Hunter Hunted: The Chronicles of Clan Mason

by Ghostnobody

This will be the tale of the original members of Clan Mason, how thier lives of freedom began on the world of Jack Mason and Tik eleth Mason, each chapter will follow a different couple and chronicle thier lives, thier triumphs and thier failures, thier loves and thier heart breaks, so come with me now and see not only how the mighty Clan grew but how they lived. (HumanXAlien sex)

6. Chapter 6

Hey peeps how are we all doing?

Thought I'd drop in here to ask if everybody is enjoying these two new Saga's of mine.

Chronicles itself only has a few chapters left to go but then it never was meant to run very long as it's only telling the stories of the original cast of Hunter Hunted, but never fear Hybrid Wars it's sister ship so to speak has got a long road left to travel and I've also got a few others in mind to continue it including one in the Enemy of my Enemy series.

So you're not getting rid of your crazy neighborhood alien obsessed Ghost for some time yet.

My Discord is still running for anybody that feels like popping in and having a chat, its a cool bunch of people in there and its a great place to ask questions or simply to pitch out ideas, so be brave and drop in and say hi, you never know how much fun you might have till you try discord. gg / hES52zn just take the spaces out of this link and its permenant so don;t worry about it exprieing.

So with that out of the way, this is GhostNobody signing off and saying on with the show...(Get your tissues out)

Chapter 6: Growing Pains.

"Oh, wow! Look at this place, Boo, it's sooooo pretty!" Amy squealed as she looked around the world beyond the ship's hull that brought them here, the hibernation pods had not been a fun ride, granted it pretty much had been sleepy time the entire way as none of these ships had what Tik had called a Hyperdrive core, according to her only the biggest of ships like clan ship or battleships and heavy frigates had those and could jump around space like they were playing hop scotch, she hadn't understood any of it but she did understand what go to sleep for a long time meant.

She'd felt utterly terrible and sick when Tik had woken her up, but upon seeing all this color and beauty around her her mood brightened instantly.

"Oh, wow, look at that garden and all the pretty flowers, Boo!" Amy exclaimed upon seeing Jack and Tik's house not far from the landing zone, the little white warrior cat leapt down from her shoulder and sped off through the long grass and straight into Tik's flower bed which was swiftly followed by a howl of horror, what followed swiftly was a scene out of the cartoons she used to love watching on Saturday mornings with her mother as she watched Tik chasing after the small and very quick cat who dodged her in every direction before leaping over and instantly tangling himself in her dreadlocks.

"Ahhh! I'm under attack!" Tik yelled as she tried in vain to dislodge the small white super dangerous house cat from his new hammock made of fleshy tubes.

Suddenly a heavy hand appeared on her shoulder and Amy glanced up to find Sela eleth grinning down at her, "At least it's not me for a change," she said as they both watched Tik flailing around trying to dislodge the small happy cat who was just swinging about with what definitely looked like a smile on his little white face.

"He really likes Yautja dreadlocks," Amy said, and Sela eleth laughed.

"Yeah, tell me about it," she said as they watched Jack untangling the little cat from Tik's dreads, he didn't fight he just let himself be plucked from her dreadlocks and while Tik growled at him, the little cat simply made a meow noise and pawed at her flared mandibles, playfully taking all of the wind out of her sails and the anger form her voice.

"So, what do you think of your new home?" Sela asked, gesturing towards the house belonging to her parents and Amy looked at her in surprise.

"My new home?" she asked in shock, and suddenly Ryan stepped up next to his sister with Shena, the pretty black skinned Yautja girl next to him.

"Yup, well, since our Matriarch and Patriarch have decided to officially adopt you this is where you will live now," Ryan said.

"Oh, wow...wait, what about Robert?" Amy said, and as if his name had summoned him he appeared next to Sela eleth who instantly wrapped the slender, waif like human teen boy in her large muscular arms, sending all his blood rushing to his face and head like an overripe berry looking like it was about to pop.

"Well, of course he will live here with us as Shena will, well, up until we get our own places anyway," Sela said, smiling.

"Did your parents build this place all on their own?" Amy asked, looking up at the big house again and Ryan nodded.

"Yup, they built it with the entire principle of having a family in mind, the pair of them work really good as a team, both on and off the battlefield, plus, Matriarch is a pure Yautja and they are really strong and Patriarch is a Dream Warrior, also really strong, lot stronger than they look," Ryan said.

"Yeah, the way our Matriarch tells it when they built it they always hoped for a family so they built it with spare rooms to serve as bedrooms for their cubs and low and behold their faith paid off, they got us and now you too," Sela said.

"M-Me?" Amy exclaimed.

"Yes, little one, you," a deep voice said from behind them and they turned to find Tik eleth Mason and Jack Mason standing and to Amy they looked as radiant and powerful as when she'd seen them both standing victorious on the field of battle back on the planet, like real life knights from the old stories she loved so much, heroes made flesh and blood.

"You have suffered much but you have also brought hope and joy to many, both you and your little friend here, he was a great help in the battle and his spirit burns so very bright, it's like pure light, true little warrior, that one, guardian spirits are rare, you know, so make sure you look after him because he will always look after you," Jack said, running his hand over the head of the purring little cat before he jumped free and ran back to his owner and jumped onto her back, standing proudly atop her shoulders.

"That is why we want you to accept out home as your own, Amy, we will love you now and always, it will be as if I gave birth to you myself, young one, so, come, let me show you to your room," Tik said, and the huge Yautja woman led her into the house which looked to be part home part armory with all the blades and sharp things hanging on all the walls.

Amy was utterly amazed by the bedroom, it was as big as her and Robert's tiny house back on the hunting world, it was huge, she had to resist the urge to run and jump on the bed and bounce on it while yelling as she got the feeling Tik probably wouldn't appreciate it, though Boo had no such reservations and leapt from her shoulder, springing into the air joyfully and landing with a soft thump in the sheets each time as all of them stood watching him.

Amy turned and threw her arms tearfully around Tik's waist, "Thank you so, so much, Tik, you have no idea what this means to me," she said, both joyfully and tearfully, and the big Yautja woman picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, but I do, little one, I know exactly what this means, for you see, I too know what it is to be lost and alone, to feel that emptiness deep inside, then my Ack came and he saved me, he gave my life true meaning and joy, he gave me a place in the universe to call my own, a clan of my own, cubs of my own, a home of my own, this is something that I, no, we offer to you now, a place in the universe to make and call your own," Tik said softly as she hugged Amy tightly to her chest.

Amy was so happy here in the home of Jack and Tik, she had a family again and it made her feel whole, every day was a new adventure in the Clan, so much to learn and to see, she watched as three totally different species came together to build a life for themselves, she watched as the town grew as work crews worked tirelessly to put up a place of safety for them all to live and grow, just like her.

Both Jack and Tik acted like tutors to Amy, teaching her all she would need, like how to read, write and speak two different languages, Jack taught her English and math while Tik taught her Yautja and science, they took it in turns to teach her other things like history.

They taught her a great many other things as well, Tik taught her the way of the hunt and how to respect your prey and all living things, not to mention how to give thanks and to pay respect to Lady Paya through her deeds, to always fight for what was right and good and to never stray from that path.

Jack taught her patience and practical skills, he taught her how to carve, how to forge, how to smelt, he taught her how make her own blades and to sharpen them and pretty soon she got so good at it her tools and blades were in as much demand as Jack's were because everyone knew she was the apprentice of the master, plus, other than he she was the only one who actually managed to make the alloy metal that forged the strongest blades and armor, not to mention nails and other fixtures for houses.

Her life was a full one, full of learning and of love, she'd lost count of how many times she'd fallen asleep with Tik telling her a great hunting bedtime story only to wake up and find the great huntress sleeping at her side, Tik was a great mother and she instantly knew why both Ryan and Sela had turned out as amazing as they had, because both their parents were just so full of fire and love that it shone from both of them and now it was warming her too.

Though it was also fun every day to see what mischief Boo was going to exact on Tik who even as the days turned to weeks, then to months, then to years didn't know how to deal with the little white ball of love and fury, there was a kinda perverse pleasure in watching Tik burst into a room roaring like a pissed off fire tiger with Boo swinging about like a little white Tarzan in her dreads where she couldn't get to him before vanishing like the little white ghost he was with the huge huntress in hot pursuit.

But then came a day she had long since been dreading, as she'd been growing and aging so had Boo, but Boo didn't have the life span of any of them, he was just a little house cat after all, he had been everything, loyal companion, best friend, fierce warrior to name but a few things, but he had also been a great source of strength, so when the day came when Amy came down for breakfast and didn't find Boo waiting patiently at the table for his morning meal making his ever insistent meowing something hit her heart like an arrow.

Something just didn't feel right, in a blind panic with fear gripping her heart like a vice Amy ran from room to room to room, looking for him and calling his name, with every room she passed and every step she took that vice's grip tightened just a little bit more until she found him.

He was in the garden laid among Tik's flowers, "Oh, no, oh, please, no," Amy gasped, running and skidding to a stop next to her little friend, she scooped up Boo's little frame into her arms and he hung limply.

"No! Please, Paya, no! Please don't go where I can't follow, Boo! Please, I need you!" Amy cried, her pain and fear hitting her like a sledgehammer, she stuck her head to her little friend's chest and to her relief she heard his heart still beating but it was as faint and shallow as the breaths he was taking.

"Help me! Help me, please!" Amy yelled at the top of her lungs, and mere moments after the words left her lips, Jack, Tik, Ryan and Sela burst seemingly from nowhere, all armed to the teeth and looking for a threat, a few seconds later and more people appeared, running from all directions, armed and ready to battle whatever threat presented itself, Yautja, humans and Xenos ready to battle side by side to defend the Clan and eachother from whatever threatened them.

