Fated to the Alien Scout (Warriors of Tavikh #8)

Chapter 1

Katem

From my treetop perch, I scan the bari field for any signs of danger or hunters returning with their kills. Since the threat of both the Krijese and Njeri is gone, the turns I spend scouting are long.

Long and lonely.

While hope has returned to our people with the arrival of humans many seasons ago, there are still unmated males—like me—who wish for nothing more than to find their keeshla.

The one female the goddess has chosen as our fated mate.

But with every season that passes, the more I fear Deeka has found some reason to deem me unworthy of a mate.

Movement across the field catches my attention.

What is a human—a female human—doing so far from their settlement?

To my knowledge the only ones who ever leave are the few, rare hunters who have been taught by many of the Tavikhi, myself included.

They will never be as skilled as us, but they have improved to a far greater degree than when they first arrived.

However, this female is no hunter. She travels alone and carries no weapons.

It is hard to determine if she has a specific destination in mind or if she is merely exploring.

We may have defeated our enemies, but there are still dangers within the forest. The female stops at a lone nenuphar bush and draws one of the blooms toward her nose.

Her eyes close and her chest rises with a deep inhale.

A smile curls her lips, and I find myself smiling as well.

She is beautiful with dark hair that falls in spirals down her back and skin that glows from the sun.

I cannot tell the color of her eyes from here,.

Once she appears to have enjoyed the scent of the blooms, she continues on her path.

One that brings her closer to my position.

I mimic the call of the mellenje to signal that I have spotted something, but all appears well.

Daveel replies in confirmation from farther within the forest, closer to our village.

Not once has my gaze left the female. She passes below my tree and pauses. My tail tightens its grip around the branch I have braced myself on while I stare down at her. She tips her head back—cocking it slowly side to side—and narrows her gaze.

“Is someone up there?”

My balance is rocked at her question. There is no way she should be able to sense my presence. Carefully, I make my way down through the branches and drop to the ground not far from her. She does not startle, but I keep my distance anyway. I am still unable to determine her eye color.

“How did you know I was up there?”

“I didn’t know it was you specifically, but I knew a Tavikhi was up there. Or at least in the general vicinity. Everyone knows there are scouts posted within the forest.”

“Was there something you needed?” Why else would she be all the way out here?

“Not really.” She chuckles. “I was just out for a stroll.”

“It is not safe for you to wander so far from your home.”

“People travel between your village and mine all the time,” the female says, entirely unconcerned.

“But they are armed with some type of protection. Weapons. You do not appear to have anything.” I scan her form, searching, but not spotting any lumps or bulges that would indicate she is hiding anything. In fact, she is all smooth lines and curves.

She laughs, and the sound is like a soft caress. “No, I don’t have any weapons.”

This female has no sense of self-preservation.

As much as I wish I could assist her, I should not leave my post. “If you have somewhere you would like go, I can send a signal to the village and locate an escort for you.”

She waves me off. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. I’ll just go a little bit farther before turning around and heading back.”

“It really is not safe for you to travel alone.”

The female starts to speak, perhaps to argue, but I do not have it in me to leave a female unprotected. “Please let me escort you. It will ease my mind.”

“Very well.” She nearly sighs.

I fist my chest, and once again call out to Daveel using the sounds of the mellenje, letting him know I am leaving my post and to send word to the village for my replacement. He acknowledges me and repeats the message back.

“Are you ready to continue?” I glance over at her.

“Yes, please.” She proceeds to walk in the same direction she had been going before stopping beneath my tree.

I fall in next to her and the floral scent of lulebore petals hits me. Its sweet fragrance is far too tempting. I glance over and her gaze is on me.

Brown.

Her eyes are a deep brown to rival her dark hair.

“You’re staring,” she says.

I quickly glance away. “Apologies.”

“No need to apologize. I’m Piper, by the way.”

“Piper.” It is such a human name.

Silence settles for several beats.

“Usually when someone offers you their name, it’s common practice to give yours in return.” Her grin takes the harshness out of her words.

“I am Katem.” Again, I fist my chest.

“What does that mean? That gesture?” She points with her chin.

“It is a sign of respect and honor.”

“While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m not really sure I’ve done anything worthy of it.”

“You have not done anything that deems you unworthy of it, have you?”

