Targeted

by Evangeline Anderson

  “Or maybe with the whole pack,” rumbled one of the others and all of them exploded into coarse, deep laughter that set Emily’s teeth on edge.

  The Howlund—they said the Howland. Where have I heard that before? Suddenly she remembered—it was something Tragar had said. And hadn’t he said it was someplace dangerous? Someplace she shouldn’t go? If not, that was still the idea she had gotten.

  So how did I get here all by myself with these weird things on my nipples? Emily asked herself desperately. And what in the world is inside me? Because she could feel something hard and cold and heavy in her channel—it shifted uncomfortably every time she moved.

  Then a big, hot hand fell on her shoulder and she knew that it didn’t matter how she’d gotten there or what else was going on—right now she needed to concentrate on getting out.

  Emily shrugged off the hand and tried to bite back the frightened squeak that wanted to pass her lips as the three males got closer, forming a triangle around her. Oh God, this was horrible—she was being surrounded!

  “What is that?” she gasped, pointing into the sky. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

  The trick might’ve been straight out of a silly, slapstick comedy but it worked—all three men looked at the same time.

  Heart pounding, Emily turned and dived under the arm of the first man who had opened his arms as though to catch her or maybe keep her from running. He let out a curse that sounded more like a snarl and Emily was sure he was coming after her. In fact, she was sure all of them were but she understood instinctively that she didn’t dare to look back even for an instant—any delay might get her caught.

  Not that she could outrun them for long—they all had incredibly long legs and she was running barefoot and didn’t know where she was going. But she had to try. Dodging around other shoppers and vendors alike, she tried to get to the edge of the crowded market place. She just had to get away. She had to—

  Suddenly someone was right in front of her and though she tried to dodge, Emily couldn’t miss them. She hit hard, nearly bowling the person over but somehow they stood their ground and didn’t go down. There was a brief, blurred confusion of limbs and then someone was grabbing her arm and hissing in her ear,

  “What are you doing out here like this, Sister? Has the madness taken you to behave so?”

  Emily was prepared to fight but the feminine tones took her by surprise. She looked up and saw a girl with black hair and blue eyes looking at her with a frown on her face. Then the pert nose wrinkled and the blue eyes widened.

  “Khalla!” breathed the girl. And without warning, she thrust Emily behind her back.

  In front of them, the three males who had been chasing her came skidding to a stop. Emily stared at them fearfully but the girl who had grabbed her stood tall in front of her, glaring them down.

  “Jey…Zeth…Tirn,” she said, frowning up at them all in turn. “What are you doing, bothering this poor female?”

  “We weren’t bothering her—she came to us,” protested the first man.

  “Stand aside, Saskia,” growled the second. “She’s an unmated female out in the Howlund just before the change. You know the law—she’s fair game.”

  “Yes, if she came here of her own volition.” The girl glared at them, not moving. “But she was running from you—I don’t think she meant to be here at all.”

  “She’s right,” Emily spoke up, wishing her voice sounded stronger. “I don’t know how I got here but I certainly didn’t come looking for, uh, anything. I just want to go home.”

  “There, you see?” the girl demanded, frowning up at the huge males. “She’s not here a-purpose and she doesn’t want the likes of you three. So be off now and leave her alone!”

  “But she smells hot,” protested the third male. “She must be in heat!”

  “That doesn’t mean she wants you to breed her, Tirn,” the girl snapped. “Now get you gone! All of you!”

  Grumbling and looking like a pack of scolded dogs with their tails between their legs, the three trudged off in the direction they’d come from.

  The moment they were gone, the girl called Saskia grabbed Emily by the arm and started marching her to the edge of the market area.

  “Thank you so much,” Emily babbled. “I was in so much trouble—I don’t know how I got here or how to get back.”

  “Back to your chosen mate, you mean?” Saskia eyed her. “Why did he let you come to the Howlund at this time of month?”

  “He didn’t—I told you, I don’t know how I got here. And I don’t really have a chosen mate anyway,” Emily protested.

