by Cynthia Sax
The barbarian laughed.
Xareni’s mood lightened.
She had to resist the male. They couldn’t kiss or cuddle or fuck again.
But it was impossible to remain angry with him.
“What type of nourishment do the Carinae E clones eat?” As though summoned by their discussion, Yesun appeared by their side.
Ariq looked at her.
She opened her mouth to answer.
“We flew over their settlement once.” Jeden and his two brothers joined them. “They had a huge container set over a fire. The smell rising from it almost made me vomit.”
“It smelled like boots after a human had been wearing them for ten planet rotations in a row.” Dialo wrinkled his nose.
“Or armpits that hadn’t been cleaned after a training session.” Vietor jostled his brothers.
She had to keep all four youths far away from the clone community.
The triplets had no tact, Yesun appeared to lack it also, and the clone elders were proud of their culture, were extremely sensitive about how outsiders communicated with them.
The combination was an explosive ready to detonate.
“I doubt that was nourishment.” The clones in the community she guarded rarely used fire for that purpose. A flat stone blasted by the sun’s rays provided sufficient heat to cook meats and other ingredients. “I’m almost certain they were fabricating sealing material when you flew over their settlement.”
That mixture smelled pungent, but it was extremely effective.
Ariq’s eyes sparkled. His chest shook.
The damn male was trying to suppress his laughter.
“You will not be experiencing their nourishment on this expedition.” She quashed that expectation. “The clones don’t embrace outsiders. I rarely interact directly with them, and I’ve been living near their community for solar cycles.”
She had also saved the lives of many of their members, especially the children.
They left her alone, honoring her preference for solitude, allowing her to protect them without their interference.
And she left them alone, only communicating with them when she had to, when it would save lifespans and not result in them being devoured by cave snakes.
Her lips twisted. That danger had to be eliminated.
Yesun’s forehead furrowed. “But we’re going there to see them.”
“Seven-One is going there to see them.” She corrected the young Chamele. “And that is a very special honor.” The clones, like many beings on Carinae E, had a healthy respect for Kralj and his powers. He had asked for the favor. They had granted it. “The rest of you won’t be meeting with them. You won’t be eating their nourishment. You won’t be interacting with them at all. We will be setting up a base outside their terrain.”
“All we’ll be eating is nourishment bars?” The Chamele warrior frowned.
“All we’ll be doing is eating and staring up at the sky?” Dialo had different concerns.
She had to supply a task for them to complete, offer some sort of entertainment. Xareni pursed her lips. They were all young warriors.
The cave snake, unfortunately, had to be killed. Having an affinity for monsters like herself, she had ignored its presence for as long as she could, leaving it to hunt in peace.
But the creature had recently relocated via the underground streams to a cave the clones frequented, had killed one elder and two others. Its lifespan, unfortunately, had to be ended before more beings died.
The task might be the solution to her restless youth problem. “There’s a cave snake in one of the nearby caves.”
“We’re hunting cave snakes.” Yesun cheered, raising his arms as though in victory. “Seven-One, did you hear that?” He yelled that question to the other Chamele youth. “While you’re doing whatever boring thing you plan to do, we’ll be hunting cave snakes.”
What did Chameles know about cave snakes? She glanced at Ariq, lifted one of her eyebrows.
“Some of the clones fought on planets that had cave snakes.” Her barbarian supplied an explanation for the Chamele warrior’s excitement. “They relayed those stories, and now, all the youths want to battle one.”
“Not all the youths want to do that.” Seven-One stared down at his private viewscreen. “Some of us are content to fix the clone degradation issue and save our species.”
“Whatever.” Yesun rolled his eyes. “We’re hunting cave snakes!”
“It’s dangerous.” Xareni tried to caution the young Chamele.
“Exactly.” He beamed.
“We haven’t gotten stuck in a cave in…” Jeden looked at his brothers. “Has it been eleven planet rotations since you got stuck in that cave on the west side?”
“I wasn’t stuck.” Vietor’s face darkened.
“Dad had to claw away a section of the rock.” Dialo elbowed his brother.
“I merely couldn’t move.” Vietor said that as though there was a difference between the two situations. “It happens.”
“I hope it doesn’t happen often.” Xareni shook her head.
The young males chattered about deadly creatures they’d encountered or had heard about or, in the case of the flying bovine with projectile-shooting horns, she suspected, had imagined.
Arms were punched. Backs were slapped.
It was too much…activity for Xareni. Seeking space and quiet, she drifted away from the youths.
Ariq, carrying Spark, moved with her. “If you’re concerned about them, I have claws.” Her barbarian extended and then retracted his natural weapons. “I can free him…or them.” He glanced back at the males. “We have to assume all three of them have gotten stuck in caves in the past.”
That was a valid assumption. The triplets were flying disasters.
“I should have thought of a safer task for them to do.” The cave snake could kill them.
“They’re young warriors.” Ariq shrugged. “They aren’t interested in safe tasks.”
He curved his fingers over her hips, drew her to him.
