Chapter 23 Zoey

On my second day here, they got a message out to Clark in Sanctuary in the form of a locked cell phone. The password was Clark’s most requested dish, which Heather assured us was Tuna Surprise. The phone had several messages recorded as well as a phone number for them to call back with a response. One of these messages was a short clip of me telling Riley I was safe.

It hadn’t taken long for us to get a reply. The shuttle they’d sent to deliver the phone hadn’t even gotten back yet when Mo’s phone rang. I’d been there when he’d taken the call.

Clark had a few more grays than he’d had the last time I’d visited, and had lost more than a few pounds. I suspected drought and disease had taken a toll on him and his people.

He’d requested several days to convene with his advisors regarding working together. Such a change would affect everyone in Sanctuary, and there were, he admitted, many there who’d be against working with Xarc’n warriors regardless of how dire the situation.

“And you are not?” Mo had asked.

Clark simply shrugged and said that his job was to keep his people safe, no matter how that might be. His response hadn’t surprised me. He always put his people first. It was why Sanctuary had survived for so long.

“If it were just me, I’d have joined one of your groups years ago, but I have the well-being of everyone on my shoulders. They voted for me, and they are my responsibility. Something like this”—Clark spread his hands—“if I agree, there will be civil unrest. But if I do not…”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. The bugs could overrun their home.

He needed time to convince his people that it was the right thing to do. I understood. I’d met people there. There were some who’d lose it if they found out Clark was even considering working with “those purple freaks.” They’d be even more dangerous than the bugs if they decided to destroy Sanctuary from the inside. I didn’t envy Clark his job.

“But I will order my people not to attack yours in the interim, human or Xarc’n. It’s all I can do for now.”

Clark also assured me that Riley had arrived safely at Sanctuary. “I will talk to her,” he’d promised.

“Thank you.”

“And Zoey, I’m sorry for what happened to your group. They were good people.”

I’d nodded solemnly, and we’d had a moment of silence.

It was much easier to relax and get to know the survivors at camp now that I knew Riley wouldn’t be worried about me.

I was currently helping a woman named Aanya organize a bunch of electronic parts for the First Annual Trader’s Market.

“Harb’k told me about the market, but he didn’t tell me it would be in New Franklin,” I said.

“Yeah, it’s the safest place for such a large group. We’re so excited for it.”

“If I’d known, I would’ve tried to convince him to find Riley and bring us both there. Before all this shit started, we were going to visit New Franklin and see what the fuss was all about.”

I immediately regretted mentioning my group; I’d been doing such a good job distracting myself from their loss. I focused on the mess of electronic components in front of me instead, trying to stop the tears that even now were blurring my vision.

I was silent as Aanya tapped out a message on her phone. I hated that I was making things awkward.

Moments later, a hunter appeared in the doorway. I thought I noticed something move on his shoulder, but when I looked, it was gone. I rubbed my eyes.

“This is Haax’l, my mate.”

I pasted on a smile to greet the hunter. “Hi, Haax’l. I’m Zoey.”

At the sound of my voice, a brown, beige, and white fluff scurried out from behind his head to sit on his shoulder. Was that a chipmunk?

Aanya reached for it, taking it from the hunter’s shoulders. “Thanks for bringing the little troublemaker.”

The hunter just grunted, then left.

“Here.” Aanya shoved a small furry ball into my arms. “Take my emotional support chipmunk. I think you need him more right now.”

I blinked down at the striped rodent. It was adorable.

“His name is Moose. He doesn’t bite.”

I’d never held a chipmunk before. Moose was really cute, and his sleek, glossy fur was as soft as it looked. I felt myself start to calm.

“So this isn’t the infamous Tooth the Book Nibbler then?” Technically, chipmunks were a type of squirrel.

“Nope. Tooth lives in New Franklin. We got Moose from the group in the Rockies. He was born at the wrong time of year.”

“Why can’t they take him in there?” I asked.

“Because they’ve got a cat and a house chicken. This little guy wouldn’t last a day with Reese’s Pieces and Henrietta around. So we took him instead. We’re also on the waitlist for a cat.”

Moose settled on my thigh as I turned my attention back to the never-ending pile of parts.

“You introduced Haax’l as your mate. Sam mentioned that a mate is like a husband, but something tells me it’s not quite the right translation.”

“It isn’t. It’s a little different. You’ve been staying in Harb’k’s shuttle, so everyone here just assumes that you already have or will form a mate bond.”

“And what is that exactly? And how will I know?”

“Well, the original Xarc’n race mated for life. Once they found their mates, that was it. They could be with no one else. Anyway, when the Xarc’n military made the hunters, they turned off their fertility but didn’t remove this trait. They never found anyone compatible until Earth. The motherships have been cloning the hunters. Which I guess works, but it doesn’t work forever.”

“And how do I know if a hunter has formed a bond with me?”

“You mean aside from them telling you and acting like you are the only thing that matters in the entire universe? Well, there’s a moment called the initial bond where they get stuck on you. And I mean stuck, as in they can’t let go of you even if they wanted to. Have you experienced this with Harb’k yet?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Well, I bet my last cherry ChapStick that it’s going to happen. Harb’k has never been like this with anyone else. You know how most of this group used to be a part of New Franklin? Well, there’s a bunch of women there who’ll do anything for a Xarc’n warrior mate. They are going to be so disappointed he’s taken.”

So that was what Pip had meant. And another thing Harb’k had failed to mention? Almost everyone here had come from New Franklin! They’d been there to help bring down the nest. Hell, Sam had controlled the exploratory drone that had led the charge. I was surrounded by legends.

Connor would’ve joined these people in a heartbeat if he’d known what I knew about them. He was always going on about making a difference and being the glue that kept humanity intact.

And then there was Harb’k. The people here had automatically assumed we were a couple, and they’d done it so naturally that everything just fell into place. No one was weird about it.

While I helped out with a myriad of chores around the camp, including going on a supply run for the very electronic components we were currently sorting, Harb’k went out to the new mutated nest site to hunt the scourge there. He came back every day just in time for the evening meal. Then, after spending some time with everyone else, we’d retire to his shuttle, just like all the other couples.

We were essentially playing house, and I was never happier. Everything was so perfect that I was left constantly wondering when the other shoe would drop. Where was the catch?

The alarm on Aanya’s phone rang, and Moose, who I’d totally forgotten about, sprang up and jumped off my lap to attack it. An attack chipmunk? I never knew they had that instinct.

“Shoot! I forgot. It’s my turn to cook today.” Aanya transferred the little rodent to her shoulder.

I recalled the cookie Harb’k had shared with me. It was only a few days ago, but it felt like another lifetime.

“Do you think there are ingredients here to make bacon cookies?” I asked.

“Bacon cookies? Oh! Harb’k requested meat cookies! Someone’s finally going to make them. Bacon cookies actually sound pretty good.”

“They are. But I don’t have the recipe memorized, so they might not come out as good as I remember.”

“I think we might have some bacon in the deep freeze. Let me drop Moose off, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”