Chapter 5: Koriv’n

 

I snuck back up the stairs to find Nikki asleep and snoring softly on the bed, the pillow partially covering her face. She’d packed a little bag of belongings and had set it at the foot of the bed.

I’d spent the last hour pacing the bottom floor of the house, trying to calm myself. I hadn’t missed the look of hurt on her face when I’d pushed her away. She’d misunderstood. I wanted her touch. I craved it, but I didn’t want her to touch me only because she thought she had to. I didn’t want our intimacy to be in exchange for anything other than each other’s company.

Nikki’s friend, Meghan, had asked what she needed to do in exchange for food at our compound, and Gerald, the human member of our team who’d come on this recue mission with me, had been angry. It had taken me a few moments to realize what she’d meant, but I got the meaning loud and clear. The females had needed to give sexual favors in exchange for food and lodging. It angered me.

I’d been confused when Nikki asked if she could help me. Even when she’d reached for the erection in my loincloth, I hadn’t caught her meaning. But when I analyzed her words, the purpose became clear. Nikki thought she needed to trade for my protection.

It wasn’t until after I’d already stomped down the stairs that I realized Nikki had wanted to touch me. I’d reacted so quickly that I hadn’t thought it through. She’d been aroused; the scent had been the reason for my body’s reaction to begin with.

She hadn’t touched me with disgust, and it wasn’t until I’d pushed her away that her face had turned sour. My actions had hurt her somehow.

I needed to explain to her that I wanted her, but only if she wanted me back. I didn’t want it to be an exchange for services. I wanted to woo her and make her fall in love. I wanted to hold onto her and feel the mating bond overcome me. I looked for a mate, and I didn’t want her to think of me as anything less.

I sat down on the bed, and the movement roused her from her nap. She stirred and yawned.

“Time to go already?” She reached her arms over her head, stretching.

“Yes.” I held out my flask to her. It was filled with a refreshing vitamin drink.

She sniffed it and took a sip. “Thank you.”

I slid the window to the room open as wide as possible, popping out the screen the humans used to stop the small scourge-like insects native to their world from entering their homes. Then, using my communicator, I recalled the drones Rajiv’k had lent us for the mission.

Before I could change my mind, I turned back to Nikki and held out the chocolate bar I’d found hidden behind some books on a shelf. I knew human males were supposed to bring flowers and chocolate on a date, but the leaves were changing color and flowers were nowhere to be found.

“This was the only chocolate I could find. I know it isn’t great quality. And the flowers will have to wait until spring.” My communicator translated from my belt.

Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“I didn’t mean to push you away. I enjoyed your hands on me. But there is no need to trade for food and protection; I will protect you regardless.”

Her face turned red, and she didn’t move, not even to take the chocolate. Was she rejecting my gift? I knew it was not the best quality; according to the females at the compound, candy bars weren’t real chocolate, but it was all I had right now.

When she still didn’t take the candy bar, I placed it on the bed.

“I will find a better gift for my female.”

I had better chocolate back on my shuttle—several quality boxes. I’d picked them up when I first got to Earth and had been saving them for when I found the right female.

I moved away, but her hand landed on my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“Wait! I’m not rejecting it. I’m—” She crossed her arms over herself. “I’m just embarrassed. I just assumed things worked the same everywhere and threw myself at you. I didn’t even stop to think if maybe you already had someone back home.”

I drew her into my arms. “Do not be embarrassed. I do not have another female. I enjoy your touch. A lot.” I growled at the thought of her hands on me again. “I will not push you away if you touch me in the future.”

Nikki looked up at me with big round eyes, and I couldn’t look away. The rumbling started in my chest again, and I wondered if now was a good time for the human mating ritual called a kiss. I’d watched the mated couples kiss but had never done it myself.

The two miniature surveillance devices chose that very moment to buzz into the room. Nikki gasped and ducked her head, reacting to the sound, and the cloying scent of her fear filled the room.

“It’s only our drones,” I assured her.

“Sorry. It’s the buzzing. My brain went ‘wasp,’ but I should have known better; it’s nighttime. Duh! Wasps don’t fly at night. I know they’re tiny compared to the space bugs, but I never got over my fear of them. Flying bugs are the worst, especially the ones with stingers.”

I knew of the scourge-like insects of Earth the humans called wasps. They were not particularly dangerous, but they were a nuisance, especially when there was food around. Evie, Tarv’k’s mate, was terrified of bugs of all sizes, regardless of whether they were hazardous or not.

