Chapter 15 Dana
They had a team ready and waiting for us inside the hangar when we landed. Good thing too, because Gnnar was just coming around, and by the look in his eyes he wasn’t back to his old self.
By the time they had him restrained, he was struggling and snarling. It hurt to see him like this. I wanted to run to him, wrap my arms around him and try to calm him down, but the others held me back, worried about my safety. I understood their concern, but I was sure that Gnnar would never hurt me.
“They’ll probably want to play twenty questions and get all those scrapes and bruises treated, but if you have nowhere to go after, I can take you to Ellaston,” Sami offered.
Before I could reply, a familiar voice said, “That’s okay. I’ll bring her over in the morning. She can stay here tonight. We’ll get her some real clothes, good food, and a warm bed. I bet she’s sick of traveling.”
I turned to see Penny grinning at me.
“I’m so glad you made it!” Instead of offering a shake, she gave me a hug. And after the initial moment of shock, I sank into it. I needed this hug. I’d dealt with rough situations as a journalist, but nothing like the past few days.
“Nice to finally meet you, Penny,” I said, hugging her back.
“I usually go by Penelope here. Penny is a pen name.”
“Penelope. Thank you for taking my email seriously. I really wasn’t sure it was going to work.”
“No problem. Let’s get you out of here before they insist on debriefing you,” she whispered conspiratorially, eyeing Macey, who was already being asked a million and one questions about the rescue. “That can wait until tomorrow. Let’s get you to the infirmary, give you a quick tour, and get you settled.”
“It’s okay, really,” I said, suddenly self-conscious about the fact that I was wearing a blanket and was covered in bruises. “It’s not that bad.”
“If you’re worried about Gnnar attacking you, we have several medical labs. I’m taking you to another one.”
“Oh no! It’s not that. I don’t believe he’ll actually hurt me. Even when he was freaking out in the shuttle, he was super careful with me.”
Penelope didn’t look convinced. I understood her skepticism, considering he was attacking everyone and everything he could as they strapped him down.
She led me into the stronghold. Built into the side of a mountain, the stronghold was a mix of natural rock and sleek metal. At first the corridor was narrow, just large enough for the two of us to pass through, but it soon opened up into larger passageways. We stopped in a large open room.
“This is the Great Hall. We usually have our big meetings and special meals here, but I’ll let you know more when we do the official tour.”
We continued down one of the corridors which was lit by long, narrow lights set into the rock and metal walls. Additional light came from old-fashioned, gothic-looking sconces with fake, flickering flames. But what really drew my attention were the fountains set up in almost every hallway. They looked like they belonged in a medieval castle.
“Those are the drinking fountains. They’re scattered around the stronghold. They’re natural mountain springs that they built a fountain around. Give it a try.”
I hesitated, not knowing what to do until Penelope cupped her hands and went right under the running water. “Just scoop from the fountain part. The pools aren’t dirty, per se, but we usually use them to wash or rinse things. No bathing in it, though, just washing hands.”
“What happens to the water?” There was constant water flowing in, but I didn’t see any water flowing out.
“It goes right back into the porous rock and continues filtering down the mountain.”
How convenient! I cupped my hands and held them under the flow. The water was much colder than I’d expected. The first sip had me hooked. It was the perfect combination of cool, crisp, and delicious.
That was when I noticed the little head with huge ears poking out of Penelope’s shirt.
I gasped. “Is that a cooki? It’s adorable!” The creature was even cuter than I’d imagined. Penelope described them as pom-poms with eyes, ears, and tails, and she was right.
“This is Hardtack. He’s special. He lives with me and Vostak. The rest are a little more shy, but you’ll start seeing them around the stronghold as they get used to you.”
Hardtack let me pet him behind the ears, and he was the softest thing I’d ever felt. Even softer than Mr. Snuggles, my childhood hamster.
As we continued down the corridor, I kept my eyes out, watching for more of the little guys. I only caught glimpses of a tail here and there as they disappeared into the walls. It was only now that I realized some of the decorative trim actually hid openings where the little creatures lived inside the walls. That would be a little creepy if they weren’t so freaking adorable.
I was surprised to see the medic dressed very much like an old-Earth religious figure, in a long, dark hooded robe. This was more than a little creepy. He looked more like he was going to perform an exorcism than give me a medical exam. He looked terribly out of place because the infirmary looked super high-tech. Everything was sleek, and the equipment looked several centuries more advanced than what we had in Nova Vita, though some believed the technology for the masses had devolved rather than improved since the establishment of the colony.
