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I’ve finally got her.
Fanian smiled to himself, but the effects weren’t lost on the human. She relaxed her tense muscles and stared at him longingly. All he had to do was keep smiling and talking, and any thoughts of running away would fade from her mind.
It had taken all day to find her. He’d wasted precious time setting his traps on the nearest paths, ensuring that escaping on foot wasn’t an option for her. After he’d finished the last trap, he’d found another hunter stalking her. He’d thought all his efforts were a waste, because surely, once she saw the lumbering hunter, she would use a pod to escape. He didn’t doubt he would find her again, but that also meant there was a chance another hunter would find her in the meantime.
But Fanian was happy with this outcome. He was able to get to her before she called for a pod, and she’d killed the Zorvan. One less hunter meant one less competitor.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time.”
She let out a breathy sigh. “Really?”
“You were so hard to find.”
She pouted. “I’m so sorry.”
He had her hooked now. I’ll be sleeping in my own bed tonight!
The sound of his voice made others relax around him; however, it didn’t make anyone do something they didn’t want to. If this female were compelled to run, she would. There wouldn’t be anything he could do to stop her. But, if he kept talking, she would become so relaxed and in-tune with what he said that she would forget about running and why she should.
His voice was a gift. It was also one of the reasons he’d had to flee his planet and galaxy. They hunted him for it. The Thruul used the Givveks’ voice as a weapon. They broadcasted it across fleets of enemy combatants, giving the Thruul a tide-turning advantage in any war.
He would end his life before he let the Thruul capture him and use his voice for war, but here, his zvodny fit his purpose well.
The female blinked rapidly, her gaze losing its soft appeal. “Why am I feeling this way? What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you, Mishka.”
Eyebrows that protruded from her round face pinched together. “What...what does that word mean?”
“Mishka means birth giver in my language. Your universal translator might not pick up on all the words of my language because it isn’t wildly known.”
She touched the back of her ear where her translator would be. “We just learned about the translators. I knew it let us understand the different languages that we all spoke. I didn’t know it would let us understand aliens too.” She frowned and tilted her head to the side. “I guess I did understand that first alien. I must’ve been too scared to realize it.”
“I’m happy that we can understand each other, Mishka. This would be much harder if we didn’t.”
She pulled the boy-child closer to her. “I-I don’t think I like that term.”
“Relax. It’s meant as a term of endearment.”
“You have blue skin,” the boy child said.
Fanian held out his arm. “Would you like to touch it?”
She took a step back, clutching the boy’s shoulder. “No. No. No. I don’t want you to come any closer. I need to leave.” She whimpered. “Why am I not running?”
He tsked. “Why do you want to leave? We’re having such a nice conversation. You want me to come closer. I can take you and your children away from here. Don’t you want me to save you?” He couldn’t contain the excitement in his voice. He was so close to claiming his prey. He stepped closer.
This was the first time he’d ever been this close to a human. He’d seen them on the projection and from afar. A hologram and distance didn’t do the human justice.
She was much prettier in person. So different from a Givvek female. Instead of the blue he was used to, her pale skin was blotched with pink and red. The markings were new and not on her original hologram. Maybe this was an effect from the sun or another irritant found in the jungle? Her hair seemed like it would be the same texture as his, but hers was brown with gold strands that shined when the sunlight hit it just so.
She was also shorter than him, only by a few heads. Her eyes were small and round and... He squinted. Dark blue. The thick eyelashes framing them made her eyes stand out even more than they already did. Her nose was small and she had thin lips. The only adornments she wore were small gold balls, one in each ear. Her children resembled her. Az’ud wouldn’t doubt she’d birthed them.
Fanian’s gaze roamed down her body. She was small but voluptuous. A thick dark material covered her shapely legs. Her shirt was made from a lighter material and clung to her breasts and torso. Az’ud would be happy with his choice. He might even give him a bonus for this catch.
Fanian smiled and stepped closer. The female opened her eyes wide. Panic shone brightly in them. He stopped, not wanting to press his luck. “Let me take you away from this inconvenience.”
Creases formed at her brows. “You want to claim us as your prey?”
“Prey is such a horrible word, don’t you think? What I want is to rescue you from here.”
She raised her chin. “Why should we go with you? If we finish all the Levels, we can go home. If I let you take us, I don’t know what will happen.”
She was resisting the zvodny. He had to find a way to keep her listening.
“Return to Earth? That’s not possible.”
“You’re lying. You’re only saying that because you want us to go with you.”
What would give her the idea that she could go back there? “I assure you, Mishka. I’m not lying about this.”
“Stop calling me that. It sounds so wrong when you say it. My name is Miranda.”
“And the children’s names?” When she didn’t answer, he quirked an eyebrow. He was curious, so he asked again.
“Adam and Lexi.”
“Adam and Lexi.” The words sounded funny on his lips. “Mi-ran-da.” Still funny. But he liked it. “My name is Fanian.”
