Faron was shocked. He had expected her to say something like walking or stretching. Remembering her long, lean limbs with delicately defined muscle, he realized that she must do something more strenuous than walking. He grinned appreciatively. A combat art. She was so right for them.
“We are only slightly familiar with tiketa, but I am certain that we will be able to pick up on it quickly enough to serve as suitable opponents,” he said. “We are proficient in many combat forms.”
“Excellent!” Saige exclaimed. “That sounds like lots more fun than kicking a bag. I need to return to the Dracons’ home to get some clothing though.”
“No need,” Dav said. “Suly laundered your clothing and brought over many items she thought you might need this morning. She also brought us a large feast for breakfast.”
“Lariah called into town and ordered a list of things to replace what you lost in the fire,” Ban added. “Shampoo, toothbrush, things like that. We placed them in the bathroom for you.”
Saige smiled. “Thank you,” she said, wishing she could think of something better to say.
“We will leave you in privacy so that you can dress,” Faron said, climbing out of the bed.
Saige could not prevent herself from staring at his beautiful body as he crossed to the bathroom, completely unselfconscious of his nudity, or his obvious state of arousal. She blushed when she realized that Ban and Dav were smiling as they watched her watch Faron. They stood up and bent to give her a quick kiss before they left the room, Dav wearing jeans and t-shirt, Ban as naked as Faron. He stopped to grab some clothes from a drawer before leaving the room and closing the door behind himself.
Chapter 22
“Za-Queg.”
The voice was soft, indolent, and for Za-Queg, instantly riveting. He spun around and hurried to the vid screen mounted on the wall in his quarters. Part of his mind was cringing at the knowledge that his superior had learned of his failures. Not only was he ultimately responsible for the loss of the berezi, but also the loss of the prime controller. That they had both fallen into the hands of the Jasani was bad enough. That they had fallen into the hands of the Jasani Princes was adding insult to injury.
Another part of him was nearly panting with the intense arousal that always flooded him at the sound of his ruling female’s voice. It was typical for any male to feel aroused and enthralled at the sound of a superior female’s voice, or even a whiff of her scent. But for Za-Queg, the sound of Xaqana-Ti’s voice was enough to send him into near paroxysms of joy.
“Xaqana-Ti,” Za-Queg breathed into the mic after his shaking hand finally hit the correct button on the console to accept the call. “It is an honor to hear the divine notes of your voice with my unworthy hearing organs.”
The sound of her soft, musical laughter filled his mind with such erotic images that it took long moments for him to return to his senses enough to speak.
“You are such a lovely little male Za-Queg,” Xaqana-Ti sang, the high quality speakers on his vid system failing to do her voice true justice. “It is with some regret that I inform you that your failures have made an unpleasant mark in my web.”
Za-Queg froze. To blemish the vastly complicated network of status, obligation, rank, and position that governed the Xanti ruling class was a crime with only one punishment. Za-Queg shuddered. No matter how much Za-Queg adored Xaqana-Ti, he had no desire to be slowly devoured by a brood of younglings.
“How may I remove such a mark, my Beautiful Lady, Xaqana-Ti?” he asked, using his brightest notes, his most carefully crafted tones to add apology, regret, and a desire to please to his question.
“Ah, Za-Queg,” Xaqana-Ti replied, her tone filled with innuendo and promise. “Should you retrieve the misplaced berezi, and the controller, I shall be disposed to forgive the mark. Should you retrieve the Dracon princes’ Arima, I am certain I will feel disposed to do much more than forgive.”
Za-Queg sighed, a long soft sound of understanding and pleasure at the idea of fulfilling his First Ruler’s request. He carefully hid any hint of sound that might indicate his curiosity of what would happen to him should he fail to fulfill her request. But, as always, Xaqana-Ti understood him better than he did himself.
“Should you fail in this,” she said, her voice so soft it was but a whisper of notes, “I may need to reorganize my brood.”
