Rivers Run Deep

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Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of the Predator. whatever you don't recognize, is mine however.




Authors Notes: Full Disclaimer at the begining of the first chapter.



Author: Charlotte (jemstone5)

Email: jemstone5

Feedback: Please, yes lots.

Forward to others: would be flattered if you did.

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Rivers Run Deep



Chapter 38



Ver’On wasn’t kidding when he told her that she’d spend most of the mourning period unconscious, though it wasn’t entirely by her choice. Ter’Oth, at Ver’On’s insistence, kept El sedated, while her body healed, and the rest of the clan went about the burial rights of the dead.


Though an Elder, Kire’Baa was not afforded the usual niceties by the clan. Haven been branded a bad blood, his status plummeted, and was simply disarmed, disrobed, and jettisoned into space. Normally he would have been cremated, his ashes sealed in a jar, and placed in a chest with his most lethal of weapons. His remains would have been taken back to the home world, and placed in the hall of ancestors, his story of his honorable life and deeds etched in stone, to be read for all eternity. Such would not be for Kire, and Ver’On was dead set to make sure the old codger got just the dishonorable disposal he deserved.


At the end of the third day, Ver’On sat in the quarters of Kire’s mate, Na’tal, sorting through Kire’s belongings. Much of his armor would remain with Na’tal, she would have to decide what to do with it. His trophies, though few remained after their last trip to the home world, would be sent to the hall of ancestors, and combined with Kire’s father’s trophies, as an unknown son’s honorable hunts, and Kire’s name would be scratched from all the family records. What son’s came from him, would be relisted as adopted by Kire’s father. In time, nothing would remain to dishonor the family. Such were the old ways.


Then there was Na’tal herself. Without a mate, she could not remain on the ship alone. He wanted to place her under his protection, to spare her from retaliation of the rest of the hunters should they suspect she had anything to do with Kire’s activities, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I will join my remaining family on the home world,” she told him. “I’ve wanted to remain there the last trip, but Kire wanted me to come along, said that I still had many breeding years left in me. Though he hardly touched me, so I wonder…”


“Na’tal, don’t think like that. You’re still fairly young. Your dreads are not as grey as Kon’det’s mate’s. You can still have offspring.”


“I’m old, Ver’On. Bearing offspring is for the young. Like you…and El.” The old woman smiled as Ver’On turned away from her. Why was it that sons and daughters always turned away from family, embarrassed, when they spoke of mating and having children? “You realize,” she continued. “You are probably the oldest Male left in the Hur line. You are Elder now, and you can take ritual with El at any time. You don’t have to wait for Gathering anymore.”


“No, but I must wait for her to heal.”


“Heal? What do you mean?”


“El was wounded. She can’t walk, and she can’t use her hands.”


“Will she be alright?”


“In time. I’ve told Ter’Oth to keep her asleep, so that her body can rest. She took my news of killing her brother very hard. She’s not yet forgiven me, and now this. I don’t think we’ll make it to gathering, Na’tal.”


“Nonsense. You’ll be there. And she’ll have many children for you.” Again Ver’On turned away. “Oh, don’t be like that!” she laughed. “El loves you. I saw it in her eyes that night. She’s sad now, yes, but that will pass. Here. I want you to take something to her.” Ver’On followed Na’tal to another room, her sitting area where she entertained her friends. She took the pillows away from the resting bowl by the window, and pulled a panel out of the bottom. Ver’On watched. Why was she hiding…what ever it was that she was going after? “Here…” Na’tal handed Ver’On a wooden box. “Take that to El. She’ll know what to do with it. AH!” She gently slapped his hands away from the clasp. “Don’t you go peaking. It’s a surprise. I made it myself, so no worries about anything hurting her when she opens the box. Go on, off you go. Oh, and take that armor with you. I won’t need it any more.”


“Are you sure?”


“Of course. Normally it would be given to my next mate, but since I had released your grandfather before his exposure, I’ve no right to do anything with it. Take it, use it well. Some of it may even fit M’Pa…how is he by the way?”


Ver’On just gathered the armor and the box, and went to leave.






