“Calm, Sparx,” Matrix warned him with a shake of his head.
“Did you tell them they could leave?” Sparx asked again, taking great care to speak clearly and slowly. This time his tone was steadier than before, even as his stomach felt as if it were weighted with the ore they mined. “Did you promise it?”
“Yes, I did.” K’hor nodded, his jaw set. “And, it’s a promise we will keep.”
“But—” he began to argue, unable to stomach the idea that their chance at a future was slipping away so quickly.
He understood the other warlords’ stance when they refused to participate in the auction to buy the females. It had chafed at him because of the desperation they’d faced, but he’d understood it.
It was K’hor’s actions, now, that he could not come to find reason within.
The women had practically fallen into their laps! Did they not see the opportunity they had to woo the women for their own? Was K’hor not taking into consideration the other tunnel cities when he made the decision to usher their chance at a future off the planet?
Others behind him began to speak of their worries as well. Some called the decision unfair, while others simply asked for him to reconsider. His men spoke the same concerns that had whipped through his mind as he himself tried to calm his immediate anger at what K’hor had done.
“I have made a promise as Warlord, and it is a promise Djaromir will keep,” K’hor repeated again. “The Phaetons are planning to land after the static storms dissipate to collect the rescued brides. There will be nothing we can do to stop them from leaving if they so desire. You know that as well as I do.”
“What if we don’t want them to leave?” one of the men shouted.
The question spurred others to yell out their own displeasure. Although he understood and somewhat agreed with what he was hearing, Sparx knew this was not an argument they would win. Just as he was about to call a halt to the shouts behind him, Matrix held up a fist signaling for silence.
“Enough.” K’hor’s command effectively quieted the rest of the disgruntled group. “Djaromir could withstand an attack from the Phaetons if necessary, and our men would gladly fight to keep the women if it meant a chance to have a mate—”
“Yet, you’ve given them a choice,” Sparx interrupted, his voice more curious than angry as he truly tried to fully understand why the other leader would make such a decision. He’d always trusted K’hor to be a sound leader, but as the Warlord of Fyeir, Sparx also had the people he ruled to answer to. “Why?”
“We are not slavers. That is not who we are. That is not who we will become,” the other warlord announced. “Besides, if they are truly our mates, they will not want to leave. The bond won’t allow it.”
K’hor’s words earned him a few reluctant nods from some of the men, while others held onto their anger. Sparx fell in between the two. On one hand, he understood the position the women were in; on the other hand, they could be the answer to keeping his people alive. Regardless of how much he brooded over the situation, he agreed with K’hor’s decision.
It was times like this one in particular where he wished he was able to be the bad guy.
“Tell me, Sparx. Do you want a wife who is constantly looking to escape? A female that would risk the dangers of our planet to leave?”
“Of course not,” Sparx answered easily, having already come to that conclusion after getting over the initial betrayal he felt at K’hor’s announcement.
“’Trix?” K’hor asked, looking to his friend.
“No, you’re right. The last thing I want is for a mate that runs from me.” Matrix ran a hand over his jaw. “I apologize, Juniper. Our ancestors would be ashamed by my thoughts and words today. I know that Sparx shares in my regret as well.”
Sparx stayed silent, although he nodded in agreement. He knew K’hor was right, but he also knew they were desperate. It was a painful situation to be in and one that would take him a while to come to terms with.
K’hor hugged her to his side as she accepted their apologies with a nod of her own.
“I’m sure Tiny will have some ideas, but we will need to figure out a system for introducing the men to the women. With everything they have been through, it would be best not to overwhelm them any further.” Stroking Juniper’s shoulder, K’hor made sure the men knew that she—and the rest of the women—were his main priority.
Sparx watched the interaction with a close eye. The behavior K’hor was showing towards Juniper was so completely different from his normal interactions that it spoke volumes. He was gentle with her, caring and noticeably more aware. And although Juniper was small, she seemed mighty in personality. At least from what he’d seen so far with her standing up to not only him but also Matrix—well, she seemed a perfect match for the fierce warlord.
“Tell me, little human…” Sparx cocked his head slightly as he watched her with assessing eyes. When the pink of her cheeks deepened, he realized he would take pleasure in teasing K’hor’s new mate. Even though she was not meant to be his, she was appealing to look at, and he had a feeling it would annoy his friend as a bonus. “Are we overwhelming?”
“I mean,” Juniper swallowed hard, her gaze bouncing back and forth between ‘Trix and himself. “I’m sure it’s normal for you guys, but we aren’t used to dealing with men so—”
“Handsome?” Matrix interrupted, the scar on his cheek crinkling slightly as he winked at her.
Sparx smiled at the oddly comfortable exchange. It wasn’t often that they had the chance to laugh and tease each other, but that wasn’t what was amusing him at the moment. His amusement was coming from K’hor. There he was, standing stiffly beside his human, visibly bristling at the attention Matrix was giving her.
So much so that Sparx had to hold back a snicker when K’hor let out a growl of warning.
“I was going to say big, kind of intimidating,” she finished. She fluttered her fingers up and down in their direction and blurted out, “I may be short, but you guys are a whole new level of tall. Add those muscles, and it’s a bit much.”
