BROOKE

I wake up the next morning to something that sounds like a distant lawnmower. When the rush of desire hits me—stronger and far more powerful than any alien roofie—I realize that resonance has kicked into full swing, and I wake Taushen up with my mouth.

We don’t get up from the furs that day.

Or the next.

By day three, we’re sufficiently wrung out and our cooties have taken on a less insistent hum to something more pleasant and sated. Thank god. I love sex, and I love sex with Taushen more than anything, but even I can get tired of mating after a while. We doze a lot on day three. Or at least, I do. Whenever I wake up, Taushen’s stoking the fire, making me food, and then insisting I go back to bed and sleep. I do, but only if he joins me. I sleep better with him to curl up against.

We stay at the cave for another five days, all told. It takes a day or two of heavy hunting to refill the cache with what we’ve borrowed, and while Taushen lays traps, I gather dung chips and debris for replenishing the fuel supply for the cave. Once it’s self-sufficient once more, we head out in the direction of the “great salt lake,” as the sa-khui like to call it. Taushen says when he sees Rokan again, he doesn’t know whether he’s going to choke him or hug him. “He said you would resonate,” he tells me for the dozenth time, wonder and annoyance in his voice. “And I did not think to ask about me!”

It’s been almost a month since we’ve parted from the tribe, and Taushen and I discuss if we should actually head back to the village directly instead of heading to the ocean. What if the tribe isn’t there any longer? What if we’re weeks too late to rendezvous with them? But at the end of the day, I still want to see the ocean. If the tribe isn’t there, we can consider this just extending our vacation, and I’ll get to see a little bit more of this planet that’s now mine and have a bit more alone time with this big, sexy male that’s also now mine.

No complaints here.

It takes about a week of walking—interrupted by a lot of stops to make out—before the air starts to carry the faint scent of salt in it.

“We are close,” Taushen tells me, despite the ominous cliffs and the fact that the mountains seem to be getting bigger the closer we get to the water. We take a long, winding route through the mountains, and I bundle up in my furs to fight off the cold wind that seems to be higher here.

On the other side of the mountains we climb the edge of a cliff, and I can see the ocean for miles and miles. I gasp at the sight of the green, jewel-like water. It’s not blue like the Caribbean back home, but almost jade green, and dark. Everything’s so dark, even the sand far below. Icebergs float slowly past, and the surface of the water seems to be dotted with white and greenish-white ice. In the distance, there’s something that looks like a tuft of smoke on the horizon—or a storm cloud.

There’s no sign of a ship, though.

I turn to Taushen, worried. “Is this the right place?”

He nods. “We come here during the bitter season to get salt and fish. If they are still here, this is the spot they will be at.” He gestures at a distant break in the cliffs. “We will cut through that valley down to the ground. There are caves there, and they will have supplies even if the others have come and gone already.” He smiles at me and takes the small pack from my shoulders. “Do not worry, my Brooke. You are always safe with me.”

“Mmm, you say that, but I saw those sky-claw yesterday, just as you did.” I let him take my pack, and I double-check the knotted tether that holds us together. It’s a bit awkward walking with a three-foot-long rope holding us together, but it’s better than getting eaten by a big dinosaur-looking bird.

“Bah. They were not close.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” I tell him. “Because that means those damn things are even bigger.”

“I told you they were big,” he says with a playful grin, and as he takes the lead once more and guides us through the valley, I keep a hand on his belt and my gaze on the skies. He tells me all about the story of Josie and Haeden, and how Haeden saved his mate from being swallowed whole by a sky-claw. Josie’s petite, but she’s not that much smaller than me. Not the most comforting story to tell a gal when she’s nervous, but his confidence is appealing. If he’s not worried, I suppose I shouldn’t be, either.

I don’t tell him to shut up, though. I’m too pleased with his cheery attitude. I love how happy Taushen is lately. Gone are his scowls and moody stares. It’s like he’s become a whole new person, one ready to meet the day with eagerness and one who wants to conquer the world. I love that, just as much as I love waking up to his kisses, and I’ll take all his stories and laughter and be glad for every bit of them.

We’re not even halfway through the canyon when Taushen turns and studies me. “Time for rest.”

“I’m fine,” I reassure him. “I can keep going.”

“You can, but we will rest anyhow.” He takes my elbow with gentle hands and leads me to a nearby rock, the perfect size to sit down, and makes sure I’m settled before he sits next to me. He offers me his waterskin, and a bite to eat from his trail pouch.

I do my best not to roll my eyes at all the fussing. He’s like a mother hen now that I’m carrying his kit. You’d think I was made of spun glass the way he treats me, and most of the time…okay, most of the time I eat that shit up. Sometimes I get a little tired of it, though. I’m perfectly healthy, and even though I’m not super excited about the thought of being pregnant for almost a year and a half, I’m growing more and more fond of the idea of a family.

Me. Him. Our baby.

