Warrior's Mate (Yadeshi Brides Book 3)

by Emma Alisyn

  Servers approached before the entertainment began and offered a selection of beverages and sweet and savory treats. Gayle chose a tray of each, and told the server to just keep the wine coming. She ignored the glint of amusement in Ithann’s eyes and prepared herself for two hours of sitting upright. Evidently, the Yadeshi didn’t believe in chair backs.

  But she could tell he was distracted. After the music, he rose, eyes scanning the area, and took her arm.

  “Would you like to dine?” he asked. “Something light, perhaps, since you enjoyed the small bites so well.”

  “I can eat two full grown warriors under the table,” she said. “You’d be on the losing side of a bet if you think I’m full.”

  He eyed the mass of bodies who slowly made their way out of the arena. “I think we’ll exit using our private entrance. There are too many people here.”

  She didn’t mention that if he was concerned about too many people, this hadn’t been a good idea in the first place. When they exited the arena onto the street-level launch pad where the transports were parked, Gayle tugged at his arm.

  “Let’s walk. There should be something in the neighborhood, and it’s a perfect evening.”

  He nodded, making a subtle gesture. She knew his warriors would take their places and—

  —an explosion of heat and sound ripped across the launch pad. Ithann threw her to the ground, his body covering hers and for a brief second, everything went black.

  19

  “Are you hurt?” he demanded.

  “No.”

  He was off her almost as soon as she said the word, pressing a strip of metal into her hand. “This controls the body shield, don’t lose it.”

  And then he was streaking away, another warrior taking Ithann’s place at her shoulder, herding her away from the fight.

  She hadn’t seen where the unknown fighters had come from—she’d been face down in the ground. But Gayle saw that Ithann and his security team were outnumbered.

  Her head whipped towards her guard. “Stop herding me! They need our help.”

  The male hesitated, then shook his head, face set.

  “I’m YETI trained, I have fourth-level Form mastery. Stick close to me if you’re scared of Ithann—but I can help.”

  “You’ll take responsibility for disobeying orders?”

  “Yeah, I’ll make sure he knows who to yell at.”

  The warrior nodded. “Then run.”

  They crossed several yards and dove into the fray. She wasn’t weapons trained; her combat style was meant to be hand to hand. Gayle assessed her options, even as a fighter engaged her, deciding she could best help by harrying enemies taxing their warriors. And made a grim promise to fully take Ithann up on his training. If this was to be the life she chose, she needed to be prepared.

  And then there wasn’t time for thinking.

  At a certain point, she realized Ithann was fully aware she’d joined the fight. He stayed close to her, his assists showing her two things. One, he didn’t think she was in any real danger because he intervened only at the last minute. Two, he respected her ability to take care of herself to a certain point.

  The damn man was using this as an impromptu training exercise.

  That didn’t mean his rage wasn’t real. When it was over, three enemy fighters were dead— Ithann gave a blistering lecture over that bit of deliberate clumsiness—and two more had been shipped off in transports to his father to be detained in their private facility. And wasn’t she shocked to learn they had their own damn jailhouse.

  “That’s way over the top,” she said. “How can you get away with that?”

  His eyes glinted. “Who has the power or the warriors to tell us no?”

  “The Platon?”

  He snorted, gesturing around them. “You see how far his arm reaches. Pathetic.”

  The contempt in his voice was real. The enemy had damaged public property, engaged them in a public brawl—even now authorities stood by, waiting to speak to the Bdahn who had yet to give them his time.

  “Take her to my mother,” Ithann told her guard. “And this time do not allow her to sway you.”

  She began to protest. He shut her up with a brief, fierce kiss. “Shut up, Gayle. My mother is warrior trained; there is no one better to guard you while I’m not at your side. And tomorrow—” His eyes bored into hers. “—we train.”

  Gayle was delivered to Ythana’s small private garden, the woman sitting in front of her grotto, a naked sword across her thighs. Gayle figured it was an indication of the princess’ mood rather than actual necessity. This evening the complex crawled with security, and they weren’t bothering being subtle about their presence.

  “You enjoyed your first skirmish,” Ythana said as a greeting.

  Gayle knelt, inclining her head. “It was instructive.”

  Ythana smiled. “I remember my first battle. Ah, the heat in the blood. There is nothing else quite like it. And was my son pleased with your performance?”

  “He didn’t cuss me out. We train in the morning.”

  “Ah. He was very pleased then, if there was no profanity.”

  Gayle grinned, then the expression faded as she sighed. “I don’t think the problems between us are resolved though.”

  “There will always be a problem to resolve. That’s the nature of life, and marriage. Where there is an absence of conflict, it usually indicates one is dead.”

  She couldn’t argue with that.

  “You’ll see many of these fights,” Ythana added. “The Platon grows bold and we must make permanent arrangements concerning him soon.”

  They trained, and they talked. They spent time together and Ithann told her eventually that he’d sent a warrior to have a long talk with her father—and had retained the services of her mother.

  Gayle wasn’t involved in any more skirmishes, though there were more scattered throughout the days.

