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Why the hell am I going along with this?
Miranda clutched Adam and Lexi to her chest as the pod raced along a track. Fanian had told her they were going to a processing center where the gamers would officially declare them as Fanian’s property. There was no more fighting. No more running. No more surviving.
She’d lost. Fanian had sealed her future, and it didn’t look good. Tears burned her eyes. Breathing hurt. Thinking hurt.
“It’s okay, momma. Everything will be okay. You don’t have to cry.” Adam’s skinny arm curved around her shoulder while his little hand patted her back. “I was getting tired of being in the North Pole anyway. I really want to go on the next adventure.”
Adam was too sweet. Too forgiving. If he knew what life she’d just condemned them to, he would be crying too. When he was older—if he lived to be older—he would look back and remember this moment as the time his mother had failed their family.
Wetness overtook her eyes. Her vision blurred as fat tears instantly gushed down her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I should’ve fought harder to stay. This is all my fault.” She rocked them as she spoke, crying into the tight gap between Adam and Lexi.
“Maybe we can see Santa some other time,” Adam said.
“It’s not your fault,” Fanian said. “You’ve survived this far even when the odds were against you. You should feel accomplished in that.”
“Accomplished in what? I failed!” She opened her eyes and glared at him. Her rage and tears made him a blurry outline. “If I’d been smarter, I would’ve won, and we’d be on our way back home and not being sold off to some alien with an uncertain future hanging over us.”
“Stop it!” Miranda startled at the tone of Fanian’s words. “You’ve been strong, stronger than many people I’ve ever encountered. Six humans have left The Hunt before you, and none of them had the burden of children. You’ve eluded some of the best hunters here. You’ve proven yourself as a formidable opponent. If I hadn’t used my zvodny, I would be chasing you still. You are not weak, and I refuse to allow you to wallow in self-pity any longer. Az’ud paid for a human female, but he’s getting someone who’s strong, worthy, crafty, smart, and fierce.”
While Miranda processed Fanian’s words, he growled and looked away from her. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
Miranda blinked back her tears, shocked at the praise he’d leveled on her. “But I failed. We aren’t going home.”
He let out a sigh. “Mishka, I told you before, you were never going home. The Okuthyu protects Earth. They ensure that no other species invade your world. They also maintain the balance there. That means humans who leave can never return. I didn’t lie about this, the Game Warden lied.”
“I’ve never met the Game Warden, whoever and whatever that is.”
“He’s the person who owns this planet and the reason you’re all here. You may know him by Xrez.”
Miranda’s jaw fell open. She’d known Xrez had an agenda but never thought it could be anything as heinous as this. He’d taken them from Earth, thrown them in a game where they were hunted for sport, and worse, he’d led them to believe they had a chance of returning. “Why would he lie to us?”
Fanian’s lips tightened, and he glanced away. She didn’t think he would answer. Then, “Humans are seen as weak, not very bright, easy prey. He wanted to ensure that some of you advanced through the Levels. He wanted to motivate you, so the hunters had a pleasing experience in the game.”
Her chest tightened. Her breaths were hard and shallow. Esme was in love with Xrez. Miranda had seen it on her face when she’d talked about him. If what Fanian said was true, her friend was in for horrible heartache and possibly so much more. “I-I...”
Fanian turned to look at her once again. “I’ve never lied to you. About anything. Not once. If I’d wanted to, I could’ve told you that I’d planned to free you from this place and take care of you and your children. I didn’t. I told you exactly what my motives were from the beginning.”
She whimpered because he was right, and the gravity of his words finally settled over her. She never had a chance of going home. She and her kids were stuck in space.
“I’m sorry,” he said belatedly.
She hadn’t thought about any other scenario besides winning and returning home. When she was home, she’d planned on reclaiming her life instead of wallowing in the depression Lucas had caused. She’d vowed to be a better mother. She’d made plans to spruce up her resume and put herself back out there. If The Hunt had taught her anything, it was that she was stronger than she’d given herself credit.
“Was there ever any reward for making it through all three Levels?”
“Freedom. You would’ve gotten enough credits to start a new life any place you wanted. But returning to your home and mate was never an option.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and chuckled. “Mate? I don’t have a mate.”
He frowned and glanced at the kids. “Did I misunderstand Adam? Didn’t he say his father paid for this adventure?”
“Maybe in your species fathers have one family, and they stay, but on Earth, things are a bit more complicated.”
“Is daddy also paying for the adventure on Fanian’s spaceship?” Adam asked.
