Chapter 197

She stood stubbornly gazing at me. “I don’t care. I’m not really Paterian anyway. My memories are of Earth. It’s not like I’ll fit in on this planet even if I do go fly around,” she said gesturing flippantly. “I’d rather stay with you.”

My maternal instincts reared their head and the tears were gone. Hannah could not stay with me. It wasn’t appropriate and it would kill her wild spirit. I spoke with conviction.

“The reason you don’t feel that you belong here is because you haven’t experienced enough. Nu-reeh gave me stories. This is a very interesting planet. You have to travel around, find sisters, and when you are much older maybe acquire some men—”

Hannah cut me off with a loud hiss. “I. Don’t. Like. Men,” she said simply letting her eyes rest squarely on Damien.

“And right now, I’m glad for that, you are too young to like men,” I told her. “It’s what you’ll do, though. It is what we all do. We gather experience, build a family, and continue the species—”<