Chapter 186: A Force of Nature.
"Ye’tab has been in contact," announced Tha’juen as he strolled onto the bridge, interrupting the conversation between Vraev’ox and Cruz’uts.
"What did he say?" asked Vraev’ox, his head raising sharply to look at the other male. It had been man rotations since they last heard from their hunt-mate, and Vraev’ox had been concerned about him.
"That they need to get in contact with a Hive and see if I could arrange something," replied Tha’juen, quickly tapping something into his wrist unit. "He is willing to go to them, but I don’t understand. How does he have a ship?"
"I think we are going to have to have a long conversation with him," muttered Cruz’uts, not overly impressed that two of their members had gone off and done their own thing. They had been sent by the Elders to find the being responsible for stealing their technology and then ending them.
The mission needed to come first. Whatever had taken them off course was utterly unacceptable.
"I am sure he had his reason, and maybe the Hive has something to do with the stolen technology," remarked Vraev’ox. He didn’t believe his words any more than the other two males did, but they still needed to be said.
Au’dtair and Ye’tab were honorable hunters, and nothing had ever taken them away from the hunt before. Maybe they just saw something that the others didn’t and needed to follow that lead. Being a solitary race, it was hard to work together for an extended period of time like this. He was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and the ability to explain themselves before judgment was made.
"He had provided me with his current coordinates," added Tha’juen, imputing them into the system, "As well as a note saying that we should all meet up before going to the Hive ship."
"And you can still find the Hive?" asked Cruz’uts, wanting to make sure that everything would flow smoothly. If the Hive did have something to do with their stolen technology, then they were in for a fight trying to get it back.
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"I have informed the others," said Ye’tab, looking at Au’dtair, Da’kea, and Midnight. They were all planning on joining their mate for a nap, but for her plan to work out, they needed some help.
"The others?" asked Da’kea, swirling his drink around the mug before draining the last of it. It had long grown cold, but he didn’t care. There was many a hunt where he wasn’t able to drink his kahvi while it was still hot.
"Vraev’ox, Cruz’uts, and Tha’juen," answered Au’dtair as he stared out of the window at the vastness of space. "They were originally sent out with us to determine who had stolen our technology."
"And you didn’t bother to keep them up to date after discovering who had it?" smirked Da’kea. It might sound like he was censuring the other males, but he was, in fact, giving his approval for their actions.
"No," said Au’dtair concisely while Ye’tab simply shook his head.
"Good. But the name Vraev’ox sounds familiar. Who is his father?" asked Da’kea, trying to figure out how he knew that name.
"His father is Hayaandp, the tribal chief of our clan, and his grandfather is Ye’yte-zo," answered Au’dtair, clearly done with the conversation. He had been away from his mate for too long now and wanted to go to her.
"The same Ye’yte-zo who sits on the Elder’s council?" asked Da’kea as the other male stood up and made his way out of the rec room.
"The same," answered Ye’tab as he and the other two males also rose and followed Au’dtair.
"Then let’s hope that the grandson isn’t called by our mate. Ye’yte-zo is known for his purest views and fully supports the Alliance in all of their decisions," warned Da’kea as he strolled down the hall toward his mate’s quarters. Any threat against her was to be met with brutal force, and it didn’t matter if that threat came from someone he once considered a friend.
"Understood," grunted Au’dtair, no longer liking the idea of Vraev’ox meeting his pet. Strolling into the already dark room, he quickly entered the nest and pulled the female into his arms. He stiffened as she moaned, worried that he might have woken her up, but she simply squirmed a bit and got more comfortable on his chest.
Closing his eyes, he savored the feeling of her weight on his chest. This was why the females of his species never seemed to be able to give him what he truly needed. They never slept with a male. Once copulation was over, the male was expected to leave and only come back on the invite of the female. But the experience of holding one in his arms when she was most vulnerable? That was something he never knew he craved.
His rough fingers glided up and down her back, occasionally catching on the sweater she was wearing. But she didn’t seem to care. Any time he stopped, she let out a sound of protest and wiggled until he went back to touching her.
His mate was a miracle of the universe, and he would fight to the death to protect her.
"I never notice just how small she actually is until she is sleeping," mused Midnight, his fingers playing in her hair. "When she is awake, she seems bigger than all of us, a force of nature that can never be tamed, but like this, when she is asleep next to one of us, she looks like a young pup that needs to be protected against all the evils of the world."
"I am going to tell her you said that," chuckled Da’kea, getting himself comfortable in the nest that his mate had built. She would need more furs if she was accepting more mates; this one was only big enough for the five of them.
Her other mates chuckled at his words.
The Elder was surprised that there was not more drama between the males, and yet, everything just seemed to fit together. And if that was the case, then maybe the legends were wrong. Maybe the chosen mates never killed their female. But why would the records suggest it?
