"We'll have to keep a special eye on her and make sure she doesn't get hurt. I don't know if Ciyrs has enough healing power to take care of everything she's got going on."
Humiliation, hurt, and anger flowed through me and made my face burn. The three women shot furious looks at the warriors but I held up my hand to quiet them before they said anything. I climbed backwards over the bench beside the table and rushed out of the banquet hall, bursting out of the building before I let the tears stinging in the corners of my eyes spill down my cheeks. What the hell was wrong with him?
I was so tired of that attitude. I couldn't stand men trying to make me feel like I was worth less because I wasn't frail and dainty. Even worse was how much I wanted Ero specifically not to think of me that way. I hated the way that he made me feel. It was a confusing, uncomfortable mixture of wanting absolutely nothing to do with him and wanting everything to do with him. I had butterflies in my stomach when I looked at him, but in that moment, those butterflies were replaced by a wave of sickness. Behind me I heard Ero calling my name, but I didn't slow down. I didn't know where I was going, but I kept going. I just needed to get away from the banquet hall and the sound of Ero's voice.
The darkness around me got deeper and more intense as I ran, but I still didn’t stop. I told myself I would eventually find my way, that I would come upon a house or other building and be able to ask directions to wherever I was supposed to live for the six months I planned to stay on the planet. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Within a few minutes of leaving the banquet hall, I was lost. Within a few minutes after that, I was hopelessly lost. And by the time I felt the long, slimy fingers stroke the back of my neck and saw the gleaming fangs coming down at me, I knew I was gone forever.
Chapter Six
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Ero's head snapped back as Pyra grabbed him by the back of the shirt and yanked him backwards so that he and the other men could surround him. The three much larger men glared at him, their jaws twitching angrily and bright orange eyes searing into him almost painfully. Ero didn't know what to say to them. His stomach was twisted in knots and he felt like he was going to shatter at any second. What had he done?
"How could you say something like that about her?" Gyyx demanded, stepping up close enough to Ero that he felt like he needed to step back, only to find himself within inches of Ciyrs's chest.
Though Ciyrs was a healer and not a warrior, he was still powerful and larger than Ero.
"I don't know," Ero said honestly, "I don't know what the hell is going on in my head. Ever since the Klimnu attack on Leia, I've been out of my mind. I can't think straight, I'm angry all the time. It only got worse when Zuri showed up."
The three other men looked at each other knowingly and some of the anger exuding off of them eased. Pyra stepped forward and clapped him on the back, then wrapped a massive hand comfortingly around the back of his neck.
"You've always been the scrawny one of the group, so I guess it makes sense that you haven't figured out yet that all of this has absolutely nothing to do with the Klimnu attack and everything to do with Zuri."
"What are you talking about? And don't call me scrawny. I'm so sick of everyone making fun of me and treating me differently because of my size."
Suddenly realization hit him and it felt like a rock fell into his gut.
"Holy shit, that's exactly the same thing that I've been doing to Zuri, isn't it? I've spent my whole life pissed off because the people around me bullied me for being smaller than what they thought I should be and the second I meet a woman – an adorable woman, by the way – who just happens to be bigger than I would think she was going to be, I treat her in the exact same way. That's just great. I just don't get why I'm suddenly so aggressive and angry."
He looked up into Pyra's eyes, then at Gyyx's, then at Ciyrs's. He let out a long, ragged breath.
"Yeah, you just figured it all out, didn't you?" Pyra asked.
Ero nodded, covering his eyes with one hand.
Before he could open his mouth to reply, he heard a scream. All four men turned toward the sound and another scream tore through the air. Without speaking, they all ran in the direction of the sound, pulling weapons from the sheaths on their waistbands as they went. Within moments they saw the source of the screaming.
Klimnu swarmed the center of the compound, standing off against the other warriors who had come out of the meeting hall. The scream was pouring from Elianna as she fought against the tight hold that one of the men had around her waist, trying to keep her from running into the cluster of slimy, skeletal creatures. She had an incredible gift, given to her by Cirys after she became his mate, that would allow her to kill any of the creatures who she touched. Running into such a large group of them, however, would mean almost certain death. She was tiny and could only kill two creatures at a time, opening her to the threat of death by the others surrounding her.
"Get in the meeting hall!" Pyra shouted, his voice so loud that it made even Ero shake with intimidation.
Pyra's mate, Eden, looked up at the sound of his voice and Ero saw her hands protectively covering the slight swell of her pregnant belly. She had fear in her eyes, but she didn't move.
"Go!" Pyra shouted again, and finally Eden complied.
She grabbed Leia's hand beside her and yanked her back into the hall, slamming the door to the building just as one of the Klimnu broke free of the rest of the group and started toward the hall, wanting to get inside to the small human women. They had both been injured by the Klimnu before, and this was a species that did not respond kindly to their efforts being thwarted. When they went after someone, they went after them with the pure and unadulterated intent to kill, which meant that when someone escaped that fate, especially a fragile human woman, it only infuriated them more intensely and fueled their hatred toward the Denynso who protected them.
