A/N: Those that find the idea of human/predator relations not so appealing probably shouldn't read this next chapter. :P That said, I wanna take to opportunity to thank you all for the great reviews. They really are helping me as I piece the story together. I also want to thank my buddy Allen for helping me with the editing :)

p.s... this hunter needs a name! Anyone with any ideas feel free to PM me. I really have no idea and I have been wracking my brain for chapters now!

Chapter 13

Miria had forced all thoughts from her mind as she soaked in the cool water of the pond below her cave. She had stripped herself bare and for the longest while she only let herself float around in the swirling eddies below the waterfall. She could have easily let herself drift off to sleep, weary and sore from the days exertions. But she needed to clean herself of the disgusting muck and grime that covered her from head to toe, as well as tend to her aching wounds.

Her clothes she had discarded on a large rock that emerged from the water's surface by the waterfall. She waded through waste deep water until she was beside the rock, and carefully spread her wet clothing out on the semi-flat surface. They were almost unrecognizable now, the collar of her shirt ripped, as well as the bottom hem line. It was stained with the light green blood of the Yautja, and dipping the garment back into the pond, she tried to scrub it out with her fingers.

When she had removed as much of the filth from her clothing as she could be bothered with she began to work on herself. She wished she had a mirror to examine the cuts on her face. They were tender to touch, though they didn't feel too bad, she guessed they were inflamed and possibly infected. Yautja blood had mingled with her own, and it clung to her face like a second skin. It took much soaking and scraping with her fingernails before she felt like she had done an adequate job of removing it.

She then examined the wounds on her arms and shoulders. They were clean cuts, they slightly reddening at the edges. Cleaning them proved no hard task, but it didn't make the sting any less. She thought the gash on her shoulder would need dressing, and her mind wondered to her first encounter with the hunter. She grimaced at her own stupidity. He had known she was there all along. He needed help, and he knew she would give it. From there she fell smoothly into his plan, stupid compliant little girl.

Miria wondered if it would have made any difference if she had known however. His species was still the superior, and she doubt he would have let her leave if she had refused to play his game. She hugged her arms around her body as she sunk into the deeper water, submerging her aching body to her chin. She felt truly woeful now. There had been moments when she had genuinely thought the hunter showed her a softer side of himself out of trust. Not because he had needed her, but because he had wanted to. He had comforted her when she had needed comforting. Still, she had to admit that there was somewhere deep inside her that had warned her from the beginning. A niggling thought that had told her there was more to his show of friendship and protection than was apparent. Her instincts had proven right.

Miria sighed. She knew now that in order to survive this place she could rely on no one but herself. She needed to prove herself independent. The hunter may not stick around forever. And what would happen once these 'bad bloods' were taken care of? He seemed to take it upon himself to exterminate the honor-less Yautja. What would happen once his task was complete? Would he let her continue to live here on this planet the Yautja claimed as their own? She would not allow herself to be deluded into the option that she may be returned home to earth, that they would see her being here as a mistake and misfortune on her behalf.

But would the Hunters own kind even return for him? She knew nothing of his technology, but after seeing what she had she would be very surprised if he didn't at least have some means of which he could send out a distress signal of sorts.

The cool water was doing wonders easing away the aches in her body, and Miria relished her moment of peace. Troubling thoughts aside, she felt pretty lucky to have escaped the mornings ordeal with only a few minor injuries. She was not sure why she had felt the need to lug the severed head of her first kill back to the camp. Perhaps it was her own form of rebellion against the Yautja and the vile hunting games they practiced.

But something else occurred to her. She had killed one of these beings. All on her own and unaided, she had defeated her first foe. This thought elated her somewhat, and for the first time since awakening on this planet Miria began to feel as if she wasn't as helpless as she led herself to believe. Perhaps she had better chances of survival than she gave herself credit for.

The mid afternoon sun was warm on her face as she soaked in the pool. Trying not to let her aching body detract from her moments reprieve she closed her eyes and forced all negative thoughts from her mind.

'What the..?' Miria splashed as she tried to right herself when she bumped into something warm and hard as she floated in the pool. She couldn't say she was surprised that it would be the hunter that disturbed her peace, but she was surprised to notice he had also stripped himself bare to enjoy the cool water in the broiling afternoon sun. She scolded herself for not noticing his arrival and her earlier thoughts of independence and survival instincts flooded her mind. Her previous anger began to rear its head once again as she thought about how he had used her like a puppet.

'I'm not really in the mood for playing friendly right now. I would appreciate it if you kept to that side of the pond thanks' Miria waved him off and turned back towards the waterfall and the rock where her clothing was drying in the sun. His roar caught her by surprise and she spun to face him again. He appeared to not like having her turn his back on him, and he slowly began wading towards her. His mandibles were spread menacingly and his chest was heaving. Was he angry at her? Had her words offended him that badly? She hugged her arms across her bare chest once again, her anger beginning to be replaced with fear she was all too familiar with. Something about her nakedness made her feel more vulnerable than usual. Her back was hard up against the large rocky platform now and the water was still waist deep. She had nowhere to run to. No way of a hasty retreat should she need it.