“I understand, most glorious one,” Za-Queg replied. Though fear raced through his veins, he put all of his effort into making his voice as beautiful for her as he could possibly manage. Xaqana-Ti graced him with her soft laughter once more, and then the connection closed.
Za-Queg lowered himself to the floor where he stood, wishing only to spend a few moments memorizing every word and note of the conversation. After a long time, he rose to his feet and left his quarters, wandering slowly through his ship. The under-officers and crew bustled here and there, pausing to bow or salute him as he passed, though he did not bother to return their greetings. Had one failed to acknowledge him appropriately he would have sliced them into gravy, but none did.
As his body wandered his ship, so too did his mind wander. He wondered whether Xaqana-Ti somehow knew that he had already ordered Lio to abduct the Dracon’s Arima. He was an expert in surveillance technology, as were all Xanti, and he always, as a matter of course, checked his surroundings for listening devices. Even when visiting Lio’s office on Jasan. He could not find a reason, or a meaning, for her to order him to do something he’d already done, so eventually he set that puzzle aside and moved to the next.
He had intercepted the vid between Lio and his Terien worker concerning the human female of course. And he knew that Lio would find a way to make the female aid them. The question was, should he take personal action in the abduction or should he allow Lio to handle it?
If he allowed Lio to handle it, and the human failed, he, Za-Queg, would be held responsible for his underling’s failure, as was right. If he personally went to the planet to take possession of the females, and failed, again he would be held responsible. The only difference between the two methods was that if he did it himself, he at least had some control over the outcome. Also, if successful, such a daring undertaking would certainly earn him high praise from Xaqana-Ti. High praise from one’s First Ruler was always worth high risk. Not to mention the opportunity to remove the mark he had made in her web. He would rise to no higher rank or position so long as that mark remained.
Za-Queg sighed inwardly. There really was no other option. He must go to the planet himself and take possession of the berezi and the Arima. If he failed, it would at least be his own failure, not that of some squishy little human.
Chapter 23
Saige sat on the cool grass just behind the house, looking out over the river as she patiently stretched her muscles. It had been weeks since she’d had the opportunity to really work out. There were treadmills and other stationary exercise devices on most of the ships she had traveled on from Earth, but nothing that allowed a truly good workout. She was anxious to get started, but was wise enough to know that if she did not prepare her body first she would more than likely injure herself.
She enjoyed the feel of her muscles as she stretched and pulled, saying a silent thank you to Riata as she warmed them up carefully. She knew that the Healer had done more than heal her bruises. She had also healed the lingering inflammation and soreness in her muscles and joints from being bound so long.
She said silent thanks to Lariah and Suly as well for the toiletries and clothing. She’d been happy to find the only pair of stretchy shorts that had survived the fire among the clothes sent up from the main ranch house.
Satisfied that her muscles were prepared, she rose to her feet and began a slow jog around the grassy field to warm up her cardiac system. She wondered idly where the guys had gone, then smiled to herself. She focused for a moment and reached out for them, feeling a sense of satisfaction when she felt them racing back towards her. They were still some distance away, running in
their loboenca forms, doing what Ban had told her was their version of warming up. An idea occurred to her. She continued jogging as she deliberately thought specific words in her mind, then sent them winging towards Faron, Dav and Ban all at once. She felt their instant surprise, followed by pleasure.
“Yes, amada, we are on our way and will be with you very soon,” Faron’s voice sounded in her mind.
Her face lit with a pleased smile as she continued her run around the field. When she reached her starting position she considered another lap, but decided against it. This was her first workout in weeks and her body had been through a lot over the past several days. There was no sense in pushing herself too hard and risking an injury when Riata had expended so much energy to heal her.
Instead she wandered around the field as she continued to stretch her joints and muscles. She was just about to bend over to pluck a small yellow flower when she suddenly felt Faron sneaking up behind her. She spared a fraction of a second to wonder how he had done that before she exploded into motion. She used her partially bent position as leverage as she spun around, one leg slightly bent to support her as the other whipped out, her momentum and strength giving the kick enough speed and power to easily crush a large man’s knee cap.
