“Have you seen the female babe?” Kobe asked curiously.
“No, but I smell a female child, it’s confusing. Every instinct says to retrieve the babe, but she is with her mother, as well as her father. This goes against Zargonnii nature.”
“What’s Kobe’s brother’s name?” Zuri asked.
“His name is Finn. It is right you should know one another, my son.”
Unna clasped Kobe to her chest, covering him in her scent so his brother would be able to tell they were related. She then ran a soft fuzzy hand down Zuri’s cheek before embracing her. She was deep in the jungle and gone in seconds.
“Something tells me we won’t just be sauntering up to the front door.” As Zuri said this, she pressed her body against his. Kobe felt her tremble.
Zuri was afraid and for good reason. They were soon surrounded by the largest male warriors Kobe had ever seen. Titus’s boast was correct, his warriors were larger. That meant Kobe had to be smarter.
“I am Kobe. I am here to see my brother, Finn. Let us pass.”
“You are one of Citun’s warriors,” said a large male. They spoke the same Zargonnii but Kobe heard the unmistakable accent of the more southern continent dialect.
“I am.”
“Citun has been looking all over for you. He said you had a human female. The rumor is true. I am called Blu. Brother to Zane who is father to the female babe. Finn has no brothers.”
“Kobe’s no liar,” Zuri said; her tone a growl. Kobe kept from smiling. He had seen her appear with the stick in her hand ready to take on a cyron to aid him; this warrior didn’t stand a chance if he pissed her off. She’d mouthy him to death. Poor bastard.
The warrior, Blu, looked startled as Zuri now stood at Kobe’s side, fists balled. “I wasn’t calling him a liar; I just think he’s mistaken.”
Kobe coughed into his hand to stifle a chuckle. “I was told Finn is inside. If you have him come out, I can prove we are related.”
Finn was found in seconds. The two approached one another. Finn’s look was guarded. Kobe smiled at him. “Mother says hi.”
“That’s impossible,” Finn muttered.
“Are you saying he isn’t related?” Blu asked and came closer, his eyes narrowed.
Zuri made a move to come between the two, but it was Finn who snatched her off her feet and snarled at Blu.
“This is my brother, and his little mate. They reek of my mother. I don’t know how this is possible, but you both have explaining to do. Citun has been screaming espionage; he swears someone double-crossed him and kidnapped the two of you right off his ship. We were all concerned about the Gorgano.”
Zuri had been struggling, but stopped when she heard the word Gorgano. She knew Kobe was on a new mission; Kobe kept nothing from her. The Gorgano were a bigger threat than they had imagined. Still keeping Zuri in his arms, Finn made his way to the large mound before them. Kobe had never been inside a South Zargonnii home.
The place he followed his brother into smelt strange—too earthy. The entrance was darker, and he imagined Zuri couldn’t see anything. Her whispered “Kobe” was enough to know she was uncomfortable. The door to the home practically smashed open and a male Zargonnii stood in battle mode. Zuri gasped, and he heard Finn soothe her.
“Zane, this is my brother, uh, hey what the hell is your name?”
“I’m Kobe and this is Zuri. I needed to see for myself that human and Zargonnii could live together. We have come a long way and I’m hopeful you will answer my question.”
“It’s true,” came a hushed voiced.
A small woman holding an infant female came out from behind Zane to gaze at Zuri in wonder. A male Zargonnii child followed her, hanging back. Kobe puzzled at his presence for a moment. The child obviously wasn’t repulsed by his sister, he was too close. Another mystery. The woman pulled at the warriors’ arms begging him to allow them entry.
The second Kobe stepped through the threshold and smelled the female babe, his body grew to battle mode until he ached. It had been years since he’d had growing pains. He growled, gasped. The expansion was incredulous, deep emotions washed over him. A protective urge soared.
“Kobe?”
Zuri’s tone was a cross between fear and wonder. Kobe had gained inches and pounds. The rumor was true; the babe did give off a certain scent that put a warrior’s hormones into overdrive.
