Angie's Gladiator: A SciFi Alien Romance

by Dixon, Ruby

  Angie screams, her entire body clenching around mine, her hips rising from the furs.

  With a growl, I pound into her, my movements those of a male driven to the edge. There is nothing that exists outside of this moment, of Angie’s clenching body, the hot clasp of her cunt, and the way she cries out my name as I rub her nub until a shuddering wave moves over her and then her cunt tightens reflexively around my length, squeezing me.

  And then I come, too, my climax exploding forth, filling her with all of the seed that a clone should not have. I drive into her, shuddering as instinct wrings every last bit of pleasure from us both, and then I slide into the furs next to her, boneless and spent. Our bodies are still joined, our legs twined, and I pull her against me, not caring that she’s panting furiously and our skins are damp with sweat. I need to touch her in this moment, reassure myself that this is real.

  Angie gives a breathless laugh and clings to me. “That was…pretty amazing.”

  I nod. I have no words for such things. I only know that I have never experienced such joy, and it is all because of her. I kiss her brow and hold her tight against me, my thoughts chaos. I do not know what to say to her…until I do. “Knock knock.”

  She laughs even more, and the sound is wondrous to hear. “Who’s there?”

  “It is I, your mate,” I tell her proudly.

  She giggles, obvious pleasure in her voice. “You are such a dork.” But she kisses me, and I love her smile.

  Epilogue

  VORDIS

  We mate twice more in quick succession, and then doze, tangled around each other in the furs. When we awaken, our khuis still hum with need, but Angie dresses. Her teats ache and she wants to go feed Glory before we spend the evening in the furs together. I kiss her possessively and tease her cunt until she is breathless, but eventually I let her go.

  I sit by the fire, enjoying the scent of her on my skin, content. I have never been so happy. Not even after the most vicious of victories in the arena, or the narrowest of wins in battle. There is an overwhelming pleasure to the thought of nights with Angie and days at her side, our children in our arms. I want this more than anything.

  Thinking of the arena makes me think of Thrand, though, and guilt makes me rise to my feet. I put on my leggings and boots, and emerge from my hut to look over at his. It is but a few paces away from mine, and at the time I was irritated that he would build his hut so close to the one I built for Angie. Now, I wonder if it is because he simply wanted to be near me, and I am oddly glad for it. The screen is over the door, and I move onto his platform and then give it a scratch. “Brother?”

  “Come in.” Thrand sounds dull. Tired.

  I duck my head and push my way inside. Thrand sits cross-legged by the fire, his elbows on his knees and a morose expression on his face. I sit next to him and say nothing, trying to think of how to approach this.

  “You smell like Angie,” Thrand says. “And sweat. And…something else.”

  “Mating,” I tell him. “We resonated.”

  He nods. “I knew.”

  I glance over at him. “Are you jealous?”

  Thrand frowns into the fire, not looking over at me. “Of the female? No. I am sad that we are no longer Vordis and Thrand. I have always had my brother, before. Now you have someone else. It does not sit well with me.” He looks over at me, finally. “And that shames me. I want your happiness, brother. I am glad that you and Angie have chosen one another. I am just sad for myself.”

  I put a hand on his shoulder. “Your time will come.”

  He grunts, unconvinced.

  “It will, I swear it. If I am not sterile, that means you are not, either. You will resonate to a good female and make children of your own. Until then, you are always welcome at our fire.” I pause. “Unless we are in the furs, of course. Then you must wait.”

  Thrand snorts, a hint of amusement curling his mouth. “As if I would want to sit nearby and twiddle my thumbs as you mate with her. Bad enough that the wind carries your name to my ears, over and over and over again.”

  “It is your fault you built next to me,” I say, and cannot help but grin. “We were rather loud, weren’t we?”

  “I am surprised Raahosh did not show up and demand to know why you are killing Angie,” he says slyly. “Or R’jaal, since he fashions himself the leader as well.”

