Rykhan (Book 1 of Mate Search Series)

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  Could it be true? That the armband that had grown overnight while she’d slept foretold of her destiny, her one true and perfect match? According to both Bronsyn and Rykhan, she only had a little more than five months to decide since their star-cruiser could only sustain a holding pattern on the dark side of the moon for that long.

  Five short months to figure out if the man who had already swept her off her feet could truly be the man destined for her.

  Leah smiled at her own musings as she stepped up the stairs, trying to keep the thuds of her boots quiet as she moved. And just as she was slipping into bed, washed and moisturized, Rykhan sent a text message.

  ‘Every hope I’d ever entertained, every dream I’ve ever allowed, is nothing compared to the completeness of you, mica tisha. I know of your hesitation. But I swear, I vow, you are everything I’d ever thought to have in my life.’

  Leah pulled the covers up to her shoulder as she settled into her pillow, realizing her wahrom twin had said it plainly.

  There just might be the fulfillment of a dream in the simple knowing he was around and maybe, just maybe had been destined for her.

  Leah didn’t realize her lips were wearing a contented smile as she drifted off into sleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bronsyn noticed how his group of warriors hung around in the common area after the females had left and realized that Leah and Pam’s presence brought cohesiveness their unit had lacked. Sure the Protectorates had banded together to choose their landing point, over-riding any decision the Quest Committee might have proposed and then spent days discussing before taking any decisive action. For whatever reason, his warriors had never really fallen in together as a group until that day although he didn’t know why.

  As their leader, Bronsyn wanted to take advantage of their newfound closeness. Something even he was feeling.

  “I have news that needs to be shared,” he announced during a lull in the males conversations. “Shall we gather?”

  The burly warriors went to the large table in what the realtor had called ‘the dining room’. Bronsyn noted the lack of tension, the ease of their smiles as they joked and teased one another while they took their places. He only hoped that what he had to impart would not change their newfound well-being and belief in their futures as a paired partner.

  As the commander took his seat, he debated how much of his conversation with Gwynt to expose to the group. While he hated to have to deliver news from their home worlds that could shatter their newfound unity, he needed to hear the warrior’s thoughts on the subject of the protests.

  However, he quickly found that the Picari Protectors were of the same mind when faced with the knowledge that there were those that would call their future children ‘abominations’.

  “But-but,” Rykhan sputtered, his eyes roaming wildly around the others at the table. “That’s beyond crazy!”

  “Utter bullshit, if you ask me.” Gyard glared at no one in particular as he crossed his arms tightly over his huge chest.

  Arbrynt simply slammed his huge fist against the thick tabletop without using words to show his anger.

  Tyshar leaned his elbows on the table in a relaxed pose but the movement of his dark eyes as it traversed the ceiling gave evidence of his internal agitation.

  Ducking his head, Laxon asked, “Do you think they’ll cancel the mission then?”

  Every face in the room turned to the youngest member of the group, only their raised eyebrows showing their shock at his very valid question.

  “They better fracking not!” Wyst yelled, jumping to his feet. “After all the millions of credits spent to get us here, the Committee can’t just call it off because a few fracking tailpor-biters get together and come up with some catchy little slogan. I mean, seriously? Pure bred, not hybrid? What the Frack does that even mean, for Tsiran’s sake?”

  “Let them call my younglings an abomination to my face and let’s see how fast they run from my fury!” Gyard’s roar was loud enough to override every other voice in the room, stunning the other men into silence.

  Tyshar’s eyes moved from the blonde giant back to his commander. “Why did we not know of these protests before we left the Picari system?”

  Bronsyn shrugged because that was something he was curious about as well. That information was vital and could have been included in the daily communiqués, not withheld until after they had landed. “I was only told of them today. That it started out as a small group but has since been growing in size.”

  “Don’t most protests of this sort have a central source,” Laxon began his cheeks aflame as he sought an answer to his own question. “A leader of some sort? Do we know who might be in charge or in control of the group?”

  “Not to my knowledge,” Bronsyn muttered, remembering that his first thought was that the objection to the mission had come from the more conservative religious leaders. In truth, the opposition to their search could be from a number of Galaxi or Nutrolian sectors.

  Arbrynt cleared his throat and leaned forward. “How do we fight this then? Given that we are so far away and have so little intel on who is stirring up trouble.” Bronsyn blinked at the large male who was scowling so hard it made Bronsyn’s face ache in sympathy. It was a good question but one that Bronsyn could not answer with anything other than a shrug. At his movement, he sensed the combined frustration of the group around the table.

  They were the elite warriors of the Picari Protectorate and had spent years learning all the skills needed in order to defend, shield, and keep their worlds from any harm that threatened-- whether the threat came from their citizens or from an outside source. But how were they to fight against an idea of something yet to occur? The males were fighters and quick to resolve the insurgencies that had popped up throughout the years. Their job was to police and enforce the laws enacted to insure a peaceful co-existence and to defend their worlds from outside invaders. Ones such as the Basules who had tried on several occasions to gain a foothold in order to conquer both Galaxia and Nutrol.

