Barbarian Blood

by Abella Ward

  He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw at the thought. He needed a drink. He was about to turn when one of his servants entered through the balcony doors from his bedroom.

  Arazor turned and gazed at the servant standing behind him. “My lord, you have a visitor,” he said hesitatingly.

  “Who is it? I don’t want to see anyone at this hour. Tell him to meet me at my office tomorrow,” Arazor said coldly.

  “Er… my lord? She claims to be your... um... wife,” the servant said cautiously.

  “What?” Arazor said, startled.

  “She... uh, showed me her band... It’s similar to the one you wear, my lord,” the servant said.

  “Send her in,” Arazor said. “And get me a drink!”

  “Yes, my lord,” the servant said and shuffled inside.

  ***

  Kara’s heart raced as she followed the servant inside Arazor’s chambers. For a moment, she was awestruck by the exotic grandeur of the ornate ivory walls, the huge bed at the center, and the giant arched windows along one wall. The domed ceiling was painted intricately. A huge chandelier hung from its recesses. She gently pulled her crimson silk gown up as she stepped over the threshold of the walk-in window and outside onto the large balcony.

  Arazor stood with his back to her. She paused and looked at him for a second. The strong muscles of his back beneath the thin fabric of his gray robes made her heart skip a beat. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward.

  Arazor turned. His intense gray gaze locked onto hers and made her halt. His handsome features were the same as before but something seemed to have changed. They seemed to have softened.

  “Arazor...,” she said softly. A myriad of emotions flitted across those stormy gray eyes and all she could do was gaze back at him.

  The servant shuffled behind them as he brought wine and glasses and placed them on the white table near them. Arazor tilted his head to one side and, with a gesture of his hand, the servant disappeared.

  “Arazor... I got your message,” she said. He silently moved past her and poured the dark wine in two glasses. Then he stood close to her and handed her a glass. He took a swig from his own.

  “Kara, why have you come here?” he asked her in a cold voice.

  “I... I told you, I got your message. I..,” she began.

  “And you didn’t care to reply,” Arazor cut her off. He was suddenly mad at her.

  “Arazor... I’m sorry. I thought you were dead! And these past few weeks have been excruciatingly hard for me. And you! You were ready to let me go and die a lonely miserable death?” she said with such force that it ignited the fiery spirit within her. The kind of passion he loved to see in her. She took a sip of wine to calm herself. “When I got your message, I set off right away. I wanted to see you in person.” She looked up to him. “I came back because I want to be with you... Arazor, I love you.”

  His intense gaze bore into hers. “Do you have any idea how I have ached for you?” he said through clenched teeth as he grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. Cupping her chin with one hand, he gazed deep into her eyes. “What spell have you cast upon me, woman?” His eyes softened into a darker gray. He had missed her intoxicating scent so much.

  And before Kara could say anything, he claimed her mouth with such fervent passion that the glass slipped from her hand and crashed to her floor. His dexterous tongue invaded her mouth, ravaging hers, claiming her as his own, as his hand caressed her slender back, holding her close. Kara wrapped her arms around his strong neck, her fingers tangling his hair as she kissed him back with a fervent need. A need born out of years of loneliness and bitter endings.

  The afternoon sun glinted off her long hair as the soft wind embraced them. It was long after when they pulled apart. He still held her close and gazed at her with a warmth she had never seen before. Kara gently ran a finger across the dark rune-like markings on his temples, tracing them all the way down the side of his neck.

  The simple touch of her fingers set fire to his blood. “Oh, Kara, I have missed you so much,” he said in a low, deep voice. He kissed her again and took her breath away. She could feel his arousal against her as he suddenly picked her up and strode inside. She clung to him, taking in his heady scent as desire welled, deep and unguarded, inside her belly. She wanted him now.

  Arazor gently set her down once they were inside the bedchamber. He turned her around, her back against his chest as he pulled her close, one hand cupping her chin, tipping her head back as he kissed her neck. Then he peeled off her dress and it softly slid to the floor, revealing her naked beauty. He gently rubbed her neck as his gaze swept over her ivory shoulders, and then he saw the scars from her lashes and felt a tug in his heart.

  He ran his fingers along her spine, and, in a swift movement, he pulled her close, her back colliding into his hard chest. He kissed her neck again as one hand crept down her belly between her legs, making her moan as his fingers worked on her clit and the wet warmth below. He quickly turned her around and gazed at her perfectly shaped breasts, slender waist, and the curves of her softly rounded hips. Turning her in his arms, she faced him and he gasped, gazing into those beautiful eyes. “Kara... You are a beautiful woman...”

  Kara gasped at his words and placed her hands on his muscular chest, as she gently removed his robes. Admiring the feel of taut sinew, her small hands traced his fine chest and slowly crept lower to hold his desire. He hissed through clenched teeth. She loved his impressive length. Biting her lower lip, she gazed into his eyes and gently pushed him toward the bed. He lay there in all his naked glory, as she quickly peeled her panties and straddled him. The feeling of him inside her was heady...