El remained as quiet as possible. Every time she woke up, Ter’Oth would stick some other medicine in her arm, and back under she’d go. She wanted to stay awake, she needed to find out about M’Pa…and what would become of herself. There was no way that she’d get away with killing an Elder. She heard the doors open and close, and clicks and grunts of greeting.


“I have those results for you,” Ter’Oth stated. “With all that happened recently, I wasn’t able to get around to it till now.” She heard him tap some buttons before he continued. “Oh, don’t worry about her, she’s asleep. Here we are.”


She heard footsteps and chairs being moved. There were low grunts and whispers, but her translator couldn’t pick them up to translate.


“No, no, don’t worry. M’Pa will be fine. He’s rapidly gaining strength now.”


El was relieved. She wanted to turn and look at her Kadji, but if Ter’Oth saw her move, he’d drug her again.


“You were wise to come to me. If we begin treatment now, we can avoid further complications down the road. The mass is benign so there’s no risk of spreading to the rest of your organs.” There was a gentle whisper. “Remove it? Well yes, we can do that, but understand your life will need to drastically change. The operation alone will take one lung. Any activity for a while will weaken you dramatically.”


“I don’t care,” a woman’s voice replied.


“Very well Na’tal. I’ll arrange the surgery at once.”


“Please,” the woman stated, her voice continuing to drift low in volume. “Don’t tell…”


“That’s your choice. Oh…just a minute.” A chair scuffed across the floor, and she felt his hand on her right arm. “Sneaky, El…very sneaky,” he chuckled. “Ver’On wants you to rest.”


“Please, no,” She sighed, opening her eyes to see a needle in his hand. “I will sleep, I promise…”


“Ver’On wants you…”


“All right. But let me go to the bathroom first.”


“All right,” he laughed. “Come on, lean on me.” After finishing, Ter’Oth returned her to her bed. “Now, give me your arm.”


“How is he?” she asked, not letting on how long she’d been awake.


“Too stubborn to die,” he laughed, “Which is good for you. If he keeps improving, he’ll be able to leave in a day or so.”
“And me?”


“About the same. Your body heals best with your medications while you sleep. I’ve two more applications for all your wounds, and you should be fully recovered at about the same time as M’Pa.”


“Ok. Ter’Oth, that lady…” and she noticed the woman was gone. “…is she alright?”


“Don’t worry about that. Here you go…” He injected the sedative into her arm. “Off to sleep. Dream of long matings and many offspring.” She smiled as sleep took her under.


A day, maybe two days later, she woke up to the sound of deep purring right against her neck. She smiled. “I’m awake,” she whispered quietly, quickly wishing she’d remained silent, as the purring left her neck. “No…don’t go anywhere…please.”


“Be still, My’El,” Ver’On stated gently, sliding his hand beneath the covers…AND HER DRESS!


“VER’ON!” she shrieked, “What are you doing?!”


“Exploring what is mine,” he replied, his fingers encompassing her left breast. “mmmm, now I want to see it.”


“Ver’On! I’m just waking up!”


“Exactly. Less resistance.”


“What?!”


“Be still El, I will have what is mine.” She felt the covers pulled away, and the sound of cloth ripping. His tongue slipped from his mouth, and licked from the underside of her breast to her stiffening nipple. She gasped and giggled at the same time, as the sensation of him on her spread like fire through her body. “mmmm, very nice,” he whispered, grasping her other breast.


“Oh god, don’t stop.”


He suddenly laughed. “You believe me to be your deity? I can live with that.”


“Ver’On, wait…please…”


“What?! I finally have the power to decide what happens between us, and you STILL want to wait!?” He rose from her and the bed, and began pacing around the room. “What is it with females?!”


“Ver’On, I want to be sure M’Pa is alright.”


“Do you think if he were dead I would keep that from you?!”


“If it meant you having me now…yes!”


“How dare…!”


“STOP IT!!” They turned to the door of their room to see M’Pa standing there, in just his loin cloth. “You’d think you two were mated for centuries already…” EL pulled the fabric of her dress over her chest, looking for the covers, as Ver’On began to sort through some of his weapons on the side table, securing some in their cases, others in belts and sheaths to be used. “Between you two arguing and the hunters pounding on the door, a male can’t get any sleep.”


