by Cynthia Sax
“Perhaps.” He tucked her into his body, savoring her curves, her softness, her scent.
“Then you could stay here,” she mused. “You wouldn’t have to leave. You could lead the people of this planet. Teach them how to fight, how to build ships and cities and other things.”
Lea talked. Tolui closed his eyes and listened, envisioning the future she shared, a future filled with love and equality and her, a future with no more wars and no more death.
He heard the roar of a ship’s engine too soon. The sound stopped for four counts and then restarted for nine, their signal changed often to avoid Chamele duplication. “They’re here.”
“Take me with you, Tolui.” Lea slid off his lap. “I’ll fight by your side. We’ll claim our homeland together.” She rested her hands on the hilts of her daggers.
“Be strong, Lea.” Tolui reached out and clasped one of her hands. Her fingers trembled. “I have one last task to complete.” They walked through the ship. “Don’t make this task more difficult for me.”
“I won’t.” She sighed.
“You’ll stay in the tunnels while I’m gone,” he reminded her. “You won’t work on your ship or hunt rock vultures or visit the market.” He peered out the door, his vision system adjusting quickly to the increased light. The ship had already landed. His clone warriors encircled the space, their faces animated and their voices hushed.
“I won’t leave the tunnels…as long as you promised to return to me soon and alive.” Lea stopped, her grasp on his hand intensifying. “They’re all very large and heavily armed.” The sharp tang of her fear singed his nostrils.
She never feared me. I smelled only need when we met. Tolui studied his males, not seeing any difference between their appearance and his. “They resemble me. Why do you fear them?”
“I trust you.” Lea glared at him. “And I didn’t say I feared them. I said they’re very large and heavily armed.” She slid her body behind his, her actions belying her brave words.
“My lord, you could not have chosen a better homeland for us.” Four, one of those large males, strolled toward him, a rare smile lighting his scarred face. Six and Eight followed closely, appearing as happy. All of them were bare-chested, wearing identical black leather leg coverings, their sheaths filled with daggers and guns. “The males have been rejoicing.”
“Chamele 4 has long been my preferred planet,” Eight added.
“There are no buildings to demolish.” Six, designer of the cities they had planned, surveyed the landscape, a glimmer in his dark eyes. “We can start construction immediately.”
They wish to reside upon Chamele 4? Tolui stared at his warriors. “There are more accommodating planets for a homeland,” he replied in the universal language, not wishing to exclude his gerel.
“The weaker Chameles can have those accommodating planets.” Eight also switched languages. He pivoted on his boot heels, drawing the attention of the other clones. “We are clones.” He raised his sword and the males cheered. “We’re tough.” The males shouted. “And we claim the toughest planet.” They rattled their weapons.
“Our ships will land soon and we’ll secure our claim.” Four extracted a handheld scanner from the holder on his hip. “There are other humanoid life forms on our homeland. Do we send hunting parties to eradicate them, my lord?”
“No,” Lea squeaked, pushing under Tolui’s arm. “You won’t hurt my people.”
“A human female.” Four’s eyes widened.
“She’s my human female.” Tolui placed one of his palms on Lea’s stomach, prepared to fight his clone brothers to secure his gerel.
Four inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. “She smells of you, of rutting. No, more than rutting.” His gaze met Tolui’s. “You’ve bonded.” A wave of murmured amazement swept over the crowd of warriors. “You’ll have naturally born offspring.”
“There’s hope for all of us.” Eight grinned. “Once we’ve secured our planet, we’ll search the universes and capture our gerels.”
“We’re strong enough to secure the entire system.” Tolui leveled his gaze on his warriors, trying once more to sway their focus away from Chamele 4. “You can search for your gerels on all of the Chamele planets we conquer.”
“We could search there but we’ve bonded with none of the Chamele females we’ve taken thus far.” The more intellectual Six shifted his glance from Lea to Tolui and back to Lea. “Perhaps human females are more compatible with Chamele clones.”
The other warriors stared at Lea. She stepped backward, pressing her leather-clad ass into Tolui’s groin.
Tolui held his gerel tightly. “You won’t be compatible with this human female.”
