Rhage walked into the nesting chamber to find Artemis slumbering soundly still. He set the tray of food he had retrieved her, a receptical of sweet fruits and juice to drink, on a table and approached. She slept on her side with her arms stretched out in front of her beneath the coverings and a foot sticking out, her dark mane a tangled mess across her face.

Seeing her tiny feet was always a treat. She always wore cloth that covered her dainty toes — something she called socks.

His human looked so small in his nest, a nest built for someone his size. It dwarfed her but she hadn't seemed to mind. She enjoyed spreading out her limbs as if she was trying to claim it for herself in her slumber. Sometimes, in her slumber, she'd mumble words that would be sentences or bits and pieces of them. He liked to lie and listen.

While he had killed humans in the thousands, he had never thought to sit and observe them for anything other than to study their habits so he could kill them. He had seen plenty slumber but watching her slumber was different. She was prey that he would never kill; he couldn't, not when she meant so much to him so fast. This little female had crawled into his heart and claimed her territory.

Every dayrise he would watch her slumber. She was truly a gift from Paya.

He knelt by the bed to gingerly tuck her tiny foot back under the coverings. Just before he did, though, he played with her toes. They were so tiny that he couldn't help himself. Compared to his four clawed toes, she had five soft toes with trimmed nails. She had no claws at all and preferred to keep her nails clean and trimmed.

On more than one occasion he had seen her struggle to clip them, her rounded tummy getting in the way, much to her frustration. The sight was adorable. Her growls of annoyance sounded like the tiny growls of an infant hound.

The pads of her feet were even soft compared to his rough and calloused feet from years of his youth preferring barefoot over the traditional sandals. Her feet were utterly alien and he couldn't help but to touch them now, listening for if she woke or not as he did. He felt he was wrong by not asking but curiosity had finally caught up to him. It was the soft breathy sigh from Artemis that told him she was awake.

Thankfully it was not for long as she barely opened her eyes to readjust her coverings before she fell back into slumber. Her little fingers clutching at the edge of the covering, folding it over, and huddling further beneath it.

He took pride in knowing that she preferred to sleep either against him or spooned. She had commented many times how she found his heat comforting. It was one of many small victories in the hunt for her heart. Perhaps one day he would have it; she already gave her body willingly and eagerly.

She had fallen asleep after he had squeezed three intense orgasms out of her. He had chuckled at how little stamina she had compared to him. His little mate was spent.

There was much to do today to prepare for the voyage to Saqqar. Letting her sleep in was a bad idea but she needed it. She was with pup after all.

Her constant affections to the unborn was a constant reminder. Artemis would sing lullabies and songs she knew from Earth that were taught to human young. Females didn't do this with young on Yautja Prime, barely acknowledging their unborn, so seeing Artemis so affectionate and involved was fascinating. In his personal research about raising young on her planet he had learned that such was normal, encouraged by their medical professionals.

Artemis's soft kit-like noises pulled him from his thoughts.

She stretched her limbs out beneath the covers and made those noises. Slowly she opened her eyes and rubbed them as she sat up, the coverings pooling in her lap. A small hand rubbed at her rounded tummy. It took a few moments for her to notice Rhage kneeling beside the bed, a smile spreading across her face.

It warmed his chest that his mere nearness prompted a smile. He returned the smile as she reached for him.

"You're up early." Her hand was too small to hold his, so often she opted to hold a few of his fingers, her soft pads stroking his palm. The feeling was nice.

"Always. I require less sleep, mate."

She hummed an ah. With her hair such a mess she looked wild. He loved it.

"What's on the agenda today? Anything exciting?"

Rhage retrieved the tray of food and set it next to her. She thanked him and dove in, smiling in delight when she spotted her favorite fruits. "We must prepare for Saqqar. There is a lot involved."

As she popped a fruit slice in her mouth she eyed him in question, "Like what?"

"A small party will be joining us on the surface of Saqqar, the council included. There is also readying the clan ship. Much of the clan is to come along. The Desert Clan is not fully trusted."

