by Gail Koger
I grinned. Hot dang, it had worked. I gave his penis another mental lick. “Liked that, did ya?”
Talree’s voice was a purr of menace. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Duh? “Giving you a blowjob.”
“In the middle of a battle?”
“Yep. It was the only thing I could think of to stop the beast.”
My Warlord stiffened in outrage. “The beast was not in control.”
I snorted. “In denial much? You were ten seconds away from killing the females too.”
The rage drained from Talree’s eyes, and he nodded stiffly. “Your techniques are quite effective.”
“Yep. Sex puts the beast back in his cage. So, partner, from now on, I’m your backup. If Mister Hyde makes another appearance, I’ll stop him no matter what I have to lick or suck. Got it?”
A reluctant smile touched Talree’s mouth. “Yes, my lady.”
“Good. Let’s get the hell out of here. I promised Tae we would take her home.”
Soulet’s crackle of laughter shattered my concentration and the memory. “Using sex to obtain your mate’s obedience is very creative. Do you think it would work on Hank?”
She definitely didn’t get it. “I did it to save Talree, not to control him. Hank needs to be able to trust you. Your father took away your choice when he signed the mating agreement with Kall. Do you remember how you felt? How betrayed? How hurt?”
Her tentacles wilted. “A valid point. I wish Hank to be happy with our joining.”
“He will be, but you need to give him time.”
“Showing me how you and Talree overcame your differences gives me hope. Please continue with your story.”
“Okay, back to the swamp.”
Chapter Ten
Fog shrouded a shattered forest of trees. Vivid red cabbage-like flowers dotted the icky green water. Studded spikes sprouted from the center of the flowers and stank of rotted flesh. A horde of bee-type insects flitted from flower to flower.
Talree skillfully guided the barge around the floating garden. From my perch behind him, I kept watch for any threats. My radar had been twitching for the last hour. I knew without a doubt we were being watched, but so far our watchers hadn’t made any hostile moves.
Tae wiggled impatiently in my lap. “Why did you stop?”
I started petting her again. “I thought I saw something.”
“Few enter this place.”
A purple dragonfly the size of a Great Dane hovered over the ship. My hand tightened on the laser rifle. Shit, look at the claws on that thing. “I can see why.”
Something whooped in the swamp, and it darted away.
Tae continued as if nothing had happened. “My home, Taborlin, lies beyond the forest of the dead.”
I surveyed the tangled network of raised roots that spread from the charred trees. “Spooky-lookin’ place.”
“It is haunted by the Old Ones.”
I scratched under Tae’s chin, and one of her legs twitched rapidly. Guess I had hit her G-spot. “You mean there are real ghosts here?”
“Yes, the dead are trapped forever in this place.”
A cold chill skittered up my spine. “How? What happened?”
“Their enemy, the Musa, ambushed the Old Ones here.”
Using my Siren’s inner eye, I carefully searched for spirits. No scary ghouls to be seen. “None of them survived the attack?”
“Only one. Quanah. He set off a weapon of such great power, it destroyed the Musa and every living creature within a hundred clicks. Even now, nothing lives in this land.”
“Shit! We need to turn around.”
“As long as we stay on the water, we are safe,” Tae advised.
“Uh-huh. Maybe for you Tabors, but what about humans and Colettis?”
Tae patted my hand. “Many humanoids have traveled through the forest and survived.”
I linked with Talree. “Did you hear what she said? Can we get any more speed out of this rust bucket?”
“It’s too risky.” I felt Talree’s alarmed surprise and followed his gaze.
“Holy fucking shit!” Dozens of web-shrouded bodies hung from the trees. “What’s up with the corpses, Tae?”
“They are a warning to anyone foolish enough to enter our lands.”
“That’s one hell of a KEEP OUT sign. Enter, and you get sucked dry.”
Tae spat, “The trappers have killed many of our people.”
“Then they deserve to die, but are you sure your sentries won’t decide to turn us into tree ornaments?”
“You are under my protection,” Tae reassured me.
