Theon
As they share a meal with the leader of the Northern Clan for the first time, a partial truce is formed.
“You understand that my brother rules the down below, and I cannot speak for him?”
“I understand, but this is a start.”
“I agree.” Theon and Jove clasp arms to seal the deal, one that allows the mingling of the two clans, with the understanding that the Northern Clan is prohibited from visiting the down below in the South.
They will exchange males, allow them to train with one another, and those who choose to do so can petition the leader and ask for permission to live in their territory.
Theon has no doubt that Jeat will protest, but after what happened with Catalina, Theon no longer cares. He now has Jove and the Northern Clan as allies.
This is a new start for the Curaz people, all of them, all because of the bravery of one human female.
Two Moon Cycles Later
As he gazes down at Catalina, who lies asleep on his furs, Theon leans down and lightly kisses her forehead before slipping outside. The moons are bright as he heads for the door that leads down below. It’s not the same entrance to the female Commons; this one is much more secluded, more private. Only a select few know of this entrance.
He heads down, making guards step aside with just a look. No words are spoken.
He finds Jeat asleep in his bed, unaware that anything is wrong. This male, his only brother, thought to destroy him, Catalina, and the happiness they share.
His steps are soft, slow, precise as he moves to stand at the side of his bed.
Jeat is on his back. Just as his eyes fly open, Theon strikes like a coiled snake, his hand wrapping tightly around Jeat’s neck.
Jeat’s hands circle Theon’s wrist, trying to pry his hand loose, but Theon is too strong.
Jeat’s skin turns dark from lack of oxygen. Theon leans down, almost nose to nose.
“Listen carefully, brother.” His voice is low, deadly. He means every word. “If you come after me or touch Catalina again, I will slaughter you in your sleep and never think twice about it. Remember that.” With one hard squeeze to get his point across, Theon releases Jeat’s throat and walks away.
In the background, he hears Jeat cough and sputter as the door closes behind him.
Back in his room, he climbs into bed with Catalina. She leans up with sleepy eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he kisses her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
The end
(Read on for a glimpse of Alan and Kattlyn’s story)
Alan
Alan watched as Catalina walked out of the room with Toran. The loss was immediate, and when the door shut behind them, he let the tears fall freely from his eyes. Hastily, he swiped them away. Real men don’t cry, but dammit, how many people did he have to lose?
His sister was ripped from his side, and now he let Cat go. But what choice did he have? He couldn’t expect her to traipse across the universe with him.
But he missed her already, and tonight, he would grieve the loss of family.
Again.
After a fretful night’s sleep, Alan woke to a brand new day. He vowed to train hard so he could be in the best shape of his life. He needed to be if he planned to survive this new world of space.
One day turned into two, then three, and before Alan knew it, a month had passed by. He’d almost given up hope of finding his sister.
A loud explosion, and the ship rocked violently.
Alan headed for the bridge. He and Toran had become good friends, and Toran allowed him access to the ship. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Toran also searched for Human females. They suspected that Humans were compatible with Curazins, and he wanted as much information as possible.
When he entered, he found Toran sitting in the captain’s chair.
“What’s happening?” Alan asked as he stood behind the chair and stared at the view screen.
“Two Turei ships are firing at one of the Azziarin vessels. We have a long-standing treaty with them and have decided to join the fray.”
Another blast rocked the ship before Toran ordered, “Return fire.”
The battle lasted only minutes. When the Azziarin’s face filled the screen, Alan’s eyes slid to the human next to him. His breath hitched. She was the first Human female Alan had seen since Catalina. Seeing her renewed his hope of finding Krista.
“Thank you for your help, Commander,” the Azziarin commander said as he stood like the leader he was.
“You are welcome. I am Toran.”
“I am Zekke, prince of Azziar.”
Toran glanced at Zekke, but most of his focus remained on the female. “As payment for our assistance, an invitation to visit your ship would suffice.”
Alan spoke from the corner of his mouth, knowing they couldn’t hear him. “Thank you.”
Toran knew the Azziarins now owed them a debt. He hid his smile when Zekke inclined his head briefly and asked, “Will you join my mate and me for refreshments?”
“Accepted. We will see you soon.”
Alan faced Toran and asked, “Is she with him?”
“Yes, I imagine she is. I have heard rumors of Zekke. He is strict military all the way and would never allow a female on his ship unless she was his mate.”
Alan followed them onto a shuttlecraft. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. Time slowed to a snail’s pace as he waited to face the female.
When they finally landed and stepped out of the shuttlecraft, they must have stared at the female a little too long.
Zekke stepped in front of her and said in a stern voice, “You will show my mate respect.”
Toran’s eyes shot to Zekke’s, and then he bowed his head. “My apologies if we made your mate uncomfortable. We have much to discuss.”
Zekke’s eyes landed on Alan. “I agree.”
The Azziarins escorted them to the meeting room. Refreshments were served as the two groups sat down at the table and faced each other.
