A motion to his left and Tempest settled beside him. She smiled at Cy, but her concerned gaze went to her son. She jumped up when the mountain of a warrior faced off with Braylon. Tempest yelped. She dashed between Huck and Braylon. The toy spaceship appeared immediately at her side.
Oh oh.
“You are too big to go against my child,” Tempest was howling in anger, and obvious terror. Cy admired her and was proud of her. Facing off with a beast of a warrior took guts—and a mother’s wrath.
The spaceship hovered near her but didn’t interfere. Cobra went to Tempest. He placed his hands on her bare shoulders. The shirt she wore was Castian made. The item left the shoulders bare so the warriors could see if a female was mated to a warrior. Cy knew the touch of a Castian was soothing. Tempest would have none of that.
“You’ll have to get through me first,” she said snarling at the massive warrior and struggling free of Cobra.
Huck looked amused as he gazed down at the tiny human female bold enough to take him on. Cy wasn’t concerned for her. He could see Huck’s mate smiling in sympathy. Tempest was seething, fists balled.
Braylon went to his mother and took her hand. “Mom, you’re kinda embarrassing me.”
“Look at the size of him, he’s two of me. Maybe even three of me. He’ll snap you like a twig. That ain’t going to happen.” She linked her fingers together and snapped her knuckles on a resounding crunch.
“I won’t hurt him.” Huck sounded offended.
Braylon led his mother back to Cy who took her in his arms. Her entire body was quivering. Her teeth were clacking. Cy knew she wasn’t afraid—she was pissed.
Braylon pointed at Cy. “Hold her there. And make sure she stays, because if she gets hurt I’ll be pissed.” The boy then pointed a long talon at the toy spaceship near Tempest. “Stay.”
Braylon’s shield went up to cover his face. The tiny little Tonan circled the huge-ass Tonan. Cy was impressed with the boy’s audacity. Then he realized Braylon was his son; he had begun to think of him as such for a while now. His son was a tough nut. Even if he got his tiny butt kicked, he was still braver than any other boy standing around whispering. Though, he noted the Castian boy he knocked down was watching with some concern. Cy hoped Braylon had made a friend. Castians respected power and restraint. Braylon merely knocked the boy down; he hadn’t hurt or embarrassed him.
Braylon cocked his head in a manner Cy felt he was receiving internal instructions. The boy nodded and faster than Cy thought possible, Braylon was high in the air sending both feet into the Tonan warrior. The warrior was actually thrust backward to the oohs and ahs of the crowd.
Huck recovered quickly and went for Braylon. Tempest cried out as the two clashed. Lightning didn’t strike as fast as Braylon. Sparks flew as the pair pummeled one another. Braylon was grabbed by an ankle and flipped backward into the air over the Tonan. Landing behind him Huck spun low and over a shoulder went the boy to land on his feet. Braylon bellowed a battle cry; he spun high but dropped low so quickly Huck wasn’t ready for the move. Cy had never seen anything like it. Braylon clashed his talons in an upward arc and sliced open a tiny piece of shield on Huck’s chest. For an instant, there was blood.
Braylon stepped back and dropped his shield. The boy was horrified. He ran to the warrior. His fingers touched the healed shield of his opponent.
“I’m sorry. That was too much. I should have stopped; I was supposed to pull the talon not stab with it.” Braylon was babbling and stumbling over his words. “It was too much.” He was now arguing with his shield, and his fury was apparent to all. No one laughed at him now; all suddenly understood the sheer power of the boy’s shield and the vehemence with which he stood up to it. Cy watched his peers’ growing respect, and his chest bubbled over with pride.
Huck dropped his shield and knelt to calm the boy. He laughed. “There’s Grey in you all right. I should have remembered the move.”
“Are you pissed?”
“Stop saying pissed,” Tempest bellowed.
Cobra placed a hand on Braylon’s shoulder. “You fight well, little warrior. You and Huck are well matched. You may have Grey’s ability, but you are still only eight. You need the size to match the skill. You also need the control.”
“I need booze and a valium.” Cy heard Tempest whisper, her hand to her chest.
