SUMMER

More human slaves.

It never occurred to me, in all the craziness that was going on, that the aliens would have even more slaves on the ship. And now all the aliens have been offed, the ship sabotaged by yours truly, and…we’ve got crates and crates full of people. Sleeping people, but people just the same.

I’m not the only one in shock. We’ve all gathered in the cargo hold, and everyone’s silent as Mardok and Warrek pry off lid after lid to reveal the contents. At this point, I would have been thrilled to see a crate of weed or something, only because it would mean that it’s one fewer person to get stranded here.

Harlow, Gail, and I talked with the other humans while the men were checking out the ship. We’ve agreed that we’ve got to do whatever we can to ensure no one comes after the Tranquil Lady. Harlow’s going to work with Mardok to make sure we’re not sending a signal of some kind, and she’s going to insist that their first job is to disable the ship so it can never be used against us again. There are too many people at stake. We’re in total agreement there. It’s clear that if the ship leaves, someone’s going to trace it back to this place, and if we leave here, we’ll be separated. Even if some kindhearted (yeah right) alien decided to haul all of us back to Earth, I don’t have any illusions that families would be kept together. Rukh, Vektal, and all the kind, strong sa-khui would be dumped in some Area 51-type place and experimented on to figure out what makes them tick. I can’t even imagine what would happen to the kids.

This planet needs to be a one-way stopping point.

Of course, that was before we found more people.

“Another human female,” Mardok says as he gazes inside the crate. We all pile in to stare at the person’s face—not that we’ll know her, because there are seven billion people on Earth, and half are female, but it feels weird not to.

“Okay,” Harlow says, making a mark on the captain’s data-pad that Mardok brought back with him. It’s something like a tablet, and she’s using it to record information. “That’s sixteen human females and four alien males.”

“That’s the last crate,” Kate says, petting the kitten in her arms as she exchanges a worried look with Harrec. “Should we wake them up now?”

“I don’t think we should wake them up just yet,” Mardok says.

“What?” Brooke gasps, shocked. “How can we not?”

“Each of these crates is set up to keep them in stasis for an indeterminate amount of time,” Mardok tells her. He looks weary, and Farli is casting him worried looks. “For now, they’re safe in here until we figure out what to do.”

“We must talk with the chief,” Taushen says, crossing his arms over his chest. “It is his decision. This is twenty more tribesmates that we must find khuis for. Twenty more we must feed and clothe before the brutal season, and already our tribe is larger than ever before.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t just leave them,” Brooke snaps at Taushen. It’s not the first time she’s scowled at him today, and the both of them are making me tired just watching them.

I glance over at Warrek, but the look on his face is thoughtful as he gazes down at the sleeping human woman and then over at me. I try to imagine what he’s thinking. Maybe he’s imagining one of these women as a potential resonance mate. The thought makes me want to vomit.

And then another thought occurs to me. Some of the male slaves looked distinctly…intimidating. Fierce. Scary. “They might not even be friendly, Brooke,” I point out. “We ran into these aliens and they attacked us. What if we free these people only to have them attack us out of fear—or something else? How do we know these alien dudes aren’t cannibals?”

“Oh my god, Summer!” she exclaims. “What the hell are you thinking? They’re people! They’re trapped!”

“She isn’t wrong,” Gail says, speaking up for the first time in a while. “I’m with the others. We don’t know these people, so we can’t assume they’ll be all happy and hunky-dory to wake up here.”

“Safe,” Elly whispers off to my side. I glance over, and she’s clinging to Bek’s arm, her expression worried.

The hard-faced hunter nods. “My mate is right. It is not safe for us, but think of them. How will we feed and clothe them on the long walk back to the village? It was a hard journey of many days for all the humans, and they are not prepared. We would need all the hunters to help bring so many over the land to safety.”

“Then we do nothing without the chief’s say,” Farli says in a firm voice.

“But the chief is not here.” Vaza strokes his chin, thinking. “Do we leave them all behind?”

“Some of us should stay to guard the ship and shut things down,” Harlow says, putting a hand on Rukh’s arm and then looking over at Mardok. “We have to make sure a second ship isn’t going to trace this one.”

Mardok nods. “We’re on the same page. You and I have to stay, since we’re the ones most familiar with the technology.”

“I do not want to stay,” Rukh says, speaking for the first time. His voice is flat, angry. “My mate is heavy with kit. I want her with healer.” He pulls Rukhar against him. “Want my son back with tribe.”

