“Okay,” Terri said slowly. “I can appreciate that. Still, it doesn’t explain why you’re interested in being my guard.”
The other female’s face hardened as she straightened further in the chair demonstrating every inch of the imposing warrior that Terri knew she had to be to have been assigned to Veral’s guard.
“Because I am a warrior. I may not have as many modifications as many of my kin here since I am birthed from one of the minor households, but I compensated with training hard and applying myself to be the equal of any warrior here. Guarding you will restore my honor to a degree among my kin and to myself and give me a purpose that is greater than patrolling the compound.”
“I see,” Terri murmured with appreciation. “You do realize that guarding me won’t exactly be exciting.” She gestured to Dreth. “This about sums up what you’ll spend a lot of time doing. Are you sure you’d rather do this?”
“Yes,” Malraha replied instantly, without wavering.
Terri’s lips pinched together as she considered. She still wasn’t happy with the female’s attempt to poach her mate, but she had to admit that she liked Malraha’s force of personality. Yes, she had made a grievous misjudgment, but she clearly had the integrity to admit when she was wrong, in addition to possessing physical strength and skill.
“Accept her already. You know you are going to do it, so you might as well embrace it now,” Azan said cheerfully as the she emerged at a leisurely stroll, with a human woman on her arm, from behind a bush thick with fragrant flowers.
That the Blaithari managed to find her was both unexpected and unsurprising. There were numerous little paths and intimate clearings throughout the large courtyard, enough so that Terri rarely saw anyone in the small clearing nearest to the private rooms she shared with Veral. Even with that taken into consideration, she knew that Azan was particularly gifted with finding a way of being informed about everything. There was no reason that would be less true now than it was on the pirate ship. Because she knew that, she also knew she wouldn’t escape without the female’s opinion. Letting out a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, she regarded Malraha.
Might as well get it over with.
“All right. Why not? Consider yourself on my guard. I will let Veral know. I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic that I have another person to hover over me,” she sighed.
The female seemed to sag where she sat for a moment with obvious relief before she caught herself and straightened once more. Malraha turned herself at an angle so that she partially faced everyone. Her expression hardened in what Terri figured had to be her ‘on duty’ face.
“Relax. We are all friends here,” Azan chortled, her laughter only increasing as Malraha’s disapproving glower.
Terri bit back her own laugh, not wishing the female to feel alienated, but she caught the flicker of a smile that appeared at the corner of Dreth’s mouth before disappearing.
“Is Veral capable of demonstrating ecstasy?” he inquired after a moment.
Azan snorted. “If you call cracking a faint smile a demonstration of ecstasy. The male otherwise seems to be limited to a range of expressions implying ‘I will kill you.’”
Terri flicked her first two fingers at the pirate, the second slightly bent, in what she had come to realize was a crude gesture among the intergalactic communities. Azan barked out a laugh that Terri completely ignored, but she was privately delighted when Malraha’s lips twitched. Returning her attention to the Blaithari, Terri raised an eyebrow.
“Was there something you wanted, or do you just randomly eavesdrop on everyone you meet?”
Azan shrugged with an unrepentant grin as she dropped down on a nearby bench, pulling her human onto her lap. “Not at all. Usually, it is more in the vein of information gathering. In this case, however, I was flat out straining to catch every bit of gossip shamelessly. I would have come and sat down to enjoy the show except my Wendy here objected. She has yet to learn that scruples are unbecoming of a pirate.”
Tall and slender, and possessing thick dark hair falling to her waist, Azan’s human hardly looked like a woman recently taken from Earth. Terri’s own hair was only half that length and, like the rest of her once painfully thin frame, had only recently began to thicken. Wherever Wendy had come from, it must have been a kinder environment. It was only knowing that the other woman had been captured with the intent to sell her that kept Terri from feeling envious of what seemed like a much better lot in life.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be more than an ill-mannered space-thief,” the woman shot back smoothly. “I keep telling you that the universe was not created to entertain and fund you. If I’m going to be unscrupulous, it will only be against those who are deserving of it. Friends aren’t deserving of it.”
Her eloquence wasn’t what Terri would have expected of a recent survivor either.
“I differ entirely on that. Friends deserve it more than anyone else,” Azan objected with a scoff, the lowest of her three arms on her right side banding around Wendy. “How else can those who care about them know the minute details that they can use to assist them? Prying into friends’ lives is caring.”
“That’s disturbing,” Wendy replied with feigned annoyance. She half-turned to Terri. “By chance, are you looking to hire a nanny?”
“You already have a youngling you care for as well as an entire crew of miscreants who would not know what to do with themselves without your firm hand,” Azan quickly objected. She frowned for a moment. “Do not let me forget to check on said miscreants. I know I am going to regret allowing Garswal to stay on ship with them while we returned to the compound.”
“There’s really no need for you to stick around. I’m sure the guard is right and it’s just a typical local thing. Probably nothing to worry about,” Terri said, not liking the guilt that rose up from her gut.
“And leave it to Navesha to accidentally lose you or get you killed?” Azan scoffed as she flicked a leaf off her shoulder. “Not likely. I will not leave until I am assured that you and your youngling are safe.”
