Faith's gaze narrowed.
"Viper and I are getting married." Hope said quickly, like ripping off a bandage.
"I think I misunderstood do you mind repeating that." Faith replied incredulously.
"Faith you heard me." Hope stared at her stubborn overprotective sister.
"You have barely kept a boyfriend for a few weeks at a time and now you're going to marry an alien. Do you even know what you are doing?"
Hope watched as Viper got down on his knees in front of Faith, Cody and the kids. He bowed so that his head almost touched the floor which was saying a lot considering how tall he was.
"I humbly request that you accept our mating and give it your blessing. I would give my life in exchange for Hope's. She will want for nothing and my only desire is to see her happy." Viper spoke solemnly as he placed his fist to his forehead.
The man was about to make Hope cry the way he asked her family for her hand. She wondered if it was a tradition among the Anguis like it was among humans.
Faith looked at Viper with shock and a bit of amusement. Cody nodded approvingly.
"Well Lord knows once you've made up your mind Hope, there's no changing it."
Hope grinned.
"Good luck man, you're going to need it with that one!" Cody chuckled.
"Hey!" Hope cried as she took Viper's hand and helped him up, not that he needed it.
"I get to be the flower girl." Charity announced as she pulled away from her dad and launched herself at Hope. "Right Aunt Hope?"
"Sure thing peanut." Hope replied although she still wasn't quite sure how the ceremony would work out. "Well Sis, Cody, you want to check out the house? Viper and I are in the one next door and Tara and JP are beyond that." She explained as they got up from the seats in the living room area.
Viper started pointing out features of the kitchen slash dinette area that was connected to the living room. Cody was a tech geek and in awe with the food replicator.
"We make communal meals the traditional way too, but this is easy for day in day out." Viper said.
Hope was happy her family seemed to be handling everything well so far. Of course they hadn't taken a peek outside yet, but one moment at a time.
Viper was captivating. She'd gotten used to the fact that all the Anguis men were always shirtless, it made it easier for their shifting color to blend in to an environment. Right now he probably wasn't conscious of the fact that half of him was the tan color of the wall and the other half blue like the drapes. However her niece and nephew were in awe of the fact. Hope enjoyed the sight as well. She admired how Viper's muscles were delineated on his chest. His pecks and abs rippled as he bent and pointed out the waste recycler.
"Man that's efficient. What other gadgets do you guys have?" Cody was enamored.
"Show him the comm-unit Viper." Hope suggested.
"I think my husband has a crush on your fiance." Faith whispered to her with a giggle.
"I heard that Faith. Zip it. I don't have a crush on Viper. I'm in love with the magical box that makes food." Cody hugged and kissed the replicator, making the children squeal in hysterics.
Viper laughed. That deep sexy rumble always turned Hope inside out.
"We were able to retrieve some of your culture's entertainment before the meteors damaged your communication satellites." Viper explained to Cody.
"Oh man I hope so. There's a few video games I'm going to really miss otherwise."
"You guys are coping really well." Tara chimed in.
"Oh no don't be fooled. I'm losing my mind quietly." Faith tapped her head then glanced at her children.
Hope understood Faith was being strong for the little ones.
"I'd worry if you weren't a bit freaked out." Tara replied, always the doctor. "This is sooooo not normal." She agreed with Hope's sister as she waved her hand about.
"I think it would be worse if I didn't have my family with me and you guys weren't here." Faith wrapped her arms around Hope and they hugged tight.
Viper looked over and smiled. It was a broad grin filled with fangs.
"Holy crap Hope!" Faith whispered. She then looked back at Hope's adoring gaze. "You really do have a thing for him don't you."
Hope nodded and smiled.
Justice had wrapped himself around one of Viper's legs, Charity on the other like little anchors sitting on his feet as Viper walked to the entertainment unit on the wall.
Faith laughed at their antics.
"I think that just ruined any chances of me having nightmares featuring your betrothed. It's so weird how he changes colors." Faith shook her head.
