The Zoran's Mate (Scifi Alien Romance) (Barbarian Brides)

by Luna Hunter

  I stride right into the forest, leaving Turnon behind, dumbfounded. If I lead by example, he’ll follow me. Right?

  “Stop!”

  I ignore his command and keep walking.

  He belts out a thundering war cry and charges at me. That’s a little much, isn’t it? I know that Zorans can be possessive, but I’m not his to command.

  It suddenly dawns on me that I did say ‘sure’ last night when he told me I was his wife. I was still in the throes of passion, and my brain was foggy. Does he think I am now his to command? If so, we need to have a real heart-to-heart, and I don’t mean more sex…

  He runs past me with his knife half firmly in his grasp. With one hand he pushes me back, and I nearly tumble over.

  “Hey, watch it!”

  A low growl coming from right above me makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. My neck slowly cranes upwards, scanning the top of the trees.

  Two hellish red eyes stare back at me. I gasp, and the monstrous beasts launches itself from a tree towards me, spreadings its limbs.

  The beast has the shape of a chimpanzee, but it’s covered in heavy white fur, and has giant fangs and massive claws.

  And it’s moments away from crushing me to death.

  Before I even have time to raise my hands in a pitiful attempt of self-defense, a purple blur flashes by in front of my eyes. The next moment the beast falls to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Its white fur is covered in a crimson blood.

  Turnon breathes heavily, his chest rising with every breath. The knife in his hand is dripping with blood, and his orange eyes are fixed on me.

  “You okay?”

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. When I saw those red eyes coming towards me, I thought it was the end. Killed by my own stubbornness. What was I thinking?

  Of course this jungle, this world, this entire planet is dangerous. Just because it looks idyllic doesn’t mean there aren’t creatures lurking around every corner who want to tear me to shreds.

  If it wasn’t for Turnon, that chimpanzee would have made quick work of me.

  “Yes,” I answer. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Turnon leans down and cleans his knife on the animal’s white fur, leaving more streaks of red all over it.

  “Sorry.”

  “Forest is dangerous,” he says. “Ava stay close.”

  I nod. “I have to see the girls, though. Will you come with me?”

  The warrior thinks for a moment before nodding. “Follow me.”

  11

  TURNON

  THE HUMAN IS SO CLUMSY. Striding off into the jungle like a Taku youngling. The white Panit nearly tore her head right off! I only managed to intervene just in time.

  She’s my mate, and if anything ever happened to her, I would never forgive myself. Ava’s a blessing, a gift from the Maker. To be cherished, protected, worshipped.

  I do not understand the big metal box she arrived in, though, or her claims of white aliens who took her from her home.

  Must ask Maker. I’ll find the answers there.

  Luckily, Ava’s near-death experience has bestowed her with a proper respect for the jungle. She follows my footsteps, one hand always touching the small of my back.

  I like the feel of her soft hands on me. I can’t wait to feel them all over me once more…

  The passion we shared last night was out of this world. It was my first time, and it exceeded everything I thought was possible. My cock radiated pure pleasure, and she was so wet, so warm, so soft, so pleasant. The feeling of exploding inside of her is one I will cherish forever.

  It’s a memory I intend to create many more of.

  “You know you have a cute butt?” Ava whispers from behind me. “You probably don’t. No mirrors and all that. I wonder how much you can really understand, at times. You nod, and you grunt, and you say a few words here and there… and that’s okay. Perhaps it’s easier if you don’t understand everything I say. That way, I can tell you what a great fuck you are without it being all awkward. Oh, look at me, I’m rambling.”

  I understand every word perfectly, but Ava doesn’t need to know that. Not yet. I’m enjoying hearing her mumble to herself way too much.

  Before she arrived from the heavens, I hadn’t spoken a word in years. After praying to the Maker, and having my calls be ignored time and time again, I left in a fit of rage to traverse the planes with Isto by my side. I only recently returned to my old grounds when Ava dropped down from the sky like an angel.

