“Ah, ew,” she said.
He looked up at her. “I just saved you from death and all you got for me is ‘ah, ew’? Thanks.”
“Thanks for saving me.” Her tone may have been demur, and she was itching to tell him off, but he looked a bit broken.
Kobe rose to his feet. With a twist of his neck and a few cracks he looked normal again. Zuri had to admit she was impressed. Crouching only a little, he jumped and landed to her left. When Kobe stood beside her he gazed around, frowning.
“What did you think you were doing?” he demanded.
“I was trying to get away.”
“We weren’t hurting you.”
“Kobe, don’t you get it? There isn’t just physical pain. And what the hell did that warrior mean when he said Citun wants to breed me for my kid? You’re a real bastard, you know.”
“No one would force you to do anything. Yes, Citun would like you to have a babe with a warrior of his choice, but after getting to know you and explaining you to him, we both know it’s not an option. The warriors were teasing me; I had no idea you were listening, or I would have shut them up. I never meant for you to have your feelings hurt. You should have asked me before taking off like an unthinking female.”
“Unthinking female?” she screeched. “Get off your high horse. I’m just as smart if not smarter than you.”
“Really? You have no idea what you’ve done. No one knows we’re out here. I came to check on you, noticed you missing and remembered how interested you were in our shuttles. We need to get moving; we shouldn’t be here.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say ‘duh,’ as the space vessel was no longer in sight, but she noticed his concerned expression. Zuri realized he was apprehensive. That he had just fallen miles and now looked worried soon made her nervous.
“Kobe? What’s wrong? I mean, besides the obvious.”
Kobe gazed at her. “This is the females’ place. Males are forbidden. Even male offspring have a section when a female Zargonnii gives birth. Females are vicious when protecting their young, but to be caught in an area where no doubt many female young are is certain death.”
“How can you tell?”
“I can smell them, a lot of them. Which means they can smell me, or will soon be able to. They will be able to tell I’m not a warrior past my prime looking to battle a cyron to the death.”
Zuri had been certain Kobe had been in battle mode when they had fallen, but watching him now, he looked larger, more powerful. There was something else bothering him.
“Kobe?”
“Our females keep cyrons from our area; a Zargonnii female is capable of defeating the beasts.”
“You can’t?” The idea alone was frightening, Kobe was massive.
“I’ve never fought one before. They are on my avoid list.” He glanced about. “Come on.”
For only a second, Zuri watched him as he took off; she was soon hot on his heels. Kobe’s pace was merciless. He may have just fallen a great distance, but it didn’t seem to slow him down. Zuri was soon panting and sweating like she had gotten trapped in a sauna. The air was warm, heavy, and she grumbled. It wasn’t fair; with all Kobe’s fur, he wasn’t sweating like she was. He explained offhandedly that his skin could ‘breathe’ through his fur, whatever that meant.
For some time, all Zuri could think of was to keep pace with him, until she began to notice the strange foliage. Unearthly wouldn’t begin to describe Kobe’s planet. They battled their way through underbrush. Her clothing was tugged at.
The plant life’s alive.
Zuri knew that was an odd thought—of course foliage was alive, but this was different. Thick vines crept around the solid bark of immense trees. There didn’t seem to be any end or beginning to the creeping brown oddities. The strange, bright, beautiful plant life seemed out of place at first, but Zuri realized it matched the colorful sky. Blues, yellows, pastel mixtures. The smells in the air were so vibrant, she could almost taste them. She felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, wandering a path Kobe made. Everything was so open and welcoming, until a razor sharp plant snapped open as they went by, almost taking her leg off. Kobe snatched her from harm’s way at the last second.
“Stay close,” he said, snapping at her.
It was on the tip of her tongue to snap back, but the shrill scream of a creature made her freeze where she stood. Kobe hauled her into his arms with a shake of his head. His gaze was condescending.
“It’s just a little murdermoy, it’s harmless.”