Miranda choked out another sob and nodded.
“Then why are you upset?” Adam asked.
“I wanted to stay in the North Pole a little while longer.”
“Maybe we can call my dad and ask him if we can come back after our spaceship adventure?”
“No worries.” She touched her forehead to Adam’s. “I’ll just have to stop complaining and go on this next adventure.”
“It’ll be fun. I know it will.”
The pod stopped, and they were pushed up and out and deposited on a floor. Not wet grass. Not concrete thick mud. Not knee-deep snow. Not cinderblock thick ice. They were on a real floor.
She was officially out of the game. A sob tore through her chest. Fanian stood and offered her a hand. She didn’t take it. Even though she couldn’t return home, he’d still robbed her of the chance to win and control her destiny.
He went behind her to place firm hands under her armpits. She wiggled from his grasp and ground out. “Don’t touch me.”
“Fine. Stay on the floor. I thought you’d want to greet the medics on your feet.”
Miranda looked around, finally taking in her surroundings. How could she not have noticed the five aliens standing off to one side, watching her?
“What the—?” She pushed back, scrambling against Fanian’s legs and feet.
He grasped her by the back of her snowsuit and lifted her to stand. “I suggest only those who are needed stay and the rest leave. When she’s frightened or thinks her children are in danger, she likes to kill. Luckily she doesn’t have any weapons on her at the moment.”
I have to get out of here.
“Relax. You’re safe. I won’t let them harm you,” Fanian said softly in her ear.
As he talked, Miranda's tension lessened, but she was painfully aware that aliens watched her. “I can’t trust you or them.” Even as she said the words, she pressed back against his chest.
“Trusting me is your only option right now.”
She wanted to believe he wouldn’t let the new aliens harm her or her children, and since he wasn’t in the lying business, she did. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t defend herself. She transferred Lexi to her non-dominant arm and pushed Adam behind Fanian.
She fished her knife from her coat pocket and waved it at the alien medics. “Who wants to die first?”
“I told you to get rid of your weapons,” Fanian said.
“I wanted to, but I also didn’t want to. I got rid of the taser, though.”
Fanian sighed, then turned to the alien group and waved a hand casually in the air. “Who here has the ability to self-repair?”
The aliens exchanged glances. The one with brown leathery skin and short, dark blue hair spoke to the others. “Icus will stay. The rest can leave.”
Three of the aliens rushed through a paneling in the wall that slid open. When it closed, it blended with the non-descript wall again.
One of the remaining aliens stepped forward. Jewelry shined around his neck and ears. The oversized purple tunic he wore made his tininess more pronounced. “Welcome to the processing center. I know this isn’t how you’d envisioned The Hunt ending for you, but I want to congratulate you on making it this far. You have proven the most valuable prize.”
“We are no one’s prize,” Miranda bit out, angling her blade toward him. He would be her second victim of the day, and she was okay with that.
The alien inclined his head. “Please forgive my poor choice of words. I’m called Bradliix. I’m here to oversee your transition and make it as incident-free as I can.”
Miranda didn’t miss the way he eyed her knife. “Transition to a life with someone I don’t know, of a future that’s uncertain?”
“Life is what we make it,” Bradliix said. “From what I’ve learned about you, you will not let anyone decide your future. Come now.” He patted what appeared to be an examination cot with long slender fingers. “We will need to perform a full-body scan on you and the children.”
Her arm tightened reflectively on Lexi. “I refuse.”
“Mommy, what’s happening?” Adam asked. “Are we still going on Fanian’s ship?”
She wished she had time to break the news calmly to him. To let him know, she was desperately trying to keep some dignity even as they were being sold off to a life neither of them would be happy to live. Instead, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and put on a brave face.
“Yes, we’re starting a new adventure. A space adventure. Doesn’t that sound great?”
“What about our medals? Will I still get one at the end?” Adam asked.
Fanian nodded. “Of course, you will.”
“We need to scan you to see what you need,” Bradliix said.
She turned her attention back to Bradliix and spoke through clenched teeth. “I said, I refuse.”
“I see,” Bradliix said. “Are you also refusing to have the parasites clinging to your skin and hair removed? Or to have your children treated for their vitamin deficiencies? Should we not provide the antibiotics that will help kill the infections in your intestines as well?”
Doubt crept its way through Miranda’s mind. She’d tried to ignore Adam scratching his head uncontrollably or that she did the same. She’d dismissed the patches of missing hair on all their scalps or how her legs cramped painfully at night. She’d also ignored how Adam’s cute round belly was now flat. All his baby fat was gone.
