Epilogue Two
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
Syasku
“What do you think this means for us?” Vivian asks, leaning against my arm as the pictures move across the screen. I have never seen anything like it.
Vruksha and his mate, Gemma, call it a movie. Besides watching these movies, there is not much else to do besides speak with the others, but like the others, we prefer being left alone.
We have been below ground for days.
Ever since The Dreadnaut exploded. All that remains of it is a faint red streak in the sky.
In the hours after, countless ships appeared, heading straight for us. Not all of them arrived gently, and as more ships crashed, causing explosions that echoed across the land, it was decided we should remain below until things settle. We all did.
Eventually, we will return to the surface to see what awaits us. It is not something I want to dwell on for very long. I am jaded towards humans despite knowing not all of them are bad. There are good ones. Great ones even. My female is wonderful.
“It means nothing,” I say. “Only that your sire may now be dead, and if he is not, he will soon be back within my reach.”
“I don’t want you to go after him. I…”
Petting her hair, my fingers pause when she goes quiet. “I?”
She sighs and the sound is heavy. “I think we should stay here—at least, for now.”
I had a feeling this might happen. The Dreadnaut’s explosion hasn’t been easy for her.
She was quiet while the rest of us figured out what we should do. She grieves its loss. She grieves for the innocent people who may have died. So I understand if she is not keen on saying anymore goodbyes right now.
We have been safer here than we have been anywhere else in months. Here, we have… connections? Friends? The prospect of staying is appealing, especially with no other option available. She would be safe. Audrin would be safe. There will be others looking out for them. Kyle, for one. And now that she is trying to mend things with her mother, Laura too.
“I will not go after him,” I concede, still debating whether or not staying put is a good idea. Breaking my oath to kill Volp is easier than I thought it would be, knowing the likelihood of ever encountering him again is slight.
Not only that, Vivian is tired. And so am I. She does not want to run anymore. I can understand her reasoning for wanting to settle down rather than move on.
I also have a suspicion she likes Vruskha’s underground tunnels. Closed spaces seem to relax her. If I had to guess, they remind her of… her previous home.
Vivian huffs a long breath of air. “Thank you. I’m just going to hope he never ends up here. Also, Audrin will have a playmate. Odessa likes him.”
I nod. “She does. In time, I am certain he will like her as well.” Odessa, the little female youngling belonging to Zhallaix, adores Audrin and is always trying to play with him. “We will remain for now. With what has happened, it would be too risky to leave. Not until we know more.” Even Kyle has chosen to stay.
Vivian’s eyes flutter closed and she exhales like she had not just exhaled heavily a moment ago. “Thank you. Thank you—thank you—thank you.”
Licking my teeth, my lips twitch into a smile. I do not tell her that I am not being entirely selfless in my decision. If we keep running, searching, hoping we come upon a better place, a safer one, she will never get the rest she needs to nest with me again.
I am eager to build a new one. Eager to see her in it. Eager to mate her in a place of my creation, surrounded entirely by me.
Petting her hair some more, she rests her cheek on my chest.
I will make certain it is okay with the others, at least the males. Azsote will accept us, I am certain, but Vruksha and Zhallaix? They are two entirely different alphas and their tension is easily felt when I am around them. We do not know each other. Not yet. I will have to show them that having a Cottonmouth around can be useful, especially with what is ahead of us.
Humans.
Pulling Vivian closer, I rest my chin on her head and entwine my tail with her legs.
She shifts to look up at me. “I love you.”
My brow furrows as she smiles.
Staring down at her, the pleasure inside my heart grows. “I love you too. It is nice hearing I am loved, female,” I tell her with all honesty.
It is different, feeling loved, being loved .
Her eyes sparkle and leaning up, she kisses me. Grasping her chin, I hold her in place as I graze my fangs over her bottom lip, gently licking it afterward.
The light flickers above us.
Pausing, we both look up and when the light returns to normal and stays that way, Vivian laughs nervously.
I tug on her hair to get her to look at me. “Are you afraid?”
Her eyes search mine. “No.”
“I am not chained anymore, Vivian,” I remind her, cupping her cheek. My thumb trails down to her chin. Feeling a slight groove there, I find a thin scar. “You will always have my attention,” I rasp, my voice shortening, the pressure returning to my chest where my heart beats wildly. “Alwayssss.”
Her eyes soften, and reaching up to slide her hair behind her ear, she smiles.
I tuck her back against me.
We have lost, my female and I, but we have gained so much more. And, as it seems, we are not the only ones having to start over. It can be done. Azsote is content and he has lost his home, his treehouse nest. I have lost mine as well, in the wetlands next to his.
I am looking forward to something new.
No one knows what lies ahead. And with a taste of human blood in my mouth and a reason to fight for my future, I am ready to stake my claim. I am ready to defend what is mine with bloodshed.
I close my eyes, appreciating every moment I have.
Behind Vivian, the movie comes to an end. The screen goes fuzzy and fades to black. Watching it fade, her breathing evens out and I settle us back against the wall.
She is right, it is relaxing down here.
In the end, it does not matter where we end up or what lies ahead of us.
We will meet it together.