Tik saw Amy on the ground and was at her side in a heartbeat with Jack and their children only a single footstep behind them, "Please, help him, please, please, don't let him die, he's my best friend in the whole universe, he's given so much to me and to all of us, please, Matriarch, I can't loose him," Amy begged, hot tears streaming down her face and dropping into her little friend's snow white fur.

For the first time Tik didn't know what to say or to do, she looked to the ones who knew death and spirits more than anyone, her beloved husband and son, both Jack and Ryan knelt down at her side as Sela and Tik stood down the people who had come ready to fight for the clan, but they didn't leave, as small as Boo was, every one of them remembered what this little snow white hero did for them, how hard he'd fought against opponents he should have never stood a chance against, but he stood and fought like all of them had and if these were to be his final moments and breaths, then they would stand in witness, they would honor him as he had them.

Both Jack and Ryan both reached out and placed a hand on the little fallen feline, "I feel it, his spirit is like fire," Jack said, and Ryan nodded in agreement.

"I feel it too, Patriarch, he does not wish to go, he resists Paya's call to him as he cannot bare to leave his friend, he begs her for more time, for a way to stay here and to be with her," Ryan said, just as the little feline lifted his tiny head and looked right into Ryan's eyes.

"He begs to live not for him, but for her," Ryan said.

Suddenly a shadow loomed up next to them, two Xenos, one from Yoshi's hive and the other from Cortez's, "Umm, we would not wish or dare to intrude on this moment but we believe we have a solution, it is not a guarantee, but it is a chance for him to remain where he is," one of them hissed softly.

"Speak, Lemmet," Jack said, turning to look at both of them.

"We've been working on a way to save our people if the worst should happen, to save them in even the most dire of circumstances, a choice to live on if they wish even if their body fails them and cannot be repaired," Lemmet said.

Jack cocked his head and Ryan lifted an eyebrow, "Cybernetics, his body fails him but his mind is strong, he fights his fate with his every breath, this choice is his to make and he could be exactly what we need to make this work, we need a test subject to prove this can work and if it does we can give you Boo back not as he was but better, stronger, faster, more powerful than he ever was, but most importantly alive, but we cannot promise it will work as it is only theory and has never been tested on this scale before, while we can make cybernetic limbs a full cybernetic body is a whole different scale but we are willing to try, to give him that chance to live, to fight for him as he fought for us, for all of us," Vettam, the Xeno from Cortez's hive said.

Jack glanced at Ryan and then they both looked at Amy, "We cannot make this choice for you, this is your choice to make, both of yours," Jack said.

Amy hugged her tiny friend tightly against her and she looked into his bright but dulling eyes, "Do you want this? I would do anything for you, even give my own life for you, Boo, but I need to know you want this," she said.

Ryan reached down and placed a hand on his little white head and he closed his eyes for a moment while he did that whole Dream Warrior of nature thing and then his mandibles drew upwards into a soft, gentle smile, "He agrees, he says he will do anything for you and he wants this," Ryan said and Amy nodded.

"I'll never leave you, my little friend, I'll be with you every step of the way to hold your paw, I promise," she said, and with that she lifted him and the two Xenos guided her to Cortez and Zara's hive where queen Zara herself met them with her king at her side, both Yoshi and Citrus came from their hive as well, along with the best of Yoshi's engineers.

They put the little cat into stasis to keep him alive while they constructed his body, Jack and his blacksmiths worked tirelessly to make the alloy needed to construct it, while Xenos argued and screeched all around her deep in the hive Amy sat in silent vigil by her best friend's side with her hand on the glass, suddenly she felt like she wasn't alone and she looked up to see a very very beautiful Yautja woman standing looking into the pod, "He's such a brave little thing, more strength than I believe I've ever seen in a small body before, even in his sleep he dreams of you and his desire to protect you burns like a miniature sun in his chest, such a brave little soul," she said in a voice so smooth that it felt like silk on her heart.

"He's my best friend and he always has been, he's been there every time I've needed him and I love him so, so much," Amy said, and the big Yautja lady smiled and placed a huge hand on her shoulder.

"I know he has little one, and don't you worry, he's going to be there to see you through every step of your life, just like he wished for, I guarantee it," she said, but before Amy could ask who she was she was gone like a breath on the wind, but she was not wrong as Amy saw in the coming days because on the day he was taken from his pod he went in flesh and he came out metal but his heart was exactly the same.

The first she knew he was awake was when smoothing light and metal hit her full in the chest and nearly knocked her out of her chair, he'd been in the surgery for hours and she'd been pulled into sleep by pure exhaustion but now as her arse hit the floor and her eyes flew open to find a very familiar face looking down at her albeit now in shadow silver but it was his face all the same, it was Boo, and he was alive.

It was utterly incredible, he was a dark silver color all over as his entire body was made entirely of metal, they'd shaped his little metal face perfectly so that it looked exactly like Boo, though that his ears now folded away as they were like little fin shaped telescopic metal dishes, his eyes were as bright as ever but they were obviously cyber, as beautiful as they were.

Two Xenos approached, one dressed in both the super cute uniform of the Battle Angels and the other in a long medical style lab coat and scrubs, behind them were Jack, Tick, Ryan, Sela, Robert and Shena, they had all been waiting at the hospital with her, "Well, as you can see, the operation was a complete success, we have transfered both his brain and his spinal stem into a fully cybernetic body, he is a perfect blend of organic and machine, he can see, hear, smell, feel and even taste just like anyone," the Xeno in the lab coat said, smiling all over his face.

"We will of course need to keep an eye on his bio systems for signs of rejection or any other problems, but all that withstanding, he's as good as new," the Battle Angel said with a big smile on her pretty face.

"Oh, thank you so, so much, all of you, you all are a blessing from Paya," Amy said to them, both hugging her little metallic friend tightly and his mechanical pur resonated against her chest.

"Just do me a favor, bring him by the hive, this is only the mach one body, I'm sure the whole hive will be buzzing with ways to upgrade him, like ultra sonic sensors for his ears, or thermal imaging eyes, or, oh, laser tail!" the over excited Xeno engineer said, practically bouncing on the spot.

"Ummm, yeah, maybe not the laser cannon, I very much doubt my Matriarch is going to enjoy having her dreads on fire every other day," Amy said, and from behind him she heard the sound of both Ryan, Jack and Sela giggling followed by three slaps and an angry snort, she peered past to see the three of them rubbing the back of their heads and Tik stood with a scowl on her face and her arms folded over chest.

"I'm sure we can work something out," the smiling Xeno said, and out of pure joy Amy hugged them both tightly.

"Thank you both so much, you saved Boo's life and I can never repay you for such an act," she said.

"It's quite alright, Amy, Boo is as much a part of this Clan as anyone here, he fought just as hard as anyone at the battle of the preserve, he earned his place here among us and as members of Clan Mason we live by the code, his life is as important to us as anyone elses, so don't worry, Amy, Clan Mason stand together from our biggest members to our smallest, always together as one," the battle Angel said, first gesturing to Queen Zara who had emerged out into the corridor before gesturing to Boo and then to everyone gathered.

That night Tik and Jack threw a party, they called it Boo's new birthday, the day he was reborn shiny and new, apparently Boo could still eat food, the clever Xenos of Yoshi's hive had invented some sort of bio mass processor that could break down organic mass and turn it into a kind of bio fuel to supplement his fuel cells which were charged on a variety of sources, even solar, which was supplied by retractable panels that were mounted in his back.

Amy was utterly stoked by the turn out, it was basically one big street party with huge tables all set out around their house, it was a truly beautiful sight, humans, Yautja and Xenos all together sharing a huge meal, Amy sat with Boo on her lap watching the dishes and the joy being passed around happily and freely, the laughter and joy warmed her heart and it was so beautiful to see, that's when the music started and suddenly humans were being plucked from their seats by a variety of species to dance, with jack and Tik leading the charge as always, though it had been Jack who had plucked her surprised Matriarch from her seat to take her up to dance, now, given their size, one would expect Yautja not to exactly be graceful but Tik being Tik defied all logic and expectations and as Ryan said, their mom could cut a mean rug.

Suddenly Amy felt a tap on her fifteen year old shoulder and she turned to see a young pure blood Yautja male standing behind her, he was one of the new faces that had joined the Clan in the last year as new arrivals faced the trials and found their way to the Clan homeworld periodically where they were embraced and brought into the fold, "I, err, ummm, hi, my, ummm, Matriarch said that I, err, should come and, umm, ask you to, ahhh, dance, but if you don't want to that's ok, I just wanted to, umm, ask you," he said, stumbling and stammering over his words, rubbing the back of his head nervously, making his dreads shimmy as he tried to look at everything but her eyes.

Amy had never seen a nervous Yautja before, they were always so full of confidence and power, but to see one utterly lost for words was actually both surprising and actually rather cute, but then again so was he, she hadn't seen many male Yautja up close, there were a few in the clan and their number was growing all the time, though granted it wasn't at the rate that the females were, females outnumbered males about eight to one here at the moment, though she had overheard Jack and Tik discussing a plan to fix all that, they were going to devise a kind of test to bring more humans here, in fact, the Clan had already begun preparations to receive them by clearing space and building lodgings, she didn't know the ins and out of it but from what she could understand it was similar to how the Yautja found them, a series of tests to weed out the unworthy and undedicated, all she knew is both Jack and Tik were smart, very smart and they really did know what was best for the Clan and she trusted them.

But now, here in this moment, none of that mattered, there was this devilishly handsome and adorably cute Yautja boy asking her to dance and it was obvious that it had taken all of that Yautja inner strength that they all had to come up here and talk to her that it was so incredibly flattering, it was also nice to know that they were just as flawed as Humans were in so many ways, suddenly Boo leapt free of her arms and bouncing from the table and onto the surprised Yautja boy's shoulders, before he could dislodge him Boo had scampered all over his body, sniffing him before happily entangling himself in the utterly confused boy's dreadlocks and making himself a hammock.

