by Hope Hart
“Inform the king that I must speak to him,” I say, and he nods as he swings open the gate.
While our tribe moves each season, our ongoing fight against the Voildi has meant that we needed to improve our defenses. Now we have more guards surrounding our camp and sentries guarding our mishua night and day.
We ride close to the large pen where the mishua graze and then help the females to find their feet before servants take our mishua to be fed and brushed.
The sentry returns, almost tripping over his feet as he stares, wide-eyed, at the females. “Rakiz is ready for you.”
I nod and lead the females across the camp. They are so tired that they can barely walk, and I lean down, murmuring into Ellie’s ear. “Would you like me to carry you?”
She glances up at me, and her eyes widen. “Uh, I’m good, thanks.”
The females stare silently around the camp. Most families are in their kradis at this time of night, although those who are not are whispering amongst themselves as they watch us walk toward the king’s tashiv.
While most of our people have made their homes in large, spacious kradis, Rakiz requires extra space for meetings with his advisors and negotiations with other tribes. His tashiv is warm and welcoming, and I sigh, for once glad to be back in our camp. We walk into the meeting area where Rakiz is waiting, and I hear Ellie inhale sharply as she takes a step closer to me.
There is a reason Rakiz is our king. While he does not fight often, he is still a Braxian warrior that none would challenge.
He scans the group of females, and while no one who does not know him well would see the surprise on his face, I can tell he is shocked by what he sees.
“We found these females traveling with Voildi,” I tell him. “They had no idea how much danger they were in.”
Rakiz frowns at that. Everyone is aware of the dangers of the Voildi. This is something I also do not understand, and I am interested to hear the females’ explanation.
“How is it that you came to be in such a situation?” Rakiz asks.
Unsurprisingly, the female who rode the mishua alone is the one to speak. She seems to be the unofficial leader of the females, and she studies Rakiz in a way that would constitute a challenge if she were a male.
“We were taken from our home planet,” she says. “We were then sold on a different planet and loaded into a ship. That ship went down on this planet, and the Voildi appeared. They killed what was left of the aliens who took us and promised us food and water if we went back to their tribe with them.”
Rakiz growls and flicks a glance at me. I nod, also stunned. This story does not make any sense. And yet there is no question that these females speak a different language, dress differently, and were willing to trust the Voildi—something that no female on this planet would ever do.
“We need your help,” Nevada continues, and Rakiz returns his attention to her.
“We had other women with us. Three of them were taken by the Voildi in front of us. We don’t know what happened to the fourth, but she was seriously injured. We wanted to find them ourselves, but your men assured us that you would send your people to look for them if we came here.”
Rakiz studies the female, and I do the same. She does not appear at all discomforted by his silence and simply stares back at him, her spine straight, hands clasped behind her back.
Rakiz nods, his eyes never leaving Nevada. “We will of course help you find your friends. I will send a group of warriors at first light.”
Nevada’s shoulders slump slightly in relief, and some of the tension eases on her face. “I will go with them.”
“You will not.”
They stare at each other, the air once again tense and thick.
“Listen,” she says softly, “I was taught to leave no man—or woman—behind. I’m going to help find them.”
Rakiz gets to his feet, and I sigh. These females are different to any we have known, and my king is studying Nevada as if she is a slightly interesting bug. He lets his eyes move down her body, and she stiffens, tilting her chin higher. Rakiz’s eyes stop on one of her knees, which is oozing blood.
He flicks his gaze to me, and I nod. I will ensure all these females are taken directly to the healers.
“We will discuss this in the morning,” Rakiz says, and I raise my brow. It is unlike him to lie. He has made his decision, but he obviously wants the females to eat and rest without arguing.
Nevada nods, and Rakiz turns his gaze onto one of his servants. “Arana, will you please ensure these females have a chance to bathe, fresh clothes, and food? They will also need somewhere to sleep.”
I almost growl at that. My female will be sleeping with me. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Ellie
The king is scary. Sure, Terex is scary, but he can also be gentle, with a grin that urges you to grin back. Rakiz simply radiates threat. I don’t know how Nevada talked to him the way she did, but I suspect she has a death wish.
When Rakiz mentions food and sleep, I almost want to cry with relief. The king’s hut is warm, and I could easily curl up on the floor next to the fire in the corner of the room. Terex gestures for us to follow him, and we make our way out of the hut and walk along a path of large tents, which he refers to as kradis. He stops in front of one of them, and a head immediately pokes out.
“I heard you were coming,” an old woman says. “I prepared accordingly. Come in.”
There are three women in the kradi, and it smells like flowers and herbs. A fire burns in the center of it, ensuring it’s cozy and warm while the smoke escapes through a small hole cut into the top of the kradi. My eyes are immediately heavy-lidded, and Terex reaches out, grabbing my shoulder as I stumble.
The woman who greeted us gestures for us all to sit on rugs near the fire.
“I am Moni,” she says, “and this is Talou and Fenri.”
We introduce ourselves, and Moni turns to me while Talou and Fenri murmur quietly to the others.
Moni’s green eyes study my makeshift sling. “We will need to remove this, child,” she says, and I swallow around the lump in my throat at the sympathy in her voice.
