Venomous: (Alien Warrior Book 1)

by Penelope Fletcher

  Roam the Highest Peak turned to the female he’d wronged, and who protested on his behalf. “You speak for me.” His head cocked. “I do not believe your presence on my world is right, but I apologise for the harm I caused you.”

  He inclined is head then faced the haze.

  Distraught, Lumen moved forward.

  Deathly as It Goes slid into her path.

  Gold-braided quills swung as she jerked her chin. “Do not. Your males fight to remain in control. They want blood. This is all they get, and you must let them have it.”

  “Venom.” Lumen’s tone was sharp. Her finger jabbed towards the floor. “Stop this now.”

  “No,” he bit back.

  “Roam showed concern when I was hurt, hesitated when I was given to the Verak. I can forgive this.”

  “I cannot.”

  “Nor can I,” Fiercely said.

  “Someone,” Lumen beseeched when Deathly would not let her pass, and her mates refused to intervene. “Someone do something.”

  Troubled by her reaction, Cobra started towards her.

  He stopped cold when Venomous spun with a vicious snarl.

  Beowyn spoke to Lumen with quiet intent. “You must understand, small one, any who think to dare harm you will wonder, if he does this to kin, what would he not do to them?”

  “Last testimony?” Wind dancer asked again.

  “There are three others as guilty,” Roam the Highest Peak replied.

  Venomous lowered his face, felt as if he’d lose the contents of his stomach.

  How many times have I told my mate she is safe amongst my people?

  “Name them,” Fiercely demanded.

  “I do not betray my own,” Roam said.

  Venomous laughed, a rough, bitter sound. “You betrayed me. Fiercely. We were your own.”

  Jaw clenching at the truth of those words, Roam the Highest Peak stepped outside into the forsaken plaza.

  The a’Rä did not falter, even as raging zephyrs buffeted its body.

  Its long strides covered the distance towards the roiling, heaven-high barrage of emerald and onyx silt and sand.

  Roam the Highest Peak vanished as the dust storm swelled and devoured him whole.

  Clutching her head, Lumen hunched. “I wanted them punished but this is....”

  “He may survive.” Fiercely grabbed her shoulders when it seemed she’d swoon. “We are strong, and Roam has regained our respect. A clan may take pity on the a’Rä if it survives, and makes it to a settlement outside of the province.”

  Shrugging him off, Lumen whirled with a cutting glare.

  Her face crumpled, and she shook her head as her eyes watered.

  She shoved into his arms.

  “Enough of this. I can take no more.” Dawning Light turned his back to the haze and Venin Stings the Sweetest. “I shun you.”

  Venin’s face slackened. “R-Rä’Vek?”

  The warriors and hunters not restraining the disgraced Rä’Na turned their backs.

  Pretensions of grandeur petering, Venin Stings the Sweetest bawled. “Do not forsake me. Do not.”

  Burrowing closer to Fiercely, Lumen sobbed.

  He cupped the back of her head, and pressed her cheek to his chest. “Do not watch.”

  Clutching his sides, she pressed her other hand to her ear to block out the dirge.

  Wind Dancer shuffled around to face away from his life mate. “I s-shun you.”

  Contorting in undignified shock, expression twisting into raw disbelief, Venin struggled to reach her mates, brille snapping up and down.

  “Rä’Veks,” she cried. “My Rä’Veks. I beg! I beg!”

  Wailing, she collapsed onto her knees, arms outstretched in supplication.

  When her plea’s did not break them, she stooped over to rake her claws across the stone.

  Tore her chest and face bloody.

  Bashed her skull with balled up fists.

  “Nooo,” she moaned. “Forgive me. If not the razorbeasts the storms....” Keening, she crawled towards Venomous. “My son. Forgive my trespass.” She grasped his boot. “Spare me.”

  “For the beat of my hearts.” He shook free of her hold. “For the miracle that grows within her.” Venomous turned his back. He imagined he was stone inside. “I shun you.”

  Hurling curses, she reared up to strike his armoured shoulders with her fists. “Ungrateful, perverted spawn.” Flailing onto her back, she kicked his legs. “I hate you. I wish you died. Curse you! Zaconda curse you, and your tainted clan. Death to your freakish offspring.”