Miranda blinked, trying to get her brain to grasp time. How long had they been here? Weeks? Months? She frowned. Her days blended together. She’d lived from alarm to alarm.
“It would be silly for her to refuse medical treatment,” Fanian told Bradliix. “Of course, she wants the children to receive proper medical care.”
“I’m obviously not refusing medical treatment,” she muttered.
“I didn’t think you were.” Fanian led her to the cot since she had trouble making it there herself. “Sit.”
Icus grabbed Lexi, trying to take her away. Miranda tightened her grip and slashed the knife in the space between them. “Touch her again, and I’ll gut you.”
Icus stepped back. She was a small thing, shorter than Bradliix. She had light bluish-purple skin, large eyes, two holes where her nose should be, and thin lips.
“We need to treat the children too. We promise not to hurt them,” Bradliix said.
“Complete the physical exam and treatments without splitting up the family,” Fanian told him.
Bradliix looked at Fanian. “But we need to run diagnostic tests on all of them.”
“They stay together,” Fanian stated firmly.
“May I ask for her to at least put up the knife?” Bradliix asked.
Both Fanian and Bradliix glanced her way. Why in the hell would she give up her knife? Miranda snorted and shook her head.
“She keeps the knife,” Fanian said.
Realizing it would be a losing battle to fight her on this, Bradliix sighed. “All right then. We’ll do our best, given the circumstances.”
Bradliix and Icus brought over handheld devices Miranda didn’t recognize. They waved them over her and the children, then Fanian. After reading and hmming over the results, they assembled items on a tray and brought them over.
“I assume you would like starting doses of nanomites and an updated universal translator?” Bradliix asked Fanian.
“Yes, the best you have to offer.”
Bradliix unhooked her collar. If her hands weren’t full of children and a knife, she would’ve touched her neck. Without the collar, she could breathe better, deeper. The collar was something else she’d tried her best to ignore. If she didn’t focus on it and pretended it was a fancy necklace as she’d told Adam, the lie was more comfortable to believe.
Now she was free of it. She stretched her neck from side to side. Nothing hindered her movements.
“Your necklace is gone.” Adam’s little fingers were on her bare neck, rubbing the skin. “Your neck is dirty. You need a bath.” He giggled.
Miranda’s lips trembled as she smiled and nodded.
“We can’t offer you a bath, but after we treat you, you’ll all have access to the sonic shower to clean.”
“Sonic shower?” Miranda asked.
“It’s a better cleaning source than water, but I have to admit, it isn’t as calming.”
“I think I would like that,” Adam said.
“You like the not getting into water part,” Miranda told him, trying to make her voice as carefree as possible so he wouldn’t pick up on her anxiety.
“Then you’ll love life on my spaceship,” Fanian told him. “It’s small, so I don’t have running water. I use a sonic shower.”
Miranda gave him a look. “And how long will we be on your spaceship, Fanian?”
One day? Two? Three? A week? How long would it be until Fanian handed them over to Az’ud?
Fanian cleared his throat and sat next to her on the cot. “Adam, do you know what nanomites are?”
Adam shook his head.
“They’re little microbes that get injected into your bloodstream. They help make repairs and stave off any sickness or diseases that you come across by boosting your immunity.”
It didn’t escape Miranda that Fanian hadn’t answered, but she didn’t press.
“Do you have nanomites in your blood?” Adam asked in a wonder that only a child could have.
“My body naturally does what nanomites in your system would do, so I don’t need it, but most other species do.”
“I have them in my blood,” Bradliix offered. He held up a metal tube and placed it on Adam’s skin. After a puff of air sounded, he said, “And now you do too.”
Adam rubbed his arm. “Really? I didn’t feel a thing.”
“They’re in there. Already working,” Bradliix said.
Bradliix pressed the metal tube on Lexi’s arm, then Miranda’s. Adam was right. She hadn’t felt anything at all. They moved through the rest of the procedure quickly.
“Fanian, I have documents for you to sign and the synthetic blood that we’ve configured for you.”
“I’ve determined there was nothing wrong with the synthetic blood in the food processor. I won’t need a re-configuration,” Fanian replied.
“Ah, I’m glad that you’ve figured it out on your own.”
Figured what out? Miranda wanted to ask, but before she could, Bradliix turned toward her. “Now, we’ll escort you all to get cleaned up and into fresh clothes. Then you can be on your way.”
It all sounded so normal, but nothing about this was.