  “Bah. They will not bother us. They know what it means to resonate.” I rub my chest, where the humming has slowed down with Angie’s absence…but only slightly. I know the moment she returns, we will be on each other once more, and I cannot wait. “And they know I would never harm Angie.”

  We both just snort with amusement, our thoughts likely similar. Thrand goes quiet once more and then glances over at me.

  “If it bothers you that I have built a hut next to the one you will share with Angie, I can move,” he says after a moment. “Give this hut to someone else and build a new one farther down the beach.”

  “No.” I study him and then put a hand on his shoulder. “You are my brother. That has not changed. I am glad you are here…just as I am glad we are stranded on this planet together.”

  His smile grows, his grin a little wider now. “Just as long as I do not go after your female, eh?”

  “Correct,” I tell him with a slap to his bicep. “Angie is mine. But you are still Thrand, and I am still Vordis, and I am glad we share this adventure together.”

  He nods and extends a hand to me. I clasp it, and I know in that moment that we are good.

  Brothers are always brothers.

  Author’s Note

  Sit down. Let’s talk.

  Sometimes I don’t have a lot to say in the author notes other than how much I enjoyed writing this book, but for this particular one, I’ve got a lot of ground to cover and you’ve got questions. So let’s get to it, shall we? :)

  It has always been the plan for Vordis and Thrand to have their own books. Only one was ever supposed to get Angie. I know there’s been a lot of talk among fans about this possibly being a menage, but it is not. I waffled on the idea for a short time because there’s a very vocal element that LOVES the idea of menage for the three of them, but I felt it didn’t work in the world I had established.

  The sa-khui have always been open to polygamous relationships. They’ve been a small group for a long time and always tilted more towards more males than females, so it’d make sense for three-pairings to show up occasionally. The khui only ever selects one person, though, and the thought of giving resonance to just Vordis or just Thrand and still making the other one be part of the pairing didn’t sit well with me. I feel there has to be equal affection on all parties for a triad to work, and if two of the triad resonated, number three is always going to seem a bit like a leftover. I didn’t like that idea.

  As someone else has pointed out on Facebook, identical twins ARE clones of each other. Their DNA is exactly the same. If you’ve ever met identical twins, though, you also know that while they might be ‘identical’ there’s also ways to tell them apart. The features are slightly different, the way they stand or carry themselves might be different, or they might go all-out and do everything they can to look as different from their sibling as possible. I read an article a while back about ‘twinning’ and how a lot of identical twins absolutely hated being dressed up as a matching pair, as if they didn’t have their own identity apart from being a twin, and I thought that was fascinating. That inspired me to create Vordis and Thrand. What if you’d had a shared identity all your life and then suddenly you were put in a place where you didn’t have to? How do you cope with it?

  Vordis immediately loves the freedom it gives him, but Thrand struggles to understand what it means when his identity is no longer just that of another a’ani. To me, that was more fun to play with as an author than a menage, so that’s the angle I went with. I’m sorry to anyone that was disappointed! Thrand will get his own book in time, and he’ll get his own spotlight and his own resonance. I love tha
t idea so much and I’m so eager to write it that I hope you guys understand.

  Speaking of the a’ani - I wanted to point out that their speech patterns are slightly different than those of the sa-khui or the islanders. They didn’t grow up speaking the sakh language (which I imagine mentally as very throaty and deep, full of tongue-twisting syllables) so they have no problems with human names. This is why A’tam will call Bridget ‘Bree-shit’ because of the hard ‘g’ issue, but to Vordis or Thrand she is simply Bridget. In addition, they use the terms ‘baby’ or ‘child’ instead of ‘kit’ because kit is a cultural usage for the sa-khui. Just in case you were wondering!

  And since we are talking about clones, I thought I would also bring up Glory, the Qura’aki (pronounced qwer-ah-akh-ee) baby. The idea for her stemmed from another article I read online (why yes, I DO spend too much time on Buzzfeed, why do you ask?) about people that were cloning their pets. I projected that a little further and thought about what a very powerful, highly technological interstellar society would think about that, and how callous some are to other lifeforms, and it’s not a stretch to imagine an entire race of highly prized, pretty playthings being bred for the ultra rich. I’m sure we’ll see another Qura’aki female pop up in my writing, but not on the ice planet. Maybe…maybe more space corsairs or another alien mail order bride (shivers with excitement). Don’t get me started on new ideas, or we’ll be here all day!