The human stared at Alan as much as he stared at her. He didn’t know if he was allowed to ask questions. Finally, she broke the ice and said, “I’m Ava. I was living near D.C. when everything happened.”
It was then he noticed that silence filled the room. Everyone wanted to hear the two humans talk. It didn’t bother him; he wanted to talk to her and find out everything he could.
“My name is Alan. I’m from Nashville.”
“How did you end up with the Curazins?”
His smile was sad as he thought about the events leading up to this moment. Losing his sister, being held prisoner, and then letting Cat go. “I might ask you the same question.” His eyes darted to Zekke and then back to Ava.
“I don’t mind,” she smiled. “I’m a sergeant in the army. Only a handful of us made it out alive when the Tureis attacked. I patrolled with my squad each night. The Azziarins showed up to help,” she smiled at Zekke, “and here I am.”
That sounded so simple. And to think the Azziarins were on Earth to help. Hope flared inside as he asked, “You’re happy?”
“Yes, I am. Now it’s your turn.”
“My sister and I retreated to a cabin when the first attacks came. For months, we isolated ourselves. One day we decided to drive into town, see if the Tureis were still there.” He shook his head and swallowed hard. “It was my fault; I knew better. The Tureis were everywhere. I crashed the car and knew that it was the end of the line for me. I was dead.” He drew in a ragged breath. “I woke up on one of the Tureis’ ships and was later rescued by the Curazins. I know the Tureis took my sister, and Toran has agreed to help me search for her.”
Toran finally spoke up. “The Tureis had started a new breeding program. There was one other human there, a female. She was held in a separate area at first and then moved into the same cell as Alan. We think they were trying to impregnate her.”
“Did they?” Zekke inquired.
“No.” Toran
leaned back and crossed his arms.
Zekke leveled his gaze on Alan and stared in silence. He was a prince in his own right. Power radiated from every pore in his body. He finally spoke. “We have several human females on Azziar whom we rescued from the Tureis. Your sister, what is her name?”
“Krista. She looks like me. Same hair color, eyes, light skin. Have you seen her?”
Zekke studied the human male, not giving anything away. After a few tense moments of waiting, he said, “She thinks you’re dead.”
Alan swallowed hard and refused to let tears fall from his eyes. These are strong males, and he would not be weak. With his chin held high, he asked, “You know her?”
“I do. My brother rescued her from the Tureis.”
“Thank God!” He blew out a huge breath, unable to hold it in any longer. “I’ve been so worried about her. Can you take me to her?”
“We are headed there now, and you are welcome to join us,” Zekke offered.
“I have a request,” Toran interjected.
Zekke turned his attention to him. “I’m listening.”
“Although he is from planet Earth, he cannot tell me its location.”
“You want Earth females?”
“The Earth female we rescued is living with a male of her choosing. She carries his young.”
Zekke smiled. “You have found a compatible species.”
“Yes. Do you have the coordinates?”
“Yes. But know that the Tureis are still there, and our fleet is there to help the humans fight.”
Toran laughed. “We will also send ships. If the Tureis want a fight, we will give them one.”
“The planet is located in the Dreama sector. I’ll send the exact coordinates over to your ship.”
“The Dreama sector? I didn’t think any life existed there.”
“Neither did we.”
Both groups stood, and Zekke and Toran clasped forearms. “Thank you for the information,” Toran said warmly.
“Thank you for your assistance,” Zekke added.
Ava stood in front of Alan. “Do you need to get anything before we leave?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have anything.”
The time it took to reach the planet crawled by, and more than once, Alan paced in the quarters that were assigned to him. Either that, or he would do sit-ups and pushups. At least they left him a bottle of liquor to help pass the time before he went to sleep. It kept the nightmares away.
Ava tried to engage him in conversation, but he remained solitary. Not that he didn’t appreciate the offer, but he refused to get close to another female right now. He still doubted that the Krista Zekke spoke of was the right person. Time would tell.
This is it! They had landed and were headed toward a shining black castle. On the outside, Alan remained stoic, but on the inside, he was a bundle of nerves.
There were a few other human females talking to Zekke, but Alan ignored them. He stretched his neck trying to look around them and see who else was in the room.
Krista had just come out of a room carrying a plate stacked high with cookies. “What? I wanted more. These are so good!” she said in a playful tone.
Alan felt every emotion rush forward with the sound of her voice. He couldn’t breathe.
It is Krista.
She is here.
He’d found her.
“Krista?” Alan stepped around Zekke and got his first look at his beautiful sister.
Krista froze when she heard his voice. Looking up, she saw him standing there. “Alan?” she dropped the plate of cookies on the floor and sprinted toward him. He caught her in his arms and lifted her off the ground in a bear hug.
“I was so worried about you!” he said, not bothering to hide his tears.
“I thought you were dead, and it was all my fault.” After a long embrace, she leaned back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “How can you be here? I watched you die!”
“It’s a long story. What about you? What happened?”
