by Eve Langlais
As if. He wasn’t about to claim the pompous warrior princess. He could just imagine the shit that would cause, starting with her. She’d never accept a human, as she so sneeringly put it, as her mate.
Stepping forward, chin held high, she took care of her own introduction. “I am Azteriya Gaw’dessa, daughter of Zuz’eteran, a mighty warrior known through the galaxy as the Punisher.”
Zayn uttered a whistle. “You have stolen quite the prize, brother.”
“He did not steal me.” Princess tilted her chin proudly. “I commandeered his ship.”
As Zayn’s eyes widened—mostly in mirth—Jedrek reclaimed his manhood and exclaimed, “Like fuck you did. The Attlus is mine. You stowed aboard. She’s a runaway,” he explained to his brother.
“It is not running away if I am heading toward a greater destiny.”
“What destiny? Killing things is called survival.”
“Unless you’re paid for it, then it’s called business,” boomed Klardivus. His foster father arrived, slower due to his advanced years, his skin a deep gray of age, the wrinkles more pronounced.
“Finally someone who understands.” Azteriya bestowed a smile on Jedrek’s foster father.
The grin was returned. “A Kulin maiden. How rare. How did you manage to lure her and convince her to be your mate, boyo?”
“I didn’t. She’s part of my crew at the moment.” A true statement, so why did she shoot daggers at him?
His father’s eyes widened. “And her family didn’t kill you?”
“Her family doesn’t know.” Not entirely true. By now they had to have noticed her disappearance and narrowed down the possibilities.
“It sounds like a fine tale. You’ll have to regale us with your adventure while we make the final preparations for the ceremony.”
By preparation, Klardivus meant the males and females separated, the one side getting drunk while the other giggled and weaved flowers through hair.
Azteriya actually sent him a look of panic when Clarabelle linked arms with her and went off with her in tow.
He almost went after her. Who knew what kind of trouble she’d cause if left alone?
However, when the brief statement of, “Maybe I should check on her,” was met with snapping sounds and a whistle—I am not whipped!—he decided against seeking Azteriya out. He’d have to hope no one got killed.
Luck was on his side—or somehow Azteriya behaved for once. The evening passed without a hitch—or a death.
When the three moons rose that night, at their apex, Zayn and his heart mate exchanged vows in front of the entire family and their friends, which numbered in the hundreds.
There was no presiding priest, just the right combination of the moons, the three of them converging into a single line, similar to an eclipse on Earth. The triple alignment bathed the land in a pure silver light, illuminating the couple making the pledge and binding it with the power of the moon.
The words Zayn and Clarabelle spoke rose loud and clear, hanging in the air as if given form and weight.
“From this night, our purpose is one. Our home is together. Our lives intertwined. I pledge to you my devotion and faithfulness. Should any try to come between us, may their blood stain our daggers and their heart fill our bellies for we are now and forever one.”
As the words were spoken in tandem, Jedrek couldn’t help but look at Azteriya. She stood at the front of the witnesses, her gown a pale blue that contrasted with her skin, her hair unbound and woven with a crown of flowers. Her gaze locked onto his.
As the moon’s glow bathed them, he couldn’t help but mouth the words of the ritual, mouth them and wish that things were different. That Azteriya stood in front of him, hands clasped, joining herself to him.
Making her forever mine. Foolish fantasy.
Probably the effect of the potent kijar wine he’d imbibed.
Yet, he couldn’t shake it, the feeling that he should find a way to make what they had more permanent and binding.
Doubtful she’d allow it.
The ceremony concluded with much cheering. The finding of a heart mate was always cause for celebration—and food.
So much food and wine.
The alcohol flowed like a river into his goblet. Yet, he barely drank it. He didn’t thirst. Nor did he hunger. At least not for food.
What he wanted wasn’t on the menu. She wasn’t even a possibility.
Despite all they’d shared, Azteriya would never belong to him. Which meant his princess was available for other men to pursue.
She was an exotic flower amongst the gray-skinned tribe, her purple skin a colorful contrast, her white hair like a moonbeam given form.
The male warriors, who’d yet to find their heart mates, flocked to her. Flattered her. They showed her their daggers. They praised her when she tossed them at the targets and landed them in the smallest ring.
Her cheeks flushed, and her lips parted to smile. He could almost read her mind. Finally, people who accept me. She didn’t have to justify wanting to be a warrior among the Maez. She could have the life she always dreamed of.
He should have been happy for her. Happy she found acceptance among the people who’d adopted him.
But…Jedrek was more selfish than he realized. The attention shown her bothered him. It shouldn’t have, but it did. The more she danced, her lithe body moving with a sinuous grace reminiscent of the battlefield, the more he burned, aflame with desire and jealousy all in one.
He wanted to stride into the clearing, ringed with trees and lit by moon globes, and shove aside those who ogled her. Stab those who touched. He wanted to drag her into his arms and claim her in the eyes of all that they might understand she was his.
Mine.
He might not understand the need, but it was there. Pulsing, pushing, demanding that he do more than sit, watch, and drink.
