Do It Like They Do It On the Discovery Channel
"I found your Bronco."
Were the first words out of Trey's mouth upon my idiotic decision to open the front door. Seriously, when was I gonna learn? Nothing good has ever come of me opening it. Space Invaders out the ass. Government sanctioned goon squads. Trey with a suspicious furrow to his brow and a stubborn 'I know you're hiding something from me' set to his jaw, etc.
The statement threw me, and it shouldn't have. I've been recovering for five days, maybe six, the weird memories of the brothers watching Danny play Destiny, and getting excited when he destroyed fools in Crucible were murky and questionable. But the angry growl I'd woken to this morning had been real, especially since I'd tucked myself into Osh'ikeille's chest, and the vibrations were so strong my teeth rattled in my skull. I blinked awake in alarm, and thankfully found no Xenomorphs, but Transformers Age of Extinction playing on the tv. I couldn't decide if Osh'ikeille was pissed at the mistreatment of the Autobots or if he wanted the chance to hunt a giant sentient robot. Anyway, to say that the last few days have been exhausting and strange was an understatement but I felt this was no excuse for why my brain fizzled out on something so important or why I've been staring at Trey with a slack-jawed expression for the last ten seconds.
"Nina?"
I blinked owlishly, "Huh?"
He arched a brow at me. "Your Bronco?" he said slower this time. "I found it."
"It was missing?" The moment the words left my mouth, I could've smacked myself in the face.
Smooth, Neens. Here's a shovel just keep burying yourself!
"You didn't know?" Some of his suspicion dissipated, only to be replaced by a concerned frown.
"I've been sick." My brain has been out of commission for so long cobwebs had formed, but if I was semi-honest, perhaps I could make the slip-up work for me. I mentally pulled myself up from the grave and dusted myself off.
"Sick?" The frown deepened, and some of the ice crystals chipped away from his dark chocolate irises. My eyes widened as he stepped into the doorway and suddenly touched my cheek. The heated gaze of Osh'ikeille scorched my back, and I casually put my hand on the doorframe to block the entrance. I had no idea what Osh'ikeille might do if he thought Trey was encroaching on his territory, but I was betting it would be ugly and bloody.
I stepped back, forcing Trey to either drop his hand or let it hang in the air awkwardly. He dropped it, his eyes flicking behind me and into the living room. Osh'ikeille was cloaked, and I had no idea where Uzkielle was. Osh'ikeille, I knew, I could trust to control himself, but I didn't want to test how far. Uzkielle was a different story, if he'd seen Trey touch me there wasn't a doubt in my mind that Trey would've already had his spine torn out.
The hostility and tension spiked, and Trey's shoulders tightened in response. His thick traps and jugular vein stretching the collar of his cotton blue shirt. Danger lurks nearby, his hindbrain undoubtedly whispered in his ear, but he couldn't pinpoint it.
"It must've been stolen." I threw out there, hoping to jar his attention. If he'd known anything about Finch at all, this conversation would've started out very differently. Which meant neither he nor the Sheriff had any idea I'd been kidnapped or even that Finch had been in town. Explaining away the disappearance of my Bronco might be a pain in the ass but nothing compared to trying to explain away anything to do with Finch.
He blinked, his eyes coming back to me as if he'd just remembered why he was here. "Stolen," he repeated. His scrutiny split between me and the inside of the house beyond. "And you didn't notice?"
I crossed my arms and leaned against the door frame wishing it wasn't so damn easy for him to see over my head. "Again, I was sick. An incursion of mutant vegetables could've wiped out the human race in the past several days without my notice."
He arched a brow at me.
My chin dipped, "Yeah, I was that damn out of it." Somewhere in the back of my mind, it bothered me how easy it was becoming to lie, but I smacked the guilt with my mental shovel and buried it instead. In order to protect everyone, lying was gonna have to be as effortless as breathing.
And just how long can you keep that up, Nina?...
"And what about Danny?"
I frowned, "What about Danny?"
"He didn't notice the Bronco missing either?"
Annoyances bubbled in my tone, "No. I left the Bronco at the Swill and Trotters on the last night I worked because it wouldn't start." My brows raised, "Isn't that where you found it?"
He shook his head, "Found it abandoned on the Interstate, roughly ten miles South of town."
"Damn," I growled. "Was it stripped?"
Finch must've dumped it, hoping to buy himself time. I theorized. And it would've worked had I not fought back and freed myself.
"Fortunately, no." Trey sighed, rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the tension. The skin around his eyes was tight, the suspicion gone, but it was obvious in the way his gaze shifted behind me and in the starchiness of his spine that he sensed something amiss.
Osh'ikeille made no noise, but his annoyance permeated the air, raising the hair on my arms. He was losing his patience. I shivered, feeling his gaze skate up my spine before focusing elsewhere. Probably on the man in front of me. I'd never brought up what Gul'dan had said about whether or not Osh'ikeille had actually claimed me as a mate but the sudden frigid plunge the balmy summer air just took kind of cleared it up for me.
"Will I be able to get it back soon?" I asked. Trey needed to leave. Now. But not asking would've been too suspicious. Trey's lips pursed. He could hold it while they investigated the theft, but resources are thin, and I knew the Sheriff wouldn't waste money on it since the Bronco was found intact and I was okay. But a little extra incentive never hurt. "It's my only way to get to work, and I haven't had a decent paying gig in days." Sighing, I wiped a hand down my tired face. Uzkielle's blood may have given me paranormal healing, but I was still exhausted and felt like run over dog shit. "Plus, Danny starts school soon."
