Page 8 of Ancient Rising

“Human, Terran, Urther, from the Sol system.Third planet from a yellow sun.” The woman smiled.

“What is the history of your people and Hmrain?”

“Oh, with a bit of slow adjustment, it works just fine.Once your nanites activate, they...make room for you, I guess?I mean, it’s still a tight fit, but it works.”

He watched as Kethen’s eyes flared gold with obsession and carefully cuddled his mate and child.They both fit easily in his embrace.

The woman glanced at the screen and kissed Kethen’s cheek.“Give me the baby, dumbass.It looks like your brother has something he wants to talk about.”

He sighed.“Fine, but we are going to reenact this later.”

The child started fussing, and his eyes got darker gold.

Janessa snorted.“We will be behind the camera, perv.” She collected the baby and went to the side of the room.

Ra frowned.

Kethen’s eyes grew soft and adoring.“Seriously, brother.You need to find one of these.They are massively enjoyable and are excellent companions.The nanites also make them taller, stronger, and with more durability.Their world is also dead, so they are eager to create a place in the stars.They need new homes.”

“She is companion class?”

“For a standard Hmrain?No.For me, definitely.She also tastes amazing.I can drink what I need, and there is no issue.So, what has woken you, brother?”

“It was time.A handmaid opened the doors, and the systems all came online again.She is being repaired.”

Kethen frowned.“What happened to her?”

“A raider shot her.Her limbs are very broken from the strikes, and she has lost blood.”

“Do you know her name?”

“No.”

There was a soft sound from behind the camera, and Kethen said, “How did the raider shoot her?”

He described the scene.“Are they all psychic-powered?”

Kethen’s mate called out, “It’s Harwin.There are only two psychic-powered Terrans, and she is the one who can push and lift.”

“Harwin.Hm.Not a feminine name.”

The woman called out, “Ask her about it.”

Ra nodded and asked Kethen, “How did you get enough nanites into your mate?”

Kethen explained the situation that they had been in and that Janessa had been sent to him as food.Ra chuckled at the mechanism with which Kethen had gotten the nanites into his companion and blinked at the means.

“I didn’t have a lot to work with, so I had to improvise.”

The mate snorted from off-camera.“If I had known, I might not have cooperated.”

Kethen smirked.“But you didn’t, and now, we have a little one who is a bred Hmrain with wings.She’s gorgeous, and regular scans indicate that the wings are growing.”

“Congratulations.Do you have any more information that would help?”

The mate said something, and Kethen nodded.“Does she have a crystal?It is about the length of half your central finger and has a small decoder with it.”

“What is it?”

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