Chapter 33
Hattie
The flickering of the cooking fire was soothing. The scents, the sounds, the laughter of the women around her was comforting. Hattie was sitting on the ground, unable to immerse herself in the activities, but still wanting to surround herself with it.
Rumor had already spread about the news brought from the town. Some of the women had offered her hugs while others had offered food or drink. On the whole, however, they seemed to understand that she just needed a moment.
She honestly hadn’t considered that the others had been attacked too. She had been so focused on herself and her circumstances, she hadn’t spared a thought for them. And that was so selfish. The guilt of it soured her belly.
All the girls had their mates with them. They were as safe as they could be.
But Hattie couldn’t help worrying. Had the others had their planes sabotaged too?
Holly was visibly pregnant. Could she have survived a fall like that?
If Romival had even been able to handle the fall like Tuvo had.
Were Alanna and Survii trapped on the island?
Had Peony and Atem been gunned down at the hotel?
So many different scenarios ran through her head, each of them ending badly. It made her curl into a ball as she leaned against the support pole that held the roof over the kitchen area.
Her worries for them were compounded by her worry for Tuvo.
She could see him from here, getting ready to go back to that compound.
He was taking two of the fastest men with him.
Hattie trusted his decision to go get the weapons, but she wished it didn’t involve him leaving.
She wasn’t worried for herself, the ladies told her that they knew how to run and where to hide.
They had plenty of practice doing so after years dealing with the Three Rings.
But was he going to be okay? Were the others going to be okay?
What if she was pregnant and Tuvo didn’t want it? Or her? Would she be okay?
It was too much for her to deal with, so she just curled into a ball.
“You’re doing that stupid pouty thing again.”
Keith’s voice interrupting her pity party was like sandpaper on raw skin. She glared at him as he stepped up beside her, looking down with a disgusted sneer.
“Leave me alone,” she said, unfolding her legs.
“What’s got you feeling all sorry for yourself?”
She chose not to answer as she got to her feet and dusted off her butt.
“Let me guess, trouble in rainforest paradise?”
She turned to walk away. For all the good it did. He kept pace with her.
She let out a frustrated sigh, “Did you need something, Keith?”
“Yeah, a proper fucking bath, food not cooked over a fire like a hobo, and wifi. But apparently, I’m not getting any of that because I hear we’re not even leaving this backwoods ass village anytime soon because your boy toy has a hero complex.”
Turning with a glare, Hattie did her best to stand as tall as her height would allow. “No one is forcing you to stay, Keith. If you want to go, then go.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, sure, so everyone can call me a coward and say that I tucked tail and ran leaving the alien in charge.”
“Is that what this is about? Your ego is sore?”
“It’s not an ego thing,” he quoted, mocking her voice in a way that set her teeth to grinding. “Grow up, Hattie. It’s a human thing. Humans should be taking care of other humans.”
“Oh, please.”
“What, you think I’m wrong?” He sneered at her. “What am I saying? Of course, you do. You’ve turned into a whore since the last time I saw you.”
She gasped, stepping back in shock. She wasn’t ready, not just for such hateful words, but for the sheer disgust in his tone when he said them.
“Excuse me?” She finally managed to say.
“You’re a traitor to your own species,” he continued, eyes flashing. “Is it his dick? Huh? You got that stupid ass size kink. Hard for a fat ass like you to find a big human, so you have to settle for him and a dick that probably wrecked you.”
“What are you-”
“Probably big as a fucking train tunnel down there now.”
“What is wrong with you?!” She snapped, eyes swimming.
“Me?” He had the nerve to look shocked. “Are you serious? I’m a good guy! You had a chance to be with a good guy, one of your own people, and you traded that for a big dick. Don’t deny it! What else could that troglodyte possibly have that interests you?”
“Tuvo is a great male!” Hattie yelled, angry crying and hating it but unable to stop the tears from burning down her face.
“He actually cares about me. He likes me. He doesn’t want to make me into something I’m not.
He doesn’t take pictures of me and constantly doctor them so I look ‘prettier’ to fit in with his image! ”
“He doesn’t care about you. You’re convenient. You’re a pushover, Hattie! You just roll over and do whatever he wants. You never argue with him. You never contradict him. You’re easy. You’ve always been easy. Fucking you isn’t a challenge, that’s why guys settle for you.”
Appalled, her mouth hanging open, unable to think of anything to say because she was just so shocked, all she could do was stare. Too dumbfounded to be insulted yet.
Before she could recover, a growl split the air. Animalistic and dangerous.
And comforting.
Tuvo came in from the side, looming over Keith, glaring at him with both fists clenched. And Keith suddenly didn’t look quite so angry and smug anymore.
“Hattie, what did he say to you?” Tuvo asked, his upper eye on her, but his lower eyes fixated on him, flashing dangerously.
She sniffed, swiping angrily at her cheeks. “Apparently, he doesn’t approve of our relationship. He’s one of those anti-alien haters.”
“I think that’s not exactly what he said to you.”
“No, it’s not, but I don’t want you to kill him, so let’s leave it at that.”
Tuvo snarled, fangs flashing.
Keith glared, but he took a step back. Like that would be enough to get him out of danger. When he spoke, he was addressing Hattie but didn’t take his eyes off Tuvo.