K’hor gave a low growl at the exchange and edged closer to her side. “Mine,” he rasped, and laid his arm back across her shoulders. His fingers drifting over the claiming marks he’d scattered across her bare skin.
Sparx let a chuckle escape before choking it off when Matrix bumped his shoulder. Before he’d thought to be entertained by Juniper alone with his teasing, finding her blushes appealing to look at. Now that he knew how much it affected K’hor? He was definitely going to make it a point to tease her a bit more often.
Matrix took the more mature route and simply acknowledged K’hor’s claim with a respectful nod before addressing her once again. “You believe our size will frighten the others?”
Juniper eyed him up and down again, earning another chuckle from him and a growl from K’hor.
Rolling her eyes at her mate, she answered Matrix. “Well, let’s just say that some of the women may be wary.”
Juniper’s answer made Sparx pause, quickly becoming serious as the smile fell off his face. The one thing he never wanted the women to doubt was their safety. They were more precious to Djaromir than the stones they mined. “You are aware that we’d never hurt you, correct?” he asked, watching her closely. “None of us would ever bring harm to you or the others.”
“K’hor said the same thing.” Juniper smiled up at the Djaromir next to her, the trust in her voice ringing clear for everyone listening to hear.
Sparx eyed the couple, again feeling a tug of jealousy at the obvious link between the two before shaking it off. No good could come from emotions like that. Especially when he needed to focus on coming up with a plan on how to convince the other humans to stay.
Or at least how to get more of them.
“I am sure you and your men need rest after the journey here,” K’hor said, clapping Matrix on the back, before repeating the same with Sparx. “I will make sure
your usual quarters are readied, while we consider how to approach the situation regarding the females.”
“It will be decided though,” Matrix warned, taking the words right out of Sparx’s mouth.
“Hamuir may be the largest of our cities, but Fyeir and Gunninng will not be denied the bounty the stars have blessed Djaromir with.”
Chapter Three
Six months later…
“When are they scheduled to arrive?” Sparx questioned his second in command, not waiting for an answer before making his way towards the tunnels.
“The Phaetons said within the hour, sir,” Colby answered as he pulled on his cloak. “I still find it hard to believe the day has finally come.”
“It has taken much longer than we wanted or expected, Colby,” Sparx said with a snort. Bitterness bristled up his spine at the reminder of time they’d wasted to the bureaucracy of Earth. “Never mind the fact that we were unable to convince all of the women we rescued to stay. I’d hoped to have our own bride volunteer system set up long ago. Long enough for us to already have at least a few pregnancies of our own to announce.”
“Lady Juniper did say it might be harder for their government to convince women to come to a planet where they’d have to live in caves—”
“With the amount of ore we’re supplying Earth, I expect them to find at least the number we’ve agreed upon,” he interrupted. As more time passed, the situation felt more desperate.
Warlord K’hor and his mate, Lady Juniper, had been bartering with Earth in exchange for brides. Like the Phaetons, the people on Djaromir had access to items Earth wanted. Instead of the advanced tech and medical knowledge the Phaetons had to trade, Djaromir had the ore they mined. Ore that was rich in minerals Earth could use as a clean-burning fuel. Something they apparently were desperate for that the Phaetons couldn’t provide. Their planet was also rich in precious stones. Fyeir specifically was overflowing with the colorful baubles, due to the depths it reached under the crust of Djaromir; many of the tunnels shimmered with the reflections off the faceted gems that studded the stone walls. The shiny rocks were visually appealing to the miners, but they held no real value in Djaromir.
Earth, on the other hand, placed a high value on the baubles that were plentiful in Fyeir. They couldn’t seem to get enough of the jewels that they’d spent year’s struggling to haul away as the refuse of their hard labors.
In a way, the Djaromir had still purchased their mates…or at least access to their potential mates.
“I still don’t understand why they’re only sending ten brides per city, but that was the number K’hor was able to secure per month, so that’s how many we will expect. Hopefully more, once they can see the women are cared for and happy…” Sparx’s voice trailed off as thought of all the trouble he and his fellow Djaromir had gone through to try to show the potential mates arriving how much they were wanted. Needed.
Although he hated that it had taken so long to get things resolved with Earth, that gap in time had given them the time to prepare for the women before they arrived. Time they apparently desperately needed, according to K’hor’s mate, if he were to quote her. Juniper and some of the other women started by ordering things from Earth they couldn’t create on Djaromir. Pillows, diet coke, and chocolate were shipped in via Phaeton shuttle to serve as creature comforts for the women. Before he knew it, there were pillows covering the stone chairs once carved by his ancestors. At first, he’d protested the excessive amounts of rugs and bedding the women had ordered.
It wasn’t until Juniper explained that some humans had issues using animal products that he realized she was talking about the furs the people of Djaromir used in their everyday lives. According to her, some women preferred their blankets to not have a face. It was a strange way of thinking, in his opinion, but he kept his mouth shut about the bedding and rugs after that particular argument. They didn’t simply stop at shopping though. The mated females also coached the miners a bit, giving hints on how to act around the arriving women.
