by Aria Bell
“We know of them, but we do not have a way to contact them. Are you from there?”
Something in his tone warned me off from saying we were from the station. “I’m not.” I gestured at Ryrke with a wave of my hand. “I’m only in this quadrant to bring him to face justice.”
This time, Ryrke didn’t bother to contradict me. “I was at the station, but only to bring vengeance against the corrupt judge and his evil men who murdered Terx Ko’dal, one of my clan and a true friend.”
I glanced at him, frowning. I couldn’t believe he had just admitted aloud that he planned vigilante vengeance against a judge on Kyel Yost. Before now, some part of me had started to wonder if Ryrke Zo’dan wasn’t quite as guilty as I’d first believed. After all, he had saved me from the wreckage of my ship and he’d been ready to defend me against both predators and the Voltuni. Those weren’t the actions of a base criminal. Also, he hadn’t reacted when I’d defied him, even attacked him—except for that smack on the ass, but that didn’t really count.
But I could see how it would be very frightening indeed to have an alien like Ryrke looking to enact some vengeance. I had a duty to stop him from killing anyone in cold blood. There were reasons for law and order. The galaxy might get wilder and more dangerous the farther you got from the core, but I could not stand idly by and allow a crime to happen.
This wasn’t going to turn out well. I could see it already.
Chief Moppo was peering at Ryrke hard. I couldn’t tell from the alien’s expression what he was thinking. There were plenty of Voltuni hunter warriors around us who seemed to be nodding to each other after Ryrke stated how he meant to exact vigilante justice. He’d obviously impressed them with his blood lust. Was I the only one here who believed in law and order?
“I find your intentions honorable,” Chief Moppo finally said, making a strange circular motion with his head. The Voltuni body language meant nothing to me…and the translator only worked on spoken words. “But it is still against the will of the gods’ to allow strangers from the stars to walk upon the sacred lands.” He paused, seeming to debate in his mind, while I wondered if we were about to be killed ourselves because of some weird, no-trespassing gods. Asking Ryrke not to attack the Voltuni before they’d brought us to the heart of their settlement might have been the biggest mistake of my rapidly shortening life.
Chief Moppo leaned forward over his fat belly and grinned widely at us. “So I will make you both members of the Andgronn tribe. I can do this because I am Glorious Celebrated Chief Moppo!” He slapped the sides of his throne and laughed.
I let out a breath of relief and glanced at Ryrke. He gave another short bow to the chief but remained stone-faced. Not one for showing much emotion, was our Jardan warrior? I was only relieved we weren’t going to be killed because of his crappy flying.
A big Voltuni warrior suddenly pushed his way through the crowd. While most of the Voltuni were lean, this one was almost as large as Ryrke, though where the Jardan warrior was all muscle, this Voltuni was mostly built of huge slabs of flesh. He was also staring right at me with a brazen lust in his eyes. I had to bite back a snarl of my own as he slowly looked me over from head to foot, his hungry gaze lingering on my breasts and hips. Then he grunted and licked his lips.
“The female cannot be part of the sacred Andgronn and remain unmated,” the fat Voltuni challenged. His voice was raspy and unpleasant. It fit him well. “She must be the bride of one of the Voltuni gathered here.” His smile was pure slime as he looked me in the eyes. “I suppose I will accept her as my mate, as a favor to the gods. Prepare the ceremony! Gamesh shall welcome his new wife to his bed.”
Chief Moppo stroked his second chin and glanced between us. “True, it is law that a grown female cannot stay in the sacred lands without being mated to a male…unless she is still with her family,” the chief said solemnly. “To do so would be to invite the worst kind of misfortune upon the Andgronn. You have no family here. If you cannot leave the land and go back to where you came, you must be mated.”
I lifted my chin and used my coldest voice. “I will not. I refuse. End of story.”
Gamesh only grinned wider. “You will be mine, mouthy female.” He waved a hand around at the other Voltuni warriors. “None of them will challenge me for you. I shall enjoy taming you.”
I was stunned and felt sick to my stomach with dread. No weapon. No ship. No way off world. About to be…mated to a flabby alien who couldn’t even remember my name. And me without my blaster.
“I refuse,” I said again to Chief Moppo, folding my arms across my chest. “There is no way on the fiery planet of Balmorae that I would consent to marrying that toad.”
Chief Moppo blinked his big eyes at me slowly. Still, his voice sounded a bit amused when he said, “You must be mated or we must kill you and bury you in the ground that you profaned by not being of Andgronn. You either become of Andgronn and be mated, or you pay for your sacrilege.”
I opened my mouth to spit some reply, not certain what it would be. But Ryrke surprised me by stepping forward before I could get the words out.
“Is there a ceremony to make me of Andgronn?” he asked.
Chief Moppo nodded. “We will perform it right away to appease the gods. You are male and a warrior. You do not need to worry about being mated.” He grinned. “Though if you wish, there are many beautiful Voltuni females you may choose from. They would be eager to have a powerful husband such as you.”
