Page 25 of Sweet Giant

An hour passed and my nerves increased.

But wasn’t this what I’d wanted? For him to leave me alone? For him to give up on the idea that we were fated mates?

I sighed and returned to the kitchen. After making a pot of coffee, I poured myself a cup and leaned against the counter, trying to calm my racing thoughts. My gaze fell to a small woven basket that rested on the table. I hadn’t noticed it before. It was brimming with freshly picked pokklam berries that held a yellow glow.

His thoughtfulness caused warmth to spread through me. He’d gone out in the blizzard to gather breakfast for me, even though there were plenty of things in the kitchen I could’ve eaten. I couldn’t fathom why he’d ventured into the blizzard a second time.

The truth was, I missed him. And I was worried about him.

For the first time since Mastorr’s arrival, I turned on the television in the living room. I didn’t have a phone or another handheld tablet I might use to check the news or weather, but I quickly found a station that covered this area of the country.

Hm. Looked like the snow would let up in about two days. As for the news, the world was still on fire. The station flashed images and video clips of the numerous wars that were raging, as well as the increasing unrest that plagued the United States. Many US cities had fallen to so-called rebels, while the government struggled to maintain order in other places.

A video of Vaxxlian cruisers descending upon various cities played next, the alien warriors coming in peace to collect their human mail order brides.More and more women from all around the world are signing up for the Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides program. The spike in sign-ups correlates with rising food prices, social unrest, and high unemployment rates.

My stomach flipped. At the Conrad Street house, Frankie had suggested I sign up for VAMOB instead of hiding out in the general’s cabin. Her words replayed in my head.Married women aren’t allowed to sign up, but you can do so under a fake name. No one would ever know. You’ll be safer if you leave Earth.

I’d politely refused her offer, insisting that I couldn’t pledge myself to a complete stranger just to escape Mountain. Vaxxlians, much like Montikaans, mated for life.

At the time, I couldn’t fathom making such a commitment.

At the time…

Finally, Seattle’s skyline flashed on the screen. I tensed and hovered on the edge of my seat, gripping the coffee cup between both hands.

I held my breath as a bored looking news anchor announced the most recent developments.

The latest negotiations with rebels have broken down.

It’s been confirmed that more than one hundred US soldiers perished in yesterday’s rebel attack on the southern border of the city.

A new curfew of seven p.m. has been issued. Violators will be shot on sight.

The city remains in lockdown with the borders closed. Only US soldiers and government officials are permitted to come and go.

A bounty of fifty-four thousand galactic credits has been placed on General Remington’s head. Furthermore, a bounty of sixteen hundred galactic credits has been placed on any known rebel’s head.

Holy shit. The bounties would encourage regular citizens to go after the rebels. With resources becoming more scarce, people were becoming more desperate than ever. A few hundred extra galactic credits could make all the difference for a family’s survival.

My spirits sank as I wondered how many rebels would perish. I wanted the fighting to end, but not like this. I’d seen atrocities committed on both sides, but I’d spent more time around the rebels, and I understood their desire for freedom.

Well, it sounded like the general probably had more urgent matters to attend to than worrying about some random woman he’d helped at his wife’s request. I was lucky he’d been able to offer me as much assistance as he had. Even if I managed to contact him anytime soon, I doubted he would have the time or resources to spare to help me.

Not with such a high bounty on his head.

Hell, fifty-four thousand galactic credits could easily tempt one of his rebel soldiers or advisors into betraying him. A shiver rushed over me as I wondered if the same person who’d given up my whereabouts to Mountain would turn the general over to the US government. With that sort of money, you could book passage off Earth and never look back.

I downed the rest of my coffee and set the cup aside, then walked to the window. I squinted at the blizzard, trying to catch a glimpse of brown-silver fur through the endless white.

Maybe the storm had gotten worse while Mastorr was out and had taken him by surprise. Maybe he would have to hunker down somewhere for a day or two before he could return.

But what if he’d gotten injured? What if he needed my help?

I glanced at the rack near the front door that held my coat, hat, and gloves. My snow boots (well, they weren’t really mine, but I’d found them in a closet and adopted them) sat on the floor nearby. There was a pair of snow pants hanging in the laundry room too.

If I wore layers and suited up, I could maybe last an hour outside. Hm. Was I overestimating that number? I didn’t have much experience with the great outdoors, particularly in this part of the Cascades during winter. The howling wind was battering the cabin. For all I knew, I’d start to freeze after just ten minutes.

It was at this precise moment that the solar powered heater gave out. The warm air coming through the vents suddenly ceased, and a few seconds later, the control panel in the hallway started beeping. Ugh. Time to fire up the woodstove.

---