Ni'ev looked down at the hatchet in his fist. He gave Vrox a nod, and then walked to his dwelling in search of a blade that could waltz through meat.

Vrox's eyes immediately found his own cave. He rushed inside, hunting Kira. His scowl softened when he found the small female curled on his bed. His bare feet skimmed over the floor as they carried over him to her side.

He hovered, seeking her eyes. They were hidden behind the curtain of sleep. Wet traces on her cheek brought back his scowl. Why had she been crying?

He reached for her delicate shoulder, but halted, choosing to let her rest. Once he returned, he would demand to know how he had failed her. He would slay her tears the same way he would cut down whichever male posed a threat to her.

He rounded the bed, dislodging two of his biggest daggers from the wall.

With a final fierce look at Kira, he walked to the entrance. He balanced both daggers on one hand, using his free one to flick off his loincloth. The cloth was a sign of domestication that he wore for his hooman. It represented a softened side of him that he refused to share with the wild.

He dragged the tip of the dagger down his scaled arm, feeling the rough skin remain unaffected by the metal. This is what he was, what he had to be to protect Kira– hard, unmalleable, and unforgiving.

Ni'ev stood by the gate, inspecting a broadsword and obsessing over its sharpness as usual.

Rokan and Kyros worked on the damaged part of the perimeter, but he didn't have to remind them to keep an eye on Kira.

"Lead the way," Vrox spoke up.

With a practice swing to his broadsword, Ni'ev began to guide.

They didn't have to walk far to find the warrior. His footsteps were placed carelessly as if he didn't care if someone saw them. This was a good sign because it lowered the chance that they were a spy.

As Ni'ev had warned, the man was so grey with age that his cock probably no longer hardened. This didn't surprise Vrox since he came across old men more often than not. This man had scales on his face– a rare place to develop them. A bow and arrows hung from his slightly hunched back. Since he didn't have protective scaling on his torso or legs, Vrox understood why he chose archery over a close-combat weapon.

The man looked relatively harmless. His crotch was covered, meaning that he had been married before The Vanishing happened.

Before Kira, Vrox didn't engage strangers. Most of the remaining men of Ezron had no hopes and dreams, and a hopeless man was deadly. This time, he didn't have a choice. He had to warn this man off the territory before he found the camp and started to sniff around.

With a signal to Ni'ev, he emerged from the trees.

"Mothers," he greeted.

The man spun, caught-off-guard. "Mothers," he returned.

"Leave this area. My brothers and I don't take kindly to strangers."

"You will be displeased to hear that dozens of men will be migrating north this rotation. There has been an increase of spinx in this area."

Vrox grit his teeth, cursing spinx and their precious fur. "Leave," he repeated.

The old nodded once more. "I will. I do not want trouble."

"Good, because you would not be able to afford it."

Like a mother protecting her cubs, Vrox was rabid with possessiveness. The only way any male would get close to Kira was if his seven-foot corpse was eight feet underground.

The old man narrowed his eyes on Vrox's chest, recognizing that he stood no chance against the muscles that rested there. His eyes remained on his scales for a second too long.

"That scaling pattern..." he mused. "It seems familiar."

Vrox's gut tightened with apprehension. He knew exactly what seed rooted the similarity. While his brothers told him that his eye color matched his mother's, his scaling was a replica of Ezron's former Commander.

This man had likely worked for his father.

"Your age is making you delusional. Leave," Vrox repeated before turning around and walking toward Ni'ev, who was still hiding.

They walked together back to camp, trying not to leave a trail and stopping often to make sure that they weren't being tailed.

A chi sound captured his attention. In a fallen log, Vrox spotted a young furry beast. He dove for it, and the little beast tried to hop away. Grabbing it by the ears, he lifted it. Its meat was tender and juicy, so he was sure that Kira would enjoy it.

"You caught lunch?" Ni'ev asked.

"Yes. We should start drying and salting meat. The snowfall is coming soon."

