Chapter 4: Nikki

 

I chewed on a softening chunk of nutrition bar as Koriv’n described his compound to me, his brawny arm wrapped protectively over my shoulders. I hadn’t missed his declaration that I was his but decided to let it slide for now. I’d learned in the past year to keep my mouth shut if it meant my survival.

The compound seemed almost too good to be true. There were both hunters and humans living there, and if I hadn’t already heard talk about such a place from two of the men living with the group—the two who had gone after the missing women and hadn’t come back—I’d have had difficulty believing it. Many humans hated the hunters and blamed them for the bugs’ arrival on Earth.

He spoke of a rooftop garden with fresh vegetables and how they were planning to build a greenhouse too. I had to suspend disbelief when he talked about the volunteers they had from a nearby human settlement to help fight the summer swarms.

The only larger human settlement in the area was New Franklin, the place I’d voted to join when all this broke out. Last I heard, New Franklin wasn’t exactly pro-hunter, either. However, unlike my previous group, they didn’t actively go after lone hunters. Instead, they stayed out of their way, avoiding conflict. At least, that was the report we’d gotten on them. Had things changed over the summer?

That reminded me of Meghan. Koriv’n had said the other two women were heading home, but he hadn’t mentioned Meghan. “There was another lady that escaped the building. A redhead. Did you see her?”

“Yes. She told me your name.”

Meghan was terrified of the hunters. She was one of the women who’d believed in all the bullshit about them. I imagined the exchange and couldn’t stop the giggle that came from my mouth. “She’s terrified of Xarc’n hunters. She must have freaked out.”

“She did, but there were three humans there and only two hunters, only one without me. She left with the rest of the group.” Koriv’n climbed onto the bed, leaned back on the pillows, and patted the bed beside him. “You will see her again at the compound.”

I hesitated but decided he was still “safe.”

The big Xarc’n hunter hadn’t asked me for anything yet, though I suspected I’d need to do “favors” for things like food. Many groups operated like that. That was life now for women who were no good at foraging and fighting the bugs, decades of progress erased because of alien freaks with exoskeletons. We had to trade what we had. Too bad Jason had traded what I had for his own gain.

Still, I’d been lucky to have known one of the men. Other women in the group hadn’t been so lucky. But they did what they must to survive; there was no shame or guilt in it. They lived, they survived, and that was all that mattered.

I wished to live too. Just because the world had gone to the bugs didn’t mean I’d given up. There was still hope. If that meant offering this alien something in return for his care, then so be it.

I looked over at my mauve savior, who lounged casually on the bed, all his muscles out on display. I wouldn’t mind doing favors for him. Nope, not at all, and not just because he’d crashed out of a window, shielding me from the sharp edges, to free me. Koriv’n looked hella good for an alien. He was super fit, and even his muscles had muscles.

When he smiled, his fangs made little indents on his full, shapely lower lips, and I wondered if he was any good with his mouth. Those fangs were all kinds of sexy, as was the growly way he talked.

Stop it, Nikki! I couldn’t believe I was lusting after a Xarc’n hunter. Maybe it was because he’d been there at the right place and the right time to rescue me. I squeezed my legs together, trying not to think about the muscles on his muscles, and climbed onto the bed next to him.

I wondered what Nikki from a year ago would think of this: getting all cozy on a bed with a seven-foot tall Xarc’n warrior.

He leaned over and sniffed, then groaned loudly.

“What? Do I smell?” I lifted my arm and did the pit test. “I do stink a bit, don’t I? Living the way we do, I’d gotten used to it. Sorry.” Heat rose to my face. Here I was, thinking naughty thoughts about the buff sexy hunter, the very clean-smelling hunter, and I stunk. “If we get to the river, I can clean up. Or find some baby wipes.”

“You smell fine.” The words came out strained, and the purring from earlier started up again, but this time a little more urgent. He adjusted the way he was lying, but not before I noticed the huge erection tenting his loincloth.

Hadn’t I heard somewhere that the Xarc’n warriors had an amazing sense of smell and could scent emotions like fear and arousal? Oh no. Heat rose to my cheeks. Koriv’n had noticed my body’s reaction to him after all.

That wasn’t a bad thing though, right? He’d rescued me and given me food and safety; maybe it was time I gave some back. That was how things ran, right?