But what if she rejected him? She’d made it clear he was good for dallying only. That his genes made him unsuitable.
That didn’t stop him from wanting.
What would it take for us to be together?
Nothing from him. He was ready for that final step. It all hinged on Azteriya. She had to make the choice.
Fifteen
He’s watching me.
Azteriya could feel his burning gaze on her, stroking her limbs, shooting daggers at her partners.
She saw his desire and encouraged it. Noted his jealousy and it made her bolder.
Why doesn’t he come claim me?
She could see he wanted to. Yet, he held back.
Could it be because you’ve told him enough times he’s not good enough for you?
It made her remember her mother’s words. You’re being too picky. Of course her mother meant in respect to the Kulin warriors she brought around, but didn’t it also apply here?
What exactly did Azteriya want in a male?
Strength. Jedrek had plenty.
Wealth. The male owned a ship.
Courage. He lacked for none.
Respect. Hadn’t he shown that when he took her on that first mission?
Attraction. No denying she wanted him.
So what stopped her from taking that final step, from making him her mate?
The question rolled around in her mind. And the answer, when it came, was astonishing.
He hasn’t said he wants me.
Sure, he’d pleasured her body. Brought her on an adventure. Even brought her to his home world, but he’d yet to say anything, anything at all, to make her think he wanted more.
Why didn’t she just take what she wanted? This wasn’t Aressotle. According to the Maez females she’d conversed with before the mating ceremony, it wasn’t just the males who got to decide. A female didn’t have to wait for a warrior to claim her; she could claim him first. If she has the courage.
Does fear hold me back?
What would her mother say if she mated with a human? What would her father do?
Who cared? This journey
was about discovering what I want. About putting my needs first.
And she needed Jedrek.
Leaving her partner mid-step, she strode to Jedrek, long strides that brought Azteriya to the pile of cushions he lounged on, cup in hand. She loomed over him, blocking the moonlight.
“Something wrong, princess?” His eyes glittered brightly.
“Why do you not dance?”
“Two left feet.”
A frown creased her brow. She didn’t understand the reference. “Why do you not dance with me?”
“You don’t seem to lack partners.”
That sounded like definite jealousy, so why did he not act?
Perhaps, he couldn’t act. “Do you claim any of the females here?” If yes, she’d have to take care of that problem.
“Why would any of them want a barbarian human male?” He threw her words back at her mockingly.
“Father says a great warrior knows when to admit they might have been wrong.”
“Exactly what are you saying, princess?”
She didn’t want to say it. Didn’t want to speak aloud the fact that she burned for him. Wanted him.
So, instead, she leaned down and grabbed his hand. She always forgot how heavy he was, so it was a good thing he heaved himself upward. His slightly great height meant he stared her almost in the eyes.
Could he read the message in them?
“What do you want from me?” he whispered.
Everything he had to give.
She pulled him by the hand and dragged him into the woods. They left the sound of revelry behind, the flickering light of the torches. Everything faded except for the pounding of her heart and the whisper of expectation.
When she found a bower of fragrant grass and leaves, she pulled him to her.
“Claim me.”
“Excuse me?” He blinked at her, confusion on his face.
“I said claim me. As a male claims a female.”
“Have you been drinking?” He eyed her suspiciously.
“I am not incapacitated, if that is your query. What am I to you?” Such a pathetic thing to ask, and yet she had to know.
“You’re a crewmember on my ship.”
“Is that all?”
“What else should I say? You’ve made it clear that we can’t ever be anything more. That I’m not good enough for you.”
She heaved in a breath before admitting, “What if I said I was wrong? That I wanted something more?”
“Don’t fuck with me, princess.”
“But that’s precisely it. I want to fuck you.” She intentionally used the Earth term. The crudity of it shocking and yet the most apt way of saying what she wanted.
“Since when?”
“Since I realized that you were right. I want you.”
He dragged her close. “Say it again. Say it so I know you mean it.”
The words spilled from her. “I want to lie with you. To feel you inside my body.” She met his gaze. “I need you. Do you need me too?”
The question caused something in him to snap. He growled, the sound primal and exciting. He mashed his lips against hers, a fierce kiss to go with the raging passion that always seemed to explode between them.
His hands pulled at her clothing, shedding them, while she yanked at his. They formed a blanket for when her back hit the ground.
Their embrace went on forever and yet ended too soon at the same time. The fire of their desire burned bright, and she gasped as Jedrek slid down her body, kissing his way through the valley of her breasts, giving each nipple a hard tug of his mouth, then lower still to her mound. He rubbed his bristly jaw against the tender flesh, and she bucked, knowing what would come next.
She spread her thighs and bent her knees, giving him full access to her body. And he took advantage, dipping his head that he might lick her sex.
It never failed to excite. The hot slash of his tongue. The heat of his breath.
Under his sensual torture, she bucked and moaned. Dug her nails into his scalp, tugging at his hair, urging him to do more.
He slid a finger in her and rubbed at her pleasure spot.
She moaned. It seemed unfair she only got to enjoy it. She scissored her legs around his body and flipped him onto his back. Then pounced.
