Chapter 4
Aercek
Growling in frustration, I glare over at Ahstahl, where he runs next to me.
Both of us are desperately scenting the air, trying to locate our mate.
To date, she hasn’t left her campsite this early in the day, so we were under the impression we had time to go back to the ship to cleanse ourselves.
One cannot make a good first impression if one has a foul odor lingering about, and after several days of sleeping in the woods, both of us were ripe.
Just because we look like beasts compared to some of the other species we ally with, doesn’t mean we behave like them.
There is no way we took longer than a span to run there, perform our ablutions, and run back.
Ahstahl and I both thoroughly scouted the area before leaving, ensuring Keelie would be safe during our absence.
Ahstahl declared this morning that today was the day we were to introduce ourselves to her, most likely a decision he made in response to my growing impatience.
I do not care for this planet at all.
Once we returned to her camp, we instantly discovered her absence. However, it’s hard to know which direction she went since her scent permeates the area, a result of her many meandering strolls through the forest.
Foolish female.
She has no idea how many bears and wolves Aercek and I have had to chase off—drawn in by the tempting scents of her cooking and the vulnerable warmth of her presence drifting through the forest. The inviting curve of her bountiful behind is going to meet with the flat of my hand when I finally get my claws on her.
A piercing roar sounds in the distance, closely followed by the report of a weapon.
Leaves and dirt fly into the air when my talons grab hold of the ground, and I skid to a halt.
Looking over at Ahstahl, I see his face is full of the same concern I feel.
Somehow, we both know that our mate has managed to find a predator, which means she’s outside her normal roaming area.
Jolting into motion, we race towards the sound.
The surrounding trees are a blur as we push ourselves.
Terror lashes me with every beat of my hearts.
I’ve yet to even meet my mate. Surely the gods wouldn’t be so cruel as to take her from us before we even get the chance to introduce ourselves.
Please don’t do this to me again. I won’t survive it.
Dissatisfied with my speed on two legs, I dropped to all fours, using my wings to propel myself forward at a dangerous clip, blatantly ignoring Ahstahl’s cautionary chuff.
One slight miscalculation would hang a wing on a tree and break it.
Without the advanced med-i-pod on the ship, my wing would heal poorly, and I would have to suffer through the re-breaking process.
To our surprise, our fellow hunters told us they wouldn’t leave without us, not on this backwater planet, even though Ahstahl and I both expected them to depart for home as soon as the cryofreezer was full.
Thankfully, we’ve only been here a short time, and the icy storage room still has plenty of space to fill before it’s at capacity.
However, none of these thoughts concerns me right now.
What is a wing if I lost the being the gods had created just for me? I would rather be crippled and have her whole instead of being hale, yet alone for the rest of my days.
Following the series of disturbing sounds, I burst from the tree line, entering an open expanse of land covered in a riot of brilliantly colored flowers.
Pausing for a moment, I allow my eyes to adjust from the gloom of the canopy cover to the brightness of the open area we’ve entered.
My eyes dart around desperately, looking for the source of the heinous sounds Ahstahl and I can hear echoing off the mountains.
Both of us have our noses lifted and tongues out, using every sense we have to locate our mate.
Just then, movement across the meadow catches my attention as a pale form flies through the air.
KEELIE!
Her small body lands on the ground in a heap, closely followed by a dark, lumbering shape.
Lunging forward, I cross the clearing in an instant, barreling towards the enraged animal toying with my mate.
What can only be a bear has slapped my mate around several times in the moments it's taken me to get to her.
Large claws swipe at her, narrowly avoiding her blue trousers as she yanks her leg to the side, the bear roaring with bloodstained, razor-sharp teeth.
Terror flays me when I realize how close Ahstahl and I have come to losing her.
Extending my talons, I sink them into the large hump on the bear’s back and use my momentum to yank it away from her.
A pained bellow escapes the beast, and it flings me off its back with a powerful shrug.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my frater vinculum scoop our shell-shocked female off the group and carry her a safe distance away, leaving me to deal with the threat as I see fit.
