Unlikely Bonds

Chapter 2: Uathan

Dad still hadn't returned and it had been nearly four months. Mom had since given birth to my brother Kaail and was already taking him to see the female clan whose responsibility was to help raise the next generation of hunters. She visited them often because as a human, it was in her instincts to watch over her children well into adulthood, something completely foreign to Yautja, but the females welcomed my mother. Her going there everyday allowed her to visit and speak with my younger brothers who were still training with them. 

My father had no such parental instincts except for me for some reason. I was betting it was because I looked a lot like my mother. When my older brother Gi'al fell on his Blooded hunt, my mother had been inconsolable for weeks, but my father had simply said it was the way of life for a Yautja and he died honorably. Man, my mother had been livid when he said that. Even I had been scared of her that day. She had sworn then that she'd never have another baby because she couldn't handle the heartbreak. Obviously, that didn't stick, but none of my other brothers have ever fallen again. No doubt that when my father comes back from his current hunt, mom will be pregnant again by the time we left for mine.

I never understood how that was such a blessing as the other females claimed. Next week was my 40th birthday and my mother had given birth nearly as many times since then. I rarely saw her when she wasn't pregnant. To be confined at home as a permanent baby factory scared the hell out of me. Maybe it was because none of the male Yautja here were of interest to me? What a nightmare...

My eyes scanned the market where several Unblooded males and females came to gather food just like I was, though they were much younger than I was. There were a few Blooded as well, but nothing about them screamed 'mate me'. My mother had told me that was normal and she had felt the same way about human males before she met my father. Now she craves him like a bunny. Whatever that meant. Pretty sure I didn't want to know.

I also knew that there was a possibility that I wouldn't have heat cycles like regular Yautja females. Heat cycles, once hitting mating age, occured once every 5 to 10 years. Humans, like my mother, were fertile as early as nine years old and could get pregnant once a year. Sometimes twice a year if planned right. I hadn’t received a period like my mother, so I was very hopeful that at the very least my reproductive traits were Yautja. Yeah, popping out young every year sounded miserable. No thank you.

"What are you shopping for, little one?" The voice made my skin crawl because I knew who it was without having to look.

"Do not call me that, Uathan." I said it with enough venom for him to know I wasn't happy with him near me. My hand squeezed the pupita fruit to test for the ripeness. Being half human, I tended to be an omnivore like my mother. Sweets in particular was something I always craved and pupita fruit were some of the sweetest around.

"You are little though. Would you rather me call you tiny ooman?" He mused.

I whirled around, growling up at him. He, like his father, was close to 8ft. Though he reached Blooded status years ago, he had still been incredibly young and he, unfortunately, was still growing. Most Yautja estimated his final height would eventually rival with my father's. Height for males was extremely brag worthy unless you had dirty blood...like my father. So for Uathan to reach that size being 'pure' was a massive bragging right. It seemed to make him more prideful than he should be because my father would eat his guts for breakfast no matter how big the fucker got.

Why did I detest Uathan so much? Mainly because he was the only male who taunted me about being half human. He liked the idea that I couldn't say no to him since I wasn't Blooded and the Courtship Tournament was fast approaching. Had my mother not finally convinced my father to take me hunting, I would have been treated like any human female during the Courtship Tournament. Mated or not, humans were seen more like property than equals here. What this meant was I would have to mate the strongest male who fought for my hand and Uathan was by far one of the strongest, save my father. If I was Blooded, however, I would only have to consider it.

"Only you would see that as an insult, you moron! I am half human which is part of the appeal for you. Remember that I am still daughter of Xai'an. Which means I am Yautja too! Don't think I won't kick your ass just because I look human!" I snarled at him, baring my teeth and flexing my claws instinctively.

Uathan chuckled, chittering with those large mandibles and waved me off as if I were nothing more than a small animal. "You should be honored that the son of the clan leader wants you. No one else does."

I wanted to rush him so bad. Every Yautja instinct screamed at me to put him in his place, but I was still considered more human than Yautja thanks to my father. It would only get me in trouble for attacking him. Not to mention, I had seen Uathan fight. He was merciless and he would hurt me to prove his point that he could and would make me submit to him. The very thought sickened me.

"I don't want a male to begin with! Once I'm Blooded, not even you can touch me!" 

"That's iif you get Blooded before the Courtship Tournament, little one. My father just informed me that Xai'an won't make it back before then. He's been hunting a nasty clan of Bad Blood afterall. So, it's pretty clear that even if you are Blooded afterwards, I'll still have you at least once and that means I'll be able to court you every heat cycle." 

I hated that he was right and I couldn't let that happen! If my father didn't make it back in time to take me to get Blooded and Uathan won my hand, I'd have no choice but to mate with him. If I produced him offspring, then by law he could fight for my hand every heat cycle since Yautja numbers had been declining. Yeah, as a Blooded female, I could rightfully fight him and reject him. But that was only if I won. Uathan was far stronger than me so I'd have no choice but to eventually submit to him. No pun intended, but I was fucked. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

The only solution was that I had to get Blooded before the Courtship Tournament no matter the cost! It would be the only thing that would prevent him from forcefully taking me!

"I'd rather die than mate with you!" I snapped. "Don't be so fucking smug! The Courtship Tournament is still a ways off and my father is no weak Yautja! Unless...you're trying to imply otherwise, which I'd be more than happy to tell him about your criticism." 

Uathan flinched. Good. He still had a healthy fear of my father, but like all jacked idiots, anger followed when he felt embarrassed. His massive hand caught my throat and slammed me back against the wooden post of the fruit booth, flexing his mandibles as he growled. I saw it coming and I probably could have even avoided it, but again I was forced to take his abuse because I was an UnBlooded female hybrid vs the son of the clan leader. "I implied no such thing! You won't have your father to hide behind for long, little one! Whether you like it or not, soon you'll be beneath me. I will enjoy rutting you and I'll make sure you do too, so you understand your place! You are mine!"

He let me go and walked away into the crowd of onlookers. After a moment of composing myself I hissed at the stragglers, "Enjoy the show?"

They went back to their shopping and it took everything I had not to let my human emotions take over me. I fought the annoying tears and finished my shopping.