The other boys were gathering around Braylon, all shields were down. Cy knew Braylon craved friends. His lonely existence was hard on the child. Older boys crowded around, all wanting to be friends with the tiny powerhouse. Castians took warrior mates. Each boy paired off at twelve. Cy wondered if the Tonans would do the same. Or if a Tonan and Castian could become the kind of warrior friends to battle together. The idea was interesting.
Cobra walked over to Cy and Tempest. “Why not explore the planet? Let the boys talk for a bit. Braylon hungers for friends. Huck and his mate Becky can take Braylon and Twain on a picnic and later this afternoon, Huck and I will help the boy with more control. I think he needs strategies to deal with his obnoxious shield more than anything else. I’m pleased he was genuinely appalled and earnest about hurting Huck and feeling outrage. That simple gesture makes me confident Braylon has a great deal of empathy. He is definitely human and humane.
“Also, his shield will think twice before giving him commands. If Braylon learns to question each battle move, he may denounce his shield and the shield doesn’t want that. It will be more careful of its council in the future. A good lesson for both. I doubt there will be any more ‘accidents’.” Cobra looked around. “That toy ship of yours is interesting.”
Cy looked around. It was gone. When Tempest’s fear lessened, the toy became scarce. Perhaps the females on the planet who were mind altered could help her gain more control over her new powers. She must also hunger for female friends. Right now, Cy wanted to have her alone.
“Why don’t we go look around like Cobra suggested?”
Tempest gazed over at her son. “It’s still hard for me to leave him. When Grey and I ran into each other on the planet, it was easy to fall into an old routine. He took Braylon swimming and playing when we were the only three. But this is new to me. These people are new, this planet is new.”
“Your little man cub is a powerhouse. He kicked a huge-ass Tonan’s butt.”
“I know. But he’s my baby.”
“Your baby is smart and good natured and look, he’s making friends. He’ll be fine.”
Taking her hand, Cy strolled off toward the numerous lush areas surrounding them. The scenery was breathtaking. He could hear Tempest’s gasps of delight as she discovered plant after beautiful plant. She pointed and gaped in wonder. Tall trees towered over them. Their leaves, green and lush were filled with holes. The plants weren’t diseased, the holes allowed the sunlight to filter down. The terrain beneath was something Cy walked over in wonder of his own. The ground was soft and spongy to accommodate the bare feet and claws of a Castian and Tonan warrior. The ground gave way indenting to Cy’s massive boots then sprung back into shape. Tempest was barefoot and spinning and swinging her arms in rapture.
“A mammoth,” she squealed in delight. “No, seven of them. How?” Her breath caught and Cy nudged her to expel before she fainted.
“They’re holograms. Like moving pictures to entertain.”
“They look so real.”
A long time ago every living creature except the warriors died. The Tonans poisoned all females including animals. The males of other beings died out. They brought extinction to hundreds of life forms because of their hate. There was a great war and the Castians almost died out. Cobra gathered all the little warriors who lost their family and cared for them. Only warriors without mates survived. When a Castian dies, so does his mate. It’s the same with Tonans. Many Tonans survived the last war because they were too selfish to mate for life.
“My people don’t mate for life, as I mentioned. Our females love us and yet can’t tolerate us. Nor we them. We can�
�t function as a family unit. Our siblings give off a noxious smell to discourage incest. The smell is intolerable. We’d never survive with one another in the same home or under the same roof. If we were forced to live together with a mate, the battle for dominance would be endless. The children would suffer the most.”
“It must be a shock to you having a human for a mate.”
“It’s a culture shock, yes. But you feel so right. You were made for me, or I was made for you. I love the emotion of loving you and Braylon. I am so proud of him.”
“I’m afraid for him.” Her tone was quiet.
Cy stopped and using a gentle finger, lifted her chin until their gazes met. “Cobra is unlike any leader I’ve met, as good as Titus, perhaps better.”
“Very high praise.”
“Cobra is a strong warrior. His son Rask was the first one to discover human females and wow, it was some discovery from the stories I’m told. Cobra kept little warriors four and five years old safe from harm. His passion is making certain children are safe and their needs met. His was a huge responsibility, and he weathered it well.”