He was ready to declare war if he had to. The relationship between his and the Desert Clan was rocky at best. If they so much as slighted him he would destroy them. It was bad enough he had to be civil with such savage Yautja. Eventually he would break and eradicate the clan out of existence, leaving nothing behind but the young and females.

If anyone dared try to touch his Artemis then war would quickly commence. No one would touch or harm his heart.

"Oh, I see. I've never been to a desert before." She looked out the window before turning back to him as she sipped her drink.

"Saqqar is harsh. Hot. I have already found a solution so you will be comfortable." Once she was ready he was going to take her to the common room where he had gifts that would help her for their trip and the future.

"It'll be nice to be outside again. I've got major cabin fever!" She groaned, stretching her arms as she scooted to the edge of the nest.

"We will be outdoors much of our time there, mate, so you will have all the outdoor time you want."

"Yay! It gets boring being stuck inside four walls all the time."

He helped her to her feet and picked up her tray. "Get ready and meet me in the common room on the first floor. I have things for you that will be necessary for the trip." A quick nod from her was all he needed to prompt him to leave her be.

Ten minutes later she joined him in the common room where he was opening various boxes. Each had an item for her, human versions of Yautja weapons. He wanted her to have something to protect herself just in case they were separated.

"Ooo, what's in these?"

Instead of her usual goddess-like dress she wore a thin pair of short pants that showed off the stretch marks on her thighs and a sleeveless top, both a pale yellow color. Her feet were uncovered with only slip on shoes that were brown in color. She wore her hair down in loose waves that framed her oval face.

This look suited her, he thought.

He opened a box to present a small silvery gauntlet like one of the ones he wore but made for her size and specifications. She was much smaller than Yautja so hers had been fully customized. Only the Elites and higher ranked Yautja could attain such a thing. For her, she could have anything she wanted, simply for being his mate.

"This is for you. You may need it. I do not want you defenseless in the case we are separated." He prompted her to give him her arm and strapped it to her left where she could bring up her left arm and use it.

Her fingers explored the sleek metal device, moving her arm around a little to test its weight. "It's like a small version of yours! It's so light." A look of wonder filled her eyes.

"Yes. It has both a computer and wrist blades in case you need to defend yourself. The computer has a built in tracking device so you are easily found if we get separated." Rhage put his own gauntlet on as he spoke to show her. "Your safety is of the highest importance, Artemis and you must listen to what I say when we are on Saqqar. Yes?"

She nodded frantically, her eyes watching as he knelt before her.

"Now, fist your hand."

When she followed his directive two small parallel blades popped out from the top of the gauntlet with a shing. She jumped in surprise and gasped as she ran a finger down the flat side of a blade.

"They're so neat!" Experimentally she waved her arm slightly around watching the blades cut through the air.

"Ah ah, be careful. Very careful. These ki'cte-pa are sharp enough to cut through bone. They are not a toy." He raised a clawed finger and pointed it at the blades.

Extending his own he showed her the safe parts to touch. The flat sides of the blades but not the edges since she could easily cut herself on them. She listened and nodded along as he showed her how they retracted back in. He also showed her what each button did and how to contact him with it.

"Rhage, how come you wear dual wrist blades? Is that a status thing?" One of her fingers traced the intricate metal of his gauntlets, following the minimal designs that had been etched into it.

"I dual wield because I prefer hand to hand combat. We call it Jehdin Jehdin. Many Enforcers and Elites prefer this as well."

"Elites and Enforcers? What do they do?" She cocked her head to the side, something she had learned from Rhage.

He felt overjoyed that she was so interested in learning about his culture and way of life. It pleased him. "Enforcers hunt Bad Bloods, Yautja who refused to turn themselves in when they broke the honor codes we follow. Bad Bloods have no honor, so Enforcers put an end to them. Think of them as bounty hunters or executioners. Now, Elites, they are simply a high rank of Hunter who has completed specific dangerous hunts."

