“Okay, I get it,” the two filthy warriors said in unison. Citun should have explained his reasoning for not stopping to wash sooner, but they were in a hurry.
“You killed it?” The flickering female, Lano, wailed. “They’ll come for us for certain. We’re doomed. Another alien to hunt us and kill us. The Cono will come after us again.”
“Not if I leave on the Zargonnii vessel,” Storm said. “If I go with these warriors, the Gorgano will follow, and you’ll all be safe. The aliens only want females they feel are compatible to Castians or can mind-battle. None of you can mind-battle even though you have your own defense of shutting the Gorgano out. You all have the ability to learn different languages at an amazing rate. I’m not sure any of you are compatible with Castians or Tonans. My question is, do any of you want to go with me? Citun has promised to place me in a shuttle to return. They need a female human to battle the Gorgano. If I take the warriors home, I can lead the aliens away. The rest of you will be safe, so will the planet. The Cono will settle. We can return to a life of quiet acceptance. We can make this place a home.”
There was a great deal of muttering and some shuffling. One by one, the females apologized but refused to leave. Citun was relieved; his warriors looked relieved. Many females voiced a shuttle wouldn’t be able to accommodate them. From the looks of some, Citun knew they were correct. The snake female slipped in and out of a small water source repeatedly. The shifter was too large when she changed. The ebony powerhouse simply shook her head and continued to munch on raw meat, blood dripping down her chin. Citun shuddered, if the replicator failed Storm would be history named breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.
“I’ll go with you.” A small voice piped up.
A female of average human height and weight stood alone. She was pure white, snow white skin, eyes, eye lashes, long flowing hair. Two separate white eye brows, high cheek bones.
“Ashala that’s very generous of you,” Storm said. “But maybe you should show Citun what you can do to protect yourself.”
“If he refuses me passage, will you still leave with them?” Ashala asked.
“Citun’s warriors are honorable and noble. They won’t refuse you passage.” Storm sounded sarcastic and smug. Citun was curious. He wondered if this creature, obviously not human, was a shifter.
Ashala tilted her head in acknowledgment, the other females stood back, including Storm. Ashala took a breath and when she exhaled, a wash of pure white ash flowed in a stream past her lips. The ash took shape to create a standing wave. The image went nowhere; eight feet hovered and rolled forming shelves amidst the particles.
Storm was smiling; she was delighted. Citun realized the alien might be able to create other images. This was confirmed when the wave crashed down near his feet, rolled back, and crashed down. Every movement controlled. His warriors stood with their arms crossed over their chests snorting. Ashala turned to Taft, a young warrior. His condescending smirk obviously annoyed her. The ash formed a line to slide into the warrior’s nose and mouth and ears. He spun in a tight circle, choking.
The ash left his body as quickly. Taft blinked…and went crazy. Taft lifted an arm to point at Ashala who suddenly looked terrified.
“You belong to me,” Taft bellowed.
Storm shrieked as Taft grabbed the female, yanking her into his arms in battle mode. Lano disappeared, the furred cat shifted. Before anyone could do anything, the pair were surrounded in white swirling ash and were gone.
“Ashala,” Storm cried out.
“Taft,” Citun bellowed. He grabbed Storm by the arms. “Where the hell did the little creature take my warrior?”
“The volcano,” Storm whispered. “When Ashala is scared she goes to the volcano.”
“What did she do to Taft?” Citun demanded.
“I don’t know. I’ve seen her invade; she did it to me when we first met. She learns about someone when she enters them. Her way of mind control, but she doesn’t make anyone do anything. The Gorgano can’t hurt her, but she also can’t blow them up. Will he hurt her, your warrior?”
Citun released his grip. His fingers left an imprint on her tanned skin and he calmed his raging heart. Taft was the youngest warrior there. He had never Holidayed with a Zargonnii female. Citun had never seen the young warrior behave in such a manner. Taft had never hurt any female to his knowledge.
“How far is the volcano?” Citun asked.
Storm grabbed his hand. “Will he hurt her?” she demanded.
“I don’t know. Our way is to try and dominate.”
