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I had offered to go, but Sia Jakkar had rejected my request. I was deemed too much of a liability, as my attention would be focused on thoughts of my spirit mate. A fact I could not argue.
From my vantage point high above, I observed the intricate dance of all three clans intermingling below. The sight was a stark contrast to the lifetime of rivalry that had once defined their interactions. Valose had transformed in ways I could scarcely comprehend since my abduction, and like many returned captives, I found myself struggling to catch up with the whirlwind of changes.
Gladness swelled within me to know all three clans had united in battle against a common enemy. I never would have dreamed old rivalries could have been set aside or that such a thing could have ever happened. A vote had taken place and a Sia now ruled over all three clans. Sia Jakkar was not only our world leader but a symbol of unity for Valose.
Clan Trisess had a new Sia as well. After it was discovered Sia Havvar had been collaborating with the Gretolics, Tikkot challenged him and took the crown. From Scout to Sia, he had earned the respect of his clansmen.
So much had changed since that disastrous hunting trip with Drekkor. Our encounter with the strange grey creature had resulted in mindless obedience and boarding an alien spacecraft. After that, I had no recollection until I’d woken up in a giant’s cage alongside a Huren warrior with whom I now called friend.
I scrutinized the undulating distortion of the dome overhead, the marvel of technology kept all the creatures of the Huren jungle at bay. Nocturnal beings that would soon rouse from their slumber to search for prey. Instead of exhaling with ease knowing our safety within its translucent walls, I felt as though a hand was clutching my throat.
The dome was stifling. I longed for my treetop home in the Trisess Forest where the sky was open and free from confinement. I yearned for the cool breeze to wash over my scales, carrying with it the familiar scents of blooming wildflowers. I missed the earthy aroma of damp moshi pads after a fresh rain and the sweet fragrance of white fruit that hung in the air during late summer.
In this artificial city, where nature was constrained and controlled, I felt caged and longed to break free.
I understood Sarah’s reluctance to enter the dome. The echo of her that wove its way around my hearts knew she felt as trapped as I did. Yet her confinement went beyond the dome of Huren. She longed for a home she may never see again. That tore at my spirit like nothing else could. If I could give her world back to her, I would, even though it would gut me to do so.
My gaze settled on the one who consumed my thoughts—Sarah. Under the waning Valosian suns, Sarah's dark mane cascaded around her delicate shoulders, lustrous and vibrant. Her complexion, once pallid from the harsh conditions on Gorka, now radiated with a healthy glow, a testament to the restorative care provided by medics, Maxxon and Nullar. The other females held captive with her, had transformed as well; their figures were no longer gaunt but filled out with newfound vitality, a result of the tonic rich in nutrients and protein that had replenished their starved bodies.
A sense of unease gripped me as I watched Sarah pick up the ball that an adolescent patooga dropped at her feet. My spirit mate in such close proximity to a dangerous creature like the patooga wasn't something I was comfortable with. One of the creatures that the protective dome shielded us from was inside, viewed as a harmlesspet—whatever that meant. The potential danger it posed was not lost on me.
Full-grown, the patooga would be three times the size of a male with razor-sharp claws, and teeth to match. What made it even more dangerous was its saliva, laced with a paralyzing agent that could incapacitate even the strongest of beings.
The silver and blue spotted creature dropped down on its front legs and wriggled its backside high in the air, excited over the odd game the group of females played.
Sarah, Leah, Bridget, Lucy, and Maxxon’s spirit mate, Amy smiled and laughed as the patooga bounced and spun in a circle, waiting to chase the ball again. I cupped my ears and closed my eyes to catch Sarah’s melodic laughter which was so rare.
I hoped my carefully planned surprise would bring her some joy. As the suns began to set, it was time to put my carefully laid plan to the test. I’d been working so hard under Aggar’s, a Huren warrior, tutelage to surprise my female with something I hoped would brighten her mood.
Descending swiftly in the lift to the ground level of the grand palace, my determined strides echoed through the ornate corridors as I raced along the path that would lead me to Sarah. Skidding to a halt as the patooga darted past me, clutching the ball securely in its jaws. The slathering creature dropped the ball at Sarah’s feet.
“You know its saliva contains a paralyzing agent.” I rushed over as Sarah bent to retrieve the ball.
Sarah's eyes suddenly lifted, meeting my gaze as I neared. Her brown mane glinted in the waning sunslight as she quickly straightened, her eyes whipping to Amy and then back to me.
“It’s okay, Sarah, she hasn’t matured enough for her saliva to produce the agent,” Amy assured her. “Ivy, that’s Zaku’s mate, you remember her. She’s a microbiologist and working on trying to figure out how to neutralize the agent without hurting Chompers.”
I sneered at the fuzzy beast, its tongue lolling from its mouth as it peered up at me with large, expressive eyes. “Ithas a name?”
“You don’t like cats, Gunnox?” Amy grinned.
“Cats?”
“You know, Felis catus, a small domesticated carnivorous mammal? No, no, no… I take that back.” Sarah shook her head. “Chompers is more along the lines of a saber-tooth tiger or Smilodon. Extinct on Earth, but from what the girls said, Chompers is going to be enormous when fully grown. She has the slitted pupils of a cat though, but the fun-loving nature of a dog.”
To my horror, Sarah crouched down and put her face directly in line with the slathering beast and rubbed it behind its fuzzy ears. “Don’t cha, girl? You’re just a big fluffy sweetie pie. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. And you just wanna chase this ball and get your belly rubbed, don’t cha?”
The beast spun in an excited circle before rolling onto its back and presenting its belly to Sarah to be petted.
“It is unfathomable to me that humans allow predators into their homes.” Horrified at the display of affection for such a dangerous creature, I squatted next to Sarah.
“Give me your hand,” Sarah said and guided my palm over the belly of the beast. “See how soft her fur is?”
“Its fur is not what concerns me,” I raised a brow at my female, loving the feel of her hand covering mine, “but the razor-sharp claws and massive fangs it will grow as an adult.”
“Ithas a name and her name is Chompers. Besides, she won’t bite the hand that feeds and Amy saved her life when she was a tiny kitten.”
“I very much doubt the patooga, er…Chomperswas ever tiny.”