"Ohhh, that makes sense." She offered a nod in understanding.

"Now, back to the blades." He nodded towards the wrist blades still extended from her own gauntlet. "Open your hand quickly to retract them."

"Okay." Her small hand popped open, her fingers spread wide and the blade shot back inside its holding compartment. "Wicked cool..." She turned her arm to peer into the little space where they came out.

Rhage moved to draw her arm away from her peering eyes with a snarl, his wrist clasped gently around her arm. "Lesson One of wielding deadly weapons: Never put them near your face."

"Yep! Got it! Don't put it near the face. I quite like having an intact face." She gave him an "Oops!" face, a hand rubbing up and down her arm as he towered over her with a deadpan look in his eyes, his thick arms crossing his chest.

He grumbled to himself about how similar this was to giving a pup their first weapon, the wrist blades the first weapon to train with ironically. Many Unblooded made the mistake of scratching their face or some other injury that could've been avoided because of their curiosity. If Artemis had been a Yautja pup she would've gotten a beating for such idiocy. At the least the next gift for her was less of a curiosity.

He turned with the weapon in hand, a combi-stick, to see her there pressing buttons on the gauntlet until it projected a three-dimensional image of Earth. A small wistful smile was on her face as she watched the planet spin.

She was homesick. He understood the feeling. Very much so.

"Artemis. I have something else for you."

Her eyes lingered on the image for a few additional seconds before she shook her arm making the image go away. Those dark ocean-like orbs dragged themselves up to him, the sadness hiding itself behind a mask. He wished he could make her sadness go away, to physically defeat it, but such a thing was not possible.

"Something else? Like what?" She approached him with curious eyes.

Artemis tapped her index fingers together as he presented the weapon. It was small in his hand, the right size for her instead of him. The combi-stick was very light in weight and resembled a double-tipped spear when extended completely. This weapon was favored among hunters who liked its use as a projectile to pin prey or to kill them.

"Combi-stick. This is also to defend yourself and for only defending yourself. The same goes for the wrist blades. Yes?" Her head bobbed up and down as she took the weapon with two hands.

"We have something similar on Earth that I've used before when I was a kid."

This piqued his interest. She had never mentioned anything about being trained. "Were you trained in combat?"

"No, it was a martial arts class, two years to be exact but I gave up on it when I found other interests." She stood back and twirled the weapon around in one hand, being careful of the sharp bladed tips. The weapon gleamed as she spun it around her body and cut through the air as she brought it down on imaginary enemies. "Martial arts was really my brother's thing. He went on to the Colonial Marines thanks to it." Again that wistful smile.

"I can teach you the basics once the pup is born...if you wish." Rhage showed her how to contract the combi-stick into a shorter device that could be pocketed, the sharp tips inverting. He had specifically requested minor alterations to the weapons so they would be safer for her in case of an accident.

He hoped she would let him train her in at least basic techniques to defend herself. With some Yautja blood she would be better able to, but since he and the scientists had no way of telling how their offspring would turn out, he had to wait.

With his blood she would live much longer and possibly hundreds of years. The Yautja scientists had concluded with some human subjects some years back that a human who'd had a blood injection would age far slower than without it. Their blood had significant healing properties on humans as well. By his side she would always be safe.

"That'd be great! It'd be nice to not be so helpless all the time. I already spent so long being helpless." Her eyes were sad but her smile tried to hide it.

He sighed.

Eventually he would break this self-doubting she had. She had no idea how strong she actually was. Those on his council had seen it daily as she bravely met his people with a smile. He would tell her how strong she was until she believed it. No matter how long it took.

He pulled out the last gift for her, the delicate circular object glinting in the sunlight that streamed through the large windows on the far wall. The sunlight surrounded Artemis in a halo of light as she stood there running her fingers over the combi-stick. Her chocolate brown mane was highlighted, the stray strands warmly shining in the light like liquid caramel.

Never would he tire of drinking in her beauty. This female had him wrapped around her delicate little finger and didn't yet know it.