The furred shifter growled and raced away. The huge warrior female was also on the move followed by the slithering female reptile. Lano flickered into view. She was scowling.
“All males are unpredictable.” The female vanished.
“Well, this went well,” Storm mumbled.
Citun wanted to press her against a tree or shake her. “I told you my warriors recently accepted human females and their diversity. Your extreme vulnerability keeps you safe and keeps us from battling.”
“Ashala uses the ash particles to confuse, hypnotize, but not hurt,” Storm said. “One heated blow and he’ll kill her. She has no way to protect herself from him. She can’t battle, at all.”
The idea made Citun sick inside. “We need to find them, fast.”
“I can locate him from the bridge,” Jari said. “And get him on board.”
“Go,” Citun said. “Storm is the volcano far?”
“No.”
“Let’s go. Jari can track him from the air; we’ll do it on land.”
Chapter 5
Storm had no trouble keeping up with the quick-footed warriors. Citun had her hand in his, keeping her close, as he pulled her along. The ground was smooth to run on. A few trees dotted the area, but she sensed his concern as he gazed upward to the sky as the foliage became almost non-existent with only a few boulders for shelter. A black shadow darkened the ground as they ran. A bad feeling invaded her belly.
“Citun, incoming,” a warrior bellowed.
The ground exploded near Storm and she screamed. She would have fallen if Citun’s grip wasn’t so strong. The small amount of foliage burst into broken bits, a giant boulder erupted, taking the last of their coverage. It took a few seconds before the dust settled.
“No,” Storm cried out.
Amini lay not far from Storm. Storm yanked her hand from Citun and raced to her. The shifter turned back into the tiny elfin creature, not moving. Storm dropped beside her, trying to shield her friend from another explosion. The land was blowing up, like Citun said it would. Irreversible damage littered the ground. Storm’s vision clouded, her mind raced to her last days on Earth. The scene was familiar. Chaos, panic, fear, anger, too many emotions to battle while a war raged, Mother Nature and Tonans united in a cause to kill humans. The destruction was happening again, only on a planet she’d hoped was safe. Again she was reminded there was no safety, no peace.
Ahead, Storm could see Taft fighting with a Tonan warrior. Ashala was crouched on the ground near the Zargonnii who was in battle mode. The Tonan was lifted from his feet, pitched farther than Storm thought possible, and crashed into a mound of dried volcanic ash which exploded on impact. She had no idea how strong a Zargonnii warrior was, she was finding out now. The Tonan jumped up and charged Taft who stood his ground, growling; the Tonan had balls. If faced with an infuriated Zargonnii warrior, Storm would be hard pressed not to curl into a blubbering ball, let alone charge one. The Zargonnii was urging the ugly beast on into another confrontation. Suddenly, Taft disappeared. Ashala screamed when the Tonan went for her, its intent clear as he lifted a talon to strike.
Storm yelled sending the Tonan flying back into another Zargonnii warrior who pummeled the hideous alien. The grey shield covered the Tonan while he swung his talons and ripped at the ground for leverage. Intricate black tattoos adorned his high, covered cheeks, pulsating. Muscle on muscle, the Zargonnii and Tonan were well matched.
> Ashala jumped up and raced to Storm and Amini. The two sat huddled together, Amini between them. Storm kept the Tonan warriors who appeared at bay with her mind. She couldn’t kill the warriors, but she could move them physically back. They kept coming, dozens of them, suddenly appearing, disappearing. Before long her head throbbed, and she grew weary. There were too many trying to get to them and not enough Zargonnii between them. Some Zargonnii appeared to be swinging at nothing, fighting for all they were worth against air. She wondered if they were a pinwheel of motion in case something was thrown at them. It was a strange tactical maneuver.
“Is she dead?” Ashala asked of Amini.
“No, but she’s hurt. Her shifting ability will fix her, but it will take time. She needs to be in a safe place to regenerate and this isn’t it. I’m tiring. The last Tonan almost zapped what strength I have left. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Storm, the warrior Taft, he saved my life,” Ashala said.
“What the hell happened between you two?” Another Tonan charged; he was sent flying back. Storm rubbed her temples.
