SUMMER

We’re all a little panicky until Vektal emerges from his hut and returns to the longhouse. “My Georgie is resting,” he says. “Maylak will stay with her.”

“Is she all right?” Gail asks, seated on the floor near the fire. Kate, Elly and I are seated next to her as well, and the men have formed ranks behind us. It’s like they’re trying to protect us, which is sweet, but I’m not sure what we’d need protection from at this point. The elders have cleared out, though Harrec joked that they just wanted to be the first to gossip about what’s been happening. Rukhar sits in Gail’s lap, which is kind of funny because as a sa-khui kid, he’s a lot bigger than most his age, but she tucks him under her chin like his legs aren’t almost as long as hers. Kate’s got her kitten in her lap, and Elly’s holding on to Bek’s hand tightly even as she sits. I wish I had a kitten—or a kid—in my lap. Something to do with my hands to get rid of all this nervous energy.

Of course, then Warrek brushes a hand against my hair, and I start thinking of dirtier things to do with my hands. Not the time, Summer. Not. The. Time.

“She is with kit,” Vektal says, touching his chest. “We have resonated for a third time.”

“That’s wonderful!” Gail exclaims, and a few others murmur their agreement. Seems weird to be celebrating when the look on Vektal’s face is so solemn.

“Does she normally faint?” I blurt out. “Or is that our fault because we’re the bearers of bad news? I mean, not that we could sit on the news and just not share it—that’d be an even bigger dick move. I guess there’s no good way to bring up a tribe-changing event, but you know what I mean. I’d feel guilty if her conking out was a result of us—”

“Yes and no,” Vektal says, interrupting my verbal stream. Thank god. I can’t seem to stop myself lately. “This kit has been harder on her stomach than the last. She is not eating as she should.” He rubs a hand down his face, looking stressed. “And she worries over all of the humans in the tribe. She feels responsible for you, like a mother with a kit. The thought of twenty new humans overwhelmed her.”

“Sixteen,” I add helpfully.

Warrek’s fingers brush against my neck, and he tweaks my earlobe. Right. I should probably shut up. I cringe a half-smile at Vektal when he looks in my direction, frowning.

“The good news is that our tribesmates are safe,” Warrek says in his calm, smooth voice. “No one was injured by the slavers. And they have all been dealt with.”

Vektal scrubs his hand down his face again and nods. “That is good. That is very good. Tell me what happened.”

There’s a pause, and then Bek begins to speak. He talks of the landing of the ship and how everyone rushed out to greet them. It wasn’t until they were halfway down the ramp that the sa-khui realized they weren’t friendly, and then it was too late. They captured the men and women and separated them in individual cells, except for Taushen and Brooke, whom they threw together. Bek then goes on to tell of our guns-blazing rescue, supplied with missing details by Warrek’s quiet additions to the story. Eventually he gets to the part about opening the boxes and revealing all the sleeping humans.

I kind of expect him to comment about that, but Vektal just looks troubled. “I do not like that Rukh and Farli and the others are so far away. If enemies were to come again, our kin are many days away from even the fastest of hunters. I would rather them be here, where we can aid them.”

“They work on the ship,” Harrec says. “Important work, Mardok says.”

Vektal just strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Important to Mardok and Har-loh perhaps, but would it be safer to give up on the Elders’ Caves and live as we do? Do we need their speaking machines? Or the healing machine, when we have Maylak’s gentle hands?”

“We should get rid of it,” Bek says fiercely, and I’m startled at the vehemence in his tone. “The slavers said they followed a trail left by Trakan and the others to our home world. What if others come looking for the ship and attack us again? We must bury it. Find a deep valley, bury it in snow, hide it from everything.”

“But the technology,” Kate protests. “It could help us, especially with Mardok and Harlow working together—”

“Not if it brings more of those orange strangers to our world,” Bek growls at her, clearly on edge.

“Do not threaten my mate,” Harrec snaps, pushing between the seated Kate and the hovering Bek. Elly just squeezes Bek’s hand, reminding him to calm down, and he backs off.

