Page 24 of The Death Striker's Partner
“But this is my nest and you are female. If I am not lacking, then why would you tend to the nest?”He hissed and snarled in such a way that I thought I’d really pissed him off. Tumva is one scary mother fucker when he’s angry. I can see why everyone stays away from the massive midnight serpent. He’s never shown me his fangs, but in that moment I thought I was going to.“It is my place to care for you. If you tend to the nest, that is because I have failed to do so.”His anger vanished and that loneliness returned to his eyes to grip me by the heart.“Iam…new to having someone to…please Hannah? Whatever I’m doing wrong, please tell me so I can do better. Don’t…”
I stood up and put my hands on my hips to frown at the front door. We both knew that he was going to say don’tleave.It was shortly after that conversation that Tumva admitted to me that he had lived his entire life alone. That he was a kind of Ucfeni called a Death Striker. His ancestors ate other Ucfeni and their venom was the most poisonous on all of Thelia. It explained a lot. Everyone at the pit shunned him. Ucfeni in the streets practically threw themselves to their bellies to slither away from his presence.
I thought it was impressive that faced with all that hate, he managed to get himself off the streets and into a uniform. He has his own place, a career, and he serves society. Even if they willneverthank him for it. I could tell that Tumva had fearedmyreaction. He was this big muscly guy, and he was braced for impact from a tiny little thing like me? wow. I mean I told him off for waiting two weeks to tell me all of this…but then I handed over the laundry we’d been arguing over and told him not to mix the light and dark colours together this time. I can still remember him coiling around me that night as we ‘nested-down’ and him whispering ‘thank you’ to me before we went to sleep.
It was still pretty weird for me to let someoneelsedo everythingfor me,but I see now that it’s not for me. It’s for Tumva, weirdly. It’s normal for Ucfeni nest mates to have the male tend to the nest. He sees it as a failure if I try and do anything, as an insult to his ability to provide for me. I just didn’t want him thinking I was a slob or that I was taking advantage of him. I’m prepared to respect cultural differences. Besides, he clearly needs it. I can’timaginebeing alone my whole life. I’ve always had Billie. In fact, I was terrified ofnothaving her when Izule claimed her as his charge at the dumpster fire that was the pairing party a month ago. I’ve missed my sister every day, andit hurt so much when she was upset with me on the com-call. I don’t know how I upset her, and I wasn’t the one who took care of her.
“No, you don’t need to support me. I don’t need you to do that anymore. I-I have Izule now. He’s taking care of me, and I earn a lot of money from Allico Inc. I don’t need you to support me anymore.”
She said she doesn’t need me. I felt lost and hurt in that moment. And then Tumva was there. His hands braced on the bean bag and his bottomless black eyes stared into my soul. He didn’t pretend to have the answers. He even offered me comfort. But what I needed was a distraction and he gave me that in abundance. I am not used to someone else taking care of me…but…it’s not so bad. It’s nice, actually, to wake up and see my clothes ready for me on my new chest of draws. To not have to think about going shopping or any of the chores for that matter. He even polishes my boots and our helmets together.
I don’t mind, because I can see that letting him take care of me is the best way I can take care of him. Oh, and some occasional hazing is also in order. He iswaytoo tightly wound up and it’s so funny to taunt him. Sometimes he asks me questions and I can’t help but mess with him. Tumva asked me what my weight was, for a kind of harness for his back, but I couldnotresist.
“Tumva?! Don’t ask a lady her weight!”
“…but I need to know for the harness Hannah? If I don’t ask you then I could purchase the wrong-”He tends to catch on that I’m teasing him when I start to snort and snicker.
“Drop me Tumva, and I will be very pissed.”
“I would never drop you! That’s why I’ve purchased a harness to-”
Snort.
I can’t help it. He’s so easy to tease. On the job he seems to like my sarcastic tendencies. We are always at the back of whatever briefing Ezid is giving, because no one wants to be near the Death Striker. WhichmeansI can whisper up at the big guy some choice quips. I see him tense and his lips purse together as he refuses to laugh, but I see the sparkles in his eyes.