  Talking about Glory leads me to the NEXT segue in this epic-length author letter. Why is this book not as sexy as Willa’s? I just couldn’t do that to my poor Angie. The timing was all wrong for her to have a balls-to-the-wall epic sex-fest. At first she’s super pregnant, and then she’s recently given birth, so I tried to be mindful of how she’d be feeling as a new mom. She might have all kinds of emotions and feels toward Vordis, but she’s going to be slower to act on them sexually because of everything she’s been through recently. I hope you enjoyed a sweeter book. The next one won’t be a sweet, though. Sometimes a girl’s just gotta write some raunchy stuff. ;)

  Speaking of hook-ups! The beach camp is hopping at the moment. In my head, the khui tends to rapid-fire hook people up the moment they realize the compatible mate is nearby, which is why there’s always a flurry of instant resonances anytime strangers meet up. Of course, as an author, THIS IS DUMB. REAL DUMB. Because now I’ve painted myself into a corner where I have a bunch of romances going on over on the sidelines that I haven’t talked about yet. Argh! Don’t be me, people!!! Think this shit through!

  I’m joking (well, mostly) because I love having so much going on in the camp, but I feel bad when I don’t circle back to eagerly awaited pairings as quickly as I want to. Right now, we’re still waiting to see who M’tok resonated to. We’re waiting to see what the deal is with Hannah and J’shel and will-they-won’t-they, and Bridget’s got her hooks into the prettiest man on the island, A’tam. And then there’s poor, long-suffering Mari and T’chai, who have been shut down in the resonance department and might not ever return. I haven’t yet settled on who’s next, but I am leaning toward Hannah and J’shel. That being said - if you’ve got a pairing you’re DYING to see sooner and want me to shove them to the front of the line, feel free to speak up on Facebook! I aim to please and if there’s enough jockeying, I can be convinced. :)

  If you’re still reading this author’s note, FIRE IN HIS VEINS will be next to release. I’m aiming for January for Liam and Andrea’s book, and I’m excited to play around in post-apocalyptic Fort Shreveport for a few. After that, it’ll either be Marlene’s long-awaited book (It was speaking to me for a while and then got quiet! argh!) or another Icehome. Like I said above, if you’re DYING DYING DYING to see something specific, drop me a line. I always try to answer Facebook private messages, but I do occasionally miss comments. Sometimes there’s just an utter flood of them and I get lost!

  As always, thank you so much for your support and love of this series and all of my ice planet novels. It is a true joy to write so many books in a world I love and have them so eagerly received. You guys are the best fans in the world and I hope to never let you down. And if you feel so inclined, I’d love a review on Amazon! They help a book succeed and I welcome your feedback.

  Much love,

  <3 Ruby

  PS - Audio will be coming in a few months! I do get asked why they’re always behind the actual publication and the truth is that the audio company gets the book the same day you guys do. My other option is to sit on the book for a few months and wait for the audio to be ready (to release both at the same time) but as a reader, I would rather have the book early. I hope that makes sense! <3

  The People of Icehome

  The New Arrivals (Icehome Tribe)

  Lauren/Lo – Adult female at the beach camp. Once had glasses. Likes to be a problem solver. Resonates to K’thar, newly pregnant.

  Marisol – Terrified adult female at beach camp who is fond of hiding. Gets stranded with Lo on the island. Resonates to T’chai. Due to his sickness, their resonance is ‘turned off’ by the healer.

  Hannah – Vektal’s self-proclaimed assistant. One of the females at the beach camp. Resonates to J’shel when the island tribes arrive.

  Angie – Adult female at the beach camp. Pregnant with mystery baby when awoken. Gives birth to Glory (a clone female). Resonates to Vordis.

  Glory - A qura’aki clone baby, implanted in Angie. Newborn.

