Georgie shrugs. "Give her time."

"Well, we should probably tell you guys everything, because I don't want anyone to be surprised," Kira continues. She smooths her daughter's hair away from her small face and smiles down at her.

"Your daughter's cute," Gail says, smiling at the little girl. "Her daddy's clearly one of the blue guys."

Kira nods. "My mate is Aehako, and we resonated."

"Is that why your eyes are glowing blue?" Gail asks. "Because of this 'resonance' thing?"

"Yes and no. The blue is because of the khui and all of the things that it does for us." The expression on Kira's face is serious as she continues. "You might not like what I have to say about it, but you deserve to know everything." She glances at Georgie and Stacy and then continues. "Every living thing on this planet has what is called a 'khui.' It's a symbiont that enables you to survive..."

Hours later, most of the women have left. Kira and her small daughter have stayed behind, camping out with us, I think to give a sense of comfort. Of trust. She seems nice, but I cannot unlock my worries enough to be friendly to her. To anyone.

The others sleep peacefully, someone snoring gently. The hut's warm and comfortable enough, though there's a chill in the rock floor that won't go away no matter how many layers of fur I pile on top of me. The bedding is nice, too. If these people are sincere, this won't be so bad...

But I can't trust yet. I can't trust that I won't wake up and find myself in a small, horrible cage again, surrounded by wild animals and prodded with sticks because I'm a strange 'creature' to an alien culture.

I can't sleep, either. I'm too busy thinking about everything we've been told.

This planet has no spring, no summer. There are two seasons-a bitter and a brutal. One where the snow is mild, and one where the snow is gut-wrenchingly awful and the cold is horrendous...and that's the one that's coming up.

Everyone here has a parasite that's both good and bad. It's what makes their eyes glow and keeps their bodies healthy, and we're going to get one in a few days. I don't like the thought, but no one asked me.

I like what the parasite does even less. Kira called it a khui, though the others jokingly called it a cootie. And it seems that the cootie also controls reproduction. That means if it decides it likes someone on this planet, I don't get a say in things. It'll vibrate in my chest-resonance-and my 'mate' will vibrate, too. It's also going to make us incredibly h.o.r.n.y until we give in and have s.e.x, after which I'll have a baby.

The thought terrifies me. Even though Georgie and the others stress that we're not slaves here, if I resonate I'll have a big brutal alien man who will have a say in everything I do, because I'm carrying his baby. It'll be just like having another owner, but this one is for sure going to want s.e.x. I swallow hard, queasy at the thought, and sit up. The need to escape is. .h.i.tting me hot and heavy once more, but I know there's nowhere to go. It's an ice planet where there's no warm weather, ever. Leaving without the proper gear would be a death sentence, and I like living. I keep hoping that someday I'm going to have a real home, where I can live on my own terms. Where I can see the sun every day. Where no one will ever put me in a cage or collar me like I'm a dog.

I just have to survive until then.

It occurs to me as I lie in bed that there must be stars here on this planet, though, and I'm hit with an intense wave of longing. I want to see the stars.

Badly.

I crawl to my newly-healed feet, still wearing the borrowed leather clothing and boots I was given. Whatever foot-wraps they gave me on the s.h.i.+p must have had some serious healing power, because they feel new and don't hurt when I walk. I'll take it.

I feel the chill in the air the moment I leave my bed, but I won't be gone long. I just want to gaze up at the stars and see them. I know it'll make me feel better. So I pick my way through the scatter of beds on the floor. Kira and her little daughter are snuggled up close by the hanging flap they call a door, and she yawns and glances up at me. "Don't go too far," she murmurs. "It's too cold at night."

I give a little nod to acknowledge her words, stepping under the flap and outdoors.

The cold hits like a punch in the face, but I'm ready for it. I brace myself, s.h.i.+vering, and walk a few crunching steps out over the snow-scattered cobblestones. There's someone sitting across the way near a fire, and he nods at me but doesn't get up. Of course we have guards watching us. For all the lip service about us being free, we're strangers to them and they don't trust us yet. As long as he leaves me alone, though, I don't care. I just tilt my head back and gaze up.

G.o.d, the stars here are beautiful.