“Nice to meet you, Fanian.” She frowned, then shook her head as if she didn’t know why she’d spoken those words. “How do I know you aren’t lying about us not being able to return to Earth?”
“There’s no reason to lie. Earth is protected. No one who leaves is allowed to return. Do you want to return because you have a mate there?”
Why had he asked her that? It didn’t matter if she’d left two mates behind. Her life there was over. Az’ud would be her mate soon.
This time he was the one who shook stray thoughts from his head. “No need to answer that. All that matters is you understand you can never return to Earth, so there’s no need to go through the different Levels.”
“One of you told my friend that we could go home as long as we won The Hunt. I don’t know him but what he’s said so far is true. Or at least I think it is.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “When the evening alarm sounds, are you allowed to pursue us?”
“No. We must return to the lodge. We can’t come back to the gaming arena until after the morning alarm.”
She nodded once. “See? Xrez told the truth.”
Hm, so the Game Warden was not only helping the humans but lying about then returning to Earth? That would definitely motivate the humans to persevere and try to win The Hunt.
“Trust me. Returning isn’t an option. You would be better coming with me.” He stepped closer. If he leaped the small distance, he could reach her maybe before she called a pod. But he didn’t want to take the chance on losing his prey after finally getting this far. A little closer and they would be his.
Her mouth twisted. “Why would I leave with you? So we could play house and pretend we’re a family?”
Fanian barked out a laugh. He couldn’t help himself. A family was the furthest from his mind. “No, Mishka. You aren’t for me. You’re for Az’ud.”
He took another step forward.
“What’s an Az’ud? Is that another planet or something?”
He moved again. Almost there. “No, Az’ud is a rich merchant who badly wants a human pet to bear his children. He’s paid a lot of money for me to capture you.”
Her facial features contorted and pinched together again. “You...you want to sell us?”
“Well, not actually. The credits are already in my account. Expenses need to be paid for upfront and all.”
She squinted her beautiful round eyes at him. “So, I guess I’ll just stand here and let you ruin our lives.”
“Ruin? I don’t know about that. But yes, stand there.”
He reached out and grabbed her. Finally.
“You really need to learn about sarcasm.”
She stepped back and to the side while simultaneously grabbing his wrist and wrenching him toward and past her. He overstepped, trying to avoid the hole she’d dug and landed awkwardly on his heel.
The human used his unbalance to her advantage. She pushed him to one knee and leaned over him with a snarl. Before he could regain his footing and launch toward her, she pulled a small device from a front pocket. She pressed it hard against the skin on his arm and a bolt of electricity shot through him. His muscles went rigid and he slumped to the ground.
“Quick! Hand me that rock!” she yelled.
If he could dislodge the device from his arm, he could escape the continuous jolts.
Her son handed her a rock bigger than his small hand.
“What damage could such a small weapon do?” he said through gritted teeth. “My skin is much stronger than the other hunter.”
“Oh, no. I’d never hurt such a strong hunter.”
She slammed the rock on his head. His chin hit the ground and sunk into the soft earth. She bashed his head again. Warm blood rushed over his forehead.
“Sarcasm,” she said, then hit him again.
Maybe I should figure out what sarcasm is.
There was another sharp pain on his skull. Then everything went black.
* * *
MIRANDA SLAMMED THE rock on his head again. This time the crashing sound was replaced with sounds of wetness. Dark green blood gushed from his head, covering his face and ran down her hand. She tightened her grip and pounded even more.
Adam’s pitiful whimpering from behind her was the only thing that pulled her back. She stopped. Her breaths escaping in shallow pants. Her hair clung in clumps around her face. To wipe it away meant she would smear his blood on her face.
Blood.
Alien or not. His blood was on her.
But he wants to sell us.
Anger coursed through her. She lifted the rock high above her head, ready to slam it down again.
“Mommy. Stop,” Adam cried.
Miranda stilled. Her chest burned. The alien deserved this. She hadn’t done anything to him. She snarled, wanting to bash and bash.
“Mommy?”
She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the sprawled body of the hunter.
“Please, mommy.”
She took a deep breath, slowly coming back from the darkness. The hunter’s head was split open and what she could only guess was brain matter spilled from it.
She blinked. What am I doing? I’m a monster.
No. She wasn’t a monster, but a mother doing her best to protect her children. She pushed guilt away and opened her hand. The rock fell to the ground. Even though he deserved to die, emotion overwhelmed her. Miranda hung her head, letting the sobs tear through her. Adam dropped to his knees by her side. She immediately pulled him into a hug, squishing Lexi between them. Blood be damned. She needed comfort.
“I think you killed him,” Adam whispered.
“It’s okay, my baby. Remember?” she said between sniffles. “He isn’t real. He’s just a robot.”
“But he looked and talked real.”