I swallowed hard and pushed back any shyness threatening to freeze my actions. There was no time for that in the bugpocalypse.

“Do you want me to do anything for you?”

Koriv’n looked back at me, not understanding my question.

“I can help you with that.” I reached for him before I could second-guess myself, and his hardness throbbed against the leather of his loincloth, pushing against my hands.

It felt different than a human cock. Not a shaft with a head at the end, but rather a series of bumps, as if he had multiple heads lined up in a row, each one flaring out and larger than the last. Even hidden behind the leather, and probably still half-hard, he was substantial.

I gave him a tentative squeeze, and he hissed. He closed his eyes as I fumbled with the fastening on his loincloth. The purring went from mildly urgent to demanding, vibrating the entire bed.

“Thank you for rescuing me. I owe you one.”

A large hand settled on mine, stopping me mid-fumble.

“No!”

The word came out an angry snarl, and I pulled my hands back, cringing.

“No,” he repeated, softer. “Do not trade sexual favors for my food and care. I don’t want you like this.”

He stood abruptly and stomped out of the room, leaving me confused and embarrassed on the bed.

Suddenly I felt a bit stupid for assuming he wanted my favors. He’d been here originally to free the other two females, not for me. Maybe they already had enough females at their compound. Maybe “mine” meant something else completely in his language, and I’d gotten the wrong idea. Heat rose to my face.

Feeling antsy and needing an outlet for my embarrassment and frustration, I got up and explored the room. To get to the dresser, I stepped carefully over the deadly-looking scimitar-like sword and pieces of leather armor Koriv’n had laid out on the rug. The lady of the house wasn’t my size, but I still found a few changes of clothes and a backpack to bring on my trip. I even found an old pack of makeup wipes, half a bottle of cheap perfume, a nail clipper with a small file, and some hair ties.

Even though I hadn’t foraged with the men in the group, I still knew the basics about staying alive during the bugpocalyspe. Unlike those who thought the bugs were made up to frighten and control the masses, I’d researched everything I could on the internet when it all began. I’d stayed up late on forums, reading every report I could, trying to figure out what was real and what was fake.

I’d been a zombie movie enthusiast, and my morbid fascination with the space bugs taking over New York had been an extension of that. I just hadn’t expected it to become my life. Somewhere in the back of my head, I’d always thought we’d dumped enough taxes into our military to get the situation under control. Or maybe the government would wise up and accept the hunters’ help. So much for that.

I knew the dog-sized bugs with the mantis claws hunted by scent. Survivors at ground zero had live-streamed videos of themselves sneaking past the killer creatures after dousing themselves with body spray. This bottle of perfume would come in handy.

We all knew the scythe-like claws were tipped with a neurotoxin that rendered the entire arm useless even if the victim was merely nicked. That had been on the news. It was smarter for someone like me to hide rather than fight.

The makeup wipes would come in handy too. I decided to use one now to wipe down my pits and lady bits. Koriv’n might not have actually been repulsed by my scent, but I was glad to feel a bit fresher. It was bad when I could smell myself.

Trying to keep clean in a group of men who didn’t value hygiene was a nightmare. During the end of last summer, there’d been an explosion of lice among the group. I’d shaved my hair off, and Jason had screamed at me for it until he’d caught the lice and had to do the same anyway. It was now just long enough to put in a half-assed ponytail.

I sure hoped the group Koriv’n was taking me to put hygiene higher on their list of to-dos. I didn’t expect them to smell like roses without running water, but I didn’t think I could handle looking at any more lice-ridden beards without gagging.

The two females who had shown up had been clean. They were dressed well too, in clothes that weren’t tattered like mine. They didn’t even have any bruises, except for the new ones showing from our men handling them.

Koriv’n himself had smelled clean and fresh. I closed my eyes and remembered the yummy masculine scent that had surrounded me when he’d carried me in his arms. He smelled good enough to—

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with embarrassment again. I’d thrown myself on the poor guy without even asking if it was what he’d wanted. My first interaction with someone new in months, and I’d blundered horribly. How was I supposed to face him again?

Would he think I was sleazy? Did Xarc’n hunters even have that concept? For all I knew, he could already have someone back home at his compound.

I flopped on the bed and hid my head under the pillow, wishing I could disappear.