Red Sands: Warlords of Atera

by Kyle, Celia

  Now it was Sheri’s turn to blush. “Uh, yes. I do. Is that what kode means? It’s all about sex?”

  “By the goddess, no.” Zanya reached for her, a delicate claw resting on Sheri’s knee. “Is that what you believe? That you were brought here for the warlord to rut upon like a herd beast in the mud?”

  She tore her attention from Zanya and stared at the wall, unwilling to let the alien see the pain she held. “That’s the impression I got.”

  Zanya tapped her knee and when Sheri returned her attention to the Ateran it was to find her smiling gently, like a parent preparing to have “the talk” with their kid. “Kode is so much more than mating. Mating is a pleasant part, but it is more about bonding.”

  “Bonding? Like marriage?”

  “Marriage?” Zanya tipped her head, lips pursed, and it was apparent the woman was unfamiliar with the word. Even with the help of the TransComm Implant supplying Sheri with the correct sounds, it didn’t translate. “The bonding is a joining of body, mind, and soul. It is inevitable when a male finds his kode. His blood is stirred and everything about him changes. He feels… urges…” She gestured between her legs. “…for the first time in his life. He is driven to love and serve his kode for the rest of his days. He is bound to attend to her needs, care for and protect her. To lay down his life for hers, if necessary. In many ways, she becomes the driving force of his existence.”

  Sheri’s head spun with everything Zanya said, mind attempting to grasp her meaning. She’d expected kode was all about sex, but it sounded like there was more to it—much more.

  She sorted through everything the alien told her, but one thing in particular stood out. “You said that Drazan’s… that a male’s urges… were felt for the first time after he finds his kode. Does that mean the first time, like, ever?”

  Zanya nodded. “A male Ateran cannot mate until he finds his kode. He cannot…” Zanya’s scales darkened once more and she leaned closer, her voice hardly more than a whisper. “He cannot harden or part his mating sheath until he has found his One. She is the only female who can spark that reaction. From the moment they meet, until the end of his life, he will only respond to her—no other.”

  The longer the alien woman spoke, the more shocked Sheri became, so surprised until her mouth dropped open and eyes were wide. She covered her mouth with one hand and lowered her voice, leaning forward to whisper much like Zanya. “You mean he’s… Drazan is… a virgin?”

  “I do not know this word.”

  “It’s, uh,” Sheri licked her lips, trying to phrase this delicately. “It’s someone who has never mated before.”

  “Of course.” Zanya tipped her head in a nod. “All Ateran males are ‘virgins’ until they meet their kode. That is not the way of your people?”

  She snorted and shook her head. “Ah, no. Not so much.” She thought back to the first boy she’d been with—their brief encounter that had left her rather unsatisfied. They’d only gone out a short time before he’d cheated on her with another girl at their high school. She couldn’t imagine what her life would have been like if they’d been somehow bound. Unable to get hard at the sight of another woman. Though she supposed it would certainly prevent cheating.

  “I do not mean to overstep.” Zanya lowered her voice to barely a whisper. “Am I to understand that you and Warlord Drazan have not yet…”

  Sheri cleared her throat and sat a little straighter. “No, no we haven’t.”

  “How unusual.” Zanya hummed softly.

  Sheri licked her lips and looked away. “Where I come from, it works differently. Most people don’t jump into bed with total strangers.” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, some do…” She thought back to the one drunken one-night stand she’d had at a college party. “Usually, we spend time getting to know a person first. Getting closer.”

  “Why is that necessary?” Zanya didn’t sound as if she was trying to be sarcastic, just curious.

  “Because you don’t want to be with the wrong person. You want to make sure you care for them first. That they’re a good match.”

  “Very strange.” Zanya shook her head. “It must be very difficult for the people of Earth. To spend so much time waiting to learn if you have found your one. With Aterans, you know immediately. You meet and you simply know. The urge is so great that it overpowers all else, including logic and reason.”

  The alien turned her attention to the closed bedroom door, worry written across her face.

