Addy awoke much more comfortable the next time around. She was just the right temperature, with only her toes and face sticking out from beneath the pelt.

She cracked open her eyes and saw Makuba next to her lying on his back. One arm was up beneath his head and the one on his other side was laying across his belly. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even.

He looked so relaxed and chill, she almost found it hard to believe he could tear things limb from limb. She had never seen him do it, of course, but she had seen some old footage from decades past. She knew what his kind was capable of doing.

"See something you like?" He rumbled, one mandible quirking up in a smirk.

And saucy to boot, she thought.

"Depends," she grumbled, throwing the pelt over her face to hide her smile. Only her thick, curly hair stuck out. It reminded Makuba very much of his own mane, but his was dark and straight.

"Depends on what, exactly?" He asked, chuckling quietly.

"What do you have to eat around here?" She mumbled, peeking out from under the pelt. He hadn't moved, but he was watching her from the corner of his eye.

"Food."

Addy rolled her eyes, "Fucking asshole."

He laughed aloud, and rolled out of bed swiftly. "Come, the others planned to make you a meal."

Addy felt nerves flood her senses, momentarily paralysing her limbs. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Okay, but I'm going to get dressed first."

Makuba growled lowly, "I would not appreciate my brothers seeing as much of you as I get to see."

Her cheeks flushed pink. His attentions never ceased to make her feel like a twelve-year-old experiencing her first crush.

They were standing just before an open doorway. Addy had to fight to keep her hands at her sides, to not wring them nervously. She heard the sizzle of something cooking, and a delicious smell wafted towards her.

Makuba turned to Addy and noted the tension in her stance. She was trying to calm herself down, he could see that, but it didn't seem to be working well.

He clicked his tusks at her twice to get her attention. Her eyes snapped up to meet his gaze.

"It will be fine," he purred, bending down to gently touch his forehead to hers. Addy leaned into him and took a deep breath like the night before. His touch was so grounding for her, and she didn't care to question why.

Addy nodded against his forehead, "Let's do this."

He smiled, standing to his full height.

Addy followed him around the corner, into the new room.

"So, Makuba brought his lady friend aboard?" Andi shook out her pants and tossed them into the corner. She would clean them later.

Kateyus grunted in affirmative and finished setting his awu'asa in its place. He tapped the wall and the stand holding his things folded into the paneling, leaving no indication of a compartment within the wall.

"Have you met her yet?" She eyed him as she moved into the other room and settled into bed.

He said nothing as he followed and rolled into the bed beside her.

"Someone's chatty tonight," Andi rolled her eyes.

Kateyus gathered Andi in his arms and pulled her into his chest, folding his tusks into her thick, red hair.

She grabbed hold of his forearm and gently stroked his skin. Kateyus retreated into himself whenever he felt pensive or anxious. It was clear to her that something was on his mind.

"What's going on, big guy?"

He said nothing for a short while, content to breath in Andi's scent while holding her in his possession.

"Dachande gathered us today," he grumbled, murmuring into her hair.

Andi dragged her fingernails across his arm, feeling his tusks twitch within her curls. "And? Was it about the next trip?"

He grunted again, "We must hunt a Queen."

Andi tensed immediately, "A Queen?"

Kateyus pressed harder into her body and held Andi a little tighter to his chest, the only indication he would allow himself to show that he felt anxious about this hunt. Hunting kiande amedha was dangerous enough, even for seasoned hunters. Going after a Queen was always extremely challenging, and many Elite, even Ancient Yautja met Cetanu in such encounters.

Kateyus' sire had been given an honorable death by a Queen. Andi knew this, as the death of both their fathers had been a strong point of connection between them in their initial stages of courtship.

Andi sighed deeply and held onto Kateyus a little bit tighter.

"Ingrid wants to cook breakfast for Makuba's girl," Andi said, desperately wanting to think about something else.

Kateyus grunted.

"I was thinking I would help out. I want to be there to meet her tomorrow morning," Andi turned her face into Kateyus' upper arm and grazed her teeth across his skin.

His chest vibrated roughly with a purr, "Wake up call?"

Andi smiled slightly, "Please."

