by Bethany Aan
“Yes,” she whispered, her head falling back to give him greater access to her neck. Her arms slid around him, her fingers tunneling through the fur on his back, massaging him. He nearly purred.
“Ri,” he breathed, taking her mouth in a hot, slow glide of tongue against tongue, satiny lips, and full contact between their torsos as she tightened her hold on him, and he gathered her closer.
He made love to her slowly, taking his sweet time and bringing her to peak after peak before finally filling her. They napped again for a bit, but woke to the sounds of Jace moving around in the kitchen. Hunter shifted her a sheepish look, then helped her to the bathroom so they could both clean up a little.
When they were dressed once more, he scooped her up and carried her out to the living area. Jace turned, watching them, his eyes narrowing for a moment then growing hard with anger.
“You idiot!” he thundered at his brother, stomping over to Hunter. “You could have hurt her!”
“Does she look hurt?” Hunter demanded, grinning. Jace threw her an urgent look. His anger died when he saw that she looked better, rather than worse. She had color in her cheeks, and a flush of happiness that only came from one thing. He rolled his eyes and she grinned at him helplessly. It was an impish little grin that tugged at his heart.
“Gods, you two are crazy.” He swung back toward Hunter. “You really could have hurt her, brother. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that she still thought we wouldn’t want her because she couldn’t have children,” Hunter told him pointedly, his voice growing serious. “I was thinking about her emotional well-being, about showing her how much I desire her, no matter what. Legs can mend, twice if they have to. Hearts are much more fragile and do not heal with an injection. I was thinking of her heart, not of her injuries. I’ll not apologize for that.””
The brothers glared at each other for a long moment, before Jace turned soft eyes on Arianna.
“All right. But at least let me make sure my big oaf of a brother didn’t do anything to hurt you further?”
She nodded tentatively and shifted on the couch so that he could examine her leg, her ribs, and anything else that he thought he should check. Her leg did hurt a bit, more than he thought it should, but neither of them thought it was due to Hunter’s or her own passion.
For a moment after his examination, Jace let his gaze linger on her face.
“What is it?” she asked softly, touching the corner of his wistful smile. He leaned up and kissed her nose.
“I was just… I had hoped that it would be me to put that look on your face first,” he admitted. She blushed prettily and Hunter chuckled smugly.
After lunch, the brothers discussed spending a little time training, perhaps a sparring match down on the training field. Ri sighed dejectedly.
“What is it, love?” Jace asked, concerned. She shook her head, smiling sheepishly.
“I just hate being confined like this,” she admitted. “And I’m a sucker for a good sword-fight. I’d love to watch you guys spar.”
“Then come with us,” Hunter said, shrugging. She blinked at him.
“You’re not afraid Amy will try something else?” she asked. His face hardened.
“If Amy is out in public, she would be a complete fool to try anything while both of us have weapons. And we would place you where you could watch us, but we could have several warriors keep an eye on you.”
“I really hate that I can’t defend myself right now,” she huffed. “I think that’s where most of my frustration is coming from.”
“Why can you not?” Jace asked, seeming to be truly perplexed. “After all, when you had to, you were able to stand on one foot and brandish a tree branch to defend yourself and your ladies. Remember, also, that Amy was able to harm you without touching you, while Hunter and I were standing right there. It is not always possible to protect yourself, but it possible to train for almost any eventuality.”
“Our warriors train for any possibility,” Hunter told her. “If we only taught them to defend themselves while standing, with a weapon in their hand, they would be dead within minutes. Instead, we train them to fight with whatever limbs are available, whatever weapons they have, or with none at all. If a warrior loses the use of his legs during a fight, he does not have the option of quitting long enough to re-train. So when we have our practice sessions, we constantly change the tactics.” He watched her for a moment, contemplating. “Come with us today. We can show you a few moves that you can use, even as injured as you are now, to defend yourself and incapacitate even one of our best warriors.”
“Really?” Ri asked, perking up. Hunter and Jace both nodded, enjoying her enthusiasm. In minutes, she had her project basket packed and ready, for after her training session, and was eagerly waiting for the men to ready themselves. But Hunter surprised her by gently taking the basket from her and putting it on the kitchen counter. Her face fell. “I thought we were going down to the training ring.”
“We are,” he said, then watched her for a moment. “But you can’t go out there like that.”
“Like what?” she asked, frowning down at her outfit. “Did I get something on my dress?”
“No,” Jace laughed, then disappeared for a moment into Hunter’s bedroom. When he came back out, he held a comb, a length of ribbon, and several short leather thongs, much like the ones the men wore in their long hair. She cocked her head to the side in silent question. Hunter smiled down at her, then turned her stool so that she was facing away from him.
“It is Thorsani tradition,” he told her, his fingers smoothing through her waist-length hair, followed by the comb, “That a woman’s hair denotes her status as a claimed woman.”
“Claimed?” she snorted, her head moving so that she could enlighten him as to her status as her own woman. He chuckled and turned her head back around.
