by Belle Harper
“Stay here,” the Aashi male that came with Elle, Zurcov, spoke up and jumped to his feet. He was a smaller warrior too, like Jaka and Vetok. But he turned to me, Adee, and Jaka.
“You keep them safe here, I will go see what has happened.”
I nodded, but I was worried. What could have caused this fighting?
Chapter Five
Hadley
I heard the fighting; it went on for hours. Elle and Brooklyn stayed with me and some of the guys. It was strange, actually. Jaka, Jaim, and Adee were with us. I couldn’t believe that even Brooklyn’s mates weren’t here. Tiji… I felt super safe with him around. She told us about how he really liked to use his spear and had hurt poor Makee, her mute mate. He was so sweet, but if he thought Makee was a threat and stabbed him, I imagined he would be worse with a real threat.
Tiji made me feel safe when we first got to Clan Wolf and those Chosen males that followed Jessica basically held us as ransom so I really wished he was here right now. Not that these males couldn’t protect me, just he had this way about him that—I shrieked when a male slammed through the door and fell to the floor, the girls shuffling away from him. Blood was covering him. My hand flew to my mouth to stop myself from screaming at the sight of him. Oh god.
“Aalee?” both Jaim and Adee gasped, leaping towards him as they saw the injured male now bleeding on the hut’s floor. I snapped out of my shock.
“Quick, bring him here,” I called out to them. You could see he had a broken arm from the way it was hanging. Oh shit. Crap. If this was how he looked… Was he on our side? What was going on out there? I didn’t understand why no one had told us. Luna, Quinn, and Jessica were somewhere else. I wasn’t sure where, and we hadn’t heard from anyone.
I was getting scared. I knew we brought a large group with us, mostly unmated males. But why were they fighting? We shouldn’t be fighting each other. We had a bigger enemy to fight.
“This is scaring me.” Elle held her arms around her legs that were drawn up to her chest, and she rocked slightly. Brooklyn chewed on her thumbnail and twirled her hair with her other hand as she hummed a tune. I could see her eyes not focused on anything. I didn’t want her to worry, she looked so scared, and I hated this for her.
I reached out and took one of Elle’s hands and gave it a squeeze before reaching over to Brooklyn, holding hers so she stopped biting her nail, and she smiled slowly, her eyes glassy.
“It’s okay, don’t worry. We’re safe here, our mates will come back.” Brooklyn nodded but I could see her eyes now fixed on the door which had swung shut after Aalee’s entrance.
Aalee spoke fast. He didn’t come to me to help him. He planted himself against a far wall from me, like I would burn him if he was to come any closer. The translator not catching up fast enough to catch his words, I could only understand some of what he said like clan, males, and fight, which I already gathered. But it was then Vetok returned. He was in the hut and on me within a second.
“My Hadley.” He kissed my cheek and stroked my hair. I could see his fist was injured from fighting. But nothing else seemed to be injured. I felt relieved to see him here. Where were Elle’s mates? Brooklyn’s? I was glad to have both of mine here, safe.
“What happened?” Brooklyn asked, scanning the door. She was probably waiting on her mates. Like her “Pinkie” who was such a beautiful shade, like he was mixed with a pink alien and a purple one and… huh? I would have to ask about that. I wondered if he was part Zalli after seeing that pink one. Her mates though, they hadn’t returned. But neither had Elle’s mates as she watched the door as well. I could see the longing on her face, wishing one of her mates would appear.
“There were many of the outcast males that came with us. Something was said to the clan here and a fight started. I don’t even know why, but all I knew to do was protect you. There were too many for me, my heart. You must choose strong, larger warriors to mate. You need someone who can protect you at all times.”
I reached out and cupped Vetok’s jaw, my thumb running over the smooth skin. Poor guy couldn’t grow any facial hair… No Aashi could.
“You always protect me, I don’t need anyone. I have you and Jaka,” I told him. I wanted him to agree like when he had first brought this up once before and I shut down the idea of having five mates. I didn’t need that many, but he shook his head this time, the worry etched into his features.
