Page 5

Lisa

T he ride back to the Celetan’s cave—den, they call it—is quiet. We’ve been traveling for an hour or two, wrapped in furs and bundled into the sled like Gravion peas in a pod. I keep my arm wrapped around Katie’s shoulder and she leans on me. She lets out a quiet whimper now and then when the sled hits a rough patch, but otherwise the only sound is the wind whooshing by us and the wolves’ paws hitting the snow. Melanie sits on the other side of Katie, squished against the side of the sled.

The decision is not the one I wanted. We should sleep in the bridge one last night before heading out to the cargo hold. But I was outvoted. I suppose getting rescue supplies is a better idea, but it will be hard to know what to bring if we don’t know what we’re walking into.I glance over at Evie. She rides atop the back of the alpha, Axyll, like some primitive warrior princess. I can’t wrap my head around how quickly she has acclimated to the Celetans and their ways, how easily she navigates and has adjusted to the snow and cold weather.

Perhaps it has to do with the astrostingents Katie mentioned when we landed, the ones we’re breathing now that we’re outside of the filters of the ship. Maybe they help keep their host warm. Regardless of it, I eye Evie with a twist in my stomach. Is it envy? Is it anger? I’m not sure what this feeling is. Maybe it’s disappointment she’s accepted our fate so easily. The alpha called her his mate , and she does have a lovey-dovey glow about her. She’s resigned to our desolate position and is ready to settle down on the planet. It seems too quick. I can’t fathom it. Maybe I can change her mind. When we get to the cargo hold, or find the fighter pod, we can scrap it for parts and figure out a way to send a message to the Miner’s Association, or even the Intergalactical Alliance or a Terran Embassy... The thought stops and I bite my bottom lip. I suppose it’s not up to me to decide what is best for Evie, only for my crew. Only for those I’m responsible for. And me? I’m not staying here on this frozen wasteland—not if I can help it.

My gaze turns back to the enormous wolf pulling the sled. Juk. All of the Celetans are large, whether in their humanoid or wolf form, but Juk is easily distinguishable as the biggest. I only recognize the alpha because of Evie on his back, and there is one that is quite smaller than the others—a runt maybe?—but the other three all look the same to me. They’re indistinguishable at this point, just large masses of muscle and white fur. With a third eye. I recognize Juk as the wolf I saw yesterday. He’s the reason Evie was able to find us, and for that I am grateful. I only hope they’ll be just as efficient at finding the cargo hold and the others. The fact that the cargo hold straddles enemy territory might be a problem, but I won’t accept failure as an option. Enemy pack or not, I will find my missing four crew members.

There’s the sound of a wolf howl in the distance, a small yip that means little to me. The sled stutters for a moment as Juk starts to slow. Suddenly, a blur of white launches out from the rock to our right. Katie lets out a scream, and my heart plummets as I watch a wolf tackle Evie off Axyll’s back. He seems caught off guard, and before he can react, she’s dragged away by the other wolf. Juk whimpers, and somehow, I know it’s a question. One of the other indistinguishable wolves makes some sort of grunting sound, and Axyll responds with a sharp snap. Spittle flies from his mouth, and he races off after Evie and the attacking wolf. One of the other wolves from our group runs ahead of Juk, and the sled is pulled forward again as the giant beast pushes on.

“Wait! We need to go after them!” I shout. A knot forms in my stomach, and my pulse deafens my ears.

But my shouts are ignored, and we continue. Katie cries quietly into my shoulder, and I tighten my arm around her. Maybe the rival packs will be a problem.

After what feels like another two hours or so, we slow as we approach the bottom of a cliff. I spot movement above on a platform, and note the rungs dug into the ice along the cliff’s face front. The wolves disappear around a bend, and Juk drops the pulley for the sled. He glances at me before disappearing with the others. Katie’s cries have stopped, and I can feel Melanie shivering on the other side of her.

There is no sign of Axyll and Evie. My mind replays the other wolf ripping her off the alpha’s back, and files it next to the sound of Chunhua’s snapping neck, locking it away with the others that I’ve failed. The others who have died under my care. I’m not sure if Evie falls under my care, per se, but I feel like I have failed her. I was helpless and did not fight hard enough to go after her. I should have jumped out of the sled, but instead I stayed, frozen from shock.

The feeling eats away inside of me. But now that we’ve stopped, maybe it’s not too late to do something about it. I ignore the faint snapping of bones sounding from around the corner and stand in the sled.