Ver’On looked back to El as he gathered his armor. She had an odd look on her face, but he didn’t have time to figure out why. “That is why I wanted to be with you now El. Mourning is over, the Hunt and gathering are back on schedule. I leave today! Now in fact!”


“Ver’On, I’m sorry. I…”


“Say nothing,” he grumbled gently, leaning down and licking her ear, whispering softly before he left, “M’Pa will make you ready.” Then he was gone.


M’Pa moved carefully across the room and sat on the bed. “Are you all right?” he asked.


“All right? M’Pa…I killed someone! I’ll never be all right again!”


“Why?” he asked, a bit perplexed. “Kire was judged by the clan. He was a bad blood. It is the responsibility of every honorable Yautja not to allow the bad blood to escape this ship.”


“But I’m not Yautja. I’m human…I had no right, IN EITHER CULTURE, to kill!”


“Yes you do. As Ver’On’s mate, you do. His honor is earned, as his mate it is your responsibility to help maintain that honor, in whatever way possible. If that means that you kill a bad blood with a weapon he uses, then that is what you do.”


“You don’t get it…I’ve been raised, my whole people have been raised, to know that killing another person is wrong. You go to jail for that, hell in some places, you get killed yourself for that. Now try and figure that one out.”


“Not all bad bloods are killed El,” he explained. “Only those that have done what Kire had done. Even our society, to kill for petty jealousy, hatred, or any number of reasons out side of justice, is wrong. I can no more go out the door and kill the male down the hall and not get punished, than you could do the same on your world. But if I did do that, and I would judged guilty, I would be either put to death, or sent to the prison asteroid at Ran’tok-7, depending on the extent of the premeditation of the killing. Now do you understand?”


“I’m so confused.”


“Time, El,” he said, sliding his hand beneath the covers, and up her leg. “Time will help you.”


“Yeah, well if you don’t remove your hand right quick, time will go fast as you lay flat on your back on one of Ter’Oth’s tables again.” M’Pa looked at her. “I’m not in the mood right now,” she said, sliding out of bed.


“I wouldn’t get up if I were you,” he warned.


“Why not?”


“Your feet may be healed, but the skin still needs to thicken up. You could tear the tissues again.”


“I have to go to the bathroom…”


“I’ll carry you.”


“And hold me on the…I don’t think so…”


“Who do you think I advised Ver’On to do that while you slept here the last two days.”


“WHAT!!”


“Just kidding. It was Ter’Oth who did that. But still…It will need to be done.”


“Oh for crying out loud…all right…just…don’t enjoy yourself.”


“I’m not into that kind of thing.”


“Thank god for small mercies.”


Despite his wounds, recovered or not, M’Pa was still able to lift El without effort and carry her around the room. After a short time to freshen up, and a fresh dress, M’Pa laid her back on the bed, and stretched out beside her. “Ver’On will be gone one…maybe two days. A recon scan of the moon showed a massive creature. The head of it is twice the size of those of its normal species.”


“Is that good?”


“YES! It means that more hunters will take honor in the hunt. The meat is greatly needed for the food stores. Someone misplaced a supply manifest. The ship’s storage rooms are nearly empty. Once the hunters bring in enough meat to restock, we’ll be heading to the planet for gathering. It will be glorious.”


“What?! A bunch of naked bodies rolling around? You’ve got to be joking.”


“You won’t notice it as much,” he purred, taking her healed hands in his. “You’ll be as naked as they, and Ver’On and I will have you screaming in delight, louder than all of them.” El pushed his shoulder with hers, as he carefully examined her hands. “You’ve healed nicely, though the muscles in your hands are a bit weak.”


“I know. I’m out of practice. I need to work on them.”


“And how would you do that?” he asked, scenting her hand and up her arm.


She took her hands from him and grabbed both lower mandibles. “Help me, and you’ll find out.”


“Oool – ach – kay…” he laughed, not wanting her to over stretch his skin as she pulled down, preventing him from using his appendages for proper pronunciation.


“Good,” she said, letting go. “First, keep your hands to yourself. I like you, but I hardly know you…”


“You don’t have to know me, to have me arouse you.”


“Yeah…I do. Now…I need a room…one three times this size, and three times high. Is there anything like that on board?”