  And his breath hitched as he felt her warmth clench him. The sight of her on top of him was intoxicating. Her long hair fell over her breasts as she bent down to claim his mouth. Then, pulling back, she gazed into his eyes and started moving her hips... Slowly creating a rhythm that would take both of them over the edge.

  Epilogue

  One year later...

  Kara took a deep breath and loved the feel of Agrion air on her face.

  “You seem to be adjusting well to the air Mrs. Vafiel,” Arazor said gently in her ear, as he led her into his arms. She now took pills to regulate her breathing and didn’t need to wear her clip anymore. The doctors there told her that, with the help of the medication, she would eventually be able to breathe freely on her own.

  She wore a soft lilac gown and sat on the lush grass by the lagoon with her husband’s arms wrapped around her. To her right, the foamy white water cascaded down, creating ripples in the water. She turned and looked into his beautiful gray eyes and kissed him. “Thank you... for everything,” she said.

  “Well, I should be thanking you for this.” He placed a palm on her now growing belly. She loved the warmth of his hand on her bump and felt the baby kick. He felt it too and she saw the radiant look on his face. She was six months pregnant and glowing incredibly. He loved her more than ever. “Kara, you are an amazing woman. The Vllar once thought that humans were inferior to our race, but you’ve proven us all wrong. Everyone respects you for having risked your life for me. This baby will be the strongest Vllar that ever lived. Born out of a warrior and a brave human. What more could I want for? You have made me the happiest Vllar alive.”

  Kara had never been so happy. Her nightmares long gone, she had found her place in this new world... Her world. In the arms of the man she loved, she was finally at peace.

  *****

  THE END

  Abducted by the Alien Warrior

  Description

  A curvy smuggler on her next mission PLUS a dominant alien warlord who takes her captive PLUS an enemy on their heels!

  Andromeda Nus has been on her own since the age of fifteen. She’s a smuggler by trade and a good one at that. But smuggling is just a cover for her real business – aiding the human rebellion against the warrior race of aliens hell bent on conquering earth.

  The D
olcivs are humanoid and hyper-aware. They are smarter, faster and stronger than their earth-born cousins. They’ve been struggling to conquer Earth, but humanity isn’t going down without a fight and not all members of the Dolcivs agree with the war.

  Sent to a far distant system to pick up plans for the human rebellion, Andromeda is captured by the Dolcivs Lord, Historan Strath. But Strath is not part of the Regime conquering Earth. He is his own Lord and answers to no one.

  Being Strath’s prisoner is more tempting than terrifying. Strath is wealthy and powerful and enticed by Andromeda. Can Andromeda free herself from Strath? Will she be able to bring the plans to the rebellion? Or will she fall for him instead?

  Chapter One

  I couldn’t stop my leg from jiggling. This was a problem. I was wearing handcuffs and every time I nervously fidgeted, the chains around my wrists would rattle. It was an unnerving sound. The jangle echoed around my cell, a stark reminder that this would most likely be the last room I ever saw.

  The walls were made of a stainless steel that was colored dull gray, with a single raised bed and one sink. The room was dark, with only one bright light on overhead. The ship that picked me had looked massive. There could have easily been ten thousand souls on board. The guards had been efficient, my jail cell was inescapable. I didn't know who it was that snatched me, but I could tell that escape would not be easy.

  I forced myself to stop fidgeting. I needed to be calmer than this. Whoever had me was trying to psych me out. They were leaving me alone in this cell to slowly drive myself crazy. I had no idea how long it had been since I had been dumped in here. At least two days, maybe three, with nothing to do but stare at the bare walls around me. A few hours ago a guard had come and placed the cuffs on my wrists, but he hadn’t been back since.

  It had been a trap. I didn’t know if the trap was for me or someone else, but it had worked. I came out of hyperspace practically on top of a giant ship. In the few moments it took my computer to re-align I was vulnerable and in that moment the great ship swallowed my tiny one easily.

  The troops had taken a while to find me. I hid down in one of my smuggling compartments secreted away far in the bowels of my ship. But they knew someone was onboard. The guards tore her apart until they found me. I had been stripped of my weapons, my clothes, even my boots. Now I was in a simple jumpsuit – unflattering to my curvy figure - and a pair of socks, nothing else.

  I didn’t recognize the insignia on the uniform of the men who captured me. The decal was a series of dashes and dots. It wasn’t the insignia of the current rulers, the Dolcivs Regime. Their symbol was easy to recognize, a solid circle surrounded by a circle of dashes and another one of dots. Whoever had me wasn’t a recognized Lord in the Regime. He was a Lost Lord, and a powerful one by the look of it.

  I couldn’t take the waiting. It was driving me crazy. I stood up and began to pace back and forth. It took six and a half steps to walk the length of the cell. I began to march back and forth as my mind tried to figure out where I had gone wrong. I had been working as a smuggler for over eight years and I had never been caught before.

  The job had been from a reliable client, the information passed through my broker as is the norm. The unnamed client (who is always unnamed in my business) needed something picked up in a far off system that was out of the Regime’s control. Out of the way pick-up and delivery was my specialty. I had a fast ship and I knew how to fly her. Usually, I could get in and out without anyone even knowing I was there.

  I hadn’t been expecting an ambush. There was always the chance I might encounter someone on one of my jobs, but I never landed right on top of someone else.