He roared again as he stood mere paces away from her, and Miria jumped in fright. The hunter suddenly became aware of her fear of him, and his roar tapered to a gentler chirruping. There was still some note of aggression in his tone as he continued his verbal chorus, though Miria thought he seemed to be more frustrated than angry. She had no idea that it was nothing of her present actions that upset him. Natural instincts long ago lost to the human race were what flared the hunters disposition. Miria could not have known that it was the peak in the estrus stage of her cycle, and the faint musky scent she emanated with the production of various hormones within her body had been tormenting the predator their whole trek home.

The hunter had no way of communicating the natural instincts fueled within him, but as the lower half of his body emerged from the water as he approached her, his desires became apparent to her. Miria gasped, bringing her hand up to her face as if to shield herself from the site of his nakedness. She couldn't control her trembling when the hunter reached for her hand and pulled it from her face. She thought her heart would jump right out of her chest as it beat at a pace that was too fast for her to even count.

Was he... did he really desire her? Miria wondered as she forced herself to keep her eyes on his face. He was almost two feet taller than her, and his size alone terrified her. He held her gaze as he continued to hold her by the wrist. She studied her hand against his own. Her small dainty pink flesh against his large claws in tones of brown. Her vision blurred and she suddenly realized that tears welled in her eyes. The hunter noticed this too, and releasing her wrist he cupped her face in both his hands. She felt so small and frail in his grasp, and she knew in that moment she was completely at his mercy. There would be nothing she could do to stop him if he chose to have her.

She let her eyelids fall shut as the first whimper escaped her lips. She felt the hot breath of the hunter on her face as he seemed to be drawing in her scent. He was smelling her, drinking in the odors she emitted that made her appear so desirable to him. Her eyes flew open again as she was lifted out of the water and placed on the rock behind her. She was completely exposed to his view now, as he was to hers. Her cheeks flushed brightly and she turned her face away from him. In every effort she made to cover herself, he would hold her arms away as he considered his next move.

He lifted her arms to place them on his shoulders as he stood before her, wrapping his own hands around her tiny waist. She gasped as he lifted her from the rock, and she clung to him as he fell backwards in the water. As the ripples in the pool subsided she felt the gravely bottom of the pond beneath her knees as the hunter held her onto his lap. Their bodies were submerged from the shoulders down which bode well for her modesty. Miria watched the hunters expressions with her own bewildered eyes and he continued to trill away softly as his hands ran up and down the length of her body. She trembled, and realized she not only felt fear for this creature but an odd assortment of anticipation and excitement for what was about to happen.

Miria gasped when his hands cupped her buttocks to pull her tighter against his lap, and she squirmed when she felt the hard length of his arousal pressing against her most intimate places. Her breaths were coming fast as he lifted her body to position himself correctly below her. There was a moment of limbo, where he simply held her gaze with his bright yellow eyes. His trilled softly as her bottom lip trembled, and he lifted his large hand to run his thumb across her chin as his fingers curled around her neck.

She knew there would be pain. She braced herself when she felt him begin an upward thrust, probing at her entrance. Miria cried out as he penetrated her for the first time, and tried to force her body to relax to accommodate his size. The hunter also groaned, but Miria knew his vocal expression wasn't one of pain. With one of his hands gripping her by the hip he pressed her body down on top of his, burying himself inside of her warm depths. She was overwhelmed with a sharp stinging sensation, and she let her face fall to his shoulder as she whimpered softly.

But her discomforts would not deter him in the slightest as he set a steady pace. The water rippled around them, and the hunter groaned as he tossed his head back. Miria didn't know at which point the pain had begun to be replaced by a tingling sensation of sorts, and she soon realized her whimpers had turned to soft gasps. She clung to his neck with both hands as his thrusts quickened. She found her own body betrayed her as her hips moved to meet with his thrusts.

Ripples turned to splashes and his grunts became loud groans as he bounced her on his lap. Miria only clung to him, confused by the emotions he elicited from within her. She was disturbed that she did not find herself repulsed by the creature that made her his own. Her thoughts were interrupted by a fierce pain as the hunters mandibles clenched down over her shoulder. But even under sharpness of the pain she still felt him explode within her as he reached his climax.

For the longest while he continued to hold her, his jaws still clamped tightly over her shoulder. It wasn't until the crimson fluid began to seep from beneath the sharp points of his teeth that he finally released her. As she slid from his lap he bought his hand up to bump her under the chin before he stood slowly. He removed himself from the pool, leaving a dazed and confused Miria huddled in the water.