Again.
Aercek is leaning on Ahstahl as we travel back to camp, and I can tell it’s grating on him. During the course of our short conversation, I got the feeling that he’s got a bit of a stick up his ass. Because of my job, I’m very good at reading body languageon a variety of species. Right now, Aercek is embarrassed and uncomfortable at requiring help after his fight with the bear, and Ahstahl seems to be overjoyed at something.
Come to think of it, Aercek became dangerously tense when I relayed what I was doing in the clearing. Ahstahl was still and watchful, but the overwhelming aura of disapproval Aercek was emanating was lacking. Aercek’s censure was blatant, and I’m pretty sure the only reason I didn’t getmansplainedis because Ahstahl, the blatantly more jovial of the two, smacked Aercek in the mouth with his tail.
Oh, I’m sure neither of them meant for me to see the non-verbal byplay, but I’m a park ranger. Reading an animal in pain can be the difference between a good day and an epically shitty one. Stumbling on a root, I catch myself on a tree and shake my head at my lack of grace. Dual snickers from behind me make my face heat in embarrassment.
They both know I tripped because I was too busy ogling them.
Forcing myself to focus on the trail in front of me, it’s not long before we come around a corner and enter my camp. Looking around, I see that everything is just as I left it, and I let out a sigh of relief. I have… guests and don’t want to spend time cleaning up a mess made by any unwanted furry woodland creatures visiting. Especially raccoons. They’re cute, but lord, do they cause a mess.
Striding across the camp, I open the back hatch of my dusty black 1979 Ford Bronco Ranger XLT and climb up inside to get the emergency medic kit. It only takes a second or two since I keep my vehicle organized—thank you, questionable OCD issues—before crawling back towards the tailgate. Spinning around so that my butt is on the tailgate, I go to hop down, my hands full with the medkit, when Ahstahl appears out of nowhere and plucks the container out of my hands.
“Allow me.”
Gasping in alarm, I glare up at him. “Make a little noise, will you? Some of us are human and need a warning before a giant alien just appears in front of them.”
Ahstahl ducks his head, a braid falling forward into his face as his ears tip back in dismay, but before he can say anything, a deep, rumbling chuckle catches both of us by surprise. Slipping off the tailgate, I walk back over to where Aercek is sitting on the ground, his back propped up against a tree.
“What’s so funny, chuckles?”
Snatching the medkit out of Ahtahl’s hands, I set it next to Aercek and pop the latches before lifting the lid. I know there are some antiseptic wipes in here somewhere. The bright purple liquid leaking from the cut on Aercek’s brow has to be blood… I think. Rummaging around in the box, I find what I need and pull it out with a flourish.
“Ta da! Found them!” Looking up, I realize Aercek’s blood-red gaze is completely focused on me. Clearing my throat, I show them what I intend to use.
“Are these safe for you? It’s an antiseptic wipe to clean the cut on Aercek’s forehead.”
Ahstahl leans over, peering at the package before nodding. “Yes, the ingredients in that are safe for us.”
Nodding my understanding, I lean forward to wipe Aercek’s brow when I realize that Ahstahlreadthe label.
“How do you know how to read my language? Or speak it, for that matter.”
Hesitantly, I reach out with my left hand and gently grasp Aercek’s cheek, tilting his large head down, so I can reach the wound high on his forehead between his horns. At the touch of my hand, his eyes close, and he leans in as if savoring my touch. Gently dabbing the cut with the wipe, I flick my eyes over at Ahstahl and raise my brows at his silence.
My nonverbal prodding does the trick. His vibrant green eyes crinkle in amusement as his cute ears flick forward, and he starts talking.
“Would you accept the simple explanation of superior technology? Aercek and I both have advanced models of a type of translator in our brains. Since we are hunters for our people and must travel to many worlds, we have to be able to read, write, speak, and understand countless languages. The translators make that possible.”
Wiping the last of the brightly colored blood off of Aercek’s face, I lean back and look between them.
“That makes sense, but why do y’all have to travel so much? You said you were hunters, so why do you have to travel to hunt? Especially to another planet. That doesn’t make much sense.”
Aercek lets out a heavy sigh before replying. “Ages ago, there were two species on our planet. The Wewlvynk and the Drygynari. No one knows why, but the two species were at war with one another for centuries, and in their quest to dominate one another, they annihilated most of the planet. To stop the senseless genocide, our gods intervened, heartbroken that their children were killing one another over petty squabbles. Roenom and Tegat broke the cardinal rule for a god and intervened.” Aercek shifts against the tree, grimacing before continuing, and I start digging for some butterfly bandages. “Roenom and Tegat said that the only thing greater than hate was love.”
Pulling the adhesive off the back of the butterfly bandages, I gesture to Aercek to lean down and pull the edges of the cut together as Ahstahl takes over the story, his voice smoother than the harsh rasp of Aercek’s
Ahstahl gestures to himself and Aercek. “What you see now is the result of divine interference. They createdanima tenetursand forced the warring species to mate with one another. It’s the only way two vastly different species could procreate. Today,we are as you see. Our species is now called Dewlvrkgnari, the perfect blend of Wewlvynk and Drygynari. There are no purebloods left on the entire planet. Although speculation abounds that individuals from both species left the planet to avoid mating with what they consideredthe enemy.”
Closing the medkit, I contemplate everything they’ve just told me. I stand up and dust the leaves from my jeans as I look back and forth between them with raised brows.
“Do y’all have any words that don’t cost a ten-dollar bill to say?”
Chapter 8
Ahstahl
Our mate is a delight.
