Minda leaned over and whispered, "There he is, Lia. The one I told you about."
Lia looked in the direction Minda indicated and saw the warrior named Cam Gunnarson walk onto the stage, closely followed by Commander Eirikson and an older man. They spoke for a few seconds then Cam jumped from the stage. As he passed, he grinned and winked drawing a shy giggle from Minda. Lia watched him leave and saw half of the seats in the auditorium were filled by the women. The seats further back were occupied by thousands of hard-faced warriors. When she turned back to the stage the barbarian caught her eye and sent her a warning glare. She stared at him for a moment then lowered her eyes.
***
"Commander, is the Wrothian with the ugly red hair your female?" Advisor Angusson asked.
Valan resisted the urge to smash the advisor’s face in. He may not want her but he wouldn't stand for someone else to speak ill of her. "I don't see a female by that description, Advisor."
"The female in the middle of the second row. I believe those are your bands on her arms. She ignored your warrior when he ordered her to move on. You’re going to have trouble with that one."
"Perhaps," Valan said. "Nothing I can’t handle. Please begin now, Advisor Angusson."
"With pleasure." He moved to the podium and introduced himself then said, "A small group of your companions have defied Commander Eirikson's orders. They are being disciplined and will join us in a few micro-units. We will wait for their arrival." He frowned at the women while he leaned on the podium and waited.
Lia watched him then whispered to Minda. "I don’t think this male is very happy to see us."
"I think you’re right. His eyes are full of hatred," Minda said. "Why does the Commander keep frowning at you?"
"He's probably angry because I put those scratches on him."
Minda gasped. "Did he hurt you?"
"No, he scared me so I fought him."
"I think our talking is making him angrier."
Lia shrugged. "Who cares what he thinks."
Before Minda could respond the doors at the back of the room flew open and the rebellious females were led into the room. Each was escorted by a hard-faced warrior. Pale and shaken, the women moved to the remaining seats. Lia looked from woman to woman to see if they’d been whipped but didn’t see any marks on them. Several of them rubbed the bands on their arms and she wondered why. Before she could point it out to Minda their attention was drawn back to the stage where the Commander pounded his fist on the podium, and nodded to Advisor Angusson.
Advisor Angusson reintroduced himself, frowned then said, "You are aboard the Invincible, a Zarronian starship …"
Feminine cries of shock forced him to pause. Lia heard Minda’s cry of distress and gave her hand a little squeeze.
"I’m scared. I want to go home," Minda said.
Lia leaned toward her. "We have to hear what they have to say. The more we know about them the better our chances of escaping. Be brave, Minda."
When the room grew quiet, Advisor Angusson continued. "Sixteen annuals ago your warmongering race attacked our planet and caused the deaths of our females. It has taken us this long to find you to exact our revenge but unlike your own murderous race we will spare the females and children of your planet."
Lia sat in stunned silence. The stories her mother told were true. Vaguely, she remembered the one about the Zarronians. According to the story the Wrothian warriors fought them and were defeated. That's when they'd fled to the planet of Zhang on two badly damaged worldships. Only half of the people had been able to transfer to the surface before they disintegrated. That was why they didn't have the technology to build another worldship and return to their nomadic ways. It was still outrageous she and the other women had been abducted because of the enmity between the warriors. War was for warriors, not women. Determined to point this out she rose to her feet and several nearby women followed her lead.
She waved her hands drawing Advisor Angusson's attention. "Advisor, revenge is found on the battlefield between warriors. What possible satisfaction could you achieve by kidnapping innocent females?" Lia asked and the other women shouted their agreement with her statement.
"Enough," Commander Eirikson bellowed, the word echoing around the room. "Sit down and be quiet. Now!" His stern gaze moved to Lia's mutinous face. Their eyes met and his carried a dark warning.
Frightened, she dropped into her seat and slid down until the woman in front of her blocked her from his threatening gaze. Why did he keep picking her out in the crowd? She hadn't been the only female shouting. She leaned to the side and caught a glimpse of him. A deep frown still marked his face and pulled his brows down over his pale silver eyes.
"No more interruptions or you will be disciplined."
His glare and threat was directed toward her and only her. Lia blinked and moved back until he couldn’t see her. Unfortunately she could still hear him.
"Continue, Advisor."
Advisor Angusson cleared his throat. "It will take us thirty cycles to reach Zarronia. During this time you will attend classes to learn how females behave on Zarronia. I suggest you also use this time to resign yourself to your new life."
Many of the women began crying and he waited until the sounds of their sobbing quieted.
"On your arms you wear the bands of the warrior who captured you. In a moment, each of you will be claimed by your new master." Stepping away from the podium, he turned to Commander Eirikson. "Thank Tor, I was mated before the Wrothians murdered our females. Personally, I could never accept one of these creatures as my bondmate."
Valan glanced at him and then nodded to the warriors at the back of the room. Immediately, each of them moved to the rows of seats and settled into a warrior's stance in front of the female they’d captured.
Lia watched as warrior after warrior took up a place in front of the women nearest her. When she noticed Cam Gunnarson, she smiled and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. He returned her smile as he stopped in front of Minda. The room grew quiet as the last of the warriors took their places. The space in front of her remained empty.
