A commotion outside interrupted Kaal’s news.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
He yanked his pants on, then shoved aside a wooden barricade in the far wall, dragging it back to hide the opening before disappearing into the gloom. I crept forward and peeked through a crack.
Kaal crouched on the ground by a gray-cloaked figure groaning and holding his head. Next to him another shapeless lump lay unmoving, his cloak stained with blood. Five thugs surrounded them.
“It’s the alien warrior.” Claw-like metal spikes protruded from between the clenched fists of the one nearest Kaal.
“He’ll be no problem,” declared another, brandishing a makeshift club made of a sharpened rock tied to one end of a hunk of wood. “He’s been fuckin’ his whore all night. He’s all wore out.”
“Now it’s our turn to fuck her,” grunted the third. “We know she’s in there, wild man. Get outta the way.” He had the wooden handles to a garrote clenched in his fists. The thin wire between them glowed red, reflecting the flames shooting out of a deep crevice nearby.
The last two hung back, waiting in the shadows. I couldn’t tell what weapons they carried.
Kaal dragged the groaning man aside, leaving him slumped against the wall of another hut. Then, with a roar, he charged at the assailants.
The first took a swipe with his metal claws, leaving bloody gashes across Kaal’s arm. When he tried to strike again, Kaal caught both his wrists in an iron grip, bending them backward. The man’s face turned white and he struggled to break free. Kaal kept up the pressure until claw man let out a high-pitched scream and fell to his knees, both hands dangling uselessly at his sides.
Club swinging in an arc, the second man attacked. Kaal grabbed the handle and pulled him in close, then head-butted him. Blood streaming from his nose, the man grappled with him, but Kaal was stronger. He delivered a punch that knocked the man to the ground, then wrestled the weapon away. I saw him swing the club in a downward arc and heard a sickening crunch.
The third man crept up from behind. He slipped the wire garrote around Kaal’s neck and crossed the handles behind his head, pulling it tight. Kaal groaned and dropped his head to his chest. The man leaned forward, increasing the pressure, and never saw the club swinging back. The huge rock hit him square in the face. He staggered, then dropped like a stone.
Kaal struggled to his feet, the garrote still digging into his neck. He let go of the club, reached around and managed to free himself from the wire. A ring of blood encircled him like a necklace. Dripped down his chest.
I heard the menacing growl at the same moment he did. Out from the shadows came a pair of massive beasts. I realized why I hadn’t seen any weapons carried by the last two thugs. Shapeshifting darwolves didn’t need them. Their razor-sharp fangs were far deadlier than any sword, slicing through bone and sinew.
They’d been lingering in the darkness during their transformation but the scent of blood must have speeded up the process. Kaal told me Harald described the Daran shapeshifters as demons, without a spark of sentient being in them. Listening to their deep-throated growls, looking into their eyes glowing as red as flames spurting up from the fissures, I believed him.
With a roar, the first one sprang. Kaal wrapped his arms around the beast’s throat. Jaws snapping, the creature sank its teeth into his shoulder. Instead of trying to pull away, Kaal seemed to embrace the beast. They locked in a dance of death that went on forever. Finally the darwolf’s jaws slackened. Its head drooped and a jet of blood spurted out, drenching them both. He shoved the shifter away and I realized he’d wrapped the garrote around its neck, pulling it tighter and tighter until he nearly severed its head.
Fully in beast mode, the second darwolf sprang at the wounded shifter, snarling and snapping. Kaal backed away and I dragged him into the hut, pulling the makeshift door shut and barricading it with the biggest rock I could roll into place. He collapsed on the ground and I wrapped my arms around him, shaking, as we listened to the dying creature’s shrieks and groans.
The shifter ripped the other animal to shreds, devouring it. I couldn’t bear hearing the horrible sounds. Covering my ears, I burst into tears.
Kaal held me close until the noise died away.
“That... that could have been you,” I sobbed.