Rhage cleared his throat to get her attention, those dark blue eyes meeting his. His heart beat irregularly when she looked at him. He refrained from clutching his chest to make sure he wasn't dying prematurely.

"Artemis, this will help you be comfortable on Saqqar and other worlds we may visit in the future."

She took the slim metal bracelet from his hand and slipped it on her wrist, the delicate silvery band fitting perfectly. It glittered beautifully in the sunlight when she held her wrist up. "What does this do...other than look gorgeous, of course." Her beaming smile lit up the dark crannies of the room and his soul, briefly stealing his breath.

He chittered in surprise at all of the emotions he was feeling at once.

"It keeps you comfortable according to your anatomy. Yautja wear something similar to keep us comfortable in climates that are not our own. You will not be hot on Saqqar or cold on a cold planet." He turned her wrist over and tapped a tiny green circular light on the underside of the bracelet with a claw, showing her where the power was housed. "The device is powered by your body heat. Think of your...human solar panels, but your own warmth powers it."

She slid a finger across the bracelet as he instructed and watched as delicate black netting expanded to cover her body under her clothing. A small gasp left her mouth as she ran her fingers across the netting.

"It's like...fishnet." She observed, picking at the portion that covered her rounded tummy under her shirt.

"Yes. Very similar." Rhage watched as she inspected every inch of it on her body. He enjoyed her positive reaction.

"It's not itchy at least."

"No. It is meant to feel as if it is not there." He swiped a finger over the slim band of metal to retract the netting. Her head bobbed up and down in understanding,

Artemis sat down on the seating module admiring the bracelet. He turned to gather the empty boxes and piled them on the table between the seating modules. A beep from his wrist computer made him pause in the menial task to check the message that had been sent his way.

Disappointment filled him as he read the contents. Glancing at Artemis he found her watching him quietly from the couch. He sent a reply with a grumbled choice word.

"Pauk-de. Mon ell-osde."

"Thank you, Rhage." Her thanks helped to chase the negative emotions that had clouded the otherwise nice day he was having so far with Artemis.

"You are welcome."

She followed him as he marched his way to the nesting room where he proceeded to dress in his ceremonial armor. The metal was unscathed and black in color, the color for such occasions as the one he would have to attend and do what had to be done. It was not something he looked forward to. Such a thing was always saddening for him.

"Rhage...what is this honor code you talked about?" Artemis leaned against the doorway watching him dress, a hand on her swell.

Rhage attached the accompanying black cape to his shoulder pauldrons as he replied, "It is a list of rules that Yautja abide by to live an honorable and just life. This...keeps everyone in line. They are akin to laws on your world."

"Oh. What are they? The laws, I mean." Again she followed closely behind him as he left the room and entered his armory. "Whoa. You sure have a lot of weapons."

He grunted while he perused his collection, scanning the various swords, spears, glaives, whips, and alien weapons he had collected over a lifetime. The right weapon turned out to be a hefty straight-bladed sword with a leather wrapped handle. It had been his prize from defeating a formidable species of alien two-hundred cycles ago — this would be perfect for the task ahead.

"In time I will teach you to them as it is relevant, mate." The weapon sliced through the air with a ring as he tested the weight of the blade before sheathing it at his side.

Artemis nodded as she walked around the room looking over the assorted weapons mounted to the black metal walls. Her fingers touched an aged Katana gingerly. "Wow, it's a real Japanese Katana. I wanted one of these as a kid!"

"That particular one was my prize for defeating an honorable Samurai in the land you call Japan a few hundred cycles ago. As he lay dying he gifted me his sword. He claimed it was a family heirloom." Rhage stood beside her as she inspected the sword.

"It's beautiful, Rhage."

He looked down at her with a smile, admiring the true beauty in the room. "Yes, yes it is."

His gauntlet beeped again with a message telling him everything was set to proceed. Sighing softly to himself, he placed a hand around Artemis's shoulder and led her from the room.