“Ah…let me think…The only thing that comes to mind is one of the converted Docking bays. They’ve been converted to refrigerated storage, for storing the meat from hunts.”


“Good. I’ll take one of those. Is one empty?”


“Oh yes. That’s why the Elders have extended the hunt, and sent more teams to other areas of the moon. The ship is nearly out of food. LITERALLY!”


“So there will also be empty sparing rooms?”


“Yes.”


“Good. I’ll need the mats and some poles.”


“What are you doing?” he asked, as she crawled from the bed to the dressing station on her hands and knees.


“I’m going to work on my hands,” she said. ‘Just in case another Elder decides to kill me anyway, for what I did.’ “Are you gona help me or not?”


M’Pa groaned as he made his stiff body move. “I’ll help you. But I won’t be keeping my hands to myself.” He knelt down to her, cupping her breasts softly in his massive hands, and sliding his tongue around and in her ear. Pulling her to his body, he pressed his hips to her back. “Nor any other part of me…” he whispered, pleased at her gasp of surprise when she felt what his loin cloth had hidden.


El lost herself to the same tingly fire spreading in her from, starting at her ear. “Ho!...oh…. WOW…Ver’On, you better come back soon.”


“Not to worry El. You will be more than ready for him,” M’Pa teased. “I am not allowed to mate you before him…but…” he slid his hand beneath her dress, pressing his fingers to her nether region, pushing her garment aside to find the soft moistening flesh it covered. “…I can still make you feel very good…” He laughed gently as her body bucked wildly, his touch finding that one sensitive spot that shot like a heated wave through her body. She moaned against him, begging him not to stop, but her hands were trying to push him off. M’Pa just continued, pressing fingers to soft flesh, circling that one place, then attacking it with gentle ferocity. She moved her hips slightly, trying to trick him into plunging his fingers into her core, but he knew she would try that, and kept moving with her.


Her moans became louder, soon to desperate desired cries. He kept his steady pace on her, even though she wanted him to move faster. Her breath quickening, he dove his tongue into her mouth, at the same time as grasping the tiny nub in his fingers. His jaw was the only thing that kept her form biting off his tongue as she flew off the edge of her sanity.


He released her mouth in mid cry, he wanted to hear her scream with delight. It had been so long that he’d heard an Ooman scream like that, and it was well worth every day of absence. She cried out, screamed even…and he kept the same steady pressure. Hard enough to not let the nub slip away, yet gentle enough that she received the full on slot of his attack. He was good.


“VER’ON!!!”






Ver’On hugged close to the tree, his cloak full on, and several other hunters in the branches around him. Their quarry was close. The scars on the surrounding trees were fresh, and several females of the beast they sought, were around on the ground, far below. Some were pregnant, while others were nursing their young. Ver’On suddenly found himself thinking, yet again about El, and how her body would swell with the life he was bent on putting inside her.


He shifted gently, snapping a piece of bark beneath his foot. He cursed himself right away. The beast they wanted was just coming into the area. It had stopped with it heard the sound. Ver’On nearly cost them the hunt! They were already three days passed due!


Kal’esh gently lowered to his side, without even creaking the branch he was on. He gently shook his shoulder, pointing to the great horned creature, then up…as the hunters above made ready to strike. Ver’On nodded. He watched Kal’s hand signals as he told him the change in plans, due to position and the additional animals. Those above would attack the body and anchor the legs and tails, while the two of them were to leap to the head and get behind the upper horns to make the kill. Their spears were what they’d use, to minimize the fright to the other animals. Once in position, they would lance their spears in the creature’s skull, killing the brain. Again he nodded, silently removing his spear form his leg mount to have it ready. “One more thing,” Kal’s signals said. “STAY QUIET!”


Ver’On turned his attention back to the beast. It had settled, and was scenting one of the younger females. They didn’t want to frighten the pregnant ones. They’d done that already, and lost two hunters to injury, and sent a young blood back to the ship, who’d been killed in a stampede of the beasts during their last attempt to get the huge male.


These things were dangerous, and thrilling to hunt. Through his altered vision he saw some of their hunters move lower, to secure the six legs, and twin tails, while others spread out over the trees around the creature. As preplanned, a handful of native tree nuts were dropped from above to the female’s head. As predicted, she gently moved on, without the male.


