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But, Twyla was a city girl—a rich one at that. She was likely used to grand parties with luxurious food that I probably wouldn’t be able to name, much less taste. She’d most definitely had dreams that didn’t include being stuck on a farm for the rest of her life. And I didn’t blame her for that—not in the least.
After all, she wasn’t a Fanger by blood. How would she know the rarity of finding a Blood Mate? How would she know that I would do almost anything to keep her by my side?
I sighed deeply, and she shifted again, a frown marring her brows in sleep.
One small hand came up to my chest, as though she were trying to soothe my worries, and I placed my palm on top of hers for a moment of comfort.
At that moment, the dim light in the room snuffed out entirely. I lifted my head slightly and through the large canopy windows, I could see darkness sweeping across the little houses in the community like a swift whisper.
Great, so now the last functioning solar grid was down. I hoped it was something Ana’id, our resident mechanic, could get up and running soon. Otherwise, things could get pretty desperate without an ounce of electricity.
The farmhouse had a backup generator in the basement that my father had installed almost fifty years ago. It still worked just fine despite its age, but it could probably only power the house for about a couple of weeks before it ran out as well.
I slowly untangled myself from Twyla’s sleeping limbs, giving up the pretense of ever going to sleep tonight. It was only a few hours away from dawn and my mind was preoccupied with a never-ending list of questions and what-if scenarios that fueled my fears. I’d be much better off with Ana’id, tinkering with the solar grid on the edge of our little community, as we’d done countless times over the years.
I dressed in the darkness, my vision adjusting to the room pretty quickly. It was one perk of having Fanger blood that came in handy during electricity shortages.
I wondered briefly if I should leave a note for Twyla. Would she wonder where I went? Would she fear the blackout?
I shook my head. Despite her outward appearance, Twyla was an adult. She could take care of herself.
But that thought didn’t stop me from leaning over to press a lingering kiss to her forehead before I left.
I heard the telltale snick of a blaster powering on as I pulled up in front of Ana’id’s cottage with Pip panting lightly under me. The cottage was a stout brick building covered in swirling greenery, with a mechanic’s workshop attached to the back.
Pip snorted and shook out his mane as I slid down his side.
“Ana, it’s me. The power’s out.”
I heard a grunt and the door opened to a disgruntled Beast hybrid in what I assumed was her pajamas—low-slung cotton trousers and an old peacekeeper shirt that had probably shrunk in the wash.
At her side was a long-range blaster. As I watched, she deactivated it and pointed it at the ground. Her huge frame filled the doorway almost completely.
“You smell different,” she said, her voice raspy with sleep. “I couldn’t recognize you.”
Just as Fangers had a unique set of skills, Beasts were known for their highly developed sense of smell. It’s how they recognized people without having to see them at all. It also made them skilled trackers, and a lot of them, like Ana’id, had served in the peacekeeping corps to put their talents to good use.
“It’s personal.” I shoved my hands in my trouser pockets.
“Of course it is.” Her trademark crooked smile took residence on her face. “I can smell her, too.”
She moved aside and slid the blaster into her low-slung bottoms, the handle sticking out for easy access. It seemed like a precarious position to me, but she looked comfortable.
I stepped into the small cottage I’d visited countless times throughout my life. Ana’s family had been our closest neighbors to the west, and we’d brought them produce in exchange for their mechanical services. This had been our arrangement ever since our families had settled on this Star.
Growing up, she’d been like an older sister to me and when she’d left for the peacekeeping corps, I’d cried myself to sleep. Looking back, I think I saw a reflection of myself in her. Someone I wanted to be when I was older. She was strong and commanding, good with her hands, dependable. All qualities I’d admired as a gangly blond child. But I think most of all, it was her penchant for women that drew me to her.
While our Star had an open community when it came to a spectrum of relationships, there didn’t seem to be many around my age who identified similarly. Except Ana’id, of course. You could tell from a mile away—the set of her shoulders, the casual swagger, the thick locs that she sported. As a young kid, I’d been entranced by that subtle power. So I used to hang around the cottage often, hoping she’d teach me what I needed to know deep down in my soul.
And now, almost twenty years later, Ana had retired after two decades of service, inheriting the cottage from her late parents. She carried on their tradition and still ran the large mechanic’s workshop attached to the back. Her younger brother Leylan also lived with her, but he tended to disappear for long stretches of time. No one knew exactly where he went and none of us asked since Ana didn’t seem keen on divulging that information.
I felt something brush against my calves in the dark and almost jumped before I realized it was Juniper, Ana’s canine. It didn’t help that he had a long black coat and black eyes. I’d barely been able to see him and my night vision was pretty good overall.
“Hey, boy. Long time no see.” I reached down to scratch him behind the ears and he moved around to reposition my fingers where he wanted them—on his chin.
“Take a seat, I’ll get changed and we can take the bopper down to the panels.”
I sat on the arm of the sofa, still petting Juniper, meaningless words of praise tumbling from my lips. He was an old dog, probably twelve or thirteen by now, but he was still as friendly and playful as he’d been as a puppy.