“It’s alright,” the woman said to Zuri. “It happens to every warrior she comes into contact with. Even my son, Draven, experienced the sensation. Titus would have her meet all of his warriors but Zane is too protective. My name is Bay, you’ve heard me call my mate Zane and I know your mate is Kobe. What’s your name?”
“Zuri,” Zuri whispered, she continued to stare at Kobe in awe.
“We keep our child well-guarded and will continue to do so until she’s bigger,” Zane said.
Our child was stressed. Kobe was in shock just staring at the little family. Zuri moved closer with curiosity. When she held her arms out to the female babe, the babe cooed and reached for her. Kobe wouldn’t have dared, though he would have liked to hold the child. Zane eyed Zuri, but she was no threat whatsoever.
“How old is she?” Zuri asked.
“Eight months,” Bay replied.
“She’s a good size for an eight month old,” Zuri said, hefting the twenty-five-pound baby to her hip.
“She’s not even the size of a one month old Zargonnii male infant,” Kobe said. “And she only has four little dull teeth.” He was concerned; if he and Zuri had a female babe, she would be as defenseless as Zuri. How could she survive on a planet with so many wild creatures? Like Zuri, she would have to be watched for life. There was no way the little one could ever grow up to battle a warrior during a Holiday.
Bay chuckled. “Luna has her daddy’s temper. A Zargonnii may get its ability to grow into their battle size from its mother, but the teeth are all dad.”
“Huh?” Kobe looked confused.
“Stick your finger in her mouth.” Zane smiled, it was almost a dare. The child, Draven, giggled. Kobe’s curiosity was too tempting; she was a baby after all. What harm could there be?
Kobe shrugged. He stuck his baby finger into Luna’s mouth. She gummed him with her tiny flat teeth for a second—then bit down.
“Shit, get her off.” Kobe tried to pull his finger from her mouth but she had clamped on—tight.
Baby Luna giggled as Kobe pulled until he had pulled the babe from Zuri’s arms and the child was suspended in midair. Still chuckling, Bay hefted her daughter to her hip and carefully pried her teeth free from their grasp. Luna’s little fingers waggled in the air trying to get a hold of Kobe once more. When she couldn’t, her eyes narrowed and part of Kobe’s fur sizzled. He brushed at the spot with his hand and laughed. She clawed at him with baby-sized, razor-sharp black fingernails and howled. Her flowing white hair with black streaks whipped around her shoulders and back as her mother tried and failed to smooth it back down.
“Little terror, isn’t she?” Kobe said, impressed. There might just be hope for a female ‘halfling’.
“Does Luna do that to you too, Bay?” Zuri asked. She looked a little worried.
“I was a bit worried when she first started attacking Zane; like a human baby, she has temper tantrums, but she understands when I tell her no. We have a strange connection, a telepathy of sorts, I’m guessing it has to do with my encounter with the Gorgano,” Bay replied. “I understand what Luna wants the second she wants it. Whether or not she gets it is a different story. I won’t let my baby intimidate me.”
Zuri scowled. “I hate those creatures.”
“I see from your expression you’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of their acquaintance,” Zane said.
“It’s one of the reasons I need to get to Titus and Citun,” Kobe said. “Now that I see for myself it is possible to mate a human female and have offspring, we need to get moving. The Gorgano have captured some of our females from the north contin
ent. Since they are incapable of space flight it’s imperative we track them down and bring them home.”
“But I want to stay and visit, Kobe,” Zuri said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been around another woman from Earth. We’ve been traveling for so long. I’m tired.”
“I want her to stay, Kobe; we have so much to talk about,” Bay said.
Both women became increasingly upset; Luna howled her misery. Kobe started to argue until he went flying toward a wall. Everyone stood stunned. All three females in the room had been concentrating on him. Kobe saw Zuri blink and the hold against him relaxed. He was soon released.
“Did you feel that?” Zuri asked, she was looking at Bay in wonder.
“Yes,” Bay replied. “It must have been all three of us. We connected.”
“Try it again,” Finn said.
Zuri and Bay concentrated on Finn; he was propelled back but not as quickly. “We need Luna,” Bay mused. She put a huge smile on her face and tickled the baby. “Get him, Luna. Get Uncle Finn.”