Piper is silent for several beats, as if she must think on it. “No, I don’t suppose I have.”

“Then it is an appropriate gesture.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She steps over a large log that has broken off a nearby tree to block a portion of the barely tread path we take.

“Have you been on Tavikh long?” The last ship to arrive had been the previous warm season. It was the third ship to land here. Who knows how many more the humans will send?

“I came on the latest ship,” Piper replies.

That would have been the same one Iris was on. For a brief time, she lived in our village. Until she left to go live with the Krijese as Kala’s mate and Sorin’s nene. I had hoped perhaps she might be my keeshla, but as always, it was not fated.

“Do you like it here?”

“It beats the bottom tier,” Piper says with a short laugh.

The shefira has explained this “bottom tier” to us.

They are the largest group of people on Earth but are the ones who have nothing, while the humans who are part of the upper tier have everything with no wish to share.

While I understand the dynamic, it makes no sense to me why everything is not shared equally amongst their people.

“I have heard many stories of this bottom tier. I am glad you were able to get away from there.” A branch hangs low over our path and I push it out of the way.

“Thank you,” Piper says.

“My pleasure.”

Her cheeks darken in a pleasing way. We continue walking at a leisurely pace, pausing every so often at various flowering bushes so she can breathe in their fragrance.

“You enjoy the scent of the blooms?” Of course she does. Why else would she smell them so often?

Piper grins broadly. “Oh, yes. There’s really nothing like it back on Earth any longer. I love all the trees, flowers, bushes, and other plants. The various colors are incredible. They’re a far sight better than grimy buildings, dank and dirty water, and cracked pavement.”

Jodah is the best at crafting colored images on object surfaces, but despite his talent and his keeshla’s descriptions, he has still not been able to provide realistic examples of what Earth looks like.

At least not so we’re able to comprehend the vastness and despair that hangs heavy in the air, according to Abby anyway.

“It is wonderful that you are able to experience all these things.”

Piper blows out a short burst of air. “You have no idea.”

We reach the farthest end of the field from where I first spotted her, which leaves us no other direction to go since the hillside blocks our path.

“I guess this is where we turn around,” she says.

“The sun will be sliding behind the hills shortly, so it would be best for you to be back within the safety of the settlement before then.”

Piper sighs heavily. “I suppose.”

We turn around and retrace our steps until we reach my previous scouting perch. Daveel has replaced me, which means another scout took up his post.

“Allow me to escort you back to your settlement.” I am not ready to part from her.

“You really don’t have to.”

“I know I do not have to, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to you and I could have been there to prevent it.”

Piper ducks her head. “You really are too kind.”

“It is my pleasure.”

Once again her cheeks darken, and I enjoy the sight of it. I sweep my arm out for her to proceed, and together, we head in the direction of the human settlement.

“Do you have a mate waiting for you?” The question slips out before I can stop it.

Piper makes a noise and I glance over to find sorrow radiating off her. “No, no mate.”

I regret my impulsive curiosity even more, because up until now amusement had shone from her eyes. It’s been replaced with a hollowness I am desperate to chase away.

“My apologies. I did not mean to bring up poor memories.”

“You didn’t,” Piper says quietly.

She is either being kind or untruthful, because there is an awkward tension and heaviness that hangs between us that was absent before I opened my mouth. When will I learn?

We continue making our way through the trees in silence until we reach the field that separates the forest from the walls of the human settlement. Piper stops and turns toward me.

“Thank you for the escort. I really enjoyed talking with you. I’ll be fine from here, I promise.”

She is making it perfectly clear I am no longer welcome at her side.

“I enjoyed the time spent with you as well. May Deeka bless and watch over you.” I fist my chest and lose myself within the trees.

Only, I do not go far. Once I have judged enough moments have passed, I backtrack to where I left Piper standing.

She is halfway across the field, but almost as if, yet again, sensing my presence, she glances over her shoulder and scans the area.

I remain half-hidden behind a tree, certain she cannot locate me.

A few beats pass before she finally faces forward and continues her trek toward the settlement.

I remain standing in the same spot long after the doors open, she crosses the threshold, and they close behind her.

The sun is halfway below the hilltop before I retrace my steps and return to my scouting post to relieve Daveel.

He badgers me with questions about Piper, but I ignore each one.

I wish to keep her to myself a little while longer.