Trey grimaced, he remembered the challenges Danny went through in school. On more than one occasion he brought my brother home when the bullying became too much, and Danny fought back. My kid brother was a bit on the small side for his age, reclusive, and was into things most kids were not. When he was in school, Danny felt like the alien.
Where is that idjit anyway? Now that I was thinking about him, I noticed Baymax wasn't around either. It made me nervous, which in turn Osh'ikeille sensed, and I felt him draw closer without making a single sound.
Calm down, they're probably with Uzkielle. Unconsciously, I touched the fresh pink scars beneath the T-shirt I'd borrowed from Danny. Not the most comforting thought given his dislike of the big dog but the brothers had a very pack like mentality and treated Danny as if he were a pup, and protected him as such. Still... what are they up too?
"Is there any way you can fast track the paperwork?" I pressed, taking a step onto the porch so that the screen door could close behind me. Not much of a barrier but I was hoping Osh'ikeille might take the hint and let me handle Trey. A very subtle growl told me I assumed wrong and my hackles leapt towards the sky as Trey's head cocked and his eyes narrowed over my head.
"What was-"
I slapped a hand over my stomach and made a pained face. "Damn," I gasped, hoping like hell Osh'ikeille didn't charge out here thinking I was actually in pain. "Guess it ain't over." I blew out a breath, "Hoo! It probably didn't help that I ate a chili dog." I fanned my face, "I've got the dynamic duo. What with being sick on top of that time of the month."
Trey nonchalantly took a step back, the pinched brow and tight press of his lips telegraphing his discomfort. Good. Wanna make a guy run fast, make him uncomfortable.
"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I see no point in holding it." Another step away, this time his right foot pivoted towards his Jeep. "Give me a couple days, and I think I can get it back to you sometime before Monday." He paused, "Are you gonna be okay?"
I grimaced, "Did you ever see Dante's Peak?" I couldn't help it. Now it was a fight not laugh when Trey's mocha skin turned ashen. The eagerness to flee plain on his face. I bet the only thing his hindbrain was telling him now was RUN YOU FOOL! I bit the inside of my cheek, the pain barely sobering me.
"Okay, then," he said awkwardly. "Feel better, Neens, and I'll catch you later."
I gave him a pained smile. My cheeks stained red and burning, and my vision obscured by unshed tears. Lordy, if he didn't leave, then I was gonna stroke out. Trey waved, or at least I think he did, and I waved back as the Jeep pulled out of the drive.
My knees hit the wood porch, and I collapsed into a fit of full blown belly laughs. A brush of air was my only warning before I suddenly found myself in the clutches of a very ticked off alien. My laughter cut off with a squeak of surprise meeting those lupine golds, bright with the need to protect his territory and assert his dominance.
Osh'ikeille's heated gaze glared after the Jeep disappearing into the treeline. He growled, body taut as he leaned forward and over me, the muscles in his arms flexing against my skin. Death had been standing on the other side of the door, and the only thing that had kept Trey alive was my presence. It was a harrowing realization, one that deeply troubled me. Osh'ikeille had always been so in control, but perhaps the recent events had been too much, and it upset that balance he maintained. Or perhaps, it had more to do with his primal nature. Either way, Trey couldn't come back here unless Osh'ikeille reclaimed control of his instincts.
I spread my palm and fingers over his heart, feeling the rhythm pick up at my touch as if I controlled the very life force that flowed through him. And maybe on some level that was true, because when those normally calm amber orbs now lit with the light and the brilliance of a dying star found mine, it awoke instincts inside me that humans have long forgotten we possessed.
My fingers inched their way up his neck, tracing the almost leathery skin on the underside of his mandibles before grabbing the edge of the helmet with my nails. "Mate of the Star Breaker and Heaven's Spite," I whispered, pulling myself up by his helmet. His eyes brightened, even more, the remaining nebulas of amber lost in the supernova. "That's what the BadBlood called me."
Osh'ikeille growled, the skin around his eyes tightening ever-so-slightly at the mention of the dishonored hunter.
I ducked under his helmet and kissed his jugular vein. Smiling when his muscles jumped, and the growl took a feral edge. The exhaustion fled my body, my own primal instinct to take care of and soothe my mate at the forefront of my mind.
"Is that what I am to you, Osh'ikeille?" I asked, purposely fanning his skin with my breath.
My back hit the wall, the sunbaked wood blistering even through the cotton shirt. But I barely noticed it as the talons of Osh'ikeille's hand ran down the underside of my left thigh, lifting and trapping it beneath his arm. A pulse-pounding thrill of excitement shot straight to my core, and I shuttered at the electric jolt.
"Osh-" My vocalization of our risky position out in the open, in the middle of the day, died on a gasp when I heard the sharp tear of fabric. I hissed at the sting of his talons as they scratched my inner thigh in his haste, but my insides quivered at his touch. My body remembered him. Ached for him. And I hadn't realized just how badly until this moment.
My uncovered sex was assaulted by a savage barrage of sensations; the scorching heat of his skin; the cool bite of the metal mesh covering his abdomen and the coiling of those delicious muscles beneath the diamondback patterning of his taut flesh.
I rocked myself against him, my inner walls clenching, the fire spreading. He snarled, throwing his weight into me, subduing my movements as he trapped me between him and the wall of the house. He leaned over me, towering, dominating, so close that the metal of his helmet brushed my nose. The arm braced on the wall beside my head trembled in my periphery, his talons making the wood groan and splinter. My eyes sought his, and I was taken aback by the sheer intensity of the blackness of his pupils as they devoured the irises, leaving nothing but a thin bright band around twin black holes. And I knew instinctually exactly what he was trying to convey.
