Free To Catch A Warrior [Unearthly World Book 5] by C.L. Scholey Page A

have to fend for myself because I have to go with you. You can’t just walk up to humans and growl grunt at them and think they’ll be overjoyed to see you. We witnessed first-hand aliens hunting humans, and your warriors are massive, the biggest I’ve seen to date.”
    “What do you intend on doing?” Titus asked.
    “I need to go hunting. There’s a beast with a shaggy coat, it’s big enough so I only need one animal. The fur is best for the winter weather. I can fashion clothes from it and if there are humans the meat will be welcome. It’s always best to come bearing gifts. If you have food they won’t think you’re looking for food.”
    “You are going hunting?” Cy snorted then laughed.
    Zabbie ignored him. Cy was always no more than two feet from Titus. She heard his comments on the ship and they stung. She wasn’t some weirdo. She had no powers. It was plain to see Titus and Cy were close. It was also apparent Cy was jealous, why, she had no clue. Titus said he and the warriors only Holidayed with females. Or, she wondered, if Cy really thought her a threat and Cy felt he was protecting Titus. She would have to show him and the other warriors she was no threat, she wasn’t a burden either. Zabbie could take care of herself; she had for a long time.
    A plant in sight resembled bleeding hearts, its innocuous look was deceiving. When Zabbie came close to the mass of the six foot high plants and six inch hearts, she stomped her foot on the ground and jumped back. Massive wooden spiked spears slammed from the ground to stand six feet tall replacing the bleeding hearts. Titus had her snatched back and in his arms in a heartbeat.
    “Shit, Zabbie,” he roared.
    Zabbie refrained from chuckling. “Gives you new meaning to why they’re called bleeding hearts, eh?”
    “Any other surprises I should be aware of?” Titus asked, he sounded grouchy as he lowered her to the ground.
    “Probably.”
    “That was dangerous,” Cy said.
    “Only if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Zabbie said. She had no idea Titus would react so fast, but he was never in danger. The plants couldn’t move.
    Cy was growling and glaring at her, she winked at him. Zabbie walked over to the spears and yanked one from the ground. She hefted its weight and chose another. The spears were also not what they appeared to be. Some were hollow. The new one she held was heavier, not hollow. She’d need to be able to throw the spear and also penetrate a thick hide.
    Glancing at the sky and judging it was mid-day, Zabbie struck out. She knew at this time of the day the female of the species she and the other humans dubbed the shadow beasts were cooling off in the water with offspring. There was a male leader who kept at least six other males at bay. Zabbie wanted one of the other males.
    Titus remained close on her heels as she moved. There were eight warriors in all. She heard a few chuckling at her and she battled her annoyance. They didn’t know or perhaps didn’t care she knew their language. They thought she was weak and foolish. She was neither. Her annoyance grew, but she knew after she hunted the beast she would gain at least grudging respect. The only thing keeping her from spinning on them was Titus walking with her, Cy held back to make fun with the other warriors.
    The first small hill they ascended levelled out to a small field. A number of short trees stood nearby. The trees bore delicious pink fruit, unfortunately the juice stained horribly. The human men she had been with wouldn’t eat it because the juice dyed their hands pink for weeks and the women would tease them and ask who had bright pink cocks. Zabbie avoided going under any of the low branches, there was nothing worse than one splattering on your head when you least expected. She had no desire to be mostly bald, as well as zero desire to be pink, her hair was growing in but was taking its sweet time. The warriors would look ridiculous if their long white hair