“Navesha isn’t trying to lose me or get me killed,” Terri replied.
“I did not claim that she was but that she is negligent with the care of delicate little humans. That one is distracted by something,” Azan said airily. “I will feel better with my own eyes on you, and those of your eager young guard,” she added with a grin.
“No harm will come to her while I am present,” Malraha hissed vehemently.
“See? That is the reaction of a good guard!” Azan praised. “If you could spit venom, I would be tempted to lure you away to join my crew. You cannot spit venom, can you?”
Malraha scowled back at the pirate. “Your foolish speech is making my head hurt.”
Azan sighed dramatically and hugged Wendy to her. “This is why you are much better off with your fine Blaithari pirate and crew. Argurmas are not much fun.” She slanted a wicked grin in Terri’s direction. “If you change your mind about being mated to a fleshy droid, you are always welcome in our crew.”
Terri didn’t bother to hide her smirk when both Argurmas snarled in offense. Azan was just fortunate that Veral wasn’t there to threaten her health, although her babysitters did a pretty good job at that by themselves.
19
Veral’s eyes tracked his mate strolling up the corridor. For days, he had attempted to satisfy his need to be near his mate by covertly watching over her as she walked through the long halls of the compound. Their nights together were not sufficient to fulfil his need for contact, and inevitably at some point during the day he requested his mate’s location and sought her out just to watch her for a moment or brush close to her in passing.
It was not enough. The whispers of contact barely took the edge off his need to be near her. His senses were deprived of her scent, touch and taste, and his processors were struggling, his concentration fragmenting into looping segments of data images of his mate. He required time alone with his mate with
out the chance of eyes on them. It was to that end he decided to stage a chance encounter to be near her without drawing attention.
He had been unprepared, however, for Terri to have two Argurma guards with her.
An annoyed hiss escaped him as he vented his frustration at the sight of Malraha and Navesha at either side of his female. Not only did her guards come close to blocking his view of his mate with their larger frames, but their presence was going to make his plans more difficult. With the addition of Malraha to Terri’s guard—a decision that had pleased him solely for the reason of providing his female with extra protection—he had failed to calculate that it could potentially pose some manner of obstacle for him.
At least he could count on Navesha to be discreet. Even though she didn’t know the details of his self-enforced separation from Terri, he knew that she had a reputation among the household for thinking quickly and doing what the moment required of her. It was the reason that Featha sent her on household business. It was an explicit trust that few others in the household enjoyed, though he knew that it also earned her some suspicion among some of his mother-kin, but that was not unexpected considering she had an intensely private nature, even for an Argurma. If she seemed secretive and prone to disappearing, it was never at a critical time, and her loyalty was unquestionable among the household regardless of personal feelings, conflicts and grudges.
Although he never knew what to expect from her, Veral saw no reason to discount her ability to fulfil her duties and he saw no reason to believe otherwise. Malraha, however, was an unknown factor. The female was young, and although she was an excellent warrior and guard—otherwise she never would have been selected by Larth for his guard originally—he did not have enough data to judge how she would help or hinder his plans.
He frowned at the narrow corridor. Strategically, this was going to be more difficult to accomplish than he had estimated. He had to fool anyone who might be observing that it was merely another random shuffle of bodies moving down the hall and to keep Terri ignorant of what he was doing. It was not the first time he had staged a passing contact with her when his need became too great, and yet he had to abandon his plans more than once when circumstances did not cooperate. If he was fortunate, this time he would be able to slip in, walk with them for a time, and steal her away from her guards to enjoy an embrace before anyone covertly watching his household—or even his mate—was the wiser.
His eyes narrowed as he judged the space, his tongues sliding over his teeth thoughtfully. With the Argurma females practically filling the corridor as they escorted Terri between them, he did not fail to note that there was little room for someone to comfortably pass them. He would not be able to go with his original plan, which required pretense of sliding past them as if going in the opposite direction to deceive anyone observing the exchange. He had miscalculated the space within this particular hallway. How unfortunate.
He debated withdrawing but dismissed it. Aborting was not an option—not this time. Need clawed too deeply in his gut for him to ignore. He needed to be with his mate. He would just have to revise his plans. He would join them from the rear and depend on those same large Argurma frames to shield his interaction with his mate.
Veral turned to face in the same direction in which the females were walking, muscles tensing in preparation for the exact moment he would stride out of the side corridor to drift seamlessly into their company. His lips curved in expectation as he counted their steps, judging their exact distance by the increase in volume as they neared.
A flutter of fabric appeared at the edge of his vision, and then the strong arm of Navesha came within view. Her eyes turned to him, widened as they registered surprise but then snapped forward again as if nothing happened. He was already moving forward, so when the female passed, he slipped out in an easy stride, his shoulder lightly brushing against his mate as he stepped behind her.
As expected, Terri glanced around at him, but he was gratified when Navesha shifted her body in front of the human to obscure their exchange. Her voice boomed out to Malraha, issuing a snide comment that had the other female bristling. It appeared he did not need to rely on the younger female. Navesha had everything in hand. Malraha did not so much as glance back at them as she snarled back, the back-and-forth exchange erupting into a loud, hostile argument.