Slowly, taking care not to make any startling movements, I reached up between us and grabbed the underside of his helmet with my nails. His body went rigid, and a low warning growl rumbled deep within his chest. "You will not hurt me, Osh'ikeille." My words were breathy, but my tone brooked no argument. He snarled at this, the muscles of his abdomen coiled so tightly I could feel the rough edges of scars rubbing against my inner thighs.
I learned something very important the first time he fucked me. The mating ritual of Osh'ikeille's species was probably rough to the point of dangerous because they treated nearly every aspect of their lives as a hunt. And compared to this moment, Osh'ikeille had had way more control that first time around. So I theorized his hang up wasn't so much that I was human but because I am his mate. Osh'ikeille was afraid of hurting me, his mate.
A feral smile tilted my lips, and my fingers ached as I strained to pull his head closer. My eyes narrowed, and I raised my chin, putting my own power behind my words. "Osh'ikeille," I held his eyes, "you will not hurt me." He growled softly, taking a deep inhale of my scent and the thin, brilliant gold bands still ringing his pupils were swallowed up by the black holes. "If you want me," I yanked harder on his helmet until my lips grazed the metal. "Come and claim me... Star Breaker."
Osh'ikeille threw his head back and roared, and I swear the very Earth shook with anticipation. Cupping my ass with one hand, he slid me higher. The hand braced against the wall, disappeared, but I heard and felt the shifting of his gear. My eyes found his. I leaned forward and kissed the helmet where his mandibles were hidden. The metal bizarrely cold to the touch, or maybe it was because I was burning up. My insides boiling from the insane desire that roared within me, intuitively responding to my mate.
My breath hitched, the heat of his arousal suddenly, pressed between us. I groaned, eyes rolling back as the sensory memory of his cock inside me sent a zillion little zings of electricity through my nerve endings. Everything inside me clenched my entrance aching, becoming wet from the feel of his straining shaft and its molten heat as it pulsed amidst my delicate folds.
Osh'ikeille made a strangled roar as my pelvis arched, grinding my sex against his. The strong hand cradling my ass flexed, and I hissed as those dangerous talons pricked my skin. Like before, Osh'ikeille lost himself and attacked me with the same ferocity he exhibited when fighting to protect me. The head of his virile masculinity penetrated me, embedding himself so deeply he grazed the back of my cervix.
I lied! It still hurt like a son of a bitch! I was more prepared this time; I knew it was coming. But my walls clenched at the forceful, bruising intrusion, and I cursed between breaths.
Osh'ikeille chirred quietly, nudging my sweaty forehead with his jaw. I swallowed the pained groan, my eyes fluttering back open to meet his. He made another noise of concern, his body trembling with the effort it took him to cease movement.
No!
I grit my teeth, my mind and body already lost to the maelstrom. My fingers slid beneath the mesh, blunt nails tracing the steely contours of his abdomen, feeling them twitch, tightened, and flutter beneath my touch. I dug my nails in, following the sinewy tapering muscles down to where our bodies met and reveled in the low growl my roughness elicited.
"Osh-" Our eyes locked and the predator that stared back at me made it hard to breathe. "-do not stop!"
He didn't. With another earth quaking roar, Osh'ikeille almost yanked himself completely out then mercilessly his powerful fullness thrust back in, filling me, making me tremble and cry out; his need great; his motion relentless. Osh'ikeille sank himself inside me again, and again.
I dug my fingers into rippling streamline muscle over his ribs and made noises only heard in the animal kingdom. I couldn't see Osh'ikeille's face behind the helmet, but the feral intensity of his eyes ensnared me, and I could feel the incorporeal strands of the bond we shared strengthen.
"Mine to protect..." The words, his voice, rang in my head without the need of having to verbalize them.
Osh'ikeille rumbled in content and lifted me higher, my legs spreading to accommodate him. The angle changed, his hips tilted upward and hit the magic spot deep inside. I gasped, my body spasmed, and Osh'ikeille rumbled with something akin to a chuckle. The hunter found my weakness and exploited it, clearly enjoying the sounds tumbling from my lips as he thrust wildly inside me.
The sensation sent jolts from my nipples to my toes. My breath caught, and without warning, the waves of Osh'iekille's supernova crashed into me, and my back bowed from the force of the climax. My body flush with his. My walls clamped down on his cock so violently that Osh'keille climaxed with a choked snarl and a powerful thrust, seating himself deep inside me as he came...
Spent -And I mean wiped the fuck out!- I barely noticed when Osh'ikeille carried me back into the house and laid me down on the mattress. My muscles were twitching and tingling in the aftermath, little shocks making my breath catch. Osh'ikeille remained crouched beside me, his gaze roving over me. His talons gently touched my inner thigh making me shiver, but the startled rumble he made had me sliding up on elbows in confusion. He didn't look up, and I blinked in bewilderment when he started emitting a low growl.
Hissing, I locked my elbows and sat up straight. My eyes went from Osh'ikeille's bowed head to my thighs, and I suddenly realized what was troubling him. On the inside of my thighs, there was a small smear of blood, which to me wasn't all that surprising. I giggled, and his head snapped in my direction, the growl deepened letting me know he was unamused.
"You're insanely cute for an alien with mandibles," I said, my voice buoyant with laughter.
Not to mention insanely protective.
He cocked his head in confusion which sent me into another fit of giggles. Osh'ikeille huffed, but the annoyance etched into the skin around his eyes eased. Understanding that if I was laughing, then I wasn't really in pain.
I patted his forearm affectionately, then pointed to the pile of dirty laundry on the floor in the kitchen. "Will you grab me something to clean myself- holy shit!" I stared in horror at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon T-shirt I'd -ahem- borrowed from my baby brother since all my clothes had been dirty and or destroyed. "Oh, shit," I groaned with feeling. The dragon was looking a little more like a fat, anemic, iguana all stretched to hell and a tear right through its wings.
