The Deviants, part thirteen

"How much farther do we have to go?" Ava panted, her legs feeling weak as she did this damn hike.

Evan chuckled. "What? You getting tired?"

"Yes, I was just training like an hour ago, and now some asshole convinced me to hike until I die of dehydration."

"Wow, I didn't drag you here against your will." But he was laughing. "I remember you agreeing to this."

Ava didn't find it so humorous. They were at least a mile away from the base, and the path was anything but even. She had almost twisted her ankle twice, and she was out of water.

"You didn't have to come with me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

They came upon a big hill, and she groaned, throwing her head back. Was he serious? Evan was insane if he thought she had the energy to climb that steepness.

But somehow, Ava managed to climb the steep hill with minimal assistance, using a couple of tree roots as handles so she wouldn't slip and roll back to the bottom.

When she reached the top, her mouth dropped, "Please tell me this is it."

Evan grinned at her, "Yes, this is it."

Ava wanted to dive into the gorgeous lake in front of her and feel its cold water on her skin. She held herself back, though. That water would probably send her body into shock and cause her to drown.

"I know, tempting, isn't it?" Evan set his backpack on the ground, walking toward the body of water, "Aren't ya coming?"

"Yeah." She forced her feet to move, her leg muscles fatigued. "Wait for me."

Ava found a log close to the lake, sitting down. She closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air. Even though she was outside for much of her days, the forest and lake air smelled cleaner.

"I like coming here on my downtime." Evan sat a couple of feet to her right. "Helps me recharge."

"How did you find it?"

"By accident," he smirked, "I was doing a solo scout mission a few months ago when I stumbled onto this slice of paradise."

"And no one else knows?"

"No."

"Why me then?"

Evan's lips twitched, "Are you worried I'm trying to hit on you?"

She shrugged, ignoring the heat rising in her face. But it wasn't only him. Ava noticed how some of the other human men stared at her. She shivered at the thought.

"Don't worry about that."

Ava made a face.

"It's true. I'm not romantically interested in you or most anyone."

Ava looked at him, "Why? Are you gay or something?"

"Yes, actually."

She gawked at him, "What?"

Evan laughed, sitting up straighter. "You should see your face."

She turned away, the red making her cheeks burn. How had she not realized it? At least Nash could stop glowering at the guy whenever he was near her now.

There was a saddened expression on his face.

"What?"

"It's sad how women can't just relax around men. they always have to be on guard."

Ava agreed. Human men could be real jackasses and often had no respect for womens' boundaries. But at least she could say Wanderer men knew how to respect them. Even the soldiers who had kidnapped her hadn't tried taking advantage of her.

"I just figured you'd appreciate a place like this."

"Well, I do."

"Good."

They sat in silence for a while as Ava calmed herself. Yeah, she'd assumed Evan had some interest in her that was beyond friendship. Thank goodness she was wrong. She wouldn't have been interested anyway.

Ava listened to the water lap onto its small shore, the wind blowing, and the animals making their noises. Her mind wandered, different thoughts passing through her mind.

Ava thought of her friends and family, her old life, her new life. But she mainly thought about the Wanderer who had managed to furrow his way into her heart.

She exhaled, watching the water once more in the quiet.

***

"Okay, you need to calm down, now."

Nash lifted his head as he paced in the empty storage room they currently occupied, "How can I? Were you not listening to what the general said?"

"Oh, I was listening and hated it," Galen sat on a storage tote, a tired expression on his face, "but remember your training and keep a level head."

"Easier said than done right now." Nash clenched and unclenched his hands. "I didn't have a personal stake in the Earth until now."

His stomach churned whenever he imagined Ava being either in a prison cell, or worse, being tested to see if she was a prime genetic match for their fertility experiments.

Nash would tear down this ship before he'd let that happen.

Galen rose, "I'll figure out how to send Dae'lon a message without the central computer detecting it." Then he gripped Nash's shoulders, "You go and do a combat simulation."

Nash felt his head move, much of his hearing consumed by the blood roaring in his ears. He didn't move for at least ten minutes, focusing on his breathing.

He loathed feeling this out of control of his faculties. Nash had prided himself on his restraint and composer in high-stress situations. And now he was one wrong move from killing every Wanderer on the mother ship.

But Nash couldn't entirely override this protective instinct pulsing through his being. The swelling emotions he felt each time he thought about her.

Was this what humans called love? Or was this the legendary mating call so few Wanderers felt these days? Because they were different. One was emotion and the other instinct.

A part of him wished no, wanting to control his emotions and urges, but everything else screamed yes to both. So there was no point in denying it.

As far as he knew, Wanderers didn't have a word that translated to love. Although they didn't have words to describe really any emotions. They didn't put much emphasis on emotions.

But the mating call was a well talked-about experience, so he knew the basics.

If he was correct about his assumption, this was one hell of a time for it to be happening. He couldn't go to the medical bay. His condition could reveal his treacherous behavior.

Nash eventually exited the storage room, focusing on each step as he journeyed to his sleeping quarters. He needed somewhere to relax and let the process occur.

When he opened his door, he collapsed on his bed, body shaking. Nash felt warm, his heart pounding against his sternum. Was this a fever? It felt like it, a little lightheaded.

Suddenly, a strange new urge flooded him. Nash knitted his brows, his pants suddenly too tight. It wasn't like the arousal he had felt before. It was more instinctual and more potent.

He stripped out of his clothes, looking down at himself.

His skin was flushed, making the undertone more purple than blue. Sweat rolled down him, and his groin ached with its hardness and fullness. What was he supposed to do now? He had no way of expelling these primal urges.

Nash curled up in his bed, squeezed his eyes closed, and hoped he could sleep the worst of it off before returning to Earth.