  Cobra grabbed her by the scruff of her softsuit.

  He dragged her kicking and spitting towards the haze then dropped her there. “I will take you no further. Your kindred have suffered enough. Get up, and embrace this fate of your own making.”

  Then he too gave her his back, ordering the Rä who had yet to turn to do the same.

  Veraks observed the customs of their hosts, and so out of respect, followed suit.

  Though Venin Stings the Sweetest shook, wailed and prostrated herself, her kindred did not go to her.

  Grief carved grooves into Wind Dancer’s face, but not once did he make as if to turn.

  Dawning Light leaned on his nest mate.

  “Go,” the male grated. He did not look behind, clear who he spoke to so bitingly. “As your second mate, I command you to leave us to our shame. Leave us in peace.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Huddling into Fiercely, I watched Venomous, Dawning Light and Wind Dancer stand with their backs to Venin Stings the Sweetest, who ranted and refused to walk through the haze.

  “Why don’t they leave?” Beowyn asked, puzzled. “The female has no shame. She will torture them with this as long as she can.”

  “It is the shunning,” Cobra that Strikes explicated. “The kindred remain to exorcise their grief. After this, it is not proper to express sorrow outside their lair. Venin Stings the Sweetest is no longer considered kindred, and not welcome in this province. She is dead to us. Only if strangers take pity on her elsewhere will she know home and hearth. She will wander alone, ignored until she succumbs to the long sleep, or is savaged by the beasts that roam the wilderness.”

  Éorik bobbed his head towards me and Fiercely. “They are kin, yet they have moved away.”

  “Venomous and I agreed Lumen need not stay if she grew distressed.” Fiercely palmed my belly. “We fear she has become too upset too often.”

  “Ah.” Éorik returned to watching Venin’s spectacle, his nose wrinkled.

  “The Rä are kind,” Beowyn murmured to his Commanders.

  I twisted my face to him, stiffening. “You call this kind?”

  Éorik’s head cocked. “Aye. If you were my One, those sexless ones would scream for death as we speak. Only the female would be spared torture.”

  Beowyn grunted. “A beheading for that one. Quick. Quiet.”

  Sick crawled up my throat.

  My gaze darted anywhere but towards the haze.

  Roam the Highest Peak had marched fearlessly to his fate.

  He’d apologised then spared his kindred pain by taking his punishment into his own hands.

  As ever, Venin Stings the Sweetest was being a selfish cow.

  Venomous and Wind Dancer were being lenient.

  If it went to a Senate vote, she’d meet an end much like Beowyn described.

  Still, she could not find it within herself to give them this last bit of peace.

  “What of the conspirators the sexless one spoke of,” asked the Verak Commander whose name I didn’t know.

  Becoming still, my gaze shifted.

  Singing Water was as pale as I’d ever seen a Rä.

  Hovering on the periphery of our group, having arrived sometime during the confrontation with Venin, she stared at me with over-bright brille, wringing her hands in herky-jerky fits.

  Fiercely felt me tense. “Do not fear. Those responsible will be found.” The smooth area around his mouth pul
led taut. “And punished.”

  “Severely,” Cobra vowed an animalistic growl just held in check.

  Singing Water grew paler.

  Beowyn stared at me, having caught my distressed expression at the subject matter.

  His slanted eyes narrowed, but he held his peace.

  My lips parted, yet nothing came out.

  Fuck, I can’t do it.

  I couldn’t watch another person go through that degrading scene, and I didn’t want to make it worse.

  Without a shadow of a doubt, Cobra would shun his Rä’Na.

  She’d acted as she had because of how he looked at me.

  It was a cycle I could break by showing mercy.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned my face into Fiercely’s chest, inhaled his soothing blend of vanillin pepper. “Take me home?”

  “The storm?” Beowyn questioned.

  “Will go no further,” Cobra assured, “and is receding.”

  Éorik turned to his leader. “We can leave.”

  “Stay until tomorrow?” I asked. “I’d like to have a meal, get to know you.”

  Beowyn blinked. “Are you sure? This is not a time of grief?”