Danny's gonna kill me...
"Shit-" I yanked it over my head. "-we've gotta hide this!"
One thing my brother was very good at was revenge. Can't image where the kid learned it from, but I seriously didn't wanna wake up in the middle of the night and find the stairs lined with bubble wrap! Again!
"Osh..." My words trailed off, and I froze. Osh'ikeille was staring at me in a very dangerous way. I glanced at my body, completely exposed to him now. I started to lay the ruined shirt over my bare breast only to have it snatched from me and tossed aside.
"O-osh..." I leaned away, and he followed. Crawling over me and caging me beneath him. I swallowed, hard. Eyes widening as his amber orbs blazed wolf gold. "You're going to cripple me," I half groaned, half moaned as his chest ghosted over my sensitive nipples. Osh'ikeille chuckled darkly, thunder rumbling in his chest. Fine, two can play at this game. I darted up and nipped his throat. Osh'ikeille's entire body went rigid. I leaned back with a playful grin, hoping to catch his eyes but I didn't get very far before the predator pounced, and I squealed in mock fear and delight.
...
"Nina!"
"In the kitchen, Soot Sprite," I hollered, over the nails in your eardrum racket the washing machine was making. It wobbled, groaned, and bucked beneath me, begging me to put it out of its misery, and mine. I was seriously thinking about getting my daddy's Beretta and doing just that when Danny came sliding into the kitchen. Literally, the kid slid across the floor, giggling as if he were skating on ice until his butt hit the kitchen island and killed his momentum.
I chuckled. Loving the blinding smile upon his face and the mud... mud? I did a double take, my smile twisting in confusion. "What did you do?!" I jumped off the washing machine and groaned in annoyance as it beeped to let me know it malfunctioned. It was malfunctioning because some jerk ass alien tore the lid off!
One problem at a time, Neens.
I heaved a sigh, "Danny, why on earth does it look like you wrestled the Swamp Thing?"
Baymax trotted in after my brother, and I stared in horror. His beautiful snow white coat was stained a hideous shade of baby poop green and brown with plant debris stuck in there too.
"We went gator hunting," he giggled, smiling proudly.
My voice rose in alarm. " You. Did. What?!"
The point between my shoulder blades and neck tightened, and I took a half step to turn and look at Uzkielle. My brow furrowed and my hackles rustled uneasily as Uzkielle tilted his head up, and I could hear him scent the air. With a breathy snarl, his head jerked in my direction, and I bristled in response. Even after a shower, airing out the house for an hour, and running the sheets through the wash, Uzkielle could still detect the scent of sex in the air.
I took a subtle sniff but smelled nothing. Not surprising. Human olfactory senses weren't cranked to Bloodhound levels.
Damn it! This is exactly, what I wanted to avoid!
Uzkielle's mismatched orbs held mine with a detached coldness that chilled my blood to the marrow.
"... and then Baymax jumped in after me- Nina? Nina, are you listening to me?!"
Danny appeared at my side, his voice breaking the spell Uzkielle's gaze had cast. I blinked, and the visors in Uzkielle's helmet were soulless black.
"What?" I asked, finally glancing at my brother.
When his brows scrunched in a frown, covered in mud, it looked kind of like his face had a landslide. "We brought home dinner," he huffed.
My brow arched, "Dinner?" I glanced back at Uzkielle, noticing for the first time, the huge gator tail and head slung over his shoulder. The head alone was half the size of Danny, and combined with its long tail it was easily a ten or twelve footer before Uzkielle butchered it.
My hands curled into fists at my sides, and I stared straight into the black pits in Uzkielle's helmet. "You took my baby brother into the swamp to hunt gators?!" Oh, yeah, I was pissed. "That's fucking dangerous, Uzkielle! What if he'd-"
"I'm fine, Nina!"
"-gotten hurt?!"
Uzkielle snorted and puffed out his chest as he shoved his way passed me into the kitchen. I stumbled and glared up at his back, doing another double take as I caught sight of the bloody trail the gator left behind in Uzkielle's wake.
"Fuck!" I snarled and stomped after him. "Wait! Uzkielle!"
Uzkielle had been about to toss the severed appendage and head onto the island, but when my fingers came into contact with the warm skin of his hip, Uzkielle abruptly halted. The thick streamline muscles along his spine jumped to attention, reacting almost violently to my touch. His head slowly tilted, and I felt him watching me from behind the helmet.
The smart thing would've been not to touch him at all, but Uzkielle wasn't growling or jerking away from me. So I didn't dare withdraw my hand now because doing so would make me appear insecure in his presence. And I wasn't.
"The table," I said, my voice softer, gesturing with my free hand, while the other tentatively explored the rough contours of an old scar. Uzkielle's head turned towards the table, he trilled then looked back at me. No. Not at me. I felt his gaze settle on the pink scars traversing my breasts and disappearing beneath my tank. Uzkielle lifted a hand, and I quietly watched as his talons ghosted over the puckered, pink flesh. He made a low guttural noise that could've been sorrow, but abruptly he snatched his hand back with a snarl and stalked away from me.
I blinked in bewilderment after him. Wondering, and not for the first time, where his animosity towards humans, towards me, stemmed from and why he held it so fiercely to his chest. Danny appeared beside the table, pointing at the gator's teeth and chattering a million words per second. Uzkielle opened the jaws for Danny to look inside. My head tilted in thought as I watched the gentle way Uzkielle interacted with my brother.
