C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2)

by C. L. Scholey

  “Well what if he thinks it’s an invitation?” Cash asked.

  “I’m certain you’ll be well-satisfied. His dick is huge.”

  “Damn it, Zuri. This is serious. We don’t know what these beings want. What is the matter with you?” Cash was scowling at her.

  “I’m not dead, and you two aren’t dead,” was her simple reply. She and Leo exchanged knowing looks. The overwhelming relief made her feel playful, nothing more.

  Cash reached down and jerked her to her feet causing Kobe to move between them. Cash released her immediately and stepped back a pace.

  “This female looks angry, and I don’t like her tone. You had best warn her I will not allow her to harm you,” Kobe said. “I promised my protection and though I won’t hurt her, I will place her somewhere alone.”

  Zuri sighed and scratched her head. For a second she bit a fingernail thinking. The teasing was no longer amusing. “Kobe, Zuri female.” She used his word trying very hard to exact the pronunciation. Kobe nodded.

  “Yes, I know you’re female.”

  She pointed at Cash, shaking her head. “Cash, no female.”

  Kobe scowled. “Are you saying this is a male of your species?”

  Zuri nodded excitedly. She then pointed to Leo.

  “Uh, Zuri, maybe you better not,” Leo said, he was no longer grinning and looked at her worriedly; he began backing up.

  “Leo, no female,” Zuri continued. Too late she realized why Leo had gone white.

  Kobe made the most God-awful sound in his throat, a hideous bellowing war cry. Cash and Leo cried out in terror when they were grabbed by their throats and lifted into the air as though they weighed no more than small children. Kobe had grown, his wrinkles stretched out to make him larger than life. Zuri was positive she had seen spaces between his teeth but not anymore. They were huge, pointed, deadly. She hadn’t been mistaken; Kobe was now over seven feet. The change was phenomenal.

  Two more massive Zargonnii warriors, also well over seven feet in height, came racing into the room while Zuri screamed. She tried to get to the human men; she was positive like the Tonan, the warriors would kill them. All three beasts filled the large room, making her feel miniscule. Kobe’s eyes were blazing, as were the others, she was terrified the men would be incinerated right in front of her.

  “Stop, Kobe, no.”

  The other warriors took Cash and Leo howling from the room. Kobe was snarling when he turned to look at her. Zuri was frozen to the spot. She wondered where the gentle giant had gone. With a scoop of his arm Kobe had Zuri over his shoulder as he strode from the room.

  Chapter 4

  Zuri wouldn’t talk to him. Her sad gaze was centered outside Kobe’s cabin window. The material Kobe had given her that had been wrapped around her waist hid her legs and feet from view. The food he brought remained untouched. His little female looked so alone. He then frowned with his thoughts—she wasn’t really his female. He had caught her but she was going to be handed over into the safe area when they arrived on his planet. Until then, she was only his to watch out for. Since he had no idea what to do with a human female he would be happy when they returned home. For now, he had made a promise; he was a warrior who kept his word.

  “The males of your species have not been harmed,” he told her for the tenth time. “This is our first encounter with male humans as well. We were told the female of your species is harmless. You must understand if your females are harmless then your males must be harmful.”

  She turned to gaze questioningly at him. For a moment, she hesitated then approached him. With her hands she measured the expanse of his chest and gestured large. Kobe nodded. Even if he wasn’t still in battle mode he towered over her—and the human males. He had been surprised at how soft and flimsy their necks were, he had then remembered how easily Zuri was knocked to the ground, and he gentled his grip on the males not wanting to kill them. As it was, when he saw them last, providing food for them as he had Zuri, he had left strange marks on their skin, and they cowered in terror at the sight of him.

  “I realize we are larger than your males, but not all battles are fought with size.”

  She pointed at her head and him and said Gorgano. Yes, he understood it was she who understood his language because of the Gorgano, she had defeated the creature, not the human males. Kobe had felt the sensation of being uncomfortable for a brief moment when she was hiding from him. She had tried some form of attack—it was laughable. Her threat was nonexistent. The sickly spew from her mouth was worse, though she claimed she had no control over the occurrence.

