Asha jumped when her wrist computer suddenly vibrated. She pushed on Uh'luka's chest to sit up and brushed her hair back. A blue symbol was lit up on the device. She lifted her arm to look at it closer. Asha chewed on her lip, trying to remember how to answer a transmission. Uh'luka had to reach over and click the button for her.

A hologram face appeared of the male she'd talked to in the market, "Greetings female. When are you available?"

"Um," she shrugged, "whenever."

"Good. I'd like to leave for my hunt early. Join me at my house."

Asha paused, "Now?"

"Yes."

"Ok, yea."

"I'll send coordinates."

"Ok. See you soon."

The hologram blinked out, but the blue light was still lit. Asha wiggled her fingers over the device, unsure of how to end the transmission. Thankfully, it turned off on its own. Asha glanced around the room then. For as long as she'd been in the hands of yautjas, it was still a habit to look for her purse, keys, and phone.

She smacked her hands against her side, "Right. Well, I'm leaving I guess."

Uh'luka just looked at her with his mouth partially open.

Asha walked to the front door, but thought it was odd Uh'luka didn't follow, "Do you mind helping me get there?"

Uh'luka was quiet.

She walked towards him, "Hey, did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Well, are you going to help me? You know I'm not familiar with this wrist device, or this city."

Uh'luka stood and swept himself past her. Asha's brows pulled into a scowl, but she followed him out the door. After looking at the coordinates the male had sent, he led her through the city to a multi-level aircraft terminal. She jogged behind him. No matter how many times she asked, Uh'luka didn't slow down until they reached the gate.

It took a moment to catch her breath, "This is it?"

"Yes."

"Where do I go once it lands?"

Uh'luka roughly grabbed her wrist with a rumble. He hit a button on the device and a road map of sorts appeared on the screen, highlighting her route.

"Thanks..."

As soon as she turned away, his hand clamped on her arm, "Asha...don't let him hurt you. Most males will be in control of their aggression when mating, but that doesn't change the fact that you are a small female. If his girth is too large for your canal—"

"Stop stop stop!" She glanced around at the crowd surrounding them, knowing they could hear, "Uh'luka, I know it's the mating season but that's not why I'm going to his house!"

He dropped his hand away, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm just hound-sitting, ok?"

"Then I will go with you."

She lifted both of her palms, "No, but I'll be back soon."

Asha turned away before he could argue. She boarded an aircraft with a clear roof and took the first available seat. Mere minutes later, she began to wonder if she should have brought Uh'luka after all. Out the window, she watched the planet shrink. She placed her fingers against the glass as the stars streaked past in a blur. She hadn't even been aware she was leaving Yaut.

The ride was incredibly short. Once the ship slowed, she could make out a planet with rings like Saturn. The view from the ground was much different from space though. She staggered out of her seat, still looking up. A bright white stripe split the blue sky. It was an incredible sight.

When someone bumped into her back, she remembered why she was there. She followed her wrist computer to the male's house. Only when she reached the door did she think she should have brought a weapon for protection. The male that answered was dressed in armor and adorned with teeth.

"Hi. I didn't get your name at the market."

"It isn't customary for yautjas to give their name on a first meeting."

"Right."

"Follow me so I can explain your duties while I'm away."

They came to an enclosed patio at the back of the house. Through the glass, she could see the hounds. Asha gulped. It wasn't just two or three; it was a whole pack of them. As soon as the hounds heard them approaching, they began to whine and scratch on the door.

The male pushed in the door, shoving the hounds out of the way and slipped inside their enclosure. Asha followed close behind him as the hounds swarmed. She ground her teeth as one stepped on her foot. Another one's spines jabbed her in the back. She held her hands down on one's head, keeping it from sniffing her crotch as the male explained how to care for them.

"You see that spike out in the grass?"

Asha reached back to shove a hound's nose out from behind her but nodded.

"After you skewer a hunk of meat on it, let the hounds free and flip this switch. They will chase it around the yard. The idea is to build up their speed, so don't change the settings."

Asha looked from the panel outside on the glass, to the spike in the ground, "It moves? Like lure coursing?"

"Yes. The meat is stored in a refrigeration unit beside the controls. After they are done, corral them inside. You'll do this once a day."

"Got it."

Back on Yaut, it was still daylight. When she lifted her arm to wipe the sweat off her forehead, she noticed a purple blotch. A bruise. She kept walking but poked a finger through a hole in her shirt made by one of the hound's teeth. When she glanced down, there were red scratches across her feet from them. She definitely wasn't going to wear sandals next time.

She trudged up the steps to her door, slow enough that the automated function kicked in. Before she could touch it, the door slid to the side. A wall of humid air hit her. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

Asha scrambled to the thermostat as Uh'luka walked forward, "Is this thing broken?"

"I changed the setting."

"Oh god, why? It feels like a jungle in here."

"I couldn't sleep."

She scrolled through the control options, "Now I'm not going to be able to. I'm changing it back."

"My body relies on the air temperature, yours does not. Prolonged exposure to cold will lower my immune system. The lack of humidity is not optimal for my lungs or skin."

"Then go outside!"

Uh'luka swept her hand off the screen with a growl.

"I can't escape the heat. It's hot outside and now it's hot in here too! Go buy that homeostasis netting if you're going to complain."

"They come in your size as well. You buy one."

"Fine. I will. But until then, the air conditioning is coming on."

"Only your bedroom."

Asha snorted, "My house, my rules."

She put it back on the setting for her species, which was around 75F. Sensors in the walls would read her body temp and fluctuate the temperature depending on her activity level. Uh'luka growled. While she was still focused on the screen, his palm shoved the back of her shoulder to initiate a challenge. She saved the setting anyway.

She didn't expect his palm hit her back again, and this time he did it harder. She smacked the smooth stone wall. Pain exploded in her nose, making her whole head throb. A line of blood ran down her upper lip. Asha didn't move. She couldn't. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, just working through the pain.

"Asha...I..."

When Uh'luka put his hand on her shoulder, she turned away. She went straight for the bathroom, but there was no toilet paper or towels. Asha zipped back out of the bathroom, blowing past Uh'luka, and went to the medical cabinet in the hall. She clamped one hand on her nose to stop the bleeding and rummaged through the cabinet with the other. She blinked away the tears obstructing her vision.

Containers dropped to the floor. There was a coagulant solution, but it was intended for surface injuries. She kept looking. Uh'luka appeared at her side. When he lifted up a bottle, she hesitated. Blood was dripping through her fingers though. She snatched it from his hand.

The drops worked instantly. Asha wiped the blood off her face and cleaned up the mess it had made on the floor. Uh'luka was already putting the supplies back in the cabinet. She didn't meet his eyes. She went to her room without a word and locked the door behind her.