The signal went out. NOW!


The hunters below drove their spears through the feet and into the ground, securing vine ropes around each leg and tied to the next as well as to surrounding trees.


Seven hunters, at the same time, came from above, attacking the creature’s sides, to open the head area for Ver’On and Kal. It worked. The pair leapt down, and effortlessly moved up the head, behind the horns. As the beast felt the weight on its cranium, it began to shake its head to dislodge it. Kal almost fell off, if Ver’On hadn’t been dislodged himself, to grab him and a horn, to stay in position.


Once behind the horns, they drew their spears, but could not yet strike. The protective bony plate still covered the kill zone. They needed to get it to lower its head.


Seeing his hunt master in trouble, Rel’ben knew what they needed, he ran to the forward legs and lanced his wrist blades down the creature’s front legs. The head lowered, its massive jaws opening to attack. Rel went to move back, but the creature shifted, knocking the male to the ground, pinning him beneath the elbow of the bent leg. Rel let out a defiant howl, he wasn’t going to die, not without a fight. Then it stopped, and dropped to the ground, Kal and Ver’On’s calls of victory echoing through the trees, chasing the retreating females deeper into the forest.


Back at their camp, Kal signaled the harvester ship to collect the meat of their latest kill, as Ver’On secured his own odd trophy, as well as the great skull of the beast in their transport. The harvester on its way, Kal then signaled the colony ships of the success they’d had and that they were returning for gathering. The communications centers sent an acknowledgement, the Kesh-Ma-Hur ship signaling that all food stores had been replenished and that they looked forward to their return.


Kal sat down next to Ver’on, as he cleaned his spear. “Grand hunt today,” he said. Ver’On just grunted a thank you. “What happened out there? You’d given away your position for the third time in two days. Are you well?”


“I’m fine,” he scoffed. “My thoughts have been drifting lately.”


“Dangerous to have on a hunt,” Kal mused, inspecting the cleaning Ver’On had done on his blades set at his side. “What do your thoughts turn to?” Ver’On just hissed a gentle warning. He considered no one worthy of asking about El, not after what she’d been put through. Though Kal seemed a friend, he wasn’t about to let anyone sneak around the subject and belittle her in her absence. “I see,” he sighed, putting the blades down. “Gathering is always a special time, be it out here, or on the home world. Is this your first gathering?”


“No, my seventh. But it will be El’s first, her first for a lot of things.”


“So Zon has told me. You should commend yourself. It takes more strength to resist a mature virgin female, than to kill on a hunt. THAT is something even I don’t think I can do.” Ver’On just inspected his spear tip closer. “When have the Elders arranged your ascension ceremony?”


“After gathering. No Elder of our clan has ever been ascended, without a mate. They said they would discuss the details of the ceremony once I returned from the hunt.”


“I thought you’d bee deeply impaled into your mate by then!” Kal laughed, but Ver’On didn’t find it funny at all. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “It is just that now you decide…and she’s…well…I didn’t throw that knife at the bad blood for nothing. I figured that if he killed you, then he died from the clan, and with M’Pa most likely dead, I’d take El for myself. Her scent was so powerfu – ” The end of Ver’On’s spear was pressed hard against Kal’s cheek, dangerously close to drawing blood.


“You EVER speak like that of her again…”


“It was a compliment, I assure you!”


“I DON’T CARE!!! El would rather die than be without me! Remember who her mate is, regardless if he’s living or dead.” He grabbed his blades, and headed into the ship.


“Don’t let her remain a child forever!” Kal shouted after him, and returned to watching the forest, imagining what I would have been like to mount the Ooman female in full heat, and he in full must. He trilled at the thought.






Ver’On secured his trophy in a sealer box and put it under his bunk with his other small skulls from the hunt, he then turned to find out who was pounding on his door. The panel slid aside to reveal Kal-esh, and several other hunters. “Ver’On, I bring you a more suitable trophy,” he said, and the hunters marched inside with a huge horn from the skill of the beast they’d killed together. “This is the horn that you anchored yourself to, and used to save me. Without you, we would not have the beast.”


