Heart of the Hunted

by Viola Grace

  “Excuse me, Hunter, but she needs to get this done. She has been in here for seven days, and the baby’s development is near the end of the first trimester. It is taking the minerals from her bones for its own development. She needs it out.”

  Arix nodded and kept hold of her hand as they wheeled her into the operating theatre where the large canister waited.

  Every person and surface was sterilized, Arix held her hand and the surgeons began their work.

  Two hours later, Bree was tender, but she stared into the tank with wonder. She could almost see Liadiir growing in front of her.

  “You named her?” Arix was staring at his daughter with fascination.

  “I did. Liadiir. Mysterious Warrior. I had a lot of time to look up Rrassic baby names. It worked for a boy or a girl.”

  He stroked the forming body through the thick plexi of the canister. The baby moved slightly.

  “She is growing in front of our eyes.” His voice was full of wonder.

  “She is. The physicians told me that I am classified as an accelerator. When my genes mix with those of a Rrassic, the baby grows to adulthood in record time. That is probably why they tried to snatch me in the first place, and the second.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I am sorry that I wasn’t here, but we have settled the issues at Skekt.”

  “Good. When do you have to leave again?”

  He held her close. “I don’t. You are my priority. The overseer is in agreement. The skark are coming through a portal tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to be there for it.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “I think I would. She’s safe, secure and under guard, so I am definitely up for a little light exercise.”

  “Are you able? I mean, how are you feeling?”

  “I will be fine. I have the remote to the viewer aimed at Liadiir. As long as I can check on her and hear her heartbeat, I am fine.”

  “Are you ready to go home?”

  “I am.”

  He held her close, and they walked out of the gestation centre, walking the half block in the secured breeding compound to their home. The transport back to the compound with the med team and the canister had been met by a crowd who wanted to see little Liadiir. Fortunately, only the parents had unlimited access to the baby, no matter day or time.

  The gestation centre had one other occupant. Lianne and Sorrok’s little one. Since the human mothers were so attached to their babies, it had been decided to keep them on site, so to speak. The Breeder compound also solved security issues. It was the most secure spot on Imrahl.

  She looked at the apartment with surprise. It had been a wreck when she had left, but it seemed that Lianne had engaged in a bit of housekeeping. The place was spotless.

  Arix looked at her surprise, and he smiled. “Sorrok told me that he was bored without Lianne, so he came in and cleaned. He enjoys tidying.”

  She snorted. “I have met him a time or two. He is a scary-looking guy.”

  “Most females swoon at the sight of his features.”

  She stroked his cheek. “I have a fascination for character, Arix. Pretty has never done it for me, but fascinating does it all the time. There is nothing more interesting than a man who can disappear and reappear at will.”

  He closed his eyes. “I was only gone from you for three days, but it feels like forever.”

  “It felt like forever on this end as well. Each day was a week. If I didn’t know how time moved there, I would have been frantic.”

  “Knowing that you were here alone, I was frantic. Come on; let’s get you to bed. I want nothing more than to curl up with you again and feel your heart beating under my hand.”

  She sighed and moved toward the bedroom. “That sounds like the best idea I have heard in weeks.”

  The medical tunic and trousers hit the floor while Arix peeled back the bedding so she could slide in.

  He stripped to the skin and crawled in after her, wrapping his body around hers protectively with his hair covering her in a mobile shield. He slid a hand between her breasts and felt her heartbeat. She sighed and relaxed against him as the familiar position helped her get into a better state of mind.

  She could feel his heart thud against her back, and he was holding her close. Their baby was safe and he was home in one piece. For Bree, this was nearly the perfect evening.

  The portal opened and furious skark streaked out and onto the plain. Their speed was astonishing to watch, but Bree was up in a skimmer and out of their reach. If they chose to attack, they were going to have to learn to fly.

  “Do you want to go down?” Arix stood behind her, and their pilot kept them out of harm’s way.

  The Rrassic had opened a portal on the plain and herded the skark into it on Skekt. The beasts weren’t happy, but they were treating their new territory like their old one.

  “If you bring me to the watering hole, I wouldn’t mind seeing if this is the same herd I met.”

  The pilot moved the skimmer, and in a few minutes, they were in the path of the herd.

  “Set me down. I will meet them in the calmest way I can.”

  “I will be with you this time. I am not risking you, no matter how useful the skark will be.”

  “How will they be useful?”

  “They will defend the regions of Imrahl that we can’t. Personnel just can’t cover all areas, no matter what we pretend. If they see another portal, they will attack.”

  She chuckled as they landed. She was still sore from the surgery, but after weeks in the health centre, she was more than happy to be walking around in the fresh air.

  Arix kept one arm around her as they walked to the edge of the waterway. If he needed to pull her out, he was ready.

  Bree sighed at the feeling of finally being safe. Her body wasn’t trying to kill her, her baby wasn’t draining her and her mate was back. All she needed now was to see if her friends had made it out alive.

  The beasts thundered toward them, gradually slowing their pace as they scented the water. Their green hue was slightly dulled by the dust of the ground they had just trampled on, but their horns looked familiar.

  She waited with Arix as the creatures got closer and closer. When they paused to drink, she remained standing.

  Two of the skark raised their heads and sniffed the air. One lumbered forward, limping slightly. Bree stood still as it waded through the water and approached her. She stood her ground while the deadly horns came dangerously close.

  When the beast snuffled at her and tried to push her into the water, Bree laughed and reached out to touch the fur. She rolled in the water and let the skark muzzles mark her. Arix was given the same treatment, and an hour later, they were riding along the plain as the skark explored their new territory.

