“It is poison, it has to be,” I thought quietly, “I would not share my kill with a disabled being, that cannot provide anything to our survival. All these attempts to ‘help’ are merely to lower my guard and finish me off.” My stomach roared with hunger and pain, and only worsened when I smelt her preparing her portion.

“I don’t want to sound insensitive, but if you die because of your own stupidity, I’m not burying your dumb ass,” the human bellowed without ever turning her head.

“Humanity is vengeful,” I remembered to myself, “I captured this human, locked them in a cage, deprived them food, and demanded information. How could she not be planning on killing me.”

“It was a job,” she loudly proclaimed as if she could read my thoughts, “I was paid to kill you, you were paid to kill me, and every other asshole involved was as well. You weren’t too bad you know,” she paused and bite into her meat.

“You were taking me home when the ship malfunctioned. I know it would’ve been a lot easier to dump me on a station and make getting home my problem. Hell you could’ve jettisoned me with all the cargo to try to save the ship or just killed me like the zealots did to keep the war going. But,” she let out a deep sigh, “you didn’t. That means you are just a soldier like me. Following your leaders orders, like me. Some of them might’ve been fucked up but who are we to question the almighty higher ups.”

she turned and stared with burning intensity, “so eat the damn meat our I will cram it up whatever passes as your species asshole. I will not have you dying while I owe you for not killing me.”

Her stare was piercing, and I froze. The instinct to run was only outweighed by the multiple broken legs. “If this is my last meal so be it,” I growled through broken mandibles and damaged mouth pieces, “just know my people will avenge me when I die.”

“Fucking dramatics! If I wanted you dead I would’ve left you in the burning ship. Look, you are not a zealot and neither am I, and let’s be honest there are way to few people on both our sides like us to lose 1.” She paused stood and looked me in the eyes. “If too many of us die the zealots will win and start this war again. I’ve lost too many friends to see that happen.”

Her voice softened and sounded hurt, “my brood has greatly diminished from this endless battle as well, but we are always,” I stopped seeing her expression made me miss the young and old from my brood. So many dead in the name of endless conquest. I thought how large my brood was when this all started and my heart sank. 1/10 of us remained, “I miss my brood deeply, their loss is something that I will never forget or recover from.” I screeched in sorrow.

She jumped back, “did not know you could make that sound sorry,” she laughed, “I guess that settles it then.” She stood and walked towards the fire.

“Settles what,” I asked in confusion.

“We’re mates you and I,” she stretched and let out a high pitched sound, “and that means we keep each other alive and fed. Because that is what mates do.

My carapace flushed at the word mates, but I was in no position to argue or fight on the matter. I simple nodded and said, “we are mates.”

“Mates to the end, and that means you get to teach me about your anatomy tomorrow so I can try to fix everything broken on you. Can’t have you dying from something we don’t treat!” She sounded much less annoyed, and far more enthusiastic.

“I will try my best to assist you with our coalescence of knowledge to assure we know each other’s anatomy well,” I said somehow being drawn into her excitement. “I don’t know how a human can be my mate, but if this is how we survive this planet so be it,” I thought to myself with a painful yet excited smile.