  The warriors, especially the ones who encircled the large table, were hard-wired to overcome anything that threatened. It went against their very nature to sit quietly by when they could engage the enemy in order to enforce a peaceful solution. But this? The purebred versus hybrid argument was not a physical ‘thing’ the males could battle.

  “I will attempt to obtain more information on the situation and let you know as I receive it,” Bronsyn mumbled, hating that he felt powerless and without concrete information.

  “You don’t think these dissidents will harm our mates, do you?” Rykhan was looking directly at Bronsyn. “I mean, once we are back home, our blays will be safe in all of this, right?”

  “There is no male of worth on either Galaxia or Nutrol who would ever harm a female.” Gyard voice was firm, resolute. “There will be no threat to our mates once we return home.”

  Bronsyn offered a short prayer to Tsiran that the large warrior was right but decided to change the subject. “I believe we have been very successful in assimilating ourselves with the humans in Phoenix, but as our studies have shown we could be doing more. Even Pam spoke of changing certain aspects of our appearance in order to blend in better.”

  “Such as cutting our locks,” Gyard complained, sliding a large hand over the length of his hair.

  “Yes and in changing the way we dress,” Bronsyn confirmed.

  Wyst broke in. “We also need jobs since I’ve discovered the human males in this part of the planet value in themselves by the work they perform.”

  “I read something about that as well,” Rykhan added. “One website stated that a human male defines himself by his employment while the females use the success of their interpersonal relationships to do the same.”

  “According to their laws, we must carry proof of our identity at all times. This proof also enables employers to ascertain what a citizen has done in the past, what other work the human has previously performed and to determine i
f they have ever been convicted of a crime.” Gyard tapped his forefinger on the tabletop as if to emphasize his next words. “This proof of identity is established at a very early age. I am uncertain how we are to obtain it though.”

  “I do!” Arbrynt’s wide smile was a welcome addition. “The best thing about where we are, is that anything we want or need can be obtained…for a price. As long as we have the money, we can purchase all the documents we need in order to present ourselves as part of the human populace.”

  Tyshar began to grin. “And I think I know of a source who can help us acquire the documents we need.”

  “Will they be legal?” Gyard’s rough bass voice interjected. “Identity theft is a major crime in this country and comes with severe punishments.”

  “I was assured the paperwork would be real enough no authority would question them.” Tyshar sounded very sure. He turned his face to his commander. “This comes from the same barber who purchased our last handful of adornments. And was only offered after he had determined I was not ‘from around here’.”

  Bronsyn had been shocked to discover how much the metal and jewels on their uniforms and formal weapons would fetch when traded for the paper money used in Phoenix. Since they had arrived, Tyshar had been doing incremental trades in order to keep the money coming in. “Tyshar, I want you and Gyard to determine what documents are needed and negotiate a price for six new identities—enough for all the warriors. I’m not yet certain employment outside of our quest is appropriate but perhaps there are other avenues we can explore to appear to others as if we have jobs with which to support ourselves.” He looked around the group and rapped his knuckles on the table to signal that their meeting was over. Just as Bronsyn rose from his seat, Wyst spoke up.

  “Wait! Rykhan needs to be debriefed regarding his relationship with his female.” Wyst turned to the only warrior who had connected with the one of the humans. “Well, brother?”

  With ruddy cheeks, Rykhan kept his face pointed to the top of the table, only lifting his eyes and doing a sweeping glance at the other brothers. Bronsyn wondered if the male was uncomfortable with the question or the laser-like scrutiny he was receiving from the other warriors. “What do you want me to say? You all saw her wahrom.”

  “You took her to your room, yes?” It seemed the Nutrolian Wyst was the one who was going to lead the inquisition. “And you two were enclosed in there for a long time.”

  “Is that a question?” Rykhan’s eyes remained on Wyst but his casual demeanor did not fool Bronsyn. Not when he saw how the Galaxi warrior’s hands clenched together so tightly. “What is it you want to know, brother? Speak plainly.”

  Wyst held the other male’s gaze for the space of a heartbeat. “Did you join with her?”

  “That is private.” Rykhan’s forehead creased as he frowned. “And not subject to discussion.”

  “Is that how she grew her warrior’s mark? By you joining with her?”

  Rykhan’s hair swished around his shoulders as he shook his head in the negative. “No. As I told you before, Leah’s wahrom grew after we first…kissed.” He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair before speaking again. “She told me we couldn’t join unless I used a condom.”

  “Isn’t that something the human males cover themselves with in order to prevent pregnancy?” Arbrynt scoffed. “Why would we have a need to wear such a thing when joining with our potential mates?”

  Rykhan’s bright gaze fell on the warrior Pam had renamed ‘Brent’. “As I understand it, it is also utilized to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.”

  Laxon’s face paled and his hands slid to cup his tailpor and tai between his legs. “Humans can get diseases from just joining?”

  “You should know, Sean,” Wyst spat. “Weren’t you the one who was assigned to study the human diet, health, and diseases?”

  “Yes, but…” Laxon’s young face was as red as the first rays of the Nutrolian dawn. “I haven’t read they can get a disease from just doing that!”