"Err, what is he doing back there? It feels like he's building a nest, is he building a nest?" the boy said, wringing his head trying to look over his shoulders to see the little metal cat and Amy couldn't resist laughing.

"Sort of, but that's a good thing, Boo only does that to people he trusts, so if you have Boo playing merry hell in your dreads you are accepted, he does it to Tik all the time and it drives her batty, but it's just his way of showing he trusts you, so given that you have the official Boo seal of approval now, I would love to dance with you," Amy said, smiling at the utterly surprised looking Yautja boy.

"Well, that's, err, great! Yes, excellent!" he said, and then without bothering to dislodge the swinging little metal cat he held out a hand to her and she took it, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

"So, umm, what's your name anyhow?" Amy said as the boy took her hand and the pair began to dance in rhythm with the music which she could now see was being played by a mixture of humans and Xenos both with instruments, funny, she'd never imagined Xeno musicians before but then here in this place, why the hell not?

"V'Lek, my name is V'Lek, unblooded hunter formally of the Night Stalker Clan and now proud hunter in training of Clan Mason, I came here with my Matriarch when she fled our Clan when she read Grand Matriarch's words and realized that there was a truth in her heart that she had denied all her life but now she was not willing to deny any longer, she brought me with her because she could not leave me, her only male cub behind to be twisted by the lies of our former clan, plus, I think she also sensed I was like her too," he said with both pride and nervousness in his voice.

"Like her?" Amy asked, curiously.

"I, err, umm, am not attracted to my own kind, our family was rater influential within the Night Stalker Clan and as such quite a few females tried to claim me from other families to carry their influence, but I didn't want that, I wanted to find love, a love that would be mine and would be free of conditions, my Matriarch understood this and she shielded me, she also, umm, understood what was different about me, because it was the same thing that was different about her too, we, umm, like oomans, like, really like oomans, so she followed the clues, read the words, did the trials and brought us here to Clan Mason, to this secret place hidden from the eyes of the galaxy, where she hoped we could live and love freely, she hopes to find herself an ooman love here where love is free and natural," he said nervously.

Amy smiled and nodded, she'd seen the Clan grow and build ever since she'd been here and it was a wonderful thing, their true strength was their unity and each other, "So, what made you want to ask me to dance anyway?" she asked both coyly and playfully, his embarassment was cute, she didn't want to make him really uncomfortable but she liked watching this big male blush and squirm a little and he was big, he was at least a foot taller than her and very well built, even for a teenage Yautja, his skin was a mixture of gold and green and his eyes were such a bright shade of orange which as it happened was her absolute favorite color.

Well, I, err, umm, couldn't take my eyes off you, I was just watching you with the little metal creature, Boo, isn't it?" he said, and Amy nodded, Boo was seemingly enjoying the dance, just swinging in V'Lek's dreadlocks.

"So, yeah, well, I was just watching you, I've never seen a black skinned ooman before, I've heard that your kind come in different colors just like us but I've never seen one up close, well, when I saw you I couldn't, umm, take my eyes off you, I just couldn't believe that a creature so breathtakingly beautiful could exist," he said, and Amy's heart utterly surged in her chest and a whole hive of Xeno butterflies sprung up and took flight in her stomach, he had just called her breathtaking and beautiful.

"Y-You really think I'm beautiful?" she asked, and he looked surprised as if such a fact should be well known to her and just be taken as pure fact.

He nodded, "Yes, well, my, err, Matriarch noticed me watching you and she clapped me on the shoulder and said, 'my cub, you will go and talk to her and ask her to dance or I will drag you over there and ask her for you, no cub of mine is going to be a coward,'" he said, obviously trying to mimic his mother's voice, Amy's eyes instantly scanned the crowd and she instantly picked out three sets watching them, two belonged to Jack and Tik who were both smiling at her and watching V'Lek curiously and a third set belonging to a huge female Yautja who had the same colors as V'Lek, obviously his mother and boy, was she a serious chunk of Yautja woman, whatever human she chose to chase after was going to have to be a brave fella to be sure.

Amy laughed softly to herself, "Just so you're clear here, you do realise that I'm Jack and Tik's adopted daughter, right?" she said, and V'Lek's face froze.

"Y-Y-Your the grand Matriarch and Patriarch's adopted cub?" he exclaimed quietly, and she broke out her best shit eating grin and nodded.

"Yup, so, best behavior would be advised, V'Lek, wouldn't recommend getting too handsy or a pissed off Tik eleth may just remove them and mail them to your Matriarch and that's only if she gets to you before my dad, he's a Dream Warrior, you know," she said, and now V'Lek looked both terrified and so utterly unsure of himself that she suddenly felt really bad for him, it had been meant as a joke to shit him up a little but he suddenly seemed really uncomfortable.

"I-I-I would never! My Matriarch raised me right! I am no honerless pauk who would touch what I have not been invited to, I have been raised to be a good male who respects females, especially those who respect me back," he stammered, and she heard actual and genuine hurt in his voice at the joking accusations and warning.

She suddenly felt compelled to both apologise to him and comfort him, to quell those fears that she'd stoked, it took guts to approach a stranger, admit fear of rejection and to offer a hand in both friendship and potentially so much more, "I'm sorry, V'Lek, I didn't mean to imply anything like that, I was simply making a bad joke, I never meant to insult you, it took courage to come over here and approach me and I appreciate it, truly I do, I don't think I'm ready for romance just yet though but that isn't to do with you, that's to do with me, I kinda just want to figure myself out, who I am, you know, because how can I truly give myself to someone if i don't even know what I'm giving, but trust me, when I am ready you'll be the first to know about it, V'Lek, it's not every day a girl gets asked to dance by a handsome alien hunter in training now is it?" she said, smiling at him, and he drew his pretty mandibles up into a bright smile.

"I understand completely, honestly it frightened me too, but I think romance should be based in friendship, getting to know and understand someone first, as friends," he said, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly, so, then, friends for now?" she asked, offering him her hand to shake and he took it and smiled.

"Friends for now," he said.

Turned out that this was an excellent decision for both of them, Amy really badly needed a friend, someone from outside of her adopted family to which she could speak, granted she loved Jack, Tik, Ryan and Sela with all her heart, but they were her family, she'd watched both Sela and Ryan both grow and move out to have their own lives with their loved ones Robert and Shena, so this left her alone in the house, now, granted she could talk to both Jack and Tik about anything and everything and she knew it, but it was just nice to have someone of her own age to just laugh and spin the shit with, it helped that Jack and Tik had built a school now, all the young humans, hybrids and Yautja went to, the Xeno's grew to maturity in hours so they had no real need of it and they had the hives, but they weren't excluded at all, if a young Xeno wanted to go to school to learn they were free to do so and a few did, choosing to learn from both their hive and the school.

It actually felt great for Amy to have this little piece of her old life back, made even more prevalent when the human inductions were brought along with their families and Clan Mason took on over ten thousand new pre blood young humans to bolster their numbers and to stabilise the clan, pretty soon the school's classes were filled and the clan took on a new form of life along with it, all these young minds to be freed and molded to see the truth.

During that time Amy was forging a bond of her own with her new friend, V'Lek, the pair were inseparable, just like her and Boo who, just like the Xeno from Yoshi's hive had promised, had got some, err, upgrades, though she did remember the first time she'd invited him over to her house and the nervous young Yautja teen had met the great Tik eleth in person and it still made her laugh, of course everyone knew that she was basically a living legend as was Jack, but Tik was definitely more intimidating than her adoptive dad, with her when she looked at you it was like she was looking into your soul, with him he just actually did look into your soul.

There was a gentle knock on the door while Amy was sat in the kitchen helping Tik clean her hunting blades, "Would that be your new friend? This V'Lek that you danced with and you have been telling me about, my cub?" Tik asked, and Amy nodded.

"Probably, I invited him to come over and meet you both, I hope that's alright?" Amy said, and Tik growled.

"I am glad you did, I would very much like to meet this young male that seems to have caught my daughter's eye," Tik said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, oh, Amy knew that look only too well, see, what few people knew about the great Tik eleth Mason was that she was an evil, evil prankster with a wicked sense of humor, she was forever trying to prank her husband but Jack was notoriously hard to prank, maybe because he was ex military and had seen them all before or because he was a Dream Warrior and he could just sense it coming, so for the most part he evaded and usually got her before she got him, but every so often one slipped through and it was always a good one, like when she'd dyed his hair purple by replacing his shampoo with a very potent berry dye, though he'd got her back by painting her hands with some kind of white paint, Tik had walked around all day with two perfect white hand prints on her arse and no idea why people were dying to laugh whenever she walked past, but were not brave enough, well, except for Sela eleth, Ryan and of course Amy herself, though the roar she'd let out when she'd caught sight of her arse in the mirror was priceless, Jack had sat up in a tree for hours watching her trying to hunt him down.

Tik walked up and opened the door to find a very nervous looking V'Lek standing there and as soon as he saw her he snapped to a crisp, practiced salute, making Amy wonder how long he'd been practicing that, "Err, good day, Grand Matriarch, umm, Amy invited me, my name is V'Lek Goldenheart," he said very nervously under the scrutinizing glare of the grand Matriarch of Clan Mason.

"Good to meet you, V'Lek Goldenheart, what clan are you formally of?" Tik asked, looking him up and down, walking circles around him, scrutinizing him.

"Night Stalker, Grand Matriarch, I came here with my Matriarch after she followed the path to you," he said, Tik made a clicking noise with her mandibles.

"Night Stalker, ehh, the nomads of the clans, last time I saw your clan they were out in the deep reaches looking for new hunting grounds and new prey," Tik said, and V'Lek nodded.