Faron barely avoided the blow by leaning back quickly, sacrificing balance for avoidance of the foot flashing towards him at high speed. Saige instantly took advantage. She allowed her momentum to swing her around in a full circle, much like a ballerina pirouetting, bending her off leg a bit more to maintain her balance. Her striking leg spun around for another hit, this time with more power than the first one due to the full spin and increased speed. Her kick was high enough to connect with a human male’s jaw with more than enough force to shatter the bone, and perhaps break his neck. But Faron was much taller than the average human male, and she was only able to reach him at chest level. Nevertheless, there was enough power behind it to cause pain and damage had Faron not leapt into the air to avoid it.
Saige lowered her leg, her mouth open in surprise. Faron had leapt straight up off the ground at least 10 feet. She closed her mouth and put her hands on her hips. “No fair. Super powers are not allowed,” she stated firmly.
Faron’s expression was one of shock and a quick glance at Ban and Dav showed their expressions were exactly the same. Saige took a small step back as she realized she may have made a mistake.
Most men did not like a woman to be physically faster, stronger or just better than them, particularly when it came to fighting or sparring. That was one of the reasons she had stopped going to the studio. That, and her almost freakish speed that always made people act strangely around her. She had missed having sparring partners, but it had gotten to the point none of the other members would spar with her any more anyway.
She was not faster than Faron, but she had come close to it, and she was not sure how he, or Dav and Ban, would react to that.
Faron stepped toward her, his mouth splitting into a wide grin. “That was amazing!” he said. “I have never seen a human, male or female, move that fast.”
All three of them were chuckling as they approached her, which eased some of Saige’s tension. “She almost got you Faron,” Ban chortled. “Not just once, but twice!”
Faron glanced over his shoulder at his brothers. “She sure did,” he agreed happily. “Wasn’t that fantastic?”
“You guys aren’t upset?” Saige asked uncertainly.
“Why would we be upset?” Faron asked in confusion.
“In my experience, males don’t like it if a female comes too close to beating them in a physical contest,” she said.
Faron smiled. “What do you know of the Earth animal called wolf?” he asked.
“Nothing really,” Saige replied, surprised by the seemingly off-topic question. “Why do you ask?”
“Our loboencas are much like that animal,” Faron said. “Like wolves, loboencas are pack animals. The leaders of the pack are called alphas. We are the alphas of Clan Lobo, more commonly called the Consuls. As alphas, it is our responsibility to lead our pack, but also to look after all of the pack members. We protect and care for them, insure that all are safe and well, and have whatever they need.”
Saige smiled. “I think that’s wonderful,” she said.
“We are not surprised by that, as it is clear to us that you are also alpha,” Faron replied. “We have had no female Jasani in millennia, but it is still natural for us to desire an alpha female, one who matches us in our desire to protect, and our need to fulfill our responsibilities to our pack. You are that woman, Saige, and we could not be happier about it.”
Saige was overwhelmed with emotion. Never in her life had she felt so accepted for herself, for who and what she was. She blinked back tears as she struggled to find the words to say what she felt, but nothing appropriate to the true importance of the moment came to her.
Faron, Dav and Ban watched her quietly, feeling her intense response and understanding her difficulty. They all bowed to her silently, their left fists at their hearts in acknowledgement of her emotional response. When they straightened, Dav stepped forward and smiled.
“My turn,” he said.
Saige raised a brow at him, silently grateful for their understanding. As Faron and Ban stepped back out of the way. She bent her knees slightly and raised her arms, elbows bent, chin down, all of her senses focused intently on her new opponent.
