Page 76 of Treasured By the Alien Rogue

Chapter 36

Epilogue

AMANDA

“You’re sure they won’t attack us?” I asked. A touch of fear wound down my spine. I could protect myself. I wasn’t alone. My love, my Xax, strode beside me. But what if they told us to go away?

“They wouldn’t dare,” he said with complete confidence.

Tribon and the two other males had left our clan two weeks ago, and we hadn’t seen or heard from them since. While I wasn’t sad to see them go, Xax mourned the loss of three hunters. This left our clan precariously small with only twelve members including me. If we couldn’t find mates for the eligible males or encourage others to join our clan, we’d fade away.

This worried us both, and we’d decided to travel to the nearest clan to see if they had suggestions.

We left Maverick with Cresar. The boy and drettire were good friends, and I knew he’d take good care of my pet.

We’d been walking for two days, stopping to camp overnight along the bank of a broad river. For safety, we’d slept high in a tree like we’d done when we traveled from the lake to our clan. He’d sat with his back to the trunk and me on his lap, my body wrapped around his. We were warm enough, but it was hard to sleep with creatures roaring and crying out nearby, let alone the thumps across the ground when a herd of beasts stomped by right below our tree. It reminded me all over again that I lived in an alien world, that I was never returning to Earth.

The best thing about that realization was that I was okay with the future offered on Zuldrux. My life was here with Xax and my fellow villagers, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

With renewed confidence in my steps, I followed him up a steep hill along a narrow trail that was so indistinct, I would’ve wandered off it within seconds myself. Somehow, Xax could remain on it. He’d assured me numerous times that we were not lost, that he knew exactly where we were going.

When Xax came to an abrupt halt, I nearly ran right into him. His low growl rang out, and he hefted his weapon.

I peered past him and gaped at the enormous Zuldruxian standing ahead of us on the path. His entire body was tense like he was a wild creature about to bolt into the deep brush.

His gaze traveled to me, and I swore it softened before he looked back at Xax. After giving us a sharp nod, he melted into the woods.

“Who was that?” I asked, still stunned.

“Davon. He’s ranged far from his home. I’m surprised to see him here.”

“He’s not part of Aizor’s clan?”

“No. I don’t know if he belongs to any clan. He’s wild. Untamed. The beast some used to call me.”

“You’re anything but beastly.”

Shooting me a sultry smile, he squeezed my hand. “Perhaps I am at times.”

My face heated. Only when I wanted him to act that way.

“Do you know anything else about him?” I asked.

He shook his head, and we continued walking. “He won’t harm us. As feral as he is, I believe he’s also gentle, though I’ve only interacted with him once. He joined me at my campsite one night while I was traveling to the Veerenad city. He shared the meat he’d hunted, and I contributed roots and grains to our meal. He didn’t say much that night, and when I woke in the morning, he was gone.”

Huh. If Xax said he wouldn’t harm us, I believed him.

We strode up the hill.

“Though it’s been over a year since I last saw the Indigan Clan’s traedor, Aizor, he knows me well,” Xax said. “He’s kind and smart, and I’m sure you’ll like him.”

“He sounds great.”

We planned to remain with the Indigan Clan for a few days. Xax wanted to visit with the other clan for a few days to give him and Aizor time to talk about options.

When we reached the top of the hill, we paused to catch our breath. Me, that is. Xax had the stamina of a . . . well, maybe a triceratops. He’d proven it yesterday when he outran a herd of them while carrying me.

A flatter area waited ahead, and we wove among a stand of spindly trees. Because they appeared so different from the enormous purple trees around the village, I stopped to touch one of the spiky branches. My breath caught. “It feels like crystal.”

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