Page 22 of Hunter's Valentine

That had Roger grinning from ear to ear, a genuine smile that had me smiling too.

“She sure is. And she isn’t the only one. We’ve got lots of new lives about to start here, and we’ll need all hands on deck. Let me call Jack over, and you can meet him.”

To my surprise, he brought out a cell phone. Not a walkie-talkie, but an honest-to-goodness smartphone. How was his phone still working? The only thing my phone was good for now was as a paperweight. We used walkie-talkies in the bunker, and on the few occasions we went out as a group.

Jack wasn’t anything like I’d expected, either. From his velvety, smooth radio host voice, I’d thought he would be a lot older. He looked barely out of college, though the last two years had put some age on his face, like it had everyone else. But any doubt I had was erased the second he spoke. I’d have recognized that voice anywhere.

“Everyone will be excited to meet you,” he said. “We don’t get many new members. Come on, I’ll show you around, and then you can meet my wife, Stacey.”

I glanced back at Roger. “Wait. That’s it? You’re letting me in? You don’t even know me. What if I’m a spy or something?” And that had me thinking of Mur’k again.

Roger grinned. “Mur’k alerted us that you were traveling here. Your story matches his. It’s all good. He also said you were great with the shuttle’s blaster. We always need another good shot. Welcome to New New Franklin.”

Mur’k put in a good word for me? That was nice of him. Now that I knew I had a future here, I wondered if I could convince him to visit me sometime. I wouldn’t mind helping him on his hunts occasionally when things were slow here. Who knows, maybe we could spend some more time in his sleeping nook. Yes please!

“All righty, then,” I said with a smile. “Give me the grand tour.”

It turned out that we had been speaking in the “main survivor building,” so named because most of the original New Franklin group of survivors lived here. It was a sturdy, two-story affair that had once boasted small offices on the second floor and larger businesses below.

The hunters’ compound was several buildings over. It was where Xarc’n warriors assigned to this nest had first set up camp. The humans had joined them after the original New Franklin settlement was overrun by bugs, which was when they’d changed the name toNewNew Franklin.

As Jack showed me around, I met more people than I could possibly keep straight, including, as Roger had mentioned, quitea few pregnant women who were more than happy to see me. But it was hard to focus and try to remember everyone’s name when all I could think about was Mur’k. I was secretly excited when Jack took me over to the hunters’ compound.

“Stacey and I actually live here with the hunters,” Jack said. “I was one of the originals who joined them before the main group did.”

He explained that most of the hunters were out fighting the scourge, but I got to meet Rajiv’k and his mate, Natalie.

“You’re the one Mur’k brought in!” Natalie said with a bright smile. “He came to trade some electronic parts he found.”

I perked up when I heard his name.

“Where is he now?” I asked after the introductions.

“Oh, he left. Something about helping a hunters’ group on the East Coast. That guy’s always moving. Said he’ll visit again before the summer swarms.”

My heart plummeted. He hadn’t even stayed long enough to say goodbye.

Chapter 14: Mur’k

I swung my axe numbly, neatly beheading another scuttler. Normally, I reveled in the fight. I lived for nothing else. But I hadn’t been able to find any joy in it since I’d dropped Sara off in New Franklin.

I knew that if I’d stayed, I’d steal her back into my shuttle, so I’d left right after trading some electronic parts for a small bottle of Earth-made “weeskee.” I felt like a coward, something I’d never felt before. I’d also never wanted someone’s company like this before, nor experienced that stab of rejection.

So I’d run, telling myself that the survivors of New Franklin needed her more than I needed a hunting partner.

A hunting partner. Who the krux was I trying to fool? Sara was so much more than a hunting partner to me. I hadn’t wanted a human female, but the universe had thrown one at me anyway, and I’d let her slip right through my fingers.

Today was the day of giving hearts she had told me about. Surely the humans of New Franklin celebrated this day. Would another male give a symbol of his heart to her? What if she was already mated the next time I saw her?

I gritted my teeth at the unfamiliar, crippling tightness in my chest, even as I rolled to dodge a volley of spitter acid.

I should’ve asked her again and given her more reason to stay with me. Should’ve told her that I wanted her as more than a hunting partner. Should’ve offered to stay at New Franklin to be with her.

Instead, I’d run. The original plan had been to help a hunter group that had put out a call, but they were all the way on the eastern edge of this continent, and the farther I got from Sara and New Franklin, the less I wanted to go. I decided on an impromptu hunt the next morning, even though I wasn’t familiar with the area.

That had been my first mistake.

My second was not paying more attention.

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