"We still were but every so often they would contact the homeworld for any news or leads, one of my Matriarch's best friends in the Moon Stalker clan sent her a copy of your words through the data link and it changed my Matriarch's life, it was like her eyes were suddenly open to what the clan really was, she began to tell me that our whole lives were a lie, that these feelings that we both had and were hiding were real and we were entitled to feel them, then one night she told me to pack up as we were leaving, well, actually, she gave me the choice, she said she was going because she needed to be free and she wanted me to come with her because she knew I was different like her, we both looked on the idea of taking ooman slaves or trophies as deplorable but kept our views to ourselves for fear of persecution, but she didn't want to force me to come if I didn't want to, but I couldn't bare the thought of my Matriarch walking the universe alone looking for truth with no one there at her side, so I didn't even hesitate, I walked the path with her, followed the clues, worked them out together and soon we found it, the place that led us here, those marks you left in that home that was once yours and the Grand Patriarch's sanctuary on that world, I realized that the scratches were a star chart which on its own would be useless if it wasn't for the numbers carved into that Yautja skull hanging over your doorway, it brought us here and my Matriarch is so happy now, it warms my heart seeing her so free, though I have to admit at first I was confused but on the day the new ooman members of the Clan came it was actually wonderful to see her so happy, she was like, how the oomans say, a cub in a candy store, she just kept saying they're so pretty, how can they be so pretty? It's like being surrounded by Paya's angels, she just wants to be happy and I just want her to be happy, to know that love she so desperately deserves, she is a good woman and I am glad I came with her, because this place is utterly incredible," V'Lek said.

From where she stood Amy heard the undeniable truth in his words and so it seemed did Tik, she drew herself up folded her arms over her large chest and nodded her head approvingly, "Hmmm, I was going to tease you a bit young one but it seems to me that if anything we owe you thanks, you helped your Matriarch realise her freedom, you were both accepting and understanding not of her choice because it is not a choice to feel the way she does but of her decision to make this journey and acted as both her guide and her confidant, you were her strength, propping her in knowing that she made the right choice to throw off her shackles for both of you and now here you are among us, the free ones, so, come into my home, young one, you are indeed welcome," Tik said in her best Grand Matriarch voice.

V'Lek thanked her and stepped past her into the house where he was surprised to find Amy standing, smiling at him, "Well, I never thought I'd see a day where someone impressed my mom right off the bat, so, fair play, you got me impressed now too," she said, and V'Lek smiled sheepishly, obviously embarrassed by her praise.

"It happens from time to time, it is not often a male impresses me outright, in fact the last bar one time it happened I claimed him as my life mate and he became your Patriarch," Tik said with a grin as she followed V'Lek into the living room.

Amy laughed then raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh? Last bar one? So who was the last and what did he do?" Amy asked, and Tik smiled brightly at her.

"Oh, not much, he reached up from his swaddling cloth and grabbed my finger in his tiny hands and tried to cuddle it, then decided to suck on it instead, Paya his mandibles were just so small and beautiful, there is no feeling in this life like holding your own cub in your arms for the first time Amy, know that this small, beautiful, defenceless life was brought into this world by you and you are their defender and their life giver, you also realise that they are your utter pride and that there is nothing you will not do for them or no blood you will not shed or spill to defend and protect them, you may have not entered this life though my body, Amy, but to me you are as much my cub as either Ryan or Sela eleth, there is no length I would not go to protect you so that one day you too will have this joy and on that day when you're laid there holding this little bundle in your arms and you see those big eyes filled with wonder and unconditional love looking up at you, at that moment you will know why," Tik said, her voice a soft purr as she embraced Amy from behind and Amy could feel the incredible strength in her arms.

"I love you too, mom," Amy said, hugging those big Yautja arms against her.

"There is nothing a Matriarch will not do for her cub, no length she will not go to ensure that they are safe and happy, same with a true Patriarch I believe as well, look what my Ack did when Ryan and Sela were taken from us, his response was the exact same as mine, he did not hesitate, he did not flinch, he stood and he fought and that is a good and strong male, a male who knows what's right and does right by not only the ones he loves but all those around him, that is the kinda of male you deserve for yourself, who feels the urge to defend and protect you even if you do not need it but also whom you feel the very same about," Tik said proudly.

Suddenly the sound of heavy boots echoed on the hard wood floor and Jack strode into the kitchen, he was dressed in his training gear and by the marks on him it looked like he'd been training with Ryan, "Tik, that boy of ours never fails to surprise and impress me, set a flock of bloody pigeons on me! Ha, I've never seen anything like it,and I can tell you it's an odd feeling trying to dodge pigeon shit while trying to catch our dancing boy," Jack said, wiping the sweat from his brow and that's when he noticed the guest in their home and demonstrated one of the many hidden talents that made Jack Mason Jack Mason, he never forgot a face or a name.

"Ahhh, now you must be Kamara Goldenheart's boy, V'Lek, isn't it?" Jack said, and the look on V'Lek's was one of utter surprise.

"Y-Yes, Grand Patriarch that's correct," he said.

"Oh, please, behind these walls I'm just Jack, or Ack to a certain hot hunk of Yautja muscle not a million miles away," he said as his wife encircled his waist from behind and pulled him against her possessively, seemingly drinking in his scent as she nibbled the back of his neck with her mandibles, Jack turned and pulled her into a deep and loving kiss over his broad shoulder her mandibles gripping and stroking his face.

Now, Amy had become used to Jack and Tik's displays of love and affection with one another, hell, she'd even become used to hearing things in the night that were both embarrassing and intriguing, both of them made zero attempt to hide how much they utterly adored one another, they never did anything other than kiss, touch and cuddle in front of her but she wasn't deaf or stupid and she knew what they were doing, hell, Tik had even sat her down and explained the dance of love to her years ago, she told her that as a strong female that she should never ever be ashamed of showing her love to her male just as her male would feel no shame in showing her the very same.

In fact, these words and practices had rung true with Amy, she'd seen it in practice not only with Jack and Tik but also with both Ryan and Shena but also with Sela and Robert, both Jack and Tik's biological cubs were so very much like their parents, they showed and shared their love freely and honestly and she had always told herself that when her time came she would do them proud and do the same.

"So, from what I hear, your Matriarch is, umm, somewhat smitten with a certain new human prospect from the newly founded Seeker Temple, I saw her talking to young Ito there this morning and I swear I have never seen a set of that new Golden Hunter armor polished so brightly, I didn't know whether she was trying to impress him or blind him," Jack said with a grin, and V'Lek nodded with a laugh himself.

"Yes, she has mentioned him quite a few times," he said.

"And how do you feel about it? I know there's a bit of an age difference between them and I know he's not all that much older than you are now given that he's only just turned twenty," Jack said, and V'Lek smiled at him, it was a warm and genuine smile and it sent a series of little tingles right down Amy's spine to her true and utter surprise, she'd never actually had someone's smile hit her like that, it felt wonderful.

"It doesn't bother me really, Yautja live a lot longer than normal oomans do so there is always likely to be an age gap and at least this way if they do get together then they will be able to spend a great many years of joy and happiness together, all I've ever wanted is my Matriarch to be happy with her life, to have someone who sees her like I do, as the strong and beautiful woman that she is, she is a wonderful woman and Matriarch and she makes me proud to be her cub every single day and I value her happiness above all else, she deserves it," he said.

Both Jack and Tik looked at one another and Jack nodded and Amy knew that look, he'd been doing that Jedi like Dream Warrior thing he did on V'Lek and by the look of it he'd passed with flying colors, she didn't even pretend to understand how it was he did what he did but she'd seen with her own eyes how incredibly powerful he was, both him and Ryan were cut from this cloth, where Tik was more direct and hit like a sledgehammer Jack was subtle and quick, like a scalpel, in fact, that's how they'd described the two sections they were setting up of the Guardian Core when they'd discussed it, the Hunters which would be run and organised by Tik would be the Hammer of justice of Clan Mason while the Seekers would be its scalpel, quick, precise, and deadly.

Given that Amy had gone to the newly built Seeker temple with Tik to watch her adoptive older brother and her adoptive father train though she got the feeling Tik had only gone so she could ogle her husband and given all the purring and clicking she'd done her feelings were spot on, but she'd seen that day how incredible Seekers were, the way they moved was like grace in its purest form, but then Amy had found she rather liked going to watch the Hunters train as well when her adoptive father felt the need to ogle his wife in her Hunter armor.

And she had to admit she rather liked to watch them both, they were good men and women committed to the defence and protection of Clan Mason and its people, plus, there were rather a lot of cute Yautja boys who looked cute as hell in gold, but like a slap she suddenly realized that the one who looked best in gold didn't have to put it on, he had to take off to reveal it and he was stood right now smiling at her adoptive parents.

It was like a singular moment of clarity like a metaphorical bloody sun beam had just beamed its shiny arse through her window and lit him the fuck up, he might not be fighting with a shield or a sword or a plasma castor, but here was this young Yautja boy stood in front of two living legends, showing his worth and his wish to be her friend and hopefully in the future so much more.

"So, V'Lek, what do you want to do when you come of age, our Amy here has expressed an interest in joining her big sister's group the Saviors, what do you want to do?" Jack asked, kissing both of his wife's hands before moving over and sitting at the table it was only now that V'Lek seemed to notice that Amy had been stood there watching him the whole time and he seemed a bit caught off guard and a little embarrassed.

"I want to join the Guardian Core and become a hunter like my Matriarch, I want to stand tall and proud and defend my clan just like she does, she was one of the first to step up when you formed the Guardian Core, she wanted to protect this place and all its people to ensure that the gift you are trying to give to all of us continues to grow and the message continues to spread and I want to be a part of that," V'Lek said, and Tik clicked her mandibles and nodded approvingly.

"And when that time comes I will personally give you that chance to prove it and if you do I will personally make sure that you end up on Hunter team one, well, conditional that you can pass my very, very stringent standards of course," Tik said.