I stared up at the shriveled husks swinging in the wind. Every one of their faces was frozen in a grotesque mask of agony. “Yeah, but do they know it?”
Talree brushed a hand across my cheek. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Not to be a pessimist or anything, but I am a shit magnet.”
Right on cue, the engine made a loud grinding noise, and thick black smoke boiled out.
“Great. A fire.” I was batting a thousand.
The kids screeched and bolted to my head.
Tae wrapped herself around my neck, trembling violently.
Spitting fur out of my mouth, I yelled, “Is there a fire extinguisher on this piece of crap?”
Talree calmly grabbed a long metal tube, flipped the hatch open, and sprayed the contents on the fire.
I stroked Tae soothingly. “You okay?”
A tremor shook Tae. “When I was a child, the trappers set our city on fire. The flames killed everything in its path. I lost my parents.”
“I grieve with you.”
“The engine was sabotaged,” Talree announced. Soot covered his face.
To my relief, Tae crawled back to my lap. “Gee, you think someone wants us dead?”
“It’s more likely they want to collect the bounty on us,” Talree said; his eyes simmered with a killing rage.
“Fuck. The Rodan know where we crashed.”
“They do.” Talree carefully scanned the trees.
“Can the engine be fixed?”
“I am Coletti.”
“And so very modest.” Good thing my dad had taught me how to repair anything mechanical. “We got tools?”
Three hot, sweaty hours later, we had the motor fixed. If Tae and the kids hadn’t kept the marauding horde of insects at bay, I’d have been the perfect tree ornament along with all the other corpses.
The setting sun turned the fog from pink to cinnamon-colored to scarlet. It gave Arizona’s sunsets a run for their money. A pang of loneliness hit me. I missed my family and our crazy Sunday dinners. Over platters of fajitas, we’d bitch about our jobs, discuss new ways to kill the monsters, and moan over our love lives or lack thereof.
A flash of movement drew my attention. I turned, and for a brief moment, it was as if the trees were moving. Nah, the heat had fried my brains. The trees moved again. I grabbed the laser rifle and sighted in.
Holy Mary, Mother of God! The trees were full of Tabors. Big fucking Tabors. “Ah, Tae, I think the sentries are getting ready to attack.”
She scurried out of the cabin with the babies trailing behind her. “Where?”
I pointed.
Talree wiped his hands on a rag and reached for the laser rifle.
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Web balls exploded, gluing his chest, arms, and legs to the ship’s cabin wall. He roared in fury and struggled to break free.
Ducking and dodging the sticky flying balls, I shouted, “Dammit, stop it! This is not an invasion. All we’re doing is bringing Tae and Woo’s kids home. Take them, and we’ll leave.”
A web ball missed me by inches. “Or I can kick your furry butts.”
Tae hopped in front of me. “Stop! They are under my protection.”
A growly voice decreed, “You know the law. Any humanoid who enters our lands dies.”
Six gigantic spiders dropped onto the deck. I gulped. “Which one
is your bossy prick of a mate?”
“The one with the black stripes,” Tae answered.
He just had to be the biggest, meanest-looking one. “Before you do anything stupid, Your Royal Stickiness, you should know we rescued Woo’s kids from a Kotsor nest and kept Tae from being eaten by Buddy, Fatso’s pet Kotsor.”
Tae hissed, “Shut up.”
I flinched as Datlow’s telepathic rage at Tae slammed into my mind. “You’re a month away from giving birth, and you allowed yourself to be captured by the fat one? Have you lost all sense?”
I gave myself a mental head smack. That did explain Tae’s bulging tummy. “Why didn’t you tell me you are pregnant?”
“It wasn’t necessary,” Tae snapped.
That hurt. I thought we were friends.
Datlow advanced on Tae. “Do you not remember the first law?”
“I had no choice. You refused to send warriors to look for Woo and her children.”
“The first law states that all pregnant females must remain in their nests until the babies are hatched. Punishment is mandatory and must be carried out immediately.”