The four men surged forward and Ero immediately felt himself pulling ahead of the others and running into the group of Klimnu so fast that they didn't even have time to react. He balled his fists and spread his arms to the sides, tightening his muscles so that he caught the creatures by their necks as he passed, bringing them to the ground. The chaos that ensued shattered the control and organization that the Klimnu had had, and suddenly the compound filled with the sounds of battle.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ero saw the warrior release Elianna. She ran forward toward one of the Klimnu that Ero had brought down and reached toward him to grab him around the neck before he was able to stand all the way again. His strangled cries filled the air along with the acrid smell of burning flesh as she reduced the creature to ash. He saw Ciyrs look at her with affection and desire in his eyes, and pull her against him for an intense, almost violent kiss before they parted and went after more of the Klimnu. Larger warriors followed behind them to guard their backs as they burned as many creatures as they could get their hands on, the warriors slashing with lethally pointed daggers at any of the other creatures who attempted to intervene.
Pyra grabbed one of the creatures and lifted him into the air, taking him by his head and his waist and snapping him in half in one sharp movement. Ero heard the breaking bones and saw the life leave the Klimnu's eyes before Pyra dropped his limp body to the ground and moved on toward another of the creatures. Knowing he was not large or strong enough to do anything like that, and didn't have the burning gift that Ciyrs and Elianna shared, Ero used his own skills to contribute to the battle. He ran around the edge of the fray, taking down creatures that were getting the upper hand on warriors using his incredible speed and the fighting skills he had taught himself when he was younger by watching the other warriors train. Suddenly his ability to run so fast felt like more than just something he could use to escape.
The clash continued on for several long minutes, and then Ero noticed Pyra stepping out of the middle of the battle, dragging a man behind him. Ero looked closer and realized that it was Ullie, the Denynso warrior who
had betrayed his people by giving up the secrets of the warriors and the ability to infiltrate the compound to the Klimnu. He had escaped the last battle between the species, but now he was at the mercy of the larger, stronger warrior who had him by his long white hair and was pulling him up onto the stone steps of the meeting hall.
Ullie struggled hard against Pyra's grip, but blood was streaming down his body from several wounds already sustained during the battle and since he was already at a disadvantage to Pyra, there was truly nothing he could do. It was time that he met his fate.
Once at the top of the steps, Pyra tilted his head back and let out a battle cry that trembled through the compound and brought stillness to the battle as everyone, both Denynso and Klimnu, turned in his direction. Without hesitation, Pyra forced Ullie to his knees, used his hair to pull his head back, and stared directly into his eyes as he drew his dagger across the traitor's throat. There was a strange gurgling sound and then Pyra dropped Ullie, allowing his body to crumple to the steps and slide down toward the men.
Pyra looked out over the cluster of opposing species, his hand still wrapped around the dripping dagger.
"This ends now," he growled, then kicked Ullie's body so that it fell the rest of the way to the dirt, "Take him with you."
The Klimnu complied, moving as quickly as they could to gather their dead and wounded and leave the compound, the battle having been lost without a single Denynso warrior death.
Panting, Ero watched as some of the other warriors followed the Klimnu away from the meeting hall to ensure they left the compound. Suddenly panic gripped him. They still hadn't found Zuri. He ran toward Pyra.
"I have to find Zuri," he said.
Pyra looked down at him and nodded.
"She's yours. Go get her."
Ero didn't respond, but took off running, pushing himself harder and faster than he had ever run before, allowing the tight feeling in his chest and the quiet voice in his mind, the voice that sounded like Zuri, guide him toward her.
Chapter Seven
I have never run so fast in my life. To be honest, running is not something that I have ever enjoyed and have gone to great lengths to avoid having to do it for any considerable period. At that moment, though, running was the only thing I could focus on. I didn't know what the creature was that had reached down from the tree to take hold of me, but I fought it off as best I could and managed to knock it out of its place with a large branch I picked up from the ground. I hoped it was unconscious. I didn't wait to find out.
I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, knowing I was getting further and further away from the meeting hall. The terror gripped me so hard I felt sick and suddenly my mind drifted to Ero. I was still infuriated at him, but somehow I felt like if I thought about him hard enough, I might be able to find my way back to him. I didn't understand, but I had no other recourse and focused in on him. I thought about the curve of his shoulders and the flat plane of his belly. I thought about the shock of white hair and the intense eyes that seemed to vacillate between vibrant green and almost glowing orange. I had noticed a few of the other warriors had orange eyes, and I wondered what that meant.
As I thought of him, my steps slowed. I was breathing so hard I could barely get each breath all the way in before my lungs forced it back out. My back hit one of the trees and I slid to the ground, leaning my head back and closing my eyes to try to regain control of myself. I continued to think about Ero, imagining him there with me. It was as if I could see him there, ready to guide me back toward the compound and away from the terror that held me so firmly.