“No, my heart. You will need more mates. Stronger, larger mates here in this clan. There are too many unmated males. We cannot protect you as we did back in Clan Wolf. Here is different, with many different males from other worlds.”
I understood what he was referring to. The Aashi, but also those Zalli… they might not be the same as Sanza who was sweet and nice. These guys might actually kidnap me if I wasn’t careful and, honestly, that scared me.
I looked over to where Aalee was nursing his arm and actively avoiding my gaze. It was his upper right. I wasn’t sure if that was worse or if he would be okay as he healed. Adee, as I had come to find, was his twin… well kinda. He called them littermates, and with the fact Aashi usually had four kits at once, I guess he was part of a quad? They looked so similar, yet both seemed so different. Adee was a flirt, his brother seemed to hate me.
Adee looked over at me. He heard what Vetok had just told me. He puffed his chest up and smiled at me. Jaim watched me too, with eyes that would melt a heart. Shit, why did he tell me in front of them? I didn’t know what to think. I only just met these guys, and now they heard that Vetok thought I should have more mates.
I wasn’t ready to pick new mates right now, but with the way they both looked over at me, those eyes pleading to be in the running, I felt a pang in my chest. Maybe Vetok was right, maybe now was the time, and if I was going to do it I wanted to do it right. Not rush into anything. I could see these three were close with each other. Jaim wasn’t large, but what he lacked in height his friends had in spades. The brothers were at least seven foot each. They were big. But with Aalee injured… and the fact he seemed to dislike me something fierce, that was going to make this hard.
“I will protect you. I would make a good mate, Hadley.” Adee stood tall in the hut, his hand against his chest as he smiled down at me. I didn’t realize before how large he really was until he was standing like that. And fuck… his abs, all his muscles. They seemed larger than the other Aashi I had seen before. He was huge… in every way. My eyes widened at the bulge in his cloth. Oh boy.
“I…” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m not ready to pick mates just yet. But I will let you know when I am.” I didn’t know what to say, Vetok was nodding at me now and looking towards Adee. Did he want me to pick these guys? Why? There were many Clan Wolf males wanting mates, like the three who were always with each other, Xell, Qevin, and Qurx. They weren’t the tallest, but I knew them better than I knew these three.
“Vetok,” I hissed at him and he sat up straighter. But it didn’t stop him. He pointed now to Aalee.
“You need good, strong mates. I saw that one fight. He is strong male.” Aalee turned to us now at Vetok’s words. He searched my face, my body, then looked to Vetok. He didn’t stop staring at him, it was slightly unnerving.
Adee cleared his throat. “That is understandable. Just know I still wish to protect you, female Hadley. I am a good warrior and wish to be considered as a chosen mate.” He looked down at me and gave me a panty-dropping grin. I wondered if he knew that he was giving me that, or was he always a flirt? He nodded, maybe trying to get me to agree. I gave him my best maybe look.
“Oh man, seriously, Hads. These guys are the best. I’m sorry I was the one to touch them first, but I think you should consider them, at least,” Brooklyn said from beside me. Glad she was talking and no longer seeming so worried about her mates, I rolled my eyes at her playfully. She was a matchmaker at heart. She chuckled and playfully slapped my shoulder, but then wiggled her brows at me.
“You dork,” I teased her, and sh
e just threw her head back and laughed.
“They are still virgins… I think. I didn’t go that far with them.” Brooklyn looked over to the three males as my mouth dropped open and Elle let out a huge chuckle. I shook my head at her.
“Not you, too?” I teased Elle. Brooklyn was unaware that at times she spoke without a filter, but I guess the Aashi did too. I just wasn’t used to it still, all these months later.
“What? I don’t see no other chicks here,” she added. I pinned her with my eyes to say, “Shut up, this is not a conversation I want to have with my mates here.” But she giggled and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do just yet with this whole considering-more-mates thing, and this wasn’t helping.