The baby giggled, her gaze settled onto Finn and with the two women concentrating hard this time Finn was smashed back with greater force. Zane reached for his daughter.
“It seems Luna has her mother’s intelligence and aptitude for real telepathy,” Zane said, his gaze turned thoughtful. “I wonder in time if you’ll have the ability to pin a cyron together. That would be good on this planet. I’m always worried when we go out. I’ve grown bigger, but if you two can defend yourselves it would be remarkable.”
Kobe was thinking the same thing. If a child of his and Zuri’s could do the same, he wouldn’t have to be so worried. He felt bad when he faced Zuri, knowing how terribly tired she was of traveling and knowing the worst was still yet to come.
“You need to be brave,” he told her. “I need to tell my leader about the kidnapped females.”
“Who are no doubt caged.” Her tone spoke volumes.
“I’m not trading your freedom for theirs, Zuri.”
“Then let me stay here.”
“Zuri, you’re the only one who can help those females. Zargonnii can’t fight the Gorgano in battle. Bay can’t leave her baby here to help and I highly doubt Luna’s father would allow the baby to go regardless; if she were mine, I wouldn’t.”
Finn took Zuri by the shoulders. “If Citun can’t see clear to let you stay with my brother, he will have me to deal with. Titus is one of my dearest friends. That means you have the entire south standing with you. Please help those females.”
Zuri nodded.
Chapter 12
Zuri was startled when an alarm went off inside the ship. She practically jumped into Kobe’s arms.
“It’s alright, Zuri. It just means we’ve entered the Northern continent. My home. Come and see.”
Kobe led her to the large window in their room. Zuri gasped when she stared down at the ground beneath them. Everything looked like a frozen wasteland. She shivered and pressed her back against Kobe’s warm chest.
“You live in igloos?”
“Igloos?”
“Are your homes made of ice blocks?”
“No, the white of the cyron bones grows whiter with each passing year to aid in camouflage. Though I call this the cold season, it lasts for a great length of time; our warm season hits over night halfway through the year, then it stays warm until the cold season settles in, again overnight. When a female Zargonnii gives up her male babe, the beginning of the warm season, she leaves him a gift to help care for him. A dead cyron is left for the father a week or two later. They say a female is so upset over her loss she finds and fights the biggest cyron she can to give her peace.”
“How sad,” Zuri muttered, thinking of Unna and all of her losses.
“The bones are almost impenetrable and woven together to make a domicile that much stronger. The hide is worked and placed on the interior of a warrior’s home. The hides are important, the larger the hide, the more it shows a warrior’s prowess of the female who dominated him.”
“It seems your females take good care of you and ask for little in return. If I give you a child I can’t go out and kill a cyron for our home.”
Kobe took her into his arms. “The second I met Luna, my strength grew. I have no doubt if you give me a child, I will be able to gift you with a cyron.”
“No more cyron battles,” Zuri demanded and waggled a stern finger at him.
Kobe laughed; he captured her hand and kissed the tip of her finger. “I love you, Zuri.”
“What will happen when we land?”
“We’ll go to Citun. He will separate us, but I swear it will be only a short while. I’ve never gone against a direct order, but I will if he won’t release you to me. Titus swears we are welcome. He has a fondness for human females and I think he would like one of his own.”
“What about Zargonnii females, where do they fit in?”
Kobe smiled. “There are warriors who don’t want a human female. They’ve learned human females can be mouthy.” Zuri punched him. “They enjoy the traditional mating. And Zuri, you are only the second human female warriors have come across. It’s not like there are many of you.”
“Do you think you’ll miss traditional mating?”
“Traditional mating once every other year with a Zargonnii female who dominates me or mating on a regular basis with you whom I can dominate? Hmm, that’s a hard one. Let me think.” Zuri punched him again. “You’re turning me on, you realize that don’t you?”
“Your idea of foreplay sucks.”
“I can think of something you can suck on.”
“How much time do we have?”
“Enough.”