  Sheri replayed her words in her mind, the thoughts clicking together and coalescing into something she understood. “An Ateran driven by these urges… He wouldn’t know how to cope with everything if he’s unable to seal the deal.”

  “I cannot understand all of your words, but if I understand… I imagine he would not know how to handle these new sensations.” Zanya bowed her head in apology, eyes downcast. “Forgive me, my lady. Such matters are private. I should not have pried.”

  “No, no it’s all right.” It was Sheri’s turn to reach out and gently touch the other female’s knee. “You’ve helped me understand some of your culture.”

  Zanya nodded, tension leaving the alien in a rush. “If you will excuse me, I have other duties. I hope you feel welcome. Should you have need of anything, you need merely ask.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled widely and escorted Zanya to the door. Once alone again, she went to the table and sat, nibbling on the food though she didn’t have much of an appetite. Zanya’s words twisted and turned in her mind and, if everything she said was true, it explained Drazan’s behavior over the last couple of days. It didn’t excuse his temper and aggressiveness, but she at least understood his frustration.

  This wasn’t like a human man who was pissed because he was horny and wanted to get laid. Drazan struggled with a biological imperative that went beyond anything Sheri found familiar.

  “He can’t get hard for any other woman?” she whispered to herself and her cheeks warmed with the thought. It was weird, yet at the same time, almost sweet. There was literally no other woman for Drazan. If Zanya was correct, it meant Drazan would never so much as look at another woman. He was biologically incapable of wanting anyone but her.

  The thought spun through her mind, whirling, twisting and turning in her head. It made her… consider things. Things she wasn’t quite ready to explore.

  She wasn’t ready, right? Right. Totally.

  For now, Sheri pushed it all away, shoving it to the back of her thoughts while she returned to the massive bedroom. She scanned the interior for Drazan and noted that the washroom remained shut though sounds of destruction no longer escaped the small room. She crept closer and nudged the door open the tiniest bit so she could peek inside.

  Drazan sat on the edge of what looked like a large bathtub though it wasn’t filled right then. Not with water, anyway. He held something that looked like liquid sand, fluid and coarse. She supposed water was too precious of a commodity in the desert that it couldn’t be wasted on bathing.

  He used that sand-like material to clean himself, scrubbing the material into his scales. It dropped off him like water, but thicker. Sheri could only guess that the coarse nature was ideal for the Aterans’ scaly bodies. She didn’t imagine it’d feel the same on human skin. Maybe something like a scratchy mud bath?

  She didn’t tear her gaze away, watching—enraptured—as Drazan scrubbed his scales. He rubbed the coarse substance over his rippling muscles. She had already seen his body up close—all of him since Aterans wore next to nothing—but this was so very different. It seemed more intimate to watch him bathe. His every move accentuated the muscles in his body, and the sight filled Sheri with warmth. She found herself wondering what it would be like to caress those thick scales, slide her hands over his body and explore every rolling hill and valley of him.

  And she wondered if he’d ever touched a woman—been touched by her. Biologically, he was tied to her, but had he tried to be with another. How would he react to her delicate human fin
gers when she massaged his strong alien muscles?

  The idea sent a rush of tingles through her body and stoked a fire between her thighs.

  Stop. She wasn’t supposed to fantasize about Drazan. She’d spent the last two days filled with frustration over his stubbornness and fear because of his outbursts. Now that he was quiet and alone, engaged in such a personal act, he didn’t seem that scary anymore. He appeared handsome and strong—alluring—and she couldn’t deny the urges bubbling to the surface.

  Drazan turned and propped a leg on the side of the tub, hands outstretched for the lower parts of his body. She eased back a bit to make sure he didn’t catch her spying. He rubbed the coarse liquid over his thighs and between his legs and this was the first time she realized he had no visible genitalia. Where did Aterans keep their, er, equipment?