Two things became apparent: it was easy to see why Navesha was unpopular with her abrasiveness, and that he owed the female his gratitude.
He nearly forgot himself and his own need for discretion when an expression of surprise and pleasure bloomed across Terri’s face. His own lips could not be stopped from curving in an answering smile as she turned and wrapped her arms around him. His mate’s open emotions never failed to charm him, even the way her brow furrowed in confusion as it did now. She tipped her head back to look at him curiously as she tucked herself beneath his arm.
“What are you doing roaming the halls? I thought you were in meetings all day as usual.”
He dropped his head down, brushing his nose and mandibles against the top of her head as he drew her scent deep into his lungs.
“I am,” he rumbled. “But since I have you in my arms at this moment, I am happy to take advantage of this meeting.”
“Are you?” she asked, her voice breathy with desire, but beneath that, a continuous warmth that welcomed him home.
“It is fortuitous,” he rasped.
Just ahead he noted that Navesha had drawn to a halt a short distance away, her argument escalating rapidly as their bodies completely blocked the entrance of the corridor. The female no longer appeared amused and briefly he wondered what they were so hotly discussing that was making her eyes narrow dangerously. He considered interceding, but she slanted an impatient look his way from the corner of her eye, her expression darkening.
The message was clear. He may be Ahanvala, but if he wasted the opportunity that she was providing, however unpleasantly, he would not be granted another one. He drew Terri closer to the wall and caged her there, his dark cloak blending in with the stones. He drank in her startled gasp as he dropped his head and brushed his nose against her throat, drawing out a soft chuckle as his lips and mandibles caressed the skin.
“Even more fortuitous considering I have a gift for you,” he said against her soft, silken flesh.
Reaching into the pouch at his belt, he felt around for the fragile bloom contained within it. He had seen it by chance in the courtyard and had admired its golden petals that reminded him of the strands of his mate’s hair caught in the sunlight. Pulling it free, he brushed the petals against her cheek, its rich perfume scenting the air around them.
Terri gasped, the sound soft and exquisite as she brought her hand up to cup the flower.
“Veral, it’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“As is my mate,” he rasped, enjoying the way her lips quirked with amusement.
“Your mate has swollen feet and is waddling everywhere. I’m hardly a beautiful, delicate flower,” she laughed, “but thank you.”
Lifting the flower out of her grasp, he tucked it into her hair and admired it there for a moment before pulling her back into his arms. He sighed, relishing the feel of her body pressed against his. His civix woke hungrily, but he was able to ignore that need for now. His most demanding need was not about sex but connecting to his mate and offspring. As if on cue, he felt his daughter kick between them. He wondered if she sensed his presence pressing against her home within his mate’s belly. Well, she would have to enjoy her mother for a bit. He chuffed as he drew Terri in closer, allowing himself the peace of connecting with his family.
If Terri had been Argurma, he would have connected with her on their private communication line, but just having her there in his arms was enough. This was what he needed. He was aware, however, of their limited time trickling away. He could feel Navesha’s attention impatiently returning to him, and he reluctantly drew back after drawing in one last scent-laden breath deep within himself.
>
“I must go,” he whispered reluctantly.
Terri groaned but did not otherwise protest as she nodded in understanding.
He bit back his own snarl of frustration. Soon this charade will be over. He was eager to be done with it all.
Brushing his lips and mandibles against her neck and jaw once more, he withdrew and stepped away in one fluid movement. He did not look back as he slipped down the corridor, leaving his mate with her guards. In the distance he could hear Navesha finally growl in warning and it must have been enough to get her point across because the argument stopped. He was still curious as to the subject and turned it about in his mind as he swept through the corridors to his office. Glancing down at his comms he frowned as he noted a transmission request from Vazan. It seemed that the Monushava House would have company from the Shanah Guard.
20
Vazan’s arrival was greeted with a cool reserve and formality that Terri found fascinating. The presence of the Farhal made everyone in the compound cease their activities when he neared and adopt a focused regard as their eyes trailed his progress. Many followed after him, stalking him through the corridors to the central meeting room. Terri wasn’t sure how she had been swept up in all of it, but there she was, pressed in among the crowd, fighting to see what has happening between the larger bodies of the Argurmas surrounding her.
Grunting, she pushed her way past the two males standing just in front of her. It was like wedging herself between two solid walls, but she huffed triumphantly when she stood near the front, her place mostly concealed by the Argurma pressed in closely around her. Still, it gave her enough of an unimpeded view that she saw her mate stand from where he was seated.
She knew the moment he detected her presence among the crowd. Veral stiffened visibly, his nostrils flaring as he drew in her scent, and even his vibrissae immediately lifted in a gentle coil at their ends with awareness, but he did not otherwise acknowledge her presence. She shifted in place, uncertain of how to feel about it. He was clearly busy with the Farhal, but it was so unlike him to not so much as turn his head even slightly in her direction in a subconscious action to seek her out. Instead, his expression remained flat and unaffected, his entire attention focused as he watched the guard approach.
The Sands of Argurumal (Argurma Salvager Book 3) Page 13