I was a little nervous when Penny stepped outside so that Grtirr could do his work. My brain immediately went to alien probing, but I reminded myself that I’d already been thoroughly probed by Gnnar’s alien cock.
I was worried for nothing because most of it was done through a body scan, though he did palpate my abdomen and take a look at the worst of the bruises. When all was said and done, I had my very own in-ear translator.
This one wasn’t like the one I’d used for the interview. Instead of analyzing and translating one sentence at a time, it started translating the words as Grtirr said them. It was strange at first because the translation overlapped the original words by about two words. It took a while to get used to, but now I could understand him and all the other Kadrixans in the stronghold.
“Aside from the superficial injuries, you are in good condition,” Grtirr said as he tossed his gloves into a compartment in the wall. “You are low in several micronutrients, but that can be fixed by eating what’s provided at the stronghold. There will be no need to add supplementation. Just remember to eat well and stay hydrated.”
His last words had me grinning. Those had been my own doctor’s last words to me.
I found Penny waiting for me with two very welcomed surprises: Julie and a change of clothes.
“Julie!” I squealed, running to her to give her a hug. “Holy moly! I’m so happy to see you. I’ve been looking for you for two whole years. Longer, if you count all the messages to your contact when you were sick.”
“I’m happy to see you too.” She hugged me back. “But I never got any messages.”
“Yeah. I thought you were ignoring me at first, but after you disappeared, I looked into it. I’m sure now they were blocking your incoming messages and calls. But I’ll explain all that later.” I held her at arm’s length. “You look amazing.”
She really did. The last time I’d seen her, she’d been rail-thin and pale. And that was before she’d gotten sick. She’d filled out a lot, and her cheeks were rosy and healthy.
“Thanks,” she said. “Living here suits me.”
I ducked back into the infirmary and behind a curtain to change into my new clothes, which included long, flowy pants and a short-sleeved top, both in a supersoft, colorful fabric. Macey had worn something like this. I’d thought she was overdressed for the rescue, but apparently these were their comfy clothes.
Penelope and Julie wore something similar, except in different colors. Mine was a dark red with flecks of gold in it.
My shoes, which were pretty wrecked from my trip, were replaced with a pair of comfortable sandals.
“There are different styles, and I know some of the women prefer the dresses, but these pantsuits are so comfortable that I am happy being in them day in and day out.” Penelope tugged at her hem. “They’re super stretchy. It’s like wearing pajamas all day long, but it’s totally acceptable, and they look good too.”
“Definitely feel as comfy as pajamas,” I agreed. “Too bad my bra is ruining the comfort factor.”
“There is a bra substitute in your official welcome kit,” Penelope said. “I’ve got Tasha putting one together now. You’ll meet her later. Her mate went into the rut early, so she’s indisposed. But she’s not one who can stay in the nest for days at a time, so she welcomed the excuse to leave for an hour or two.”
And that had me thinking of Gnnar and the hour or two of sanity he had between our lovemaking sessions.
“Wait, you do know about the rut, right?” Julie asked. She’d never been a shy one and would probably tell me all about the intricacies if given the chance.
“Yes,” I said before she could give me too much information.
“Great! You’re open-minded. You’ll catch on quick,” Julie said. “Come, let’s give you the grand tour.”
I wondered if I should tell them about my time with Gnnar, but they were already excitedly showing me around the stronghold, which was a lot larger than I thought it would be. For some reason, I thought it would be a small hideout, but the stronghold was huge. Definitely a lot larger than what it looked like on the outside.
The stronghold was divided into six sections, each one representing one of the six warships that settled in Vokira. Each section contained living quarters for the warriors and separate dorms for the women, though mated women usually stayed with their mates. Originally, the crew of each warship had their own kitchen and mess halls, but ever since the human women arrived, they turned some of the cafeterias into hobby rooms, keeping only the largest one, plus the Great Hall for special occasions. They did keep all six kitchens though.
Every once in a while, something in my peripheral vision caught my attention but was gone again when I looked. I couldn’t wait until the kukees or cookis—she’d used both spellings depending on who was speaking—got used to me. I wanted one in my shirt too.
I had a hamster once. Mr. Snuggles was the only imported Earth animal Mom and I could afford, even with the large sum we got from Dad’s settlement. All native animals were considered pests at Nova Vita and weren’t allowed to be kept as pets.
They showed me the women’s dormitory in one of the sections.