“I invaded him to teach him not to be so cocky; it was that stupid look on his face that pissed me off. Our minds mixed and he claimed me instead. When I vanished we were still connected and he came with me. That’s never happened to me before. If I ever have children they can disappear with me, and my mate, but we aren’t mated. He says I’m his mate. He was so intense. I think I believe him, but the idea is so confusing, he’s an alien. The Tonan attacked while we were talking, and Taft went crazy. He was bellowing nothing was allowed to harm his mate. My mind is still screaming; what the heck just happened?”
Wei, the black warrior female, ran in a crouch to them. She hefted Amini into her arms. “I’ll take her to the cave with the others. Go, Storm, take the aliens away. Ashala decide what you are going to do and decide fast.”
Ashala stood wringing her hands glancing from Wei’s retreating form to Storm, until she disappeared. Storm spun wondering where Ashala went; she was alone amidst the many males. The battle was raging, fire erupted. Explosions circled the fighting, allowing no retreat. The area Wei had run off to was obliterated behind them. Cono began to appear; their huge powerful legs jumping them into the foray, they battled all the aliens. Male against male, until it seemed all eyes were on Storm.
The reason the aliens were here was because of alien females; she was alien. The Cono were furious. Again, their loved ones were placed in danger. Tonans wanted Storm dead for simply being female. A Gorgano appeared and she knew it wanted her dead because she could mind-battle. But Storm couldn’t battle everyone. She was in trouble and realized what Citun said was true. The mass was turning on her. Outnumbered, she was dead if something didn’t happen.
Too exhausted to run, her gaze searched for Citun. She didn’t have the heart to kill a Cono. Oct appeared heartbroken but determined. Zargonnii continued to battle air confusing her. It was as though an invisible foe kept the warriors from her.
The Gorgano moved closer, raised a hand and then was gone. A roar sounded in her thoughts and she saw Citun racing to her. He smashed his way through Tonan and Cono to no avail as they advanced; the true target in the chaos was her. It occurred to Storm the only hope she had was Citun. His image began to fade and she wondered if she was passing out. The Cono were a hairsbreadth away, a Tonan dropped the shield from his face to give her an evil smile and he vanished. All Tonans were gone, everywhere she looked, and she wondered if there had only ever been one, they moved so fast, he moved so fast. Was he behind her? The Zargonnii were still fighting air.
A Cono was charging her, its pounding hooves would shred her. He appeared furious, it wouldn’t matter how she died; its main mission was to dispose of her. Any truce was gone, gone for good. Citun was nowhere to be seen. Her world was spinning. Storm blinked as she turned in a tight circle. Everything in the room she found herself in was black, the floor and walls, surfaces. There was quiet when before the noise was deafening. The room lit gradually until she saw everything. She was standing on the bridge of a Gorgano ship. Ten of the gangly creatures were in various places near consoles. Her heart pounded in her ears. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck stood tall. A rancid odor assaulted her.
“You see,” came a rough voice. The voice was male and belonged to a lone Tonan warrior, his shield covered him. “We have another chance to change a human female into a fighting machine. We failed with the last. We know better this time. There will be no power fighter like Zabbie. This one will be collared and monitored. There will be no escape. The child she bears will do everything he’s told.”
Storm stood still as the Tonan approached. She tried to force him back in her thoughts, but he chuckled. There were too many Gorgano in her brain beating her down in her mind. She was right in her assumption there was only a single Tonan. The others were a Gorgano illusion. Citun was right; he needed her, now she was alone. She’d helped no one. She struggled to breathe, her heart pounded. The Tonan took her chin in the palm of his taloned hand and squeezed.
“Let go of me you ugly snot.” Storm tried to jerk her head free.
He towered over her. “You are mine.”
“The female said let go, you ugly fucker. And she’s mine.”
Panic erupted on the bridge when Citun appeared. Storm wanted to cry. She knew he couldn’t mind-battle. They were both as good as dead. He had come for her; she’d killed him. He was a noble, honorable warrior. A Gorgano was to Citun’s left. Citun threw up his arms and covered his head. He bellowed in agony. Storm was pissed. The Gorgano exploded. The panic of a Zargonnii warrior appearing created a window, she realized. Four more Gorgano hit the floor while Citun battled the Tonan.