  “It’s coming to a head,” Ithann said, grim. “The next few sun cycles will see an end to this. My other brother is returning home soon and when he does, all my father’s sons will be together again. Then we will hunt.”

  Gayle chose a physician and began the fertility treatments. She was told a bond would give her a higher chance of a stable pregnancy. Ithann walked in on her sitting on the bed, a spatter of tears on her cheek.

  “Are you crying?” The helpless alarm in his voice amused her. And then the moment of male panic was gone and he crossed the room, taking her into his arms and sitting her on his lap. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “I don’t know why I’m not accepting the bond.” She sniffed.

  Ithann sighed, and kissed her forehead. “I don’t care if you accept the bond or not, Gayle. You’re mine. I am yours. We’ve given each other our hearts. That’s enough for me, whether you wear my marks or not.”

  A tension she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying loosened inside her. She took a deep breath and when she let it out, the tears had stopped.

  “That was almost sweet, Ithy.”

  “Don’t get used to it. I am not sweet.”

  No, he wasn’t. Not at all.

  Ithann tumbled her into bed after an evening with Jovari and Lyrden. The mate pair were lively, witty, and disgustingly in love. She loved being around them and even Ithann relaxed and smiled in their presence, teasing Gayle between sips of wine and bites of food. At a certain point, they’d become so rowdy the First Bdahn entered the dining room.

  “My sons and daughter,” a deep voice called out. “The household staff has asked me to send my children to bed.”

  Gayle giggled. “It’s past our bedtime.”

  Ithann sighed and rose, hauling her to his feet. She swayed and he slapped her ass, lifting her and throwing her over his shoulder, fireman style.

  “You have the most gorgeous ass,” she said, patting said ass.

  “Wait until we get to the room, Gayle.”

  She nodded at his father as they passed, but wasn’t certain if
the Bdahn saw her nod or not—she could only see the floor, and Ithann’s butt.

  The only light in the suite was moonlight from the ceiling windows… she couldn’t for the life of her remember the right word. Not with Yadeshi red wine for blood in her veins.

  “You won’t throw up, will you?” he asked with a warning look. “That would be a permanent infraction.”

  She didn’t feel an ounce of nausea. Gayle held out her arms. “Come on, let’s make a baby.”

  He stilled, staring down at her. “You want a baby?”

  She blinked, lowering her arms. Not enough coordination to keep them upright. “I’ve been doing the treatments, haven’t I?”

  “That doesn’t mean you want a baby.”

  “Of course, I do.” Her voice was soft.

  Gayle stared at him, saw the expression play across his face in the moonlight, and understood the same tension she’d released when he’d spoken of his love for her—in his words, but it was the same thing—Ithann now released.

  Ithann stretched onto the bed, propping himself on an elbow and lifted one of her braids. “Thank you.”

  “Just buy me a push present.”

  He peeled the clothing from her body in the hurried way all rich men who didn’t care about the cost of clothing did. Careless of tears in the cloth, broken beading. He wanted one thing, she wanted one thing.

  When he sank inside her, Gayle bit down on her lip. Let the bead of blood swell and offered him a kiss. He suckled, stroking in and out of her body in a slow, unhurried fashion. Nearly tender, and he was never tender. Rough, passionate. Determined to bring her to pleasure—but never tender.

  Tonight, he was tender. He loved her skin and curves as if worshipping at her feet, licking and nibbling and biting, fingers massaging to soothe as well as arouse. Mouth on her pussy, tongue in her pussy. He’d introduced her to the pleasure of anal play weeks ago, and loved to activate his hologram and drape her over his lap and fuck her pussy while his real seeming twin entered her ass, doubly activating her G-spot.

  They toyed with her again tonight, though the pace was slower. Taking them both simultaneously, filling her completely, it was a kind of pleasure she’d never even dreamed existed.

  When Ithann chased her to a climax, the holo-twin faded away and he spilled inside her, creaming her womb with his seed. Grinding inside her as if he didn’t want to waste even a drop of his fertile cum.

  Gayle collapsed on his chest and they lay together, fused, for several hours. And because her translator was turned down to ten percent by now, she recognized all the little love words he whispered in her ear when he thought she was mostly asleep. Gayle smiled, and didn’t tell him she was still awake.

  Her fingers tingled, the same sensation as if they’d been numb and were waking up. Her hands moved up and down his arms of their own volition and light sparked. She opened her eyes when Ithann inhaled abruptly, chest still.

  The tattoos split, swirling on his arms and crawling down to his wrists, slithering over her fingers in loops and whirls until they’d undulated their way up her arms and settled into an intricate, infant pattern, a bright teal on her skin. A pinch and then they were still, sinking into her flesh with a flash of fire. Fierce triumph, astonishment, and a cleansing relief filled her—but the emotions weren’t hers.

  “Ithann,” she said, struggling for breath. “I… we did it.” She didn’t have enough breath to shriek, it struggled in her chest.

  His hands roved up and down her back. “Calm down, Gayle, you’re hyperventilating.”

  How could he remain so calm? But she knew he wasn’t. Wasn’t calm at all, but he was a warrior and chose to focus on helping her through her happy panic. And then his calm broke and he flipped her on her back, sinking inside her.