“Yes, we have no other females. We are, as Brooklyn says, ‘virgins.’ We have never been blessed to touch a female in a mate way,” Adee told me with such a straight face. I could see Elle out the corner of my eye with her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles, but Adee didn’t stop there.
“Yet, I can’t say my cock has never spilled seed. I have used my hand to spill seed many times in the trees. My brother Aalee has not. He is untouched by a female. If you were to touch him, he would gain the mating hormones as Jaim and I have.” My eyes widened at Adee’s speech, Elle let a giggle slip, and Brooklyn snorted.
My mouth dropped open at his honesty. Like, I really didn’t need to know any of this, but I didn’t know what to do but nod.
I felt for poor Aalee. He shrunk back even more into himself. He looked at me through his hair, but when my eyes caught his he quickly glanced away. But I felt something there, for him. There was almost a tension in the air when I caught him watching me again. It was electric. I felt something similar when Jaim touched me. But not with Adee. What did that mean?
“Jaim, have you stroked your cock to release seed?” Adee asked his friend, and I quickly put my hand to stop Jaim from answering.
“That is not needed. I would love to consider you… all of you, if you all want.”
Jaim nodded. “Thank you so much, Hadley. I will prove myself a good mate to you. Aalee will too.”
Aalee looked at Jaim and his brother but didn’t say anything to me. Shit. Maybe he didn’t feel this thing between us. Maybe it was in my head.
Vetok nodded at them all and turned to me. “This is a good choice. A male group that is already formed would be the strongest bond for you. You have chosen well, my mate.”
Oh fuck… I said consider. I never said I was going to choose them.
Chapter Six
Adee
I walked outside the hut, the hut that contained my future mate. She said she would consider me, and I knew she would choose me, once I proved to her I would make her the best of mates. I was unsure if she wanted a mate that had not spilled seed. I wanted to be truthful and tell her that I had. I was confused by the look she gave me. I thought that it meant she didn’t wish to choose me. She didn’t care I had though, because she said she would consider me… us. She must be happy to know my cock works, that she wouldn’t have to wait for the mating hormones.
“What is happening?” I questioned a male standing beside my hut. I had never seen him before, he must have come with Clan Wolf. I reached for a spear I had rested against the wall of the hut earlier, glad it was still there. This male, his hair was neatly braided and he had a huge scar down his body. His spear in hand, poised and ready if the fight came closer. I was glad he was protecting my hut, the hut full of females. Maybe one of them was his.
“Males, some who followed and aren’t part of Clan Wolf, started a fight. They wanted to be part of our clan so they could have a chance of a mate. But Daku, he told them they were not welcome with us and to find lands farther south. These males aren’t leaving without a female.”
I nodded to the other male. I didn’t know who Daku was, but I assumed he was head warrior of their clan. But from what I had learned, they weren’t like the other clans. They didn’t have a queen.
“I am Adee. I’m being considered by Hadley as a chosen mate.” The male now looked at me. He studied my form and I was worried he would find me not suitable as a mate. He grunted at me and nodded his approval. Now all I needed was Hadley’s approval and I would be the most blessed by the Goddess.
“Tiji. My mate is Brooklyn. I would kill any male who tried to take her.” His eyes told me he wasn’t being friendly. He was warning me. I agreed with him by nodding, even though Brooklyn was once to be my mate. I didn’t see her that way anymore. I would kill any males if they touched Hadley and she wasn’t even mine. I needed to prove myself to her.
My body reacted on instinct. M’Mori. I rushed forward to the shiny scales of a M’Mori at a nearby hut. I wouldn’t let him take the females, or any males, back to the mines. This M’Mori would die here today under my spear.
“M’Mori have found us,” I called out to Tiji, who followed me at a distance. I rushed forward, my spear ready to pierce the heart of the M’Mori scum. He had his back to me, unaware I was charging at him.