Kobe pulled Zuri into his arms. All play aside. He swept a lock of her hair behind her ear. His nose nuzzled her throat. Zuri knew enough about Kobe to know when he kissed, tasting her not devouring her, he meant what he said. He had no worries about his meeting with Citun, but there was something Zuri knew that Kobe didn’t. She had a piece of ammunition. Her discussion with Unna about how fearful she was of being locked away proved fruitful. Unna had armed Zuri with volatile information. Something that would make Citun not only listen, but react.
Zuri jumped up and wrapped her legs around Kobe’s waist. Her bottom settled into his large hands. Kobe’s warm breath slid down her throat. He took her closer to the window and to her surprise, he pressed her against it. For a second, Zuri panicked when the window gave way and she stretched out over the edge of the ship.
“Kobe?”
“The material can shape shift at this low altitude. There are times when a warrior needs a bird’s eye view of the lay of the land. Nothing can penetrate the substance. I have it on my window at home; except at home, I can walk through it. That would be dangerous on a ship. This way there is no concern. Besides,” his look became cheeky. “If you fall I’ll catch you.”
Zuri smiled, knowing he would. She tilted her head back, the window accommodated her. She gazed at the frozen land beneath feeling warm in Kobe’s arms. The ground slid slowly by as Kobe slipped into her heat. She felt like she was flying. She gasped when she caught sight of a massive winged white bird that flew beside them. She could almost touch the tips of the creature’s wings.
“They’re harmless—and delicious.”
“It looks like a dove on massive amounts of steroids.” Zuri couldn’t get over the being’s breathtaking presence.
She squealed when Kobe thumped into her. He growled teasingly down at her. “Um, hello.”
Zuri chuckled. “Zargonnii warriors are like human men in one sense. They don’t like it when a woman they are having sex with is multitasking.”
“We are not having sex; we are loving each other.”
“Can you love me harder?”
Taking up the challenge Kobe gripped her hips and did indeed love her harder. He loved her so hard the window substance was soon bouncing and retreating until the startled bird took off. Kobe flipped her onto her belly. Zuri was staring
at the ground, at the many round housing lumps which circled a massive housing complex.
Zuri rested her head against the coolness of the window. Kobe’s nails gently slid up and down her back, hips and ass. She loved the feel of him.
“Zuri, make your crooning sound.”
She smiled at what he referred to as crooning. Zuri loved to purr. She had tried to imitate his sound, but her noise sounded like a content kitten. Zuri purred while Kobe began crooning to her. The sound was music, sweet, delightful. It matched his rocking motion.
“Do your females croon?”
“They do to babes. The noise I make is what I would do if I had dominated a Zargonnii female.”
“I thought you never had.”
“I didn’t, the noise is just natural. I had no idea I could until it happened. It calms me as well, to know I’m dominant and the fighting is over. I like this kind of loving best. I like to talk to you while we make love. You really are mouthy.”
Zuri looked back at him and clamped her lips shut defiantly. Kobe laughed and took up his pace until he became brutal. Zuri had no choice but to scream his name. She had an orgasm while watching the ground come closer, closer. The ship hovered not more than ten feet from the snow. As warriors began to disembark Kobe pulled her away from the window and into his arms.
They remained naked, their bodies in close contact. He held her until her gasps for air were controlled. His big hands soothed her flesh. The real battle was about to begin, the battle for her freedom. She trusted Kobe, but she didn’t trust Citun, and he was leader. Zuri buried her face into Kobe’s chest and for the first time since she had met him—she cried with pain.
“I would rather battle a cyron than see your tears,” he whispered. Which only made her cry that much harder. “I will not fail you. I promise on my life. I will not simply watch you through a window. Trust me, Zuri?”
Zuri looked up into his concerned expression. “I came back with you didn’t I?”
She watched him grow into battle mode. He was larger now. A knock sounded and Zuri and Kobe quickly dressed. When Kobe let the door slide open, six warriors stood with Titus and Finn. All went into battle mode at seeing Kobe. Zuri didn’t blame them; he was fiercer than the cyron.
C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) Page 13
