“There are ten others.” I replied, trying not to sound annoyed.
Another hunter opened his mouth to ask a question and I held up my hand to stop him. “I do not know much yet. What I do know is that she is not from the other dekes and they will not punish us for her presence here.”
“Are the other females hu-mans like Gab-bae?” Axon, my hunter who could sense the smallest footfall half a forest away, asked. His vision in the daylight was nearly non-existent, but his other senses more than made up for it. He and Rhaz, my least obedient hunter who was always ready for a fight, were the only two allowed out at night. This was for two reasons, one, Rhaz wouldn't listen to me if I told him no, and two, he was impossible to kill. I have seen him near death many times but there is something about his badger shifter form that gave his body a strange ability to survive anything that was thrown at him.
My heart went out to the fierce hunter; when we were exiled from our dekes many seasons ago, most of my hunters were filled with grief or sorrow, but all Rhaz got was rage. Even now, seventeen seasons later, his rage had not diminished in the slightest. To carry such an emotional burden for so long would drain any hunter.
“Yes, they are all hu-mans,” I sighed, fearing I might never get back to Gab-bae.
“Will the hu-mans be safe with us?” Brexl asked, and I knew what he meant. We were outcasts, cursed by the goddess herself. My hunters and I were the first to have a shifter form. Before that, we were just Sirrets. The same full-moon that called us all to shift was the same full-moon the first female of our dekes fell ill with the stiffness. Soon after all the females fell ill and only a few survived.
“The females will be safe with us.” Neelu stepped forward. She and her mate brought their son Sozu to our dekes two seasons ago when his abilities first started to show. She was one of the few females who had survived the stiffness and she was a firm believer that our shifting did not have anything to do with the illness that took so many from us. I wished the rest of my dekes believed that too, but many of them still blamed themselves for the deaths of their mothers, sisters, and friends.
I nodded my approval and quickly headed back to my cave before anyone could ask me more questions.
I entered my cave to find Gab-bae sitting on the furs taking a sip of water from a wooden cup. She looked breathtaking in the soft glow of the candle light with her warm brown skin, dark curly hair, luscious curves and soft lips.
She looked up when I entered the room and smiled when she saw what I was carrying. That smile filled me with a pride I’d never felt before. Even when my dekes named me their Savrix, I did not feel the amount of pride I felt now with Gab-bae smiling up at me as I provided her with a hearty meal.
My chest was filled with a warmth that I hoped would never go away. I had the strange urge to give Gab-bae everything I possessed just to keep her smiling at me like that.
“Is that for me?” she asked, looking hopeful.
“Yes, this is for you.” I handed her the flatbread topped with meat.
She popped a piece of meat into her mouth and moaned. That sound made my cock stiffen and I longed to hear her moan again.
“Mmm, this is good. Thank you.”
I relaxed and sat down across from her in my chair.
“Ramirei meat.” I did not know what to say but I wanted to hear Gab-bae speak again.
“Hmm?” She asked around a mouthful of food.
I held up my own flatbread. “Ramireri meat.” I repeated.
“Oh, good to know.” Gab-bae smiled at me again and my heart skipped a beat.
I folded my flatbread in half and took a large bite.
“Tell me more about this crash you had.” My words came out more gruff than I’d liked but I didn’t feel like myself around this female. I was both elated to be near her and nervous at the same time. Thankfully Gab-bae was unfazed. A pensive lookcrossed her face and she began to tell me again, with more detail, how she found herself on Valo Prime.
Chapter 8
Gabby
“Well…” what information do I tell him that he’d find useful? “I was taken from my bed in my sleep by green alligator men and I woke up on a ship that flew through space. Not too long after that, alarms went off and we crashed here.”
“What happened to the males who took you?” Tarak’s voice was gruff and a flash of anger crossed his face. Was he angry on my behalf? I nearly fanned myself because damn, that was sexy.
“One of them died, but I think the other is alive here on Valo Prime somewhere.”
Tarak nodded his head, taking in the information. “My hunters and I will search for this male before he can harm anyone else.”
My sexy blue alien looked me straight in the eyes. “No one will harm you again, Gab-bae. I can promise you that.” The gravely tone in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“Th-thank you,” I squeaked out.