  “If the Gorgano have given you the ability to understand my people, that’s good. You tried your power on me once.” She looked stunned and he stopped and chuckled. “I felt for a moment a piece of food was stuck in my chest, nothing more. An uncomfortable sensation, not painful. Look at you; you’re just so small and weak.”

  She looked insulted. Her little hands curled into fists ready to do battle, until the door to his chambers opened and Citun strolled in. Zuri took a step back. Citun was the largest warrior Kobe knew. When his time came, Kobe wasn’t certain there was a cyron beast that could best their leader. Out of battle mode, Citun sauntered right up to Zuri who was now pressed against a wall.

  “This is what all the fuss is about?” Citun asked. He looked skeptical. “I heard she cleared an entire hanger. My warriors are soft. This is the female?”

  “Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard the other two are male humans,” Kobe replied.

  “Unfortunate, but we got what we came for.” Citun sized her up. “Small little creature. She doesn’t look like the images, she’s clothed; I’ve never seen a clothed female. No war paint, no defiance. Timid. I can smell fear. I can’t see any usefulness to it.”

  Zuri spouted off a string of words including the dumb—ass—moron, so it didn’t take long for Kobe to realize she was pissed. Her eyes might not change to match her mood, but her tone certainly did. The scowl on her face was cute. When Citun reached for her she smacked his hands away and Kobe stepped forward with some concern.

  “What are you doing?” Kobe asked.

  “Putting her somewhere safe.”

  “You’re taking her from me? But I captured her,” Kobe spluttered. “This isn’t protocol.”

  Citun looked condescending. “We were all looking, and since she can’t belong to us all, and I am leader, and this is my ship, she is my responsibility. Castians are very interested in human females because they lost all their women to poisoned water. Tonans want females to trade with the Castians or others, perhaps even the Gorgano if the price is right.

  “There must be some value to this human female to cause such a fuss. Although, looking at this little slip of flesh I’m not so sure. But since we did go out of our way to capture the humans they are still my responsibility.”

  “Citun, she understands you,” Kobe said, as Zuri was staring daggers at Citun.

  Citun only looked amused. “I have to admit the small female is a novelty.”

  “Her name is Zuri.”

  “Well, Zuri, Castian warriors covet human females because they wish to breed with you. The Gorgano want you dead. Tonans are heinous creatures. You are better off with us. But know this; we have females on our planet, you are not paramount to our existence or survival. Our world is untamed and dangerous. It would be better if you behave.”

  “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Kobe asked feeling annoyed. There was no doubt in his mind as to why Citun was baiting Zuri. Citun was one of the few warriors who could dominate a Zargonnii female during the Holiday. No doubt with Zuri’s tiny size, his leader was feeling even more full of himself and his power. Zuri looked none too happy for a moment then her eyes brightened. Kobe frowned, if he had to admit it, she looked like a pintsized sinister creature. That her mouth had stopped its motion voluntarily meant she was plotting.

  Citun moved closer to Zuri to take her arm, no doubt assuming he had frightened her—Kobe wasn’t
so certain he had. For a second, Citun placed a hand to his chest and Zuri slumped a little. Citun looked confused. Kobe guessed she was attacking him; he hoped she wouldn’t spew again. Kobe had to admit he was impressed as Citun looked a little like he was dancing. It took a lot to catch his leader by surprise. His hand rubbed now at his throat, then belly. Citun coughed.

  “What the hell?” Citun demanded as he repeatedly cleared his throat.

  “What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Kobe said and, turning slightly he chuckled.

  Once more Citun placed a hand to his chest. “I feel funny.”

  “You must be allergic to her.”

  “Allergic? Nonsense.”

  “It’s possible. You’re allergic to pet toffs.”

  “You are immune?”

  Kobe went close to Zuri and sniffed her. “Nothing,” he said smiling. “And as you know, I own a toff.”

