CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

 

 

- Bren

Hopping in the front, I recognize Chevepak as one of Vina’s other husbands. My former future brother. “Good to see you Chevepak.”

He smiles brightly. “It’s excellent to see you. Are you ready to get her?”

“Oh yes!” He takes off like a rocket when Matthias’s door latches and leaves my stomach on the ground. Racing over to the side of the entrance to the catacombs, we wait for the drop off party to exit. They come out a moment later, as they slowly roll out and move off to the side, and we can finally enter.

“They are following us.” The announcement from my brother isn’t a surprise. Within one hundred and fifty feet, Chavepak slows as we reach an area with three tunnel choices. “Get out and walk around to each one. It will help.” Matthias leans forward to point. “Walk each entrance. It looks like that one has another intersection only a few feet in. Ready?”

I’m already out of the vehicle and walking in a fairly small circle. But it isn’t hard. Walking a few feet into the option on the left, I know that is it. Getting back inside quickly, I point to the tunnel I just left. Chavepak doesn’t hesitate and takes off immediately.

“Was it hard? Are you positive?” Councilor Kirley leans forward, the recording light in her eye flashing as she asks the questions everyone around the world wants to know.

“No. I’m positive.” I can’t help the antagonistic feelings I feel towards our whole society and especially the councilors right now. I know we are just following the challenge laws, but my mate is alone and her anxiety is escalating the longer we are in the tunnels.

We stop three more times at tunnel choices. One of them was a cavern with more than six exits at different points around the room. Jagged rocks and strange shadows move around the area as our lights flash. Hannah’s panic escalates and I yell at Chevepak to go faster even as I wave to the branch he should enter.

“I’m trying Bren, but this is the top speed between the walls and the terrain we are covering. The auto pilot keeps it from going any quicker in this environment.” We are all stunned as we pull up to another tunnel and see thousands of sheevas pouring out of the mouth of it. I know my time has run out.

As I spring from the vehicle, the sheevas dart away from me. They are everywhere on the floor as I cut through them, sprinting into the dark. A yellow haze is descending into my vision as the darkness creeps in, but I see perfectly. Everything is magnified, from Hannah’s accelerated heartbeat to her cries for me that are now bleeding through our connection. I can feel my own body respond as I accelerate, jump, and sprint towards where I know she is.

My clothes tighten and constrict before giving way and I can feel every hair on my body standing up, testing the air around me for the predator I know must be here. I see Hannah then, standing as still as a statue, not looking my way and my eyes are instantly pulled to the medica directly past her. I’ve never seen one in real life before. These are creatures of the caves, depicted in archives and documentaries but left alone to maintain the ecological system of the caverns.

No more! This one has come much too close to my Hannah. Springing past her, my body is on autopilot as I instinctively grab its neck from the back. I startle us both with my speed as it flips and tries to throw me off, hissing and arching.

When its jaws open, I take advantage by clinging to it with my legs and putting its upper jaw in my right hand with its bottom in my left. Sharp teeth graze my fingers as I pull with a mighty jerk and snap its jaw back and to the side. It’s still writhing beneath me as I pull its jaw bone off its head and flip it to the side.

“Bren! Oh, Bren, thank fucking god!” Hannah’s voice is elated as she calls to me from her tether. Grabbing the collar around her neck, she tugs it insistently. “Get this off me!” I’m by her side instantly and grasp the collar gingerly next to her hands, breaking it off her with a slight tug.

She’s climbing me the next second, and I embrace her. I’m so relieved! She wraps her entire body around me, squeezing me tightly.

I just breathe her in. I can hear not only my vehicle pulling up, but also the others behind it, doors opening and closing.

“What is that?”

“Is it alive?”

“Look at Bren!”

“Did he do that?”

The murmurs behind me continue and as I glance over, councilor Kirley Pelack is walking towards the carcass, assessing it for the archives, circling where she can.

Matthias clasps me on the shoulder and I’m surprised to look down at him. “Well, you did it now! You’re fucking huge, Bren. It’s a bit freakish but it will subside.”

“Don’t call him a freak! He’s perfect.” Hannah’s kind words make me speak up.

“I don’t really feel bigger.”

Matthias and Chevepak laugh. “Well you are. It will settle a bit. It’s the stress and a common side effect of the mating. A protective overdrive built into our system. You feel okay? Are your hands bleeding?”

“Bren! Are you bleeding? I’m sorry, I’ll get off you.” Hannah tries to wiggle away but I keep her planted firmly against me with no struggle.

“I’m fine and I am going to be holding you until we get the fuck out of here. I may not be able to put you down for a while.” I’m admitting this to myself as well as her. I feel better with her close. Our hearts settle into a familiar rhythm.

“Okay. I don’t want you to put me down but don’t squeeze too hard. My arm and shoulder are a little sore.” She winces, straightening and curling her arm back in.

“What happened?” I’m berating myself for not checking her for injuries right away.

Matthias pulls her arm from around my neck and starts pushing poking at her torn sleeve as she tells us. “One of those ant things tried to pull me along with it. I think it was trying to tell me to run. Is that possible?”

My heart freezes as the implications of what she says sinks in. “A sheeva bit you?”