“Murdermoy? Yeah sounds completely harmless to me,” she muttered. As she crept forward, her hand latched onto a bare spot on Kobe’s arm, between one of the three horizontal, separate, fur patches.
For hours, they trudged on with Kobe looking as though he would never rest—or let her rest. Zuri was beginning to understand what he meant aboard the ship. There wasn’t a single fuzzy squirrel to be seen, but there were other things she wished she wasn’t seeing. Inky black birds with hooked beaks and smiles watched her through a fogged-in area. Their eyes glowed, narrowing onto her. Zuri knew if Kobe wasn’t there, she would have been dinner.
Zuri heard the sound of heartbeats as foot-long, greenish-black, thick-rounded worms slithered their way up trees and over rocks on hundreds of little skittering, scratching feet. The rabbit-sized fleshy creatures had a single stripe of black fur down their upper body; they left a trail of glowing white slime in their wake. The pulsing sounded in her ears, reverberated through her chest until she flung her hands up over her ears. Thump thump, thump thump…Kobe’s gaze was exasperated when he looked at her.
“If those scare you, we’re both in for a rough time.” He bit the words out. “They’re the most harmless creatures on the planet.”
Something akin to a rabid raccoon on steroids followed them until Kobe shooed it away. The creature hissed, showing two massive front teeth. Its tail swung round and round stirring up the soil. Its high-pitched squeal confirmed what Zuri expected—this was the harmless murdermoy—yeah, right. Zuri wanted to crawl under a rock. Kobe stopped and sniffed the air. He pulled Zuri closer, almost lifting her into his arms.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “I won’t let it hurt you. It won’t challenge me.”
Kobe’s words made Zuri’s hair stand on end—and for good reason. Out of the foliage came a creature so bizarre and scary, Zuri actually gulped. She pressed as closely to Kobe as possible. The being had gangly legs, three long claws at the end of its two flat pancake feet; it walked upright. It was covered in ugly brown fur. Like Kobe’s, there was an oval patch on its belly; unlike Kobe, two-foot-long claws protruded from stumps from the bare spot. The claws waved back and forth making clicking sounds. The creature weaved back and forth like a bird, the hair on its body swayed with the wind it created.
Higher on the creature were two arms, stunted at the wrists, forming into a single claw on each. The face was slender with two fanged, buck teeth protruding from a beakish-mouth. Black beady eyes gazed at Zuri from a bulbous forehead. The animal-creature opened its mouth to hiss at them. A foot-long forked green tongue waved in the air followed by another, then another.
“Kobe?”
“It smells you, your vulnerability. It also smells me and my ability to kill it.”
Zuri smelled something putrid; the creature made a God-awful scream when part of its bald belly sizzled from Kobe’s glare. The being crashed back into the foliage, which closed around it, hiding it from view.
“Will it follow us?” Zuri whispered.
“It might.”
Kobe set her firmly on her feet and once more took on a grueling pace. Zuri’s insides churned. If Kobe wasn’t afraid of the creature he had scared away, then there must be something even more hideous—and dangerous, out there. She wondered just what the hell was a cyron? Kobe seemed to be afraid of it. The idea gave Zuri’s feet rejuvenated wings, and she kept pace as best as she could, trudging onward into the jungle.
As time pas
sed, the once vibrant plant life suddenly seemed demure, smaller. Darkness was falling. The huge leaves on trees either folded like accordions or wrapped tightly around tree trunks. Zuri soon understood why all the plant life had curled into itself, some plants even digging into the soil like one would snuggle into a blanket. It was to protect the lush foliage from the bitter cold that set in after the sun went down, or the light in the sky ceased to exist. Zuri had seen the outline of planets or suns—she wasn’t positive. Teeth chattering, Zuri trudged on after Kobe, certain she was about to freeze to death.
Her breath hung heavy in the thick air; it was harder to breathe. The cold soil beneath her feet hurt. Her lungs contracted as she forced air into them. Zuri grew sluggish, weak. Kobe stopped and sniffed the air. Zuri crept forward and gazed around him. A huge rounded hole partially covered in long vines lay ahead of them. Kobe pressed her close to his side. Her body was shaking with cold from head to toe.