Confused, she glanced to the left, then to the right. Her eyes widened in fear, and a small gasp left her lips when she saw the dark barbarian stalking toward her. A determined frown marred his face and pulled his brows together. Shaking her head, she shrank in the chair and studied the back of the seat in front of her. A second later two heavily-muscled, leather-clad legs blocked her view. A huge hand appeared in front of her face.
"Take my hand," Commander Eirikson said.
Shivering, Lia shook her head and drew back from his hand as if it was a versnake preparing to strike. She closed her eyes to block out the nightmare standing in front of her and managed to say a shaky, "no."
"Wrothian, I’ll warn you only once—don’t defy me."
She saw the threat of punishment lurking in his eyes. Cautiously, she placed her trembling hand in his. Grasping it, he gave her a tug and pulled her into the aisle. His steps were rapid, forcing her to run to keep up with his long strides as he led her out of the auditorium and into the empty corridor.
Out of breath, she struggled to pull her hand from his and received a sharp jerk for her efforts. She stumbled, and without stopping he lifted her into his arms and kept going. Intense heat from his skin soaked through the thin cloth of her gown heating her body. She squirmed then shifted away from him only to feel his arms tighten and pull her closer.
"Put me down." He ignored her demand but the heat of his body seemed to increase with every step he took. "I want you to put me down."
"You will not make demands, Wrothian." The last word was said with a sneer as they turned a corner and he stopped beside a door marked 'Commander'.
It opened as he lowered her to her feet. She backed away and into the room behind her. His glowing silver eyes darkened as he followed her movements. With a curse, he stepped back and was lost to view as the door closed between them.
Turning, Lia studied her n
ew prison. The walls and ceiling were cream colored. To her right a counter and several small glass doors were built into the wall. A table and four chairs sat in front of it. To her left, a large desk and chair took up most of the space. Behind it, the wall was covered from floor to ceiling with shelves haphazardly packed with books and large glass cubes. Each of the cubes held a different plant or flower.
A huge bed dominated the far end of the room. Curious, she ran her hand over the white fur covering. It was thick and silky beneath her fingers. An open door to the left of the bed revealed a private bathing chamber. Noticing two round windows set into the wall on either side of the bed, she rushed over to one of them and looked out.
Brilliant, shimmering stars streaked by at an incredible speed. The pattern, ever changing, held her amazed gaze as tears stung her eyes. With every passing moment she moved farther away from her home and her mother. Her tears increased, as she faced the possibility of never seeing her mother again. Moving away from the window, she glanced at the bed, then moved to the chair behind the desk. Curling her legs beneath her, she watched the door for the barbarian's return.
Chapter Three
Valan slouched deeper into his chair on the control bridge. His warriors were at their duty stations piloting the Invincible on its journey homeward, but his thoughts were on the female he’d left in his quarters. He caught several of the younger ones staring at him and he gave them a discouraging frown, and sending them back to their duties.
Rising, he stalked from the room. As he made his way to his quarters, he realized he didn't know the name of the female waiting for him. He’d been in such a hurry to get away he hadn't bothered to ask. With each step, his anger with the situation increased. The bands on her arms marked her as his but taking her to his bed would complete the bonding. Just the thought of having a Wrothian as a bondmate rankled. They were a race of deceivers and cold-blooded killers with no sense of honor. The Council hadn’t taken into account how he and the other warriors would feel about these traits being passed on to their children.
There were still starship commanders searching the universe for compatible females. The High Council could have let the warriors wait a while longer to see if another compatible race could be found. He and his father argued over this many times during the last few moon phases but his father would not relent. They’d insisted any warrior over the age of thirty was in danger of dying. Valan kept the severity of his fever during the last three moon phases from his father but he’d found out. Just as he'd known about his and Cam’s plans to die fighting—the way a warrior should die
As he moved through the corridors, warriors and cadets hurried to step out of his way. He ignored them. At the door to his quarters he hesitated, tempted to turn away and defy the Council's orders. Only the knowledge that such an act would result in his command being stripped, stopped him. Enraged at the situation, he slapped his palm on the panel and stepped into the room. She was sitting at his desk. When their eyes met, she jumped up and fled, putting more distance between them. He let her go as he settled into the chair she'd vacated. "These will be your quarters for the journey."
"Mine?" Lia asked.
"And, mine." He hadn't missed the meaning of her question.
"I won't share these quarters with you, barbarian."
Her attitude increased his anger. Females did not speak to warriors in such a disrespectful way and definitely never to a starship commander. He started to reprimand her then decided to let it go as she would soon learn their ways. "You will call me Valan or Master. And, yes, you will share these quarters with me."
She stepped toward him with her hands fisted by her sides. "I won't. You had no right to take me from my home and I demand you free me."
He sent her the narrow-eyed frown he gave the young warriors when they'd displeased him, and she stepped back again. Her behavior was going to get her into trouble, and soon. As his bondmate she'd be expected to behave properly at all times and he'd be expected to see she did. "The bands on your arms give me the right to do as I please with you." He saw her shiver, and wondered if it was anger or fear, or perhaps the fever taking hold in her veins. "Tell me your name."