Oh, hell no. I shoved the laser rifle in his face. “You lay a finger…uh…fang on Tae, and I will kill you.”
Splat! Webbing yanked the rifle out of my hand. Before I could react, forty pounds of pissed-off Tabor slammed into my chest, knocking me flat. “Hey!”
Black fangs erupted from Datlow’s mouth as he went for my neck. I quickly jabbed him in the belly with my knife. “Bite me, and I’ll gut you.”
“You dare to threaten me, female?”
Shit. He was as bad as Talree. “Yeah, I do.” I poked him with the knife. “I won’t let you hurt Tae or my kids. Got it?”
“You think you can stop me?” Goo splattered my right hand, gluing it to my left breast and effectively disabling me.
“Let her go,” Tae shouted angrily.
“The female needs to be taught a lesson.”
A growl rumbled in Talree’s chest as he strained to free himself. “Use your fucking critter control.”
“Sorry. Wasn’t thinking.” And where was that language coming from?
“Obviously,” Talree snipped.
I reached out with my mind and commanded Datlow. “Get off me.”
“No.” Datlow scraped his fangs across my neck. “I’m not feebleminded like your male.”
“Be careful who you insult. Talree’s a Coletti Warlord, and his dad’s the Overlord of the clan.”
“I do not fear them,” Datlow countered.
I really hated alpha males. “Talree can kill you with a thought.”
“If he could, I’d already be dead.”
Good point. “Why haven’t you killed him?”
“The beast is gaining control.” Stress lined Talree’s face.
Crap. “Do you want Tae and the kids to die along with all your warriors?”
“That will not happen.”
Two of Datlow’s warriors crawled up Talree’s legs.
“Not hurt friends,” the kids cried, attacking Datlow.
Datlow reared back in surprise and webbed them to the deck.
Tae jumped on my Talree’s head. “Stop! This male killed fifty trappers.”
“You saw this?” Datlow’s disbelief was obvious.
“You calling her a liar?” I shoved the images of the bodies into his head.
Reluctantly, Datlow admitted, “We did see the explosion.”
“Well, call me Skippy. Did you just admit you were wrong?”
Datlow ignored me. “I will allow you to live.”
“You have our most humble gratitude, but if you hurt Tae, you’re one dead eight-legged freak.”
Talree surged into my mind. “Stop antagonizing him, Kaylee. She’s his mate.”
“And I’m a cop. It’s my job to protect Tae from an abusive asshole.”
“Your mate needs to be taught the proper respect for males,” Datlow stated.
“I have found that human females do not respond well to threats,” Talree commented.
“Tabor females are the same. She is stubborn like my Tae.” There was a touch of humor in Datlow’s voice.
“Very stubborn,” Talree added with a long-suffering sigh. “And she’s a warrior.”
“As is Tae. We should discuss training techniques.”
Tae hissed at Datlow, exposing her fangs. “Try it.”
“Bring it on, buster, and you’ll be eating through a straw.”
Datlow creeped toward me. “A temper too.”
That was when it hit me. He was laughing his ass off.
“What’s so damned funny?”
“I did not believe there could be another female like Tae.”
Talree nodded. “The odds of them meeting are slim.”
“It’s fate,” Tae and I said in unison.
I grunted when Datlow jumped on my chest. “You’re making it kinda hard to breathe here.”
His emerald eyes stared down at me. “If you ever point a weapon at me again, I will put you in the trees with the others. Do you understand?”
“Yes, and do you promise you won’t hurt Tae?”
“She broke our law.”
“For a good reason.”
Tae scurried over to us. “Stop, Kaylee. I accept my punishment.”
“But—”
Datlow pounced on her, and they rolled around the deck.
I frowned. "If I didn’t know better, I would think they were having sex."
Talree’s amused voice sounded in my head. “They are.”
“Oh, and in public no less.”
“Their customs are not ours.”
“Thank God.”
Something long and shiny protruded from Datlow’s fur. Tae squealed a second later.
“Shot his wad kinda fast.”
Talree groused, “Does that mouth ever stop?”