I think of Taushen as a father, and I have to admit, my heart melts at the thought of him holding our baby. He’s going to be such a good daddy. However kind and gentle he is with me, I can only imagine how amplified that will be when we have our son…or daughter. I think I’d like a daughter for him to spoil. It’s early yet, of course. I don’t feel different, other than my cootie purrs every time I get near him, and my breasts felt a little tender this morning when we were having sex. Other than that, it’s business as usual. That’s fine for me right now, because I’m not ready to have an enormous belly just yet. I’m still getting used to the whole “resonated” thing.

“You are smiling,” he says, with a curious glance at me.

“Just thinking about you and our baby.”

His beaming smile fills me with warmth, and when he reaches out to touch my flat stomach, I’m pretty sure that no woman’s ever felt so special or loved.

After we’ve finished resting, we start walking again, and I’m pleased when the path slopes down and winds its way onto the sands.

“Holy cow,” I breathe, as I get my first up-close glimpse of the ocean here. My memories of going to the beach on spring break with my friends are nothing like the reality here. The sand is dark, just like the water, and more of that strange, dark jade green that seems so surreal. My furry boots look like bright specks of lint against the dark sand, and I bend down to grab a handful. It feels like Earth sand, maybe a little coarser. Something loud crashes onto the shore, and I nearly fall on my butt in surprise.

“Just a wave,” Taushen tells me, hooking his hands under my arms and hefting me back to my feet as if I weigh nothing. “Do not be alarmed. I have you, my mate.”

I cast him a grateful smile, but I can’t stop staring at the water. “Just” a wave, my ass. Like Godzilla is “just” a lizard. That wave was enormous, and as I watch, another greenish, frothing wave rolls up onto the shore and crashes with a boom against the jagged rocks at the water’s edge. No gentle beach here. From ground level, I can’t see the foggy storm that hung over the distance, nor can I see many of the glaciers that float in the stretch of water. I look in surprise as something moves near my foot and shriek when something spidery scuttles near my boot. I fling myself into Taushen’s arms and am relieved when he holds me off the ground. “What the fuck is that?”

“A crawler,” he says simply. “Har-loh and Rukh call them sand-scorpions.”

“It’s hideous.” It looks like a crab and a monster mated and had a leggy baby.

“It is good eating. Are you hungry?”

“Fuuuuck no.” I press my face against his neck, and shudder.

He strokes my back, chuckling. “They will not harm you, my mate. This I promise.”

“Lies,” I tell him flatly, but I let him put me back down again. I guess it’ll look bad if he has to carry me like a princess across the sand to meet the others. I’m relieved when his fingers link with mine, though. Just holding his hand makes me feel better.

“There are many strange-looking things to eat here,” he tells me as we pick our way across the sand. “I will make you a meal of them later.”

“I can hardly wait,” I say dryly. “So, where are the caves?”

“Around the bend,” he explains, pointing at the rocky cliffs in the distance.

As if someone else can hear our conversation, a figure appears, walking alone on the beach. It’s covered in thick furs, but the form is unmistakably human, and when the woman turns to the breeze, I see a distinct, bulging pregnant belly under her layers of clothing.

“It’s Harlow,” I tell Taushen, and wave my free hand excitedly at her. “They’re here, after all. They haven’t left.” I glance around again. “I don’t see the ship, though.”

“Maybe they have already destroyed it.” Taushen doesn’t sound sad about it. I guess to him, it’s just another threat.

We head forward, toward the edge of the water, to greet Harlow. I wave again, but when she doesn’t wave back, I start to feel a little peculiar.

As we get closer, I realize that this woman isn’t Harlow.

It’s a completely different pregnant woman.

Mystified, I shoot a look at Taushen, then turn back to the woman we’re approaching. Definitely not Harlow. She doesn’t have the bright red hair or the delicate build. This woman has dark hair that’s pulled into two braids, and a rounded face. She rubs a hand over her belly and gives us a wary look as we approach, as if she’s ready to bolt.

“Hi,” I call out, not sure what to think. “You’re with the tribe, aren’t you?”

She hesitates, glances behind her, and then nods. “You must be Taushen and Buh-brukh.” Her gaze fixes on my fading pink hair.

“Er, yeah. You can call me Brooke.”

A reluctant smile crosses her face. She’s a few years older than me, but not much, and she’s got the cutest gap between her front teeth. Her face is a good one, a friendly one. “Brooke? That sounds a bit more likely to me. I’m Angie.” She puts a hand to her lower back and stretches a little. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m sorry, I know it’s rude to bring it up, but…you already resonated?” I can’t help but ask, putting a hand to my own flat belly. “To who?”

The look on her face grows sad, and she pushes a stray strand of hair out of her face before glancing away. “No resonance. This one was with me when I woke up.” And she rubs her belly again. “As for the father…I don’t know who—or what—he was.”

Oh no.