My teasing is usually very tame…but three days ago…something happened at work that has forever tainted how I look at not just the Ucfeni, but Tumva. Thus, why I decided to suck on the end of a phallic-shaped fruit with a straight face to psych him out.
I still can’t get my head around the fact that Thelia has a thriving, but illegal, porn industry. The most recent addition to the fetishes their customers are craving, is Xeno-porn. That wassome evidenceI had to help catalog…and I hope we found enough clues for the digital deep dive to use to locate and arrest the ones behind it.
I push the porn out of my mind for what won’t be the first time today and step outside to find Tumva is already wearing the harness to allow him to carry me at speed through the streets. I chuckle as he chides me for making us late, again, and climb up his back to sit in the harness. My arms go around his neck and I smirk at the way he clears his throat, before leaning forward to head towards the pit.
Chapter 22
Oh there’s going to be so much paperwork after this one.
Hannah.
“It doesn’t seem fair, that’s all.” I grumble from my position in the travel harness on Tumva’s back. We’re both dressed in our black Peacekeeper uniform and on our way to the pit. I was excited about my first patrol as a ‘real’ Peacekeeper, but then I found out it was on the biggest festival of the Thelian calendar. As we head in the opposite direction to everyone else I look at their beautiful colours. It’s like we’re making our way down the street of Brazil during Carnival, or New Orleans during Mardi gras. “Everyone else seems to be heading out to party, andweare going to work.”
“Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think more or less Peacekeepers are required when all of Orna are going to drink, party, and surrender to their hormonal drives to compete for mates?” I pouted and pressed my forehead to his left shoulder with a groan. “Exactly.” His deep jazzy voice rumbled through him and into me, but it did nothing to lessen my frustration. “It is our duty to protect the general public, including from themselves.” He sneered and finally found an access spire leading down towards the pits below. “Hold on.” I do, of course, and I’m used to the sensation of hurtling downward and coiling down around these spires by now. Short distances I can manage without my stomach-turning.It’s easier now he has a human harness for me to sit on his back. Descending into the 21st pit though? That’s just too far for me, so we use the travel basket for that.
We seamlessly arrive at the travel basket platform and I raise my arms up ready for him to lift me out of the harness. He lowers me to my feet and I take up my position by his right. I walk and he winds towards the basket, and we talk shop. I smile to myself at how normal this all feels for me now. I’ve come a long way from pouring coffees on Earth. I sit on one of the looser coils of his tail and don’t even blink when he slides me closer to him.
“So we are literally the party police today?” I explained to him a while back that police were Earth’s version of peacekeepers, and he nodded to me with a grin.
“Yes.”
“Yay.” I drone and he reaches out to pat the top of my head, tousling my long raven hair. “Where are we patroling anyway? I assume it’s not near where we live?”
“No, it’s common practise to serve in an area far from where you nest. To avoid any confrontation in your downtime.” I shrug, seeing how that would make sense. “Your first patrol isn’t going to be a quiet or easy one, but you will be safe with me Hannah. I promise.”
“Of course I’ll be safe.” I grin up at him. “I’m an excellent shot.” I pat my empty holster which will house a taser once we sign it out of the weapons locker. Tumva lifted his chin and his fathomless black eyes roll at me, before he puts his hand on my head to playfully bow me forward. “A-and my amazing partner is badass, so no one will get close!” He huffs and releases my head. I pout up at him but I can’t hold it. I chuckle at the grin on his face. “Ofcourseyou’ll keep me safe. You watch my back and I’ll watch yours. Partner.” His grin turned into a smile and I swear I can see something twinkle in his dark eyes. I savour themoment as from the moment we leave the travel basket Tumva becomes stoic and hard as black diamonds. It took a while for me to understand why this shift occurred when in front of others. He’s never a big talker, but Tumva is cautiously optimistic with me. Day by day my lonely friend opens up just a little bit more.
Once anyone else is present though, be becomes a fortress of intimidation. Not because he’s being aggressive or threatening, but it’s like he doesn’t have to. His presence alone puts everyone on edge. At first I thought it was because he was black, which really upset me, but there are plenty of other black Ucfeni that don’t get the same treatment as Tumva. It’s because he’s a Death Striker. His venom is the most deadly of all Ucfeni and his ancestors used to predate on other Ucfeni.