  Citun belched. “This is nauseating, damned allergies. I guess she’ll have to stay with you for now; I can’t have her in my quarters. Make sure she’s kept secure. Females aren’t too intelligent, so she shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Zuri bristled and blasted him again, her eyes opened and closed with her effort. The little lines of hair on her eyelids fluttered. Her face was a mask of concentration. Citun belched loudly then rubbed at his ass. He spun around marching for the door, a hand to his chest. When Citun left, Zuri collapsed onto the floor. Her breath came in heaving gasps; mind battling had taken its toll. She was obviously exhausted, her limbs looked limp. Kobe knelt beside her as she held a hand to her head.

  “Now will you eat something? You need to regain your strength.” he said. He was impressed, she did have guts.

  Zuri nodded. “Water?” she said, panting.

  Kobe smiled; she had said the word in his language. She lacked the guttural capability but her word was clear enough. He guessed because she understood the Zargonnii language it wouldn’t take long for her to be communicating. He rose and returned to hand her a hard cup filled to the brim. She sipped it cautiously then chugged the rest.

  Zuri turned the cup in her hands when it was empty. She knocked her knuckles against it. She waved it at him.

  “Metal?”

  Kobe could see she struggled with the terminology but had done well. “No,” he replied. “Metal is a term for too many hard surfaces and flimsy. This is called nitride-eel. Any other type of component would shatter in a Zargonnii’s hands. Male Zargonnii are boisterous when we eat, and when we battle. What do humans use?”

  “A variety of things, but for eating utensils we have pottery, plastic, ceramic, glass, tin, copper, china, Styrofoam, even paper. Anything we can shape. Hmm, I’m guessing you would be the proverbial bull in a china shop.”

  “I don’t understand many of those words. Items on my planet are all nitride-eel. Made tough, hard, they last a lifetime and can be passed down for generations. Some is see-through. Your puny shuttle wouldn’t have kept us out, the material is too fragile. I see no need for a variety of useless things that break and need to be replaced. Doesn’t that cause a lot of unnecessary garbage?”

  “I suppose. Humans have different tastes.”

  “Male Zargonnii have one taste—tough. Durable is a good thing.”

  Kobe brought over the food platter he had retrieved from the Gathering Hall. All Zargonnii ate their meals in the Hall, but their rooms had running water for drinking and bathing. Kobe thought the Hall would be too intimidating for Zuri. Zargonnii males wouldn’t hurt her, but they might crowd around for a glimpse. She was a novelty to their world, even if she did stink when scared. Kobe had never seen food come up once it went down. The smell was potent, her defense mechanism, though she claimed it wasn’t. She was different. The warriors might want to touch her breasts, they were an oddity. Males knew what breasts were, they belonged to a babe. But if no babe was present, they were fair game. He knew for certain Zuri wouldn’t like that, even if it was just done out of curiosity.

  The Zargonnii knew of many odd species, but this female’s looks were so different; their Earth had to be millions of planets away. How odd it must be for humans, sequestered away, all alone in their small area of the universe. A spoiled only child. A lonely existence. Poor creatures. Kobe’s world was so diverse. He had met at least a hundred different beings in the first ten years of his life. To his knowledge, Zuri had met four—two wanted her dead or enslaved as a bargaining tool. No doubt the Tonan would have sold her to the Gorgano if the deal was lucrative enough. Filthy bastards, neither race had any compassion.

  Zuri was studying the food before her on the nitride-eel plate. She touched a few things and set them down. There was a decided frown to her features. Kobe picked up a baya fruit. It was round, a decent size fitting nicely between his hands, dark purple, a sweet treat. Zuri looked at it like it was warm death on a platter.

  “That’s a baya fruit,” Kobe explained. “Don’t you like the purple color?” Perhaps purple was a new color for her.

  Zuri shook her head no. She took the fruit which looked outrageously big between her small fingers and banged it with her knuckles. She rolled it within her hands looking confused. Kobe reached for the fruit. He studied it and her curious look thoughtfully.

  “You have no idea what to do with this do you?”

  “No. Too hard. Not eat, break teeth.”