"Yeah, we made our friend Acris change all the colors of the rainbow when we first met her." Tara explained.
"Thank you for rescuing us." Faith kissed Hope's cheek.
"It's all I could think of once I calmed down enough to process what was happening. I'm just lucky Viper had the authority to do it."
"She's being modest he's like the prince, and these people have control over several solar systems." Tara crowed. "Your baby sister even has a fancy title."
"Dear god when you do it, you go all out don't you Sis." Faith shook her head. "So what's your fancy title princess?"
Hope groaned. Faith was going to throw that one in her face. When Hope was little their dad spoiled her rotten. He called them both princess, but Faith would taunt her with it when she thought Hope had unfairly gotten her way.
"Uxorem." Viper overheard and replied.
The way he said it with a roll of his tongue and a growl in his throat was terribly erotic.
There was a knock on the door. Viper opened it to find Ophidian standing there. He looked at them all and bowed his head slightly. His gaze lingered on Tara. Hope didn't know what was going on there but she felt pretty sure it was something. Tara diverted her eyes.
"Yep one of these days one of them is going to act on that and then I'm going to have a good time harassing Tara. Serves her right." Hope mused.
"I'm sorry to interrupt. Prognatus we have a problem at the eastern camp border." Ophidian reported with consternation.
"Sorry I need to leave." Viper nearly growled in frustration.
"I was thinking of showing everybody the community building and playground." Tara suggested.
"That is fine. I will have someone escort you." Viper started to say.
"It's on the way." Ophidian jumped in.
Hope had to stifle a smile at Ophidian's eagerness.
"If that is acceptable." Ophidian corrected himself.
"I can't go I'm supposed to meet Acris at our place to work on the ceremony." Hope replied. "You guys go, the kids need to run around and play with the others."
Viper escorted them all out and dropped Hope off at their pod. He bent and kissed her. The man tasted like the delicious spice she'd quickly gotten addicted to.
"Ew gross!" Justice hollered.
Gotta love kids.
"Be safe." Hope said as she rubbed Viper's chest.
He rumbled with a silent groan of pleasure.
Hope was still shocked the Anguis had two hearts, it seemed strange.
"I will return as soon as I can. Then we can all have last meal together." Viper suggested.
Hope nodded then watched as her family and friends went off. Her niece and nephew ran every which way exploring their new and unusual environment. Hope grinned happily feeling complete.
14 Trouble in Paradise
Viper
Viper's mood refused to be squelched by the aggressive protesters that had breached the edge of the colony. Nothing smelled quite like Hope when she radiated happily. Her floral scent wasn't musky like when she was turned on, this was fresh like a sunny day. Viper meant it when he said he'd give her anything, particularly if it made her beam like she had earlier. He wished he hadn't had to cut their afternoon short.
It came as such a relief that her family awoke without too much stress and fear. The children were little balls of excitement, so accepting. Viper
felt blessed he'd been able to give Hope this reunion with her family. What he wouldn't do to have his siblings back, but some things cannot be.
Anguis medicine was advanced, but there were still things they could not cure. Even now there were a few highly secure labs that held quarantined Morbo, hunting for a cure. The creatures were hard to kill and dangerous around living creatures of a certain genetic back ground, which included most sentient beings. At least they could be quarantined in thick glass, rock or metal rooms where their only contact was a machine taking samples.
As long as no part of the Morbo's body, especially the probe-like tongue, pierced your skin you had a fighting chance, but even a scratch was a fatality with these beasts. Once they infected you, you had only a matter of days. The longer you survived the more viruses replicated inside. The Anguis sadly discovered that during the invasion. Now if someone was infected, once they passed out, their quarantined body was incinerated before the creatures emerged.
Unfortunately once they were sure no one survived on Earth, the allies would be forced to radiate the planet's surface. Hope had been despondent when he broke the news to her. She had cried in his arms but had nodded her head in painful acceptance. Viper was still amazed at how understanding Hope could be even when face with an awful fate.