The three warriors shifted their gazes to him. “Agreed,” Four answered. “None of us are compatible with your female.”
“She’s very small,” Six added.
Lea’s face turned a deep shade of crimson.
“Large breasts aren’t a requirement for bonding,” Eight drawled. Six shoved him. Eight pushed back, the two of them squabbling as though they were offspring.
Tolui sniffed the dry air. He smelled only joy and excitement. No lust and no need radiated from the males. Tension eased from his shoulders. “Four is correct.” He gazed down at Lea with wonder. “My clone brothers don’t wish to rut with you.”
“Because I’m encased in leather,” she grumbled, tugging on the concealing chest covering he’d finally chosen for her. “If I showed them some skin, they might want me.”
“Even then, they won’t want you because they aren’t me.” Tolui turned her in his arms and hugged her body close, a fierce joy surging through him. “I’m unique. Only I can bond with you.”
Another ship hovered over them, its engine temporarily deafening Tolui, blowing his hair back from his face. He instinctively hunched over Lea, protecting his mate.
“Is it one of yours?” she asked, her voice small.
Tolui studied the smaller vessel. The clone insignia decorated the hull’s silver panels. “Yes.” He relaxed his grip on Lea.
“Eight-Two would be the first to arrive,” Eight remarked dryly, pride shining in his eyes.
“He is your offspring,” Six jeered. “A wise source would have enhanced his intelligence.”
“A wise source would have removed power from your artificial womb.” The two males moved toward the landing ship, jostling each other, kicking sand.
“You truly believe you resemble them?” Lea peered up at Tolui.
He smelled the musk of her arousal, the scent crazing him. “You wish to rut,” he replied gruffly. But with whom does she wish to rut? That question pained him.
“And you don’t?” She rubbed against the hard ridge in his leg coverings. “You want me even when I’m encased in leather.”
“I’ll always want you.” Tolui clamped his hands down on her hips, stilling her teasing movements. He had to know whom she wanted, doubt clawing at his heart. “Look at Four and tell me you don’t want to rut with him.”
Four straightened, sucking his stomach in. Taken from the same source and modified for the scars Tolui had earned, Four resembled him the closest. They were perfect physical replicas of each other.
“I don’t want to rut with him,” Lea repeated, her voice flat. “But I know you don’t believe me so I’ll show you.” She approached the other male and Tolui growled, the primitive sound surprising even him. “I’ll touch him. He won’t touch me.” She glanced at Four. The clone swallowed hard and nodded. “Vow that you won’t kill him, Tolui.”
“You want to touch him.” Tolui’s voice broke, his pain too intense to conceal.
“No, I don’t want to touch him.” Lea rolled her eyes. “I’m proving that to you.” She extended her arm and placed her palm in the center of Four’s chest. The big male flinched. She gasped, her face growing alarmingly pale.
“Lea.” Tolui surged forward and pulled her away from Four. “Are you hurt?” He turned her to face him. Her lips quivered, h
er normally pink flesh white. “You’re hurt.” He pressed her into his body and stroked her back, seeking to comfort her, to heal her.
She trembled. “I’m scared, not hurt,” Lea mumbled against his skin. “My need for rutting cooled instantly, as though I had walked off a high rock spire and fallen to the ground below.” She clung to his shoulders. “Don’t make me prove myself again, Tolui,” she pleaded, her desperation heartbreaking. “I never wish to touch another male.”
“I won’t allow you to touch another male.” Tolui lowered his face and rubbed one of his cheeks against hers, savoring her softness. “You’re mine and only mine, Lea.”
Chapter Six
They’re claiming my planet. Lea glanced at Tolui. He leaned over construction plans with three of his males. The sun’s rays kissed his tanned shoulders and highlighted the blue in his black hair. As though sensing her gaze on him, Tolui looked upward. His dark eyes gleamed with possession and pride.
And he’s claiming me. A tremor of desire rolled down Lea’s spine, lighting her body with sensual flames.