“Be still,” he murmured in her ear. She shivered in delight. “It does not mean you are subservient to me, just that you are under my protection, and that I am proud to let the world know that you have agreed to be my mate.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “That’s sweet.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “Each warrior has his own braid design, woven with ribbons of his team colors, so that should something happen, everyone will know whom to notify, should the woman need help.”
She felt him separate out a good portion of the hair on the very top of her head, from her forehead back, and secure it with a thong. His fingers then brushed her ear on her left side, sending a little shiver down her body. Quickly, deftly, he separated several strands out of the front half of the hair on that side, leaving the hair behind her ear to curl gently down her back. As though he’d been doing it for years, Hunter quickly braided that section of hair into an intricately woven strip, with the ribbons Jace had brought also woven into the design. Jace stepped forward to hold the ends of that braid secure, and Ri shot him a questioning look. He winked down at her.
Hunter moved to her right side and repeated the weaving process. Taking both braids to the back of her head, he then finished the hairstyle by quickly weaving the rest of her hair into his design. When the end was secure, he flipped the braid over her shoulder, showing her the finished product. She gasped in delight.
“It’s lovely!” she breathed, tracing a careful finger over the intricately woven strands. He had managed to do a 7-strand braid, with the ribbons, so that it lay flat over her shoulder. She marveled at it, wishing they had mirrors so that she could see the whole style. Hunter sensed her curiosity, though, and smiled as he shot her a mental image of what she looked like now. Her mouth gaped. She was rather pretty like this.
“But… what about Jace?” she asked, after a moment. “Is it just the team leaders that braid?”
“No,” Jace assured her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “But we have not mated yet. Once we have, Hunter’s braids will become thinner and I will add mine below his on the side of your head. Both braids will th
en join to the main braid at the back. It will be beautiful, especially on you, little one.”
She blushed prettily at that, then hugged him. Hunter raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled at his playful petulance. After all, he’d done the work!
“So now everyone will know that we…” she realized, her voice trailing off. Hunter chuckled, a rather smug, masculine sound. She wanted to swat him.
“Aye, little warrior,” he said huskily, kissing her soundly. “My warriors will know that their commander has fallen in love and finally, after all this time, taken a mate. They will rejoice.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s get going,” Jace laughed, rolling his eyes. “I want to hit someone. Preferably my brother, who stole the chance at being first with you, Ri.”
She grinned and then gave a startled little eep when Hunter swept her up to carry her down to the training field. Jace grabbed her basket and followed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Once down at the dusty ring, they found a quiet corner. At a signal from Hunter, Rom hurried into the armory and came back out with several different sparring weapons. For a long moment, Rom stared at Arianna. Finally realizing what was different, his eyes widened with delight and he whooped in celebration. Other warriors looked over to see what he was excited about, then exclaimed and began cheering, themselves. Ri groaned and hid her face, but Hunter chuckled and gently forced her chin up.
“There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said softly. “You are my mate. Why should you feel shame? I do not.”
“It’s just… sex is a very private thing back home, for most people,” she said. “And right now, everyone out here knows that we’ve done it.”
Hunter threw back his head and laughed at that, hugging her close and kissing the heck out of her, to which his warriors’ cries got louder. When he raised his head, she was staring blankly up at him.
“The Thorsani delight in our affection, Ri,” he told her, leaning his forehead against hers for a moment. “And sex is the very natural physical binding of two hearts. My warriors are happy that their commander has finally chosen a mate. That is all. They are not thinking of the sexual aspect of it.”
“Speak for yourself,” Jace muttered, then smacked Hunter on the butt with the flat of his practice sword. “Would you quit showing our mate off and get to business, brother?”
Rom and several of the other men moved to watch and to be on hand if another body was needed. Bev stood at the fence, watching.
“This is a perfect example of a situation you might find yourself in,” Jace told her without preamble. Hunter stood there, legs spread shoulder-width apart, and simply held her. Ri blinked at Jace.
“But Hunter’s holding me.”
“Exactly,” Jace said, nodding. “He’s the able-bodied warrior, but he’s trying to get you, an injured friend, to safety. His hands are full, but you’re still conscious and aware.”
“What if I wasn’t?” she asked curiously.
“Then he would have you tossed over his shoulder, leaving at least one hand free, and run with you to safety. But with you awake and able to use your arms, he can carry you like this, and you can be his hands while he is your legs.”
“Oh.” Ri paid careful attention then as Jace handed her a wooden practice sword and a practice laser pistol. He and Hunter showed her several different ways to use her body to help Hunter, to defend him as he ducked and dodged Jace’s blows from the wooden sword.
After a short time, several other warriors got into the act, providing a more realistic scenario where Hunter would have to make it through a number of ‘enemies’ to get his fallen friend to a safe haven. Ri used what they’d shown her to fend off Trey, Rom, Erik, and a number of other men. When she and Hunter came face to face with his brother, she grinned and fought her best. Jace still won, of course, but she dealt him several bruising blows that he praised her for.
“So Arianna gets to have all the fun, while the rest of us girls have to sit back and watch?” Chelsea laughed from the fence railing. One of her men, Dale, grinned over at her.
“You are not injured,” he pointed out, moving over to her.
