Rhage paced around the room as the others debated at the table. There was much excitement for the Queen hunt ahead and many on the council were already taking bets on how they could outdo each other in slaying Xenomorph drones.

Khaj and Valam were at it while the others chimed in with their own potshots at their friends. The only ones not interested in the friendly rivalry were Dhare and Kato, the two discussing Dhare's plans once he was done holding his seat on the council. He had wanted to explore when he could and locate that female.

The noise of the room was a pleasant rumble behind him as he paused at the large window to watch the stars pass by. It had been only a day that they were traveling through space to the destination planet.

There they were meeting the Black Blade clan, an allied clan that would test their Young Bloods. Rhage also planned to test his. Such a hunt was a good way to test their teamwork skills and how to work with others when tasked to do so. Teamwork was imperative, of the utmost importance. Without it they would fail and it could get ugly.

"I never congratulated you about Orion."

Dhare joined Rhage at the window, the younger Yautja standing beside him.

"Thank you. Your new mei'hswei will be a promising hunter." The Elder Yautja smirked, trying to envision just how challenging his training would be.

Dhare grunted, "Indeed. A hybrid is likely to give us better insight into potentially improving the training pups currently go under."

"Sei'i, Artemis has been determined to not let me lose sleep to feed the pup. I never knew they required so much feeding." As he spoke he received yet another message from his mate, a pinging noise alerting him. She was pissed about the wet maid taking over her job when she needed sleep.

Artemis was a feisty little female who wanted to take care of the pup even when her body required sleep. His love was the soft and miniature version of a female Yautja. Her spirit and determination filled his chest with warmth.

"I do not remember being a pup, I suppose you don't, either, old male." Chuckled Dhare, casting his eyes to the side to meet his sire's unamused face.

His locs swayed about as he shook his head, "I may be old, but I still have what it takes to keep a wei'ghe-h." Rhage eyed Dhare closer, "Speaking of wei'ghe-h...what of this female you seek? Do you have leads to her current whereabouts?"

Shaking his head, Dhare sighed. He stared out the window into the void of space as his thoughts warred within. Rhage squeezed his pup's shoulder reassuringly as he watched him grow tense.

"Worry not. You gave her your blood. Humans have prolonged lives with a dose of it. Artemis will live for centuries and so will your mystery female." He thought of how Artemis had been excited for the prospect of growing old with him. Old age was not something he looked forward to, but he would gladly do it with his life-mate. Together they would have many pups if she so pleased.

"I am surprised." Dhare noted. "Does Artemis not care that old age comes with less strength and ability to hunt? Are humans that different?"

"Humans are. They like companionship more than one's own strength. Their culture is not like ours."

The younger Yautja nodded, "I have noticed."

"I assure you they do not care about certain things that are important to us. To us, growing old can sometimes bring negative emotions of inadequacy and a loss of something important, but to her kind, they look past it. Their lives are a blip in time."

Dhare narrowed his eyes in contemplation and stood in silence. He was still lost in his own thoughts until a beeping noise caught everyone's attention, the debate abruptly stopping to look at the source.

It was finally time.

The Elder Yautja and his second quickly returned to their seats as Khaj accepted the video call request. On the screen came the image of another Yautja who was close to age with Rhage, his black and grey striped locs falling past his chest. His skin was a muted color of dark green, yellow, and black. Bright amber eyes stared back at Rhage and the others from the projection in the center of the large round table.

"Rakar, we meet again." Rhage smirked, watching as the other Elder grunted in greeting.

"It has been many cycles, Rhage. I see you are still old."

Rhage chuckled, his laugh a rumble in his chest, "As are you, old friend. I see the Black Blade clan is faring well and also seems to host a...hybrid yourself."

Rakar clicked his tusks together in irritation, looking none too happy. "Several actually. I assume you wanted to speak about our arrangement? I'm allowing it to happen. The hybrids are not aware of our plans."

"Good. This will prove useful."

"You really have grown soft for a ooman after all." Rakar spread his mandibles wide into a shit-eating grin. "You and my pup Drogaxe have...terrible taste. Pah." He waved a hand dismissively while Rhage shook his head, returning the grin.

Rhage purred and leaned closer towards the projection, "I will have you know that humans are addicting to rut. Perhaps...try it yourself?"

The Black Blade clan leader broke into laughter once more. Rhage and his men sat quietly and watched as Rakar continued to laugh for a few solid moments until he calmed down, shaking his head no. The beads and jewelry in his long locs clinked together as he leaned forward.

"Cetanu will take me before that happens. Oomans are small. Weak. Frail. I could never waste my seed on such a small creature. My time is better spent with a female. Now..." he rubbed his chin, "now that would be a worthy pauk in my eyes."

Rhage grunted in acknowledgement, "Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let us move on to the Queen Hunt. There is much to plan for this to go smoothly."

"Indeed. Let us get to business."

• • •

The forest seemed to go on forever, the darkness slowly encroaching upon it as the moon rose higher in the sky. Low lying fog made seeing the ground beneath her feet almost impossible; it was too thick and too dense. She would trip over a root occasionally because of her limited vision but she kept going.

She had to make it out alive.

In the distance behind her she could hear the clicking. It was a sound she was familiar with, but this time was different — the clicking being close meant death.