The night sky is a mere sliver thanks to the high walls of the canyon the small city's located in, but what I can see is a deep, lovely shade of midnight that looks like it's been sprinkled with glitter, there are so many stars. Some of them are cl.u.s.tered so tight together that they look like reddish clumps, and there are green waving lines in the sky that must be a aurora of some kind. I've never seen anything so beautiful.

It makes me so happy that I feel tears welling up. Lovely, lovely stars.

"It's nice, isn't it?" a soft voice behind me says, and I jerk around, stiff until I see Gail's small form. She comes to my side, blankets wrapped around her, and gazes up at the sky while standing next to me. "Never seen any stars like that in my life. Wasn't sure I'd ever see them again after what we've been through."

There's a knot in my throat that won't go away, because I know what she means. In some of my darkest hours, stuck in a small, stinking cage, I wondered if I'd ever breathe fresh air or see daylight again. The stars feel like a present, just for us.

"You okay?" she asks softly. "I noticed you didn't eat."

I shrug, keeping my head tilted back so I can keep gazing up at the beautiful night sky. Maybe after I get my parasite, I'll sleep under the stars every night. I think I'd like that. Never be caged in again, if these people are to be believed.

"I know what you're thinking," Gail says. "Me too. Seems too good to be true that we're gonna be free and just part of their little happy village." She's like me, she doesn't trust. It doesn't matter that they greet us with smiles on their faces. Actions are what matter. "But I think," she continues, "I hope that they're good people. They seem happy."

They do. And they're generous. I don't even mind the whole no-warm-months thing, not really. But the thought of having a cootie implanted in me that chooses my mate? That scares me. What if he's...awful? What if he uses his fists to get his point across? I rub my breastbone, thinking of what it'll feel like if I resonate.

"Yeah, I worry about that, too," Gail says. "Under all that dirt you love, I know you're young. Me, I'm fifty. I'm not having any more kids. Had one son and that's it."

I look over at her in surprise, because I didn't know she'd left family behind on Earth.

Her smile is soft, her eyes s.h.i.+ny. "Nah. He's not waiting on me. Died when he was sixteen in a car accident and broke my heart into a million pieces. Me and his daddy separated after that." She looks up at the stars. "I'd love more babies, though. Love their voices, their little hands, their sheer joy. The thing that troubles me is that I went through menopause last year. So I'm hoping these aliens are forgiving of something like that, because if they expect me to have a baby for them, it's gonna be bad." She pauses. "I'm worried what will happen when they find out."

Me too.

She sighs heavily and looks up at the stars again. "I suppose I'm just borrowing trouble, though. Maybe there's room for an old lady that can't have more kids. Just like maybe there's room for a girl who keeps herself covered in dirt so no one will look twice at her."

Busted.

Gail knows my tricks, I guess. Not that it matters, because she's not going to call me out in front of the others. She respects a defense mechanism. I can't worry about it. There are so many things to worry about, I'll never sleep again if I focus on all of them. So I just look up at the stars again. They'll be back tomorrow, and so will the sun. I suppose there is always that to look forward to.

With one last look up at the stars, I head back inside.

5.

BEK.

For two long days, the humans are kept locked away in their quarters. They need time to adjust, Shors.h.i.+e tells everyone. Time to relax and not be scared of this new world they have been dropped on.

It is making the unmated hunters crazy. They find ways to wander past the hut where the females are, curious to get a glimpse of them, to see if their khuis respond. So far, no one has resonated, and in my small, mean heart, I am glad the others are as frustrated as I am. Of course, they do not resonate because they have not seen the females face to face. I have spoken to all of them and still my khui is silent.

Of course, since Vaza and I are the only ones to have seen the human females, it means we are constantly hara.s.sed with questions. I ignore them, because what can I say? It will not matter what the human looks like if there is resonance. Young Taushen could resonate to the filthy, angry little sc.r.a.p of a female and resonance will not care. Quiet Warrek might resonate to the female that Vaza adores, and Harrec might resonate to the one with pink hair and the constant weeping, and they will drive each other mad. Resonance does not care. It only wants them to mate and create kits. It knows better than we do.