A gaggle of giggling little girls raced across the forest followed by a slew of puppies. Cy could see Tempest was ready to follow so he took her hand. She smiled up at him.
“It’s so wonderful to see happy children. It’s wonderful to see children period,” she said. “And puppies. I haven’t laid eyes on a puppy in years. What a wondrous place.”
Soon the children were out of sight. Tempest hugged herself and spun on bare feet. She would need good boots on his planet. Cy hoped she would love his home as much as he did.
Tempest went to a tree and gazed up. Cy tossed her over a shoulder and scaled the tree to the top hundreds of feet into the air. High in the sky he set her on her feet where she clung to him. Soft white clouds formed into different shapes again controlled by the planet. The planet monitored where rain was needed. In the distance, they could see children settled watching animal shaped clouds pour rain in a deluge from the sky inches from them. The children squealed in delight making the pair smile. The suns generated the shields, without the rays the warriors would die. The temperature was warm but not smothering.
“The branches are walkways up here,” Tempest marveled.
“Don’t let the holes in the leaves fool you. They are strong enough to support a warrior.”
She took a tentative step from his side, then another. She grinned at the interlocking branches beneath her feet.
“Some are as wide as cars,” she exclaimed.
Cy had seen pictures of cars. The sizes varied, the description was accurate. The branches were as thick as cars as well. They had to be to hold a Castian’s great weight.
“Look.” Cy pointed.
In the distance, a herd of horses could be seen. An enormous black stallion reared as a human female approached without fear. The massive stallion dropped to his knee on the ground allowing the female to jump onto his back. The entire herd followed as they raced across the open field.
“Cy can you ride a hologram?”
“No. I believe that was Caveat. There is a Tonan who is silver, half-Castian, half-Tonan, a unique hybrid. The female raised the stallion from a colt on Earth. The pair came together on Ulsy. The female lived with the herd and was protected by the stallion. Doss, I think is the hybrid’s name. He found Zoe and they were mated. She was in hiding at the time with a herd of horses; the stallion took care of her. Her mate is a rare combination with a single hook capable of ripping through a shield. It appears the herd has grown.”
“This is a fascinating place.”
“You still want to go home to my planet, don’t you?”
Tempest reached up to stroke his face. “I could be happy anywhere with you. But I’m pleased you want to take me home. I know you hunger to return.”
“I hunger for you more.”
Cy pulled her into his arms. She was warm and soft and happiness soared within his heart. His family was safe. And soon he would go home. Home. He cupped her head against his chest. Cy had never been happier. Her heart beat against him. They stood quietly with their own thoughts. Cy scanned the area breathing in Tempest’s sweet scent. He didn’t mind their two-week stay. They would all benefit. For the moment, he was content to hold her.
Tempest screamed and Cy jerked around. An Angano was fluttering close. The wingspan was massive, holding up a twelve-foot spindly body. Cy could see the blood of the creature flowing through its veins the flesh was so paper thin. Cy knew he didn’t have much time. He would be dead shortly. Within seconds his mind would be entered, his brain would explode. The creature could then kill Tempest by dropping her from this height. He damned himself for not being smart enough to mind battle. If only there was something he could do.
An alarm sounded, blasting from all directions. The Angano was discovered. Cy hoped it wouldn’t be too late for Tempest. He crushed her tighter waiting. When nothing happened, he gazed about. He should be dead already. Something was amiss. The Angano didn’t attack, didn’t move. Cy shifted. There, off to the side was Tempest’s toy ship. The ship had a light fastened onto the alien. The ship spun in a lazy flip. Cy could see the Angano was struggling to break free of the vessel’s hold. The alien screamed and exploded. Its pieces fluttering to the ground. Cobra was beside them. He strode to the pair dropping his shield as he walked; the impenetrable material absorbed into his flesh.
“Are you all right?” Cobra asked.
“Tempest saved us,” Cy said, “with her toy…”
The ship was gone; the danger had passed.