  Her grasp of language is much stronger than mine. I do struggle to follow her quick leaps at times, but I’m starting to catch on. For now, though, I enjoy playing the brute.

  “Look,” I growl as I push a few leaves to the side. “Your box.”

  Ava’s hand leaves my back as she runs towards the giant grey object.

  “Hey! Get out of there! Shoo!”

  A few small animals are sniffing the box. They are not a threat, and they scatter the moment Ava opens her mouth.

  I had scouted the area earlier, while my mate slept, but I did not enter. Ava steps right into the thing.

  “Come,” she beckons.

  A warrior as fierce as me should not fear a strange box. Without showing Ava my hesitation, I step into the darkness.

  The first thing I notice is the air — it’s much cooler inside. The metal floors feel cold on my naked feet. The walls are empty, cold, lifeless, just straight lines everywhere. No beauty.

  I feel pity for the species who took to the stars and decided that this would be their chariot.

  “Come on, no time to waste,” Ava urges me on.

  She leads me further into the bowels of this monstrosity. I keep one hand on my knife, just to be sure, even though nothing could sneak up on me in these cramped hallways.

  “Here we are,” Ava says when she opens a door.

  A terrible view opens up.

  “By the Maker,” I growl. “Are they dead?”

  I see rows upon rows of strange pods that contain human females. They appear to be cradled within some sort of a metal flower. Their faces are lit up in a ghostly blue light, their eyes all closed.

  I have never seen anything so disturbing.

  “They’re not… I hope,” Ava adds. “Let me check.”

  She goes over to the strange machines and inspects them, while I stare amazed at the scene in front of me.

  “The pods are functioning as intended, as far as I can tell,” my mate says. “These girls are sound asleep, oblivious to the world around them. The pods have enough juice to run for a few more months, so we don’t have to worry about feeding a whole colony of girls. Yet.”

  “Who did this?” I growl.

  “The Nezdek, like I tried to tell you,” Ava responds. “They will come back for us. For me. I saw pure hatred in Lord Erran’s eyes — he’s coming back, alright. That’s why I need your help. Are you starting to understand?”

  I nod. I understand. I understand that whoever did this is pure evil. I understand whoever will try to harm my mate will have to go through me.

  “We must see the Maker,” I growl. “Leave right now.”

  I grab her wrist. “Come.”

  12

  AVA

  THE PURPLE ALIEN warrior is striding through the jungle with big, purposeful steps. I have to exert myself just to keep up with his pace. His eyes are constantly darting from side to side, no doubt looking for predators.

  I have no energy left to be watchful — just matching his stride is more than I can handle. I’m just grateful we haven’t encountered any more crazy, bloodthirsty tigers, monkeys, or other any other critters that might wish me harm for disturbing their homes.

  Turnon stops suddenly and I walk straight into his back. I tumble backward and fall flat on my ass.

  Graceful, Ava.

  “Ow,” I say. “What was that for?”

  I rub my ankles, which are starting to feel sore. I’ve been walking around barefoot eve
r since the Nezdek abducted me. Couldn’t they at least have given me some shoes to match that creepy medical gown?

  “Shh,” Turnon says.

  He listens to the sounds of the jungle intently. I raise my eyebrows and listen along, but all I hear are birds chirping, and the trees rustling — like they’ve done for the past hour.

  Without warning, Turnon belts out a loud, deep cry I didn’t think him able to produce. It sounds like a ship’s horn, and it reverberates inside my chest like I’m standing right next to a starship’s engine.

  The treetops all shake as birds dart up into the air, fleeing as quickly as they can. A moment later, the jungle falls silent, as if all the animals are afraid to breathe. Turnon even scared the wind away.

  “What did you just do?” I whisper, afraid to break the silence.

  “Darkclaw call,” he says. “Scares away all animals.”

  “What’s a darkclaw?”

  Turnon looks me with a grim look in his orange eyes.

  “You don’t want to know.”

  A shiver runs down my spine. With such a name, they must be bad news.

