“What the hell did I do?” She whimpered and flipped the blanket back.
Tonto approached her and whined. “I know, boy. It’s hunting day.” Venus patted his head and moved to the bathroom to splash water on her face. She quickly washed her body and dressed in her camouflage shorts and top, then brushed her long hair and braided it. Venus strolled into her living quarters, grabbing her hunting pack, a canteen of water, rifle, sunglasses, and ammo as she crossed the room. “Now all I need to do is slip by our guests.” She smiled at Tonto, who followed her to the back stairs.
At the small closet, she paused and turned off the force field. “Now be quiet, Tonto. I want to sneak out before they know I’m gone.” She needed time to think. Too many new things were going on for her to absorb them all at once. Slowly and quietly, she made her way downstairs and stepped into the early morning sun. “It’s going to be another hot one, pal. We better get this done fast. Hopefully the Bone Eaters haven’t chased everything away or eaten anything new that might’ve wandered into the area.”
Venus jogged until she reached the end of town. With her M-16 loaded and the safety off, she scanned the hot spots where Bone Eaters stayed hidden for the unexpected victim. She stopped and snapped her fingers for Tonto to heel. Two rusty vehicles, a bus and a dump truck, blocked the path she usually took out of town. “I don’t like this, boy. It looks like the Bone Eaters are moving things into the main routes to make traveling more difficult.” She started to move back when Tonto growled at something behind her.
Slowly, she turned around and gasped. Four male Bone Eaters moved toward her. “Fuck! What the hell is going on?” Venus glanced around for cover and ran behind a brick wall, all that was left of a crumbling building. “Tonto, get over here,” she commanded, her voice lowered.
Loud snorts and growls bombarded the air. Venus turned to see Ino and Ka appear behind the Bone Eaters.
“No, go back!” Venus shouted, aiming her rifle at the creatures before they attacked the strange animals. She let loose with a spray of bullets, the sound rending the quiet, and hit two of the monsters square in the head, sending them toppling to the ground. Venus glimpsed Ino and Ka flattening themselves against the asphalt. She sucked in her breath, realizing too late her error in shooting at the Bone Eaters with the pets behind them. Instantly, silver armor appeared over the bulk of Ino’s and Ka’s bodies. They attacked and threw the last two Eaters to the side, the animals’ keens senses somehow alerting them to only use their claws to tear at either side of the monsters’ spiny backs.
A loud humming swirled around her, and Venus startled as Jaxxon appeared next to her. She managed, at the last second, to keep herself from squeezing the M-16’s trigger. The alien warrior’s eyes seemed larger than before, speckles of black danced in them, and his body, ready for any attack, was covered in the same silver armor the pets wore. He snarled and pushed Venus behind him.
Chapter Six
Jaxxon aimed his weapon at the frightening creatures. The instant the scanner appeared over the barrel’s end, he fired. Four bright energy balls zipped out and flattened into thin beams that sliced through the Bone Eaters. The light-blades cleaved through the necks and torsos of the mutant people, the body parts hitting the pavement with wet, sickening thuds. Fluids spurted, fanning into the air and splattering the asphalt. Ino and Ka leapt back from the poisonous liquids. Both animals whined their distress and looked over at Jaxxon, waiting for his next command.
With the Bone Eaters disposed of, Jaxxon let out an odd sound that was both melodious and startling. “Come, you two. We’re safe for the time being.” He drew Venus to her feet. “Schizma! It’s a good thing I can sense your location now that we’ve bonded. Otherwise, I may not have found you in time. What are you doing out here alone?”
Venus jerked her hand out of his. “I’ve been getting along just fine by myself for years. Just because you and your brother have arrived doesn’t mean I’m going to start being a dutiful mate, who obeys your every wish and command. Besides, I never consented to being your mate anyway!”
“Yes, you did,” he said, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his handsome mouth. “I gave you a choice, Venus. You did not refuse me last night, so now we’re mated.”