“You’re frozen. Why the hell didn’t you say something?” Kobe demanded.
“I knew you wanted to get away from here as fast as possible.”
“Not if it means your life. Come on.”
Kobe parted the vines and they stepped into their shelter. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zuri slipped to her behind and cuddled her body. The interior of the cave was dark but not too dark, and Zuri glanced around at the unusual stalactites. They were the color of icicles, but it was clear to see they weren’t frozen. The floor was dirt and small rocks; thankfully they were its only inhabitants. Outside, the wind was whipping through the strange trees; rain fell in buckets, massive bolts of lightning thundered across the heavens. It was anarchy.
“Are you okay?” Kobe asked.
He was sitting not far from her, unfazed. She supposed with his fur and thick hide, the weather wouldn’t affect him as it did her. She was too tired to reply, and so she just nodded. Kobe looked as though he pondered her dilemma.
“There is nothing for me to start a fire with,” he finally said. “Everything outside is no doubt drenched. I never even thought; I feel like such an idiot. I should have found shelter sooner and gathered wood. I have to stop thinking of you as a Zargonnii female. I know enough to protect you from the planets creatures, but I never thought about the elements. Damn, why didn’t I think to remember the elements?”
“I’ll freeze,” she whispered as her jaw quaked.
The planet which had been unbearably hot and sticky was now at least zero degrees. Zuri’s wrap, tiny panties and t-shirt did nothing to protect her. Already, her fingers and toes were curled against the bitter weather. She felt miserable. Kobe fastened his eyes onto a medium-sized boulder not far from him. The red glow made the large rock steam and Zuri felt its heat as he warmed it, but it still wasn’t enough. Sighing, she blew on her ice cold red fingers.
“Sit with me, mouthy.”
Zuri was sorry she ever taught him the English word. But, she did suppose his heat was better than nothing. She rose and stumbled her way to him. Instead of settling her beside him, Kobe yanked her onto his lap. About to protest, she ceased the moment her frozen flesh sank into his warmth. His chest was a heating pad, his wild hair molded across her back, bottom and legs. Her fingers cupped her chin as she dipped her head.
All of her was surrounded, covered, blanketed in—him. Sensuous hair tucked around her, planting her firmly against his broad chest. When in battle mode, his hair seemed alive; she wondered now if it was. When they had fallen, his hair had surrounded her much the same way, a cocoon of life. Kobe’s hair wasn’t silky soft, it was thick and coarse. The strands layered and appeared woven together.
“Kobe? Your hair is so strange.”
“It’s a male’s way of carrying a male offspring. My hair is as strong as my skin.”
“I feel wrapped in safety, and so warm.”
“We are safe…for now.”
Zuri caught glimpses of the frightening night turned savage. She wondered how anyone could survive out there. The rain pellets hitting the ground bounced, frozen solid. The ice either smashed into pieces or ricocheted off the stone. A small rain pellet bounced through the cave opening to hit her exposed toe and she cried out. It stung, burning her. A tiny dot of blood appeared and Kobe’s hair closed over the damage.
“I’m sorry, Zuri. You’re bigger than a male babe. My hair also covers my exposed back; we’re just going to have to share.”
“What do we do?”
Kobe shifted position. His entire body curled around her, spooning her. His hair tightened, making the cocoon stronger, if not confining; she couldn’t move. His massive arms wrapped around her and he turned his back to the cave opening with the warmed boulder between them and the entrance.
“Will those creatures come in?” Zuri asked.
“No, they have their own homes. We should be safe in here.”
Kobe seemed quiet. “I’m sorry, Kobe. I didn’t mean for you to end up out here. I only wanted my freedom.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking about that this last week. About giving you up. What that warrior said made me angry too; it also made me realize you can’t live caged. You were right. There is a male Zargonnii who has taken a human female to be his mate; it is said they have produced a female offspring. I didn’t understand how that was possible, but I’m afraid I’ve placed you in more danger.”
