Page 13 of Fated to the Hunter
“Ugh! What am I supposed to do, Dottie?” I wailed. “I’m supposed to be the nerdy girl who stays back and does the research, not the fearless one who heads out into danger! A quest! They’re calling it a fucking quest. I don’t go on quests!”
Dottie and I were hidden away in the stacks, the library having shut its doors for the day. Dottie was New Franklin’s head librarian and technically my boss, though she deferred to me for anything electronic, which was a lot. With her thick plastic cat eye glasses and love of outrageous accessories—yes, she wore statement earrings on the daily, even during the bugpocalypse—she fit the role of the eccentric librarian so well it was almost comical.
“It’s not so bad. At least you’ll have one of those hunky alien warriors by your side. Isn’t that like your dream come true?”
Of all the people here, she most understood my obsession with monster and alien romance books. Hell, we’d built that romance novel collection together! She was more of a dark romance reader herself, but there isn’t much to do during the dead of winter when we’re hiding out from the bugs, so we’d learned to read anything and everything we could get our hands on. That meant she got into horns and tentacles, and I got into her secret-baby mafia stash.
“Yeah, but if you haven’t noticed, those books always have a happily ever after, guaranteed. There’s no guarantee I’m going to make it back in one piece. And I’m not looking for a real-life relationship, remember? That’s why I hide in romance books.”
“Okay, so don’t go,” she said, like that was even an option.
“And disappoint everyone? I can’t do that now. Did you see how excited the Tech Wizards got? They’re already putting together a care package for us. A care package!”
“Oh, just admit it, hon. A part of you really wants to get a hold of those hard drives, and the other half really wants to go on a quest with that purple hunk. I know you, Kiera. You’re stubborn and always get your way. You can’t hide the truth from me.”
Ugh! I hated that she was right. Kind of. I did want those hard drives. But I also wanted to live.
“But what if I die?” I wailed again. “It’s a Dead Zone. The worddeadis literally in the name! I was trying to convince one of the nomad groups to go without me, because if you haven’t noticed, I have no experience out there at all.” I pointed to the closest window, which, despite being in the safety of New Franklin, had been thoroughly barred and covered with unbreakable acrylic sheets. “I wasn’t planning to actually go in myself!”
“And that’s why that sexy hunk of a hunter is going with you. I don’t think he would’ve volunteered if it were a suicide mission. And didn’t they already contact the hunters at the Dead Zone?”
They had. Right after dinner, right here, in the library. That was how Dottie had found out about my surprise quest. The hunters’ reaction had been similar to the nomad’s at first. I’d sat through all of it, tongue-tied and in shock.
But Dottie was right. The Tech Wizards were going to be in contact with us every step of the way, and the hunters at the Dead Zone had already agreed to create a distraction for us to get in and out safely.
Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad after all.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Dottie said with a yawn. “It’s almost midnight, and the market starts up again bright and early tomorrow.”
“Go, get some rest.” Our roles were flipped tomorrow, and I was manning the library. “You’re the one who has to deal with people at the info booth,” I said.
“Right. Goodnight, hon.”
And then I was finally alone with my thoughts for the first time since the big, life-changing fiasco at dinner.
Chapter 7: Bael’k
“I see you are still trying to prove you are the better fighter?”
I turned to see Jorg’k leaning against the side of the building, the tiny Earth rodent he’d befriended sitting on his shoulder, his impressive gonads on display.
“I am already the better fighter,” I said. “There is no need to prove anything.”
“Retrieving a priceless artifact from beyond the Dead Zone is a worthy challenge. If you succeed, I will relinquish the title to you.”
“You cannot relinquish a title you do not hold. And I do not care about the artifact,” I said honestly.
“Ah! So it is about the female! My mate was right.”
“It is not. I am there for the glory.” It was only a partial truth. I really was interested in the female, not permanently as a mate, but for the physical experience. I hadn’t had many opportunities to tell untruths, and I was sure my face was giving it away as we spoke.
“Kiera and Connie are friends. Like us.”
“We are not friends,” I said. “We are rivals.”
He laughed. “Same thing. But I’ve been sent here by my mate to warn you that you must return her friend alive and happy.”
I frowned. “That is my plan.”