She reverse-straddled him and, without any warning or foreplay, took his hard shaft into her mouth. He yelled, and his hips thrust up. She took him deeper.
His hands grabbed her thighs and pulled her mound down to his face, and he began licking her again, lapping and stabbing her with his tongue.
She matched his rhythm, bobbing her head, bringing him to the brink of pleasure. He did the same to her, stroking her with tongue and his fingers. Her hums of delight vibrated around his shaft.
She couldn’t help but rotate her hips, her body falling into a rhythm that wanted more. Jedrek matched the pace, thrusting into her mouth.
And then she was on her back again. He’d flipped them, and he was positioned between her legs, his expression fierce.
He pressed the tip of his shaft against her sex, but he didn’t push in. His gaze instead sought hers, silently asking permission. She replied by locking her legs around his shanks and drawing him into her.
When he hit the barrier all females were born with, a thick membrane set deep within that would change everything, she drew him down to her, pulled him near enough to kiss.
Then bit his lip.
He roared as his hips thrust, his shaft tearing through, claiming her body as his.
She sucked his bleeding lip as he rode into her, her own hips moving in time, the pleasure building. Intense. So intense.
Hot and powerful. His thickness stretched her.
Oh how he stretched her and filled her, each stroke rubbing against her inner pleasure spot, making her tremble until she could hold back no more.
The intensity of the orgasm left her limp and whimpering, but happy, so happy.
He whispered her name, “Azteriya!” as he thrust one final time into her. The heat of his climax bathed her womb.
They lay close together, their breathing ragged, their bodies cooling. He held her close to him when he rolled as if unable to bear parting.
And she hugged him back.
They spent that night in their fragrant bower. Not fighting. Not worrying about what the moment meant. Just being together. Accepted for who they were.
It wasn’t the harsh brilliance of the dawning light from the red sun that woke her but rather the voice that boomed over her. “I’ve found her. Lock in on our position and teleport.”
Father had found her. And there was no chance for goodbyes.
Sixteen
Having woken before Azteriya, Jedrek let her sleep undisturbed. After the night they’d spent, she deserved it.
A smile hovered over his lips. It had been beyond stupendous.
Mind blowing. Epic. It was a wonder they retained enough wits to dress themselves at one point before sleeping some more because it occurred to Jedrek that anyone going for a walk might see his princess naked. His newly discovered jealous nature had an issue with that.
He didn’t worry about leaving her alone in the woods. This section of land might seem untamed, but it was, in actuality, a park. Hundred of hectares of wild growing trees and plants, with the most dangerous thing in them the insects that liked to nibble soft flesh. But those mostly came out at night.
As for two-legged menaces? This was a sacred grove, used for ceremony and the coming of age of the Maez. There wasn’t a Maez alive who would commit an act of violence within it.
Outside of it, that was another thing. Past the boundary of the sacred forest, civilization reigned. Hover crafts zoomed by under canopied trees, the thick boughs forming bridges across. Inside the hollow boles, homes and businesses.
A modern world hidden inside a jungle. It amazed a boy when he first arrived and, as an adult, it still gave Jedrek a thrill to see how the Maez artfully blended modern convenience with nature.
The sidewalk outside the park held little foot traffic this time of morning, most people still abed having celebrated late.
But he knew of one place that was always open, the Maez equivalent of a coffee and pastry shop.
Entering, Jedrek used his palm print—linked to a credit account—to purchase some replenishing fluids—a chocolate-flavored hot brew that was a cross between cocoa and coffee—plus some savory pastries. Flaky on the outside, inside steamy and spicy meat bathed in a salty cream.
Treasures in hand, he headed back to the park, making his way through the familiar paths, only to hear the buzz of voices.
He broke into a jog, not truly worried. No one would hurt Azteriya—if they do, they die. While he didn’t worry about violence, she was beautiful, and he’d not officially claimed her. He’d have to rectify that on the next triple moon.
Jedrek emerged into the clearing they’d chosen the night before to find his foster father, and another of his brothers, Huudo, standing shoulder to shoulder, while two security personnel ran devices over the ground. They skimmed the equipment over his bed from last night. The empty bed.
“Where’s Azteriya?” He didn’t spot her anywhere. Perhaps she’d gone to relieve herself out of sight. But why the welcoming committee?
“Is that who was here last?” His father shot him a look from under a creased brow.
“We both were here. We spent the night.” Making glorious love, claiming each other under the moons.
“She’s gone.”
“I see that. Where did she go?” Jedrek couldn’t help the terseness of his query.
At that, Klardivus shrugged. “No idea. We got a ping on the security monitors of an unauthorized teleport and came to investigate.”
The meaning of the words penetrated. “Someone infiltrated the planet and stole her!”
“I don’t know as I’d say stole. I don’t see any signs of struggle, and by the looks of your girl, she could have done some damage.”
Indeed, Azteriya would have never gone quietly. Unless someone subdued her. Perhaps she’d never had a chance. It could be someone had teleported to the surface, drugged her, and stolen his princess.