He hates humans... and yet, he obviously cares for Danny. Osh'ikeille's words ricocheted inside my skull. Uzkielle fears you... The implication behind those words baffled me. Physically speaking, Uzkielle had nothing to fear from me. I'd have to get caught in the blast of gamma radiation to ever even pose that kind of a threat. No. I think what Osh'ikeille had been trying to tell me, and also confirming the instinctual feeling I already possessed, was that Uzkielle legitimately liked me but was too dense in the brain to let his animosity go. But why? Especially, when his death match against Gul'dan, the time he purred to comfort me after the barn fire, his sometimes dangerous possessiveness, and helping me heal belied his hatred!
I groaned and scrubbed at my face. Now my brain hurt on top of all the other aches and pains my body was recovering from thanks to Osh'ikeille. Danny giggled, and I peeked between my fingers. Danny was still chattering none stop, but Uzkielle's head was inclined my way. The blackness receded from the visors, and I couldn't help but think of the song Frequency when I gazed into his mismatched orbs and how, like the song, we'd lost our frequency...
...
Uzkielle grumbled at me for the umpteenth time as I sized and chopped the meat. "Quit your bitchin," I huffed, wiping my sweaty brow with the back of my arm. "Danny and I can't eat it raw." The butcher blade cut through the tender meat with ease. Gator meat is tasty. Our daddy took us hunting every year when he wasn't on duty and the season was right. I was still ticked at Uzkielle for taking Danny without my knowledge, but grudgingly I knew Danny had been safe. And Danny had enjoyed hunting with the Big Dummy so much my retinas still stung from the brightness of his smile. Plus, Uzkielle had brought home enough meat to feed us for a few days. And really, making my brother happy and bringing home a free meal is a surefire way of getting on my good side. Dammit! I wanted to stay mad at him not talk myself out of it!
Uzkielle snorted, and I watched him curiously from beneath my lashes. Much to my annoyance, the gator's head sat on top of the island. Its blood smearing all over the only counter top that didn't have a zillion scratches or chips in the seafoam green -ugly as sin- formica. Uzkielle lifted open the snout, and my chin raised and angled in confusion at the way the bottom jaw loosely moved.
"Did you break its jaw?" I asked.
Uzkielle looked at me, his long dreads falling over his broad shoulders as he cocked his head and trilled unintelligibly.
"The jaw," I touched mine to assist in the translation.
"Sei'i," he said after a long pause. He grabbed the top of the upper jaw and the lower one and made a sharp wrenching motion to show me how he'd broken it. Uzkielle held up the grisly display, the gator's bottom jaw fell slack, hanging at a nearly perfect one hundred and eighty-degree angle with only a few scraps of skin and muscle keeping it from falling apart.
My eyes wandered up to Uzkielle's, and I swear his chest puffed just a little bit when I met his eyes. He grunted, and the gator's lower jaw and tongue flicked in my direction as he gestured at me with it.
I frowned, unsure if he was presenting it to me or trying to freak me out.
"We're clean!" Danny shouted from the second floor.
"Is Baymax, dry?" I called back.
Uzkielle chuffed at me, probably due to my lack of interest when my attention strayed, and I continued quartering hunks of meat.
"But-but Baymax is huge! NiiiNaaa," he whined.
I smiled, "Hairdryer's under the sink."
I could hear his exaggerated gusty sigh all the way from the top step and snickered at his misery. The dog was the size of fragn' werewolf, and I didn't envy Danny having to dry that much fur. Baymax was pretty laid back, so I doubted he'd give the boy much trouble, but a tiny evil part of me hoped he did, maybe then Danny wouldn't be so eager to play Marco Polo in a swamp infested with gators.
The hairdryer turned on a second later. Followed by Danny's squeal, a bark, and a loud crash. Uzkielle's head jerked up, listening.
"Baymax!" Danny shouted, "No!" Another heavy thud. It sounded like someone's ass just met the floor.
Uzkielle snarled.
"They're fine," I said firmly.
Uzkielle, who'd been moving for the stairs, stopped and looked at me from over his shoulder.
"Listen," I pointed up at the second floor.
He grumbled but inclined his head to listened.
"Baymax," Danny giggled loudly. "No- wait!" More giggles. "Leave TicTac alone!" There was a pissed off shriek from the ferret. Baymax yipped, and I cringed at the sound of his nails on the hardwood floor as the dog ran into a different room. "That's my towel!" Danny cried.
My eyes lowered from the ceiling and found Uzkielle, his head rocking from side to side as he listened to the sound of play. I chuckled softly, finding the canine-like movement ridiculously cute.
He looked back at me.
"If you wanna play with them then go play." A smile in my voice and on my face.
He trilled, and leant his head back up for a moment, but since the monsters upstairs were merely rough housing, he no longer seemed inclined to intervene. Grumbling, he proceeded to do... whatever it was he was doing with the gator's head.
I paused mid cut to observe. He laid the gator's head flat against the counter, the jaws wide open, and started yanking out its teeth.
The brothers collected teeth and various other pieces of their kills as trophies and only if it was a worthy kill but something about the way he handled this one seemed different. Then again, I'd only ever seen Osh'ikeille clean a trophy, and that had been only once. And he hadn't been too pleased to find Lucy in drag.
I wanted to ask, but my skin tingled with awareness, my only forewarning as Osh'ikeille suddenly appeared in the kitchen entrance. He was leaning against the frame as if he'd been there the whole time. But that was impossible... right? Stupid, ninja skills.
Uzkielle half spun to face him with a snarl, unamused by his brother sneaking up on him. The tension in the confined space soared, and my eyes flicked uneasily between the two males. Was Osh'ikeille trying to start a fight?