“Where are you going?” Katie asks. Melanie’s teeth chatter next and she huddles closer into the furs.

“I’m going to get some answers,” I say. “We need to go back for Evie.”

I jump out of the sled and sink into the snow. It goes up to just past my knees, which does not surprise me. I may be the leader of my crew, but I am short. I won’t let it stop me though.

As I begin to push my way through the snow towards the faint bone snapping, Juk comes around the corner. He’s the tallest alien I have ever seen. There are a number of species who reside on Gragon 6, so I am used to seeing different beings frequently. There’s a large community of Xlatians on Gragon 4, and Gragon 7 is mostly Trivsti communities. The Trivsti people are all over six feet, but Juk puts even them to shame.

His bright blue eyes find mine immediately and lock onto them. My heart flutters as he barrels towards me. He’s nothing but rippling turquoise skin stretched across defined muscle. As he walks, he seamlessly swipes his light blonde hair up and ties it into a perfect bun at the top of his head. The gem in his forehead sparkles the closer he gets to me, and something about his look brings heat to my cheeks.

“Heyo!” calls a voice from up on the ridge. Both of us pause, our eye contact breaking as we look up. A blue figure waves down at us as another starts to descend the rungs towards the sled. The standing one shouts something down that I don’t understand, and Juk responds in their native language.

“We need to go back and rescue Evie,” I demand. Juk glances at me. Comparatively, he is a mountain and I am a tree. I barely come up to his pecs, which are bare and tantalizing. They shouldn’t be, for I have no interest in getting cozy with the locals. I won’t be catty and judge Evie about it like Melanie did, but I won’t let anything distract me from saving the rest of my crew. Not even bright, teal pecs.

“The alpha commanded us to return to the den,” Juk says to me in Terran English, dismissively. He takes an easy step around me and starts towards the sled.

I turn around, struggling. The snow is seeping through the black fabric of my mining suit, soaking my calves. I guess it’s not waterproof. The other shifted men come out from their spot behind me. Two of them walk past, heading to the sled to help unpack, and one of them stops. He too, towers over me, but not at the same rate as Juk. His hair is cropped short all around, except for a long piece that flops into his light blue eyes.

“Do you need help through the snow?” he asks kindly as I sink in another foot while attempting to follow the others. His tails wag behind him and there is a smile plastered on his face.

I ignore him and call after Juk. “Your alpha doesn’t command me. I’m in charge of these women and am responsible for them—we need to go back for Evie!”

Juk turns back around. He nods at the kind one beside me, who sighs and brushes past me to help Katie and Melanie out of the sled. The two of them are huddled together, the unfamiliar Celetans speaking at them in their language.

“In the star, Ee-vee said neither of you were in charge,” Juk says. Star? Is that what they think the ship is? “And now you fall under the protection of the Snowscape Pack. Which means, yes , you take commands from the alpha. And when the alpha is not present? You take commands from me.”

I blink, taken aback. Something thrums inside me, electrified by the command in his voice. The confidence and no-nonsense tone. I like it. In another life, we would get along great. But right now? He’s standing in my way.

“The alpha will save her from Joval,” Juk continues. He stands before me and starts to push the snow out with his legs. He’s creating a path for me. I’m too annoyed to be thankful and I ignore the flutter in my chest.

“Who is Joval?” I ask as I follow him back to the sled. I see Katie tentatively stand in it and look over in my direction. She’s too nervous without me there. I hate to admit it’s much easier to walk through the snow with the makeshift path Juk is creating. I wonder if they have snowshoes here.

“He is the alpha’s uncle.”

“And he’s dangerous?” I ask. Juk hesitates. We stop just before the sled. One of the Terran-speaking Celetans helps Katie out of the sled, and the cheerful one with the short hair helps Melanie.

“No,” he says at last. “But he has always been at odds with the alpha. Perhaps the arrival of his mate has caused those odds to turn into something darker.”

Noted , I think as I turn and reach out to Katie. She rushes over to me, sticking to my side like glue. Melanie even shoots me an uneasy look from the other side of the sled. The cheerful Celetan is chatting her ear off, but it’s clear to me she’s not listening. Both women are looking to me for guidance. I’m in charge of these women , I repeat to myself. Melanie may be a pain in the ass, but she’s under my care now. And it sounds like the dangers these Celetans harbour don’t just come from outside of the pack—they come from the within too.