Venomous Hunger (Eok Warriors Book 2)

by Mary Auclair

  “Knut wanted to sell her to the Wallamy.” Aliena got to her feet and faced him. “He’s a monster, but he’s gone. We’ll get him someday.”

  “Thank you.” Jonah lifted his sister in his arms again, holding her close in a heartbreaking embrace. “I’m sorry. I was so angry ever since they took Nita from us. All I’ve been thinking, all that time, was how much I wanted to kill him.”

  “I know.” Aliena looked around at the men amassed in the room. “We have to pull together now. Prime Councilor Aav will arrive with her forces tomorrow. We’ll surrender the Ilarian guards to her, we’ll prove to the Ring that we’re worth freeing, that we deserve freedom. We’re done with Knut, done with the Breeding Facility, done with Aveyn.”

  Aliena locked eyes with Kamal as Jonah walked to his friends with his sister in his arms. The men started to talk animatedly, some venturing around, taking stock of all the riches Knut had amassed in his ultimate hideaway.

  “It’s over.” Aliena walked into Kamal’s open arms. “It’s really over.”

  “Yes, Little Bird.” Kamal kissed her forehead. “And you will never do something as foolish as that ever again.”

  “You know me better than that.” Aliena chuckled, felt tears tickle her eyes, let them fall. “How were you here so fast? The others came after the fight was finished.”

  “They don’t run like an Eok warrior.” Kamal chuckled, too, but his eyes were filled with emotion. “I followed your trail, running faster than I ever ran before. Thinking of losing you made me mad.”

  “How did you even find me?” Aliena was baffled. Aveyn was a jungle planet, and the location of Knut’s ultimate refuge was well hidden.

  “Ava.”

  “Of course.”

  Kamal swiped her off her feet, and when he walked away from the crowd, she closed her eyes, allowing the smell of him, the feel of his skin, to soothe her. Her battle was over.

  Kamal

  “Father. Brother.” Kamal looked at the familiar faces on the large screens of the control room of Knut’s large trade ship, now his. His father, Enlon, was the chief of the Erynian tribe, and his brother Karian was the Commander in Chief of the Eok armies. He had barely spoken to his brother in ten years, and not at all with either of his parents. “I thank you for speaking to me.”

  Enlon watched his son, his face unreadable, his back straight and his hands flat on the desk in front of him. The Eok warrior looked older than Kamal remembered, but his weathered face was still strong, his eyes as alert as they’d ever been. Enlon took a deep breath, then bent closer to the camera.

  “How dare you?” The anger in his father’s voice ran deep, made his eyes glint. “Ten years I haven’t gotten a word from my son, wondered at times if you were dead. And you thank me for speaking to you now?”

  Kamal straightened. He had known this would happen. His disgrace ran deep, casting a dark cloud over his entire family. He should have known there would be no forgiveness for him, not now, not ever.

  “I know I have disgraced you. I needed to let you know that all the humans, both on Earth and on Aveyn, are now free and secure. Prime Councilor Aav left this morning with her forces. I have assured her the Eok nation will look after the humans’ security until they can do so themselves.”

  He extended his hand to the button, intent on shutting down the communication before his family could read the pain on his face. “I will not call again, Father.”

  His hand hovered above the button as emotions rushed to the surface. For ten years, he had shunned his own people, worn his shame as a cloak, lived a life of crime with not a shred of remorse. But now he knew he would never go back. Not only because Aliena would never accept such a life, but because he had lost his taste for it. He was done paying for a single moment of disobedience, was done feeling ashamed for the decision to save lives over winning a war. He had made the right decision on that day and would never hang his head over it ever again.

  “Do not even think about pressing that button,” Karian, his younger brother, said with the same anger in his voice. “We’re not finished here.”

  “But I am.” Kamal sustained his brother’s midnight blue gaze. “I know what I did is not forgivable, but I would do it again. I saved an entire Cattelan village—females, younglings and elders. Every day I see Tailan, I am reminded that it was worth it. I would choose the same path again.”

  His gaze went from Enlon to Karian. They both sat there, shock clear on their faces, then Enlon shook his head.

  “What are you talking about, for Midnight God’s sake?” Enlon’s voice was low, and for the first time, he looked older, more tired with life. “You think your own family so cold-hearted that we would have cast you out? You were the one who judged your own actions as dishonorable, not us. I have stood up to defend you to the Erynian council from the first day.”

  “And so did I. Arlen was there, even if he was only a youngster without warrior markings.” Karian spoke loudly. “We stood by you. We were never ashamed. Your actions were honorable, and you kept your honor in the eyes of the Eok nation.”

  Kamal stared at his father, then his brother. How could he have misjudged them so?

  “I was sure…” was all he could say before his voice gave out. “I disobeyed the Commander in Chief. My actions cost us months of military preparations. The Cattelan rebels escaped when I took my soldiers inside the stronghold to care for the sick and the injured.”

  “Yes.” Enlon nodded his head. “But you saved innocent lives. Your actions in the face of possible disgrace proved your worth.”

  Kamal looked at his brother as he nodded his agreement.

  “We have waited for you, brother,” Karian said. “Now, if you are prepared to take your rightful place among us, we will welcome you.”

  “I have a bloodmate now. Aliena.” Kamal watched as Enlon and Karian’s eyes grew wide. “She will not want to leave her people and settle on Eokim. She’s too attached to them.”

  “If she takes after her cousin, you will have your work cut out for you.” Karian nodded, a smile on his lips. “Even heavy with youngling, Rose hasn’t settled down. She’s still running the house and goes out every day to tend the gardens.”

  Kamal laughed with Enlon. It felt so damn good to laugh with his brother, his father.