A small flash of defiance appeared in her eyes. "Lia ad-San. My sire is Selik ad-San, one of the rulers of the Wrothians."
Her name sent a flood of rage through his body. He bounded from the chair and charged towards her. She screamed and ran. He followed her, eventually trapping her in a corner. Her hands landed on his chest and a blaze of heat grew beneath her palms pushing his anger higher. He grabbed her arms, jerking her to her toes and higher until their eyes met—hers were wide and terrified. She struggled to get away but he was relentless, and the name of her sire fanned the flames of his anger. Finally, her small, helpless moans of distress reached his ears and with a curse he realized he was hurting her.
Swinging around, he dropped her on the bed then stalked back to his desk, cursing her, his father and the High Council. He resumed his seat and tried to calm down as he watched her. She sat up and he saw her eyes glance towards him warily. Her hair had come lose and was tangled around her small face, and red marks marred the honey-gold skin where he’d grasped her. He looked at her and felt hatred mixed with desire. She, the daughter of their most hated enemy, wore his bands. He took several deep breaths then said, "Come here, Lia."
Her eyes widened with apprehension. She shook her head, then scooted back on the bed, putting more distance between them.
"I have warned you once this cycle not to defy me. I will not warn you again."
Trembling with fear, she moved toward him. At the edge of the desk she stopped. He reached out and hooked her waist, pulling her onto his lap. A little gasp of surprise left her lips, and she stiffened and tried to pull away from him. He tightened his arm around her waist and settled his other arm across her thighs, pinning her against him.
"Look at me."
She raised tear-filled eyes.
"The bands on your arms mark you as mine. Zarronia has five provinces. The gold on the bands tells all who see it you are from Kadia. The platinum identifies my family as the ruling house. The red stones identify my line and indicate you belong to me. This is the first purpose of the bands. Do you understand?"
Lia nodded but kept her eyes lowered.
"When I ask you a question you will answer me with words unless I have ordered you to be silent. Now answer me. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Say my name."
"Valan."
"Good." He touched one of the bands on her arm. "Inside each band is a small mechanism. When activated, it produces pain in the person wearing it. This is how people are disciplined on Zarronia. It is how Zarronian warriors punish their—bondmates. I will use this devise if you displease me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Valan. Can I ask questions?"
"Yes."
"Do you ever use whips on your females?"
The question surprised him and for a moment he didn’t know what to say. When he saw her waiting for his response he said, "A warrior would never use a whip on a female. Not even his kourtisan."
"What’s a kourtisan?"
"A kourtisan is a female the warrior shares sex with but who doesn't wear his bands or give him children."
"Oh, like a pleasure giver" she said, her voice disappointed. "Do you have a kourtisan?"
"Yes."
She looked away from him for a moment then asked, "How do you punish a kourtisan if she doesn’t wear your bands?"
Valan shrugged. "I'd send her away. A warrior wouldn’t keep a kourtisan who displeased him."
"I don’t understand why you’d want two females but neither one gives you children."
Valan grinned. "You’re young and innocent and don’t understand a warrior’s way."
Her face turned red but not with embarrassment. Anger drew her red brows down over her eyes. "I'm not innocent. I've been trained to please a male."
Enraged by the thought of anothe
r male touching her, Valan jerked her against his chest then grasped a handful of her hair, and forced her to arch against him.
"You will answer me truthfully," he said as he reached for one of the bands on his arm and pressed it. "What male has touched you?"
Lia felt a sharp tingling in her arm and tried to jerk away but he held her tightly as it spread to the rest of her body.
"Answer me, Lia."
"None, only you."
He tapped his finger over his band and she sagged against him in relief. "Don't ever lie to me again." The tears on her cheeks affected him in a way no others' ever had. He wiped them away, sighed, and cuddled her to his chest. The fever in his blood urged him to take her and quench the fire. Now, he'd touched her he'd lose his mind if he didn’t have her.
She cuddled closer and he knew she was as affected by the fever as he was, so he raised her head and lowered his mouth to hers. He nipped then sucked on her lower lip and slid his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened for him. When he began exploring her mouth with his tongue she tentatively responded, pursuing his tongue and the taste of his mouth. As the kiss went on and her body grew hotter, she slid her arms around his shoulders and stroked his head. He groaned into her mouth when she combed her fingers through his hair and down to his shoulders. One kiss followed another and her resistance melted away.
Exploring her body, one hand followed the curve of her spine from nape to buttocks, then back again. The other swept over her legs and gripped her hip. Everywhere he touched left a trail of fire and a blue mist glowing on her skin. She squirmed against him. Easing her away, he ignored her squeak of protest when he swept her gown over her head and dropped it to the floor.
He stroked his hand up and down her legs from ankle to thigh, and then fastened on a honey-gold buttock and squeezed. His other hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. Her panting breaths matched his as he combed his fingers through her long hair, arranging it in a fiery cloud around them. He palmed her breast and she pushed against him and moaned when his fingers stroked over her nipples.
Valan's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 1) Page 4