I glared at them both, grinding my teeth to keep from saying something that would make this situation even worse. Typical male crap. I had to be mated, but he got off the hook because of the piece of meat dangling between his legs. I started fantasizing in earnest about my missing blaster pistol.
“I am honored,” Ryrke said solemnly. Then he walked up beside me and put a heavy arm around my shoulder. There was some surprised chatter from the gathered Voltuni. Many of them were looking uneasily at Gamesh as if afraid of what he would do. “But when I am part of the tribe, I will claim my d’mura osefei as mate.” He slowly turned and stared right at Gamesh. “Any who challenge me for her will die.”
Gamesh roared and slapped his fists against his chest. Ryrke stood as still as a statue, but didn’t seem afraid in the least.
I was torn up inside. Part of me was exulting in the fact that this big, tough Jardan warrior had just come to claim me and was willing to defend me. Part of me was outraged that I didn’t have any say in this. And the rest of me had a headache thinking about how this could ever be explained to my superiors. No one would ever believe how I went to the outer rim to apprehend a wanted Jardan and ended up bride to an alien.
Also, a tiny part of me wanted to turn around, march right out of here, and take my chances with the predators in the wilderness. I’d do that if Gamesh tried to mate me. I wanted to say I’d do the same if Ryrke mated me, but that would’ve been a lie. There was something about the big warrior… Well, his honor of course. And the fact that he’d rushed to my rescue over and over again, even though I hadn’t asked. Even though I was technically his enemy. I was beginning to suspect he was like no other male I’d ever come across before.
What was I thinking? This was all madness. Any way it played out, it was madness.
“Then I challenge you for the right to this female, stranger,” Gamesh bellowed. “I challenge you with my spear. When my spear pierces your heart, I will make my new little bride lick your blood off the blade.”
Ryrke Zo’dan tilted his head slightly. Just a little. And he made no other motion except to smile. “I will use my blade. When I am of the tribe, it will be returned to me.”
He said it without bravado or anger or worry. He said it as if stating a simple fact.
Gamesh turned to Chief Moppo, glaring and showing teeth. I couldn’t help but think the chief had some other motive for allowing this to happen. I wanted to lecture them all about law and order and how civilized species didn’t fight each other over females, but I knew it
would be in vain.
When Gamesh spoke again, I knew my hunch about Chief Moppo had been on the mark.
“You may find this all very amusing,” Gamesh said to the chief. “But you won’t be rid of me this easily. When I kill the trespasser, I will challenge you for the seat of power. The time has finally come to end your foolish and weak ways.”
Chief Moppo didn’t seem all that concerned by the challenge, even though Gamesh was much bigger than he was. “Then let us commence the ceremony to make these two of the tribe of Andgronn. Then we will see battle. Then there will be a marriage!” He stood and lifted his arms out to the side as he turned to grin at the gathered crowd. “It will be a night to remember forever!”
I was dizzy and felt like I might puke. I really wanted my pistol, my starship, and a quick jump into hyperspace. I would put on my VR interactive fantasies that were safe, that I controlled, and I would swear off males and all their craziness forever.
Or at least until I had to arrest another one…
But like the sensation-movies in my VR system, those wishes were only fantasy. Right now I was stuck in the middle of the insanity, and I had no idea how to get away.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ryrke Zo’dan
My hand settled around the handle of my blade when Chief Moppo presented it to me. The chief had just finished anointing my cheeks and forehead with the sacred oil of the Andgronn ancestors and speaking the sacred words known only to those of the settlement. I was now a member of the Andgronn tribe.
I held my anger inside at having to accept my blade back from enemies I should have defied in battle. This blade had been given to me by Dehn Ro’nal, one of the most revered warriors of the Xy’dolma clan, and I had given the oath never to dishonor it. Had I dishonored it when I surrendered it to the Voltuni after a human female begged me to? Was I an absolute fool, enslaved to the cravings of my cock? I owed her nothing. In fact, she was a foe to everything I intended.
And yet, I kept defending her, saving her. I would soon be battling for her again, this time to claim her as mate, even though I could see in her pretty eyes she was not eager to have any male over her.
But I was eager to fight, eager to fuck. To claim her, body and soul, as mine. These urges surprised me with their sharp intensity. Yes, I was clearly a fool, and that did not surprise me. My mother would havve pinched my ear and scolded me red had she known what I’d just thrown myself into. Vengeance upon evil men who murdered one of our clan was one thing. Mating a human I barely knew was another entirely. Although I also knew my mother would be proud of me for killing this honorless Gamesh Voltuni who sought to claim Nena against her will.
Yet, I would soon be doing the same thing as Gamesh. Claiming her against her will.
I could not lie. I was torn. My body wanted her. Wanted her with an ache that started in my balls and deepened in my chest. I wanted to see the pleasure in her eyes as I thrust into her small, shapely body over and over again until she screamed my name. My name. No other.
But my mind had doubts. The little human was frustrating and troublesome. She had caused me so many difficulties. There had been no end to my problems from the moment she had flown into my life. Also, she enjoyed using her elbows on my head a bit too much for my taste.