“I’m honored,” he said, noting how polished the horn looked. Since it was Kal’s hunting party, it was his right to keep the main skull, but he could divide the rest of the bones as he saw fit among those ho helped in the hunt. Most of the time it was a share of the hide that they could use to make leather garments or belts with, or a share of the meat they could take back to their clans. “But I already have a trophy of the hunt.”


“That puny piece of hide? What could you do with that? No this is a more suitable piece.” Again Ver’On thanked him, as the other hunters left. “We must talk,” Kal sighed, once the door was closed. Ver’On didn’t like the sound of that, but offered a seat to Kal. “My 4th generation back Uncle is a grand Elder on our ship. He’s been in conference with your elders, regarding gathering and such. Our clan has been invited to remain for your ascension ceremony, and…the joining to your new mate.”


Well that didn’t seem so bad. “I’m sure El will be pleased.”


Kal shook his head. “No, Ver’On. Not to El.” Ver’On went as still as stone. “Your Elders have selected a fine female from our ship. Young, and virgin,…”


“NO! El is…”


“They will let you keep El. But they will not allow her to sit as your mate on the counsel.”


Ver’On growled. “I thought we were past this! El is the one I chose, she is the one I WANT!”


“I’m sorry. When my uncle saw my message about our hunt here, and saw the list of hunters, he wanted me to tell you.”


“So you agree with this!”


“Great Gods NO! Neither does my uncle. Which is why he sends this message.” Kal handed him a message pad, and Ver’On quickly read it, looking back to Kal. He only nodded. “We’ll be back at your ship shortly. My uncle is still in attendance there. You can speak with him in person if you wish.”


“I do wish it…and thank you.”






El had not only taken over one of the cold storage rooms, she completely cleared it of all that would get in her way. She then laid out her mats and had M’Pa assemble her equipment as she wanted, confident that the male Yautja’s strength would be sufficient to tighten the bindings to the uprights of her uneven bars. After only half a day of work, everything was ready. All M’Pa could do was watch as El, dressed in the tightest Ooman clothes he’d ever seen, flip herself not only across the floor, but around the raised bars as well.


The only thing he insisted on was after she completed each round of her laid out course, she was to face him, as he held up a message pad with a common phrase on it, written in their language. If she said the phrase right, M’Pa would only tease her for about ten minutes, then she could return to her course. If she got it wrong however, M’Pa would have her for an hour, and do what ever he wished to her, short of fully mating with her. She got more phrased wrong than she got right, and M’Pa seemed to enjoy her penalty WAY TOO much.


The only other problem she had, was keeping the onlookers off her mats. Even M’Pa. She’d smacked him around a few times as well as others for getting in her way. As it became clear that she wasn’t going anywhere, until Ver’On returned that is, the other Yautja stood to the side, waiting for her to leave.


M’Pa watched her carefully. She’d been staring at the message pad for a while. Her body was covered in a film of sweat, her scent of strong desire. He’d hoped she’d get this one wrong as well, their last hour ended far too soon for his liking. “If you don’t know it,” he said.


“No! No, I can get it,” she gasped, shifting in her stance as she remembered what he did to her in the last hour. “I think you enjoy helping me too much.” M’Pa purred, but said nothing. He did enjoy his position. He was allowed to do with her as he wished, trying out techniques he’d only heard of, and caresses on her that he’d often wondered would work on an Ooman, as they did on a Yautja female. On his next visit to the Ooman world, he’d definitely have to try it out on another. “Ah…Bridge level?” she asked tentatively.


M’Pa shook his head. “No. Danger, Do not enter.” And he quickly pulled her to him, turning her back to his chest.


“Oh, no,” she whimpered, as he hand snaked down her tight pants. He trilled at her cry, knowing what fire he stroked to life within her. He pressed his face to her neck, purring loudly, sending tingles down her spine, to collide with the euphoric sensations moving up her spine, all to explode in her body in a delightful ball of heat, and pungent sweet aroma of desire.


As he lad her to the mats preparing to do more, neither had noticed the doors opening again, and more Yautja beginning to surround the room. “M’Pa,” one called, and received a warning growl from the male before him, as the girl relaxed in his embrace, haven stopped playing with her, ready to fight if he had too. “Ver’On has returned. He’s looking for you.”


