Nebula Book 1: His Breeder
14

“It is going to storm. What terrible timing.”

Akdronis looked at the sky. Surely enough, thick clouds terrorized the horizon.

“Red rain,” Vrox observed. “That is even worse.”

Most weather didn’t phase Ezronians, but the red rain was a different demon.

“We will not reach the animals on time if we leave now. They will have to suffer through the storm.”

Akdronis remained quiet as his brothers discussed their poor luck. No one wanted to risk getting caught in the red rain. What it did to the body was pure torture.

“We will check on the animals in the morning, then. Hopefully, they do not suffer too much.”

Although they didn’t like it, the group came to a consensus. Akdronis simply remained in a corner, taking it all in. When it was time for everyone to split up, he finished his dinner and sought the nearest weapon.

“Ak, you have the third watch tonight.”

He nodded. He had about five hours before he had to patrol. That gave him more than enough time to reach the farm and take the animals indoors.

Once everyone scattered and he was the last person in the room, he waited a few more minutes just to be safe. Sneaking out wouldn’t be easy, but he hoped the darkness provided some cover.

He peeked out of the entrance, looking left and right. Vrox and Ni’ev had the first shift, so they would be on the lookout. As quickly as he could, he dashed down a staircase and hoped that no one shot an arrow into his back.

The walk to the farm took fifteen minutes. Because of the rough terrain that surrounded the pyramid, the animals were kept a few miles away. The men were working on moving the farm closer, but such a large project required time.

The rain fell just as he reached the animals. He pulled the beasts inside, made sure they had plenty of water, and scanned the area of any abnormalities. The rain fell hard, but it had no effect on him. Instead of setting his body on fire with lust, it chilled him to the bone.

He eyed his loincloth as he walked. The cloth was darker and heavier, but the organ behind it remained relaxed. He was more boy than man now, infertile and dysfunctioned. He would never be able to penetrate a woman– willing or unwilling. He was just as broken on the outside as he is on the inside.

To avoid getting noticed, he bid his time before rushing inside. His brothers would have questions if they saw him dripping wet, and he wasn’t ready to answer them.

He entered the common room and sparked up a fire to dry himself. He ran his hands through his hair and noticed that it was getting longer. Soon, he would need a trim. Just as he was tying his loincloth back in place, he heard a distressed chirp.

“That cursed rodent,” he muttered as he stood up. Somehow, Vee seemed to have gotten himself in trouble again.

He rounded the level in search of the purple ball of trouble and entered the blacksmithing room. Instantly, his irritation caught fire and became anger.

“What are you doing? Stop this instant!”

He walked to the man that had Vee pinned to a wooden board. Beside him was a boiling pot of water. He wanted to cook Vee? Turn one of his only friends into dinner? Blinded by his fury, he kicked the pot over, and shoved the chef down so he got a taste of his own medicine. He shrieked with pain, but raised his hands defensively instead of striking back.

“Why are you doing this?”

Ak walked to Vee, unplucked the knife that pinned him down, and faced the man. “Have you ever had a taste of your own flesh?”

“It is just a pufil. There are thousands of them in the jungle.”

Ak pointed the bloody knife at him. “You have seen that the females care for him. You had no right to torture it.”

“You can just get another one. The females would not notice.”

Would Wo’ton be upset if he found out that one of his grandsons got chopped up? He had three of them. Would this one really be missed?

Ak shook his head. This man was cruel, undeserving of Nebula. If Ak couldn’t have her, then he would at least single out which man came into her life. She had already suffered enough.

He walked forward, fisted his braid, and sawed it off the back of his head. “I will slice your throat if you cross Vee, the females, or my brothers again.” He tossed the hair into the fire. “Leave. Go to your camp.”

The younger man stood up and left with an empty stomach and hurt pride.

“Mothers, Vee,” Ak sighed. “Why do you keep getting into dangerous situations?”

The little pufil was chirping lowly. He was curled into himself and licking his injured ear.

“Come. Let me have a look.”

Vee shrunk away.

“Do not tell me you are shy now. You have been chasing me down for days, distracting me from my patrolling duties.”

Vee sniffed his outstretched hand and after a few seconds, leaned into his touch.

“I will have to put you on a leash.”

He examined the gash on his ear. It was about two inches long and still bleeding. By the time Ak was done inspecting the animal, he was vibrating with anger. Vee, as troublemaking as he was, earned himself a soft spot.

“Let us stitch this together, yes?”

He caressed his fur, being mindful of his ear. He sought out a needle and thread. He was lucky enough to replace a med kit in the blacksmithing room. Vee’s mournful chirping continued throughout the stitching. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long. After wrapping a clean strip of cloth around the ear, Ak tucked the animal under his arm and tracked down Nebula’s room.

“What are you doing here?” Ni’ev asked from his guard post. “Your shift has not begun yet.”

“I need to take Vee inside. I will leave afterward.”

“Very well.”

Ak crossed into Nebula’s room. His breath instantly hitched. He had only been inside once, and it was to make her bed. From the dim lighting, he found her lying atop the furs. She was still, so he assumed she was asleep. With every step he took, his heart drummed harder.

As steadily as possible, he placed Vee beside her.

“Enjoy this, Vee. I sure would.”

He turned away and left before Ni’ev worried.