Page 15 of Fated to the Hunter
A sense of purpose I hadn’t felt in many years filled my chest with warmth. Just mindlessly killing the scourge seemed so pointless now in the face of greatness. If it was a protector she needed, then a protector I would be, no matter how impossible the odds.
Chapter 8: Kiera
“Ahh, I’m so excited for you!” Connie squealed as she handed me a bundle of goodies my friends had collected over the last day and a half to help make my impromptu mission a success. “A quest! How romantic!”
“Of course you would think it’s romantic, Connie.” I unzipped my backpack and shoved the bundle in. “You’re happily married to a hunter. But this isn’t anything like you and Jorg’k. We’re going on a treasure hunt, that’s it.”
“Uh-huh, sure. This is more like Siobhan and Zec’k.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d known she was going to mention Siobhan and her hunter. “That’s not the same!”
“But it is! Siobhan needed to find her sister. No one would take her because it was too dangerous. Then Zec’k showed up, offering to be her protector. And now they are mated!”
I knew it would be impossible to argue with her, so I changed the topic instead. “I’m like the worst person to be going on a quest. I have, like, all of three foraging trips under my belt. And for two of them, you and Jorg’k did most of the work. Dottie and I just chose which books to bring back.”
“That’s why Bael’k is going along. Jorg’k said he’s a really good fighter. Almost as good as him. Did you know they used to compete on how many scourge they could kill in a day?”
Apparently, the two hunters were like brothers, having been created by their mothership at roughly the same time, though Jorg’k kept insisting he was older. The two were currently together, preparing for this “most honorable of missions.”
The way they were talking about it, you’d think we were saving the world or something. But nope, just a treasure hunt for hard drives that might not even exist.
“Jorg’k better not be putting mating thoughts into Bael’k’s head,” I said sternly.
Connie laughed. “He doesn’t need to. Bael’k was on his knees for you like some medieval knight,” she gushed. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”
“Okay, so that was kind of cute,” I admitted. The swoonworthy move was all anybody was talking about since, though some of the stories floating around were heavily embellished.
I grumbled as I failed yet again to zip my bag back up. “What the hell is in this bundle? It’s huge.”
“Oh, this and that. Mostly gadgets and tech from the Tech Wizards.”
And that reminded me of last night’s off-the-cuff meeting with the Tech Wizards before many of them left with their groups. They’d mentioned all sorts of tech they thought I needed: micro drones, audio bug deterrents, Eye-Spies, basically everything but the kitchen sink. Though considering how big the package was, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a kitchen sink in there.
“I might need a bigger bag. But then I won’t be able to run.”
“Nah. It’ll fit. Let me help.”
She put her weight on the package, shoving it down as I worked the zipper. Eventually, we got it closed, but the knapsack was now humorously overstuffed. Oh well. There wasn’t any time for me to find another one. This baby had been with me since the very beginning.
“Do you have your phone?” Connie asked.
I patted my jacket pocket. “Yup!”
I’d gotten the cell phone just yesterday, right after that meeting. I had all the Tech Wizards’ numbers on speed dial, as well as Roger’s and Mo’s, and of course, Connie’s.
Up until this point, all I’d had was my work laptop, which would be kept locked up in the library’s office while I was gone. It was too big and unwieldy to bring on a mission like this. And besides, the whole point of putting everything online was so that people could access it anywhere they wanted.
“Wait! One more thing.” Connie produced a tiny stuffed animal version of Tooth, balls and all, attached to a keyring, and clipped it onto my pack. “There! For good luck.”
I grinned. “That’s freaking adorable! Who made it?”
“Believe it or not, Rajiv’k did. You know how he likes to tinker with things. Apparently, that extends to crafty stuff. Jorg’k and I have one hanging in our shuttle.”
Aww! The thought of a big, bad hunter meticulously sewing up a mini toy rodent had me smiling so hard that my cheeks started to hurt.
I hefted the much-too-heavy backpack onto my shoulders. “Emergency food. Water canteen. First aid kit. My good boots. A mini tool kit. Super strong flashlight. Multiple ways to set thingson fire. Perfume to mask my scent. Some cordage. My new phone. Knife. Massive bag of who knows what from the Tech Wizards. What else am I missing?”
“Nothing,” Connie said. “And if you are, you can always give one of us a call. It’s not like the early days anymore. You’ll be fine.”