  The chances were billions to one, it was near impossible that two ships would just happen to be in such close proximity. Space is big, really big. It’s rare to run into another ship. No, it had been a trap. Whoever had set up this job had specifically sent me here. They wanted me in particular.

  I had paced the length of the room ninety-seven times when the door swung open. I turned to see a Dolcivs guard standing waiting for me. Dolcivs were like humans, only bigger, stronger, and faster, their eyes were bright blue and they shined under the lights of my cage. I was already considered short, but curvy by human standards, so the eight foot tall Dolcivs warriors towered over me.

  The guard grabbed me by the upper arm and wrenched me out onto the platform. I hurried to keep up with him, practically running to meet his strides.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. But he didn’t say anything. Neither had any of the other guards. They were well-trained. The prison on the ship was half-empty. I passed a few cells, where sullen-looking Dolcivs and a few humans silently watched me pass.

  I was led to a lift that rose up and up through the massive ship. Finally, the guard swiped his palm across the electronic pad and the elevator door opened to reveal an opulent suite.

  This wasn’t what I expected. My feet sunk into plush red carpets. The walls were covered in video screens that showed the starry space outside. We were in the orbit of a large gas giant and reds, purples and yellows swam along the surface of the planet. There were comfortable-looking chairs interspersed in the room and a long bar along one wall.

  I only had a moment to take this all in before I was pulled into the next room. It was dark inside and I could barely see anything. The only light that entered the dim room came from the red planet below us.

  “Unchain her and leave us,” a strong voice commanded.

  The guard nodded once, unlocked my cuffs and then stepped out the door. I remained frozen in place. I stared into the darkness trying to discover who my captor was, but I couldn’t see anything other than a few vague shapes. There was what looked like a great bed in one corner and then past that, a sunken area with a couch facing the view of the planet.

  I didn’t move. I didn't know what was expected of me. It seemed like I waited a very long time, shifting from foot to foot.

  “Andromeda Nus,” the voice said.

  I didn’t answer.

  “Listen well, Andromeda, for this is your one and only warning. Do not ignore me and do not waste my time with lies. I can easily rip the truth from you, but I would rather you give it to me. This would be best for you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “Are you Andromeda Nus?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “You will address me as Sir, or My Lord.”His voice was low and smooth, but commanding. I craned my neck to try and get a better view of my captor, but I could only see shadows. The outline of a Dolcivs face, nothing more.

  “Yes, Sir,” I corrected. I should have known. The Dolcivs take their rankings and titles very seriously. If he was a Lost Lord, as I expected, he would care more than most.

  “The famed smuggler, Andromeda Nus.”

  “I never knew I was famed, Sir,” I replied.

  “But you are,” he said. “Come and step into the light.” I swallowed heavily, my stomach in knots. I moved slowly through the room, carefully picking my way in the darkness.

  He was sitting on the couch, his arms outstretched on the back of it. I could barely make out his features. He had a strong jaw and long dark hair, his eyes followed me as I walked in front of him, taking in every inch of my body.

  “There,” he said. “Stand in the light.”

  I moved to where he indicated and stood with my arms crossed.

  “Put your arms down,” he said.

  I complied, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew that if I resisted him, he would bring his guards in and they would make me do whatever this Lost Lord demanded. It was better to appease him in these small ways.

  “Spin around, slowly,” he ordered. My heart sped up even more as I slowly spun in a circle. I could feel him watching me, practically devouring me with his eyes. When my back was turned to him I felt a shiver run up my spine and I could not help but shudder. I heard him give a low sigh when I did.

  Fi
nally, I was facing him again. I was trying to stand perfectly still. I didn’t want him to know how terrified I was at this moment. This trap had been laid for me. He must have known my true purpose for taking the job that put me in this system. Did he guess that I was no normal smuggler?

  I wasn’t here to just work a gig. I had ulterior motives. Hidden deep in the storms of the planet below us was information. Plans and designs of Dolcivs ships that were vital to the mission of the human rebellion. They were waiting somewhere in the planet beneath me. Unless this Lost Lord had already found them and now he was just playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse.

  What was he going to do to me? It wouldn’t matter. No matter what, I would never talk. I would never tell him anything. I would take these rebel plans to my grave. I would never help the Dolcivs.

  “They didn’t tell me you would be so fair,” he said. “When they told me it was a female smuggler that was sneaking through my security lines, I imagined someone older. Someone a little more worn-out. But you are fresh and delicate as a flower. How have you managed to be in such a dangerous business and keep that pretty face of yours intact?”

  “I don’t normally get caught, Sir,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say. He wouldn’t accept any lies and he would know if I was lying. Dolcivs were hyper-aware, they could sense the smallest tics and facial expressions that indicated someone was lying. The truth was all I was left with.

  “Yes, you are very good at your job. Even I must accept that,” he said. “Come here and sit by me.”

  I walked over to him avoiding eye-contact. I sat down on the small couch next to him, our legs almost touching. I sat straight, taking up as little room as possible. This wasn’t what I expected. I thought I would be in a room with a desk and a bright overhead light. Not this.