“I don’t like your tone of voice.” She leaned forward and poked her index finger in the center of his wide chest. “Push me around too much, big boy, and I’ll stuff this M-16 up your ass. Got it?”
Shock wound through Jaxxon. He blinked down at the fair vixen. “Why would you put a weapon up my ass?”
For a moment, Venus regarded him with a perplexed expression, then mirth flooded her eyes. She burst out laughing and giggled so long and hard she had to lean against the wall for support. She managed to flick a tiny switch on the weapon and then dissolved into another round of chuckles and guffaws as she clutched the rifle to her belly.
Jaxxon was obviously confused by her reaction. “What do you find so humorous? I merely asked a question.”
This set her off again. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Finally, between peals of laughter and snorts, she managed, “N-never mind. As you,” she chuckled, “grow more accustomed to my world and,” she snorted, “learn about it, you’ll remember this and suddenly understand.”
He shook his head and frowned. “I don’t under—”
The air hummed, signaling the arrival of Volund, who suddenly appeared in the middle of the street. Upon seeing the carnage there, he leapt away from the growing puddle of gore.
“Schizma!” He threw startled looks around the area. Upon seeing him and Venus, he asked, “By the Twelve Galaxies, what happened here?”
“Bone Eaters surprised Venus,” Jaxxon answered. “It’s a good thing I found her.”
A strange expression crossed Volund’s face. He stormed toward them and grasped Venus by the shoulders. In one movement, he hefted her over the four- foot wall and shook her slightly. “Why put yourself in danger like that?”
Jaxxon quirked an eyebrow and reached over the wall to place a hand on his brother’s arm. “Easy, now. She makes a good point about surviving alone for so long.” He studied Volund for a moment. He seems drawn to Venus, too. Perhaps she’ll be able to heal my brother after all.
Regret smoothed the angry lines from Volund’s face. His moustache twitched as his mouth flattened, the two little beads swaying to and fro. Gently, he set Venus on her feet and took a step back.
He raked one big hand through his streaked hair and sighed heavily. “Forgive me, little hellion. I overreacted.”
Venus gulped. Sensing her unease, Jaxxon had to smile at her bravado and strength. His brother had frightened her, but she tried hard not to let them see it.
“I think you both need to dump some testosterone!” She flipped the rifle off of safety and stalked past Volund. “I’m out hunting for meat. If you two can’t do anything else besides throw your weight around, then you should go back to the building—or to your planet!”
She headed in the direction of a gate with the words “Elyria Park” on it in rusting black letters. “Come, Tonto,” she called and walked through the gate.
The dog charged after her, but so did Ino and Ka.
Frowning, Volund watched their pets trot to the entryway. “Traitors,” he muttered.
Jaxxon laughed. “Come, let us learn how to hunt with our female.”
***
Surprise speared Volund. He whirled on his younger brother. “What do you mean ‘our female’?” He shot Jaxxon his stormiest expression.
It worked. Jaxxon halted, his body rigid as he sized him up.
“I know you left our sleeping room last night. You vex me by calling her ours.
You’ve already claimed her as your mate.” Although Volund wasn’t sure why, jealousy ate at his heart. Why should it matter if Jaxxon claimed the female as his female? Hadn’t he told him time and time again he wanted no one except Zi-Ahda, who was gone forever? “You sneaked out and had your way with her so you wouldn’t hav
e to worry about finding another female on this godforsaken planet.”
“She can be both our mates, so why fight it? I don’t know why, but somehow I sense she’s meant for you, too,” Jaxxon insisted. “Venus is the only female we’ve detected in the area who isn’t a Bone Eater. She is beautiful, her body curvy with ample breasts. She’s intelligent, tough, and entertaining—and she makes love like a wild she-beast.”
Fury ripped through Volund. He lunged at Jaxxon, hit him in the chest, and bore him backward into the wall. They smashed into it, breaking the bricks apart and landing in a heap on the other side. Dust and grit rained down on them, and the aroma of mortar singed Volund’s nose.