And finally, I couldn’t forget she had shot down my star fighter.
Clearly I’d caught a dangerous case of fever-mind sickness if I believed for a moment that taking Nena Brax as a mate was anything but the worst idea I’d ever had.
And yet…
Her lips intrigued me. Her body, so small, so delicate. So temptingly curved. I knew she would be soft and warm and yielding to me. I wanted my hands on her body. Owning it. Teasing her to the heights of pleasure. I only had to fight to the death for her. The coming battle with Gamesh did not worry me. The only thing that gave me pause was claiming the fiery galactic officer. If our past history was any indication, claiming her would prove much harder than dealing with this disrespectful Voltuni.
No, I did not need this complication in my life. I had other men to hunt down and kill. The dishonorable scum who had murdered Terx Ko’dal.
But neither could I leave Nena Brax to the likes of Gamesh, who was unworthy of her in every way. I did not love her. She did not love me. I desired her with a heat that had my cock aching, but that wasn’t the same.
If this had to be done for me to keep her safe and pursue justice for my slain clanmate, I would do so. I would kill for her. I would take her. I would do these things, if only to gain enough time to find a way back to Kyel Yost to finish my vengeance quest. I would do so to save her life. Again. I would swallow my pride, take back my blade, and become a member of this strange alien tribe. And when I was victorious, I would claim Nena Brax with a kiss. A true kiss was so important to the Jardan. I would do so because I wanted her. I wanted the fierce little vren’xen cat. And I was determined to make her want me in return. To make her beg me to shove my cock in her, to stretch her to her limits, to fuck her to exhaustion.
I wanted her to want me as badly as I ached for her.
So I lifted my blade above me and screamed a Xy’dolma war cry. The Voltuni around me flinched and drew away in fear. Even Nena Brax was watching me with wide eyes. The sight restored me, reinvigorated my warrior spirit.
The metal of my blade was thick and wickedly sharp. It was strong and sharp enough to slice through wood with ease. It felt wonderful and right to hold my weapon in my hands again. Nena did not understand what she had asked when she’d begged me to surrender my blade. Jardan were to die before giving up the blade to an enemy. By all rights, I should have fought the Voltuni to the death.
But she had begged.
I still did not completely understand it. In fact, I hated it. I shouldn’t be so easily influenced by a female. Especially a human. I was a warrior. And yet I had surrendered the blade because she had begged and I had trusted her. Like a fool.
The tribal ceremony had finished, and Chief Moppo had declared us both full Voltuni, allowing us to tread the sacred lands. I understood how powerful ritual could be and how a tribe’s laws were not easily dismissed. Perhaps I understood better than Nena Brax did. She seemed dismayed by the coming violence, which meant she did not yet grasp the ways of this land.
But Chief Moppo certainly appeared delighted as he announced the coming battle for claiming the human. I was ready to face my foe. My mind was clear. My body was ready. And I knew my blade was sharp. But as soon as my translator finished translating Moppo’s words into Galactic Common, Nena stepped forward.
“Give me a weapon and I will fight Gamesh myself,” she said, drawing herself up to her full height. She was so small, yet I couldn’t help but admire her warrior heart. “I don’t need anyone to fight for me.”
Gamesh made a show of nasty laughter and licking his lips with a wide tongue. It was clear he did not respect her warrior heart. I would make him pay for that. She was human and weak without human technology, but that only made her desire to do battle all the more worthy.
Chief Moppo squinted at her. “Even if you defeated Gamesh the Mighty, you would still need to be claimed. It is the way of Andgronn. To defy our ways would go poorly for us all.”
Nena Brax muttered a few curses that the translator had difficulty handling. I hid a smile. Taming this little vren’xen cat would be no easy task, though far more of me was looking forward to it than was annoyed by the trouble.
Next, we were led to a wide arena built of large slabs of rock. The benches were carved directly out of the cliff stone. The seats were quickly filling up with Voltuni. Judging from the number gathering, this settlement was far bigger than I had first guessed.
I moved to the center of the arena. Chief Moppo escorted Nena to a large dais half surrounded by narrow columns. He indicated she should sit near him on the raised platform so she could watch and be watched. Meanwhile, Gamesh made noise and boasts as he lumbered to the side of the arena opposite me.
I did
not waste my time with boasts. I saved my strength for the fighting to come.
I was still bare-chested. It seemed the female Voltuni appreciated me half-unclothed if I were to judge by how much they had seemed to enjoy touching me earlier. Their touching did not matter to me, although I found it surprisingly direct. It was not as if I’d had much of a choice in the matter of being bare-chested for the battle. All my clothing had been packed in the small cargo container hold on my destroyed starship.
Chief Moppo gave a speech I did not listen to. I was focused. I had tapped into the warrior spirit. Power and strength flowed through my veins. I knew what must be done and would do it. All I was waiting for was the signal to begin the combat.
“Let the fight to claim the human female commence!” Chief Moppo finally bellowed.