“You’re tattling on me again, aren’t you?” He asked, sneering.
“If you don’t want to be responsible for saying terrible things, don’t say them,” she countered. “And you should be grateful I’m not telling him what you said. The domini solve problems with violence. He would destroy you.”
“And that’s the kind of guy you want? You’re trading a nice guy for a violent meathead?”
“No. I traded you for my own peace of mind and personal happiness. And I picked him for the same. There’s no comparing you to him because you were already long gone in my heart.”
“Personal happiness?” He laughed. “Is that what we’re calling a big dick nowadays?”
“You’re a little obsessed with his dick, Keith. Feeling inadequate?”
“You’re not denying it though, are you? That’s the only reason you’re with him, isn’t it? Does he know what your favorite color is? Huh? Does he?”
“Seriously?” She scoffed.
“You’re not going to ask him? Are you? Because you know I’m right. You made such a big deal about it before. So, big guy?” Keith smirked at Tuvo, deliberately speaking slowly. “What is Hattie’s favorite color? Co-lor? You know color, you oaf?”
Hattie’s jaw was clenched so hard her teeth were hurting. She hated the way he was speaking to him. She hated that she couldn’t ask Tuvo the question without being accused of giving him the answer. She hated that this conversation was even happening. She hated-
“Blue.”
Startled, the tension drained out of her in a snap as she stared at Tuvo. Surprised not just that he had understood the question, but that he had gotten it right.
She had never told him her favorite color. They had only just started talking to each other and nothing about their situation really presented the opportunity for small talk like that.
But Tuvo had answered completely confidently. Glaring Keith down as if daring him to ask another question about her.
“Is it Hattie?” Keith looked at her, then scoffed. “Actually, you know what, never mind. Of course, you’re going to say it is.”
Hattie shoved her hand into her purse, the one she had been carrying around because the cross-body bag was useful doing chores about the village, and, with only a little searching, found that receipt she had received from that small store in the Azores Islands.
Smirking triumphantly, she unfolded it and held it up where, written across the back, in slightly messy letters, was the solid black, indisputable-
‘blue’
“And I didn’t even tell him,” she said, shoving it against Keith’s chest. “He actually cares about me. And he’s a good male. Not that you would know anything about that.”
She grabbed Tuvo’s hand and, before Keith could pop off again and actually risk getting Tuvo’s fist to the face, she walked off, tugging him along.
It was only then that she noticed that an audience had gathered.
Men and women of the village staring unapologetically at the show taking place before them.
Those that could speak English were surrounded by those that couldn’t who were whispering what was going on like they were divulging the hottest gossip at the water cooler.
Hattie’s face heated, embarrassed at having that scene witnessed by everyone. It made her walk faster as she dragged Tuvo back to their house and inside where she could hide. Not that it would make the whispering die down.
Her only consolation was that at least she knew she was right in this scenario. Keith had embarrassed her, but he had made himself out to be the jerk in the process.
“Want me to challenge him?” Tuvo asked softly. “I’ll go easy. I’ll only hurt him enough to humble him.”
Hattie turned, throwing her arms around his torso. “No. He’d just feel morally superior afterwards because he wasn’t the one who resorted to violence.”
Tuvo chuckled, rubbing her back. “Your species is so adorable. Not fighting is considered the honorable action?”
She smiled, thinking it was just as funny to her that he thought the opposite. She leaned back, looking up at his face without leaving his arms.
“How did you know my favorite color?”
His head cocked curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I never told you. So, how did you know?”
He laughed. “How could I not know? You wear it more than any other. You favor it in the things you buy. It wasn’t a hard guess. Why was he even asking me that?”
Hattie chuckled and explained the conversation they had in the Azores. How Keith couldn’t answer the question.
“He was your lover for years and he didn’t even know that much? Hattie, at the risk of making myself angry, why were you even with him?”
“He acted nice once upon a time.” She shook her head with a sigh. “And once he had me, he kept me down. Made me think I didn’t deserve any better.”
Tuvo’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“You’re still not allowed to fight him.”
“Krik.”
She laughed. “Leaving him was hard. Not because I loved him, but because I was terrified about who I would be without him. But you know, I like who I am. I like my hobbies and my body and my interests.”
“I rather like you as well,” Tuvo said, kissing the top of her head. “As much as I want to stay here and prove how much, I actually came over to you for a reason. Before I saw you crying and had to fight back the urge to beat him bloody.”
“Oh. Are you leaving?” She guessed with a frown.
He grunted in confirmation. “We can cover a lot of ground before it gets dark. Tomorrow, the group heading to the town are going to leave. They’ll try to get help as quickly as possible, but we should still be back before them.”
“Okay.” She frowned. “I’ll miss you.”
He smiled, hugging her close. “As I will you. I’ll be back soon though. Stay here. Stay safe. Listen to whatever Belmira says. She’s a strong female, she’ll protect you.”
Hattie nodded. “You be safe too, okay? Don’t get shot at again or I’ll be really mad at you.”
“Can’t have that.” He leaned over, kissing her. “And if Keith does anything, tell him that I’ll take the price of it in blood when I return.”
Hattie threw back her head, laughing. “Don’t worry. I’m done shedding tears over him.”