“I’m all right.” He got up and rolled the stone away, then pulled the wooden doorway aside and surveyed the area. “They’re all gone. Our guards were taken into the nearest hut when the fight broke out and two of the men who attacked me managed to get away during the darwolf’s attack.”
“What about the third man—the one you hit with the club?”
“Just a few bones left. Looks like the shifter ate him too. Lucky for him, he was already dead.”
“How can you be so calm? Those men, those beasts, any one of them might have killed you!”
He shrugged. “I come from a savage world. Only the strong survive.”
Blood oozed from the deep bite marks on his shoulder, mingling with that of the darwolf spattered on his chest. I swiped away my tears and pulled myself together. I’d tended to injured men before. Pouring some water from a pitcher I’d found onto one of the grimy rags that made up Harald’s bed, I swabbed away the blood as best I could.
Wearily, Kaal leaned forward, closed his eyes, and allowed me to fuss over him without protest. But when I dabbed gingerly at the bite marks, he snatched the cloth from my hand.
“Hand me that jug of whiskey.”
I passed it to him. He tilted his head back and took a big slug, then offered it to me. I shook my head. He had another gulp, clenched his teeth, and poured the rest over his wounds. “Zibaru’s finest. Guaranteed to kill any infection—if it doesn’t kill me first.”
Kaal sagged back against the wall, wincing when his torn shoulder came in contact with the rough stones. His eyes were half-closed. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and his jaw was set but I knew him well enough by now to know he’d spring to his feet at the first hint of danger. He’d never give in to pain or weakness.
Torn, I took a good look at the half-naked stranger slumped at my feet, the being Fate had thrust into my life.
I’d never met anyone like him.
We had nothing in common. I’d studied history and philosophy, science and art. He was uneducated. I came from a long line of learned scholars, famous artists, great rulers. He was wild and uncivilized. I believed in equality between the sexes. He made me call him Master, spanked me like a naughty child, took me without asking permission. He drove me to the peak, fierce and hard, then cradled me in his arms when I came crashing down. He listened to me, cared for me, comforted me, and dried my tears.
My bodyguards and my dearest friend were dead because of him. But I knew this man now. Despite what had happened, I’d learned to trust him. Here in Zibaru, he’d stepped in to take their place. He faced down both man and beast for me, killed them with his bare hands. Wounded and exhausted, he fought to protect me—and he’d do it again and again, till his dying breath.
I reached down, brushed a damp lock of hair off his forehead. Without opening his eyes, he caught my hand in his. Drew it to his lips.
My father was a brave man. A man of honor who lived by his own strict moral code. I loved and respected him. All my life I’d been looking for a man like him. A man I could give myself to, body and soul.
I never dreamed I’d find him in a savage alien from another world.
Chapter Sixteen
Kaal
After word got around about my fight with the five criminals and how it ended, the threat of attack on us lessened. Still, volunteers stood guard night and day outside our hut. I did my part, varying the times I took watch with the idea that our enemies might be deterred from making another raid on our hut if they thought they’d have to defeat me before they could get to Ree.
My presence didn’t deter the rebels from coming. At first they showed up two or three at a time. As the word got out, more
trickled in, until the tiny hut was often crammed with bodies. Unlike the criminals who hungered for a new female to ravage, the rebels came to be near the famous Aria DiMello, daughter of the hero of the Insurrection. To hear stories of her father and tell their own tales of their encounters with the fallen leader. In his passing, he became a larger-than-life figure. I listened, but never spoke, staying in the shadows to guard my mate.
One night after they’d gone, she dissolved into tears.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded. “Did someone harm you? I will have him banned from these gatherings.”
She shook her head. “No. Meeting all these brave rebels, hearing their stories, has been a shock. In all the years I spent by my father’s side, I never knew the full extent of the Federation’s cruel and vicious oppression. I thought the Insurrection was about freedom for the other worlds and their colonies to choose their own rulers, make their own laws. Now I know he tried to shield me from the worst of the horrors.”