“I wish we knew more about the powers you possess, Tempest,” Cobra said. “It appears from your stunned expressions your powers are growing. For now, I’m happy no one was hurt. We’ll have to place a separate force field around you. You seem to draw the enemy in.”
“I’m sorry,” Tempest said, she was quivering in Cy’s arms.
“You have been the only one threatened. Our females and children are safe. For now, go back to your dwelling. Nothing can get in there.”
Cobra leaped over the side of the tall tree, his shield slamming into place. They watched as he jumped from tree to tree before landing. Then he raced faster from tree to ground as his momentum increased. Cobra was a blur. Tempest gazed up at Cy.
“Take me home.”
“I’ll take you to our dwelling. We will go home soon enough.”
* * * *
Tempest stripped as she walked to the bathing pool. She was told it had healing properties, and she and Cy wouldn’t be intruded on. She was also told it cleaned in a whirlwind. Nothing physically hurt, but her emotions were raw. Cy followed closely. She knew he was upset. Cy told her if he wasn’t so stupid, he could save her. She reminded him only the shield saved the Castians and Tonans and mentioning Grey’s name, not even then. The Angano could be defeated. That was a good start. And he’d already killed two Angano, even if one’s destruction was aided by the toy ship.
The bastard alien refused to engage in a mind battle with her. The being would use physical force after her would-be saviors were destroyed. She wondered at that. The Angano must have battled a human female at one point and lost to be wary. Tempest wondered who. She wished she could talk to that female. She wondered if some strange toy spaceship stalked her as well.
Steam rose from the pool, the heat jarring her thoughts toward something pleasant. Tempest loved to be submerged in water. For years, she dreamed of a warm bath, then she simply wished to be clean. The area in the pool was darker, seductively so, but enough light shone for Tempest to see her surroundings. She knew Cy was able to see in the dark. Scattered vegetation and colors danced across the clear pool. Luxuriously warm water invaded weary bones to help her relax as she entered. The water began to swirl around her. She stiffened, batting at the invasion as the water rose higher and moved faster to stop her retreat. Every orifice was investigated for injury. The water rushed across her toes making her squeal. Her lower lips we
re ravished. Her breasts were kneaded and released. When the water calmed, Tempest frowned. She wasn’t exactly violated, but it was an experience she wouldn’t soon forget. Cy’s strong hands were welcome when he massaged her shoulders and back then moved to her ass.
Tempest turned into him and was pressed against the pool side. The material was soft not hard. Cy’s fingers trailed across her mound and he chuckled. Curious, Tempest reached below and gasped. Her pussy was bald.
“What the hell?” she demanded.
“It’s the water. For some reason, it attacks female body hair. I should have warned you, but I had other things on my mind. Male Castians are hairless; I think their females were as well.”
Tempest raised her hands to her hair and was relieved to find her locks still there.
“No worries,” Cy said. “The water doesn’t attack the hair on your head. It’s a Castian mating thing. Something about their shields.”
Tempest thought about it for a moment, then nodded. If a shield came up fast capturing hair in a certain area it might be the same as having a zipper stuck where it never should be.
Ouch.
“Weird, but not having to shave for a while will be nice. I hope you’re okay with it.”
“Sorry, my sweet, but it’s permanent and no I don’t mind. It makes me want to keep you closer to warm you.”
“You still have hair.”
“I’m male.”
As if it was unrefuted, he stated it as a matter of fact. Tempest shrugged. Never dealing with a razor again wasn’t anything she was concerned over. In fact, on the other planet she was mortified when it became clear her legs needed to be mowed.
She gazed up into his gorgeous eyes and became lost. He was sexy when wet. His crazy hair blew in a mysterious breeze. His large hands cupped her breasts. His thumbs toyed with her nipples.
“Are you sorry you took me for your mate?” she asked.
“Sure,” he drawled. “Can’t you tell?”
He ducked lower to capture her lips with his. His tongue lapped hers in a wild dance. A breast was squeezed harder. For all his passion, she sensed control. When their kiss broke, she stroked his cheek.
Tempest And The Warrior (Unearthly World Book Book 7) Page 13
