A New Beginning: Passing The Torch

Chapter 1

Here is a line for those who like to note if they are First Time Readers (FTR) or Re-Readers (RR).  

*       *       *

Tasha's POV:

I hummed and gently nuzzled the two eggs that were nestled together on top of the soft sand. Small motions from within caused both of them to rock slightly. It was just one of the signs that they were getting close to hatching.

I curled around them in the shallow indentation, lowering my chin onto the warm sand. It wasn't much of a nest, but it was what they needed. Despite the urge to cover the eggs with my wing, I resisted. They needed the warmth from the small heat lamp above.

My head faced the opening of the small dome hut that Taureen had built. I could hear him in the kitchen, and from the light clinking of a knife on a cutting board, he was likely dicing up fruit for Keegan and me.

My mate, Keegan, was out with Aeria as they inspected incoming spaceships. It was only lunch time, but they would likely be coming back soon. He was also getting more temperamental as the eggs got closer to hatching, so his shifts had been shortened. As soon as I had started digging out the nest, I had been taken off the work rotation completely.

I hadn't realized just how much my instincts and hormones would affect me during the nesting phase. The drive to protect the nest was quite strong, and even my normally timid and shy mate discovered that he had a fierce side hidden somewhere underneath those silver scales of his.

I could barely leave the room without constantly worrying, even if Keegan and Aeria were guarding the nest. And considering that the nest was inside the house, it wasn't as if anyone could get in without it sending an alert to Taureen's wrist comm. It was also on a corner end table, so I didn't have to worry about bugs or anything crawling on the floor.

With a gusty sigh, I got to my feet and left the hut. Hovering wasn't going to make them hatch any faster. The entrance was small enough that I had to crouch down and tightly fold my wings to fit through it. That was exactly what I had wanted, though.

I spread my wings in a stretch as I looked back at the hut. Taureen had made it look like a tree stump. The entrance was close to the wall, so anyone entering the room wouldn't be able to see the red light of the small heat lamp inside, nor the two small, pearly-white eggs resting on the sand.

There was a second tray of sand on the same end table with a larger heat lamp just above it where either Keegan or I could relax while keeping close to the nest. I curled up underneath the larger heat lamp and spread my wings to catch the warmth.

Keegan's mindvoice entered my mind. "We're almost there."

I could tell that he included Taureen in the telepathic heads-up, which meant that I didn't have to relay the information. While I waited for them to arrive, I rested my chin on the edge of the sand tray, facing the hallway. I couldn't see the door from this corner of the living room, but I didn't want to leave the nest just yet.

The sound of the door quietly sliding open made me sit up with my wings half-unfurled. Aeria walked into the room with Keegan on her shoulder. He didn't even wait for her to remove his harness before he jumped into the air to fly towards me with a joyful cry. My own wings bit into the air as they sent me forward to greet him. Our wings brushed as we spun around one another in a complex acrobatic display, happy to be reunited again.

It felt good to stretch my muscles and give my wings a bit of exercise. I hadn't gone out much lately, too paranoid that something would happen while I was gone.

We both settled on the end table, and Aeria approached us once we folded our wings.

She greeted me as she removed Keegan's harness, "Hello, Tasha. How is your day going so far?"