  “Perhaps you need to study that subject a bit more,” Bronsyn murmured from behind the knuckles he had pressed to his mouth. The commander had not wanted to interrupt the conversation between Rykhan and Wyst especially in light of Rykhan invoking his right to privacy. Nevertheless, he was curious as to the details of how a Picari might mate with a human. Were there differences in the anatomy between the females of this world and their own? Directing his next question to the only warrior who had yet claimed a mate, Bronsyn did not want to intrude but they all needed to know. The information was vital to their search. “So you didn’t join with your Leah?”

  Rykhan swallowed and could not seem to meet the gaze of anyone around the table. “I didn’t say that.” He swallowed again only much more slowly as he seemed to come to a decision. “I joined with her, yes.”

  Bronsyn was not sure which warrior gasped at Rykhan’s admission but all the men had tensed at the large male’s words. “I realize it is a private matter, something only discussed between a male and his blay. But there is so much at stake that you need to report about your coupling.”

  With his gaze dropping back down to the tabletop, Rykhan swore in Picari. “It was…it was exactly how we have seen it done on Earth’s internet sex sites.” He sighed deeply, audibly before continuing. “Only with a lot less noise and a lot more emotion involved.”

  “What do you mean emotion?” Tyshar, ever the scientist, had more curiosity than the rest of them combined. “It wasn’t just physical then?”

  “No although the physical portion was…amazing,” Rykhan confirmed. “I don’t know if I can describe it adequately but while we were…when we were joined, I felt all sorts of different feelings that went above and beyond the physical excitement of the moment. Tender and protective as well as territorial about her. And when she experienced her own pleasure—“

  “What?”

  “Human females can experience pleasure in the act of…”

  “I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

  The voices around the table held equal measure of disbelief and awe. Tyshar was the one who looked to their commander. “Was that true of the Picari females as well?”

  “Not to my knowledge but Leah’s warrior’s metal marks her as Rykhan’s one true mate. My pairing was not of that nature.” Bronsyn admitted to himself that he had often wondered if the almost mystical quality of true and legitimate pairings spoken about in legend and song were different from what he had had with his Maryll. To keep the discussion on track, Bronsyn turned back to the other warrior recognizing his own envy at the man’s experience and tucking that feeling firmly away. “Did you bring your wahroms into play during your joining?”

  “We did although it happened accidentally.”

  “And? Was the outcome as described by the elders?” Bronsyn again felt the envy beat within him. What must it be like to not only join with a female pre-ordained for you but whose body’s adornment could intensify your connection?

  Rykhan nodded and confirmed it verbally. “It was.” His eyes took on an unfocused look. “The entire experience was…it was...indescribable On every level.”

  There seemed to be nothing left to say as each man mulled over the Galaxi warrior’s words.

  Bronsyn called an end to the meeting and as he made his way to the little house he had appropriated, he wondered if keeping his knowledge unspoken was a wise move. Especially in light of Rykhan’s experience. The younger man had told of feeling both protective and territorial about his mate during just the simple joining.

  How then would the loyal warrior react if his mate was vilified and rejected when they arrived back on Galaxia?

  Chapter Seventeen

  “So I was thinking the categories of the spreadsheet would be their different efforts, like dating websites, singles events and places they’ve either gone or plan to go in order to meet women,” Leah announced, looking over her notebook she’d balanced on her lap. Pam had insisted on driving aga
in the following morning and after a quick stop at Cleo’s where they’d armed themselves with more caffeine than they probably needed, were making their way back to the ‘house of warriors’, as Pam called it.

  “You’re gonna have to do some research as well because I don’t think our boys are tapping the entire good ass in the area, if you know what I mean.” Pam shot her friend a huge smile that accompanied a waggle of her carefully shaped brows. Both women were again in jeans and girly t-shirts, but Pam’s read, “It’s Only Kinky the First Time” in sequins where Leah’s was emblazoned with the name of a local bar. Since that day had been specified as an info gathering session, neither one had either the drive nor felt the necessity to dress to impress.

  “Noted,” Leah agreed, applying pen to paper. “Did you get the magazines?”

  “Yep but do you know the ratio between women’s fashion magazines to men’s is almost ten to one? Geesh, don’t editors know that guys need just as much help and encouragement with their looks as we do?”

  “But how many men are willing to be seen going through the check-out with that stuff?”

  “You might have a point,” Pam conceded, taking one of the last turns into the exclusive area of Troon North a little too fast. Fast enough that Pam clutched the steering wheel as the car leaned sharply to the left. “I’ll do an internet search too, just to see if I’m missing the crap all guys secretly want to know but are too studly to purchase.”

  Leah tucked her notepad and pen into the tote bag she’d brought along for their first official meeting with the Picari warriors. She’d brought along her laptop, hoping to be able to put her findings into her computer to track each man’s progress in securing a mate. Bronsyn had let it slip that his group was the first of several missions that the combined Galaxian and Nutrolite council had approved. Leah figured by documenting their efforts, any subsequent quests might have a better advantage if the men knew what worked and what didn’t. “Did you bring your camera?”