Page 49 of His Human Rebel
My female waves a hand. “I don’t care about that.”
“Well, if you don’t come back with us, what are you going to do here?” Julia asks. “You can’t be a teacher here. You don’t have the right credential.”
“I thought I’d spend my life on New Earth, teaching. That was my career and I loved it. The most I thought would happen was that one day maybe I’d get a teaching job at the district closest to where I grew up and where my mother lives, but that was the extent of it. Or maybe get an Administrative credential and see about doing something different in the District Office. But all of this on New Earth. And then I was sent to Tarvos and met Rake. And now I’m trying to decide what to do next.”
Julia leans forward. “Stella, you don’t have to stay. You can leave with us right now and get a divorce.” She glances at me and steps back with fright. “Why would you stay married to that monster?”
A dark frown mars Stella’s delicate face. “Julia, that monster is the man I love. He’s the father of my son and the man I plan on spending the rest of my life with.” She looks up at the others. “And that monster, these other monsters you’re all so afraid of are Hyrrokin who are all ten times better than all of you people who have returned to bring me back for your own selfish reasons.” She points at the principal. “You only want me because you need last year’s Teacher of the Year returned so you aren’t fired by the county superintendent for letting me go.”
The small man sputters a denial.
She points at another group. “The town council only wants me back so they can hire me and get currency credits for their token female hire. Oh yes, I know about that award the state is giving out to local governments. You’d get the highest amount with me because I wouldn’t be a ‘fake’ hire but actually credible, especially because I was a former activist.”
“It’s true,” one of the men admits. He looks around at the others who are frowning at him. “What does it matter? Why pretend we really want her there when we don’t? I’m here for the money we agreed to divide between us.”
“And why are you here, Julia?” my female questions her friend. “What’s the real reason? What did they offer you?”
The female looks away and then back at Stella, baring her teeth. “And you think you’re so wonderful? You always thought you were better than me, better than the rest of us.”
“I thought you were my best friend.”
“I was your friend until…”
“Until, what?”
“Until,” she hisses, “I found out you were pregnant out of wedlock, which is disgusting. How could you? I thought you had morals and that we were essentially the same, but we weren’t.”
Stella stares at her friend in shock. “What did they offer you, Julia?” she repeats.
“A raise, all the way across to the end of the pay scale, and a stipend for the next five years.”
I step forward and blast a flame over all their heads. “Enough.”
The group grows quiet and all eyes are on me. “None of you have asked about her child. Not one of you. You cared so much that Stella was pregnant without a mate, but it appears to me you cared even less for her offspring. You therefore don’t care at all for Stella. She will remain here for the rest of her days, cherished. Her offspring will inherit a portion of this mighty ranch. She doesn’t need you. And now all of you are leaving this planet.”
All the Flagstones and other Hyrrokin who were nearby and overheard everything start clapping and cheering.
“I agree.”
“Get rid of those assholes, Rake.”
“Stella, you don’t need them. We’re lucky to have you. Thank you for choosing us.”
“You can teach our kids. We’ve already been talking about it.”
“You guys want me to be a teacher here, on Tarvos, to the half human offspring?”
“Yes. We would love it if my children could be bilingual and be able to read and write in both Hyrrokin and English.”
“You could even teach the older ones through tablets. Or even during school breaks.”
“I love this idea. I can get in touch with the department of education on New Earth and purchase the actual curriculum we use. It’s true that I’d love that for my own children too. And if anyone else wanted to learn English I could teach them.”
“See, you’d be perfect.”
I sweep my bound into my arms and kiss her in front of all the horrified humans. “I love you too,” I whisper in her ear. Then I set her down on her small feet and turn around to growl at the small beings. Then I march back to the vehicle, herding the frightened humans.
Erid and I drive them all back to Fire Creek and visually confirm that each of them are transported back from whence they came.