She wiped her nose and forced herself to smile. “Your dad paid for the very best adventure. I told you that.”
He turned to look at Fanian. “He expects us to kill people?”
“Not people, honey.” She nodded toward Fanian. “Look at him. Does he look like people?”
Adam shook his head.
“See? He’s not a man in a scary custom. He’s just an excellent robot.”
“Are they going to fix this one too?”
She wiped the hair from her face, leaving thick, sticky blood on her skin. “Of course. They cost too much to leave broken.”
“Wow. We beat two robots in one day. I think we’ll get the biggest medal they have at the end.”
Miranda took him by the hand and stood. “I think we should leave this place. If two of them found us so easily, this definitely isn’t a good hiding spot.”
“Which direction should we go? Do you think there are any more robots close by?”
Miranda looked down the path they were on. It was wide and well used. Were there more aliens waiting for her that way? She didn’t know if she had it in her to kill anyone else today.
A sob hiccupped from her throat as fat raindrops began falling again. Why wouldn’t it stop raining?! She shook with rage and fear. Her legs refused to move and she couldn’t make her hand call for a pod. She was essentially paralyzed.
Adam tugged her arm. “We can go this way and find another place to hide. We have to get out of the open if we want to avoid the robots.”
“O-okay.”
How she was able to put one foot in front of the other, she didn’t know. Her gaze scanned everything. Every loud squawk or the smallest rustle coming from a bush made her jump and clutch Adam’s arm tight. She feared the worse. Then it happened.
A giant sasquatch looking alien stepped onto the path about ten feet in front of her.
“Please don’t hurt us. We didn’t ask to be here,” she said with a cry. She couldn’t kill again. She just couldn’t.
“I’m not here to hurt you or your children. I’m here to help,” the hunter said.
Adam wrapped his arms tightly around her leg.
“I’m begging you to let us go,” she whimpered. Tears fell steadily down her face, blending with the rain pelting her.
“I’m here to help you,” he said.
“H-help? Wh-what do you mean?”
“There’s a trap ahead. It’s been set by a hunter. Don’t go that route, or you’ll end up as his mate.”
“I-I don’t want to be anyone’s mate.” She lifted her chin a notch, finally finding her courage. “Not even yours.”
“I’m not here to claim you. I’m here to warn you. Stay off the trails. I know it’ll be difficult with the children, but the hunters expect you to take the easier routes. You’ll have to outsmart them.”
Why is he helping us? What does he have to gain? She chewed on her lip, weighing her options. She didn’t have a choice. She had to find another area. “I can call a pod and get out of here.”
He gave her a curt nod. “That would probably be for the best.”
He was too agreeable. Every other hunter so far had wanted to catch her. “What’s your angle? Do you want me to call a pod because if I do, I’ll end up in a trap set by you?”
“If I wanted you, I would have you, female. You aren’t faster than me, and the children would surely slow you down. Trust me on this.”
She eyed him carefully. “Is your name Xrez?”
He nodded.
“You talked to Esme and told her how we could win the game.”
He stiffened. “As I said. I’m trying to help.”
“I have a question.”
“Ask it.”
Fanian had said this one lied. She needed to know the truth. “If we make it through Level Three and win The Hunt, will we get to return to Earth?”
“Yes.”
Miranda didn’t know why he was helping them or what his motive was. She was too exhausted to think about it now. What she did know was that Fanian was a liar.
“Thank you.” Miranda pressed her transportation icon, and they dropped into a waiting pod.
The trip lasted a few minutes but felt like seconds. They were deposited into a watery cave. Miranda immediately assessed their surroundings, noting one way in and one way out. Was that a plus or negative? Pushing that information to the side, for now, she crossed the short distance to the entrance and peered outside. The cave was located on the side of a mountain. A lake, dark blue, and inviting was below them, a short jump away.
She turned to survey the cave. It was small but large enough not to feel claustrophobic. She stood in water. It wasn’t high enough to reach the fabric of her gym shoes. Luckily there were plenty of ledges to stand, sit and sleep on if needed.
Turning again to look outside, she inhaled deeply as a bright pink, cloudless sky greeted her. It would be pretty here if it weren’t so alien.
She could stay trapped in the cave, or she could take her kids into the unknown and hope she didn’t run into any more hunters.
I don’t want to kill again.
Her knees weakened. She caught herself before she crumbled. “We’ve had such a busy day already, haven’t we?” The lightness in her voice wasn’t believable. Not even to her.
“And we got so dirty.” Adam picked at his shirt then ran a finger down Lexi’s leg. She squirmed and giggled. “We have robot blood all over us.”
“Yes, robot blood. Luckily we landed next to a lake. We can take a bath and get cleaned up.”
“A bath?” Adam grumbled. “Can I skip mine?”
She jabbed her fists on her hips, making a stance. “Absolutely not. We have to get the blood off us.”
“The robot blood,” he corrected.
“Yes. That.”