Focusing on the bear, I roar a challenge.
Raising on its hind legs, the bear accepts, with a bellow of its own.
It won’t tolerate another dominant creature that it perceives as a rival within its territory.
Wincing internally, I realize that on its hind legs, the bear is just as tall as I am, but far wider.
Almost in unison, the bear and I launch towards one another.
The sound of our bodies colliding resonates across the clearing, causing birds to take flight from their perches on nearby trees.
Every fighting technique I’ve honed over the seasons as a warrior flees from my mind as my baser nature takes over.
Keeping my wings next to my body to keep them safe, the bear and I trade blow after blow.
Its thick fur protects it from the worst of my slashing talons and razor-sharp teeth, whereas my scales, even the ones under the furred places of my hide, protect me from its deadly six-inch claws.
The bear and I seem evenly matched, and neither of us will win at this rate.
With a heave, I shoved the beast off of me and click the firestone at the back of my throat.
Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth and allow a small, but blistering stream of fire to lash across the broadside of the bear before me.
Setting the forest on fire isn’t something I want to risk, so I can’t let a full conflagration out.
Howling in pain, the bear spins in circles, biting at its singed side.
Its cry is music to my ears, but my tactic seems to have had the opposite effect.
If anything, the beast is more enraged now than it was previously.
Instead of fleeing, it doubles down on attacking me.
My mind races as I try to think of something to do that will spare the life of the bear.
Had I truly wanted it dead, I could have ended it several times during our brawl, but all life is precious, and the bear’s reaction was purely instinctual.
From the blood scent on the bear, it appears as though Keelie stumbled upon it while it was eating off a fresh kill.
She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I don’t blame the bear for this.
No, this is all my wayward little mate’s fault.
As I continue to grapple with the bear, I frantically try to think of something that will deter it, so I’m not forced to end its life.
In a last-ditch effort to drive the creature away, I grab its head in both of my hands, fending off its claws with my wings and tail before head-butting it with all my strength.
Both the bear and I let out cries of pain, and the crack of our skulls connecting resonates across the clearing.
Moaning lowly, the bear drops to all fours and staggers back away from me with a half-hearted snarl.
A sharp whine escapes me before I can suppress it—pain piercing from the base of my horns across my skull.
Shaking my head to clear it, I wince at the wave of dizziness the motion causes.
I can’t afford to pass out. The bear has backed further away from me and is leerily staring at me, periodically shaking its head, trying to decide if engaging me again is worth it.
I click my firestone in warning, and the decision is made for the animal.
It turns with a snarl and bolts from the meadow as fast as its heavy legs will carry it.
The stench of singed fur lingers in the air, making my nose wrinkle.
It’s a vile scent—but thankfully, I kept my sensitive tongue safely inside my mouth.
Tasting burned hair is far worse than merely smelling it.
Mercifully, the bear has no interest in tangling with an adversary that breathes fire.
Watching until it’s completely out of sight, I ignore the throbbing in my head to ensure the threat is completely gone.
The silence behind me is deafening, and trepidation fills me at what my mate must be thinking.
Definitely not the encouraging first impression Ahstahl wanted to make.
Raising a hand to my head, I’m shocked to see a smear of vibrant purple blood on my hand.
Well.
Rut Me.
Turning slowly, I see a pair of rounded eyes staring back at me in shock.
Flicking my gaze over to Ahstahl, I can see the laughter at my expense he’s trying to hide.
Grimacing, I take a step toward them, an apology already forming on my lips—but the movement sends shards of pain lancing through me, followed by a wave of nausea and dizziness that nearly drops me where I stand.
Looking around, I notice there are little sparkling lights around the edges of my vision.
Well, frak…I’m about to pass out. Apparently, head-butting a bear isn’t something I should do ever again.
That’s my last conscious thought as my eyes roll back in my head and everything goes dark.