Kidnapped (Predator Fanfiction) -Major Editing-

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Skylar carefully spun around in her new dress, admiring the fabric in the mirror before plopping down on the floor and looking at it flow over her fingers.

"Skylar?" Kweide's voice called for her and she looked up as he entered their room with new pelts draped on his arm.

"Yes?" She stretched back and stood quickly, stopping to straighten herself as she stumbled.

"Are you well?" Kweide's tone changed and he threw the pelts down on the bed as he walked over to her and held out his hand for support.

"Yeah, I'm just dizzy haha." Skylar smiled gently at him but took his hand. "Is there something you needed to tell me?" She turned to look at the pelts, trying to feel for the most usable ones.

"Of course, R'kadekna has asked us to go hunting with her and Kayla, H'chakde will be coming as well of course."

Skylar froze and looked down at her hands for a moment, she was tired of hunting. Just a little break that wasn't when she or someone she cared about was so debilitated they couldn't move would be nice. Besides, R'kadekna was going and she wasn't certain about how she felt about hunting with the excessive huntress. So she improvised.

Skylar collapsed to the ground and Kweide let out a roar of surprise as he dropped down to catch her. "Skylar? Skylar?" He shook her but she was still as he scooped her up and rushed off to the medical bay.

As she bounced around in his arms she did her best to keep quiet and droop her loose limbs. There was only one thing she could think of to get out of the hunt without offending anyone on a ship where that was life or death. She'd fake a human illness.

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With the month that had passed, Kayla was finally feeling better. The wounds on her back were turning into scars, albeit rather fresh ones, but they didn't hurt her as much as before. Mostly she was glad to not have to take any of that medicine that left her so ill.

Eventually, they had gotten around to fashioning a new top from the wolf creature she had killed. Now she wore more of a loose halter top, only covering her breasts and part of her tummy. Only a small strip of leather covered her back, keeping her wound on full display when her hair was up.

H'chakde had reminded her that when the time came she would be given proper armor. For now, she would live with this.

Her fingers ghosted the scar H'chakde had found. The one her father had given her. He had taken the story of how she had gotten it well. However, she noticed how the air in the room had shifted when she began to talk of it. He hadn't given her that pitying look so many people had.

Sometimes it wasn't explicit. Instead hidden behind tight awkward smiles of anyone she had tried to talk with about how her parents were. The look she only seemed to be able to stomach from Skylar. Perhaps because she was the only one back then who truly seemed to care. Even if some believed she shouldn't because of how much trouble Kayla caused.

With a deep breath Kayla pushed the matter from her mind. It was in the past, no more reason to dwell on it. Besides, H'chakde was right.

Ultimately she had won.

She had walked away scarred for a long while, but she had made something of herself. From the hell hole she had lived in, to Skylar's home, to the coast guard. Even if she hadn't done it all by herself, she had done it.

Now here she was, somewhere entirely new, about to embark on another hunt. It all felt. . .Well, she wasn't sure how to describe it.

"Kayla!" The door swung open as H'chakde bolted in. "Skylar is sick."