Apologies for the wait, but online classes have swept away my free time.

He felt weak, weak and tired.

Still, the naxa juice helped soothe his throat. He hungered for more, and soon the entire bottle was empty.

Mark sighed, recognizing his old room.

Very little had changed since he left, not that there was much to begin with: his quarters were barely decorated, but he didn't mind.

He jumped in alarm when the door opened, his senses blaring danger.

Kyiv entered the room, stopping as they stared at each other.

Tearfully, the marine took a couple of steps forward, and so did the arbitrator. He nearly launched himself to hug his friend.

The yautja leaned down to better embrace his student, and he snaked his arms around him in a tight hold.

Mark let out a wet chuckle, "You haven't aged a day!" Kyiv answered with a barking laugh, returning the favor, "And you've grown!"

They stood like that for five minutes, content on catching up with each other.

Then, Mark's mood soured, remembering his past actions. He let go of the hug, tilting his head down in shame.

"Kyiv... about yesterday... I'm sorry... I'm sorry about all the mess I've created." the hunter grasped his shoulders, directing his gaze back up to him.

"It does not matter, you are here now because you are strong, and I cannot begin to imagine what you have passed. I shall always be here for you Mark, you need to heal."

Mark nodded his head in agreement, a bit of confidence restored.

He spoke a few more words of encouragement, aiming to direct his troubled thoughts to other, more calming subjects.

Together, they walked out of his chambers, and onto to Kyiv's residence. "So... all in all four years have passed huh?" "Sei, some things have changed: I have a lifemate now."

The marine turned back to him in surprise, "Oh! You lucky son of a bitch!" he exclaimed, playfully slapping his hand against the arbitrator's meaty bicep.

If Kyiv had not none the sarcastic undertones of the saying, he would've been deeply offended by the grievous insult Mark had directed to his honorable bearer, but he had long since learned the ooman slang.

"Y'rall is an extraordinary arbitrator, as well as a fine female. I could not ask for a better mate." Kyiv stated, the love he held for his huntress clearly present in his tone.

The guards all took a short glance at him, and while he could not see their faces, his heart was warmed by the welcoming trills and nods of respect that they gave him.

Their walk continued into the thick tropical forest, following a stone path.

The yautja had deliberately chosen this road to calm Mark, as he could still smell his stress and unease, and also as to not tire him out.

The sounds of the wildlife were comforting, and it made him feel a little more tranquil.

"Mark... you are aware that you are mentally unwell, sei?" he sighed in response, "Yes... I do know of my panic attacks, could we please converse of something else?" "Very well." Kyiv was fast to take the pressure away, knowing that it was a sensitive subject.

Soon, the female elite arbitrator joined them, giving her mate a purr in greeting, she fully turned her attention to the ooman.

Mark bowed his head to show his respect, but Y'rall merely chuckled and bid him to stand back up to his full height.

"There is no need for such formalities around me Mark, after all: you are a very close friend." she paused for a moment, before adding, "May I address you by your name, or would it be more satisfactory if I used your title as a blooded hunter?"

The navy seal was taken back by her straightforwardness, but he didn't mind it.

"Please feel free to use my name, but I feel that I should remind you that I am still an unblood." "Only in theory, practically, your collection of trophies would make you a very high ranked warrior." the male yautja spoke up.

Their peaceful bonding came to an end with the approach of an arbitrator, who informed them of the arrival of a duo of important individuals.

Mark started to sweat in worry, stressed about having to face the matron and eldress once again.

Kyiv softly patted his back, trying to cull his anxiety.

It worked more or less, but he still couldn't shake off the feeling of unease present in his stomach.

In desperation, the elite arbitrator gave him a muscle relaxant, and he quickly injected the drug into his system.

It would serve to calm him and lower his blood pressure, while still being light enough so that his mind could properly function.

He felt suddenly cold, facing the closed door. There was no other way than going forward, so he braved himself and entered the room behind the elites.

The human got down to his knees, bowing his head to the alpha female.

"Mark Johnson." "High matriarch." he shortly answered in respect.

"You have survived." she simply stated, her voice holding an undertone of awe.

He nodded his head, it felt as if he were meeting her for the first time all over again.

The high eldress stood back, silently observing the ooman, she noted that he was under the effects of a narcotic, yet she could still clearly smell the musk of stress originating from him.

The matron turned her head towards a few of the hard meat skulls present in the room, quite unsure on how to talk with the cowed figure in front of her.

"Your trophies are a truly magnificent sight, well done indeed." she idly commented with the intent of garnering a reaction.