V'Lek's face lit up and he smiled so utterly brightly, "Thank you, Grand Matriarch! I swear to you I won't let you down, I'll prove myself to you, I swear it," he said.

"Good, now, I do believe you came here to visit our daughter so don't let us keep you a moment longer, you two go have fun and remember, just be safe and careful, ok?" Tik said.

Amy's mouth fell open, "Moooom! V'Lek didn't come here for that! We're friends!" Amy exclaimed, and Tik purred and leaned down to rest herself on Jack's shoulders.

"The very best lovers are friends first, my daughter," she purred, stroking the back of Jack's head with her mandibles, tickling his neck and ruffling his hair, it was obvious how their love shone as Jack leaned back into her and just allowed her to nuzzle and fuss him gently.

Amy quickly grabbed V'Lek's hand and led him upstairs to her room, "I'm sorry about those two, they just have real problems keeping their hands off one another," she said and V'Lek laughed softly.

"Don't ever apologise for them, Amy, it's plain for anyone to see how much they utterly adore each other and love like that should never cause shame, it's something I hope for for both me and my Matriarch every single day, because love like that is not only pure friendship but the joining of two souls for life, that is not anything that should embarrass or shame anyone, it's what this place stands for," he said, and Amy looked at him with wide eyes and then grinned.

"I never had you pegged as a romantic, V'Lek," she said, and he smiled softly.

"Why, because I'm Yautja?" he said, and Amy laughed and shook her head.

"I live with Tik eleth, do you honestly think I can't see Yautja as romantics, hell, I've seen her growing those mega blood roses just so she can pluck all the petals and cover the bed room and wait for him to get home from training so she could surprise him, I so very nearly went to Yoshi's hive to ask if their super brain Xenos could come up with a Tik eleth proof sound proofing," she said, and V'Lek laughed his cute arse off.

"Your Matriarch is just a proud, passionate Yautja woman who loves her male with every fibre of her being and doesn't care who knows it, you should be proud of them," he said, and now Amy laughed.

"You know, I am proud of them, hell, I'm a little jealous, I just hope what they have I can have too," she said, and V'Lek smiled bright.

"Any man who didn't want to show you every single day that you were the most important part of his world doesn't deserve to have you in it," he said, and Amy smiled from ear to ear.

"You stole my thought but before you call me a narcissist I was thinking it about you," she said with a smile, one which he returned with such genuine warmth and affection that it warmed her heart.

So began the true friendship between the two and their inseparable nature grew even even stronger, once they passed out of school, both with honors, the pair did as they'd set out to do, Amy joined her sister's Saviors as an engineer, she wanted to help fix things and repair them, just like the Xenos that had fixed her little Boo despite them bolting laser cannons and jet packs to him from time to time.

V'Lek joined the Hunters just like he promised both Tik eleth and his Martiarch and he did them both proud, he passed out with honors and both Amy and Kamara V'Lek's Matriarch were in the crowd to watch him proudly march past the Grand Matriarch with his head held high and Amy watched tears of joy and pride running down her face as she watched with pride as Tik eleth went down to the group and named her boy as a candidate for Hunter group one and out of nowhere Amy hugged the proud Yautja mother as she watched her cub rise his head proudly as his distinctions were pinned to his chest and they both watched as he saluted his new Clan as a proud defender of it, a part of the sword that defends Clan Mason and all innocents they find.

"I knew you would do me proud, my cub, and today I think I am the proudest Matriarch on this world," Kamara said, hugging V'Lek tightly in her arms.

"You said you'd do it and you did, I'm so proud of you, Hunter," Amy said, hugging her best friend tightly and reveling in the warmth of him, hugging her back.

"You made me proud on the day you passed out as a Savior, Amy and I know you guys don't believe in military style marches as you show your pride in different ways but I was proud to see your sister put that badge on you," he said with a smile as he pulled her much smaller frame into a tight Yautja hug.

"When are you going to make an honest male out of him, Amy? Am I going to have to make you hunt him?" Kamara said, clapping her huge hand on Amy's shoulder as the pair released one another and Amy laughed.

"The Hunter becomes the hunted, eh? Hunter Hunted, I rather like the sound of that, almost sounds like a book title, one that maybe I'll sit down and write one day," she said, making V'Lek laugh.

But that's when V'Lek chose to do something that Amy could have never in a million years foresaw, "Some of the oomans told me of this ritual on their homeworld for a male to claim a female as his mate for life, they call it marriage, a proposal that shows to the world his intentions and love for the female he loves," he said, and Amy raised an eyebrow until she saw what he was doing, V'Lek reached into his uniform jacket inner pocket and he pulled out something and while he was doing that he got down on one knee before her.

"Amy Mason, I fell in love with you the very moment I set eyes on you but I wanted to get to know you as a person and as a friend and I did that and you are by far the best friend anyone could ever, ever wish for, I always promised that on the day I made my dreams come true that I would lay out my heart to you and let you decide what it is you want because you are everything I want, I wanted to do it this way because you are ooman, I love an ooman and I wanted to show you that not only do I love you but I love your culture and I want to embrace it as much as I want to embrace you, so, Amy Mason, as you oomans say, will you marry me?" he said, and that's when he revealed what was hidden in his hands, a small but beautifully crafted gold ring and she instantly knew that craftsmanship, it was her father's.

Amy's heart froze solid before it bounced around her chest like a pin ball in a washing machine, she dove forwards and threw her arms around the startled Yautja male's neck and hugged him as tight as she could, "Yes, V'Lek, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" she yelled, and without a single thought of a whisper of hesitation she pushed her face between his flared mandibles and kissed him right on the mouth, she gave her first kiss to him and he to her right before his rather surprised Matriarch and her human mate.

The pair clung together tightly and V'Lek caressed her ebony cheek with his golden mandible as their mouths met and Amy felt his tongue flick over her lips, begging her permission to enter and she gave it very, very happily, his warm, slim and fleshy tongue slipped between her lips and began to explore her mouth and she felt a tremble of pure joy and pleasure pass through her as his flavor hit her tongue and she tasted him for the very first time, this beautiful man who had wanted nothing more than to be her friend so he would know how to love her, he'd succeeded, he'd charmed and stolen her heart just as she'd apparently stolen his those years ago.

As they broke she carressed her cheek with his mandibles and then very gently slipped the ring onto her ring finger and the craftsmanship was utterly exquisite, a perfect blend of human and Yautja styling, plus, there was such intricate detail on it that she knew only one person on the planet who could do it, her father, which was proven only a moment later when they heard four sets of clapping hands and turned to find Tik eleth, Jack, Sela eleth and Ryan all standing there clapping them.

"Told you he'd do it," Jack said to Tik, who grumbled but then smiled.

"I am not ever happy to be proven wrong, but on this day I could not be happier, V'Lek, you have done yourself, your Matriarch, your clan and your unit proud, I never doubted for a moment that you would be the one to claim our adopted daughter's heart, today you proved my life mate right, he said that you would o this where everyone could see you because you would want to kneel proudly before her and lay your heart bare where I believed you would wish to do it quieter, I am happy to be wrong, be proud, young Hunter, because we are all proud of you," she said.

"Damn straight we are, my cub stood tall and knelt low and today he proved that he is every bit the male I knew you are," Kamara said, hugging her son tightly as Tik and Jack both hugged Amy between them.

"Thanks for the ring, dad," Amy murrmered into Jack's ear and he smiled at her.

"Thank your husband to be, he dug up both the metal and the stones and designed it, I simply put it together," he said softly, and she hugged him tightly.

Amy returned her arms to her husband to be and wrapped them tightly around his waist and chest, "I love you, V'Lek, so, so much," she said softly, and he nuzzled her.

"As I love you, Amy, and I want you to know something, I want to further your traditions, I want to honor you by both having an ooman wedding and by waiting for you, right up until our wedding night in keeping with your ancient traditions," he murmured softly in her ear, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Y-You'd do that for me?" she exclaimed, and he smiled.

"I want it to be the best day and night of your life, Amy, because it'll sure as hell be mine, plus, I've waited this long for you, what's a few more days?" he said with such a delicious little twinkle in those bright eyes that she very nearly pulled a Tik and threw him over her shoulder and carried his arse off in the direction of her bedroom and a locked door.

In fact, the next few days were an absolute haze, it was like everything around her went into an absolute frenzy, all the humans pitched in and took control of things, obviously knowing what human weddings were all about, she went to dress fittings and V'Lek was going to be in his number one uniform, though, from what she understood, Jack was having the tailors modify it slightly to fit the occasion better.

Amy tried to wrap her head around this whole thing, she and V'Lek were going to be the first two people to be married in a traditional human wedding since Jack and Tik set down here, so far it had been a kinda amalgamation of traditional Yautja rites and even some Xeno, but never a traditional human wedding, in fact, the thought of getting married in this way had never even crossed her mind but she was both excited and scared but then rescue came from the place that her rescue always seemed to come, Tik eleth.

She was sat on the end of her bed when the big Yautja woman stuck her head into her room, "You look troubled, my cub," she said, and Amy looked up at her.

"I'm, err, worried that I won't please him, mom, I mean, he's gone to all this trouble for me, to make everything's utterly perfect, for me and I want it to be perfect for him too, I want our first night together as man and wife to be perfect, you know? But what if I don't please him?" she said, and Tik huffed before coming in and sitting down next to her.

"The first time between two lovers is a tricky thing, my cub, neither of you know what the other likes or dislikes, made even more difficult for you both because you are both pure, but that is part of the fun and joy of love, my dear, sweet cub, exploring the one you love like an uncharted hunting ground, learning where the best and sweetest prey is and your prey is pleasure, the sweetest prey of all, don't rush or fear, simply communicate, if you do not like something simply tell him, he will be just as nervous as you so speak to him, he will understand and I know he will not want to displease you either, if you both stroke to make the other as happy as you can possibly be then you cannot fail," she said, and Amy looked at her in surprise.