  “I want you to stay.” Maybe their presence would help. They were decent, and I wanted to be friends. “The least we can do is invite you over for last meal as thanks for your help.”

  “Where to put them?” Cobra muttered.

  Beowyn waved him off. “We have comfortable quarters on our ship. We will rest there for the night.”

  “Nest mate,” Fiercely called. “We return to our lair.”

  Venomous stiffened, heaved a sigh, and then walked to meet us.

  Without another word, Fiercely lifted me.

  Over his shoulder, I saw Singing Water slouch into her Rä’Vek.

  Cobra that Strikes appeared shocked she’d touched him.

  He clumsily put his arm around her.

  She cringed then shrugged him off to scurry down a passageway into the main body of the Senate Quarter.

  He sighed and turned to watch me leave.

  Venin hissed at me with fangs dripping toxin as we went to pass through the haze.

  A shadow fell over her.

  She cowered, shielding her face as Venomous jerked as if to shove her aside.

  “As if I would sink so low,” he growled then snatched me from Fiercely.

  He left her there without a backward glance, just the same as when she sold me to the Veraks.

  We rode the goodbeast home.

  Handing them off to the Sylphs, Venomous put me in Fiercely’s outstretched arms, so he could dismount.

  Disorientated, I let them move me about like a ragdoll without stuffing.

  It seemed too complicated to talk, or walk, or even think.

  The shunning had been horrific.

  I just wanted to curl up in our nest, safe with my loving mates, and sleep forever.

  Seeing the entrance to our lair grow nearer, I struggled to get down.

  I lurched towards my safe haven, but hands stopped me.

  Venomous and Fiercely cut formidable silhouettes in the starry sky.

  The winds picked up, stirring their quills, entwining their scents.

  Their gold reflected rays of burnt sunlight as the sun set into a rumple of green powder, the sandstorm a fuzzy mess.

  With as much patience as I could muster, I waited for them to speak.

  Watchful, pensive, their expressions twisted in worry and resolve as their bodies braced.

  Fiercely said, “Lumen, you need a lesser male.”

  “I can’t do this right now.”

  Venomous hissed. “This must be resolved. I want you bound to us.”

  I swallowed. I am not ready to deal with this. “I know this is important.” My throat closed. “But you’re asking me to do something else that’s going to be traumatic so soon after....”

  “There is nothing to fear,” Fiercely said his tone short. “It is a celebration. Cobra that Strikes will be gentle. You saw this moon how he cares.”

  “Won’t doing this so soon be in bad taste. Aren’t we grieving?”

  “I am not,” Venomous snapped.

  Fiercely snorted.

  Irritation flared. “I’ve told you it’s not a matter of knowing Cobra cares about me and will be gentle. It’s not the act itself, but the emotional implications of it.” I dragged a hand though my hair. “I’m exhausted. Can we do this tomorrow? Please?”

  The males exchanged a speaking glance.

  “No,” Venomous refused. “We do this now.”

  “Has this upheaval not proven why you need the ceremony?” Fiercely demanded. “Had this been arranged, you would be considered Rä, not offworlder. That red-kneed animal would never have had the nerve to take you if you had listened to us cycles ago.”

  Venomous went pasty at the vulgar insult, but uttered nothing in reproach.

  I shoved a finger in Fiercely’s face. “Don’t talk about his mother that way. And if you’re so concerned about my safety, one of you should stay here with me, while people get used to me, or I’m ready to have the bonding ceremony.”

  “You refuse to be reasonable?”

  “It’s not reasonable for you to say I’m unreasonable because I need time to adjust to this new world I’m living in.”

  “Lumen,” Venomous entreated, “please.” He cradled me to him. “You know there are important reasons this must be done.”

  I shoved against him to get free.

  Panic had my heart crashing. “I can’t. I can’t.”

  “It will be fast,” he soothed. “We will bathe you and I will never be spoken of again. Cobra will not hurt you.”

  “You’re not hearing me.” I ripped away from him. “When I was with Beowyn, all I could think about was getting home to you.” I looked at Fiercely. “To both of you. I made promises to myself that I’d try to be a better person for you both. That I’d try harder to accept your culture,, and what you need from me despite the cost.”