She stood up and began pacing back and forth in the small room. “It started with Harald. Hearing how they massacred half his village and left the rest to starve. And the others—story after story of torture and murder, of plundering the wealth and resources of sentient beings on other worlds with no regard for their rights.”
She sank down on the floor, buried her face in her hands. “I saw my father and my fiancé killed, but that was in the heat of a battle. The rebels here on Zibaru—they’ve seen their family members murdered in cold blood. Defenseless old people, innocent children. Don’t you wonder how they could bear the pain?”
“I don’t have to wonder. I know.” I sat down beside her. “I’ve listened to all the rebels but I’ve never told you my story. How and why I became a tracker for the Federation forces.”
She looked up at me in surprise. “I thought you were a mercenary by trade. Available to anyone who would meet your price.”
“Hardly. Until two years ago, I lived a simple life on Rylos. Hunting, fishing, taking care of my family... drinking too much honey mead at festivals.”
“Family?” Her face blanched. “Oh, gods, I never asked—do you have a mate back home? Children?”
“No. I wasn’t ready for that. On Rylos, we mate for life. I was having too much fun bedding willing females to settle down with only one. I provided for my mother and my sister and her young. Her mate Rhazi was killed by an ogladon while he was out hunting. As I told you, my world is beautiful but it can also be harsh and unforgiving. When a male dies, those of us who are still alive care for his family.”
I stopped. Took a deep breath. I had never told my story to anyone. I tried not to think about it.
“We had heard of the Federation from travelers who visited our world, but Rylos was a primitive planet, far from the beaten path and its rulers left us alone. One day Federation troops came to our village, looking for anything they could plunder. We had no precious metals, no jewels. Not even any stores of grain. As I said, we lived a simple life, hunting and gathering from the bounty nature provided. There was no need to hoard food. We shared what we caught and killed with our neighbors and we made or traded for everything else we needed. Tools, weapons, even our clothing, sewn from the skins of animals.
“I’d been out hunting. When I neared my home I heard screams and shouts. They had ransacked the village, rounded everyone up, and were torturing one of the elders, trying to make him reveal where we’d hidden our treasure. He tried to tell them we had no treasure but they wouldn’t listen. Finally one of the soldiers slit his throat.”
I took Ree’s hand, as much to steel myself over what was to come as to comfort her.
“Swinging my axe, I charged into the village. I severed the head of the one who murdered our elder. Then I ran back into the jungle, knowing they would follow me. I laid in wait, and killed the first few who ventured after me, leaving their bodies for the jungle to dispose of. When the others came upon their corpses being devoured by beasts, they ran back to the village in terror.
“Back then, I didn’t realize the Federation soldiers in that squad were all young, barely out of boyhood, and as frightened of their commander as they were of the wild man who’d charged out of the jungle. Maybe if I’d known that, I’d have come up with a different plan. Tried to capture them alive and gain their trust. But I cannot change the past.”
I went on with my tale. “Their commander did not dare go back to the Federation empty-handed, so he ordered the villagers rounded up to be captured and sold as slaves.”
“Slaves?” Ree stared at me, shocked. “But the Federation prohibits slavery. They prosecute space pirates who traffic in sentient beings.”
“That’s another rule the leaders make for others to follow. They’ve taken all they can from the major worlds so they’ve begun raiding minor planets on the fringe of the galaxy. If there’s nothing of value to steal, they enrich the treasury’s coffers by kidnapping and selling the strong and healthy aliens to worlds outside the Federation.
“When I realized what they were doing, I crept back into the village and snatched the commander out from under the noses of his inexperienced troops. I made him a deal. If he agreed to leave the villagers alone, I would allow him to save face and pretend to capture me. ‘I’m a much bigger prize than a handful of children and old women,’ I told him. ‘Rylan warriors are legendary.’”
Ree interrupted. “Are you really? I’ve never heard tales of your warriors.”