“Nope.” I smiled at the kids as they busily nibbled at the webbing imprisoning me.
Datlow crawled off Tae, and I swear to God, he strutted across the deck.
I asked hopefully, “Are you going to cut us free?”
His fur bristled. “Your mate, yes. You? No.”
“God, you’re such a prick.”
“Kaylee,” Talree snapped.
“What? It’s the truth.”
“Some time in the trees will correct your attitude,” Datlow said pleasantly.
Crap. Was I the master at pissing people, critters, and monsters off, or what? “Kids. In my hair. Now.” They obediently skittered up my body and hid.
Splat! A web ball nailed me. Before I could react, Datlow rolled me across the deck, and the next instant, I was hanging in a tree. Well, hell. That sucker was fast.
“You were warned,” Talree said, not an ounce of sympathy in his voice. “You must learn to respect other species’ customs.”
“Like you do when you conquer a world? Or take things that don’t belong to you?”
“We do what we must to ensure our survival.”
“What a load of crap.”
Datlow interjected, “If you want a little peace and quiet, I can inject her with venom.”
“Har. Har.” I broke the link with Talree and Datlow. Men were such jerks.
“We save you,” the kids crowed, chewing through the webbing.
“What? Wait!” I was suddenly falling. The kids chittered in alarm and leaped on a tree ornament.
“Help her!” Tae shouted as her web missed me by inches.
I hit the water with a loud splash and sank into the muddy depths, still wrapped up in webbing
Down.
Down.
Down. I went.
The dark shape of a twenty-foot-long alien crocodile rose from the sludge. Great. I was Afula bait.
Talree roared in my head, “What did you do, Kaylee?”
“Do? Like I purposely wrapped myself in webbing and decided to go for a swim? I need help, not a lecture!” I shrieked mentally.
The damned Afula was closing fast. I reached out and grabbed its mind. “Stop!” I could sense its confusion and tightened my grip as the massive body slammed into me. The webbing stuck to its scaly hide, and I was abruptly riding it. “Giddy up, Silver! C’mon, up! Up, we go.”
The croc obeyed, and we moved toward the surface.
My lungs began to burn, and I knew I couldn’t hold my breath much longer. “Faster,” I commanded. If I got out of this alive, I was kicking Datlow’s butt.
We erupted from the water, and I sucked in a lungful of air. Violent tremors shook me as I fought to keep from losing it. “Talree?”
Grunting roars echoed around the swamp.
I gulped. It was like feeding time at the zoo. At least a dozen Afulas were zeroing in on me. “Talree,” I hollered, my panic growing.
“I’m here.”
My gaze darted around frantically. “I don’t see you.”
Something hairy dropped down beside me, and I screamed like a little girl.
“You frighten easily, female,” Datlow commented rudely and began gnawing through the webbing.
“Gee, I wonder why? I was only ten seconds away from drowning. Not to mention, I’m riding a fucking Afula who wants to gobble me up. And the croc’s friends think I’d make a tasty snack too. So excuse the hell out of me if I’m a bit upset!”
A red, incandescent laser beam sizzled by my right leg. It struck a huge crocodile, vaporizing its head.
I watched in horror as the other Afulas started tearing huge chunks out of it. “Can’t you chew any faster?”
“Be quiet,” Datlow snarled.
“If you hadn’t put me in the tree, we wouldn’t be seconds away from dying horribly.”
The monster beneath me thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge me. I tightened my grip on his mind. “Stop.”
It quivered but obeyed.
The webbing gave way, and I slid to the left, still wrapped up like a Christmas present. A ball of webbing zapped me. Up I flew.
“A little warning would be nice,” I shouted. A second later, another web struck me and swung me through the air.
Splat! Webbing caught my dangling feet, and I bobbed over the swamp. Massive jaws shot from the water.
Why did I feel like a piñata? “For God’s sake, get me out of here.”
A laser bolt struck the gator. The Afula fell back with a tremendous splash, and its buddies attacked like a school of hungry piranhas.