“We have to think about everyone, love,” Harlow says softly. “I have to stay and work on the ship. No one is safe until we’re sure that it’s not transmitting anything.” She pauses. “But maybe—”

“No,” he growls. “You and I stay together.”

She nods slowly. “But I do think Rukhar would be safest with the tribe.” She looks heartbroken at the thought and hugs her son closer.

“If you want to send him back, I can take care of him,” Gail offers. She approaches Rukhar and gets down on her knees, smiling at him. “Do you want to come on an adventure with Miss Gail?”

The little boy is silent. He looks at his father.

Rukh looks as if his worst nightmare is coming true. I’m surprised when he swallows hard and then nods, putting a hand on his son’s head. “You go with Miss Shail. When we are together again, perhaps we find you a snow-cat like Kate’s.”

Rukhar manages a brave smile, but in that moment, I think he looks older and sadder than any of us. “All right, Father.”

“Then that’s settled at least,” Harlow says, her eyes red and her smile tremulous. “We’ll stay here to work on the ship, and Rukhar will go back with Gail and Vaza.”

“And we’re staying,” Mardok adds, putting his arm around Farli’s waist. She nods agreement with her mate.

“I’ll stay, too,” Brooke says, and I’m surprised. “Maybe I can help with whatever you guys need. If nothing else, I can try to assist. I don’t know alien technology, but I was never terrible with computers.”

Taushen scowls. “You should go back with the others.”

“You should know you’re not my keeper,” she fires back and looks to Mardok and Harlow. “Is it a problem if I stay?”

“No,” Mardok says, keeping his expression neutral. “It’ll probably be useful. We’ll need someone to run errands at least.”

“It’s settled then.”

“We will go,” Bek says, speaking up. He steps forward, but Elly doesn’t stop clinging to his hand. “I want my mate back at the safety of the village. She is newly with kit, and I will not risk her further.”

“Mine, too,” Harrec adds. Kate makes a sound of protest, but the normally laughing Harrec shakes his head. “No. Kits are important. I will not risk you or my son.”

I still can’t believe they resonated. I still can’t believe Kate got herself a mate while I was gone. It feels strange. Wasn’t she just teasing me the other day about being boy-crazy? And now she’s mated.

“It could be a daughter,” Kate grumps, but she holds her kitten close to her chest and shrugs. “Well, if Rukhar’s going back, at least I’ll have someone to help me take care of Mr. Fluffypuff here.”

The little boy smiles for the first time, and I feel my heart squeeze. Poor, serious little Rukhar.

“What about me?” Harrec protests. “I can help.”

“Oh, baby,” Kate says in a patient voice. “You’ll be doing good not to trip over your own two feet.”

A laugh ripples through our small group, and it somehow feels better. Less dire. I watch wistfully as Kate smiles at her mate and leans over to give him a kiss—she’s tall enough that he doesn’t have to stoop like the others do. I’m envious of how happy she is.

And of course, because I’m that dork, I glance over at Warrek, thinking about the conversation we had. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s watching me, but I am. My cheeks heat with a blush, and I avert my gaze, but I can’t stop smiling.

“What about you?” Brooke asks, and when I glance up, I realize she’s talking to me. “Are you going or staying, Summer?”

I think for a moment. I’m honestly not sure. If I’m honest with myself, I want to go wherever Warrek goes. Of course, I’d never say something so obvious. I think about the groups that are staying and the groups that are going. It seems to me that the group that’s leaving is the weaker one. Gail and Vaza will have Rukhar to watch over, and Kate and Elly will be accompanied by their mates, but they’re also both newly pregnant. Not that I’m strong enough to tip the scales, but I’ve gained a new sort of confidence in myself in the last few days. Sure, I’m a blabbermouth, but I’m a blabbermouth with a gun.

“I’ll go back to the village,” I tell the group. “I might be more useful on the way back than waiting here.”

“I will join you,” Warrek adds.

Taushen just snorts, and I feel my cheeks getting hot all over again.

Harlow nods. “That’s a good idea. We have enough staying here. In case any other ships land…it’s best to have as many going back to the tribe as possible.” She looks at her mate again.

Rukh shakes his head. “I stay at your side.”

She leans against him, and he puts his arms around her. “I guess it’s decided then,” she says in a soft voice.

And it seems that it is.