“I will protect you from wasps,” I vowed solemnly. They were much easier to take care of than the scourge.

“Promise?” Nikki looked up at me with an almost silly grin on her face, and I felt something tug at my chest.

She was much more relaxed now, the awkwardness of before gone.

“Promise. And also from every ‘space bug.’” I used the human words I’d picked up from working with the humans at the compound. “Especially the flying ones.”

She grinned, tiptoed, and kissed me lightly on my jaw, the only place she could reach. She moved away before I could react, picking up the bag she’d packed earlier for herself.

“I’m ready to head out if you are. What’s the plan?”

I brought up the map of Franklin on the screen of my communicator.

“Hey! I recognize that map!”

“We kept most of your human internet. There’s much information on there, some useful, some completely useless. We had no time to weed through it, so we kept it all and connected it to our systems.”

I marked where we were on the map and where the compound waited.

“That’s on the other side of town,” she said with a frown. “And isn’t this a no-go zone?” She pointed to the center of town where the nest was. It was directly in our path.

“We’ll go around. The nest is done swarming for the season, but it is still active. It’s dangerous to get too close, especially since we are on foot.” I traced a path north around the west side of the map.

She pointed to a spot on the map right next to the path I’d drawn. “Is it too much trouble to stop here for a bit?” She zoomed in on a house. It looked like any other on the map, but it must have importance to her. “Please?”

It was on our way home, and we needed a place to stay while the flyers were most active. If we left now, we should get there by mid-morning, even with her shorter legs.

“If we hurry, we can make it there before the flyers search for food.”

Nikki shuddered at the mention of the flyers. “Is that what you call those big flying scorpions? What do you call the other ones? The ones with the mantis-like claws?”

“We call those scuttlers.” I strapped on the rest of my armor and my weapon and got ready to leave.

I tried not to preen as Nikki watched me with interest. Hunters looked even more formidable with our armor and weapons, and evidence of her approval tinged the air again.

Noticing my eyes on her, she looked away, a blush rising to her face. “Scuttlers, right, because of the sounds their feet make. And the ones that spit acid?”

“Spitters.” I watched her face for the reaction.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. Those are the most pragmatic names I’ve ever heard.” Again, her eyes landed on my shoulders, and I stood a little taller as her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

She liked what she saw. If she offered to touch me again, I’d know it was because she wanted to.

“Descriptive names are best. The humans at our compound have named the new variant centricreeps.”

I led her through the house and did one last check for useful items. Like the humans living in this changed landscape, I’d gotten used to foraging. The other hunters had supplies delivered, but until I’d joined this hunter group, I’d relied on what I could find and hunt.

“Centicreeps.” She made a face as she picked up a metal water bottle and tucked it into her new pack. “Yup, that’s them, alright. Giant human-eating centipedes. Yuck! How come we never saw them last year?”

I explained to her how the scourge used genetics from each of the planets they infested to evolve new variants that were better suited to the planet’s terrain. The first habitats the scourge took over were the largest cities, drawn there by the abundance of human life. They evolved the centicreeps which were at home in the high rises.

The scourge also produced different base soldiers depending on the terrain. Here, we had to deal with spitters, but in the mountains to the west, hunters had to contend with lungers, scourge with pneumatic leaping legs. And by the coast and on island chains, they produced swimmers to access prey in the water.

“Oh my god! Coffee!” Nikki held up a half-empty jar of brown powder triumphantly. “It’s instant, but I don’t care.” She stuffed the find into her bag like it was treasure.

I knew of coffee. The humans at the compound enjoyed the beverage, and some had expressed concern about the stimulating substance running out. There were hunter-human groups in other parts of the planet that had access to more of the beans. We planned to set up a trade in the future.

She doused herself with a strongly scented spray at the door. Survivors used sprays like this to avoid detection by the scuttlers. It didn’t work if the scuttlers saw them, but it prevented the scourge from detecting them through scent.

I preferred the natural scent of my female but understood the need to cover it. Even though I was sure I could handle any scourge her delicious scent attracted.

She hesitated at the door, and I realized she had no night vision.

I held out my hand, and she took it, holding it firmly. I puffed out my chest, knowing my female trusted me enough to walk out into a world full of dangers essentially blind, with just my guidance.

“I will be your eyes.”

I wanted to be her everything, but I left that unsaid. Tucking her close to my body, I started toward our destination.