Terex sits behind me and gently unties the sling, carefully removing it while I hold my arm at a ninety-degree angle.
Moni glances at Terex, and he moves closer, a knife in his hand. My heart almost stops, but he simply uses it to slice the sleeve of my pajama top, cutting away the material until it falls, revealing my poor elbow.
It’s bruised and swollen, and I still can’t move my arm at all without vicious pain.
Moni takes it and hums, studying it silently for a long moment. She gestures to one of the other women, who passes her a bowl of what looks like green mush. I flinch as she slathers it on my elbow, crying out as I hurt myself with the movement. Terex moves even closer, placing his huge hand over mine where I’m clutching my wrist.
“Gently, Ellie,” he murmurs, and my heart flips at the way he says my name even as I fight back tears at the pain.
Whatever is in the green paste starts burning, and I cry out again. I want to pull my arm away and wipe off the paste, but I know any movement will make it hurt worse.
“Be at ease, child,” Moni says. “You can’t have healing without pain. Perhaps this is something that you have been slow to learn, hmm?”
She looks into my eyes for a moment, and it’s as if she’s looking directly into my soul. I shiver, and then the moment’s gone, and the burning begins to ease, my elbow going numb beneath the paste.
Moni examines it again, giving a pleased hum at whatever she sees. Then she reaches for a piece of clean material, expertly folding it into a much better sling than the one I had. She pins it in place, and just like that, I can once again think past the pain.
“Thank you,” I say, and she simply smiles and nods at me.
“Think about what I said.”
Moni hands Terex some cream to put on my feet once I’ve cleaned them, and then I watch as the others are
fixed up. Vivian had a deep cut along her back, which she’d kept to herself, and Nevada’s knee has swollen to twice its usual size. Alexis’s ankle is sprained, but by the time we leave the healer’s kradi, all of us are feeling much better than when we first walked in.
Terex waits until the others are a few feet away and then draws me close. “I want you to sleep in my kradi, tiny female. What will it take to make this happen?”
I stiffen. “Are you making fun of me?”
Terex frowns. “I don’t understand. I find that I do not want to let you out of my sight. Will you stay with me?”
I pull away, suddenly furious. “Did Vivian put you up to this? What did she offer?”
He glowers down at me. “Enough,” he snaps.
I blink, stepping back.
“You are behaving erratically, likely because you are tired and hurt. I am willing to be patient, but you will sleep where I can see you.”
I blink up at him, completely and utterly confused. The world is dancing around me, and I’m so tired that I must be hallucinating.
Terex takes my silence as agreement, and once again, I’m treated to his heartbreaking grin. “Come, female, I will give you food, and you will sleep.”
His voice is low and pleased, and I sink into it as he leads me toward his kradi while I practically sleepwalk behind him. It’s only when he opens the flap to his kradi and gestures me inside that I freeze.
What am I doing?
Terex glances at me. “Ellie?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to sleep in here.”
“I will not hurt you, tiny female. I vow on my honor. I simply find that I wish to see you safe and content for the night.”
“Terex…”
“What do you want? I will bargain with you.”
I stare at him. I want him. I want to feel like this isn’t a dream and a guy like him could possibly want me as a woman, not because he feels sorry for me and sees me as some sort of pet, or because someone has convinced him to play with me for a while.
I sigh. I want other things too.
“I want to find Charlie.”
“One of the females. The one with the head injury?”
“Yes. I was watching the fight. It wasn’t a Voildi that took her. She was hurt, but she was tough. She would’ve fought back or made some sound if she could.”
I’m suddenly hit with guilt. We should’ve stayed and searched longer. What if it were me, abandoned by my friends?
Terex examines my face. “We searched the surrounding area, Ellie. We searched a greater area than she would have been able to travel alone, and we looked in any places she could have hidden if she were scared. Staying would have been useless.”
I nod. “Well, either way, she’s out there somewhere. Nevada’s right, and if she’s going after the other women, I want you to help me find Charlie.”
Terex studies me for a moment longer and then nods. “If this is what you wish, I will make it happen. I will help you find your friend, and you will stay in my kradi.”
I eye him. “I’m not having sex with you.”
His eyes widen and then darken, the violet turning a deep purple. “When we tumble, it will not be because of a bargain,” he tells me. “It will be because you have begged to feel me inside you.”
I blow out a breath. Oh boy.
Chapter Five
Terex
I lead the tiny female inside my kradi, triumph filling me as she sighs, immediately moving toward the fire. My kradi is large and comfortable, as befitting my status, and I am proud to present comfort and warmth to Ellie.
Her large eyes examine her surroundings, and I almost smile as they dart from my furs on one side of the kradi. She is a nervous female, and while I don’t understand why, I am willing to be patient.
I will wait for her to be ready to tumble with me. Even if it feels like the wait will kill me.
I muse over that as Ellie explores my space, poking her head into the smaller room used for bathing. I have never felt this way about a female, never felt the need to keep a female close and ensure she is safe.
Ellie’s gasp tells me that Arana has filled the bath, and I smile as I make my way to where she is eyeing it with longing.