“You’re selfish and self-serving!” Volund moved to grab his brother by the throat, but Jaxxon heaved him off, throwing him to the side where he flipped over and pinned Volund on his back.
“Someone had to make a move,” Jaxxon snarled, his eyes flaring bright red. “Zi- Ahda is dead! Dead! She won’t come back with your unborn child. Do you think she would like knowing you’ve been pining away for her instead of living your life?”
As Volund gripped his brother’s upper arms to push him off of his body, Jaxxon’s words sank into his brain. Like a sting from their Slicers, the words forced a cry of denial from him, but he couldn’t refute any of what Jaxxon had said. His brother was right.
Jaxxon rocked back onto his heels and then stood. “I’m going back to the building. We need to check in with the Ruling Body of Planets, so while I do that, you should go after Venus. Spend time with her, see how you feel about her, and let her do the same with you. She is stubborn, but beneath her rock-hard exterior is a woman who wants someone to love. She has been alone too long—and so have you.”
“Why would you want me to have her too, when you’ve already claimed her?” Volund stared at him with annoyance mixed with confusion.
“First, I sense she’s your mate as well as mine.” Gesturing wildly, Jaxxon shook his head. “I know it sounds insane, but I sense it here,” he tapped the center of his chest and then touched one temple, “and here. Also, what if we don’t find more human females? Worse, what if you feel nothing for any of the extractees we bring back to this time period? I can’t bear the thought of you being alone.”
“Is it your heart or your guilt speaking, brother?” The harshness in Volund’s voice urged a pang of worry through Jaxxon.
“Both.” With a heavy sigh, Jaxxon conveyed his feelings through his eyes. “I don’t want Venus to feel as though we’re sharing her because she’s possibly the only woman, or that we have no regard for her feelings, but if you just spend time with her, I think y
You’ll both realize there’s something drawing us together in this mating trinity. If, once you’ve spend some time with her, you still think I’ve acted selfishly, then I’ll let the matter drop.” He stepped out of the crushed bricks and debris, closed his eyes, and vanished.
***
Tonto ran ahead of Venus, sniffing the ground and blowing puffs of dust up with each snort. Old rusted playground toys lay in waste across the park. Venus could almost see the children of the past laughing and squealing with joy as they played. A single tear slipped down her cheek, the flash of a past memory surfacing, of her mother as she pushed Venus on one of the swings. She stepped up to one of the metal chains that once held a leather seat and ran her hand down it.
“When I was a child, my mother and father used to bring me here to play. The swings were always my favorite. I used to pretend I was flying, soaring so high.” Venus turned and smiled at Volund as he stepped up behind her. “But that was ages ago.”
She moved back to the path and followed Tonto until they reached the far side of the park. “How is it that you can wear metal armor and yet it doesn’t make any noise when you walk? And isn’t it hot?”
Volund studied her as he walked beside her. “The metal only hardens when we are threatened; otherwise, it breathes like our skin does. It’s an organic matter, plentiful on our planet. It came in handy when we went into battle. On parts of our world we had weather like this, and that is where we found the substance. I could make armor for you, if you’d like. We have extra on our ship. I think it would be best for you to have it if you continue to move around here with those creatures lurking in dark areas.”
Buzzards circled up ahead of them, and Tonto whined, stopping to sample the air currents.
Venus frowned and joined Tonto where he stared down at the ravine that had opened up from the last earthquake, more than a year ago. The gorge stretched at least two miles, and from what she’d estimated, the earth’s crack was about fifteen feet deep. A lump with a white coat snagged her attention. She studied it for a moment. Suddenly realization hit her.
“Dr. Zeon, no!” Venus slid down the hill, tearing dirt and small rocks free to roll down the steep incline. She reached the body and knelt down beside her father’s friend and partner.
His skull had been crushed in. Bites covered his bruised and swollen body, and he clutched a small bag in one of his old, gnarled hands.