“So when do we leave?” I ask, thinking about the journey ahead. It wasn’t exactly fun to get here, because traveling through the snow is never exactly “fun,” but the thought of slogging our way back for days makes me feel exhausted already.

“First thing in the morning,” Bek says, brushing Elly’s hair back from her face and caressing her cheek. She holds on to him tightly, and I realize just how terrifying this ordeal probably was for her. Out of all of us, Elly was a slave the longest. She’s been happy with Bek, I think, but I can imagine the terror she’s felt recently at the prospect of nearly being sold as a slave again. No doubt Bek’s eager to get her away from here. Can’t say I blame him.

“We have supplies back at the fruit cave.” Warrek says in his quiet voice.

Harrec nods. “A small group of us can go and retrieve them while the rest of you stay here and prepare. I’m still strong. I can go.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kate says.

Harrec shakes his head and tweaks his mate’s blonde curls. “You stay here with the group. I will not risk you.”

She looks frustrated, but nods.

“I’ll go back to the fruit cave,” I volunteer, though I’m exhausted, too. All of the adrenaline pumping through my veins for the last while has crashed and left me feeling like a noodle…but I also wasn’t captured like the others. I’m healthy and strong enough—mentally and physically—to trek back across the valley and haul supplies.

“You will stay,” Warrek says in a firm voice. “Rest with the other females.”

I blush, but at the same time, it feels weirdly good to be included. And weirdly good to be singled out by him.

WARREK

It is late when we return from the fruit caves, our packs laden and the baskets piled high on a sled. It was surprisingly hard to leave the others back at the ship. I worried that with every moment we were gone, new enemies would appear and those waiting there would no longer be safe. Judging from how quiet Taushen and Harrec are as we work, I am not the only one that feels this way.

The return to the ship is equally quiet, as almost all the remaining tribesmates are piled into one of the larger chambers, beds close together. It is as if they all take comfort in each other. Farli and Mardok are at the center of the room, arms twined around each other. Kate is curled up next to Shail and Buh-brukh. Her small snow-cat is curled up on Rukhar’s empty blankets, and Rukh’s son is squeezed into the furs between his parents. Bek’s mate is asleep off to one side, and Bek and Vaza both guard the group, weapons at hand, clearly unable to sleep.

Bek nods as we return, ever-silent. There will be more time to talk in the morning, before we set out.

I watch as Harrec steps over a few people to move to Kate’s side. He slides into the furs next to his mate and puts his arms around her, holding her close, and she turns into his arms. I can hear the faint sound of their khuis singing to each other.

It fills me with envy. They are newly mated, and Harrec has always stated that resonance would forever pass him by. Now he has his Kate, and a kit on the way.

I think of Suh-mer. It has been very quiet without her endless chatter back in the fruit cave, and I found that I missed the sound of her voice, the steady stream of her thoughts. I search for her small form in the group and find her on the edge of the chamber, off by herself. As Taushen settles in with Bek and Vaza to guard, I wonder that I should not join them. I am unmated, after all.

But…why deprive myself? Why hold back from what I truly wish to do, which is to move to Suh-mer’s furs and gather her in my arms?

Now that I have found her, why deny what I feel? I am tired of being solitary and alone. No one will care. Perhaps they will tease, but I do not mind that. Let them tease. I will have my female in my arms. Nothing else matters. I carefully make my way through the crowded chamber and move to her side.

She opens her eyes sleepily as I lie down next to her, gaze unfocused. “W-Warrek? Is everything okay? What—”

I put my finger to her lips, silencing her. “I wished to sleep next to you.”

“Oh.” She yawns. “Okay.” She pulls the blankets over my hips and settles back down on the ground.

Greatly daring, I put my arms around her and draw her close to me. She fits under my chin perfectly, her form tucked against mine, and it feels better than anything I could have ever imagined. Her skin feels soft under my touch, and my cock stirs in response.

Now is not the time, though. There will be opportunities later. For now, I just want to hold her.

Suh-mer yawns again and leans against me, one hand curled against my chest. “’Night,” she whispers, and I say nothing in response, waiting for her breathing to steady.

Eventually it does, and then I hear her soft mumbling. It is too low to make out what she says, so I lean in closer to hear her words.

“Just a little mustard,” she murmurs. “No, I didn’t say I wanted a sandwich. Just mustard. That’s right. You can put it on the side of my plate.”

Strange, though charming. I find it comforting that even in her sleep, she talks.