Page 11 of A Monster’s Future

This was why we had rules. Important ones like how whatever happened in past ruts, stayed in past ruts. It was unfair for a male to be upset about a female’s past conquests when he had his own. With our biology and the yearly rut being unavoidable once we reached sexual maturity, that eventually was inevitable. Mates were not supposed to be jealous of past partners; that was like holding a precious gem and being jealous of plastic.

My brain knew and understood all of this. And yet, it did nothing to stop the jealous fire burning in my gut.

Was this date with one of the human males? If it was, I’d find him and warn him off her. None of them would be a problem except maybe Igor, but I was certain that the former super soldier had his eyes on the female engineer Annabel.

What if it was with Ashtrr? My stomach twisted.

I could possibly take him in a fight. But while on this ship and on this mission, he outranked me, acting as both pilot and commander.

This was all my own doing; I had no one else but myself to blame. If I’d claimed her the moment I realized she was my mate, I wouldn’t be here trying to figure out how to warn another male off her. But if I took a human mate, would I ever be able to go back to Kadri?

Despite being exiled, it was still thought it would be possible to return to Kadri one day. The Usurper Queen was not immortal, and she’d made many enemies during her reign. Once she was gone, there would be a chance for me to go home and see my sister again. Perhaps even reclaim the riches I’d worked so hard to build.

I wasn’t delusional, however. I didn’t expect the female I’d left behind to be waiting for me. She had no loyalty to me personally; it had been an arrangement meant to boost both our standings.

In the beginning, I’d been one of the warriors who fought against our males taking human mates. To me, it was proof we’d never return to our home world. Proof that we were truly exiled. I never betrayed my commander like some of the more fanatical purists had, but I’d made my objections known.

Over the years, my perspective had shifted. The humans grew on me. Their stubbornness, their resilience, their strange ways. I wasn’t opposed to mating with them anymore.

I saw how happy my commander Krxare was with his mate Clara. I doubted any of the females here would be happy on Kadri. Julie would not enjoy the strict rules and decorum. And so I resisted her pull because I didn’t wish to choose between my home and my mate.

The loud sound of metal falling to the ground had me whipping my head around. A wrench lay on the floor. I was certain I had not touched it. I continued to the spot where it had been. Just when I was about to give up, a furry form hopped out from behind my tool bag with a tube of adhesive in its mouth.

It was the kukee from before! I recognized the white tuft of fur at the side of its body. We’d already flushed out any stowaways with that high-frequency pulse they hated so much. So how the hell had this one slipped back in? I had to get the glue out of its mouth before it tried to eat it.

It looked at me. And I looked at it.

I lunged.

The kukee bolted, its tiny paws skidding on the metal grating as it zigzagged between my legs. I whirled, nearly tripping over my own feet and knocking over several tools from the bench. The little beast darted behind a crate, making little clicks of triumph at evading me.

“Oh no, you don’t,” I growled.

I dropped to my knees and reached behind the crate, fingers brushing fur before the kukee squeaked and scrambled away. It shot across the floor, its tiny body a blur of motion, and I gave chase. Its fluffy tail lashed about as it maneuvered around carts and equipment.

The kukee made a sharp turn and bolted straight for the oversized tool bag I’d brought down with me to work on my project. It went behind the bag and didn’t come out the other side. I lifted the entire thing, but the little beast was nowhere in sight.

Where had it gone?

Then I spotted the ragged hole chewed into the side compartment. I unzipped it, only to find another gaping tear leading into the main section of the bag. The little thief had burrowed right in.

I grabbed a roll of plastic film and slapped a piece over the hole, sealing it shut. Then I unzipped the top and shifted the padded containers holding my tools aside. And there, at the bottom of the bag, I found my extra towels all torn up and made into a cozy nest, and right in the middle of the nest was my furry new friend. There was even a piece of half-chewed nullvein right next to him, like he was keeping it as a snack for later.

So that was how it had gotten on board. It had been hiding in my tool bag this whole time.

The creature scrambled for the hole it had made in the side of the bag, only to find it blocked. I snatched it before it could try anything else. It shrieked, kicking wildly, but I had it pinned. It twisted in my grip, teeth bared, but I carefully wrapped my other hand around its body, pinning its legs against its sides.

“Got you,” I growled.

The kukee glared up at me, its tiny chest heaving. The tube of adhesive was still clenched in its jaws. I pried its mouth open, careful not to hurt it, and plucked the tube free. The kukee made a pitiful noise, moments before it clamped its mouth down on my hand.

I hissed but did not release it. Its tiny teeth couldn’t do much harm.

I held it up at eye level, studying it. “You are lucky I don’t eat you.” I snapped my teeth at it.

The kukee blinked, then shrieked indignantly at me, upset at the loss of the tube of glue. I tossed the tube of adhesive onto the workbench before turning my attention back to the little troublemaker.

“What am I supposed to do with you now?” I stared at it.