"Y-yes." he stuttered, images of the hive flashing non his eyes. His lungs felt constricted, the scars on his back started to burn, he felt the scaly hands claw his body. Unable to contain his stress anymore, he pivoted to the side and promptly threw up, spewing out the little contents of his stomach, bile clogging his nose and mouth.

He trembled, demolished by the shame of appearing so weak. "F-forgive m-me." his voice cracked and he nearly ran out of the automatic door.

The matron let out a small guff of air, staring at his retreating form, Kyiv immediately rose forward to apologize, but she raised a taloned hand to keep him quiet, "No, it is alright. I shouldn't have pushed him that far."

The dominant huntresses thanked the couple for their hospitality, and sat down to sip some c'ntlip.

After a while, it was surprisingly the high eldress that decided to approach the ooman. While her mei-jadhi discussed with both elite arbitrators, she had free reign to move wherever she pleased.

After asking directions at a couple of guards, she was able to locate her prey, outside of the compound, leading her to a decently sized lake.

The marine was staring ahead, before throwing a stone, watching it skim over the surface of the water several times, eventually sinking below it. He perked up when he heard footsteps. He twisted his head to the side, noticing the eldress. His gut was with melancholy.

She came to a stop next to him and contemplated the scenery.

"I apologize, honored warrior." he signed, not having the will to stare at her. She turned to look at him, using the various vision modes of her mask to analyze his body for any injuries or illnesses.

"Tell me, what is it that torments you so much unblood?" she questioned, leaving no room for an argument.

He sighed, knowing that it was best to answer her, "I failed my Chiva... I did not make it back in time to get to the drop ship." he sullenly stated.

Her mandibles formed a small smirk, and she had to turn her body to the side to hide her short laughter.

"Is that it?" "Wha- "If you had truly failed your Chiva, you wouldn't be here." "I didn't make i- "But you survived, you proved yourself to be a hunter and so you made back."

She let out a small puff of air, trying to get her message through his thick skull. "If I may be blunt: why are you here?" he asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.

Twei Khar smiled at the return of his fiery determination, "Since you have proven yourself worthy enough to officially join our clan, you shall receive a gift, per this cycle."

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at that, "You shall be placed in stasis while a selected few of the clan's best healers shall operate on you to genetically enhance and augment your capabilities."

"So I'll become more like your race." he concluded; the female simply clicked in affirmation.

Even though his mood had changed, it still made her wonder of his condition. Silently, they trekked back to the dwelling.

He had been brought to one of the major healing centers of the clan, and he was glad to know that the room had been reserved, so that there wouldn't be any unwanted guests.

He looked at the machinery that resembled a sarcophagus, the inside of it was clearly made for a larger individual.

Mark could clearly make out a few microscopic holes, he guessed that the instruments would pass through them.

Kyiv laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I am happy for you, my friend. By the time we'll meet again, you'll be one of us."

"I'm hoping to retain my "soft" features, thank you very much." he joked, earning himself a laugh.

"Seriously though, how long will the procedure last?" the elite turned to briefly talk with one of the technicians; "Approximately three weeks of your ooman time."

The arbitrator leaned forward, so to privately talk to him, "You shouldn't have any nightmares, I've specifically asked to use heavy suppressants." he muttered his thanks to him, directing his gaze to the interior of the room.

Everything was clean, shiny even, but that was to be expected. The glowing red marking along the wall and floor were interesting, and they seemed to circle around the coffin.

He assumed that those were energy cables, then again he had no idea of the functions of almost all of the instruments in the chamber.

A female quickly extracted some of his blood, and the high priestess used it to soon perform a ritual, painting a few symbols on his chest.

Yes, the trio of powerful females were present in this room, but he had since grown accustomed to them.

"By the time you reawaken, you'll still be able to enjoy the festival of life." the hunter informed him, "Kyiv, how long does this festival last?" he asked, wondering just how different this holiday was compared to the previous ones back on Earth.

"Five ooman months.", his mind reeled back in surprise, "Huh... alright."

A healer tapped him on the shoulder, and so he presented his arm, receiving a heavy dose of sleeping agents.

Already his head felt lighter, and that meant that it was soon time to commence the operation.

"It is about to begin, take off your coverings." Kyiv quietly instructed, and he immediately did as told.

The mating season was still years away, so it wouldn't even matter that much if he where to walk around naked.

He laid down in the pod, goosebumps forming on his skin with the contact of the cold material.

The protective casing soon closed around him, and he was left in darkness, safe for the glowing red lines engraved in the box.

He heard the hiss of some gas, and his senses strayed to dull.

'Here we go...'

I apologize for the delay, but life has gotten in the why (by which I mean online school) I'll try to be more active but I can't promise anything.