Fuck. She tilted her head back, her eyelids partially lowering. That contact with him felt good, felt right. Her wanting, her need for him, increased.
“This is a dangerous expedition.” Her reminder was meant for both of them. The Humanoid Alliance beings were a threat. And Carinae E contained other perils. “We have to focus on keeping our team alive, can’t become distracted.”
“Ignoring our needs will make the situation worse, gerel.” Her big barbarian’s eyes were as black as a starless rest-cycle sky. “We can’t resist the connection between us. There’s no force stronger than the desire pulling us together. It already pounds in my ears, plucks at my balls, makes me ache all over.”
Xareni wanted him with the same intensity. “I’m stronger than you are.” She wriggled out of his arms and picked up her pack. “And I will resist it.”
She had to do that…for her own sanity.
Walking away from him wasn’t easy. It was impossible.
The damn Chamele followed her.
Chapter Eleven
His gerel was seeking to escape him, to flee their bond. At first, Ariq was irritated, viewing that as a rejection of him, of their relationship.
But then he realized…
She wouldn’t be melting down if she didn’t have feelings for him.
His warrior female never shied away from confrontation. If she truly didn’t want him, she’d tell him off, likely stab him in the gut with one of her daggers to drive that message home.
She wouldn’t have leaned into him, looking up at him with her rutting face, her eyes soft with wanting, her lush lips parted.
Her feelings for him scared her. He understood that. Zondoo. His feelings for her, the intensity of his desire, the need to protect her, to always be with her, scared him too.
Fear was a sign something—or someone—was important.
He wouldn’t allow her to give up on that, on them.
So he pursued her, f
ollowing her closely, keeping her within his sightlines at all times.
Her route appeared to be random. Xareni circled the settlement once, twice, walking near the base of the walls. She navigated less-utilized pathways, slipping in and out of the shadows, crisscrossing the Refuge, always in motion, never pausing or hesitant or still.
He tracked his gerel, turning when she turned, increasing his pace when she did. She was a wily prey and his hunting of her escalated his arousal, thrilled his primitive soul.
It also entertained him thoroughly.
“I feel you breathing on my neck, barbarian.” Her stride was long, and her tread was impressively quiet.
Beings scattered before his female. His chin lifted with pride. They knew she was a badass.
“Don’t you have tasks to complete?” She abruptly changed directions, heading toward the gates. “We’re leaving within mere moments.”
She wouldn’t leave without him…or without her drakon.
Ariq reached up to scratch Spark’s stomach.
The creature, perched on his shoulder, snapped at his fingers.
He found that response amusing also.
Spark liked him. The drakon chose to travel with him, not his mistress. But he would never make caring for him easy.
Xareni was the same way. She would always push against him, test his devotion.
He would pass each of her tests, wouldn’t move from her side. “The only tasks I have to do are to kiss you senseless, to rut with you until you scream my name, to mark you as mine, gerel.”
He skimmed his right palm over her leather-clad back.
She trembled under his touch. The musky scent of her strengthened. “You won’t be completing those tasks.”
“We both know I will complete them.” They’d rut before the sun set. He was certain about that.
She stopped and faced him. Her eyes flashed with emotion. “Why won’t you take no for an answer?”
Stars. She was magnificent.
He stepped closer to her, pressing his chest against hers. “You haven’t told me no.” He gazed down at his irate gerel. “Say no and then we’ll see how I take it.”
She stared up at him. Her eyes narrowed.
Trepidation gripped him. If she said no, he would have to back away, and he didn’t want to do that. Ever.
“You’re an ass.” She smacked his shoulders. Her gaze lifted to Spark. “You’re both asses.”
His gerel turned and stomped away from him.
Ariq grinned. She hadn’t said no to him.
He hurried to catch up to her. When he did that, he transferred a screeching Spark to her shoulder. There had been sadness in her eyes when she’d gazed at the drakon. The creature’s defection had hurt his gerel.
Spark plucked at his mistress’ blonde hair. She tilted her head toward him, into the abuse. The drakon cooed and rubbed his cheek against her.
Ariq placed his palm on the small of his human female’s back.
She slowed her pace, as though seeking to increase that pressure. His warrior female told him more with her body than she ever communicated through words.
“I will kiss you senseless.” He murmured that intention into her ear. “I’ll stroke into you with my tongue, make your lips hum with pleasure, scatter your thoughts with my touch.”
The breath his gerel took was excitingly ragged. “We have to focus on protecting our team.”
That wasn’t an outright rejection. It was a request for a delay.
He would honor it, would wait to capture her lips, taste her mouth.
Zondoo. He wanted her. His balls ached with need. His cock pressed against his ass coverings.
They exited the Refuge, passing through the massive gates.
Balvan stood at his usual post, protecting that entrance. His small human mate, their two daughters, and more puffkers than Ariq could track, sat on a huge horizontal support. All of them were well out of reach of anyone other than the great green gatekeeper.
Three open-air transports were loaded with supplies. Libor, Frost, and Seven-One would pilot them. Those warriors were currently standing by their vessels. Seven-One gazed down at a handheld device. Lines were etched between his eyebrows.