Ni'ev nodded. Once the snowfall came, hunting became significantly harder. They had to depend on their stored meat for many weeks until the snow receded. Vrox wasn't worried, though. He knew his planet well.

Once the gates entered his line of sight, he sped up, desperate to return to Kira. He tossed the furry animal he captured in Rokan's direction and nearly ripped the curtain off the wall when he entered his dwelling. Kira's glassy eyes gave him an alert look. She was on the bed, holding her purse.

"Are you well?"

"Yeah," she replied in her alien language.

She pushed her identification card back into her purse and then pushed it aside. With a wipe to her cheeks, she hung her head. "I'm fine."

"You are not. You will tell me why your eyes are producing water this instant."

There was no space for debate in his words.

"You are demanding that I tell you?"

He tipped his head back. "Yes. That is an order. I can be a prince when I have to be."

She tore her eyes away, taking a chunk of his heart with her.

"Kira, you need to tell me what I need to fix."

Her lip trembled before producing a sound that he wouldn't wish upon his worst enemy. More water leaked from her eyes. He was sure that if his eyes could produce water, they would be matching hers.

"Kira," he called out softly, approaching her gently. He fell to his knees beside the bed, laying his hands helplessly by her thighs.

"What is the matter? Is it your pe–rod? Does it hurt? You can tell me. I will get you medication," he all but implored.

One of her tears rained down of his face, making him want to beat at his chest angrily. His female was displeased because he was failing her.

"Yo– you only care... because you think I'm– some s-sa-vior, some goddess. You barely know me, so how can you li–ke me?"

He was unable to make out many of her words.

"Nonsense. I like you, and so do my brothers," he tried to explain.

"Not like that," she sniffled. "You only care about me because I'm a rarity."

Realizing where she was coming from, he allowed his hands to find her hips and squeeze gently.

"That is not true. You are valuable, not just because of your ability to become a mother. I like your strange alien words and teachings, how you apologize when you make a mistake, how you try to learn from us to fit in, and how you are fierce about finding Ney-bula."

He squeezed her hips tighter. "You are more than a fertile vessel. You are my friend."

Her eyes continued to produce that water he hated, and she bent over to wrap her arms around his neck. He rose, transporting her to his lap, where he let her soak his scales.

He dropped a hand to her lower back and massaged the area, still not sure if she was feeling pain from her bleeding. The sight of their size difference warranted a sigh. His palm covered her entire back. As much as he enjoyed Kira's softness, he wished she had some muscle to protect her.

"I shouldn't even be throwing a fit. Not when Nebula is out there and suffering."

He tipped her head back, swiping at her cheeks. "This situation is hard for you too. You were taken from your home. You have done all you can for Ney-bula, so allow yourself to heal. She will need you to be strong when she comes back."

Kira realized that for someone who underwent so much trauma, Vrox was very emotionally intelligent.

She furrowed her face into his chest, basking in his strength. Minutes later, a constant chi sound fought her sniffles for attention.

"What is that?"

"I brought you something," Vrox answered. "Here, let me get it."

He placed her on the bed before walking out, returning soon later with what looked like a mix between a bunny and a puppy.

"You got me a bunny!" she cried out, accepting the animal.

"That word does not translate, but yes. You will enjoy the soft meat of this beast. It tastes–"

"It's so cute. Look!"

She nuzzled its coat.

"Female, that beast is supposed to be your food. It–"

"Aww, it's so soft."

She was lost in la-la-land, holding the alien bunny to her chest and playing with its fur.

Vrox fought the urge to facepalm. This woman had turned their meal into a pet. She was so happy with it that he didn't have the heart to separate them. No, he would rather slice an arm off and chew on it than of snatch the bunny from her breasts.

He watched her fuss with the animal, tears long gone. He had seen Draekon tend to hundreds of injured animals home, but his younger brother never looked this adorable.

He smiled, sinking down on the bed and watching her play with the beast.