Page 30 of Yasmin and the Yeti (Alien Abduction #25)

CHAPTER THIRTY

T he clan’s communal spaces, usually bustling with activity, had fallen into an eerie quiet.

The females moved about their tasks with hushed voices and tense expressions.

The younglings, sensing the adults’ unease, were subdued.

Everyone was waiting, listening for the sound of returning footsteps, for news of victory or defeat.

Yasmin waited too as the long day turned into an even longer night.

Darkness settled over the clan caves, bringing with it a stillness that felt like a physical weight.

The healer had left hours ago, promising to return at dawn.

Talvi had stayed with her until the evening, her quiet presence a comfort, but eventually she too had left.

Now she was alone with her thoughts and fears, her hand resting protectively over her still-flat belly where their cub grew. Every creak of the settling stone, every whisper of wind at the cave entrance made her heart leap, thinking it might be news of the warriors’ return.

“Please come back to us,” she whispered into the darkness.

She shifted on her bed, trying to find a comfortable position, but even though she was exhausted, sleep remained elusive. A soft rustling at the entrance to her chamber made her turn her head. Polly stood there, a hesitant shadow in the dim light of the single crystal lamp.

“Can’t sleep either?” she asked softly, remembering that Njkall had been part of the war party.

Polly shook her head and stepped inside, clutching a small bundle to her chest. “I thought… maybe you’d like company.”

“I would. Thank you.”

Polly settled on a cushion near her bed, unfolding her bundle to reveal several small pieces of soapstone and carving tools—similar to those Yasmin had been using to make beads.

“Njkall got these for me before he left,” she explained, her voice barely above a whisper. “Since you were teaching me.”

Njkall’s kindness towards the girl made her smile, and she carefully sat up, arranging the furs around her. “Would you like me to show you another design?”

Polly nodded, and she demonstrated a simple star motif. The familiar motions of carving helped calm her racing thoughts.

“Were you scared?” Polly asked suddenly, her eyes fixed on her work. “When you first came here?”

Her hands stilled as she remembered that terrible flight into the blizzard.

“Terrified,” she admitted. “I thought I was going to die in the snow. And then when I saw Rhaal…” She shook her head, remembering the imposing figure looming over her in the blizzard, his glowing eyes the last thing she saw before consciousness fled.

“I was scared every day after I was taken, even after we left the… bad place. But then I met Njkall. I wasn’t scared of him because he didn’t look like anyone who had… hurt me,” Polly said with a small, sad smile. “He was just soft and kind and patient.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Almost a year. He says I’m his mate,” the girl whispered. “But he’s never… He says he’ll wait until I’m ready. Even if that’s never.”

“Is that what you want?” she asked gently.

“I… I think so, but after what happened…”

She reached out, covering Polly’s cold hand with her own. “I’m so sorry.”

“I never thought anything like that would happen to me.”

She nodded, remembering her own shock and horror when she woke up in the cell. If the ship hadn’t crashed… If Rhaal hadn’t found her…

“I didn’t either. But we survived. I think you’re very brave.”

Polly shook her head. “Not like you. You’re having a baby with Rhaal. You’re really becoming part of the clan.”

“So are you,” she pointed out gently. “In your own way, at your own pace.”

“Maybe. I’m scared of so many things. Except when I’m with Njkall. He makes me feel safe.” Polly looked up, her eyes suddenly intense. “They’ll come back. Njkall and Rhaal and the others. The clan protects its own.”

The conviction in the girl’s voice eased something tight in her chest. “Yes,” she agreed. “They will.”

They worked in companionable silence after that, the soft scrape of tools against stone the only sound. Eventually, Polly’s head began to nod, her hands growing clumsy with fatigue.

“You should rest,” Yasmin told her gently.

Polly shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll stay until they return.”

She didn’t argue. There was comfort in not being alone, in sharing this vigil with someone who understood what it meant to be human among the Hothians, to be both outsider and accepted.

The hours crawled by. Polly eventually dozed off, curled on a pile of furs near Yasmin’s bed. She remained awake, watching the faint glow of the crystal lamp cast dancing shadows on the cave walls.

She thought of Rhaal, of his massive strength and surprising gentleness. Of how he had saved her from the blizzard, protected her from the trader, claimed her as his own. Of how his eyes had looked when she told him about the cub—shocked, reverent, joyful.