"That easy?" she said, and Tik smiled bright and warmly.

"Love is only hard if you make it hard, otherwise it is the simplest thing in existence, just give your male your all and expect nothing less from him, just like me and my Ack give each other every single day," Tik said, and truer words had never been spoken to her and Amy smiled as she leaned in to hug the big Yautja woman who had become her mother.

"Thank you, mom, thank you so much for believing in me all this time," she said, and Tik hugged her right back.

"I believed because I always knew you'd make me and all of us proud and here I am, having that faith rewarded seeing the beautiful and proud woman you have become," she said, and the pair hugged for what felt like hours but was only a few minutes.

"Thank you, mom," she said, and Tik smiled and nodded.

"You'll do fine, Amy, trust me, just be yourself, that's all he wants and needs," she said, and Amy felt like she'd had a weight lifted off her shoulders.

Jack had gone above and beyond for her and V'Lek's big day, he'd arranged for the tailors to create a human style wedding dress for her, it looked incredible, like utterly breathtaking, pure white silk with frills everywhere, a huge train and a veil.

As the days counted down Amy's nerves amped up but V'Lek was her rock through it, just sitting on the couch or on her bed and feeling his big arms around her and resting her head on his chest, listening to his big powerful, golden heart beating out the rythm of his beautiful life was a balm for her fear and her soul, there is just something so utterly wonderful and so delightfully intimate about being so close to another person that you could just listen to the very source of their life beating in their chest, plus, V'Lek gave the world's best hugs and cuddles, it always amazed her how someone so obviously strong and powerful could be so wonderfully gentle.

So the day rolls around and Amy got herself dressed with both Tik and Sela eleth helping her, both of them were dressed in actual dresses, which actually surprised her as she'd been expecting both of them to dress in their uniforms, but as it turned out Jack had showed them all pictures of human weddings so that they knew what to expect and both Tik and Sela had insisted that they both wanted to wear dresses, especially Sela who was her maid of honor and Amy could not deny that the tailors on their world were utterly amazing, the soft royal blue dresses they'd made for both Tik and Sela were utterly amazing, she couldn't believe how such muscle bound girls looked utterly feminine, a fact that was further reinforced when both Jack and Robert saw their girls dressed up and both their mouths fell open and stayed there.

Jack as Paya's chosen one was acting as the priest so he wasn't able to walk her down the aisle but that's where Ryan stepped up and Amy had to admit that he looked utterly amazing in his number one Seeker uniform, she couldn't deny that Shena was a very lucky woman and by the look on her face as she saw her husband all dressed up she knew it.

The wedding was being held in a place called the Garden of The Divine, it was a place filled with statues of the gods, mostly Celtic and Norse as well as Paya, all of which had been created by h'chak, while religion wasn't forced here it was widely embraced by all and a lot of the humans who had come believed in the Celtic gods and that was even before they got to meet Jack and the other Seekers who had actually met a great many of them.

Jack had set up a podium before the huge statue of the Great Huntress Paya who kinda looked like Tik if you looked at it from a certain angle, they had even gotten a red carpet from somewhere and had rolled it the entire length of the fenced in garden, the place was packed to Amy's surprise.

They had set up seating for everyone, that's when she caught sight of V'Lek and his best man waiting at the podium, his best man was his best friend, a Xeno Praetorian called Mallen from Citrus's hive, she was also in the crowd and kinda obvious, especially her large purple hat that Yoshi must have had a whole team working on how to keep it on her head, though she did look good in her matching dress.

But V'Lek, oh, boy, he utterly took her breath away, his uniform was crisp and military pressed, his Matriarch had obviously been hard at work, Yautja priding the utter fuck out of her beautiful son as his dreadlocks were decorated not only with bone and metal trophy charms but a full head dress of Yautja design, he looked utterly amazing and actually felt her knees shaking and her loins burning as she took Ryan's arm as he began to walk her towards him and every step closer to this utterly beautiful male that was about to belong to her and only her made it worse and worse.

Finally she was standing directly before him and the look on his face made her heart burn with joy, he looked both proud and like his breath had been utterly robbed from him, Ryan placed Amy's hands in V'Lek's and Amy just couldn't stop smiling at him, he was just so utterly beautiful and he was about to be all her's, her best friend other than Boo, who was currently sat on the podium all dolled up thanks to Yoshi's genius crew, though where they'd got a tuxedo for a metal cat she didn't know.

Jack looked amazing in his Seeker number one uniform, he looked every bit the noble and powerful Clan leader he was, but also every bit the proud father that he had become for her, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to join these people together and to celebrate a unity of differences in the tradition of my people under the eye of the Goddess of the hunt of the Yautja, a mixture of two very different cultures joining together to celebrate their differences in a perfect unity just like these two beautiful people," Jack said, his voice carrying across the open space, projecting like he was both shouting and whispering in every ear at the same time.

Amy couldn't help but just keep smiling at V'Lek who was beaming back at her with such joy, happiness and pure love all over his handsome face, the sermon that Jack was preaching seemed to tune out as she just seemed lost in a small little bubble where it was just her and the Yautja angel that Paya had sent her, this proud son was about to become her husband, she only tuned back in when Jack said, "Do you, Amy Mason, proud adopted daughter of myself and Tik eleth Mason, take V'Lek Goldenheart, proud son of Kamara Goldenheart as your husband, to have and to hold him, to protect and care for him, in sickness and health, in happiness and sadness, for now and forever?"

"I do," Amy replied, and Jack repeated his words to V'Lek and he replied with the world's biggest smile on his face.

"I do," he said.

"Then now I, Jack Mason, proud Patriarch of Clan Mason, by the power vested in me by this proud clan do very happily pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride," Jack said, and V'Lek lifted her veil before taking her face in his big hands, leaning in and gripping her face in his mandibles.

Amy's heart just melted and she barely heard the cheers and the clapping from the crowd, when they released one another they turned to face the crowd and instantly there was queue of people waiting to shake their hands or hug them to death, Tik and Sela got their hugs in quick, Tik being Tik lifted both Amy and V'Lek off their feet as she hugged them to death and by the tears in her eyes it was obvious that she'd been crying which somehow nearly made Amy want to cry too.

V'Lek's mother was no different and she had definitely been crying and she also hugged the hell out of both of them, but the festivities did not end there, Jack and Tik lead the whole lot of them back to to their house where while they'd been at the wedding a whole army of Xenos from Aine and Murphy's hive had descended on the place and had set up what could only be described as the biggest feast Amy or V'Lek had ever seen, Tik even resisted the urge to chase the twenty flying Xenos sat proudly on the roof in their waiter gear just swoop down and get people drinks off the roof.

But the surprises just kept coming, the party was utterly amazing and Amy would take feeling of dancing with her new husband before everyone for the first time to her grave, plus, watching Tik and Jack dancing was utterly amazing, though not as amazing as watching the three queens trying to dance with their kings.

But after the party wound down Jack and Tik decided to spring their final surprise on them both, they ambushed them, blindfolded them both and marched them off despite their protests, but when they finally got where they were going and the blindfolds were removed Amy just broke, she sobbed her heart out as the pure joy of what a truly and utterly wonderful family they were, V'Lek was utterly speechless and couldn't say any other words other than two, "thank you," over and over again as they both stood staring at their brand new house.

It turned out both Ryan and Jack had been sneaking off each and every day since V'Lek had proposed and the pair had built it from scratch with their bare hands just so they would have a place to let their love grow, they'd also gotten a lot of the others involved, Millar had furnished it, h'chak had decorated it, Tik and Sela had gone out hunting and had gotten skins and pelts to make covering and rugs.

Amy and V'Lek hugged them all tightly, all of them told V'Lek to treat her right and to make them all proud of him as son in law but they all also told her to do the same, but finally they were left alone and the pair just stood there staring at their new home, "I just can't believe this, this is utterly incredible, it's like every dream I've ever had in one day, I marry my best friend and the most beautiful ooman in existence, I'm a proud Hunter and I have a new home for just me and my wife," V'Lek exclaimed, looking like he was going to cry and Amy just wrapped her arms around him and the pair clung together tightly.

That's when in one swift movement, V'Lek hoisted her up off the ground and carried her towards the doorway, "I believe it is ooman tradition for a husband to carry his wife over the threshold of their new home on their wedding day," he said proudly as Amy clung to his chest, feeling his love pouring out of him.

That's when they also noticed that Tik had also covered their new very comfy looking bed with those giant rose petals and Amy couldn't help but grin as she remembered how she'd done this for Jack, V'Lek lowered her tenderly onto the bed but Amy had other ideas and with a move that her mother had taught her she pulled him down with her and kissed him passionately while wrapping her legs around his solid waist.

When she released him to let him breathe his eyes were as wide as dinner plates and Amy grinned and nuzzled him gently, "You didn't think that growing up in a house with Tik eleth in it that I wouldn't have learned a thing or two, now, did you?" she purred in his ear softly, and she actually felt his heart bouncing around in his chest.

Before he even had a chance to say a word she used his weight and size against him and flipped him onto his back, pulling his jacket down to his elbows to hold him while she planted kisses all over his face and neck, making the big Yautja let out a soft whimper as his breath caught in his chest, she could actually see his mind racing, trying to work out what was happening to him, she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable so she decided to explain what was happening to him because she didn't want him to be off guard.

"You've done so much for me, V'Lek, I have waited patiently for the day when I'd be able to put my hands on you and today's the day and after all you've done for me tonight I am going to prove to you everything you mean to me and how so very thankful I am for you, so tonight I want you to lay back and let your new wife show you how much she loves you, you went above and beyond to prove your love for me, now I'm going to do the same, so just relax my love, you're both safe and in very good hands, my hands and only my hands," she purred very softly in his ear, all the while nipping kisses around his ears and she felt him relax under her which gave her the go she was aching for, tonight this beautiful, wonderful male was going to have utterly no doubts in his mind how she felt about him and what he meant to her.