  The girl’s dainty nose wrinkled again.

  “Must be why I don’t scent a male on you. In fact, I care barely even smell your Khalla scent. How did you mute it? I mean, it’s a good thing you did or you’d have had the whole Howland after you instead of just three hungry Wulven but it’s still strange.”

  “I don’t know—I didn’t know it was, uh, muted.” Emily was having to trot fast to keep up with her, the cold metal thing moving awkwardly inside her with each step. “I can’t smell it myself,” she offered.

  “Of course not—it’s your scent. It’s natural to you.” Saskia shot her a glance. “Look, my mate is a Beast Kindred and an expert on your kind. I’ll bespeak him now and take you to him.”

  “But I have to get back to Tragar—back to the shuttle,” Emily protested.

  Saskia frowned. “I thought you said you had no mate.”

  “I don’t—Tragar’s not my mate. He’s just…helping me out until I can get this whole mess sorted out.”

  “The mess being your Tenrah, I take it?”

  “Yes, exactly.” Emily nodded. “So you know all about it too—the Tenrah, all the stages…?”

  “Of course.” Saskia nodded as though it was common knowledge. Well, maybe it was, here.

  Emily had a sudden thought.

  “You’re not a Khalla are you?”

  “Me?” Saskia gave a short laugh. “No, but I’ve known one. My dearest friend, actually.”

  “Really?” Emily asked eagerly. “Does she live around here? Could I meet her?”

  Saskia’s face was suddenly closed.

  “No, you can’t.” she said shortly.

  “Oh…” Emily was crestfallen. “It just…this is all so new to me. And I thought if I could meet someone who’s already gone through it—”

  “You can’t meet her because she’s dead.” Saskia looked away and for a moment Emily had the idea she might be fighting tears. But when she looked back, her face was smooth and calm again. “I’m sorry. I still miss her.”

  “Of course.” Emily nodded, feeling miserable. She felt bad for Saskia but she also felt bad for herself. Now she felt like she couldn’t ask any more questions about Khalla or Tenrah or the stages or any of it. And she so would have liked to talk to another woman about what she was going through—especially one who knew about it first hand!

  She sighed. How was it that everyone she met seemed to know more about the mysterious process that was overtaking her body than she did herself? Even the old woman…Emily frowned. Wait, what old woman? In her mind’s eye a vision swam into view for an instant—a sweet old lady holding something in her hand, something silver.

  Something to help with my Tenrah—something to stop the nectar from flowing from my breasts…right?

  As soon as the vision appeared, it was gone but it gave Emily at least some idea of why she was wearing the weird metal pasties on her nipples and the strange, heavy thing inside her. Thinking of that made her aware that her breasts felt full and very heavy—almost painfully so. What was going on with her? Well, other than her body trying its level best to turn her into someone completely different that was…

  “Here—this should be safe.” Saskia had pulled her to the edge of the market place area and around the back side of a cloth tent. She paused for a moment and closed her eyes, a look of deep concentration coming over her face.

&nb
sp; Emily tried not to stare, though she wondered what was going on. The other girl almost looked as though she was talking to someone—but talking with her mind? She’d heard rumors that such things were possible with Kindred but she’d never actually seen it happen.

  She also had a moment to realize how completely strange and out of place she looked next to her new friend. Saskia was wearing a pretty blue dress with an empire waistline that fell modestly to the ground. It had a tight, pencil-type skirt but a slit in the middle allowed her to move freely. The neckline was a deep V which showed a hint of creamy cleavage and framed a lovely greenish-blue stone pendant shaped like some kind of flower. Neat little blue slippers completed her outfit, making her look fashionable and pretty.

  Emily couldn’t help contrasting her own appearance. She was barefoot and still wearing her old blue nighty which by now was dirty and stained. Plus, her nipples in their obscene silver caps with the gold tassels were still sticking out of the ragged holes in the front. Emily would have tried to take them off if she wasn’t still in public. As bizarre as they were, they were still better than poking her bare breasts out for anyone and everyone to see.