Vaza gives them enough descriptions to whet their appet.i.tes when I do not, though. He talks of beautiful, delicate Chail with her dark skin and tight cap of gray curls. He speaks of the pink-haired one with the big teats, and the golden one with the silky black mane. He talks of the tall, strong one with the pale cloud of hair, and both Taushen and Harrec seem interested in that one. And he speaks of the smelly one that is too thin, who is nothing but eyes and dirt.

No one is interested in that one. I cannot blame them-she is unappealing as a mate, with no strength to her limbs, no rounded softness like the other human females. She has no smiles or sweet voice, and she stinks. Whoever resonates to her will have a tough trail ahead of him, and I do not envy that male.

Well...I envy him a little.

Vaza is talking about Chail's dark eyes and her pretty smile around the fire this morning when Raahosh storms back into the village a short time after leaving. That gets my attention and I straighten by the fire, dropping the spear I am sharpening. Raahosh heads directly for the chief's hut and disappears inside.

I know what this means. I fight down the surge of excitement in my chest and glance over at Vaza and Harrec. "I think Raahosh has found a sa-kohtsk."

The other males leap to their feet, excitement in their eyes. "If that is so, then we must gather all of the unmated hunters," Harrec exclaims, no trace of his normal sly laughter in his manner. "And this means we get to meet the human females."

I nod curtly. "Go find Taushen and Warrek. I will speak with Vektal and see what I can find out."

I head through the village, making a line for the chief's hut. The females are out and about, but as I walk past, the human mates of my friends and fellow hunters ignore me. They are all angry at me-even Claire wept and ranted at me for what I have done and barred me from her fire until she has forgiven me. I feel a pang of grief at losing her friends.h.i.+p, but she does not understand. No one does except the other unmated males who have felt nothing but despair.

I am a hero in their eyes.

I reach the chief's hut as he emerges, and he has his spear and hunting weapons strapped across his back. Raahosh follows close behind him, his scarred face tight with anger as he gazes at me. My chief nods in my direction. "It is time. A sa-kohtsk has been spotted in the valley."

So close? That is excellent-it means the fragile humans will not have to go far. "Harrec is getting Taushen and Warrek. We will be ready."

Vektal nods. "Leezh will be coming with us. She will guard the human females." He fixes his gaze on me. "And you are to stay away from them."

Of course. It will not matter if I walk next to the females or ahead of them-resonance will decide.

And perhaps today, resonance will decide in my favor.

ELLY.

It's funny; out of all the humans on the ice planet-Not-Hoth as I've overheard someone call it-Liz seems like the one that belongs the most. Kira and Georgie and a few others that I've met seem like nice, normal young moms.

Liz seems like a Valkyrie.

She marches at our side, wearing light furs compared to our swaddles, and wears her snowshoes like she was born to them. There's a bow strapped to her back, knives at her belt, and her long blonde hair is drawn back into a tight, no-nonsense braid. She barks commands at us as we waddle like ducklings behind her. Someone mentioned that Liz has two young children, but she doesn't strike me as all that motherly to us. Her mate is a big scarred brute that scares me every time I see him, so maybe she's learned to be fierce to keep up with him. She's got a sharp tongue and she's not afraid to use it.

Like right now. "Come on, Pinkie Pie. I know you can pick your feet up higher than that," she calls to Brooke, who's lagging behind for at least the fifth time in the last hour. "Don't make me come back there and get you."

"I'm tired," Brooke yells back at her. "I'm not an Amazon like you! I can't do this!"

Liz only grins and jogs back to her side. "The sooner we get there, the sooner you get warm. You want warm, don't you?"

I'm pretty sure Brooke flips her the bird. I'm also pretty sure Liz sees it and laughs. Her bright mood makes me relax a little, though.

It's been a weird morning. The moment we were told that it was the day to go hunting and get our cooties, it's been racing around non-stop. I'm exhausted from the walk, and we haven't even made it to the hunt yet. I managed to steal a few mouthfuls of food when Liz brought out rations and then ate a big chunk of it, figuring that she wouldn't poison herself, but it isn't enough to give me much energy. Every step feels like exhaustion, and the snowshoes I'm wearing make it difficult to lift my feet. We're all struggling, though, except for tall Kate, who must be in better shape than the rest of us.