“Exactly. So why wouldn’t I be watching Hunter’s back and protecting Ri?” she asked pointedly. “She’s my commander and friend, he’s the colony’s commander. Wouldn’t I be right there, defending her?”
“I would hope so!” Dale laughed, smiling down at her with admiration. He tilted his head toward the practice field. “Come on, then, if you think you can help out. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“I should warn you,” she said, grinning back, “That I’ve done some mixed martial arts, and I was in law enforcement back home.”
“Good,” Mors said as Dale and Karl, the other members of his team, came up to surround them. Mors grinned proudly at their woman, approving of her slim, muscled body, the long, lithe arms and legs. “Then you’ll know how to handle yourself.”
Chelsea stood there for a moment, staring at him in surprise.
“You don’t think women should stay away from the fighting?” she asked quietly. The men on the field stilled, staring at her in disbelief. Hunter gently handed Ri over to Jace’s care then strode over to Chelsea. His men made way for him, backing up to let him take the lead.
“We all agree that our women are precious and should stay away from the fighting, which is why there are so many more male warriors than female. Our women understand that it is the men who are expendable in war, that they are the ones who should defend the women and children, the old and infirm.”
“Typical male-centric society,” Kim snorted beside Chelsea. “You’re just afraid that your women would kick your asses if you let them learn to fight.”
“It is the exact opposite, actually. Most of our women choose not to fight,” Hunter told her, grinning. “Most of them. Those who do usually far outshine our men. Women are, by nature, far more cunning and fierce in battle. While men spar and fight just for the fun of it, women tend to be a lot more serious about it. They fight to win, they fight to protect what is theirs, and they fight because they have to, not usually because they find it entertaining. I would much rather go up against five of my best warriors than one woman intent on maiming me.”
The men laughed at that, but it was tempered with true respect. Hunter cocked his head to the side for a moment, thoughtful.
“Come,” he told Chelsea, holding out a hand to help her under the railing. “Join us, if you wish. Any of the women who would like to train in defense are more than welcome to do so.”
“Really?” Kim asked, perking up. He nodded and she darted under the railing, as well. Not to be left out, Trey and Rom beckoned Bev into the fenced area and over to their sides.
“We are a small colony,” Hunter told them seriously. Ri sensed that he was going into what she would henceforth consider his ‘training mode’. “Our people are still under a very real threat. Should the Solvari find us, every member of this colony will be in danger, not just the Thorsani. It would behoove all of us to learn some level of defense and attack, so that even those who are injured can help.”
Chelsea, Bev, and Kim straightened their backs with pride. The men that were courting them came to stand close, ready to help in their training. Arianna was amazed at how the men didn’t have to be told to do so, they simply did it, as though knowing what was needed and were fully prepared to do what was expected of them. She was coming to realize that though he didn’t say much about it, Hunter ran quite a tight ship. And his warriors took their duties as soldiers seriously, even after more than a decade of being stranded away from battle. Their bodies and minds were kept honed and prepared for the moment when they would be called upon to fight again.
As Hunter began what was obviously something he did on a regular basis, training new soldiers, Jace carried a tired Arianna over to a bench in a shaded area, where she could see what was going on, but wasn’t troubled by the heat of the afternoon. She had tried to tell him that
she was fine to keep going, but he wasn’t willing to risk setting her healing back. And she was a bit worn out, after such a rigorous, though fun, workout. So she capitulated and watched the others as she spun her yarn.
However, when the time came for the men to show the women how to defend and attack from the ground, from a bench, or even from the arms of someone rescuing them, Ri got back into the swing of things, showing what she’d already learned. Hunter, Jace, and the others then separated the women out with groups of men, and they worked on some new moves in the smaller groups.
In no time at all, she and the other girls had learned the basics of defending themselves from multiple attacks, from all angles, and were getting used to brandishing a knife even if it wasn’t real. While she hadn’t been able to stop herself from being hurt the last time Amy had attacked, Ri now felt confident that, should the woman attack again, Arianna could at least hold her off long enough for Hunter or one of his men to get to her. That was really all she wanted. For now.
Hunter ended the training session after a while, promising that they would practice more, and assuring them that she and the other girls would become proficient at defense, if they chose to continue training. Ri was determined to keep him to that promise. The women then retreated to sit on the bench, in the shade, talking and watching as the men went back to sparring amongst themselves.
From the balcony of her jailers, Amy watched the entire practice session, noting the attacks, the defenses, and the way Jace and Hunter fawned all over Arianna. The stupid bitch felt she needed to learn to protect herself? Amy sneered. Damn right, she did. And with good reason. Amy had already successfully gotten to Ri, twice. Had already hurt her, twice. Amy was rather proud of the fact, even if the second time had resulted in her current situation.
She didn’t really have much to complain about right now. The men thought they were teaching her to be obedient, though their methods were… unorthodox. She scowled, wondering when one of them would return to feed her lunch. They had locked all the food away, so that only by their hands and their permission could she eat. Did they truly think that denying her sustenance would alter her behavior? Hah! She had been raised in a very strict, very religious home. Her very religious father and uncle had shown her how to ‘behave’. There was nothing about pain or degradation these alien men could teach her.
