by Hope Hart
Love. “Is that what this is?”
Terex sends me a pitying look. “You know how the tribe gossips. You’ve gone from finally smiling and actually caring about more than just hunting the Voildi to a man with moods so dark even your councilors are afraid to approach you. That’s love.”
I watch Nevada as Agroz lunges, and she darts out of reach. She jolts forward and smacks him on the ass with her training sword, and I chuckle as he throws her a black look.
“She’s not doing well either,” Terex tells me softly. “Ellie said she’s staying with the other female—Vivian. Apparently she’s no longer sleeping.”
I rub my chest at the thought of my hellion crying out in her sleep. And then I straighten my shoulders as Nevada glances up at us, meeting my gaze for a moment before she looks away.
My female has never been easy, but she is worth the fight. She is worth everything.
Nevada
What do I do when my life is falling apart and I want nothing more than to get on my knees and beg the tribe king for a scrap of his attention?
Torture his entire tribe.
They’re pissed. But things are about to get a whole lot worse.
I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. Sleepless nights when I cried into my pillow as soon as Vivian had fallen asleep.
Me. Nevada. Crying over a man. It would be funny if it wasn’t so fucking embarrassing.
I thought that it would hurt less—that it’d be easier for both of us if we just called it quits now. I can focus on finding the other women so we can get back to Earth, and he can focus on ruling his tribe.
But I can’t imagine anything hurting more than this.
I sigh and roll over in my furs. Vivian gave me a look when I moved in here and asked when her kradi became the “designated breakup tent,” but her expression softened when she took a good look at my face. “You can have Alexis’s bed. The pillow’s probably still damp from when Ellie cried all over it.”
Vivian’s already up today. While I’m tempted to roll back over and cry myself back to sleep, I need to get up so I can put the final phase of Operation Undermine Camp Security into effect.
First, I check on Zoey. Her eyes blink open when I walk in, and a smile crosses her face.
I grin, relief hitting me like a punch in the gut. God, at least one thing is okay. Ellie looks up and matches my grin, gesturing to the plate of food Zoey’s nibbling on.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Like I survived pneumonia. With the alien version of antibiotics.”
I laugh, and I’m so fucking relieved and exhausted and sad that I fall to my knees next to her bed, bury my face in her furs, and burst into tears.
“Oh my God,” Ellie says, wrapping her arm around me. “Are you okay?”
I choke out a laugh. “Zoey’s the one on her deathbed, and you’re asking if I’m okay?”
“Well you’re kind of having a breakdown,” Zoey says, and I grin even as I wipe tears off my face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. From what Ellie says, you’ve been holding everyone together. You’re entitled to have a cry every now and again.”
“I just had one last night. And the night before.”
Ellie reaches out and strokes my hair back from my face, and the action is so maternal that another tear slips down my cheek.
“Well,” she says. “Maybe you’re long overdue.”
“I lost him,” I murmur. “I let him go, and I lost him.”
“Have you talked to him?”
I shake my head and finally sit up. Zoey’s eyes are wet with sympathy, and we all turn as Moni enters the kradi.
She takes one look at me and tuts before handing me a plate of food. “Take it, child. Don’t argue with an old woman.”
I force a smile onto my face and take the plate. Moni looks at me for a long moment, and we’re all silent.
Then she speaks. “If he could reply, he would tell you to take your happiness wherever you can fucking find it.”
My mouth drops open, and Ellie shifts beside me.
“Who?” she asks. “Rakiz?”
Moni shakes her head with a smile and walks back out.
I’m still staring at where she was standing when Ellie pushes my plate closer to me.
“The Braxians don’t curse like us. They use Brax words.”
“Yeah,” I say. “They do. Sorry, guys, I’ve got to go. I’ll be back later.”
I’m satisfied with the dirty looks thrown my way as I move within the camp. If people are annoyed, it means they’re taking notice. Real change comes when people have no choice but to examine their weaknesses.
Still, they’re going to be really annoyed by what I have planned next.
I glance at Terex, who nods at me from where he’s standing near the mishua pen. Everything is ready to go. Excellent.
BOOM!
The explosion is small, but even I flinch as the kradi blows. Screams sound, and if I wasn’t in the worst mood of my life, I’d probably feel bad.
Instead, I watch as everything I predicted happens as if according to a script. All the warriors who are in the training arena instantly run toward the explosion. At least two sentries leave their posts completely, desperate to see what’s happened, and chaos reigns.
When I told Terex what I wanted to do, he immediately shook his head, but I saw the interest in his eyes when I explained why. The kids have all been safely hidden away, and both Terex and Rakiz ensured that no one would be anywhere near the kradi when it blew.
When we attacked the Voildi’s lair, Tagiz used twelve pods to create his explosion. For this, I’ve used just one. I’m not aiming for destruction. Just the sound and sight of something burning even as Terex immediately puts out the small flames.
All eyes turn to me as I walk up, and most of them are enraged.
I’ve managed to antagonize an entire tribe of alien warriors. Good work, Nevada.