Charlie squinted at the screen in front of her, scrutinizing the information on it for the umpteenth time. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully and tabbed over to the next file.

Tensynn blew into the room with all the grace of a bull in a china shop. He stomped into their shared ensuite, grumbling under his breath all the way.

Charlie heard him mention something about a filter sensor, and she knew it was a recurring glitch in the system he kept trying to repair. She decided to give him space and continued to study the file on her datapad.

Tensynn appeared from the other room after half an hour. He was much more relaxed, having put away his awu'asa and freshly showered. He no longer stomped around like an angry toddler.

Next thing Charlie knew, he ripped the datapad from her hands and jumped across the room. He chittered thoughtfully as he glanced over the file she had been looking at.

He looked at her through the corner of his eye and said incredulously, "Again?"

Charlie scowled at him and jumped out of her desk chair. "Yes, again. What if there's something I missed?"

Tensynn threw the datapad onto the counter beside him, ignoring Charlie's indignant squawk of protest. Instead, he scooped her up in his arms and tossed her into their bed.

"Tensynn!" She yelped.

He laughed and jumped in next to her, ruffling her dark hair with his claws.

"My brother would be insulted that you do not trust him to make the right decision," Tensynn wrestled her into a loose choke hold as Charlie fought against his attention.

"Stop it!" She growled, wriggling out from beneath him. He let her go with another laugh. She quickly jumped on top of his waist and grabbed a fistful of his dreads in each hand, tugging firmly on them. His hands immediately clasped onto her hips and his mandibles flared with a hiss.

"Look," she leaned in close to his face. "It's not that I don't trust Makuba, but if I could potentially find something bad about this woman before she has a chance to hurt any of us, I'd like to be able to protect this family in my own way. I'm not some big, tough fighter like you all are. I get attached quickly, and if this didn't work out I would be devastated."

Tensynn rolled suddenly, caging Charlie beneath his body. He purred loudly and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"So thoughtful, my little ooman," he hummed. Charlie blushed deeply and avoided looking him in the eyes. He nuzzled her chin with his mandibles, "It has taken Makuba many seasons to desire a mate. It has taken him many more to scout your planet for someone he found compatible."

"I know, he's a meticulous guy," Charlie mumbled, feeling a little ashamed of her behaviour. In her experience, Yautja were not trusting beings by nature, so the notion that Makuba would bring home the first girl he fancied seemed a little far-fetched.

Tensynn's purring continued, "Indeed. I trust my brother, I have a good feeling."

Charlie sighed deeply. She trusted Tensynn's gut. He was an incredibly accomplished hunter, and the equivalent of a Yautja politician. He had to have good instincts.

"I trust you," she groused, sometimes hating that he was so sensible.

He smirked and laid some of his weight on top of Charlie, "I know."

She smacked his chest with a roll of her eyes, "Get off!"

Ingrid was nearly vibrating with excited energy. Her toes bounced repeatedly off the floor and she chewed her lip absent-mindedly. She was flipping through her little recipe book trying to decide what to cook for the new woman when Aqida strode into the communal kitchen.

He grazed his claws down her back as he glanced over her shoulder. Ingrid shivered at his touch, then turned to smile at him.

"I'm just choosing what to make for breakfast," she said.

Aqida made a lilting, rumbling vocalization Ingrid knew to be a question.

"I haven't decided yet," Ingrid frowned. "I don't want to make anything too…" She struggled to find the right word.

"Alien?" Aqida supplied, turning to dig a snack out of the cupboards behind Ingrid.

"I was gonna say crazy," she mumbled, becoming engrossed with her recipes again.

Aqida found what he was looking for and tossed a piece of the dried meat to Ingrid. She grabbed it off the table without looking and began to chew on it mindlessly. He tore a strip off a bigger piece and threw the pack back into the cupboard.

"It's time for rest, Ingrid," Aqida rumbled, rapping his knuckles on the tabletop.

She hummed quietly, "I think I'll do potatoes."

"Mm."

Aqida stood behind Ingrid and bent over her, tucking her head beneath his chin with a quiet rumble.

"All right, all right, I'm coming," she smiled, closing her recipe book.

He chuffed lightly and snatched the book from her hands, tossing it onto the counter behind them.