“Tell him I am here, Kal-esh, doing what he asked me to do.”


“He is asking you to join him. Said there is something he needs your presence for.”


“What would that be?” he asked, rising to his knees, making sure El remained flat on the floor, in case he could return to her within moments.


“He said it was important. He’s asked me and my men to stand guard while you’re gone.”


M’Pa looked at the guards around the room, they had taken position with their backs facing the center of the room, keeping an eye on the males that lined the walls. He also noted that they still wore their hunting armor, some still with their fresh kills strapped to the back plating, yet to be cleaned. Whatever Ver’On needed him for, it was worth interrupting hunters from cleaning their kills. It had to be important. He looked down at El, as she tried to pull her garments back into order. Slowly he lowered his body to hers, resting his weight on his bent arms, braced on the floor at either side of her shoulders. “Remember,” he whispered gently, purring deep in his chest, knowing what that did to her deep in her core. “You are mine to play with, for an hour.”


“How can I forget,” she laughed, gasping for breath at the same time, as her body vibrated to his purrs. She began to wonder how they could do that? To center their vibrations so precisely to do the most…whatever…to make her feel this way. Her legs were completely like jelly, her arms refused to listen to her when she wanted to push him away, and her body seemed to have a mind of its own, arching to the source to the vibrations, not wanting to let it go.


M’Pa rose and met Kal at the edge of the mats, before he left he turned to all who were gathered. “If any of you value your lives as they are, DO NOT STEP ONTO THE MATS!” With no further explanation, he left, nodding to the captain of the guards that he was responsible, should anything happen in his absence.


As the door closed, many of the guards hissed at the Yautja along the wall, as a few of them tried to take advantage of the big male’s departure. It quickly became apparent, that no one was going anywhere.


El rose to her shaky legs, and slowly walked to the end of the mat, that signified the beginning of her circuit. She limped more than usual, the stress of her exercises, and of course the convulsions her body went through repeatedly thanks to M’Pa, continued to make walking difficult. She only hoped Ver’On would see her soon. She had a good punch to his face to give him for telling M’Pa to do what he did, then a few hours alone, to finish what he wouldn’t. She shuddered at the thought, wondering first why he would only send for M’Pa, then wondered what he was going to do to her, once he found her. She’d better be ready. She took a quick run up the mat, and began her tumbling routine.






“You can’t be serious!” M’Pa yelled, as Ver’On faced the counsel. “You’d let him keep her, as A TOY! And force him to mate…THAT!” The female to the side crossed her arms. She was young yes, untouched by any male on her ship. But as Ver’On pointed out, she hade a face only a hard meat queen would love. Even he was disgusted.


“We will not permit an Ooman to sit on the counsel. No matter what the position she holds to the male.” Kon’det stated.


“El is my mate, she will have NO PROXY!!”


“I WILL NOT PLAY SECOND TO AN OOMAN!” the female shouted.


“FINE!” Ver’On stated, “You are nothing! Because I’m not touching you!”


“Ver’On, be reasonable. In all our eight thousand years, the Kesh-Ma-Hur clan has never allowed an Ooman to take a seat of power!”


“El may not want it! Had you ever thought of that!”


“We cannot take that chance. The Ooman is to be your second, or slave, whichever you choose. But the female Li’zara is to be your mate!”


“NO! IF EL IS NOT MY ONLY MATE…Then the Hur Family will pull out of this clan!”


The room fell silent. Never hand they considered that possibility. No Ooman, no matter what the skill, no matter what the age, no matter…hell no matter anything…was worth what Ver’On was about to do. “You would destroy this clan over…an Ooman!”


“I would!”


“Ver’On,” stated another elder. “Think carefully of what you do. The Kesh-Ma-Hur…”


“Are dying out! I have gone over the records very carefully, there are but a hand full of Hur descendants left on board this ship. This is more the Kesh-Ma clan than any other. No. The Hur family will pull out. And you!...” Ver’On faced the female form the other clan. “If I even scent you anywhere near my mate, I will tie you out for the Hard Meats to capture. DO WE UNDERSTAND EACHOTHER!”