  “Come,” he says as he pulls me to my feet. “We must keep moving.”

  “Are there predators about?”

  Turnon doesn’t answer — he’s already five steps ahead of me. I dust myself off and we continue our trek. My feet are killing me and I’m thirsty as hell, but I don’t want to tell Turnon that. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m weak.

  He’s got a leather pouch tied to his waist, and I keep wondering what’s inside. I hope it’s food, but I’m afraid of sounding greedy if I ask. I could go for the sugar rush from one of those big, plump, purple fruits…

  I make a mental note to ask Turnon what they’re called next time we rest. I could make a killing selling those bad boys on Earth!

  If we make it back home, that is…

  The hours tick by as we make our way through the thick, overgrown jungle. Turnon’s strange call worked — we don’t encounter any more beasts in our path. I find myself stopping a few times just to admire the beauty of this world. The ancient trees, the brightly-colored flowers, the small streams of clear water cutting through the thick jungle.

  It’s easy to forget that there are extremely dangerous predators lurking about, for when I’m standing next to Turnon, I feel perfectly safe.

  Even through the canopy of trees, the twin suns’ bright light filters through, and I feel my skin starting to burn. I push through until I can’t go one more step, and with a heavy sigh I rest my back against a large tree.

  “I need to rest.”

  Turnon turns around. “No,” is his growly answer.

  “Then you’ll have to carry me.”

  I sit down on the forest floor and rub my sore feet. They have so much dirt on them they look like they belong on a hobbit.

  The alien warrior kneels down besides me. He grabs my ankle, and instantly I yelp out in pain.

  “You are injured,” he says. “Why didn’t you say?”

  “You wanted to keep going.”

  “Not like this.”

  He reaches into his mysterious pouch and pulls out a herb.

  “Rub this,” he says, mimicking the movement for me. “I’ll be back.”

  Before I can thank him he’s also disappeared into the thick bushes, and just like that, I’m all alone in this ancient, foreboding forest. I dutifully rub the herb on my sore ankles, mumbling to myself.

  The moment we get back to Earth I’m booking the mother of all pedicures, that’s for damn sure.

  The herb smells of mint, and after a few minutes I feel the physical pain diminishing. It actually works! Once again, Turnon proves himself to be a great provider. Now, if it would only alleviate my emotional pain, that would be perfect. I hate sitting here on the floor, feeling useless.

  If one of those critters showed up now, I would be completely defenseless…

  I look around for anything to use in self-defense. Why didn’t Turnon give me a weapon? That knife of his would sure come in handy right about now. The only thing I can reach is a small rock, and I hold it in the palm of my hand while I stare up at the treetops.

  No monkey is getting the drop on me again.

  The bushes shake and with a cry I throw the rock in the direction of the noise.

  Thud!

  I hit Turnon right above his left eyebrow. A small trickle of blood runs down his face, his brow furrowed.

  “Sorry!” I yell, clasping my hands in front of my face. “Oh my god, I’m sorry! I thought you were one of those beasts!”

  To my great relief, Turnon bursts out laughing. His deep voice carries far. I don’t think I’ve heard him laugh so abundantly before. I didn’t realize that all I had to do to make him laugh was throw a rock at his face!

  He’s carrying a freshly killed animal in his hands — dinner, no doubt — which he drops on the floor. He kneels down next to me to check on my ankle, and my hands move to the cut on his face.

  “Please, let me clean it,” I say as I wet my thumb and wipe the blood away.

  “It’s nothing,” he says. “How is ankle?”

  “Better,” I smile. “Thank you.”

  “There is shelter nearby,” he says, nodding at the distance. “I will carry you.”

  “Nonsens—ooh!”

  Before I can even protest, the alien warrior has already scooped me up into his powerful arms. He’s so damn quick! With one hand he carries his fresh kill, while the other one supports my weight, seemingly without effort.