“Would you like to bathe or eat first?” I ask.
Her stomach rumbles, but she nods toward the bath. I will have food waiting for her when she is finished.
“You will need help getting undressed,” I say, and she flicks me a look.
“No, I won’t,” she says quickly. She gestures for me to leave, and I almost laugh. Sometimes she is as skittish as a wild animal, and other times, she is quick to order me around, as if she is the warrior.
I raise my eyebrow at being ordered from my own bathing room. A blush rises to her face, but she stares back at me, her chin sticking out stubbornly.
“You are in pain,” I try once more. “I will help.”
“I’m fine.”
I let out a low growl, and it is her flinch that convinces me to go. “You will call me if you need help.”
She nods in relief, and I move toward the fire, where Arana has left enough food for a feast. She is well aware of a warrior’s need for fuel, especially when returning from a hunt.
I attempt to ignore the sounds of clothing dropping to the ground and sit down, focusing on the fire instead. I am not sure why this stubborn, tiny female appeals to me so much, but I will keep her near until I know the answer.
I tense at her gasp, and then I’m on my feet as a tiny, pained sound reaches me. I’m in the bathing room in a flash, coming to a stunned stop as I meet Ellie’s eyes.
She glares over her shoulder at me. “What are you doing? Don’t look!”
I raise a shaking hand to my mouth and glance away, but nothing will erase this vision from my mind. Ellie, turned away, her skin glowing in the candlelight, her lush ass naked as she attempts to remove her shirt.
It is the last part that snaps me out of my sudden daze.
“You are in pain,” I growl. “I do not know why you are so shy with me, but you will allow me to help.”
“God, what is wrong with you? I said I’m fine.”
The frustration in her shaky voice hits me, and I turn back to her, careful to keep my eyes on her face. It is flushed, her eyes filled with tears, and she is swaying with exhaustion.
“Enough,” I snap, striding forward.
She flinches away, but I slide one hand around her waist, careful to keep my attention on the knot she has been struggling with.
“You should have called for me instead of hurting yourself,” I growl. “Your stubbornness has only caused you more pain.”
She lets out a rough breath but chooses not to reply, and I have the knot free within moments. I gently remove the sling holding her arm in place, and Ellie clutches her wrist, keeping her elbow still.
“Keep holding your arm right there,” I tell her, moving around to the front of her body.
Her eyes are still filled with tears, and she glances away as I fumble with her shirt, cursing.
She lets out a tiny laugh, finally meeting my eyes. “You can rip the shirt if you want. It’s just a rag now.”
I do not want to risk jolting her arm, so I pull my knife from my belt and cut through the material. I do the same at the top so that she will not need to move her injured arm at all.
This female is incredibly shy with her body, and while I do not understand it, I must make allowances for her strange ways. I keep my eyes on hers as I take the elbow on her good arm and direct her to the bath.
I hold her and make sure she does not slip, and finally, she is sinking into the steaming water. A sigh of pleasure escapes her, and my whole body tenses. I want her to make that same sound while I bring her more pleasure than she could imagine.
“Tell me when you are almost finished, and I will help you wash your hair.”
Ellie nibbles her lip, but her desire to be completely clean must outweigh whatever concern she ha
s about my presence because she nods, eyes once again darting away until I leave.
I have a sudden vision of joining her in the large bath, coaxing her onto my lap and watching her eyes darken as she rides me. One day, she will not fear me.
Ellie
Terex finally moves back to the fire, and I sigh. That was mortifying. He’s in such incredible shape, and knowing that he just stared at my naked, wobbly white butt is enough to make me want to cry.
I frown, confusion hitting me as I sink deeper into the warm water. I expected his touch to be clinical as he helped me, obviously too much of a gentleman to put up with a woman in pain. But his eyes were dark, muscles tense, and I didn’t miss the lust on his hard face when he first walked in.
Could he really want me?
I find it difficult to believe, but if I judge him by his actions…
He’s insisted I stay with him and helped me undress, and he seemed unwilling to put up with my pain. Then there’s the comment he made about “tumbling” me.
The thought makes my cheeks heat, but I can’t deny that the idea of Terex wanting me…
No, Ellie, you’ve made this mistake before.
The water is beginning to cool, and I clear my throat, then call Terex to help with my hair.
He instantly appears, a large jar in his hand as he moves toward the bath. “Dunk your head, tiny female.”
I keep hold of my wrist, holding my elbow steady, and take a deep breath before sliding down enough to wet all my hair. I’m overdue for a cut, but I haven’t had the time between teaching and volunteering.
Terex makes a pleased sound as I sit back up, and he reaches for my hair and squeezes it to remove some of the excess water. Then I feel something cool on my head, and he begins lathering it up, scrubbing my scalp until I’m almost purring.
“Your hair is beautiful,” he says, and I smile in pleasure. It’s the one physical trait that my sister was jealous of, her own hair thin and dry.
“When I first laid eyes on you, I imagined brushing this hair in front of my fire,” Terex continues, and I shiver as his fingers continue to work the soap through the strands. “Will you allow me to do this for you?”