  She looked over at her mate and chuckled. “So, this is the same herd, now how do we get off?”

  He laughed and raised his wrist. “We need a pickup. Silent as you can.”

  She waited until she saw him being lifted, feeling nothing more than a puff of air on her cheeks. When he grabbed her around the waist and they were lifted upward, she didn’t gasp. She didn’t say anything until they were in the skimmer.

  “I wish I could live closer to them.”

  “Funny you should mention that. As soon as Liadiir is out of her tube, would you care to have a home on the plain?”

  “I would love that.”

  “The overseer has it in the works. We would be a warning outpost in case any of the other worlds try to hack their way into this one.”

  “That sounds delightful.”

  He laughed. “We would attach sensor units to the skark, and they would become our network. It is a work to be done over decades, but it will be worth it in the end.”

  She sighed. “Decades with you. Be still my beating heart.”

  “Not on my watch.”

  Bree smiled. “I like that prom
ise, can you put it in writing?”

  “I can. Would you care to wear something to symbolize our union?”

  The Rrassic identified mated pairs by scent, so his offer was sweet.

  “Only if you can find something that can go invisible with you.”

  His smile was slow. “I think we can manage that.”

  “Good. In that case, yes. Wrist or finger band.”

  “I will make the arrangements.”

  “Of course you will. Now, as soon as we get back, I need to start work on designing a baby room. I haven’t done it before, but if she is growing up at an accelerated rate, we are going to have to brace for a fast transition. I am going to need adaptable furnishings and no pastels.” She muttered to herself.

  Arix cleared his throat. “I believe that the overseer’s assistant could help you with that. He has mentioned that she can shop with the best of them and she does have access to every import and export that is on Imrahl.”

  “You don’t want to kick in your own input?”

  “She carries half my genes, that is enough of my input. I will just be happy if she isn’t a Luthin. Invisible women have a tendency to avoid entanglements, and I want her to find a good man and live happily.”

  Bree snorted. “She isn’t even born and you are matchmaking in your mind. She will be whatever she is, and she will find a match with whatever male or female catches her heart. It is just that simple. It is out of your hands.”

  “I will defer to your wisdom on such matters.”

  “Excellent. I will make mistakes, but I will make them confidently. That is what matters.” She chuckled and he squeezed her carefully. She had another few days of recovery before they could truly greet each other properly again, but if it ended in another little person in a tank, she would get over it.

  She had her Hunter and he had her. When she needed him, he would always come for her. It was not a life of agriculture, but she did get some husbandry in her life.

  Five weeks after the skark herd’s arrival, a new citizen of Imrahl arrived. Bella and Lianne were with Bree as the techs opened the canister in the warm room. Arix stood nearby with Iktabi and Sorrok. Everyone wanted to meet the first genuine citizen of the dimensional bubble.

  The medics slid the mint-green baby out of the angled canister. Her rosebud mouth was cleared out, as were her nostrils. When her dark hair began to dry, it stood up and began waving on its own.

  Bree teared up, and her arms ached to hold her baby. When they had finished cleaning and wrapping her, they brought her over and placed Liadiir in her arms for the first time.

  “Oh, wow. She is so much bigger than I imagined.” Bree whispered and pressed a kiss to the downy forehead of her baby.

  Lianne smiled. “I still have six months to go on mine. He’s growing strong but not nearly this fast.”

  Bree sighed. “Yeah, her little brother is going to be a bruiser.”

  The second tank had been set next to the first, and the two-week-old embryo was growing rapidly. Bree was indeed an accelerator, but she had no idea how. It wasn’t exactly a family trait.

  “Lady Bree, we would like to run some scans now.” The medic smiled gently.

  “Be kind to her. We don’t know what she does yet, but she is manifesting Luthin characteristics, and I don’t want her disappearing on me. It is not something to teach a baby.”

  They nodded and carefully took the baby.

  Bree walked straight into Arix’s arms. “You were right. That was terrifying.”

  “The room is ready, the food is laid in, the rations are programmed into our dispenser and she has a list of interview requests a mile long. She is the first citizen of Imrahl, and I am delighted to meet her.”

  “You didn’t touch her.”

  “There will be time for that later. She isn’t being taken off world, she is being taken to a scanner. She will be back in minutes and we can take her home.”

  Bree held onto him until the baby was returned to them, and when she looked down into those black-on-black eyes with thick lashes, she smiled. “She has my nose.”

  He laughed. “She does. Now, shall we go home?”

  She glanced to her friends and their mates. “Is the party still on?”

  Bella grinned. “Damn straight. Seeing a new baby is a great reason for a party. It is a better reason for a big party.”

  Looking down into Liadiir’s face, she knew that her daughter knew who she was and the party wouldn’t do any harm.

  “I wonder if being the first citizen of a dimensional bubble has any perks?”

  Bella grinned. “I have a list. It is framed for the baby’s room.”

  Lianne smiled. “I have a few exotic gifts that Sorrok has come up with. Let’s go and greet the newest young lady of Imrahl.”

  Bree carried her baby to her new home with her entourage, and when they arrived with the rest of the Breeders and their potential mates gathered, she knew that this was a solid start for the little life, even if Bree had no idea how she had started a child who grew to term in seven weeks.

  The human body didn’t work that way, but maybe things were different here on Imrahl. Love certainly was.

  Author’s Note

  Second book in the Brace for Humanity series is down, and though it had an unconventional start... I look forward to Bella’s book.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  About the Author

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.