Dialo, Vietor, and Jeden chattered about wind speeds and the air currents. The winged triplets would fly to the clone community, seemed to believe there would be a race to reach there.
There wouldn’t be one. They had to stay together for safety reasons.
Yesun sat on an extremely shiny mounted transport. “I picked the best ones for us.” His gaze shifted to Xareni. “For Ariq and me. Libor said that beat-up one was yours.”
Her mounted transport was worn yet well kept. The metal was dull, devoid of dents.
She grunted, placed her pack into a holder.
“We only need two mounted transports.” Ariq would trade his freedom for continued contact with his gerel. “I’ll ride with Xareni.”
She frowned at him.
“Someone should keep watch.” That wasn’t the reason he wanted to ride with her, but the role was needed. “You’ll have your gaze on the route ahead of us. I’ll scan the terrain to the side, track the vessels behind us.”
“And the best way for you to do that is by riding with me, not with someone else?” She looked pointedly at one of the open-air transports.
His clever human knew surveying their surroundings would be more easily accomplished if he traveled with Libor, Frost, or Seven-One. Those vessels were steadier, had larger sightlines.
“I’m riding with you.” He met her gaze, wouldn’t back down on that.
She glared at him for one, two, five heartbeats.
He was certain she’d call him on his shit.
“Fuck it.” She nodded, surprising him with that capitulation. “You can ride with me.”
Libor grabbed the extra mounted transport, plunked it into his vessel.
Yesun shook his head and muttered about gerels ruining warriors’ fun.
Ariq grinned. His fun had increased.
The battle between them wasn’t over. His gerel would continue to fight him, might always resist the pull between them, but she had acknowledged they were a team. They belonged together.
That was a huge win.
“Focus.” She murmured that directive under her breath. Her message was meant for him.
She glanced at the Humanoid Alliance males situated close to them.
Those beings didn’t attempt to hide their interest in them. They gazed at him, at Xareni, at the rest of their group, with an almost gleeful malice, like they knew bad things would soon happen to them.
“That’s not good.” Ariq moved closer to his gerel, putting himself in a better position to protect her. His claws pricked his skin. The os khonzon rose within him.
“It’s not good at all.” His gerel’s lips flattened. “Libor, were all of the transports sourced from beings loyal to Kralj?”
“All of them belong to us, Xar. Except for yours.” The modified humanoid nodded. “They’ve been checked out, are fully functional, ready to be utilized.”
“The transports might be safe, but those males are planning something bad.” Xareni’s voice was barely audible.
Ariq agreed with his gerel. “The mounted transports will go first.” He reminded them of the formation he and Xareni had decided to implement for the expedition. “Frost will follow, then Seven-One, Libor.”
Both Frost’s and Libor’s open-air transports hosted extra firepower.
“Dialo, Vietor, and Jeden, you will fly above us and survey the terrain from the air.” He leveled a hard glance on the triplets.
“Good luck with that.” Xareni muttered his thoughts. The three young males hadn’t yet obtained discipline. They were unlikely to stick to that task.
Ariq’s gaze lifted.
Five figures stood high on the wall.
Kralj’s face was covered with dark shadows. His assassin mate grasped one of his hands, swung his arm. Dita seemed to n
ever be still. She was always moving, was like Xareni in that way.
Lysagh, the bounty-hunter-in-training, was positioned to the far left of them. She mimicked Dita’s stance but didn’t quite have the same presence as the more-experienced female.
Orol and his human mate held hands also. They looked down at their sons, the triplets. Their expressions were concerned.
Their trepidation transferred to Ariq. There was a possibility of harm, of death, during the trip. His gerel was correct. He had to remain focused.
“We’re attracting more attention.” Xareni straddled the mounted transport. “We should go.” She revved the engines.
The others prepared to leave also. All the vessels appeared to be operational.
Ariq claimed his place behind his gerel, pressing his thighs against hers, wrapping one of his arms around her waist. That physical connection soothed some of his unease.
Spark backed up, gripped Ariq’s shoulder with his back talons, leaving his front talons on Xareni’s leather-clad shoulder. The drakon spread his wings, anticipating the ride.
They shot forward. Ariq motioned to the others to follow them.
Yesun almost flew off his mounted transport, the young warrior struggling to control it.
Frost, Seven-One, and Libor put a little more distance between them.
The triplets lifted off, soaring high above them.
No one else followed them.
Soon, they were surrounded only by sand dunes. The sun blazed down on Ariq’s shoulders. The wind whipped at his face, blowing his hair back. Those long strands streamed behind him.
The mounted transport vibrated between his legs. The gyrations rubbed his gerel’s ass against his garment-constrained cock.
He groaned. His balls were ready to explode.
The trip would be sweet torture.
Many moments of travel passed. The rolling waves of sand were interrupted by taller and taller mountains of rock.
His gerel swerved the mounted transport around giant boulders, guiding their procession through the terrain. She rode as she walked, with purpose, with no hesitation or doubt.
Their speed slowed. She finally stopped the mounted transport near the wide opening of a cave.