A very large Azziarin walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled lovingly at him and said, “This is Kollin, my mate. He was taken by the Tureis, and when he escaped, he took me with him.”
“Your mate?” Alan raised one concerned eyebrow.
“Yes, my husband.” She smiled up at Kollin and told him through her happy tears, “My brother’s alive!”
Krista turned her attention to Zekke and his new mate. “Glad you’re back, Zekke. Welcome to the family, Ava.”
“Thanks,” they both said in unison, and shared a quick, loving look.
“I think we will head up to our rooms. I have a lot of catching up to do with my brother,” Krista said. “Come on, Alan!”
Alan kept glancing at the big Azziarin with suspicion. Everything had changed since the last time he had seen his sister. Not only was she married, she had a baby on the way.
When they shut the door behind them, Krista turned with a huge smile. “I just can’t believe you’re here! How is that possible?”
Alan dropped down onto the chair, leaving the two of them to share the couch. “I don’t know. I woke up on their ship alive and well.”
Krista lowered herself down on the couch, as Kollin filled two mugs with alcohol. The Azziarins called it Fire’s Breath; Alan called it medicine that soothed his troubled soul.
When Kollin handed him the mug, Alan gladly accepted. “Thank you.”
Alan sat back in the chair and took a sip of his drink. “Now tell me what happened to you.”
“It’s a long story.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I think I have time.”
Alan’s gut twisted when Krista and Kollin smiled at each other. He felt like a third wheel on a motorcycle.
“The Tureis kidnapped me, but before they got a chance to do any harm, my knight in shining armor came to my rescue. I didn’t have a translator and couldn’t understand anything Kollin said.”
Kollin smiled at his mate. “But I could understand you.”
She swatted his arm. “Don’t remind me.” She shook her head and murmured, “That was so embarrassing.” Looking back to her brother, she finished, “We were stranded on another planet, unable to talk to each other, but I fell in love with him anyway.”
Kollin leaned over and gave Krista a peck on the lips.
Alan smiled and drained his mug. “I’m glad I found you and that you’re happy.”
“I am.” She leaned her head against Kollin’s shoulder. “I am so glad you’re alive.”
“Me too.”
Kattlyn
Kattlyn watched with envy as all her brothers found mates. She wasn’t jealous that they had found someone; she was jealous of the relationships themselves. The Humans demanded that her brothers remain faithful, which they did. The love exchanged between mates could easily be seen, but it remained just out of her reach.
No Azziarin would ever accept the same demand from an Azziarin female, and she refused anything less than pure devotion. For years, Kattlyn watched her mother suffer from her father’s infidelities, and she vowed to herself that she would never let that happen to her.
Even now, her father expected her to mate with Jussin, but she didn’t love him. She also knew that he was not her true mate.
She and her family stayed at odds because she refused to give in and accept less than what they had.
Jussin was a fine male born to a noble family who owned several stalls at the marketplace. If she mated him, she would want for nothing. But being a princess, she wanted for nothing, so the thought of money didn’t entice her.
What she longed for was true love, always wanting to be with that one person you couldn’t live without. Was that wrong? Her world was quickly changing thanks to the Humans, and Kattlyn was ready to jump on board.
When she rounded the corner, she came face to face with her father, King Mallik. “Kattlyn, I was just coming to find you.”
She inclined her head, “King.”<
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“How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Many times, but she blamed him for her mother’s unhappiness before she passed away.
“Sorry, Father.”
He waved her comment away. “I have invited Jussin over for third meal, and I expect you to be there dressed in your finest garments.”
Kattlyn seethed on the inside. The females never wore nice garments until Sydney arrived. She designed clothes for almost everyone who asked, and now it was expected when important people came to visit.
The last thing she wanted was to share a meal with someone she had no intentions of mating, but she would not defy her father, not right now. “Very well,” she inclined her head.
“Good. I’ll see you later in the dining hall.” And with that, he walked past her and left her standing in the corridor.
She headed to her quarters, seething at the injustice of it all. Opening her closet, she picked out her clothes, not that she cared what she wore. Impressing Jussin wasn’t important to her.
Later that evening, she sat around the massive table facing her intended, as her father liked to call him. Jakke and Sydney along with Dazz and Chloe sat around the table with them. A formal meal, Kattlyn thought.
When Jussin smiled, it felt more like a smirk when he directed it at her. Did he think that he could win the approval of her family, and she would have no choice? To steal a line from Sydney, What an asshole!
The longer she sat there, the angrier she became. She firmed her resolve even if it meant going against the family.
Father, Jakke, and Dazz asked Jussin questions about his family, making sure he was good enough for the precious princess. Did he meet their standards? She tightened her lips to hold her tongue. Three questions later, she reached over in front of Dazz, who sat beside her, and grabbed his mug of Fire’s Breath. One gulp later, all three males stared at her in disbelief.
“What?” she asked just before she took another gulp. If their precious mates could drink this stuff, then so could she.
Theon Untamed: First Contact (Untamed World Book 1) Page 17