A strong arm wraps around me, grabbing my hand as I tense and reach for my sword. Rakiz’s scent hits me, leather and warrior. He pulls me close, and I look up at his face, but his gaze is scanning all the warriors staring at me until, one by one, they glance away.
I frown at him. By now, he should know that I don’t need to be rescued. But my heart still skips a beat as he strokes his finger lightly across my hand and then moves away. Even now, when he can’t even bear to look at me, he still has my back.
I move away, eyes forward. The warriors know where to find me now.
It doesn’t take long for them to find their way to the meadow. I stand on the same table, watching as they arrive. Rakiz appears, but no one approaches him, preferring to stare at me as if I’m a serial killer they’ve found hiding in their midst.
Ellie arrives, her hand in Terex’s. She raises her other arm, giving me a thumbs-up, and I blow out a shaky breath as I avoid Rakiz’s gaze. Was it really just five days ago that we ended?
I glance at a robed figure on the outskirts of the crowd, and then I get straight to business.
“Over the past five days, I’ve tested the security of this camp. While you’d be forgiven for assuming otherwise, it brings me no pleasure to expose some of the complacency I’ve found in that security.” I smile slightly. “Okay, it brings me a little pleasure.”
A few laughs sound, and I take a deep breath.
“While I’m not from this tribe, or even from this planet, I know a few things. I know that three years ago, the Evix tribe was wiped out when they were infiltrated by their enemies. I know a pack of Voildi who are big-picture thinkers and managed to collaborate long enough to kidnap my friends, hide them, and find buyers. And I know that sometimes life sucks. Sometimes you think you’re safe only to lose the ones you love.”
My voice cracks, and I brush away a tear before it can fall.
“That happened to me. And I don’t want it to happen to any of you. That’s why I’m doing this. Not because I want you to look like idiots,
although that was a fun bonus. But because this tribe can do better.”
I gesture to the cloaked figure, and he steps forward. Gasps sound, and swords are drawn as the warrior throws off his hood and grins at me.
Apparently Dexar was amused by our request. Amused enough that when we managed to get word to him through one of his hunting parties, he decided to let us borrow one of his warriors for this little display.
The guy doesn’t seem at all afraid, even surrounded by a tribe of growling warriors. Balls of steel.
“That explosion could have happened simultaneously around our camp. All it would take is for those pods to be snuck in with the food. When the kradi flew into the air, almost every single one of you ran toward it. I know you were likely making sure there were no women or children hurt. But this distraction allowed an enemy warrior to sneak in. Your sentries were away from their posts, making it easy for a tribe to take us unaware. Imagine what one enemy could do while hidden within this camp. And imagine if he brought friends. Imagine if that distraction was a way to keep you busy while the enemy rode on your camp.”
The warriors are listening intently now, and I feel my shoulders relax slightly.
“Will you allow me to offer you a few suggestions? Suggestions that will help to keep every man, woman, and child safe in this camp and future camps?”
Asroz drops to one knee, bowing his head in a show of support. Hewex and Tagiz immediately follow, and at least ten other warriors do the same. One or two spin and stalk away, while the rest keep their arms folded but nod at me.
I’ll take it.
Chapter Sixteen
Nevada
I keep myself busy. Most days, I teach small groups of warriors how to track without their noses. I make them stuff scented material in their nostrils, and then they compete to find each other through the forest nearby.
The search for Ivy and Beth continues, and Terex gives me updates whenever he has new information.
From what I can understand, all the Braxian tribes must have originally been related in some way. Some of them have alliances, others have trade deals, and some at least have a kind of truce—like the one between Rakiz and Dexar. Then there are those that will kill each other on sight.
A human woman with flame-colored hair was apparently seen running into the territory of a Braxian tribe that doesn’t have any truce or alliance with Rakiz’s tribe.
Rakiz has sent some of his warriors to the area to see if they can spot any sign of Ivy.
Beth is still nowhere to be seen.
And Charlie? All we know is what the blue man told us, and Rakiz has also sent warriors to attempt to trace the dragon’s footsteps.
Of course, I’m getting all of this information secondhand, since I’m too much of a coward to talk to Rakiz, no matter what I said about “friendship.”
I push the thought of the tribe king out of my head and focus on Geris—one of the sentries. He’s raising his eyebrow at me, and I nod.
“Do it.”
We’re probably about a thousand feet from camp. Asroz came with me, and he’s watching with interest from his mishua.
Geris picks up the long rope, which has been made from some kind of flax-like plant. It’s incredibly strong and attached to a bell located by the next closest sentry on this side. When his bell rings, he’ll pull his own rope, which will ring the next bell, and so on.
We wait, breathlessly, and just a few seconds later…
Ring, ring, ring.
We all grin as the huge bell located in the training arena sounds, alerting the entire camp.
We’ve placed these ropes surrounding the camp in all directions. The goal is to extend them out even further so the moment a potential invader gets within a mile of the camp, our sentries will alert the warriors to be ready.
“This is very well done,” Asroz says quietly.
I smile up at him, but we’re both aware that Rakiz should be here for this. I’m not sure where he is, but I haven’t seen him in days.