Dav sidestepped slowly around her, watching carefully as she slowly followed him, the ball of one foot turning silently and without obvious effort so that she remained facing him wherever he moved. He was thinking of how beautiful she looked, so graceful and elegant in her fighting stance, when without warning Saige sprang into motion. She pushed off of the ground with one foot, spinning in the air as she flew forward towards Dav, her foot coming towards his face so fast he could do no more than shove himself backward, nearly landing on his butt. Saige followed him, spinning once more to build momentum and power, this time her heel aiming for his solar plexus. Dav got his hands up and blocked the kick with his forearm, shocked that the blow actually hurt. The blocked foot slid down towards the ground in a graceful arc and Saige used its momentum as it reached the ground to launch herself into the air toward him again. This time she aimed for his jaw with the heel of her hand instead of her foot. Dav barely ducked the blow, then grabbed her around the waist because he simply could not strike back at her. Saige jerked her knees up into his stomach, shoving against him so hard that his grip loosened around her waist. She flipped backwards into the air, spinning so fast that she was able to land on the balls of her feet even though she’d only been a short distance off the ground when she’d begun the flip.
Dav stared at her in awe as she returned to her ready stance, her breathing even as she waited calmly for his next move.
“Have we died and gone to the next world where all dreams become real?” he asked his brothers, his eyes never leaving Saige.
“Better,” Faron replied. “We are still alive and Saige is no dream, though she is certainly the answer to all of our dreams.”
“My turn,” Ban announced happily, stepping forward to take Dav’s place. He bowed to her formally and was pleased when Saige solemnly returned the gesture without making the mistake of taking her eyes off of her opponent.
An hour later Saige had sparred with all three of them. They had paused often to give her tips on how to move more elusively and strike even harder, though she was, to their joy, already a dangerous opponent.
She was working on a movement Faron had shown her when she realized that she was hot, sweaty, and extremely aroused. She wasn’t altogether certain when the arousal had begun because she had been so focused on her technique, but she thought it had begun from her first kick at Faron.
Now Faron stood a few feet from her, waiting for her to use the new move on him. She leapt into the air, spinning forward, kicking out with one foot at the last moment. Faron caught her around the waist and pulle
d her close against him. She looked down into his eyes and for a long moment could not look away. He was aroused as well, she realized just before he lowered her enough that he could reach her mouth with his own.
Their kiss was hot, hard and almost desperately passionate. Saige wrapped her legs around Faron’s waist and buried her fingers deep into his long, silky hair. She loved the contrasts: hot, hard mouth and soft lips, the rough stubble on his chin and cheeks, the silkiness of his hair around her fingers. His hands slid from her waist down to her bottom. He squeezed her gently before pulling her body more tightly against him.
Saige felt Ban and Dav approach, heard their breathing increase as their passion rose with hers and Faron’s. Faron broke their kiss, his breath coming in harsh pants which matched her own.
“Inside,” he said roughly. “Now.”
He passed her into Dav’s arms and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he plundered her mouth with his own. She felt her skin instantly cool as she was carried into the house and out of the sun, but she did not open her eyes until Dav lifted his mouth from hers, gasping harshly. She felt Ban press himself against her back as his hands grasped the hem of her top and lifted it up and over her head, his hot mouth licking and kissing her neck and shoulders as he tossed it to the floor and began working on her bra. When it hit the floor his large warm hands were already on her breasts, cupping and gently squeezing, his fingers stroking her hard nipples.
Dav leaned back and gently nudged her legs from around his waist. She lowered her feet to the floor and he immediately bent to slide her shorts down. As they fell to her feet she kicked them away, her hands busy trying to undo the buttons on Dav’s jeans.
Strong arms spun her around and lifted her once more, this time against a hard bare chest. Faron’s mouth closed over hers as she again wrapped her legs around him. He positioned her carefully over his hard cock and began to lower her slowly. Saige threw back her head, moaning at the delicious sensation of being stretched and filled. Her entire body trembled with desire and she found herself pressing down, trying to force Faron deeper into her hot, needy sheath.
The Lobos' Heartsong Page 19