  I wrap my arms around his neck, drinking in his manly scent as I let him carry me. I’ve been raised to be an independent woman by my mother. If she saw me now, she’d shake her head and tut, no doubt. However, despite my upbringing, I have to admit I love the feeling of being in his arms, of being cared for, protected… dare I say, loved?

  It’s a little early for that, perhaps, but that’s what it feels like. The way he looks at me with those radiant eyes of his, the way my heart flutters whenever our fingers touch…

  I can’t say I’ve ever felt this way before for any man, human or alien.

  When Turnon lowers me, I feel a tinge of regret, and for a brief moment I don’t let go. I want to rest my head against his chest, let his massive muscles hold me for just a brief second longer.

  When I finally open my eyes I find I’m resting against a cliffside. He pulls a thin tarp made out of animal’s skin from his pouch and hangs it up above us, creating a makeshift shelter. A moment later he starts a fire, and seconds later we’re basking in its warm glow.

  I’m in awe of the speed with which he moves. If I had to do any of this, I’d struggle for hours. Turnon, however, doesn’t even have to think about it. He just does it.

  I find it a turnon how confident and capable he is.

  “Drink.”

  The alien warrior hands me a sac filled with clean water. The sac itself is probably made from the inside of some animal — I try not to think about that as I gulp the clean, cold water down.

  I watch with a mixture of awe and arousal as Turnon skins the beast he killed. He strips the flesh off and skewers it with a sharp twig before suspending it above the fire. The smell makes my stomach rumble. At first I wasn’t a fan, but I’m starting to enjoy the primitive, primal taste of Turnon’s meals.

  “I go to collect fruits. No rocks this time?” he says with a smile.

  “No rocks,” I promise. “Pinky swear.”

  Fresh meat, fresh fruit, clear water, a sexy alien warrior who takes care of my every need… if the Nezdek weren’t hunting me, I might just say I found paradise.

  Turnon returns with the purple plums that I enjoy so much. He watches with a smile as I gulp them down, the juices running down my chin. Next up is the meat, which we eat with our bare hands like a pair of cavemen.

  I feel so attuned with nature right now — and there’s one more natural, primal act I’d like to perform with the alien warrior… I can’t stop thin
king about that night in the hot spring.

  It was something out of this world.

  “Come here. I want to take a better look at that cut.”

  “It’s nothing,” Turnon growls again with a smirk.

  “Stop protesting and come here.”

  The alien warrior scoots over until he’s sitting right next to me. The sun is starting to set, and the smoldering fire is coating his purple skin in its red glow, creating a beautiful pallette of colors I wouldn’t mind running my tongue across.

  The cut on his forehead is already starting to heal. His body works fast.

  “My hands are dirty from the barbecue,” I say. “I can’t touch you like this.”

  Turnon grabs my hand and slowly slips my index finger into his mouth, while his eyes never leave mine. His tongue feels perfect on my finger, and I feel myself growing wetter by the second. He licks all my fingers clean like this on both hands, relentlessly teasing me.

  “There,” he says in that husky, low growl of his. “Clean.”

  “Th-thank you,” I stammer.

  I reach into his pouch and retrieve some of the herbs he used. I crush them in my palm and apply them to his forehead. Turnon winces and tries to scoot away, but I don’t let him.

  “Sit still,” I say. “I can’t reach you like this.”

  I climb right onto his lap, straddling him.

  “There. Much better.”

  His hands circle my waist and come to rest right on my ass.

  “Yes. Much better,” he smirks.

  I rest my forehead against his — making sure I don’t touch his wound, of course — and gaze into his radiant eyes.

  “What’s going to happen next?” I ask. I wish nothing would change. I wish we could just stay camping out here forever. I’d learn how to find berries, what herbs to pluck, to weave baskets, while Turnon would do the hunting. We could be our own little family out here, perfectly safe, perfectly content.

  If not for the aliens hunting me, the galactic war brewing, and Turnon’s tribe…

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wish we could stay like this. Just us two. I know you want to go to your tribe, but I can’t help but worry what it means for us. In-laws were never fond of me, if you can imagine such a thing.”