“Come back to us,” she whispered again, her hand tightening over her belly.

Outside, the wind howled through the mountain passes, drowning out any sounds of approach. The longest night of her life stretched on, measured in heartbeats and silent prayers.

Dawn arrived as a subtle lightening of the air rather than a true sunrise. The cave system filtered daylight through high openings and crystal formations, creating a soft, diffuse glow that grew gradually stronger.

She had dozed fitfully, never truly sleeping. Polly was still curled on the furs, her breathing deep and even. The clan was beginning to stir; she could hear distant voices, the sounds of morning routines beginning.

Cera arrived with quiet footsteps, carrying a small wooden cup that steamed in the cool air. Her expression was carefully neutral, but Yasmin could see the tension around her eyes.

“No word?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

The healer shook her head. “Drink,” she said, holding out the cup. “The sothiti will strengthen you and the cub.”

She accepted the cup, inhaling the earthy, slightly bitter scent. The blue liquid shimmered in the dim light, its color reminiscent of Rhaal’s glowing eyes. She took a sip, feeling the now-familiar warmth spread through her body, chasing away some of the bone-deep weariness.

“Thank you,” she said, taking another sip.

Cera nodded, watching her with professional attention. “Your color is better today. The cub grows strong.”

“Do you think Rhaal is safe?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking. “And the other warriors?”

The Healer’s expression softened slightly. “They are skilled hunters and fighters. They know the mountains and caves better than any offworlder could. Have faith.”

Before Yasmin could respond, a commotion erupted outside—voices calling, feet running. The healer turned sharply toward the entrance, her ears pricked forward in alertness.

Polly jerked awake, scrambling to her feet. “What is it?”

Cera hurried through the main cave, peering out in the corridor. Her posture changed, tension draining away. “They return,” she announced, her voice thick with relief.

Her heart leapt, the cup trembling in her hands. “All of them?”

“Yes,” the healer confirmed. “All.”

Polly let out a small, choked sound of joy and raced away. Yasmin struggled to rise, desperate to join her, but the healer returned to her side with a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder.

“Finish the sothiti,” she instructed. “He will come to you.”

She sank back, knowing the healer was right. She was still too weak to join the welcoming crowd. She drank the rest of the sothiti in small sips, straining to hear the voices outside, to distinguish Rhaal’s deep rumble among them.

Polly darted back in, her face alight with excitement. “They did it! They destroyed the lab and blocked the entrance with a rockslide. Njkall says the river will run clean again!”

Her relief was so intense that she felt light-headed. “And Rhaal? Is he?—”

“Here.”

The voice from the entrance was deep, exhausted, and achingly familiar.

Rhaal filled the doorway, his massive frame silhouetted against the light from the corridor.

He was covered in grime and what looked like dried blood, his white fur matted and dirty.

But he was whole, alive, standing before her.

The healer nodded to him, gathering her supplies. “I will return later,” she said, moving towards the entrance. She paused beside Rhaal, placing a hand briefly on his arm. “Well done, warrior.”

Polly slipped out after Cera, giving Yasmin a small, understanding smile as she went and closing the hide curtain behind her.

Then they were alone, Yasmin on the bed and Rhaal still standing in the doorway, his glowing eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

“You’re hurt,” she said, noticing a dark stain on his side.

He shook his head dismissively. “A scratch. Already healing.” His voice was rough with fatigue, but his eyes never left her face. “The cub?”

“Strong,” she assured him, her hand moving to her belly. “The sothiti helps.”

He nodded, some of the tension leaving his massive shoulders. “The river will be clean soon. The poison is gone.”

“Polly told me. You destroyed the lab?”

“Yes.” His expression darkened briefly. “They will not return. The entrance is sealed, and we will keep watch, even in the sacred valleys.”

He moved further into the room, stopping beside a basin of water that had been left for washing. He washed quickly, removing the worst of the blood and grime from his fur. She watched him, drinking in the sight of him—alive, victorious, returned to her.

When he had finished washing, he turned to her, his expression softening into something vulnerable and questioning. “You need rest.”

“I need you,” she corrected him, holding out her hand.

He hesitated only a moment before moving to the bed and carefully settling beside her. She shifted to make room for him, and he gathered her against his chest, his arms encircling her with gentle strength.