I feel like a hypocrite. Each night it takes every ounce of my willpower to not leave my kradi and make my way to his tashiv, where I’ll fall on my knees and beg him to take me back.
The only thing stopping me? The thought of what would happen next.
I can’t believe I was dumb enough to fall in love with the tribe king. My stomach clenches as I stare into the distance. Because that’s what this must be. Breakup is too mild of a word for what this is. This is a shock wave through everything I ever thought I knew and all my plans for the future.
It’s a good thing Rakiz is nowhere to be seen. Because if he was close by…
I’d make a fool of myself begging for him to take me back.
“Here.” Asroz offers me his hand. “Let’s go.”
It feels weird to ride on a mishua in front of a man that’s not Rakiz. We’re quiet as we slowly head back to camp, and I feel the sudden urge to take the mishua and run.
“Are you okay?”
I blink. Asroz and I don’t talk about anything “girlie” like feelings. I think the only way he can train me is to imagine that I’m actually a male.
“Not really,” I admit. “But I will be. One day.”
Hopefully.
One of the sentries scans us when we arrive.
“The king has called a breen,” he says, and Asroz tenses behind me.
“What’s a breen?”
“A meeting of the whole tribe,” Asroz says. “Only sentries and the very sick are permitted to not attend.”
Butterflies instantly become a swarm in my stomach. Surely no one would notice if I wasn’t there, right?
“Don’t even think about it.”
I sigh. Asroz is one hell of a hard-ass sometimes.
We leave the mishua in the pen, and her eyes turn heavy-lidded as Asroz gives her a stroke. Then I follow Asroz to the meadow—the only place large enough for a meeting of this size.
Even then, it’s a stretch.
There are thousands of people in this tribe. Granted, many warriors are currently away on various orders, but it’s still a tight squeeze. I find Ellie close to the front, and I elbow my way through the crowd until I can whisper in her ear.
“Any idea what this is about?”
Ellie shakes her head. “Apparently it’s very rare to call a breen. It’s not something that’s usually done without a lot of advance notice.”
People are murmuring in low voices, but those murmurs begin to die down. I turn to see the crowd parting for Rakiz, who meets my gaze for a split second before he stands on a raised dais that wasn’t here earlier.
I guess he’d probably break any table he attempted to stand on.
Rakiz’s councilors follow in his wake. They’re older men who no longer fight as warriors, and they’re the bane of his existence. Every single one of them looks like they’ve been sucking on a lemon, and more than one sends me a furious glance.
“What the hell?” I murmur, and I feel Ellie shrug beside me.
Rakiz stares over the crowd. His eyes are shadowed, and my heart aches. All I want is for us to hide away somewhere remote and shut out the world.
“Thank you for joining me here today. I’ll keep this short. This is something that I have wanted for a long time, but I wasn’t brave enough to do it.”
Whispers sound, people voicing their shock at his admission.
“I will be stepping down as king. I know this is unexpected, but I will make this transition as easy as possible.”
What. The. Fuck.
Before I know it, I’m shoving my way forward, ignoring the filthy looks aimed my way as gasps sound across the crowd.
“What are you doing?” I demand, and the old woman next to me holds her hand to her chest, blood draining from her face as if she might actually faint.
“You won’t be with me as king. So now I’m just a male.”
I grind my teeth. “You didn’t want to talk to me about this?”
Rakiz sighs. “I’m not us
ed to compromising. I’m not someone who shares. I’ll do my best to include you in my decisions, but sometimes those decisions will be mine to make.”
I examine him. He’s actually fucking serious about this. He’s giving up everything.
“And just what does this decision look like?”
The crowd is deathly quiet, and Rakiz reaches down, pulling me up onto the dais with him.
“We will have to leave. I can’t stay here—it would be an insult to the next king. But we will have our own life, our own adventures. I will make you happy, Nevada.”
I blink back tears. “Why would you do this?”
“If you stay with me, you’ll be giving up your home for me. I want you to be my mate. To be the mother of my children.”
The tribe is currently going nuts. Warriors are roaring in outrage, women are crying, and Rakiz only has eyes for me.
“I’m not taking you away from your tribe. They need you.”
“Not as much as I need you.”
For the first time, Rakiz is putting his needs before the tribe. And it’s killing him. I can see it in the hard lines of his face, in the way he keeps his eyes on me, ignoring the outcry from his tribe.
I did this.
“You’re not doing it.”
“Karja, I already have.”
“No.” I turn to the crowd. “Your king is staying here.”
“Nevada—”
“But he’s mine,” I continue. “Forever. I’m not giving him back. And if anyone has a problem with that, you can suck it. He’s given his whole life to this tribe, and for once he’s going to have what he wants. For some crazy reason, what he wants is me. So until he changes his mind, I’ll be hanging around.”
Relief shows on the faces staring up at us. I’ve drawn my line in the sand, and they’re so desperate to keep Rakiz that they’ll even take me with him.
I turn and eye him. “You’re a master manipulator,” I mutter, and his eyes light with humor. “Would you really have left?”
Rakiz pulls me close, his gaze intent. “Karja, I’ve already packed my bags. I’d leave in a heartbeat. But something told me I wouldn’t have to.”