  “Human females prove to be trouble beyond all others,” Enlon teased. “Well, except maybe your mother, but I would never say so in her presence.”

  More laughter, and it felt like a balm on Kamal’s raw soul. Aliena did that, he thought. She had healed that wound in his heart, made it possible for him to love, to open up to someone. And now, he was being given his family back.

  “I will accept whatever position you deem me worthy of,” Kamal told his father as they settled down into an easy silence. “It will be my honor.”

  “You will be the new Human Trade Liaison of the Eok nation,” Enlon informed him. “We do not have anyone else who is as skilled in trade and as knowledgeable of the value of goods the human nation can trade. The Erynian tribe voted, and we were unanimous. There is no one we would trust more.”

  Kamal nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Such a high position, such responsibility. He would not fail them. He would not fail Aliena.

  “Your first task will be to take everything of value that Minister Knut accumulated on Aveyn and sell it.” Karian spoke. “The profit will be used to purchase weapons and medical supplies for the humans. You will leave as soon as Arlen arrives with his contingent to protect the humans on Aveyn.”

  “Arlen is coming?” Kamal frowned, then shook his head. His little brother had lived through such heartbreak. The betrayal and death of his mate, Maral, was a blow even an Eok warrior could not easily mend from. “He agreed to this?”

  “Yes. His heart is still mending, but he won’t stay in the outreach trading post we sent him to.”

  “He is too much of a warrior to stay long in an uneventful assignment.” Kamal nodded. “Well, those humans will keep hi
m on his toes, especially Ava. She’s the human doctor here.”

  Kamal disconnected the call after a few more mundane words about his family and their welfare. It had been so long, it felt so good to hear about his cousins, his uncles. So many had families of their own now, younglings and houses on the Eokim plains. He felt strangely at peace.

  He had a family of his own, now, too.

  Epilogue

  Aliena

  Prime Councilor Aav came with her forces. Gigantic six-armed monsters, female warriors with dark eyes and metallic voices covered the surface of Aveyn, searching the ground, freeing humans and collecting Knut’s incredible wealth which had been scattered across the planet.

  Days came and went as Markus took command of the human forces with Jonah as his right hand man.

  A few days later, Prime Councilor Aav lost interest in the planet and its riches and left to return to her seat of power in the Ring’s headquarters. The humans were left to pick up the pieces of their lives on an unfamiliar planet.

  Aliena walked to the control room of the long distance shuttle Kamal had requested after a visit to the infirmary to see a very grumpy—but recovering—Marmack.

  “When are we leaving?” Aliena asked as she reached the room where Kamal stood with Markus.

  “Later today,” Markus answered her as he turned, a smile on his lips. “Most of those who were taken from Earth are coming with us, but for many, Aveyn is their home. They were born here and they want to stay.”

  “And what does Prime Councilor Aav say about that?” Aliena turned to Kamal. “This planet was the property of Minister Knut.”

  “She agreed to give it to the human civilization, as compensation for the damages Knut incurred.” Kamal walked over and put a light kiss on her lips. “Ava is their temporary leader, but she doesn’t want to take over the title. The Aveyn-born humans will hold an election in the next few weeks, and that will settle it. Jonah is in a good position to win, I’ve been told.”

  “What about you?” Aliena turned to Markus. “You’re going to have problems with Martin. He won’t give up his position so easily.”

  “I’ll handle Martin,” Markus replied, his tone icy cold. “The men who came with me will all support me. Most of Martin’s supporters are their sons, their nephews. They won’t take kindly to the fact that Martin turned our village into his own little kingdom.”

  Aliena nodded. Martin led with fear and intimidation. He would lose all support once a true leader came back.

  “Well, I’ve still got to confirm a few before we leave.” Markus moved to leave the room, then turned back to Aliena and Kamal. “You made a good deal, securing trade for us for Knut’s ridiculously large piles of precious stones and jewelry. It’s going to help a lot of people. I’m glad Aliena found someone like you.”

  Aliena smiled at her uncle, then turned back to Kamal after he was gone.

  “You’ve set up trade deals, huh?” She reached out and touched his cheek. “I never pegged pirates for good negotiators.”

  “Pirates?” Kamal lifted a brow. “You’re mistaken, Little Bird. You are looking at the new Human Trade Liaison of the Eok nation.”

  “Really?” Aliena couldn’t help giving a little yelp of joy at the news. “I’m so happy for you! I knew your family would be happy to have you back.”

  Kamal nodded, remembering the meeting that had taken place only a few hours ago. So much had changed, yet so much remained the same.

  “My brother Arlen is set to land in a few hours.” Kamal pulled her into him, then pressed the button sealing the control room from the inside. He gave her a wicked, sexy smile. “What are we going to do with all that time?”

  “We have so much work to do!” Aliena chuckled, then feigned pushing him away.

  “Yes, my Little Bird, and I know just the first task we need to work on.”

  Kamal bent and pressed a long, hot kiss to her mouth. She felt heat rise up inside her body at his contact, just like it had every day since the bloodmating.

  “Well, then we’d better get to it, don’t you think?”

  She smiled, then reached for the zipper at the collar of her shirt. When Kamal’s wicked grin turned hungry, she knew.

  She had everything she never even knew she wanted.

  The End

  Mary Auclair

  Mary Auclair is a lover of romance novels of all genres. She likes to write everything, from science fiction to fantasy, passing through paranormal and historical, but always with a dark, sexy twist. She spends too many hours to count daydreaming about adventures and hot, dominant, alpha male heroes. When she’s not writing, she’s busy being a full-time mom, as well as caring for her many pets.

  Visit her website here: www.maryauclair.com

  Find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authormaryauclair/

  Don’t miss these exciting titles by Mary Auclair and Blushing Books!

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