I mustered a smile. “Well, we’re legendary on Rylos. And with my axe blade against his neck, the commander wasn’t about to disagree. We traded places and he swaggered out with his arm around my throat, then ordered his troops to escort me to the star cruiser. Of course they didn’t see my dagger digging into his side the whole time. Once we were all safely on board, I allowed him to lock me up. But before he did, I swore to the commander if I ever heard of another raid on Rylos by the Federation, I’d track him down, drag him back there, and feed him alive to the same beasts that feasted on the corpses of his crewmembers. He must have done a good job convincing the Federation I was the only thing of value on my world, since they’ve never gone back to it. Once we were underway they drugged my food. When I fell asleep, the ship’s medical officer installed a chip in the back of my skull.”
“So you weren’t a willing accomplice.” She was silent for a moment, taking it in. “Kaal, all this time I’ve blamed you for the deaths of Jaden and Zeke and Andreu. But I’ve never asked you what happened.”
“I know.”
“Will you tell me?”
I hesitated. Over time, she’d put aside her anger and pain but I knew she hadn’t let go of either. Maybe now her heart was open enough to hear the truth and believe it.
“Nye brought me to that uninhabited world. He said it was to track down a gang of criminals. He warned me to be on my guard because they were extremely violent. He said they’d escaped from prison and while on the run they murdered an entire family in the colony of Eridanus.
“The two young males, the ones you called Jaden and Zeke... they ambushed me. I heard you shrieking that day. Nye never mentioned a female escapee so I thought the criminals might have taken a captive somewhere along the way. I headed in the direction of the scream. They must have seen me coming. While I was following the trail they left through the jungle they doubled back and attacked. Both of them at once. I fought back—and brought them down.
“As for the old man, he died a hero. I crossed paths with a jungle beast near your cave, a giant feline as big as that Daran shifter. It sprang at me and I felled it with an arrow. Your friend must have heard it growl just before it attacked. He ran into the clearing and stopped dead when he saw me standing over the body. He’d been expecting to encounter a fierce predator, not an alien tracker twice his size. But he never faltered. He came right at me. Fought like the valiant warrior he was.”
I took her hand. Looked her in the eyes. “I hate taking a life. But you have to believe me, Ree. I had to defend my
self. Your friend Andreu meant to kill me. And when I found you, I understood why. A true warrior does not fight because he hates the enemy in front of him. He fights because he loves those he left behind. Andreu was fighting for you, Ree. He loved you. And he died with honor.”
Silent tears ran down her face but she made no move to brush them away. “All this time, part of me hated you for what you did. For who I thought you were. But now I understand. You had no choice. You’ve been their prisoner too. You let them take you—to save the ones you loved.”
“I was there, on that hunt, when the ogladon attacked my sister’s mate. Rhazi was my best friend. I tried, but I couldn’t save him. I owed a debt to his family.” I shrugged. “I paid it—with my freedom.”
Hesitantly, Ree touched the jagged scar that ran across my chest, the mark of shame I bore for my failure. “Is that how you got this?”
I gave a single nod, then turned away to hide my grief.
She took my face in her hands. Kissed me softly. “You’re right, Master. Rylan warriors are legendary.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ree
I ran, terror-stricken. Jumping over the crevices as flames seared my flesh. Shapeshifting beasts snarled and snapped at my heels. Bony hands rose up out of the fissure in front of me, trying to drag me down into the fiery depths.
“Shhh. Shhh. You’re all right.”
I cried out, struggling against the arms wrapped around me, then woke with a start.
Kaal was lying behind me, cuddling me against his warm body, soothing me past the last vestiges of my nightmare. I sagged against him, taking comfort in his presence.
All my life, I’d been a good little soldier. Left motherless at an early age, raised by a father who was loving but distant. He had worlds to save. No time to kiss away the tears of a child afraid of the invisible monster under her bed. There were too many real monsters to fight in his life. So I learned to dry my own tears and battle nighttime terrors all alone.
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