  God, I just want to get someplace private and get all this weird stuff off of me—and out of me! Then I want a really hot shower and a change of clothes—something nice and pretty or at least something decent that doesn’t look like it came straight out of a porno!

  But more than anything else, she wanted all of this to be over so she could just go home. If she could just get her stupid body to cooperate—

  Just then Saskia opened her eyes and looked up, breaking her train of thought.

  “It’s all right—my mate is already on his way here with your male.” She raised one dark eyebrow. “Apparently they know each other.”

  “Is your husband…er mate…Tragar’s old teacher?” Emily asked.

  “I think so. Though I didn’t think to meet the likes of your male.” Saskia looked troubled. “Xen’dex sent me away so I wouldn’t.”

  “Why?” Emily shifted uncomfortably, wishing the thing inside her wasn’t so heavy and that her breasts didn’t ache so. She plucked at the ragged nightgown, trying to shift it around to hide the silver nipple covers she was wearing.

  “Well, because…” Saskia looked uncomfortable. “I do not wish to speak ill of your male but my mate said he was, well…one of the Verrak.”

  “He is an assassin if that’s what you mean,” Emily said.

  Saskia looked at her in obvious shock.

  “Can you speak so lightly of it then? Do you not know what the Verrak are capable of? They are the most ruthless, deadly killers in this galaxy or any other! Tis said they take a vow to either kill their target or kill themselves if they fail.”

  “What?” Emily frowned at her. “You can’t be serious—that’s crazy.”

  Saskia shrugged her slim shoulders.

  “That’s their way. It ensures that they never fail to kill their intended victim. They are bound by an oath and by the markings on their arm.”

  Emily began to feel really uneasy. Now that Saskia mentioned it, she remembered the elaborate tattoo that covered Tragar’s right arm from shoulder to wrist. What had he called it? A nash? A narch? Something like that, anyway.

  “Well, just because Tragar’s an assassin doesn’t mean he’s all bad,” she said, trying to make herself believe it. “He’s committed to helping me through this…through the Tenrah, I mean.” Although at times he didn’t seem very happy about it. And he was only helping because his biology forced him to—or so he’d said. But could it be he was planning to kill her after all? Especially if his only other option was to kill himself?

  Emily was pulled out of her uneasy contemplation by a loud shout from their left. Her head jerked up and she saw Tragar and an older male Beast Kindred with iron gray hair coming toward them, out of the forest that abutted the market area.

  “Here they are!” Saskia’s voice held a mixture of relief and distrust and Emily saw she was eyeing Tragar with barely concealed fear. It was hard to believe she was so upset—Emily had just seen the Wulven girl face down three huge, horny males without a flicker of fright, yet now she looked scared to death of Tragar.

  Well, maybe she’s right to be scared of him, whispered a little voice in Emily’s brain. After all, what do you know about him except what he’s told you? Can you really trust him just because he says he wants to help you?

  Before she could answer the troubling questions, she looked up and saw Tragar looking at her. When they locked eyes, the big Kindred began to run—jogging towards her as though he couldn’t get to her fast enough.

  Saskia stepped back quickly but he didn’t even throw a glance in her direction—all his attention was centered on Emily and the look on his face was fierce and terrible to behold.

  Oh God, he’s mad at me! He probably thinks I got out of the shuttle and went wandering around on my own for fun because I wanted to go sightseeing! He’s going to shout at me or shake me—I just know it!

  She wanted to run but it was too late—Tragar was there, his golden eyes glowing hot.

  “Tragar, I’m sorry! I don’t know what—”

  “Come here.” He reached for her and Emily tried to cringe away, afraid of the unchecked emotion she saw in his burning eyes.

  But she couldn’t elude him. Tragar grabbed her. Instead of shaking or shouting at her, though, he dragged her to him, crushing her in a hug that was almost panicky-tight.

  Emily gasped as he enfolded her in those flexible-steel arms.

