Page 53 of Ragoru

She rubbed a hand over her own swelling abdomen as she looked fondly at the sketch of Sabol with one of the older rogs within the community lying upon him, chewing on his ear. For a ferociously independent species, she was starting to believe that they hadn’t always been that way before their world fell. Although the houses were far apart, they had set up a small clearing of sorts without disturbing too much of the tree cover in which they gathered and shared their hunt most evenings. It had quickly become a much-loved time of community for their entire village. Distrustful males began to relax and discover companionship, and females began to find friends among each other. And it was the development of the next generation that benefited them the most.

“This is truly remarkable, Evie,” Dr. Farris exclaimed as he peered down at his datapad, delight crinkling the corners of his eyes.

Behind him, SAM worked busily cataloging her newest transmission and cast the scientist what could be interpreted as a fond look. The archaic projecting systems Dr. Farris dug up didn’t give him the range that he’d had in the facility, but SAM never complained and seemed content in his work.

Dr. Farris shook his head. “I never would’ve believed that things would progress so well in such a relatively short time.”

“I think we’re seeing a glimpse of what their world was like when it was thriving. I gave very little push, hoping that they would find their own communal rhythm. I’d expected a bit more growing pains, but once they realized that this was a safe place and no one was going to try to kill their rogs, steal their mates, or challenge for territory, they just sort of came together like this themselves. It has been incredible.”

“I do wish I could see it,” he murmured.

“I could give you the coordinates,” Evie reminded him, though she knew that he would reject the offer as he had the dozen other times she’d made it.

“Psh! And what would I do there but get in the way? Worse, what if it revealed your location? Our world is not ready for that, though we are gathering these details and sharing them everywhere we can. It’s slow going, and people are afraid.”

“There is no reason for them to be,” Evie argued in bewilderment.

“You know this, and I know this, but there are already sightings of them within the forests of the habitable zone. The Order is capitalizing on the panic it’s causing and stoking people’s fear faster than we can educate.” He huffed. “It is quite aggravating, but we aren’t surrendering yet.”

“Good,” she sighed.

“What’s worse are the rumors,” he grumbled, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

“What rumors?”

Dr. Farris gave her a pained look. “I didn’t want to tell you, but I don’t like what I’m hearing. That transmission from Huntsman Vale has had more lasting consequences than we’d hoped. He provided your name to the Order and the fact that you’re mated with the Ragoru, and it didn’t take them long to look up your file despite our efforts to shut them out of our system. Now they have people whispering fearfully about Ragoru attacking women with red or any sort of bright hair with the interest of making them their captive brides—all using you as an example.”

“What? But that’s absurd!” she snapped, her gaze turning toward the hearth in an attempt to cool her anger.

The figure of the Ragoru’s Mother Ewa that Thral had painstakingly whittled sat on their hearth along with three matching figures of males they called The Dark Fathers standing guard around her. There was so much warmth to the scene as the heavily pregnant female figure clasped a rog before her that it always helped her center herself. It did so now, even though she could still feel an edge of panic trying to work itself up from her gut.

“What should we do?”

“What else can we do?” Dr. Farris sighed. “We keep on pushing forward and educating. All my peers on the other continents have this information as well. Just keep sending me your notes, Evie. It helps more than you realize.”

She nodded and bit her lip. “There is something else, doctor.”

His bushy eyebrows rose in inquiry.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh. Oh my.” He sat back heavily in his chair, shock coloring his expression. “So the information that the Feriknikal shared with you was correct. We are compatible. The Order will shit themselves when they learn that. Their whole argument has been on the basis that the union is unnatural. Breeding compatibility proves otherwise.” He sat forward again with an eager look on his face. “Do keep me apprised, Evie. This may turn the tide in our favor. Detailed information on Ragoru-human hybrids could be invaluable.”

“They are a blessing,” Thral corrected as he slipped into the room, his large body coming up behind hers.

She leaned into the alpha, enjoying the warmth of his upper arms circling her as his bottom hands gently palmed and lifted the weight of her belly. She groaned with pleasure as the ache in her back eased.

“That they are,” Dr. Farris agreed, and he chuckled. “But I see there is another sort of blessing trying to get started so I will let you go, Evie. I look forward to receiving more from you soon.”

“Of course,” Evie agreed as the transmission cut off and the hologram winked out, followed by the scanner attachment plugged into the comm unit.

“Is everything well?” Thral murmured as he gently nipped and lapped his mating mark, sending tingles of pleasure straight through her.

“Not particularly, but when is everything going as it should when it comes to this mess that the Shining Ones abandoned us to. They could have at least done more than securing promises of peace and mate contributions to the leading families. That last one really pissed people off,” she added with a chuckle.

“They will learn to adapt,” Thral assured her. “One way or another, the Order cannot outlast us forever. No one accepts that sort of yoke upon them for too long before they seek to be free from it.”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “Fear is a powerful motivator.”

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