Fray

The next 2 rotations are hectic, and I can hardly keep my head on straight. I've finally given myself over to my mission, fully dedicating myself to the cause as a priority.

But gathering females has been extremely complicated, especially without anyone to translate.

My mate is the only female here with a translator chip, and she is still asleep. It hurts my heart to watch her slumber day and night, her head wrapped in a bandage.

Her mother and her friend do not like to leave her side, and neither do I. It's become somewhat of a conflict. I do not let it escalate though.

I have become very attached to my Soleil, and it is difficult to be separated from her for any amount of time. I want to protect her, to hold her, but I cannot. There is only so much space in the healing room, and despite how small the females are, it is not an easy task trying to fit all of us in there.

And the two other females love to sit by her side. They are there constantly, and I can't simply make them leave.

But I do yearn to touch her and grab her hand as she rests. I think it might encourage her to wake up if she feels me, and if she hears me, but by the time I come to visit her Mama already has hold of her, and I do not wish to disrupt her. So, I always leave swiftly out of respect.

Besides, there are many things to keep me busy, but my sweet female is always in the back of my mind.

Despite the difficult communication, a lot of females have climbed aboard the ship to journey home with us. And many males have tried to stop them. Their anger, and all the females' determination to leave them, it makes me wonder how badly they were treated.

Many have young kits that follow them, some are big and round with pregnancy, and still they leave. How awful were their mates that they will leave anyway? To take away their kits and go into the unknown? I hate to think of it. I hate to consider what my mate and all of these precious females had to endure before we found and rescued them.

I hope their lives on Rytaria are much better. In fact, I'm sure they will be.

My warriors have a hard time restraining themselves from overwhelming the females. They are certainly allowed to interact with the females, but they are not permitted to force any of them to go outside of their comfort zone.

Every single warrior yearns for a mate, and now is their chance to impress and acquire one for themselves. It is not surprising that they are overly eager to start.

So far, there have been no bad incidents, even with Locanas. I catch him staring at Elodie often though. I can tell that it unsettles her quite a bit, and I always tell him to leave her alone.

I continuously pace the control room, anxiously waiting for takeoff. The ship rumbles, the engines humming and prepared to lift us to the skies and towards Rytaria.

The pilots rush around, preparing every single thing meticulously for departure. I have to be here. I am the Captain and the Commander

It continues the rain outside, and the downpour reminds me of our home so far away. There is lots of rain and many clouds on Rytaria, but that is the only thing this place has in common with it. I'm excited to return to my own planet, but I will miss this place in its own way.

It's given me many troubles, but also provided a blessing beyond anything that I could've wished for.

I can't help but fear that my bad luck in keeping Soleil safe will continue. But at least I will be better prepared on Rytaria. My own home, my own people. Surely it will be easier to protect her there? There are no unknowns around the corner.

"Ready for takeoff." The computer says, and without much hesitation the cabin shutters as the ship lifts off the ground.

The warriors around me relax as we get farther away from Earth. I stand at the window, looking down as the blue and green planet becomes smaller and smaller. The galaxy twinkles around us, the stars and planets reminding us how small we really are in the grand universe.

It makes my heart race. I just wish I had someone to share it with.

My brain wanders to Soleil, and I ache inside to be with her. I'm suddenly impatient to be on Rytaria with her and live our life together. Have kits. Build a home. All the wonderful things you discover when you have a mate.

And I want to uncover it all with her.

But the picture I have of my mate in my mind is painful. She's as still as stone, laying in a tiny bed, unable to wake. I've been away from her for too long. Seeing her may hurt me, but she also puts me at ease.

I've been stuck at the control room for a whole day, my legs ache and my back throbs. Sticking myself in work typically keeps my mind off of my worries, but that was before Soleil.

I haven't known her long, but she's already changed my life so much with her presence. I have a feeling we've only just scratched the surface. I smile at the thought. There are likely many new and strange differences to come, and I welcome them with open arms.

Strolling down the hallways, its odd to see the human females and Rytarian warriors mixed and socializing. Seeing the differences is eye opening. Do Soleil and I look like that?

I observe one male in particular leaning over a young human female, her body rounded and swollen with a kit in her belly.

She smiles up at him, tucking her hair behind her ear as she moves closer to him. His eyes soften, and he brushes her arm with his fingertips.

She's so much smaller than him and he's so different from her, and they have no way to communicate with each other, but they find a way to make it work. They will likely come together to form a mates pair, their chemistry is so obvious to anyone who watches.

It makes me feel warm inside, the heat of hope spreading through me.

It's as if humans and Rytarians were made for each other. It seems so natural, this integration of our species. The future doesn't look so bleak anymore.

My steps quicken, determined to get to my mate as fast as I can. She is my only hope.

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