Page 38 of Craved By the Hunter

I grunted. “You are the only one who has stayed with me my entire life. I do not wish to lose you.”

“Aww, that’s super cute.” Sam held her hand over her chest. “But seriously, Pip—no more photos.”

Chapter 19: Sam

I shifted over on the couch and tried to ignore the fact that Kan’n was hovering over me and glaring daggers at every hunter who dared to glance my way.

So much for going thewhat-ever-happened-in-the-blanket-fort-stayed-in-the-blanket-fortroute. Ever since we got back to the main group, he’d been acting like a Rottweiler guarding his favorite squeaky toy.

Argh! So confusing!

We agreed to stay for a late lunch—or an early dinner, depending on who you asked—before flying back to our own camp. I liked these people, but I doubted I’d be able to live and fight the scourge at this latitude. Even all bundled up in my foraged winter gear with my hands around a bowl of hot stew, I was freezing. The sun also went down ridiculously early here. I would have sworn it was late in the evening, but the time on the giant flat-screen TV, converted to use Xarc’n power, said it was only four in the afternoon. Four! And it was already dark!

Nope, I’d never survive here. It really was a testament to their advanced technology that Xarc’n shuttles could even collect enough sunlight in this part of the world to keep running aswell as powering the compound. I needed to figure out how that worked.

“We get plenty of sunlight,” Cade said defensively. “We make up for it in the summer with really long days. You really should consider joining us here. Your group has two Tech Wizards; we don’t have any. Seriously, eh. At least think about it?”

Next to me, Kan’n let out a growl. “She will not stay here.”

I turned and glared at him, even though I had no interest in staying here myself. Who did he think he was to speak for me?

“Who hooked up that TV?” I asked, because someone did, and if they could make it work on Xarc’n power, then they could do other things too.

“We traded for it with a big hunter group in Alaska,” said Joy. “It was already converted to Xarc’n power when we got it.”

Joy was Cade’s wife and the real secret behind this tiny group’s success. The peppy brunette was responsible for keeping everything running smoothly and somehow always knew where everything and everyone was. If I asked her how many cans of tomato sauce they had in the pantry, I bet she could give me the exact number.

“Sure, we get really long days in the summer, but I don’t think that makes up for the fact that our bugs don’t mind the cold,” said another man whose name I hadn’t caught. “It could be minus thirty, and they’re still out there.”

Minusthirty? I imagined another day like today, being out there working in the freezing cold and defending the place from bugs who weren’t even bothered by the chill. Nope. Nope. Nope. It got cold back home, but not like this. This was ridiculous.

“Yeah, I think I’ll stay where I am. No offense, but I’d rather be buried alive in tumbleweeds than snow. And I hate those thorny buggers. Ever thought to advertise for a Tech Wizard on the forums?”

“We tried already. No one wants to move here.” Cade scrubbed his hand through his short, auburn mop.

We stayed a while longer to chit chat and help clean up after the meal. Kan’n continued to be a prick, growling at every guy who asked me even a simple question until they stopped altogether. Except for Cade, whom he just ignored. Then again, Cade was already married.

Before long, I was saying goodbye to my new friends and stepping into the shuttle to start our flight home. I couldn’t wait to see everyone. Now that Pip was flying again, I could finally start on all the projects I’d put off. We really needed more converted phones, especially now with one of the motherships out of service. I really didn’t want to think of it as gone for good.

Kan’n was silent and ignored me the entire flight back to camp, leaving me more confused than ever. Why make a fuss and act all jealous when he was going back to being a prick to me after? I lay in the shuttle’s sleeping nook and ordered Pip to put up the privacy screen and play one of the settings programmed into the shuttle.

I relaxed to the sound of the breeze blowing through tall grasses and gazed up at the pink and purple sky, trying my best to forget that Mister Tall, Dark, and Grumpy was just a few feet away. I really wanted a sleeping nook for myself, complete with a setting simulator. It was one of the things on Pip’s old shuttle that still worked, and I often spent my breaks enjoying all the different scenes programmed inside. Like Pip’s old shuttle, thisone didn’t have the new scenes of Earth that had been developed in the past few years.

“Good news, Sam,” Pip said, waking me from my nap.

I hadn’t realized I’d dozed off. “Yeah, Pip?”

“They’ve retrieved Ror’k and Jask’l. Burr’k has been located as well, and they are sending a team to extract him.”

“Extracthim?” That sounded bad.

“Yes. His pod was carried too close to a nest before he managed to escape. He’s injured but alive and awaiting rescue.”

“Thanks for the update.”

“We’re almost home. I’m going to turn off the screen now, before Kan’n orders me to.”

I grinned at the fact that Pip had called the camp home. “Sure thing. Thanks for the warning.”

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