I frowned at this. Purposely starting a fight wasn't Osh'ikeille style, Uzkielle's hell yes, but Osh'ikeille? No. Especially in such close proximity to me, and Danny.
What's he up too?
It occurred to me then that Osh'ikeille had a motive behind everything he did. Even the little things.
Uzkielle slightly shifted, his back to me, in fact, he'd placed himself directly in my line of sight. My eyes widened, he was testing Uzkielle and Uzkielle played right into it. A few days ago, Uzkielle would've outright attacked his brother but after he hurt me...
He's learning to control himself.
The powerful muscle in his back rippled beneath his skin, coiling, tightening, ready to spring but amazingly he held himself in check. Oshi'keille remained relaxed, not giving his brother any challenge. And I watched, mesmerized as those tense muscles in Uzkielle's back slowly unwound.
Osh'ikeille pushed off from the doorframe and cuffed his brother roughly on the shoulder. Uzkielle regarded him with a few clicks, and the two males exchanged one of those unreadable head nods that left all women wondering 'What the fuck just happened?'.
Osh'ikeille strode over to me, and Uzkielle's head followed his movement, but when Uzkielle's mismatched orbs found me watching him, he chuffed and jerked his head away.
Osh'ikeille got behind me and leaned over me, placing his hands on either side of the table. He really did enjoy trapping me way too much. The heat of him soaked into my skin, and I giggled as he made contented rumbles in the back of his throat and started rubbing the underside of his jaw and the sides of his neck on me like a damn feline. And I got the impression that's exactly what he was doing. Marking his territory so that his scent boasted- mine, mine, mine, mine.
Clearly after reinserting- er I mean reasserting his claim in- I mean on me, Osh'ikeille was much more relaxed and back to his old well controlled, manipulative, cool even in the presence of the nuke-with-mandibles-Uzkielle self.
A loud crack startled me, and Osh'ikeille paused. I spied said nuke-with-mandibles through the veil of Osh'ikeille's dreads and noticed the gator's snout looked strange... because it was folded unnaturally. In half. Time for a distraction.
A huge werewolf-dog, looking very much like an uber fluffy bunny, came trotting into the kitchen with Danny hot on his heels. That'll do for a distraction. My brother always did have perfect timing. However, at the moment, he didn't look all that happy.
"Nina," he whined, his brow furrowed and cheeks puffed out.
"What's up Soot Sprite?" I grunted, jabbing an elbow into Osh'ikeille's side as the alien continued to vie for my attention. He huffed at me, but he got the message and straightened, remaining quietly at my back.
Danny's eyes narrowed on me and when his arm shot up, holding a shirt aloft, I felt the color drain from my face.
Bug nuts! Of course, it wasn't just any shirt. It was his Blue-eyed White Dragon T-shirt. The one I'd borrowed... and destroyed.
Crap! I meant to bury that thing in the yard.
My response was immediate and totally calm. "He did it!" I blurted, jerking my thumb at Osh'ikeille behind me. See? Totally calm.
Osh'ikeille stepped out from behind me with a bewildered rumble, his head slowly swiveling from side to side as he looked between Danny and me in confusion. Danny's eyes landed on Osh'ikeille, and I felt my stomach sink in sympathy.
"You poor thing," I said, patting Osh'ikeille's arm without an ounce of guilt for sicking the boy on him.
Better him than me...
...
The beasties were fed and they were all tucked away in the living room doing who-the-fuck-cares because more importantly, they were out of my hair! Kitchen cleanup is a bitch, but I'd spend the whole damn night in here if it meant I got to be alone.
I lost myself to Icon For Hire's, pulse poppin' You Can't Kill Us and didn't give a rats ass if my singing annoyed the boys. They can suck it. This was me time. So I swayed my hips, stomped my feet, and even twirled while using the pink stained sponge as an impromptu mic.
On the outskirts of my vision, I saw Osh'ikeille take up his sentinel position in the kitchen entrance and exaggerated my sway just a touch more. And I watched beneath my lashes as the corrugated steely leanness of his abdomen bunched in reaction. Oh, yes, I had his attention.
A devilish smirk twitched my lips, and I bit back a chuckle as I walked over to the sink and rinsed out the sponge. The counters were spotless, much to my dismay, it meant I'd eventually have to join the heathens in the living room.
I sighed, then immediately sucked in a breath and jerked my hand out the water as pain bit into my thumb. Blood welled and mixed with the water on my skin then streaked down in several tiny channels. I'd forgotten about the butcher knife in the base of the sink, hidden beneath the suds.
Osh'ikeille materialized from thin air, startling the ever-lovin'-shit out of me. I tugged out my earbuds and growled, "Damn it, Osh'ikeille! That's it! I'm getting you a bell collar!"
The absurd image of a big red ribbon tied around his corded neck in a bow with a gold bell on the front made me giggle like an idiot.
Osh'ikelle huffed and made a dull unamused roar.
Still giggling, I flipped on the tap and placed my thumb under the running water. Osh'ikeille grabbed my hand and lifted it, turning it slowly as he examined it.
"I like it when you play doctor with me."
Osh'ikeille cocked his head at me, and my amusement only seemed to confuse him more.
"Nevermind," I said with a laugh at his expense. "Come on," I tugged my hand, and he released me. The cut hadn't been much of a bleeder anyway. "Let's go into the other room where I can continue to tease you," I touched his forearm and idly traced the dented scars the gator's teeth left behind, "and you can continue to do inappropriately cute things for an eight foot alien with mandibles."
His head tilted in the other direction as he allowed me to steer him towards the living room, and I shook my head in amused disgust.
I found Danny sitting on the mattress with Baymax curled around him. Uzkielle sat on the floor in front of them, his legs bent at the knees and his elbows resting upon them.