Eight-Two-One, one of the youngest warriors, dropped two of the fasteners he’d replicated. The sharp pieces of metal landed in the sand dangerously close to her boots. “My lord is a fortunate male,” he said, his hands full of fasteners, his baby face round and smooth. Although he appeared to have seen eighteen solar cycles, in reality, he’d only seen three. The clones had devised a means of accelerating the maturity of their offspring, using technology to compensate for their lack of caregivers. “I hope when I locate my gerel, she’ll be as lusty as you are.” His voice broke mid-sentence.
Lea’s face heated. “I’ll find you a pack to carry the fasteners in.” She darted away from Eight-Two-One, heading toward the underground tunnels. Males watched her with open curiosity, their faces and physiques resembling Tolui’s but lacking his command, his dominance and that glimmer in his eyes that stirred her blood.
A ship hovered overhead. Ships had been landing and leaving at varying intervals, investigating non-clone landings on the planet, Chamele warships having been spotted in the vicinity. That didn’t alarm Lea. Chameles regularly hunted on Chamele 4.
“Did my offspring’s offspring offend you, my lady?” Eight matched her strides. “He often speaks before he thinks.”
“We don’t know how that genetic defect happened,” Six added dryly. “It is a scientific mystery.”
Eight glared at his friend.
“He didn’t offend me. I’m well.” Lea waved them away. She followed the trail to the right, leaving the two big males squabbling by her nonfunctional ship.
Finally, she was alone, her surroundings still and serene, the only sounds being the hum of ship engines, the whistle of the wind around rock spires, and her breath. Lea slowly her pace as she approached the opening in the mountain and she savored the quiet she had become accustomed to. If Tolui had been by her side, her contentment would have been complete.
Sun glinted off a reflective surface in the tunnel. Lea stopped, drew two daggers from her thigh sheaths, and waited. It didn’t occur again.
“Who’s there?” She breathed in, smelling nothing. “Show yourself or I’ll strike.”
A male chuckled, his voice deep and low. “Don’t strike, little female. Our fight isn’t with you.”
A tall Chamele warrior stepped into the light. He clasped guns in both of his hands, weapons decorated his black leg coverings and a sword was strapped to his bare back. A tiny human female stood behind him, also armed with guns, her long brown hair pulled back from her frowning face.
“But to be cautious, we’ll restrain you.” The warrior nodded at the female. She sheathed her guns and unwrapped bindings from her leather-clad arms.
“No, you won’t restrain me.” Lea stepped back, moving away from them. “Tolui,” she yelled as loudly as she could. “Run! We’re being attacked.” She pivoted on her heels and dashed down the trail.
“I have her,” the female announced, her voice high.
Lea ran at her top velocity, pumping her arms and legs, her grip on her daggers tight, her lungs burning. She turned right, leading her pursuers away from Tolui, dashing between boulders, spires and fossilized trees.
Boot heels rang on the stone-covered path behind her, the gap behind them sometimes increasing, sometimes decreasing. Perspiration dripped down Lea’s back, trapped by her chest covering.
“Move, Ellie,” the Chamele warrior boomed. “We don’t have time for you to play.” The female cursed softly, her steps faltering.
Lea couldn’t hear the warrior’s steps, his tread as light as Tolui’s, and fear filled her heart. Where is he? She pushed her body to its maximum capabilities, frantic to escape him.
A solid mass barreled into her back, flinging her forward. She screamed, tucked into a ball and rolled on the sand-covered rock. A bloodcurdling roar thundered behind them.
Lea landed on her back, the impact knocking the breath out of her. “Tolui,” she gasped.
“What do you know of Tolui?” The Chamele warrior placed his boot in the center of her chest, pinning her to the ground, and he aimed the muzzle of one of his guns at her head. He sniffed the air. “And why do you smell of him?”
“She’s bonded to him?” The human female peered down at her.
“Clones don’t bond, Ellie.” The warrior’s mouth flattened into a grim white line. He resembled Tolui, not as closely as the clones did, but more as a naturally born brother might resemble another brother.
“I—”
“Get behind me.” The warrior interrupted the female. Although the female glared at him, she complied with his command. “He’s here.” He removed the boot from Lea’s chest, repositioned his body and aimed the second gun at the path.
“Let her go, Berke.” Raw emotion edged Tolui’s voice. “Your fight is with me.”