Viper did not feel guilty about slaughtering the humanoid Morbo. They'd discovered that the scourge was indeed nothing more than a large expression of a virus. Their only instinct being survival. Only in association with other Morbo did they seem to form a sentience that really only amounted to organized swarms of cells. They were a plague upon the universe.
It angered Viper as he focused on the horde of protesters. The mob had no clue that it would take a unified populace, regardless of species, to keep the Morbo at bay. Not to mention other deadly threats that might lurk in the universe yet undiscovered.
Viper grabbed his comm-unit and tapped into the projection system on the vehicle his mercenaries brought to help contain the agitated mob.
"Anguis!" Viper spoke and heard his voice reverberate among the crowd. "I understand your concern and acknowledge your right to express your opinion, but your aggression towards the humans has earned you naught. They have as much right to survival as you or I. Where would we be today if we didn't have our allies?" Viper entreated them with logic."The loss of another species would be a tragedy, you are well aware."
"Find another colony for them!" Someone shouted.
"Your mating is an insult to Kadru." Another cried out.
The insult instantly angered Viper. It was understandable if the people worried about their own well being, but just outright prejudice was an affront to him and his subeo. To slight one's mate was an outrage, an unforgivable offense.
Viper refused to let the insult pass. He stormed into the crowd and growled down at the foolish male.
These people questioned his mating. The way they did it so openly also proved they questioned his honor, strength and dominance. He was the Prognatus! His clan ruled because they were the strongest. Today this rabble would be reminded of that fact and repercussions would be swift.
Viper knocked the offender off his feet.
"Never insult my subeo, your Uxorem!" Viper roared at the male.
Suddenly chaos broke loose.
Ophidian was instantly at Viper's side. They easily fended off the press of angry bodies. Fists weren't directed just at Viper and his mercenaries but also among the crowd themselves. It seemed they didn't even agree with each other. Foolish mob mentality!
"The mercenaries are bringing in the calming gas, let's get back to the perimeter." Ophidian shouted to Viper over the din.
"This degraded fast no thanks to me." Viper frowned.
He probably shouldn't have charged in snarling. But the crowd had been spoiling for a fight. It was unheard of to insult a male's mate, especially to his face. If he did not cement the fact that he wouldn't stand for such behavior it would continue.
Viper pictured Hope's and just the brief thought of someone hurting her in any way wrecked him.
It was that distraction that caused Viper to miss the flash of a knife. Viper deflected left but his fool of a first Imperator, Ophidian, played hero and stepped where he shouldn't.
Viper watched in horrific slow motion as the blade sunk into Ophidian's chest. Lightning fast Viper reached out, grabbed the offending male's head and twisted till he heard a sickening crunch.
Ophidian stumbled and Viper caught him. He didn't know how he hefted his friend at the same time as he forced his way through the violent throng, but he managed to reach the edge of the crowd without suffering any further injury. A medic was by his side almost instantly. Viper was relieved someone had called them in.
"The Evac vehicle is over here Prognatus."
Viper lowered his friend into the vehicle then hopped in. As the medic joined him, Viper hazard a glance down. Blood pumped from the wound in the center of Ophidian's chest. The knife was embedded nearly to the hilt. Ophidian already looked so pale.
"Hold on brother were almost to the infirmary." Viper demanded trying not to choke on the words.
The instant they arrived Viper was separated from his friend as the physicians raced to get Ophidian into a surgical unit.
"Shit I hope we made in time." Viper ran a bloody hand over his face.
He'd seen injuries like this before, it wasn't good.
"I want the cryo-freeze prepared if surgery fails!" Viper barked at one of the technicians.
He prayed it wouldn't be necessary. The cryo-unit would be a last ditch effort to save Ophidian for a future when someone might be able to fix his injury. It was an honor only extended to the greatest of Anguis citizens. Viper's friend would be dead to him, but Ophidian might live on one day. Viper hoped it wouldn't come to that as he tugged at his hair in frustration, feeling helpless.