"Like this?" Danny asked, making a sharp gesture with his right hand.
Uzkielle leaned back, "Sei'i."
Danny blinked up at me, pride shining in his emerald orbs. "Nina! Nina! Look! Look!" He made the gesture again. "I learned a new word!"
"Whaddya mean, Soot Sprite?" I walked over and sat beside him. Baymax huffed and kicked me when I shoved his big werewolf butt aside.
"The Yachu can talk with their hands."
"Yautja," Uzkielle's deep voice rumbled.
Danny looked at him, "Yucha?"
Uzkielle rolled his shoulders, "Yautja."
"Ya-oot-chah," I sounded it out for my brother.
Uzkielle dipped his head in confirmation.
I preened, but my smile wilted with confusion. I had no idea what they were talking about. "What's a Yautja?"
"They are," Danny pointed at Uzkielle.
"So it means hunter?"
Danny sighed, "Nina, it's what they are."
"Oh," I blinked up at Osh'ikeille who quietly watched our exchange from his sentry position. "It's your species? The Yautja. That's what you're called?"
Osh'ikeille nodded.
Well, that's not embarrassing or anything. I've fought alongside him, swapped body fluids with him, claimed him as mine, and never stopped to ask what he is? Smooth, Neens. Smooth.
"Wait?" I turned back to my brother, "What were you saying about talking with their hands?"
"Oomans can't speak Yachu-" Uzkielle snorts at his mispronunciation. "-Nina. It's too hard. So Lobomon was teaching me to talk with my hands."
So they have their own version of sign language. Interesting... Another thought occurred to me.
My eyes met Uzkielle's through the helmet, "That's what you were doing with your hands the other day. You were trying to communicate with me better."
He regarded me quietly for a moment. His eyes flicked to my hands, momentarily watching as I idly spun the heavy ring on my thumb. "Sei'i," he rumbled.
"Can you teach me too?"
His eyes snapped back to mine. I couldn't read what was brewing behind those mismatched orbs, but I had the strangest feeling I'd just aroused his interest.
"Sei'i..."
...
True to his word, Trey, showed up with my Bronco before Monday. Although seeing it was now Sunday, it wasn't by much. I was amazed no one had stolen the Bronco when she was abandoned on the Interstate but then again, she wasn't very pretty anymore with her passenger door missing and the deep scarring running along her sides. Lordy, my daddy would be balling like a baby if he could see her now.
Trey hopped out of the Bronco, looking ridiculously good in a pair of black basketball shorts and a light green workout tank. "Sup, Neens," he waved and sauntered over.
I sank my hands into my pockets and walked to the other side of the Bronco as if I were checking her out. I was. But I was also careful to keep space between Trey and I. The brothers had calmed down quite a bit, but even though they were well rested, they'd grown restless. This lifestyle was foreign and too laid back for such avid hunters. They wouldn't attack Trey without a reason, but with me being mated to Osh'ikeille, and Uzkielle's possessiveness, I didn't want to inadvertently give them a reason.
"Thanks for bringing her back," I said. Asking how he planned on getting home was on the tip of my tongue when I noticed another vehicle coming down the drive.
I arched a brow at Trey, "Who's driving your Jeep?"
The driver parked behind the Bronco and leaned on the horn.
I scowled.
A man with short blonde hair and a beach bum tan stuck his head out of the window. "Yo! We gotta bounce Trey, no time for suck face."
"Can it, Brody, or I'll make you eat the court!"
"Bring it, bro," the man named Brody, jeered.
Trey waved him off and turned to me. "Sorry about him. That guy wouldn't know tact if it bit him on the ass."
"Where are you guys going?"
"Lafayette, we play an occasional game with the local deputy's." He stuck his hands in his pockets, "How are you feeling?"
My face softened, "Better."
Brody hit the horn a couple times, "Dude?! Today!"
I shot the asstard an annoyed glare, and he took his hands off the wheel with a cheeky grin.
"I gotta run, Neens." He tossed me the keys, and I caught them. Trey looked at Brody and held up a finger then looked at me. "Do you think we can hang out later? Y'know, now that you're feeling better?"
My chest tightened. "Sure, Trey," I said, knowing full well it probably wouldn't happen.
His smile brightened, and it only made the lie sting all the more. He rocked back on his heels, "Cool, cool."
The horn blared.
Trey rolled his eyes, and chuckled, "Later, Neens." He turned and headed for the Jeep, spinning so that he was facing me and jogging backward. "And replace your freaking phone, woman!"
"You gonna buy it?!"
He opened the passenger door, and laughed, "I make less than you do."
"Bye, Trey." I made a shooing motion.
Brody said something and Trey smacked him on the back of the head. Laughing, the guys reversed and drove off the property. I stared after the Jeep until it disappeared into the treeline before turning to face the brothers. I was getting better at sensing their presence. The two Yautja decloaked, their visors black, rendering their eyes unreadable. But their tense and ready body language spoke volumes, and I wondered just how long I could truly keep them a secret. Staying here was dangerous. Trying to keep them confined was dangerous. They couldn't freely hunt, and they were a danger to anyone who got too close.
Maybe we should leave... but... what would happen to Trey if we disappeared?
A chill swept through me, one that had nothing to do with the temperature of the air.
What would happen if we didn't?...