Amy very, very slowly began kissing him again while pulling his jacket off him and very slowly while trying to stop her fingers from trembling with both excitement and nerves, she had utterly yearned for the day when she'd be able to see him, let alone touch him, she had been fantasizing about him ever since she'd become his best friend and now she was going to make all those delicious fantasies a reality and she was going make this beautiful male relish the moment his heart had chosen her for him, she was going to prove his heart right in every single way.

With each button she opened she replaced the button with a kiss to his wonderful golden patterned skin, delighting in the slightly spicy and salty taste of his skin but also the soft gasps and little whimpers of pleasure that were escaping him, every single one sent a shiver of joyful pleasure down her spine, she utterly adored the thought of being the cause of said pleasure, this sweet and beautiful male deserved in her opinion to feel this way every second of every day and she was determined to make him feel this way.

His shirt gave way and revealed the chiseled, masculine torso in beautiful gold and green swirls, Amy kissed every single inch of it, making him gasp and murr softly as he relished the feel of her hot, soft lips and her tongue exploring the contours and vallies of his muscles, with slow, trembling hands she pulled his shirt up and off him, straddling his hips which was easier said than done in a huge wedding dress, well, it didn't matter, it would be piled up on the floor along with his jacket and his shirt soon enough.

But before hers was coming off she was determined to see every single inch of him, she wanted him as naked as the day he entered this life, she wrestled with his belt, plastering kisses across his abdominals and his waistline, his hands came to her head and his large fingers sank into her hair and began to caress her scalp, making her whole head tingle as the blunt claws raked across her hidden flesh, creating little trails of electric fire across her head.

Every second Amy's desire built and grew, she literally yanked his trousers down and threw his shoes and socks off with them, leaving only his boxers which actually surprised her, she didn't know that Yautja wore boxers but they looked good on him and by the rather sizable bulge that was straining at the front her efforts were not being wasted in the slightest.

Amy reached up his long legs, trailing her hands along his utterly solid flesh and she reveled in the solid nature of his muscles, hooking her fingers into his waistband she pulled and suddenly found herself fighting against his manhood which had hooked itself into the waistband, she had to resist the urge to tear them from his as her lust and desire burned brightly inside her, but she did not want to risk hurting or Paya forbid, injuring him, so, with a lifting motion she managed to pop it free and like a magician pulling a table cloth his boxers vanished and reappeared in the pile with the rest of his clothes.

Finally Amy's prize was revealed, her husband lay as naked as the day he was born on the bed, he was every bit as beautiful as she'd always dared to dream, a golden skinned Adonis of a man who, for all his strength and raw power, was as gentle as a lamb around her, he lay there naked and flushed, obviously slightly embarrassed by her eyes roaming over him, "Oh, wow, V'Lek you look amazing," she said breathlessly.

"R-Really?" he exclaimed, and her eyes came up to meet him and suddenly it hit her, he was embarrassed, it was obvious he was as unsure of himself as her, it was obvious that he needed reassurance.

"My beautiful husband, you are a work of art made flesh, you have no idea how many hours of pleasure I'm going to take just simply looking at you like this, let alone doing what we're about to do, it's like having my very own tame Angel to ogle," she purred, kissing up his chest 'till she was looking him right in the eyes from only inches away, he stretched out his mandibles to her and she, without a second thought, slipped her face in between them and pressed her lips to his mouth, feeling his spiky teeth pricking her a little but relishing the little sparks these pricks generated.

That's when she suddenly found herself flipped onto her back and the tables turned, their mouths never parted for a single moment, his tongue was still dancing and playing inside her mouth, but when they did part she saw her own desire being mirrored in those bright eyes of his, "It's my turn now, I want to see my bride's true beauty," he growled softly, sending a shiver down her spine, it was such a turn on to be desired by this beautiful male, to feel his desire burning into her through his eyes, he suddenly seemed to realise that he couldn't get into her dress from the front and with a smooth but forceful movement he rolled her over onto her belly so that he could get to the chords.

He began undoing them and she felt her dress becoming looser, little did he know the surprise that waited for him underneath, two surprises to be exact, one of which had been Sela's idea, the other had been hers, she could feel his strong fingers trembling but they worked diligently to unthread her and soon enough he'd undone it all the way to her hips, she felt his large knees on either side of her hips and he straddled her to reach forwards to grip her shoulders, subconsciously her ass came up off the bed to bump his crotch and she instantly felt his hot, throbbing shaft rubbing against her even through the two layers of cloth, sending flurries of electric burning tingles chasing each other into her loins and up her spine.

His strong hands began to peel her dress down her shoulders, peeling it all the way down to her waist before shimmying back down the bed and pulling it clear of her body and she heard his breath catch in his throat and chest as he got his first glimpse at what she'd been hiding underneath, she glanced over his shoulder to see the frozen look of surprise on his face, she wiggled her rear end at him and saw him swallow hard, "You like them? I had them made just for you, these are for your eyes only, my sweet hunter," she purred as his eyes roamed down over the lacy black lingerie that she was wearing, which given the bottoms were a thong type were really showing her off right now.

"Oh, wow," he breathed, and his mandibles clicked in that way they did when he was happy and he liked something, Amy had spent more than enough time growing up around Yautja to know what all the clicks and chirps they made with their mandibles meant, hell, if you didn't know when to hide when you heard Tik making angry clicking that kinda sounded like a ticking clock counting down to a bomb going off then you were as good as dead.

So she knew happy clicking when she heard it and those clicks were very happy, suddenly she felt his hands run up her back from her hips all the way up the cleft of her spine, making her back arch in pleasure, he felt his fingers tremble slightly as they tried to figure out her bra clasps but he got them undone easy enough and he pulled it from under her but in order to tease him a little she pressed her chest flat to the bed, she wasn't exactly large up top, compared to one of those Yautja girls it was like having two peas on a plank, her boobs were a C cup but when you were up against double F's you were holding a losing hand unless your guy liked smaller, which seemed to be the case with V'Lek given he'd fallen for her after all.

She felt his hands rub slowly down her back and given they were big enough to reach from one side of her back to the other by putting them heel to heel in the middle it was an incredible sensation, his huge hands utterly encased her rear and the explosion of pleasure that burst for her as someone touched her sexually for the very first time stole her breath from her lungs, his hands continued down her legs to her ankles and it took her a moment to realise that he'd taken her underwear with them, now she was as naked as the day she was born.

Slowly she rolled over on her back and lay smiling at him, waiting for him to notice her other surprise, his bright eyes roamed down her body and he just kept repeating, "Oh, wow," over and over as his eyes drank in every inch of her and then he stopped dead.

"Wait, is that my family crest?" he exclaimed, and she grinned as she glanced down her body at her dyed white pubic hair, which she had shaved into the symbol for V'Lek's family crest, her smile widened.

"Look a little closer," she purred, spreading her legs for him and feeling her heart racing as he leaned down so close to her womanhood that she could feel his hot breath washing over her sensitive feminine flesh, "Wait, that's my name written in Yautja underneath! How did you manage this!?" He exclaimed.

"With a lot of practice and a precision hair removing laser, Citrus and Yoshi's hive patent pending," she said with a grin, and his eyes came up to meet hers so full of questions but also swimming with love.

"I wanted you to be under no illusions of who I belong to now, V'Lek, I love you, my beautiful golden skinned hunk of hunter and I always will, now, get that cute golden ass of yours over here and claim the prize you worked so hard and waited so long for, because tonight and everynight I am yours and only yours," she said, gripping his dreadlocks and gently but forcefully pulling him down to her so he was laid atop her and the pair locked into a deep, passionate kiss.

It was strange, despite the fact that neither of them had a utter clue what they were doing it was like the most natural thing in the world for them both, it was like a thing of pure instinct taking over them, V'Lek began to purr and nip her neck and shoulder with his mandible tusks, each sharp nip sent jolt after jolt of electric pleasure though her, then she moved his way down her body, planting the same type of kisses and nips all over her, stopping to utterly draw her entire breast into his mandibles where he coiled his tongue around her solid bullet like nipple which short circuited her brain and her senses.

His long, flexible tongue coiled around it and covered it in his hot saliva before very, very gently nipping it with those spiky little teeth, making her brain feel like it had fireworks going off inside it, she'd never even dared to dream that it would all feel this good, no wonder Tik made such noises when she and Jack were alone, it was like humans and Yautja were perfectly made for one another, his kisses moved further down her body and after circling her belly button with his tongue he arrived at his destination and suddenly a thought occured to her, she wanted to share this experience with him, not just experience it on her own.

"Wait, V'Lek," she said, sitting up suddenly and his eyes looked startled.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, and she beamed at him.

"Not at all, my sweet husband, I just want this to be something to share for both of us to enjoy, I know what you're planning, trust me, I know what you have in mind as I recognise somone's who's been told about the thing we humans like to do for the ones we love, Sela or Ryan?" she asked, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Ryan," he admitted, and she grinned.

"Did he also tell you that there's away to share it?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Then let me show you, here, lay down for me, my sweet one," Amy said, guiding him down onto his back again and this time she mounted him, turning towards the bottom of the bed facing his feet.

"How's the view?" she purred softly as she saw him staring at her ass.

"Utterly sublime," he purred, nipping her buttocks with his tusks and making her squeal.

She wiggled backwards and he found himself face to face with her crotch, just as she was now face to face with his and now she had a very close up view of his most sacred treasure, all seven inches of it, it was beautiful and gold, just like the rest of him, she reached out and very gently took it in her hand, feeling it pulsing and throbbing in her hand, she utterly adored the feeling and trust being placed in her right now, he was leaving himself utterly vulnerable to her and she loved it.