“Storm, come to me, now,” Citun bellowed.
Citun continued to battle the Tonan, but Storm was on the move. Citun hefted the Tonan over his head and threw him as hard as he could. Terror washed through Storm’s thoughts, she knew what was about to happen. A Zargonnii warrior unleashed his extreme power. The Gorgano were running to evacuate. Moments elapsed, stretching into slow motion until time sped up. The second the Tonan hit the massive window, it shattered. The shield on the outside of the vessel boomeranged particles back until a console erupted, then another. Storm was in Citun’s arms. He curled his body over her. Storm’s world became surreal as the tiny particles exploded and floated, the consoles were sucked out; the ship’s shield was no more. Everything headed into space. Fire erupted then extinguished, the air was gone. Citun had a death grip on her, pulling her toward a black hole.
Storm couldn’t breathe. Citun shifted her in his arms and placed his mouth over her mouth and nose. Agonizingly slow they made their way to the hole, Citun dragging them along the inside, his sheer muscle mass stretched to the limit. When Citun stepped through they fell, hitting the hard ground. Storm gasped in ragged amounts of air when he released her. She blinked in rapid succession and took a hand to toss her wayward locks from her eyes. Citun took her by the arms and smiled.
“Welcome aboard.”
“Holy hell,” Storm whispered.
“Definitely.”
* * * *
Citun watched as the shuttles whipped past. He stood hands on hips, legs braced as his warriors picked off as many of the fleeing Gorgano as possible. The massive Gorgano mothership hung tilted, drifting, small explosions igniting on different levels. A lone Tonan floated amidst debris.
“What do you want us to do with him?”
Citun gazed at Jari and the ten warriors surrounding him. A Tonan would give them no trouble. “They want a human female for a purpose. Let’s find out why. Bring the little shit on board.”
Several flashes of light lit the darkness as ruthlessly the lone warrior was blasted. The enemy fire belonged to the many Gorgano shuttles.
“What are they doing? They can’t kill the Tonan,” Jari said.
“Or can they?” Citun moved closer to the window. “Look, they’re depleting his shield w
hile they fire. Sucking the sunrays he needs for the shield to survive. Fuck me, that’s brilliant and brutal. They know the Tonans well.”
The Tonan was soon without his shield, his body spasmed and he was gone, a last blast and he was killed by the Gorgano. Citun felt Storm touch his arm.
“The Tonan said they would use me against their enemies. Something about a male baby doing what he was told. Sounds nasty,” she said.
“Citun, Taft is tearing around the ship looking for his female.”
“What now, Carr? The female was transported aboard?” Citun demanded with irritation. Storm was staring up at him with big blue eyes, she needed him.
“Yes, she’s aboard. Every time Taft finds her, she disappears and ends up on another level. There’s fucking ash trails everywhere,” Carr said.
“She’s scared,” Storm said. “But I’m happy to know she’s here and not on the Gorgano vessel.”
“Are you kidding?” Jari said and snorted. “The second I brought Taft on board, he freaked out. Bellowed like a banshee until I brought the female to him. There were a lot of heat sources but damned if Taft didn’t know her specifically; he was right.”
Citun sighed. “Taft has claimed Ashala. That means he won’t stop until she’s his and he won’t hurt her. But he will be persistent.” Citun turned to Carr. “Leave them alone, they can figure out their problems.”
At that moment, Ashala appeared, white hair disheveled. Her gaze landed on Storm; she appeared about to say something when a wild-eyed Taft thundered onto the bridge.
“Stop running, female. You will talk to me,” Taft bellowed.
Ashala was gone again. Storm groaned. “Stop hounding her. Let her come to you.”
Taft growled. “She won’t come to me.”
“Yes, she will. We’re on a strange ship going God knows where. Find a quiet spot and wait. She told me you saved her life. Let her calm down. It’s been a long time since we’ve encountered males that don’t want us dead,” Storm said.
Citun’s Storm Page 6