Half of the hunting party ranges ahead of our straggling group. Liz's scarred, scary husband and another pair of hunters bring up the rear, but the majority are far ahead. They watch us closely, and there's far too much interest in their eyes when they look at us. It makes me feel uneasy to catch them glancing back, because I know these are probably the ones that want mates.

They're checking us out for potential.

The thought makes me huddle deeper into my furs, pulling them tighter around my face, until the only thing exposed are my eyes and my dirty mop of hair. I'm extra glad for my itchy, dirty filth today because they look at me, and then quickly move on to gaze at Kate, or Brooke, or Summer. That suits me just fine. I don't want to be anyone's mate. I want to be my own person. I want to be free.

It's cold as h.e.l.l, the wind ripping at our layers of clothing, but the suns are high in the sky. I can't say that they're bright-I suspect this planet's farther away from its suns than Earth was to its, but it makes me happy to see the blue sky and breathe in the fresh air, no matter how frigid.

One of the hunters far up ahead stops in his tracks and waves his spear in the air, then makes a gesture. Liz raises a hand in acknowledgment and then jogs to the front of our small line. "Okay, ladies. The hunters have spotted our critter. This thing's called a sa-kohtsk and it looks like a furry Macy's Thanksgiving Day float with toothpick legs. I don't want you to freak out if you see it, because we're going to have to get up close and personal with it. They don't eat people, so don't worry about that. And they move slow. The hunters are going to bring it down, and then we'll move in so you can get your cootie. Any questions?"

"Yeah, can we go home yet?" Brooke asks.

"Very funny, Pinkie Pie. You can go home once you've gotten your cootie." Liz grins. "You guys are lucky this thing is so close. Sometimes we've had to walk for days to find a sa-kohtsk."

This is close? I feel like we've been walking for hours, my fingers numb from cold, and judging from the cranky sounds the other humans make, I'm not the only one who feels it. But Liz isn't panting with exertion, or even slowing down, so I press on.

She leads us toward a cl.u.s.ter of spindly trees that look more like hairy toothpicks than actual trees. They're a soft pink color, and when I reach out to rest my hand on one, I notice it's not exactly st.u.r.dy-and that my hand comes away sticky. Ugh. I wipe it on my furs and shoot a furtive glance at the others to see if anyone noticed.

That's when I hear it.

Thud.

Thud.

Thudthud.

My insides seem to shake with every thump, and for a moment, I wonder if someone's throwing boulders off of one of the distant cliffs. The ground itself feels as if it's quivering.

"Look sharp, ladies," Liz calls out, and points off into the distance.

I glance over and suck in a breath.

There, lumbering in the snow, is the biggest d.a.m.n creature I've ever seen. It's hideous and terrifying all at once. The mouth is enormous, and the four glowing eyes set in the head remind me of a spider. There's fur all over the d.a.m.n thing, and Liz is right-the legs are toothpick-like and long. As each foot steps to the ground, the earth shakes again. Jesus. I feel a sense of panic at the sight of it, stepping backward.

"Lord almighty," Gail breathes.

"What is that thing?" Kate asks.

"It's the sa-kohtsk, and what our boys are hunting today. Stick close to me," Liz says, and she looks unafraid. "We've got the best seats in the house for the show."

We huddle closer to her, as if Liz can somehow protect us if that thing veers in our direction.

It's slow moving, the sa-kohtsk, and after watching it for a few steps, I'm fascinated by its lumbering gait. It almost moves as if it's slogging through water, which I find fascinating. Maybe its big body is too heavy for it to move faster, but it doesn't seem to be in a hurry, even when it gives a low bellow of anger and I see the blue bodies racing alongside the legs of the thing. They look tiny next to it, even though I know they're just as overgrown in their own way.

"Taushen's already right on it," Liz murmurs. "This shouldn't take too long, then."

I watch the hunters move around the much larger animal, and find myself fascinated. They're graceful on their feet, racing next to it and darting in and out between its legs as if playing the world's scariest game of chicken. As they move, the creature veers in one direction, only to have another hunter race up on the creature's side and begin to swipe at the legs, herding it in the other direction. It makes a low moaning noise and continues to lumber forward, churning endless amounts of snow in its wake. The creature heads toward our copse of trees, but Liz doesn't move an inch.