I would avenge the death of so many males who died at the hands of M’Mori. The same scum who took me from my homelands and forced me to slave at the mines. Only, I was able to escape. So many weren’t lucky and their blood was on his hands. Was he here to return us? Was he alone? I would never let that happen. I would die fighting before I returned to the mines. I roared out a challenging warning, one he didn’t deserve. He turned to me, his sharp teeth enraging me. I watched males like this kill other Aashi who were too sick and tired to work the mines anymore.
“M’Mori, you will pay for the crimes against my people,” I screamed at him, wanting him to see my face and know the last face he saw before he was killed was that of an Aashi warrior.
I felt something hit from behind me, and all the air whooshed from my lungs as my body lurched forward, dirt hitting my chin as my body dragged on the ground only a yard from the M’Mori scum. I slid to a stop with weight on my chest. I didn’t think to look for other M’Mori; my rage overwhelmed me and I didn’t think about anything else other than killing the M’Mori in front of me. How could I be so stupid? This male wouldn’t be here alone. They were never alone. I thrashed the heavy weight on my back. I needed to get help. Where was the male Tiji? Was he getting others to help?
Weight lifted from my back as I scrambled onto my knees. Tiji sprung from behind me to standing in front of me. I felt relieved he was here, we could kill this male together, but when his spear turned from the M’Mori and now aimed at my face, I realized something was very wrong here. Was he working for the M’Mori? The look on his face told me he was prepared to kill me… kill me to save this M’Mori.
“No, no stabby.” He said the words in another language. I was confused. It was the words of the females. They spoke this same language and he had learned it. What did it mean? Why would he protect this male after he told me his mate was Brooklyn?
“You cannot kill, K’Tem. He is part of Clan Wolf, and the mate of Jessica, a female human. She loves her K’Tem very much, and you would not like to see her upset if you killed him. I fear her more than all the clans’ queens combined.” I froze as I glanced over to the M’Mori male, K’Tem.
I watched as the M’Mori came closer to me. He held something in his hand. Who was Jessica? I never wished to cross paths with her, she must be a very strong female to take on a mate like the M’Mori. I took a reminder to never meet this Jessica.
K’Tem looked down at me. I didn’t like the position he held over me while I was down here on my knees. I jumped up, holding my spear tightly, showing him how I towered over him. I felt better at my full height. This male would not intimidate me.
“Sorry to be meeting you like this, but do you know which hut Hadley is in? I need to check on her kits, but I’ve been trying to get to her for hours.” I blinked. Kits? How could I have not known Hadley was with kits? How would this male check on them? I felt very protective of the kits and Hadl
ey.
Tiji nodded. “K’Tem. Hadley, Elle, and Brooklyn are together. I will take you to them now.” I growled low and Tiji shook his head. “This male is good. You will come to see.”
I didn’t think I would ever see a M’Mori male be good. Tiji had not been stolen by the M’Mori. He didn’t watch the life slip from the eyes of his fellow Aashi as the M’Mori killed them for being slow, weak… I took a deep breath, wishing to never think of that again, but I had so many nightmares. Sleeping was hard for me. They started walking, leaving me to follow. If Hadley trusted this male, then I would let him see her. But now his words had me worried.
“She fell. Do you think…” I couldn’t even say the words. Would her kits survive such a fall? I didn’t know this. She never told Jaim either of her carrying kits. She was small, very small. How could I have missed such an important thing about my future mate? My stomach fell at the thought of her losing her kits.
“That is what I am going to find out.” He moved the device in his hand and pointed to it. “This will show me they are safe.” I moved closer to see what this device was and Tiji jerked his spear at me, warning me not to harm this male. I shook my head. I wouldn’t hurt this male… yet, as long as Hadley says she trusts him. If she doesn’t, then he wouldn’t be safe from me, or any male who lived here at Clan Freedom. I was sure he was protected at all times from his clan. I must warn this male about the males who lived here, but not until he made sure the kits were safe.
I rushed him back to our hut. There were males close by, fighting. I wanted to help but I didn’t know which I was to be fighting. I needed to stay close to Hadley, especially if her kits were in danger. And to protect her from this M’Mori if he turned out to not be who he said he was.