A/N: Do It Like They Do It On The Discovery Channel- LMAO! Love that song. Hello, all my lovely readers! Hope everyone enjoyed the update. Like always thanks for all those favs, follows, and reviews. :) I'd like to take a moment and shine a spotlight on Luna Silvereyes who is actual an IRL friend of mine. Her story A New Hunt is amazing. She has a very strong grasp of the Yautja behavior and their way of life. With an enthralling plot and an engaging writing style, she brings us a rare glimpse of things established in the canon and her own unique twists. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. XD FYI I know it sucks but updates may be every other Thursday from now on. Between work and life, it gives me a bit more time to bring you guys my best. :)
Sleepyhallow1: Aah you commented twice! Thank you! I was so nervous about Ch. 20. Your love for my story is like my drug, I can't get enough :)
crocfarmer: I'm sorry the updates have been slower but I'm so pleased you enjoyed the previous chapter because it was a BUTT to get right. Haha. Hope you and your friends enjoyed the update. Thanx XD
angel897: Aah you make my day too :) Thanx for all the love
Guest Reviewers: G1~ I will update soon :) G2~ Well, I'm really glad to know the scene between Baymax and Uzkielle played out right. It was a bit hard to write without anyone dying or getting seriously hurt. Thanx luv! G3~ *Joins in happy dance* Thank you! I will! G4~ I don't take it as a flame. You're concerned and you've stated you love my story. But it's still evolving and growing. Not even I can say for sure what will come of it. Thank you :) G5~ Lol, Baymax is quite the nanny werewolf. Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! :)
Shenandoah76209: Haha here's more XD The poor girl deserved to finally get paid after all the crap I put her through. Thanx for all the love
TheSinfulDragonEmporer: Nina and Uz's relationship is a bit on the rocks, but I think Nina's already decided what she wants ;) I'm glad you enjoy Ch. 20. It took me a few attempts to get it right. Thanx so much TSDE!
hellfire45: Thank you! I've been working really hard to keep the brothers personalities separate. :)
Haylz93: Haha yup the boys are back! If anyone can crack Uzkielle and get under his skin it's Nina. ;) Thank you so much for the love! XD
Puffgirl1952 the 2nd: I shall keep updating XD Thanx!
Black cross0: Haha your enthusiasm makes me smile. Clan symbols aren't just gifted to anyone. Yes, she did technically kill a Xeno but not by herself. It wasn't her own hunt. And I'm not quite sure how much of the canon I'm diving into. Yaut hounds were seen in Predators but it's not a technique shared by the majority of the Yautja. Thanx so much for the love! :)
crystalga: Aah thank you! I was honestly nervous about Ch. 20. Your comment made my day! :)
Tenfangirl: Haha wish granted ;D Nina got some much needed down time and a little love XD Thanx!
kimah36: Oh, I think Uzkielle is definitely upset with himself ;) And thank you so much for the compliment!
sousie: Haha I did trash her pretty badly. Poor girl. You and I were on the same wavelength, and Nina got some much deserved love ;)
Luna Silvereyes: Lmao your review had me in stitches. I was seriously grinning like a mad woman! I'm so happy you thought it flowed well. It was a pain to write! Lol. Thanx Luna of the Silver eyes :)
CieloDistante: Haha you crack me up. I love your reviews so much. I'm always giggling like an idiot! XD Whether she knows it or not Nina kinda acts like a female Yautja and the brothers react to it. She doesn't take crap and doesn't let them get away with it either. Hehe, you caught onto to Uzkielle. He's a hothead but he's not stupid. Thanx so much for all the love and support my friend! XD
DeathlyIceMaiden: The struggle is definitely real. Thanx, Maiden :)
KittyKatt25: I'm glad you're curious. It means I'm doing my job right ;) And I totally agree, Danny is freakin' cute! Thanx
Atlafan1286: Well, I frickin' love that you frickin' love it XD Thanx so much! Your review was such a treat :)
XxShadowfangxX: What can I say? I enjoy bringing the unexpected ;) Thanx for the love!
Rasha007: Haha Nina got some much need down time ;) More on Uzkielle I promise. Thanx so much, 007!
Autobot-Bre-Lightblast: I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I was nervous about Ch. 20. It was a BUTT to write. XD
400roc: Nina knows very little about the Yautja culture but she's realizing this, and it will be explored more in the future. This story is OOC though, and I haven't decided how deeply into the canon I wish to tread. Thanx so much for the support! :)
09sasha: Aah thank you! I worried about Ch. 20 a bit. Your review had me smiling :)
Ally: Haha I laughed out loud to the flea fart joke too XD Thanx for the love!
Hannah Bowers: I'm glad you love! Thank you! :)
Almadynis Rayne: Aah you're awesome too! *Smiles like mad* Thanx! XD
Kay: Eeeee I missed you too! Haha dang, I'll have to try harder to knock you out of that chair! *Rubs hands together and schemes.* It's such a relief you enjoyed ch. 20 because I was honestly nervous o.O Aww no pouting! I'll work hard to bring you more I swear! And don't worry, things will eventually resolve or Nina will force it to XD Thanx Chi'ytei, my own, my precious... Hehe, see how much you influence my writing? ;)
Vanilla Skittles: Thank you! I'm so happy you like it! I do work really hard *Wipes sweat from brow.* Lol XD
FrankLeroux: Haha your review made my day. Thank you! :)
Zombiehorde13: Haha XD he didn't actually propose. Nina was teasing Uzkielle about the ring (her trophy from Gul'dan) and the seriousness of giving human women rings. But then it backfired when Danny thought it meant she was marrying Osh. Thanx so much for the love! XD
FFEShadowfoot: Your words always bring a smile to my face. So happy you liked it! Ch. 20 was difficult to get right so I was nervous when I posted it but of course, you always swoop in and make me feel so good about my work. Thank you, Shadowfoot :)
xHaRleyQuiNnSiRenx: Eeee that's where I was going when Uzkielle ripped out his spine and held it up! So glad it came across right! I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thanx so much for the love! :)