Making five kills in two days meant nothing to Brexl, but if anyone else had made the same amount of kills they’d be bragging for days on end. He was lethal, that was for certain.
Brexl had been quiet and shy before we shifted at the young age of thirteen seasons. He had lost both parents early in his life, and the stiffness took hisgrandmother. When we were exiled, he looked to his grandfather for support, but he turned his back on the young shifter. We’d all lost a lot when the stiffness swept through our original dekes, but I think Brexl lost the most. What precious little he had left slipped away from him like sand through his fingers.
I had lost a mother and sister, but my father remained, as did two of my younger brothers. I still saw their faces in my dreams. My brothers tried to accompany me when I left with the others to begin our exile, but my father held them back.
His eyes had shone with tears, but he had looked to the Savrix with fear and made no move to comfort me with any last words of guidance.
I did not blame him, though. The Savrix was a harsh male, no one dared to oppose his rule, and my father had two other sietlings to think about. At the time, we thought we were walking out into certain death, and if Drondia and Karo hadn’t come with us, that probably would have been the case. But the elders led us through the forest and helped us find safe places to sleep at night until we stumbled up the opening at the bottom of the mountain that eventually became our home.
“May I have everyone’s attention,” Tarak’s booming voice cut through my thoughts.
The room grew quiet, and all eyes turned to the Savrix.
“The newest members of our dekes have not yet seen the kala. We will take a trip there tomorrow.” Hushed murmurs spread throughout the cavern.
A sly smile spread across Tarak’s face and he waved his hand requesting everyone’s attention once again.
“Everyone should come prepared to fight because when we get to the kala, we will do a larping!”
Gab-bae’s jaw hung open in shock. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
“Yes my mate, I have spoken with Kayla and Hai about the larping you mentioned doing on Earth and we have made a plan to do a larping tomorrow.” He gave her a wide grin. and she giggled.
“You are the most thoughtful mate a woman could ask for.” With heavy-lidded eyes, Gab-bae stood up and kissed Tarak. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss.
“Get a room!” Hai shouted while Sarah looked away and played with the hem of her skirt.
Eventually, they broke their kiss, and everyone cheered.
I looked over at Kayla and wondered if she’d be as happy as Gab-bae was now when I presented her with her moving chair.
Chapter 4
Kayla
“Good morning Jelly.” This was my new morning routine. I woke up, ate breakfast, and went outside to feed my soft fluffy bison, Jelly.
Drovo and Orsu had crafted a sturdy wooden door to replace the boulder during the day so we humans who lacked the strength to move an entire boulder could go in and out as we pleased. The clearing around the mountain was relatively safe most days, and on the few occasions a beast had been spotted, we moved the boulder back in place and stayed inside for the rest of the day.
Jelly was content in his enclosure and we’d developed enough of a bond that he would follow me if I opened the gate and walked around the grass.
“Today’s breakfast is….drum roll please…straw!” I set the bundle of straw down in front of him and petted his back as he ate from his food bowl. His fur was long and soft like a highland cow and I loved to run my fingers through it.
Jelly had the temperament of a very chill dog. Hai had even started calling him my grass puppy. Iliked having him around. I’d grown up with a few dogs, but hadn’t been able to have any pets since I moved into my apartment. Who knew all I had to do was get abducted and crash on a strange planet to get a pet again. I laughed to myself as I continued to run my fingers through Jelly’s fur.
“Ah-hem,” someone cleared their throat behind me and I turned to find Drovo waiting outside the gate.
“Yes?” I greeted the dryad shifter with an unamused tone.
“Good morning, my little luna moth.”
Hearing Drovo’s pet name for me had given me butterflies in my stomach before, but now that he hadn’t followed through on his promise, the nickname just fell flat.
“I’ve come to apologize.” Drovo’s tail thumped the ground, but he made no move to grab it.
“I should have finished your moving chair sooner. It was selfish of me not to prioritize your project. I promise you that I won’t repeat that mistake in the future.”
His words came out rushed and he refused to meet my gaze.