  They looked like Earth lizards so did that mean… Her gaze dropped to the space between his legs, not taking her eyes off him as he rubbed the sand over that part of him. With his own touch, a bulge grew beneath his scales, straining against… something. He paused and stared down at that swollen part of him, claws sliding along a newly discernable edge. He snatched his hand back with a hiss and angry glare, as if his scales had failed him in some way.

  She wondered if that was where he’d hidden that part of him. Would he expect her to go digging for his cock when the time came?

  No, if the time came. Not when. That made it sound like a foregone conclusion and it seriously wasn’t. Even if she was the only one who could ever entice him.

  Bare hands ghosted over the bulge once more, claw tips catching on the very edge. The scales there were altered now, too. A deeper shade of red that only darkened further as he touched himself. And he continued to explore his body while she watched, despite the pain he had to feel.

  When it was obvious he only had cleanliness in mind, Sheri eased away, intent on putting distance between her and the all-too-sexy alien warlord. Except she nudged a broken piece of pottery, sending two pieces clattering together and breaking the silence. She froze for a split-second, long enough to see that Drazan’s attention quickly shifted to her direction with that warning. Then Sheri was on the move, ducking out of sight and racing across the space and to the safety of the sitting room.

  She skidded across the hard tile floor, not stopping until she dropped into a chair near the tea tray. She made herself a cup of tea from the tray Zanya had delivered and struggled to calm her heart—even out her breathing. Her face remained flushed and hot when Drazan eventually emerged from the bathroom to join her. And she… stayed silent, simply drinking from her tea cup and hoping the cup hid the redness in her face.

  “Are you well, Sheri?” Concern was etched into his features and she wasn’t sure if she had an answer for him.

  She cleared her throat, her face heating even more. “I’m fine.”

  Did her voice sound as squeaky to Drazan as it did to her?

  Chapter Seventeen

  “You do not look fine.” Drazan studied Sheri’s red face. He had never seen her—nor any of the other humans—change color in the past. “You have spent too much time in the suns this day. They have scorched your…” she did not have scales like his kind, and he was unsure what the humans called their outer covering. “…flesh.”

  “No,” she shook her head. “It’s nothing. Really.” Sheri hid behind her cup again.

  Drazan frowned. Despite his kode’s protests, she did not appear fine. There was clearly a problem. Moisture beaded on her skin, her breathing turned erratic and her flesh now burned bright red as if she truly called the Red Sands home.

  “I will call for a healer.” Drazan turned and strode toward the door.

  “No!” Sheri shot to her feet, dropping her cup. She yelped and jumped aside when the hot liquid spilled over her bare toes.

  She bounced up and down, whimpering in pain, and he hurried to her side. He scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

  “You have difficulty with your coordination.” Drazan laid her on the bed. “A clear sign of sun sickness. Remain in place while I fetch the healer.”

  “No, I said I’m fine and I am.” She held out her hands to him. “Besides, your healer wouldn’t know anything about human physiology.”

  “Bah.” Drazan waved a dismissive hand. “He will learn of your people at some point.”

  He stalked off without listening to Sheri’s continued protests. Females could be just as stubborn as warriors, it seemed. He ordered one of the guards stationed outside his rooms to fetch the healer. A few moments later, Healer Prirk entered the room with his bag of healing supplies—including jars of Healing Sands from the lands to the South.

  “How can I be of service, Warlord Drazan?” Prirk questioned him as Drazan led him into the bedroom.

  Drazan gestured to his kode. “She is ill and injured.”

  Sheri had pulled the sheet around herself, hiding her body from his view. He was torn between aching to see all of her once more and keeping her covered so no other could view her perfection. She sat with her knees hugged to her chest, body blocked by fabric. “I’m completely fine.” She glared at him, but he would take her anger gladly if it meant she was treated. “There’s no need to fuss.”

  Drazan grunted and turned to Prirk. “Her skin is red and moist. She was breathing heavily. I believe she is ill.”

  “That’s not what—” Sheri began her protest but silenced herself before revealing the truth to him. Ah well, if she would not speak the truth, Prirk would discover it through testing and treatment.