“Why?”
“Zargonnii females only Holiday once every two years. Being around you has triggered the need for me to Holiday. It’s been building within me all week. I tried to stay away from you, but you were alone without me. You needed me, my company and I thought once we got home the feeling would stop. Surrounded by the scent of female Zargonnii, it’s only going to get worse. If the females think I’m a threat for wanting to Holiday, we are in more danger. It’s not their season.”
“Will they hurt us?”
“They will rip me apart for being so close to their young and thinking me brazen enough to enter their land. I don’t know what they’ll do to you.”
“What do we do?”
“We need to Holiday. We need to ease my hormones into a less active state. The only way is to Holiday.”
“I can’t battle you, Kobe.”
“And I won’t battle you, Zuri.”
“You said your species battles for dominance.”
“I’m too big to battle you. I’m already dominant. I sense it, I see it. I can almost taste it. If we Holiday, by morning my scent will have lessened. The females will not be so insistent on seeking us out; they may even give us time to retreat. I’m certain they sense you as well. It could be confusing them, to scent a female with a male, they may think I’ve dominated you and it’s the only reason they are staying away. But before long a male dominant will become a target in their area. I will be considered too dangerous. Which is laughable considering a female Zargonnii’s strength and size.”
“You want me to have sex to save our lives?”
“I would rather you wanted to Holiday with me because you mean something to me. I don’t know what yet, but I jumped off a shuttle into thin air for you to save your life. I’ve never felt this way toward any female. I’ve never been around a single female this long in my adult life.
“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you again. I can think of something else. But putting it bluntly if I, um, Holiday with myself, it still won’t ease my hormone level. Zuri, that’s also the most embarrassing thing I’ve told anyone.”
Zuri felt his furry chest grow warmer; she imagined it was the equivalent of a blush. “Are we really in that much danger?”
“Do you really need to ask that after seeing my planet?”
“How long before we reach the males’ area?”
“A long time. Weeks maybe, a month or more. Citun will be looking for us, but my planet is huge. I’ve only ever been in the female area once before; even then, it was the outskirts of the area. We are near the outskirts, but a female travels twice as fast with a male babe. She would only be carrying
a male offspring. I have you to protect.”
“How can there be any love when you dominate?”
“Are there no dominants in your society?”
“Yes, I suppose so. But even though I’ve had sex before—Holidayed, it was to make love.”
“Love is a word you use for caring?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think you could love me? Care for me?”
Zuri was surprised. Kobe was sincere. Zuri’s idea of a warrior had changed over the past week. Kobe was strong, so were his emotions. His life wasn’t all about battle. Maybe when he and a Zargonnii mated it was more than just sex. Did they care for each other? Kobe mentioned he was dominated, but he enjoyed his experience. Was she missing something? Whenever Kobe spoke of females, it was with great respect.
Zuri ran her fingers through Kobe’s furry chest. She was warm, safe. Wasn’t that part of caring?
“Can we have sex without freezing in here?” Zuri asked.
“Yes,” Kobe said, he grinned.
Kobe moved into a sitting position. Zuri’s bottom was pressed against his thighs, her face to his chest. His hard erection rested against her butt cheek. She had seen his long length and would have been a liar if she hadn’t wondered just how compatible they were. She did have feelings for him, there was—something he stirred.
Chapter 7
“What do you do with your females when you have sex?” Zuri asked.
“Holiday, Zuri, we Holiday. When a Zargonnii mates they hold each other’s lives in the others hands. It becomes very personal. Both partners are hopeful for a child. Your term sex sounds flippant.”
“No, I mean what positions do you use?”
“I’m always under them. They move very quickly. It feels fantastic.”
“Can you be under me?”
“I want to see you. I’ve held you in the shower but your female anatomy is hidden. Female anatomy is such a curiosity to males.”
C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) Page 8