  “I don’t have pretty words,” he said. “But I can give you this. Only I.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and accepted him for the third—or was it fourth—time that night, and this time…

  …this time when they came, their minds joined and they were one in more than just body.

  A cramp seized her lower abdomen.

  Gayle stumbled back, fumbling the Form, and doubled over, hissing.

  “Gayle!” Ithann roared. “Not paying attention—Gayle? Are you all right?”

  He opened the bond between them, not waiting for answers. By mutual decision, they’d chosen to keep it mostly closed, a low hum, because neither of them much liked being in each other’s heads all day long. Ythana said they would get used to it—but Gayle didn’t think she ever would. It was one thing to deal with only the tip of Ithann’s snark, manifested in verbal shenanigans, but to have his constant internalization inside her? No thanks. He’d drive her insane.

  Ithann picked her up, shouting orders that flew over Gayle’s head. After a moment, the cramp subsided.

  “You can put me down.”

  “You may have internal bleeding from your last failure to block me,” he said. “I called the physician. Some injuries can go unnoted until too late.”

  The physician arrived in their suite only moments later, with a full diagnostic kit including a handheld scanner.

  “Well, we aren’t dealing with an injury, Bdahn. And she will need bed rest for the next twelve weeks?”

  “Twelve weeks?” Ithann repeated, then met Gayle’s eyes.

  The physician smiled. “Congratulations. It’s very early, but I definitely see a heat chamber pumping. How about a nap and a light meal afterwards, and then this evening we will sit down and go over nutrition and all the good stuff?”

  “That would be acceptable,” her husband said, and the doctor left.

  Ithann knelt at her side, taking her hand. “Thank you.”

  She couldn’t catalog the feelings flooding her. Relief, happiness, anxiousness over the future. A fierce protectiveness… no one would hurt this baby. Gayle’s hand pressed into her abdomen.

  “The Platon has to die, Ithann,” she said. “I want my baby in a world that’s safe for him.”

  Fire flared in his eyes. “My brother will be home soon. And then we will strike. For you, enja.” His hand cupped her face. “I would kill for you.”

  She knew. Alien, husband. Bonded blue man—he was hers.

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  Warrior Awakening: Chapter One

  A broken winged warrior rises from the sea to battle for his throne. An heiress flees Earth to reclaim her life.

  She alone can temper his violent power… but can he find sanity in time to save her from her dark past?

  As he wakes from a years long Sleep under the sea, Ishaiq's wild power threatens to destroy the island he rules. One human woman soothes his rage and seduces him back to sanity.

  An insane Archan can level a city. Ishaiq can destroy the world.

  But his soft-spoken human isn't just another off-worlder from Earth, Abella is the heiress to a powerful family and large fortune her politician brother-in-law needs to fund his ambitions.

  He's willing to kidnap Abella to take what is rightfully hers- he's willing to kill. Abella needs Ishaiq as much as he needs her... and there isn't much time before they must choose whether to live together.... or die apart..

  A steamy science fiction fantasy romance for readers who enjoy alpha alien warriors, new planets, curvy heroines with an agenda and plenty of adventure. HEA, no cliffhanger, Book 1 of the Archan's of Ailaut series.

  CHAPTER ONE

  A few dozen passengers crammed into the small space beside the windows. Abella had spent most of the trip there, impatient for a glimpse of the planet she would soon call home. From her spot she had an unobstructed view of brilliant blue skies and white gold beach flanking the port. The transport inched toward the dock at a glacial pace. She knew, of course, that the craft sliced through several feet every second, but deep space had a way of making everything seem out of scale. The empty skies didn’t help.

  As a rule
, the Aikalah didn’t allow the kind of air travel common on Earth. Per the HR primer, the winged species preferred to fly under their own power. Abella had thought the skies above planet Ailaut would be empty, but dozens of Aikalah flew over the port, many of them with bright red wings, a dyed color indicating they were part of law enforcement; the men shirtless, women in fitted wrap blouses. Not an ounce of fat on anyone in sight, but she supposed the energy burned by flying didn’t allow for extra padding.

  A few transports like Abella’s made their way toward the dock, each of them stuffed full of off-worlders bound for employment on Ailaut. Not soon enough for Abella. She’d learned early in the journey that she wasn’t cut out for space travel—which officially made the three-month journey to Ailaut the most uncomfortable of her life.

  It’ll all be over in a few minutes. And when my feet touch the ground, everything will be new.

  A new life awaiting her on the other side of the hull. A life with nobody who depended on her—but nobody for her to depend on. She tried to see the bright side, to open her heart to the sense of adventure buzzing through her fellow travelers. Try as she might, Abella couldn’t keep the heavy ball in her stomach at bay.

  Her jitters only intensified as she stepped off the ship. A twenty-foot-long line of people stood between her and the reception booth. She ran through her employment contract in her mind, double checking that there wasn’t a clause allowing the Aikalah to reject her credentials at the gate.

  As if on cue, one of the red-winged men turned his gaze to Abella, glancing at the data pad in his hands. Her heart raced, and a familiar sinking feeling washed over her stomach.