  “Thought I’d lost you,” he growled in her ear and was there a sob buried in his low rumbling voice? Surely not! Emily could see why he would be angry with her for getting lost on a strange planet but she was certain she didn’t mean so much to him that he’d actually be upset if something happened to her. Well, other than the fact that it would hurt his Kindred pride and he would have failed in his self-imposed mission to get her safely to Rageron. But as for personal emotion and genuine affection—no, she must be imagining it.

  Still, she couldn’t help pressing her face to his broad shoulder and breathing him in. The warm scent of his skin smelled like safety to her—safety and protection and home. Which was ridiculous, of course.

  The big Kindred hugged her tighter.

  “Thought you were gone,” he muttered into her hair. “Can’t lose you, too.”

  Emily had no idea what he meant by that but it was getting hard to get a good deep breath with those muscular arms wrapped around her so tightly.

  “Tragar,” she gasped, pushing uselessly against his broad chest. “Can’t…breathe.”

  “Forgive me. Did I hurt you?” He released her and held her out at arms length, looking into her face.

  Emily stared up at him. Were there tears standing in his golden eyes? Was he almost about to cry he was so worried about her?

  But the next minute, the idea was shattered. His face grew hard and cold and he scowled at her angrily.

  “Never do that again! Never wander off on your own on a strange world!” He shook her—just once but fiercely enough that her teeth clicked together.

  “I didn’t mean to!” she protested. “I…I don’t even know how I got out of the shuttle! I barely remember anything until I was suddenly in the middle of a crowded street surrounded by strange men!”

  “Gods! Did they hurt you? Did they touch you?” He stared at her anxiously.

  “No, I…no.” Emily shook her head. “Saskia found me before anything could happen.”

  “Thank the Goddess!” He crushed her to him again, briefly, then pulled back and glared at her. “This is what comes of leaving when I told you not to! The Howlund is the worst place you could have gone!”

  “I didn’t go there on purpose!” she objected. “I just found myself there.”

  “Just found yourself there?” He cursed—a deep angry, guttural word that the translation bacteria didn’t seem to be able to translate.

  “I’m
sorry,” she said again, getting angry herself. “I didn’t think you’d care so much if something bad happened to me. I mean, you’re only helping me because you have to, right? Isn’t that what you told me?”

  “You think I don’t care? Damn it, Emily—I care! You’ve made me fucking care—whether I want to or not!” The words came out in a roar and she couldn’t help flinching back from the anger and anguish in his face.

  Could it be that he really did care about her? It seemed so but it was also obvious he wasn’t very happy about it. In fact, it almost seemed like he blamed her for making him care for her. As if she’d done it on purpose somehow.

  “Tragar, take it easy on the little female.” The older male Beast Kindred had reached them now and put his arm around Saskia’s waist. “We know the voice-witch drugged her and she probably bespelled her as well. I’m certain she didn’t leave the safety of the shuttle of her own volition.”

  “You said the witch could only bespell you if she told you what you wanted to hear,” Tragar growled. “Obviously Emily here wanted to hear that she could get away from the shuttle and do whatever she wanted.”

  “No, she told me she could stop the Tenrah and all the embarrassing things that go with it!” Emily shouted at him.

  “What?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I thought you didn’t remember anything.”

  “I didn’t…I don’t…” Emily swayed as another image of the kindly old lady invaded her brain. “Oh my God…” She put a hand to her head, feeling dizzy. “I remember now—Grandy…Grandy See-something. She helped me…I think.”

  “Whatever she did to you, it wasn’t to help,” the older male said grimly.

  “Xen’dex is right.” Tragar held her by the shoulders. “What did she do to you? Can you remember?”

  “I remember she seemed really nice. And she had a pet that was half cat and half caterpillar. And she gave me some, uh…um…”

  “Some what?” Tragar urged.

  Emily coughed. “Some things to, uh, wear.” She bit her lip and looked at Saskia and the older Beast Kindred uncomfortably. More and more was coming back to her—such as where she’d gotten the weird nipple clamps and the heavy thing inside her—but she really didn’t want to discuss the bizarre memories in front of strangers.