  Willa – Adult female with a southern twang. Lo’s friend. Gren’s most ardent defender. Resonates to Gren.

  Gren – Beastly, feral ex-gladiator male. Attacks on sight. Resonates to Willa. Soft and fuzzy, according to Aayla.

  Veronica – Newest healer on the planet. Resonated to Ashtar upon arrival. Bit of a klutz. Needs to work on her bedside manner.

  Ashtar – Flirty golden ex-gladiator and former slave. Drakoni male who can shapeshift to a “battle form” as a dragon and has the ability to communicate telepathically. Resonates immediately to Veronica. Stud.

  Vordis – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Thrand, another clone. The really devoted one. Hot sauce. Resonates to Angie.

  Thrand – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Vordis. Confused by Nadine. The hotheaded, competitive one. Ketchup.

  Tia – Teenager at the beach camp. Flirting with Sessah.

  Nadine – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Learning to hunt. Really irritated by Thrand.

  Callie – One of the adult females at the beach camp.

  Bridget – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Friend to Veronica. Hooking up with A’tam.

  Steph – One of the adult females at the beach camp.

  Raven – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Blonde, despite her name. Hippie parents.

  Penny – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Learning to hunt.

  Devi – Chatty adult female at beach camp. Ex-scientist. Hair flipper.

  Flordeliza – Adult female at beach camp.

  Samantha – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Really fucking loves being on the ice planet, which no one else can figure out.

  From the Old Tribe (Croatoan)

  Raahosh – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe. Messed up horns. Mated to Liz and has 3 daughters, Raashel, Aayla, and now Ahsoka. Generally unpleasant to be around (except to his mate).

  Liz – Snarky human mate to Raahosh. Mother to Raashel, Aayla, and newborn Ahsoka. Star Wars nerd. Salty.

  Raashel - Liz and Raahosh’s oldest daughter. A bit of a tattletale.

  Aayla - Liz and Raahosh’s middle child. Fascinated by Gren.

  Ahsoka - Liz and Raahosh’s newborn daughter.

  Salukh – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe. His mate is Tiffany.

  Hassen – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe. His mate is Maddie.

  Pashov – One-horned hunter of the Croatoan tribe. His mate is Stacy. Has the unfo
rtunate knack of getting hit in the head a lot.

  Cashol – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe. His mate is Megan.

  Sessah – Unmated, lanky, teen sa-khui from Croatoan. Currently dazzled by all the single ladies in Icehome.

  Rukh – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe and ex-outcast. His mate is Harlow. Brother to Raahosh, father to Rukhar and now Daya.

  Harlow – Mate to Rukh, mother to Rukhar and newborn Daya. She assists Mardok with technology stolen/looted from the broken ships.

  Rukhar – Harlow and Rukh’s young son.

  Daya - Harlow and Rukh’s newborn daughter.

  Farli – One of the few sa-khui females. Mated to Mardok and has a pet dvisti named Chompy. Pregnant.

  Mardok – Ex-soldier who has chosen to remain on the ice planet. Technology guru. Mated to Farli.

  Taushen – Hunter and mate to Brooke. Recently arrived at Icehome camp.

  Brooke – recently mated to Taushen. Hairdresser back on Earth, recently arrived at Icehome camp. Will braid anyone that sits still for more than five minutes. Pregnant.

  Vektal – Chief of the Croatoan tribe. Mated to Georgie (human) and father of two daughters. Recently returned home.

  The Island Clans

  Clan of the Strong Arm

  K’thar – Hunter, de-facto leader of Strong Arm, resonates to Lauren/Lo.

  J’shel – Young hunter of Strong Arm, resonates to Hannah. Very cheerful. Long braid.

  N’dek – Hunter of Strong Arm, recently lost a leg in a kaari attack. Kinda depressed and sits around the fire a lot.

  I’chai – deceased female, mother of Z’hren

  Z’hren – Orphaned child of Strong Arm, now child of Gail and Vaza

  Fat One/Kki – nightflyer pet of the clan