“Tolui.” Lea sat upright, uncaring of Berke’s gun. Tolui’s face was flushed, a sheen of perspiration covered his skin, his claws were extended, and his eyes looked wild. “You shouldn’t have followed me. I was leading them away from you.”
He pressed his lips together, a tic pulsing in his scarred cheek. “You were leading them to your death. He’s our enemy, a ruthless Chamele Warlord. He would have killed you, Lea.” Tolui’s gaze shifted to Berke. “Don’t hurt her. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“No,” Lea protested. “He’ll kill you.”
“I will kill you,” Berke confirmed. “But unlike you, I don’t hurt females.”
Tolui retracted his claws. “Unlike you, I view females as equals.” He tossed his guns and daggers on the sand, his disarming frightening Lea. Doesn’t he plan to fight? She clutched her daggers, prepared to fight for him.
Berke’s lips twisted. “You say you view females as equals yet you ask me not to hurt this female. Are all of the words out of your mouth lies, clone?”
“I don’t protect her because she’s female or because she’s weak or because she is unable to protect herself.” Tolui spat. “I protect her because she’s mine. I love her.”
“He loves her,” Ellie, the human female, echoed.
Lea inhaled sharply. “You love me?” Tolui met her gaze and nodded curtly.
He loves me. She leaped to her booted feet and stood in front of her warrior, her arms spread wide, sunlight reflecting off the blades of her daggers. “You’ll have to kill me, Warlord, because I won’t allow you to hurt my male.”
“Move behind me, gerel,” Tolui ordered.
“Gerel,” Berke and Ellie repeated.
“Yes, gerel.” Lea ignored her male’s command. “Your clones might not bond but Tolui does. He has bonded with me and I’ll die without him.”
“Or she’ll wish she was dead.” Ellie gazed up at Berke. He gazed down at her. “Remember the pain I felt while we were apart. Would you doom her forever to that fate?”
“I seek justice, Ellie,” Berke growled.
“No.” Ellie narrowed her eyes. “You seek a fig
ht.” The Chamele’s lips flattened. He didn’t deny her statement.
“Assure my female’s safety.” Tolui stepped around Lea. “And I’ll give you the fight you want.” He extended his claws.
“It’ll be fair?” Berke asked. “No tricks?”
Tolui nodded. “It’ll be as fair as a fight between a Chamele and a genetically superior clone can be.”
Berke’s lips flattened. “Hold these.” He handed his guns to Ellie. “We’ll soon find out who is genetically superior.” He dropped his sword and daggers to the ground.
Tolui grinned, his scars flashing silver in his tanned face.
I can’t stop this confrontation. All I can do is ensure he lives through it. “If you kill Tolui, I’ll kill your female,” Lea warned the Chamele Warlord.
Berke’s gaze shifted from Tolui’s face to the daggers in Lea’s hands. He frowned.
“Berke might have assured your gerel’s safety, Tolui, but I haven’t,” Ellie countered. “If he dies, she dies.” She waved one of her guns at Lea, her expression cold and hard.
“No one will die.” Berke spread his claws.
Tolui bent his knees, lowering his torso, his muscles coiling. “Agreed.” He sprang. Berke rushed to meet him and the two males colliding, chest smacking against chest, claws catching claws.
Lea gasped. Ellie winced. Their males pushed at each other, grunting with effort. Muscles delineated their fit forms, their long black hair draped over their shoulders. Tolui slowly pushed Berke backward, his biceps bulging, veins lifting on his tanned skin.
Berke twisted to the right, swiping his claws over skin, leaving a trail of red on Tolui’s stomach. Tolui hissed.
“Tolui.” Lea tightened her fingers around the hilts of her blades, her world spinning slightly. She wouldn’t survive his death, not with her soul intact. She knew this.
“He heals,” Ellie assured her quietly.
She was right. Tolui’s bleeding had already stopped, the blood beading on his skin. The males circled each other, their faces hard, their gazes intent on each other.
“Savor your last moments of freedom, clone.” Berke waved his bloody claws. “When I defeat you, you and your gerel will be transferred to the prisons on Gehenna 5.”