“Yes,” the female whimpered, and left with the guards that had been standing with her to take her away over an hour before.


Ver’On returned his attention to the elders. “The Hur family will depart.”


“Where will you go?” Kon’det asked, as though they had no where to go.


Ver’On held up the message pad that Kal-esh had given him on his ship. “By special invitation of the elders of the Lara-Kree clan. The Hur family is invited to travel with them as their guests. I will inform my family. We will be gone before gathering.”


“You can not take the Hur Family ship.”


“I know. You’ve dismantled most of it when you joined the three family ships together to form this ship. So I will take your cruiser, Kon-det, seeing as it was your family’s actions that lead to the dismantling of my family’s ship.”


Kon-det hissed in anger, but there was little he could do. By rights Ver’On, as head of the family, could take whatever compensation he deemed suitable for his family’s losses. But his personal cruiser! That was hitting below the cloth. “And what of you, M’Pa? Where will you go?”


M’Pa laughed, “Obviously blind as well as narrow minded. I am from neither of your clans, none of you have any power over me. I will continue to travel with My Master Ver’On. As Kadji to he and El, it is my duty to follow where they go.” He tapped his forefinger to his brow, showing his clan symbol, a slashed T, like Ver’On’s first Kadji Sol.


Ver’On left the chambers with M’Pa. He thought he would need the Kadji to help him fight for the right to leave the clan, but with only a dozen or so Hur decedents, compared to the over five thousand Kesh-Ma decedents combined, there was little to fight over.


Ver’On sent word to the Hur members, ordering them to quickly pack their belongings, and gather their families, and report to the main docking hanger. He then ordered the dock workers to ready his father’s old ship as well as the cruiser. He secured the last of his ceremonial weapons, then turned to the new skulls that lined the table, awaiting boxes of their own.


Usually he would bring his mate to his trophies and tell her all the details of the hunt, exciting her to a near frenzy before finally mating her. But El wasn’t’ like that. She wasn’t aroused by the tell of a hunt, nor did she become excited by the show of trophies. She preferred…well, him, fresh from a shower, or flexing his muscles. He liked her for those qualities, but there were some aspects of Yautja mates he was going to miss.


A she stepped from his trophy room with the last of his trophies packed, he found El had not come to greet him. He was certain she was asleep when he’d come in, and he’d made enough noise to rouse a whole hive of hard meats. Something had to be wrong…and it was. When he opened the bedroom door, El was not there.


He put his hand to the still unmade bed, stone cold. She’d not been there for some time. He had to find her. Maybe Lee’tha knew where she was.


As his quarters door opened, M’Pa was there, returning with the porters from the last trip to the docking bay. He’d wanted to be sure everything went smoothly for the Hur family move, and had escorted the porters himself. “El is not here,” he said.


“I know,” M’Pa replied, waving the porters to do their work, and pointed one with boxes to the skulls at the table. Ver’On nodded permission to the porter, that he may pack the skulls, then turned back to M’Pa. “You need to come with me. Now.” Sure that the porters would do their duty, M’Pa led Ver’On down several decks, to the cargo areas. There he directed him to one of the empty rooms. “She won’t leave,” he said. “The room is to store the meat form the hunt, but we’ve had to cram it all into other storage rooms while we waited for you.”


“For me? What are you talking about? Just bring El out, as I would. You’re Kadji, you have every right to function as I would.”


“I tried,” he replied. “She broke two of my mandibles.”


“WHAT!”


“She’s doing something very strange, though quite impressive from a training perspective.” He stopped him in front of the door, but did not open it just yet. “Since Ter’Oth gave her that last dose of medicine, she’s been very…active. And what she’s wearing…” He trilled at the thought, then stopped Ver’On as he tried to pass. “Don’t step on the mats. She’ll scream…what she called…bloody blue murder at you. Though our blood is yellow, so how could it be blue?”


“You don’t want to know. Can I go in now?”


“Yes. Follow me.” As the doors parted the first that caught his eyes, where the training mats laid out on the floor, in a set pattern. Then there were the dozen or so male’s scattered around the room, all with other Yautja, in full armor, facing them. The non armored males were all looking in the same direction. Turning his attention that way, he couldn’t believe what met his eyes.