Predator and Prey: Amara

Vata / Amara

I'd heard the roar of the ship. Then, the lights shut off behind its departure. I felt Ill at ease as the power returned. I knew that this had something to do with her. My brother bursting through my door confirmed it.

"They're gone. She's gone."

The pain in my chest is like an invisible knife piercing through it. It takes my breath and the ground shifts.

"Brother." Says Aduih, concerned.

The hurt of her betrayal is replaced with anger and hatred.

"Kismet has chosen for me."

"You're just going to let her go?"

"I accept my fate. My allegiance is to father's legacy and the clan."

"Don't let your wrath guide your judgment."

"Leave me."

"Shall we tear it down?"

Ninety-moon cycles later, I stand before her home. The home that I'd built for her. The ooman, who speaks our language, inquires about its removal.

"Leave it be, in memory of the happiness that she once brought me."

"Happiness? It seems to be a shrine of sadness and tortured dreams."

"I didn't ask you what you thought. Now go away."

"Of course, but I wanted to give you this in honor of your union."

He speaks of my joining with Naidka. A celebration's being prepared for tonight. He bows slightly to me, and his palm opens to an object that resembles Amara. "I gave her one that was made in your likeness."

"Find it. She left me, so it's probably still here." I respond, accepting the gift.

"She took it with her."

"How do you know that?"

"Do I have your word that you'll become my protector?"

He must have crossed one of my people. Becoming his protector means that I'd fight to the death to keep him safe. I'd fight his battles. But any information concerning her is worth it. "You have my word."

"I was there on the ship before she left."

His account of that evening's gathering with him as the translator fuels my next moves.

"What about the ship?" Asks Amara.

"It'll automatically be set to return here," Liam says.

"And if I choose not to go?"

The whip strikes her stomach. It rips through her clothing, drawing blood. She cries out from the pain, nursing her stomach.

"Vata will take your life if you take hers!"

"I could end you both, and no one would be the wiser."

"My evidence, it's a record of this night. It feeds to another source. If I come up missing, it will be delivered to Vata." States the translator, showing her a small recording device.

"Leave, or I won't care if I'm found out. I won't see you with him."

Commandeering a ship, I make an unsanctioned voyage to her home planet.

I track her to an overpopulated area. And concealing myself, I follow the tracker to her home. It's a large building reaching to the sky. The translator put a tracking device in the small object that she had of me.

I'm in front of her door. The handle doesn't work, so I blow the door away. There is a surprised yell and a high-pitched scream. She comes out of a room looking different.

Her skin is full to bursting with her human meat. Starvation and manual activities will bring her back to the size that she was when I met her.

"What the hell happened?" The mate, but not the same mate, states.

"I don't know."

Analyzing her voice, it's not Amara. With an agitated roar, I show myself. And she reacts similarly to Amara. Her body hits the floor with a loud thud.

The mate squeals. It's similar to the first high-pitched scream that I heard when I entered. That must have come from him.

I have no time to ponder if it's really a male. It seems none threatening. I ignore it as it disappears into a room, slamming the door behind it.

Locating Amara's correct home via the beacon, I decide to use the human gesture of hitting the door. There's noisy movement inside before the door opens. She appears at the opening with a light-hearted smile.

Which disappears at the sight of me. Confusion follows, before her smile returns bigger than before. She's in my arms, and her lips all over my face. Disgusted, I allow her to express her happiness.

AMARA

I wasn't expecting him when I opened the door. But my surprise turns to pure joy. I've missed him. And even though I'd decided to move on with Dominic, I followed him back to the ship.

Dominic's calling to me, but I ignore him. I choose Vata. I love him. He catches up to us as the doors are closing and dives into the ship.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" He could have been cut in half. I help him to his feet and then push him away from me. Vata has a not-to-kind expression for Dominic. "It's okay," I tell Vata, who immediately goes to the controls. The sensation of the ship rising upwards has us grasping at whatever we can to remain standing.

"You were going just to leave and not say anything?"

"She has a habit of doing that." Comes over the PA system.

Omg...

"Knock it off, Bumblebee." Dominic states.

"It would have been easier this way," I tell him.

"Where you go, I go." He says to me.

We're back, and something's wrong. Heated, hurried words are exchanged between Vata and Liam. Then, we're whisked away to a hiding place. It's a secret community of hundreds of humans living in a subterranean paradise.

"What's all of this?"

"Your new home for now and forever if Vata doesn't reclaim the clan," Liam says solemnly.

"Wait," I state, stopping him with a hand on his arm.

"We deserve to know what's going on." I finish.

"Vata's father was dethroned in a fight to the death. The Winning Yautja took claim of the clan and Vata's mother. She chose to take her life rather than become his mate."

"What the hell did you bring me back to?" Dominic accuses.

"I didn't bring you back anywhere. You followed me."

"What the hell did I follow you back to?"

"What can we do to help him?" I question Liam.

"Nothing. If you believe in prayer, try that and see if it works."

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