  “Perhaps the lady would allow me to examine her for my own records.” Prirk placed his bag on the table beside the bed. “It will not take long.”

  His kode lowered her eyes, face still red. Perhaps redder now than before. She flashed Drazan a hard look. “Can we have some privacy?”

  “My quarters are private.” Drazan crossed his arms over his chest. “No one will disturb us.”

  “No,” Sheri sighed. “I meant, can I have some privacy from you.”

  Drazan frowned. “My kode, I—”

  “Drazan,” her voice had hardened. “Some discussions are private for humans. Especially women. Some things we only discuss with our healers and no one else.”

  “Warlord, if she wishes to discuss her health without your presence, perhaps you should…” Prirk quirked a single brow and Drazan glared at the healer for a moment, and then two, before throwing his arms in the air.

  “Bah!” He growled and spun on his heel. He did not wish to leave his kode with another—not even a healer—but he did not have a choice.

  He stepped out of the sleeping chamber but left the door partially open so he could listen in case his kode had need of him.

  The voices that came through the door were muffled, but Drazan had excellent hearing and a determination to know of his one’s health. He listened to Sheri’s explanation as she discussed her symptoms with the healer.

  “It’s nothing,” Sheri’s voice remained low. “I’m not ill. I’m just…” Her voice lowered further, now hardly a whisper and too low for Drazan to catch.

  “Ahhh.” A touch of amusement entered Prirk’s voice. “I see. If you and Warlord Drazan have been—”

  “We haven’t!” Panic laced his kode’s tone. “Not… not yet. I mean… I was just… Look, when humans get turned on, we can get a little flushed and sweaty. That’s all.”

  Drazan frowned and leaned closer to the door. He did not understand the phrase, “turned on,” and tried to listen for more.

  “It is not so dissimilar from Aterans. You may have noticed the changes? It is usually subtler than the color change of humans, but an Ateran’s scales can grow lighter or darker around their kode. Though the moisture on your flesh is concerning.”

  “It’s just sweat.”

  “Sweat?” Prirk still questioned her.

  “It’s normal,” Sheri assured the healer. “It’s how our bodies cool off.”

  “I see
,” Prirk muttered some curious sounds, ones he had not heard from the healer in the past. “Is there anything else I should be aware of? I do not mean to pry, but we have several more of your kind and I am responsible for their care.”

  “I can’t think of anything else you should, uh, know,” Sheri assured the healer.

  Drazan did not believe the healer needed to know much of Drazan’s kode either. He should be the one to know all.

  “I see,” Prirk murmured. “I must thank you. Ever since learning of your kind, I have been curious about your biology. Perhaps we might discuss other aspects of your physiology in the future.” The healer chuckled. “Something less awkward for you than the signs of female arousal.”

  Arousal? Drazan’s eyes widened. He had not understood the changes to Sheri’s appearance, but now he did. Sheri’s red face and moist skin was similar to the way an Ateran female’s scales would darken on her chest and neck when she was enduring her Needing.

  He was an utter fool for not realizing the truth sooner.

  Not waiting a moment, Drazan shoved the door open and barged into the sleeping chamber. He grasped Prirk by the shoulder and forced him to turn to face the doorway. “Thank you, Healer.” He hauled the male toward the door. “Your services are no longer required.”

  Prirk made a noise of protest, but Drazan did not listen. He shoved the healer from the sleeping chamber, perhaps a bit rougher than necessary, but his instincts had taken control. They told him to remove the male from the presence of his kode while she was caught in the grips of Needing.

  Drazan returned his focus to Sheri—his kode still on the bed, sheet raised to conceal her body. She appeared timid and afraid. Not the reaction he expected from a female gripped by the Needing. But he knew what had been shared between Sheri and Prirk. The signs on her flesh told him she was ready to be bonded even if she would not say the words aloud.

  “My kode.” He stared deep into her eyes. “Your body is ready, as is mine. Let us be joined. Let me give you the greatest of gifts. Let me sate your Need.”