Up, up in the trees.

He preferred the trees. The beast was playing The Floor is Lava, his advantage to better stalk her as she ran for her life.

Yautja were acclimated and trained to be excellent climbers.

This one in particular, her pursuer...he was a master of the trees. The Yautja was damn near a seven foot ape. His upper body strength was unlike anything she had ever seen.

Getting caught was not an option.

Escape.

Escape.

Escape.

Run!

An ear shattering roar replaced the excited clicking of the hunter. He was above her now, the limbs groaning under his immense weight.

The asshole laughed as her fear heightened. There was no doubt her scent was peppered with the fear she felt, the inevitable slowly coming to fruition. This was going to end in one way only...but she was prepared to go down fighting...on her feet.

Right as she reached a river bank, she was slammed into the ground and rolled onto her back. The big Yautja above her snarled as she fought with all she had to get free. He was too strong and the wind had been knocked out of her on the fall. His inky locs fell around her in a curtain as he forcibly pinned her to the ground, his hot breath warming her face.

Tears swam in her eyes as she screamed to be let free. She continued to try to fight, even though it was useless.

"No, no, no, no! Fucking traitor!" Artemis screamed through the sobs that wracked her body.

The traitor sneered, "I watched in silence for too long. This time, there is no one to save you."

"Artemis!" A distant rumble called.

Those big hands grew hot against her skin and brought on a new bout of strength trying to fight off her attacker, the traitor.

The Bad Blood.

He began to shake her. She worried he was going to shake her to death, his big hot hands making her skin sweaty beneath the rough scales of his flesh.

"P-please! No!" Her voice was hoarse but she still begged for her life. Surely he had to have mercy!

"Artemis! Pa'ya-te, wake!" Rumbled the voice again.

It sounded so familiar. It sounded like...safety.

Artemis let the voice pull her back, dragging her away from the shadowy beast with his twin blades at the ready. The dark, shadowy forest melted away as he, her anchor, pulled her to safety. Warmth chased away the chill of that dark, dark horror.

"You are safe. I am with you. Mate, come back to me."

The first thing she saw when she forced her eyes open, at last, was him.

He was all around her, her cheek resting against his chest. Deep rumbling purrs from within his wide chest helped to calm her as she sobbed.

Down her spine went the blunts of his claws as he soothed her. She felt his mandibles twitching in her hair, the tusks rubbing against her scalp as he spoke. His sounds were his and not the one from the forest. The shadowed mystery Yautja that hunted her like an animal in the dark of night.

The...traitor...

"Artemis, my love, everything is alright. Whatever has caused you such distress, it is not real. Feel me hold you. Feel the warmth of my skin. Feel the nest beneath you." One of his hands placed hers on his chest.

Beneath her hand was the warmth that promised safety and love. She slowly swept her fingers across his bare flesh, his purrs vibrating beneath her light touch.

He was here.

She was safe.

Rhage was the lighthouse in the stormy sea that guided her home. To safety.

Slowly, the dark forest melted away completely and she was in the present.

"Sei'i, my mate. Return to me. I will always be here, to protect you. My brave flower. So soft but so strong." His words were soft whispers in her ear as she nuzzled his chest.

"It...was so...real..."

Tears clogged her throat and made her voice hoarse but she still tried. Still tried to tell what happened while it was fresh on her mind.

"A...traitor..."

Rhage stopped purring long enough to ask what she meant.

"Yautja. I couldn't see his face...it was too dark. Tried...he tried to kill me. The forest was so...dark...and...he was too fast. He used the trees..." No matter how hard she tried she couldn't see his face. It had simply been too dark and his voice had been distorted with his mask.

The purring continued as she sniffled, her hand coming up to wipe away the snot bubbling down her lips. She wrapped her arms around Rhage's waist as best as she could while he lied down on his side. All around her he stayed, cocooning her with his arms and his locs. She felt like a small child cuddling with their parent.

His arms were safety and protection.

"My little goddess, there is no traitor. Your mind deceives you."

She hiccuped, the sobs calming down as the purring in his chest chased away the storm.

"He—hic—was. He—"

Rhage made a new noise she hadn't heard him use before, a soft hissing, almost like he was trying to replicate a human. Sssssssss instead of shhhhhh. It was...weird...but she appreciated his attempts.

"Pa'ya-te," he whispered, "all is well. I am right here."

"I-I'm s-sorry. Hic."

A soft scoff escaped his throat, "You have done nothing wrong. I just returned from a meeting."

"O-Orion?"

"Safe. Slumbering."

Her hand curled in a ball against his chest, his heated skin feeling so good. So, so, good. This large male was the lighthouse.

Reluctantly, she nodded jerkily.

"D-don't leave me, please..." She pleaded, her voice small and pathetic.

Rhage didn't seem to care about her weakness, like always, and lied there with her in his arms. "I will not. Worry not. The night cycle is here. Slumber."

Satisfied with his words, she laid one of her legs across his as she tried to get closer. She wanted to be as close as possible. Skin to skin. Body to body. To soak in his strength and bathe in his warmth.

Soon she fell back to sleep where her mind conjured only good dreams.

mei'hswei: brother

Pa'ya-te: love

wei'ghe-h: female

Sei'i: yes