She reached her face down low and she ran it along her cheek, relishing the smoothness of it compared to the rest of his skin, she took a deep breath and took in a lungful of his spicy scent, letting it fill her up, but she wanted more than his scent to fill her up, she wanted his taste filling her brain too.

She lowered her face even further and ran her tongue up over his burning flesh and the taste overwhelmed her, she wanted it, yearned for it, ached for it, and she couldn't take another baby step, she was fucking jumping, so, with a big, deep breath, she opened up her mouth as wide as it would go and plunged every inch of his manhood that would fit inside.

The squeal that escaped from V'Lek was the cutest thing she'd ever heard, though only moments later she found herself doing the exact same thing as she felt something hot and slimy worming its way between her folds before entering her and actually tasting and swirling around inside her, sending lightning bolts of pleasure through her body, it appeared that V'Lek had turned his head at an angle and now had two of his mandibles on her buttocks and the other two on her pelvis.

It caused her to tighten her mouth on him as his whole manhood began twitching and pulsing as her tongue made contact with all the super sensitive nerves in the tapered tip, she got the feeling that despite not having been going very long he was already close to his release and to be fair she couldn't say she blamed him, if what he was feeling was only half as good as what he was making her feel right now with that long thin tongue of his seemingly determined to taste every single millimeter of her insides then it was utterly understandable because she was in utter heaven, a truth she realized only moments later when the most powerful orgasm she had ever imagined exploded inside her like a nuclear bomb going off in her loins.

It seemed that the flood of her juices over his tongue sent him over the edge because only moments later Amy's mouth was flooded with his seed as a muffled howl exploded into her loins, threatening to bounce her into a secondary orgasm and triggering her swallowing instinct, making her gulp down every single drop of his seed.

The taste radiated masculinity into her and made her crave it even more, despite her head spinning and her muscles feeling like they were made out of jellified wet noodles Amy summoned every bit of her strength and pulled her hind quarters from the make shift clamp made from V'Lek's mandibles and his tongue pulled from its nest inside her with a sticky pop noise and he laid flat and spun on his body so she was facing him, before he had time to retract his tongue and close his mandibles she jammed her face into the gap and slammed her tongue into his mouth, both of them tasted their own essences but it just seemed to spur their passions even brighter and hotter.

When they broke the flush on V'Lek's face was utterly divine, it just seemed to make the gold of his cheeks deepen to the point where it looked like it was made of liquid, so rich and pure, just like his beautiful heart, she nuzzled his cheek, wanting to be so utterly close to him, "I need you so badly, my husband, I want my male, the one just for me tonight," she purred softly, and he nipped her shoulder.

"As I want you, my ooman, the one born on a world far away across an ocean of stars and brought here just for me to love and need, an ebony goddess sent to me to make my life complete," he said, and her heart felt like a balloon swelling in her chest with pure love, she couldn't hold it a single second longer, without saying another word she reached between her legs and gripped him and using her hand and her groin in two distinct stroking, grinding motions she pumped his blood back into his member, swelling it back to working form, before lifting herself and with one swift move plunging every single inch of him into her depths.

Pain seared her brain as his manhood broke her hymen and his mass stretched her flesh but Amy grit her teeth and held her breath, "Holy shit!" V'Lek exclaimed as her tight, sopping, liquid like flesh swallowed him and gripped him then he saw her pain and instantly his surprise turned to concern.

"Are you alright, Amy?" he said, moving to sit up but she pushed him back down and held firm.

"I-I'm ok, it was just a shock is all, I knew it would hurt the first time, but I want this, V'Lek, I need this, I want and need you and any pain is worth it to prove my love to my husband," she said softly, feeling him pull her into his arms and lay her against his chest, suddenly it was like his heart beat was both mirrored inside and outside her, she heard it and a millisecond later felt it throb through his manhood through super sensitive flesh, it was like it simply melted the pain away and replaced it with pure pleasure that was so intense and raw that it swamped her mind, that's when her hips gained a mind of their own and began to bounce on him, drawing him out before forcing him back in, his body responded in ernest and began to match her, syncing up a rythm with hers and before either of them even knew it they were making pure, sweet love.

It was like their bodies were on auto pilot and they were just along for the ride, both utterly bathing in the pure sweet pleasure of the other, V'Lek's sweet moans were pure music to Amy's ears as each and every one signaled that she was giving her most beloved one the pleasure that he so richly deserved and by the way he responded with a little flurry or a beautiful squeeze on either her shoulder or her rear when she did it told her he was reveling in her pleasure the same, but after only an hour of the slowest sweetest love that they could muster the pair of them could hold on no longer, exhausted and bathed in the others sweat an explosion of epic proportions tore through the pair of them and with a shriek Amy arched her back as she felt her insides flooding with hot liquid silk and her insides clamped down so tightly on him, trying desperately to draw and keep every single drop that she'd earned, it was like nothing either of them had ever even dared to dream of.

It was only when they woke up in exactly the same position as last night and V'Lek was still buried inside her despite now being soft and unerect but her muscles had refused point blank to let him escape and due to the little ridges on his flesh had managed to hold him in that the pair of them realized that the orgasm had been so powerful it had knocked them both clean out.

"Good morning, Mrs. Goldenheart, did you sleep well?" V'Lek asked softly, stroking her sleepy face with his big hand.

"I don't think I've ever slept that well in my entire life, you seriously drained me," she said, smiling and nuzzling his hand.

"I think technically you drained me," he said with a soft chuckle, and she grinned and kissed each of his golden mandibles in turn before laying her head down on his chest and listening to his thumping heartbeat, she had never been so happy in her life.

And it was only going to get better for them both, granted, they had to endure a lot of ribbing about their wedding night antics from Tik and from Kamara but their wedded bliss only grew stronger as they endured it.

In fact, it was only two years after that first night that Amy gave birth to the first of their children, a pair of perfect hybrid twin girls, who were joined a year after that by another set of twins, this time boys, so Amy was both an engineer and full time mom, it was utterly exhausting but utterly gratifying, she and V'Lek took it in turns to work, that was the best thing about the Guardian Core, the equality, Tik utterly insisted on her Hunters being the very best parents they could be, so every day they worked the next day they would take off and their spouse would work at their job so that parent could be with their cubs, all in all, Amy and V'Lek had ten children over the two hundred years they were together, before disaster struck.

A deployment of the hunters fighting in the border wars on the side of their allies, the Serpentinus and the Raptorians, had been ambushed, Hunter one had been deployed to rescue them and the civilians they were protecting, V'Lek had died like he had lived, shielding the innocent from harm.

Amy still remembered the look on Tik eleth's face as she came down the loading ramp with four other hunters carrying the casket and Amy just knew, instantly in that moment she knew that the knot that had been winding itself up like a snake in her belly and around her heart had been trying to warn her, her beautiful husband, the fire that lit her heart and soul was gone.

Amy cried for three months solid, the funeral was utterly beautiful and he was laid to rest before Paya with full honors of the whole clan and he wasn't the only one of course, both Tik eleth and Kamara swore vengeance on the culprits of their loss, as did Jack Mason, in fact, he was the one who got it, he led a team of Seekers right into the heart of the Scalathor homeworld during a covert operation and from what witnesses described, performed the biggest soul summoning in history, he unleashed the pain, injustice and pure furious vengeance of the millions that had been killed by the brutal regime over the years upon them, fueled by the hatred and rage that had hit him at his adopted daughter's pain and the loss of one of his own, it took four Soul Knights with him at its centre but they together amplified his power to incredible levels and those angry souls took that power and used it, they utterly destroyed the Scalathor military and Royal family.

But that's a story for another time and another place, what mattered is they did exactly what they swore to do, they avenged the dead, every single one of them, her beloved V'Lek included, this brought great joy to both the Serpentinus and Raptorian embacies on the homeworld of Clan Mason, but honestly, if it hadn't been for her beloved children and of course her little Boo Amy didn't think she could have made it through to see it happen.

Amy never took another husband or even lover as long as she lived despite some people trying to convince her, like some of her new Raptorian friends, they didn't utterly understand that even now her love for her beloved golden male had never faded, not even a little, she could not and would not betray his memory.

But when her time came it was a decision that she did not regret a single bit, because that dedication and loyalty earned her place at his side, as she watched herself laying on her death bed with Boo curled up in her cold dead hand making the most pitiful sounds of pure grief and loss she'd ever heard him make a big hand appeared on her shoulder, "Don't fear, little one, he's earned his place with us a hundred times over, when his time comes and trust me when I say it will come, one day he will walk our gardens, a true hero and beloved friend, forever hunting the mice of the eternal hunt, now, come along, little one, someone has been waiting patiently for you for a very long time," Paya said, but before she was able to leave she had to give both Jack and Ryan one last hug.

"We'll see you again someday, but know this, we were always proud of you, both of you, we'll love and miss you always, I love you, my daughter," Jack said, his voice cracking as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I love you too, daddy," Amy said, and with that she was gone.

But that's when she saw him, standing tall, proud, and every bit as beautiful as the day she'd first laid eyes on him, her V'Lek had waited patiently for her all these centuries, but the moment he laid eyes on her the huge Yautja broke into a full on sprint and swept her up into his arms, "I've missed you so much, my beloved one, I'm so sorry I left you," she said, his voice broken by both joy and sorrow in equal measure.

"I've missed you too, my love, and I'm never going anywhere ever again, I'm never leaving you out of my sight again, you just can't be trusted not to go running off to paradise on your own," she said, and V'Lek roared with laughter as he squeezed her tightly.

"Got all the paradise I'll ever need right here in my arms," he said, and with that he kissed his wife like he'd never let her go again, because truly he wouldn't, now his service was complete and his rest could truly begin, because now he had what made his paradise complete, he had his heart back.