“You knew of this man?” Volund knelt next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“His name was Dr. Reginald Zeon. He worked with my parents in their lab. He left with the last group of survivors over two years ago. Dr. Zeon wanted me to go with them, but I refused, since Randle, who I hate, was part of their group. I don’t understand why Dr. Zeon is here, though.” She reached out and took the small, white-leather satchel and opened it. Inside lay his journal and two metal vials that looked like medicine.
Venus pushed everything back into the bag and closed it. She tossed the case into her hunting pack. “I hate to leave him like this, but I have no choice. We can’t be out here when the sun is at its hottest, and we still have a mile to go before we reach my hunting perch.” Venus stepped around the body and continued on her trek.
“I can come back and bury him, if you’d like.” Volund once again draped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.
“He won’t be there when we come back this way. The Bone Eaters will drag him off and eat him. They’re most likely watching us right now, but the sun is rising higher, so they’ll not come out now.”
Ka and Ino grunted and dug at the ground behind them.
Venus turned, stepping out of Volund’s grasp, and watched them. “What are they doing?”
Volund laughed. “It seems our pets have found something to eat. Watch.” They dug harder, dirt flying. In seconds, Venus heard the hiss of a snake.
She started to stop them, but Volund grabbed her. “They love snakes. On our planet, we never had to worry about the poisonous ones, because our pets think they’re treats.”
Shaking her head, Venus slipped out of Volund’s hold and pressed on. Every time he touched her, she couldn’t think straight. The crotch of her shorts was already damp, and she didn’t need the Bone Eaters catching a whiff of her intimate scent.
“You know, you really shouldn’t touch me like that.” Venus peeked over at Volund, and he smiled at her.
“And why shouldn’t I touch you? I happen to like the feel of your skin. It’s soft against mine.” He stepped in front of Venus, invading her personal space, and gazed down at her. Volund smelled of something foreign, something she didn’t recognize, but all the same, his presence calmed and simultaneously excited her. He gripped both of her arms, sliding his hands down until his callused fingers twined with her smaller more slender ones. He brought her hands up and kissed each her of knuckles.
Venus thought it was hot earlier, but now her body was burning up from more than just the sun. She recognized the warrior in him, but when Volund touched her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll, she didn’t know what to think or how to act.
It bothered her that she was so turned on by not just one man, but two.
Disturbed by the sensations coursing through her, Venus retreated a couple of steps and stumbled, but Volund steadied her so she could get her bearings ag
ain.
“Venus?” he pressed. The irises of his eyes flared.
“Because you’re distracting me,” she finally responded with a tremor in her voice. “And I don’t need the Bone Eaters picking up my scent.” She winced at her choice of words.
Volund pulled her tighter to his side, his armor disappearing to reveal—Venus gulped, disbelieving her eyes—ten-pack abs underneath. She ran her hands up his chest and tried to push back.
“Why would your scent be any different, Venus?” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and then snapping them open. His pupils flickered. “Ah, so my touch excites you? Then maybe we should go back and explore the possibilities?” He leaned close and scraped his teeth against her neck.
“Stop it, Volund! I have to hunt today. We need the meat. Fruit and vegetables only go so far.” She ducked under his arm, escaping. “And there will be no exploring of anything. You and your brother both need to slow down.” She desperately needed space. Every time either of the big warriors encroached on her personal space, her brain shut down and her senses spun out of control. With determination, she took off jogging toward her hunting perch.
Chapter Seven
Resting on her belly across the tree stand’s platform, Venus shifted her M-16 and pointed it out over the abandoned soccer field as she waited and hoped for game to appear. Although a bit stunted, the oak tree was still stout enough for the hunting perch. Volund lay half on top of her. She liked the touch of his body, but at the same time, it overwhelmed her. For crying out loud, she’d already told him she needed some space. She glanced down at the ground ten feet away. She could just climb down and find a hiding place in the bushes instead, but the heat and humidity drained her resolve.
“Could you at least allow me some room to shoot, if given the opportunity?” She pressed her elbow into his ribs. “Please?”
Lovers of the Galaxy: Book One: Invasion of Her Heart Page 5