  “Cost?” Fiercely scoffed. “We wish you to gain a protector and citizenship.”

  “The cost is the abandonment of my personal pride! The disregard of what I hold sacred to pacify the whims of a people who have not taken a second to consider my way is in no way damaging or threatening to them or their way.”

  Fiercely sighed. “Lumen–”

  “Have you once considered doing this will make me so unhappy, it destroys what we’ve managed to build between us?”

  Venomous stared for long moments; Fiercely responded with anger.

  “We’re rebuilding trust between us, and this threatens to ruin it.”

  “When have I ever damaged the trust between us?” Venomous demanded. “I have protected you. Given concession after concession. Brought you to my home world, proudly, happily. Each rotation, I walk into the Senate Quarter to face condemnation and insult to ensure your safety, as I vowed I would.”

  My lips parted, yet I was shocked into silence. I rallied. “I told you they wouldn’t accept me.”

  “They will be made to see. I will make them see.” He took an aggressive step. “Your accusation is untrue. I introduced you to my kindred without shame. Never have I done you harm!”

  “You raped me.” The words exploded from me. With such volume even I jumped. “You forced me to.... You took away my choice. You are still taking away my choice.”

  Venomous went tight all over.

  Fiercely’s chest heaved.

  His frantic gaze snapped between us in confusion, in fear and growing anger.

  Shaking, I lifted my face skyward. “It happened. It was the single most terrifying, hurtful, most degrading experience of my life. It always will be. The male I care about, who did this to me, hasn’t apologised. He doesn't acknowledge he crushed my pride. He doesn’t spend time agonising over the offence he committed. Instead, he pushes me to again set aside my self-respect to meet a tradition that exists for his people alone. Because of a biological
quirk I do not possess.” Swaying, I mumbled, “I cannot explain any plainer than that. I do not want to do this.” I met his gaze. “If you make me, I can’t stop you, but you will break us if you force me before I’m ready.”

  Venomous’ hands shook. “I do not force you.”

  “Not now. I love you now. The first time–”

  “There is no forcing.”

  Fiercely glanced at Venomous.

  Watching the other male, he stood pale and stiff.

  I said, “Venom, I need you to acknowledge what you did to me, and be sorry.”

  “You are my Rä’Na. Mine. I did not need to speak to you to know this.” His face lifted and went cold. “I did not force you.”

  “Yes. You. Did.”

  “You showed me how to make you wet.”

  “I fought you. I showed you that to spare myself pain because you gave me no choice. I fought you.”

  “The female always fights.” His arms lifted, hands fisted. “Always. You have seen this.” His gaze skittered. “I captured you the old way, but I did not....”

  He ran out of words and stared.

  “I keep telling myself, if you’d understood me, you would have stopped.” I shook my head. “Even Yofk showed me more respect. So did Beowyn.” Tears pooled in my eyes. “How can I get over it when I what feel doesn’t even matter right now? You know what it’s like to have no choice.” My tone turned bitter. “Whether it’s your culture or not, you did that to me, and you need to face it. How am I meant to be happy, when you keep taking away my right to choose? My freedom?”

  I hit Fiercely with a glare.

  “You too. You’ve made me too scared to enjoy what is supposed to be my home world. You condescend because I don’t know how things work here.” I flung my arm out. “Instead of helping me, you’ve locked me away. You expect me to act as if I’ve lived on Rök my whole life. When I do things wrong, you shame and scold me. You try to guilt me into treating you as you feel you should be treated rather than earning my love.”

  Fiercely made a strangled noise.

  He withdrew a step, angling his face away.

  Venomous lunged to grip my face in two hands.

  He rasped to the stars, “Grandfather, give me the words.” His gaze lowered, stark with hurt. “I needed you.” He rubbed his cheek to mine. “Terrifying. Hurtful. Most degrading? Your words are fearsome.” He shuddered. “If this is what you must feel, then feel it. To me that act is one I will never regret. It gave me you.” His voice quavered as his hand settled on my lower stomach. “It gave me both of you. Understand why I can never apologise for it. Each moment of our past brought us to now. I wouldn’t change the pain and risk the glory of our future.”