Suddenly I heard crashing in the trees ahead of me. I thought the slimy, skeletal creature that had reached for me had somehow found me and I tried to scramble to my feet to ready myself for another encounter. Instead, I saw Ero. He stopped running the instant he saw me. He stood a few feet away, his shoulders rising and falling with his labored breath and the sliver of his chest revealed by his shirt shimmering with sweat. He was beautiful and in that moment I had never wanted something so much.
Without saying a word, Ero lunged toward me and dropped to his knees in front of me, forcing my legs apart so he could position himself between them and lean forward to crush his mouth against mine in an intense, almost animalistic kiss. A primal need for him overwhelmed me and I tore at his shirt, pushing away the thin fabric until I could throw it aside, revealing his slender but gorgeous body. He reciprocated, yanking my shirt over my head and tossing it over to join his. I hadn't worn a bra under the shirt and my breasts bounced free, giving him full access to grab one in his hand and bring his mouth down to the nipple to suckle me. I cried out at the feeling of his mouth and spread my thighs further to encourage him to come closer.
He took the invitation eagerly, grabbing me and lifting me up so that he could reach under my skirt and peel away my panties. His hands moved so quickly I could barely keep up as he released the ties at the front of his pants and pushed the garment down to release an erection that made my mouth water. Sitting down on his knees, Ero grabbed my hips and pulled me forward so that I had to brace myself with my hands on the ground behind me to keep myself from falling. He pulled me until I positioned my legs on either side of him and my hips in his lap.
A second later he was inside me and I gasped at the sudden feeling of him filling me. He pushed my skirt up higher so that it bunched around my waist and wrapped one arm around my hips, using the other hand to grip one of my breasts as he pounded into me at a fevered pace. I let my head drop back and moans poured from lips. I felt him pull me forward and I complied, lifting my hands off of the ground so that he could sit me up in his lap. My feet were planted on either side of him, giving me stability as he bounced me harder and faster, capturing my mouth in an almost painful kiss just as my muscles clenched around him and I dissolved into a shattering climax that pushed him over the edge. He groaned into my mouth and forced me down hard into his lap so I could feel his cock pulsing against my walls, spilling his hot streams into me.
As our bodies slowly relaxed, Ero gently eased me back until I was lying on the ground with him on top of me, his head nestled into the curve of my neck.
"I thought I lost you," he murmured.
His hand stroked the curve of my waist and the swell of my hip and I felt him fill his palm with my flesh and give a gentle squeeze. I closed my eyes and felt a tear slip down my cheek.
The next morning the sun had barely risen when I was standing in the meeting hall before the king and queen. My bags were stacked behind me and I gripped my notebook in my hand.
"Please, I can't do this. Send me home."
(To be Continued in Part VIII… )
Book 8 – Charmed by Alien Warrior
Chapter One
"Please, I can't do this. Send me home."
I watched as Theia and Creia exchanged worried glances and eased closer to the edges of their seats so that they could stare down at me. They leaned closer, not enough that I felt like they were trying to intimidate me, but enough that I felt them closing the space between us as if they were trying to make our conversation more private. The row of warriors standing on the far side of the room were not looking at us, but I would see them turning their ears subtly toward us as if they were trying to listen in on the conversation without us noticing them.
I mirrored the action of the king and queen, leaning slightly towards them and meeting their eyes so that they could see that I was very serious about my request.
"Please. I've been here for less than 24 hours. I'm sure that the university shuttle is still here. I would like to be on it when they leave to return to Earth."
Theia looked at her husband again and then back to me.
"Like you said, Dear, you have only been on Uoria for less than a day. How could you possibly know already that you want to go home? I know that our planet is different from yours, but if you give yourself time to get accustomed to it, I'm sure that you could learn to love it as much as the other human women
who have come here."
I shook my head adamantly.
"I'm sorry. I know that I made a commitment to be a part of the exchange program between the university and the Denynso, but I've realized in my time here that I'm not cut out for this type of environment. I'm sure that the university can find another professor who will be willing to take my place."
Creia rubbed his face with his hand, looking distressed. I knew that the program meant a lot to the king and queen, but they seemed far more upset about me wanting to leave than I thought they would be. After all, I had just gotten there the day before and I hadn't even figure out who I was teaching yet, much less actually started teaching, so I didn't understand why they seemed to have so much emotionally invested in my staying on as the foreign exchange professor to teach the Denynso about Earth customs and traditions.
"You did make a commitment to us in regards to the exchange program, but I feel that there may be more that should be keeping you here."
"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I felt sure that I already knew exactly what he was talking about and didn't want to think about it anymore.
"I thought that you may have felt more of a connection with…" he hesitated and Theia looked at him with a meaningful glance that said be quiet before you make this situation worse, "the people of Uoria than you expected to and would want to spend more time getting acclimated to the new weather and culture."
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