Page 27 of A Monster's Light
“Great! You’re open-minded. You’ll catch on quick,” Julie said. “Come, let’s give you the grand tour.”
I wondered if I should tell them about my time with Gnnar, but they were already excitedly showing me around thestronghold, which was a lot larger than I thought it would be. For some reason, I thought it would be a small hideout, but the stronghold was huge. Definitely a lot larger than what it looked like on the outside.
The stronghold was divided into six sections, each one representing one of the six warships that settled in Vokira. Each section contained living quarters for the warriors and separate dorms for the women, though mated women usually stayed with their mates. Originally, the crew of each warship had their own kitchen and mess halls, but ever since the human women arrived, they turned some of the cafeterias into hobby rooms, keeping only the largest one, plus the Great Hall for special occasions. They did keep all six kitchens though.
Every once in a while, something in my peripheral vision caught my attention but was gone again when I looked. I couldn’t wait until the kukees or cookis—she’d used both spellings depending on who was speaking—got used to me. I wanted one in my shirt too.
I had a hamster once. Mr. Snuggles was the only imported Earth animal Mom and I could afford, even with the large sum we got from Dad’s settlement. All native animals were considered pests at Nova Vita and weren’t allowed to be kept as pets.
They showed me the women’s dormitory in one of the sections.
“This is where I am,” Julie said. “They’re putting you in here with me. Any bed without a name tag is fair game. You can claim one later.”
Eventually, we stopped in front of a set of double doors. “And out here are the training areas.”
The door opened out into a gorgeous valley surrounded by stoic peaks. The trees were heavy with springtime blossoms, and a warm breeze brought their fragrance to my nose. There was the swimming pond I’d seen in the photo, and beyond that was a large, multi-level jungle gym that beckoned me to embrace my inner child and play.
But my eyes were on the two Kadrixans circling each other in a makeshift fighting ring. They had several female spectators as they punched, kicked, and swiped at each other, sometimes taking into the air but never leaving the circle.
The two Kadrixan males in the ring were really going at it. It looked terrifying, and if the women watching weren’t so calm, I’d have thought they were actually fighting.
“It’s a little more violent than usual,” Penelope said, following my gaze. “It’s not always like this, I promise. The rut is starting, and things get a little crazy.”
“Yeah. I know. The rut hit Gnnar when we were on the run. That’s why we were hiding in the badlands.”
“Oh! I didn’t know that. For some reason, I thought…” Penelope shook her head. “Never mind what I thought. So you’ve already spent part of a rut with Gnnar. I should probably give you the heads-up now before things get messy. You don’t have to participate in the rut if you don’t want to. It’s not a prerequisite for staying here.”
“Yeah, no pressure. You can stay in the women’s quarters during the rut if you prefer or head over to Ellaston.” Julie grinned conspiratorially and wagged her brows. “Or you can join the dark side and have the time of your life. Come on, I know you’re not… chicken! Bok bok!”
“Julie!” Penelope gasped, nudging my longtime friend with her elbow. “You can’t do that!”
“Pshh! Dana and I go way back. I was there for all her ‘bad decisions.’ At least these Kadrixan warriors won’t leave her disappointed.”
I eyed the huge, musclebound warriors who were training with each other. Each one was hotter than the next. But for some reason, I wasn’t interested. They weren’t Gnnar.
“Maybe I can spend the rest of it with Gnnar,” I said honestly. “I hope he’s okay.”
Penelope and Julie exchanged a look.
“What?” I asked.
“You said Gnnar started his rut when you were together. When did it happen?”
“Like, the first day.”
They exchanged another look.
“What?” I put my hands on my hips. “Spit it out.”
“Okay, so we have some rules here about the rut, some to keep peace and some to prevent… future difficult situations. It’s all in the welcome guide Tasha’s putting together for you, but I guess we’re doing a crash course now. Because of the hormones, we try not to stay with any of the warriors for more than one night at a time during the rut. Heartbreak is a real danger since those hormones mimic and encourage feelings of love.”
Something heavy started to settle on my chest as I remembered that feeling of completeness I’d felt with Gnnar during our time together. It had felt so important. So real. Had that all been just his pheromones playing tricks on me?
“Yeah,” Julie said, nodding. “Falling in love with a warrior who finds his mate in someone else is a recipe for disaster. To avoid conflict, we even have a rule that whatever happens in past ruts, stays in past ruts once a warrior finds his one and only.”
“Oh.”
“If you want to stay in the rut, you should follow that rule of thumb.” Julie held the next door open for me. “You don’t want to fall for Gnnar only to have him break your heart.”
