hand. ”The outpost is where I”m taking you, yes,” he said bluntly. No point in dancing around it. ”You”re a human, behind enemy lines. There”s an automatic bounty on your head — dead or alive.”

News like that could never be pleasant to hear. Elian”s shoulders slumped, and he ducked his head in a vain attempt to hide the hurt that flickered across his features. When he spoke, his voice was deliberately light, forced casualness masking the fear that Rael could see in his eyes. ”Well, I guess that makes sense. Nice to be wanted for once in my life.”

The words hung heavy in the air between them, a stark reminder of the harsh realities they faced. Rael opened his mouth, some half-formed thought of reassurance on his lips. But the words died unspoken as he saw Elian”s gaze — seeing the resignation there, the weary acceptance of a man who had already lost so much.

Elian”s voice was deceptively casual. ”So… what exactly will the people at this outpost do to me once you hand me over?”

Rael went still, the question hanging heavy in the air between them. He realized with a start that he didn”t truly know the answer.

In all his years as a warrior and bounty hunter, he had never encountered a human prisoner before. They were an enemy spoken of in hushed tones, their very existence a threat to the Borraq way of life.

Silently, Rael”s mind turned over the rumors he had heard whispered around campfires and in the shadows of outpost cantinas. Tales of human prisoners subjected to unspeakable tortures, their minds and bodies broken until they revealed every last secret about their kind.

But surely those were just stories, exaggerated tales meant to instill fear and hatred of their enemy. Surely, the military would handle a valuable prisoner like Elian with more care and pragmatism.

”The military will decide what to do with you,” Rael said at last, keeping his tone carefully neutral. ”Perhaps they will attempt to contact your leaders for an exchange of prisoners.”

The words sounded hollow, even to his own ears. Rael risked a glance at Elian, taking in the human”s forced nonchalance, the way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Elian gave a small nod, his voice light as he replied, ”A prisoner exchange, huh? Well, that”s good. I”m basically half-way home already.”

But Rael could see the truth in those expressive eyes.

Elian didn”t believe the words any more than Rael did.

They both knew, deep down, that an outcome like that was unlikely. The war between their peoples had raged for too long, the hatred ran too deep.

The weight of that realization settled over Rael like a heavy cloak. He found himself unable to meet Elian”s gaze, a strange sense of disquiet stirring in his chest.

This wasn”t how it was supposed to be. The mission had been simple — capture the human, deliver him to the outpost, collect the bounty, save Worrak.

But now, with Elian”s haunted eyes fixed on the horizon, it felt anything but simple.