  Her broken words were all in Zargonnii but soft-spoken, dainty. She didn’t bother to try to master the guttural sounds. Her throat was so delicate Kobe wondered if she would ever speak his language without the accent. Easily Kobe ripped the fruit in half exposing the moist insides. He handed half to Zuri and told her to scoop out the flesh. Kobe could eat the food whole; obviously, her blunt teeth would never manage that. She tried to scoop out the flesh; her fingernails were blunt. Even opened, the food was giving her a hard time. Kobe frowned when he noted all the food on the plate would give her the same problem. He had foolishly chosen his favorites, thinking she would be pleased. He hadn’t taken into account her lack of strength, blunt teeth and size. This wasn’t a Zargonnii female; he couldn’t treat her like one. Having her here with him was going to prove difficult.

  The hand-sized piece of faya meat was poked by a small finger, then left untouched. Distressed, he realized she would starve if he didn’t figure out what to do. After a mouthful of the baya, which she chewed and chewed…and chewed then tried to swallow, Zuri dropped the fruit and looked miserable. Her legs curled tighter under her, her arms wrapped around her body. She looked like a frightened male babe after being abandoned. Kobe hated the feeling it provoked in his guts.

  Kobe sat thinking; he needed to fix this situation. A revelation came to him. “Zuri, I remember looking after my friend’s son, I had left food cooking. I became busy with another task and forgot the food. When I got back to it the entire piece of meat left to boil in water was so soft it was gummy. I can boil your food until it’s soft enough for you to eat. Do you think it will work?”

  She nodded. The two sat staring at each other and seemed to come to the same revelation. They were alien to one another. They would have different needs. Maybe many things would be different. Kobe frowned at the idea. Did this human female know what a Holiday was? It wouldn’t hurt to ask, the other human female on the planet was said to enjoy Holidaying with her mate. Kobe was curious if that were true of all human females. One of the reasons Citun was so interested in the female was because of the rumor of the half-human, half-Zargonnii babe and her abilities.

  “Zuri do you like to Holiday?”

  She shrugged, looked like she was searching for a translation, nodded, then brightened. She started talking up an unintelligible storm, until Kobe shushed her. He didn’t understand her but she looked excited—that was good.

  “Fun, warm,” she said the words in his language. “Happy, smiles.”

  Kobe squinted his eyes half closed. Fun, warm, happy, smiles? Humans must have an interesting time mating during the Holiday.

  �
�Which of your species proves dominant during the Holiday?”

  She seemed to think about it. “Females.”

  Kobe scratched his throat while thinking. So female humans are dominant during the Holiday. The males of her species looked bigger, but he supposed looks could be deceiving.

  “So the female is normally on top?” he asked.

  “Yes. Females on top, always.”

  “Males fight?”

  “Yes, but give in.”

  Hmm. “So how many Holidays have you had?”

  She started wiggling her fingers. Even Zargonnii used fingers and toes for counting. His eyes widened as she counted on her ten fingers a number of times. When she seemed to pass twenty-five he stilled her hands.

  No wonder the male Zargonnii took a human female as his mate. Human females are Holiday animals.

  For some odd reason the idea made his cock throb. Kobe shifted uncomfortably. This wasn’t like anything he had encountered. A female was sitting next to him discussing how welcome a Holiday was.

  “Would you consider having a Holiday with me?” Kobe burst out bluntly. Well she looked so animated and excited, it couldn’t hurt to ask. With a female so close, Kobe was already beginning to feel the heat of his hormones spiking.

  That seemed to surprise her. “Holiday? Kobe Holiday?”

  Wow that was so easy.

  “Yes, Kobe and Zuri can Holiday now if you want to.”

  Zuri looked around the room curiously. Kobe’s gaze followed hers. She frowned until Kobe thought this maybe wasn’t such a good idea. They should be in the jungle; he should be in battle form. She didn’t have a battle form. This was all so confusing. There was a female sitting in front of him, a female. Males and females didn’t just sit and converse, yet she looked comfortable enough with the idea. She had Holidayed so many times she must be used to it.

  Kobe thought maybe he should start, he was the dominant after all—he had never been the dominant. There would be no battling, that was confusing as well. If there was no battle, how did he go about pinning her? He couldn’t suddenly jump on her, he’d crush her. Zuri was watching him with an odd expression on her face. He wondered if she would laugh at him. The idea was annoying, he was the dominant. It was up to him to take charge, he couldn’t expect her to. It would be wrong.