“We’ve followed Lady Juniper’s instructions in preparing the rooms for the volunteers. She was very specific regarding their accommodations, and I believe they will be pleased with our efforts.” Colby held up a stack of envelopes. “A few of the brides have written letters or made cards for their loved ones. Charlotte suggested we send them back with the Phaetons escorting the brides here.”
Sparx harrumphed as he hooked the toggles on the front of his cloak. The deeper they walked into the tunnels, the more the temperature continued to drop. It made for a distinct chill in the air, one that had been missing inside the city. One that sank deeper than was comfortable.
Shaking off the chill, he made a mental note to remind the kitchens to continue burning at full heat. The arriving humans would need it. The women’s quarters were within the first shaft off from where the ovens burned, hopefully keeping the temperature warm enough for them to be comfortable.
“…beard.”
“Huh?” he grunted at Colby when he realized his mind had drifted back to the women and all the responsibility that came with them.
“Some of the men were talking about whether or not to shave,” he repeated. “Considering how soft the humans are and all.”
Sparx chuckled at that. His men were acting more nervous than the first time they visited a pleasure house on Euphoria. “K’hor and Saber have both said their females do not mind the rasp of their beards, as long as one makes sure to be careful.” With that said, he ran a palm over his own covered jawline.
“Is that why you did not shave?” the younger Djaromir asked, his face swiped completely clean of any facial hair.
“No, Colby,” Sparx answered, clapping him on the back with one hand as they walked. “The truth is that I only shave when I think about it, and I’ve been so busy with the preparation for the women that there hasn’t been time for that to happen.”
“What if you find your mate among the women arriving and she hates beards?” Colby sounded genuinely worried at the idea. “Charlotte said some women simply don’t like them, no matter how long or thick they are.”`ompted that statement. “Bitters was nearby, wasn’t he?”
Colby looked confused for a second at the question before he nodded. “Yes, why?”
“Did her words goad him into shaving that monstrosity on his face he claimed was a beard?” he asked, thinking on the patchy, unkempt mess that Bitters liked to boast would be wondrous as soon as it reached “an appropriate length and filled in.”
Colby laughed, understanding why Charlotte had given that piece of advice to the men when she did.
“Now I feel as if maybe I should not have been so hasty to shave,” Colby said with a wry grin. “I guess I’m just nervous. If my mate likes beards, I will simply grow one again. If your mate dislikes them, you’ll just shave.”
Sparx was shaking his head before Colby had even finished the offhand comment.
“What?” he asked, when the other man gave him a strange look.
“You won’t shave if your mate dislikes beards?” Colby asked, confused.
“No, not that,” Sparx answered with a frown. “It’s just that I don’t plan on meeting my mate, so it doesn’t matter if she likes beards or not. How did we get on this conversation anyways? Aren’t there more important things for us to be discussing? Do the Phaetons know to stay on board their shuttle until we can get to them?”
Colby stopped in his tracks, his face a mixture of confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean…”
“More important things,” Sparx prodded. “Any changes to the volunteers we are expecting? Any problems within the ranks, regarding the timed intervals the men are scheduled to meet them? Do the Phaetons know to wait on their shuttle until we open the doors on the bus?” he asked again, referring to the large silver vehicle the Phaetons had given them to use to protect the women on the surface of their planet. Not only was the vehicle temperature controlled, so they didn’t h
ave to worry about the humans freezing, it was also made of a material that was almost impenetrable.
“Yes, sir. I notified Phaeton One myself about following safety protocol. Our radar has been tracking a group of byorin, but they have stayed far enough away to not be a concern. They will notify us if any of the pack strays too close to the landing field.” Colby began walking again, albeit slower this time. “I’m sorry, but I have a question, sir. I may have misheard you earlier, but I thought you said you didn’t plan on meeting your mate?”
“That’s what I said,” Sparx muttered, his pace increasing, leaving the other warrior no choice but to try to keep up or be left behind. “What is your question?”
“That was my question,” Colby said plainly. “I don’t understand why you would say something like that. Is it that you don’t think you’ll ever meet her? Or that you don’t want to?”
Sparx stopped and let out a long sigh. The last thing he wanted to do right now was explain why he didn’t want a mate. For anyone else, he probably would have shrugged off their curiosity over his statement and let that be that. Colby was not just anyone. He was Sparx’s second-in-command and a close friend since they were children. Raised together, although not blood related, the younger Djaromir was like a younger brother to Sparx.
“Listen,” he began, “I’ve seen what mating does. It changes us. Most of the changes are for the better, but with those changes also comes weakness. Take K’hor for example. He is one of the strongest and steadfast Djaromir I’ve ever known, and yet mating managed to bring him to his knees. The mere threat of harm to her and he was a mess. Juniper is the other half of his soul, and if he lost her, there would be no coming back. We witnessed that sad fact when his father diminished before our eyes. No amount of support or coaxing could lure him out of the pain from losing the woman he called his heart.” Sparx shook his head, his expression dead serious. “I refuse to find my heart among the women arriving. Humans are fragile and weak, and I don’t have the time nor the patience to coddle one to ensure her safety.”
Miners of Djaromir: Sparx Page 2
