“Really?” Jutuk seemed truly surprised. “You seem tiny to me.”
“I expect a lot of people seem tiny to you,” I snort-giggled.
“True.” Jutuk grinned. “Were your parents disappointed because you are tall?”
“More like disappointed I didn’t do anything with it.” I rolled onto my back so Jutuk couldn’t see the emotions I knew roamed my face. “My father wanted me to play sports, but I’m not coordinated enough for that. My mother thought I was tall enough to be a fashion model, but I wasn’t thin or pretty enough.”
A low, deep growl preceded his words. “That is ridiculous. You are one of the most graceful, beautiful females I have ever met.”
“Wow,” I breathed, his words flowing over me like spicy honey.
Somehow, my initial dislike of Jutuk had dissipated, replaced by a growing fondness. I couldn’t help but respond to his kind, protective nature, and I couldn’t ignore the fact he behaved like a perfect gentleman. His body stretched out across the floor was an impressive sight—seven feet of rippling muscles under a tan pelt that looked and felt like velvet. And those golden eyes seemed to hold a world of promises and secretswithin them. Despite the innate knowledge that I should resist. I couldn’t help feeling drawn to him more and more.
I really liked Jutuk… which might be a huge freaking problem.
Chapter 6 – Jutuk
The shuttle moved during the night, leaving behind the lush green forests, and entering a barren desert landscape. Towering rock faces loomed in the distance, creating a rugged backdrop as the skiff glided along, a small speck against the vast expanse of desert soil.
“It looks like an ostrich with bigger wings and creepy tyrannosaur arms.” Pearl frowned at the screen.
“Struzzi are vicious creatures with razor-sharp beaks and claws,” I spoke from experience. I’d come across the beasts once before during my time studying to be a Wayfinder. “If we can find the nesting area, it will be easier to kill one.”
“Can they fly?” Pearl’s eyes drifted toward the heavens.
“Yes. But the struzzi cannot gain altitude due to its weight.” I gestured to the rock face on our starboard side. “They cannot fly much higher than the cliffs.”
Pearl considered the information with pursed lips, letting her gaze roam over the landscape. “I wonder why none of the other contestants came this way.”
“It is better if we find our own hunting ground,” I said without explaining that I had purposefully chosen a route away from the others, as always letting my inner compass choose the path. “Killing a struzzi will be hard enough without having to fight the others for it.”
I guided the skiff into a hidden alcove nestled within a dense copse of trees. The perfect cover from prying eyes. We would need to traverse the few hundred meters to the rockface on foot. I gathered up the protein bars pilfered from this morning’s breakfast and a couple of containers of water before exiting the skiff.
Pearl stood in a small patch of half dried grass, spinning as she took in our surroundings, her face awash with delight. She wore her leathers again today. The supple fabric hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating every step she took and transforming it into a graceful dance. Last night, while she slept, I’d meticulously cleaned any remaining traces of gore left behind from the behia butchering session. I wanted her to feel comfortable for today’s challenge.
As we made our way up a slight incline, the trees thinned out, revealing the towering rock face ahead. Its jagged edges jutted out like fangs, casting long shadows on the ground below.
“This reminds me of the hike when my friends and I got abducted.” Pearl stood, hands on hips, as she surveyed the escarpment, full lips drawn into a tight line. She worried for her friends, and suddenly, easing that worry became the most important thing in the universe.
“The other human females aboard the Bardaga are well and happy,” I insisted, enjoying the way the corners of her lips tilted upward. What I didn’t mention was that part of their happiness stemmed from each taking one of my brethren as a mate. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t know how I felt about it… not yet. I didn’t understand why my heartbeat quickened when I considered Pearl and mating. She was strong, opinionated, feisty, stubborn, and determined… none of the qualities I’d ever regarded as attractive in a female. Yet I couldn’t deny that I found Pearl beautiful and appealing.
Of course, unlike my sister, I was unwilling to settle. If I mated, I wanted a true mating, like my parents. A mating blessed by the goddess Valana. Something I could never experience with a human. Still, it was impossible to stop fromtaking her arm as we walked along, nor could I quell the way my blood grew hotter when she turned to me and smiled.
“What exactly am I looking for?” Pearl asked, gazing upward. The craggy rock face stood tall and jagged, its rough surface covered in layers of weathered and worn stone. Sharp edges and steep crevices lined the face, giving the appearance of a menacingly fanged creature—much like the one we hunted.
“Dried grasses and other signs of nesting,” I told her, my gaze darting along the rocky surface.
“We’re going to have to climb, aren’t we?” Pearl asked with an aggravated huff.
“I could carry you,” I offered.
“Don’t offer unless you mean it,” she retorted, poking me in the side with her elbow.
Pearl’s bright blue gaze fixed on me, her lips curving into a smile that made me feel as though I basked in warm sunlight. But suddenly, her expression changed, eyes widening with fear, which caused a chill to shiver down my spine along with a flash of ire that something would dare frighten her.
A massive struzzi, its powerful wings flapping and black eyes blazing, burst from the tangled undergrowth. The ground shook beneath its stomping feet as it charged toward us, fierce and angry.
Very, very angry.