“This is where I am,” Julie said. “They’re putting you in here with me. Any bed without a name tag is fair game. You can claim one later.”
Eventually, we stopped in front of a set of double doors. “And out here are the training areas.”
The door opened out into a gorgeous valley surrounded by stoic peaks. The trees were heavy with springtime blossoms, and a warm breeze brought their fragrance to my nose. There was the swimming pond I’d seen in the photo, and beyond that was a large, multi-level jungle gym that beckoned me to embrace my inner child and play.
But my eyes were on the two Kadrixans circling each other in a makeshift fighting ring. They had several female spectators as they punched, kicked, and swiped at each other, sometimes taking into the air but never leaving the circle.
The two Kadrixan males in the ring were really going at it. It looked terrifying, and if the women watching weren’t so calm, I’d have thought they were actually fighting.
“It’s a little more violent than usual,” Penelope said, following my gaze. “It’s not always like this, I promise. The rut is starting, and things get a little crazy.”
“Yeah. I know. The rut hit Gnnar when we were on the run. That’s why we were hiding in the badlands.”
“Oh! I didn’t know that. For some reason, I thought…” Penelope shook her head. “Never mind what I thought. So you’ve already spent part of a rut with Gnnar. I should probably give you the heads-up now before things get messy. You don’t have to participate in the rut if you don’t want to. It’s not a prerequisite for staying here.”
“Yeah, no pressure. You can stay in the women’s quarters during the rut if you prefer or head over to Ellaston.” Julie grinned conspiratorially and wagged her brows. “Or you can join the dark side and have the time of your life. Come on, I know you’re not… chicken! Bok bok!”
“Julie!” Penelope gasped, nudging my longtime friend with her elbow. “You can’t do that!”
“Pshh! Dana and I go way back. I was there for all her ‘bad decisions.’ At least these Kadrixan warriors won’t leave her disappointed.”
I eyed the huge, musclebound warriors who were training with each other. Each one was hotter than the next. But for some reason, I wasn’t interested. They weren’t Gnnar.
“Maybe I can spend the rest of it with Gnnar,” I said honestly. “I hope he’s okay.”
Penelope and Julie exchanged a look.
“What?” I asked.
“You said Gnnar started his rut when you were together. When did it happen?”
“Like, the first day.”
They exchanged another look.
“What?” I put my hands on my hips. “Spit it out.”
“Okay, so we have some rules here about the rut, some to keep peace and some to prevent… future difficult situations. It’s all in the welcome guide Tasha’s putting together for you, but I guess we’re doing a crash course now. Because of the hormones, we try not to stay with any of the warriors for more than one night at a time during the rut. Heartbreak is a real danger since those hormones mimic and encourage feelings of love.”
Something heavy started to settle on my chest as I remembered that feeling of completeness I’d felt with Gnnar during our time together. It had felt so important. So real. Had that all been just his pheromones playing tricks on me?
“Yeah,” Julie said, nodding. “Falling in love with a warrior who finds his mate in someone else is a recipe for disaster. To avoid conflict, we even have a rule that whatever happens in past ruts, stays in past ruts once a warrior finds his one and only.”
“Oh.”
“If you want to stay in the rut, you should follow that rule of thumb.” Julie held the next door open for me. “You don’t want to fall for Gnnar only to have him break your heart.”
The two continued their tour, completely unaware of the turmoil growing inside me as the truth came barreling at me like a heatseeking missile, Or was that a heart-seeking missile in this case? I was already in love with Gnnar. And I wasn’t his mate.
I followed behind my two friends numbly, not really paying attention anymore, and found myself sitting on a bench facing the fighting ring.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Julie said, reaching over to a robot cart to pick up two colorful, fruity drinks and handing one over to me.
Before I could tell her that I’d manage, Penelope said, “Ooh, there’s my mate Vostak. You talked to him on the phone, remember?” She waved to the warrior.
Vostak was lean and mean, taller than many of the other Kadrixans, but just as muscular. He stomped toward us, looking almost angry. His eyes were solely on Penelope, like Julie and I didn’t exist. I gaped at the scary warrior. I knew Gnnar had the ability to tear someone apart; I’d watched him do it. But Vostak looked like a killing machine who’d laugh while doing it.
“I think the rut’s hitting him.” Penelope stood, looking apologetic.
Oh, that made sense.
Vostak approached, scooped Penelope up into his arms, and leaped into the air, the action reminding me of flying in Gnnar’s arms.
“Bye, ladies,” Penelope called from the air. “See you in a bit!”