“Enough,” Vektal says, raising a hand. “There are many layers to this that must be discussed. I do not deny that we would be losing much by destroying the home of our ancestors. But like Bek, I worry that the new ship will bring others here.”

“And as we saw when they arrived, they have light-spears and we have bone spears,” Vaza says, arms crossed. “We are no match for that sort of thing.”

Gail smooths Rukhar’s hair down his head. “You know, I bet Rukhar’s tired. Why don’t we go see if Stacy’s got some not-potato cakes cooking?” She gives all of us a warning look and pats Rukhar’s shoulder. They get up, and she takes his hand, leading him out of the circle and down the steps of the longhouse into the village.

“Har-loh and Rukh were wise to send him back,” Vektal says after a moment. “He is safer here. That is what concerns me. If Har-loh, who loves the ships and ma-sheens, feels they are not safe, then are they safe for anyone? Or must we do as Bek says and destroy them so others do not follow them to us?”

“The people,” Elly whispers, her voice so low my ears strain to catch it. “What of them?”

Vektal sighs heavily, and he looks tired. “I do not know.”

“We can’t just leave them,” Kate protests.

“The return of the other aliens has made me realize,” Vektal says, choosing each word carefully, “that just because someone arrives at our home, it does not mean they are friendly. We must be cautious. We do not know that these others will blend in with our family.”

“You made us blend,” I protest. When everyone turns to look at me, I add, “I don’t mean it badly. I mean that we came here, and we weren’t exactly thrilled to be on an ice planet, but the people were nice, and it worked out.”

“Five is easier to blend with a tribe than twenty,” Bek says. “I agree that they might be dangerous.” He holds Elly’s hand tightly. “We do not want to endanger those that already live here.”

“We can’t just leave them, either,” Kate protests. “That seems wrong.”

It seems wrong to me, too.

“I do not have an answer,” Vektal says. He seems tired, as if the weight of responsibility for twenty more people is already weighing on his shoulders. “I will talk with my mate and we will discuss with others. We need to consider this from all sides. What if we awaken them and they are the enemy? What if they are not slaves at all?”

“What if they are and need to be rescued?” I blurt. “What if they’re stolen like we were?”

Vektal nods at me. “And then there is that. With the exception of Taushen, Warrek, and Sessah, all our males are mated, too old to resonate, or kits. There are four males in the group, but that does not mean they will resonate. We do not have enough mates for everyone.”

“Dude, not everyone needs a man in their life,” I blurt again. “That’s total caveman thinking.”

Warrek leans over me, his silky hair falling against my shoulder. “I think my chief means that it is unfair to them to put them in a tribe where there is no one to help them.”

“That, and I do not have the males to mate them,” Vektal says.

“See?” I whisper to Warrek. “Caveman.”

“I must think of the happiness of the tribe. Will they be happy if they are unable to have mates? To be permanently alone? Or is that selfish of me to assume?”

“Can I answer that one?” I ask, raising my hand. I’m a little annoyed at this line of thinking. Like we need a man to make our hearts happy? For real?

“Do not,” Warrek murmurs, leaning over me again. He tweaks my earlobe, and it sends a shiver up my spine.

Okay, maybe I don’t need a man, but having the company of one sure helps. Maybe he’s right and that seeing a bunch of happy fur-wearing mommies and daddies wandering around and smooching on each other might make the others cranky and malcontent. I know I’ve had my moments, envying the others.

“There is much to consider,” Vektal says, getting to his feet. “I must go speak to my Georgie. All of you, rest for the evening. Relax. I will speak with you again one-on-one as the need arises.” He moves forward and clasps Warrek on the arm, then Vaza. “But I am glad you are all safe. That is more important than anything.”

“And we must stay safe,” Bek adds, both of his hands on Elly’s shoulders. “I do not care if we sacrifice the Elders’ Cave. Or the new one. All I care about is the safety of my mate and my kit.”

“I think like you,” Vektal says with a nod. His face looks grim. “But I must think of all my people before I make a decision.”