Viper glanced up in time to see Tara's horrified expression. She was a physician, so she cared for any injured, but the look on her face radiated more than professional concern.
"Why don't you go in and assist." He suggested.
Tara nodded and rushed through the doors.
Hope was right there was something going on between their two friends. Maybe Tara and Ophidian weren't mates but who knew. It would be good for Ophidian to have the female at his side, even if she wasn't yet an expert in Anguis medicine. Tara might just give his friend a reason to hang on, better than any medicine could.
Hope
Hope couldn't concentrate as she sat in the pod looking over the stuff she was supposed to decide on for the wedding. She couldn't care less what colors were chosen. Hope was just too happy having seen her family.
She'd already let Hyla have her way with so many things like the food, location and what not. Why not another few little things? Hope was sure Hyla would be only too happy to handle it. Viper insisted Hope should have some things the way she wanted them for her own wedding. However Hope didn't care too much about minor details. In fact earning some brownie points with her mother-in-law seemed far more valuable.
Hope really didn't have a ton of requirements. She asked that nothing be eaten alive or slaughtered at the feast although she did that before learning it wasn't even being considered. Acris and Viper had looked at her like she had two heads when she mentioned it.
Hope also requested a cake or dessert of some sort. She liked the tradition of feeding each other cake along with a toast. She insisted they trade rings at some point and say some vows. But the most important thing was that she would be there with Viper.
Besides, if she let Hyla have her way with most of the ceremony maybe the woman wouldn't balk too much at the addition of a flower girl and ring bearer.
"Okay so maybe things are getting complicated." Hope sighed as she debated eloping. "Oh well Hyla can deal."
Hope was happy to add her family to the ceremony. She was actually overjoyed her family hadn't immediately lost their shit upon awakening on a distant planet. That more
than anything had her giddy. She didn't even stress over Viper taking care of business. The man was damn near a super hero, he would handle it.
Hope grinned as she pictured him getting out of the shower that morning, water dripping down his chest and abs.
"Yes I do!" She blushed.
There was a knock on the door. Hope got up and answered it expecting to see Acris with dessert samples. She didn't recognize the Anguis man that stood outside her door.
"Viper's not here, he's dealing with the protesters." Hope told the man then immediately regretted it.
The male stood leering at her in a creepy way and she'd just told him Viper was gone. "Smart Hope!"
"That's good because I'm not here for the Prognatus. I'm here for you Uxorem." The man sneered the title.
Before Hope could scream, the man lunged forward and slapped his hand over her mouth. With the other he yanked her hand up and scraped his teeth across her arm. She'd almost forgotten their freaky venom could have that tranquilizing affect as she started to sink to the floor. Viper's hormone laced serum no longer had that affect on her. Hope didn't know if it was because Viper's physiology recognized her as his mate, or if Viper could consciously alter his bite.
The strange man threw Hope over his shoulder none too gently and draped a blanket over her back to hide her from view. She had a hard time focusing on the sounds that passed as her view of the ground blurred. Her head throbbed and soon the rush of blood overcame her.
Viper
Viper hadn't waited in the infirmary lobby that long or so it seemed before Tara came out from the back looking exhausted.
Viper stopped pacing.
"He's going to be okay." Tara released a deep breath. "The knife nicked one of Ophidian's hearts. The surgeon stopped the bleeding and is closing him up now."
Viper sighed a great weight lifting from his shoulders.
"He's lucky. If Ophidian was human, he'd be dead. He'll need a lot of bed rest or he risks tearing the sutures and bleeding out."
Viper could see Tara's hands were shaking though she appeared relieved. Humans had one heart. In fact they didn't have any of the self protective adaptations Anguis had. No doubt human evolution had been a bit kinder than their own genesis. However they had one thing in common, Anguis could still bleed to death if not treated.
Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1) Page 19
