by S. E. Smith
Merrick looked at the members of the ‘Tag Krell Manok clan. He saw both of Teriff’s sons looking fiercely towards the back and conversing in aggravation. Yes, he felt it earlier too but was distracted by the way Teriff stiffened when he demanded the female be presented.
Merrick nodded to Core. “Be prepared to fight.” Merrick growled out.
“Merrick.” Teriff said impatiently waving one of the councilmen back from him as the man continued to argue. “If you present the human male to us we will allow you to see the female. Understand, she is already bonded and cannot be taken. Your request for more information will be discussed at that time.”
Merrick growled at Teriff taking a menacing step forward. “You think you can dangle a leaf in front of us and we will accept your offer? You offer nothing! If you had the female you would present her! You have nothing! I want to see the female now!” Merrick said with a snarl.
J’kar moved in front of Teriff going chest to chest with Merrick. “You will stand down.” J’kar snarled back moving into a defensive position in front of his father. Borj moved in beside J’kar baring his teeth which had come down at Merrick’s aggression towards their father and leader.
Merrick’s men moved out into a defensive stance. Hannah watched with growing concern. She had seen this type of aggression often and it almost always ended with some type of struggle, even if it was just a small one for show. She didn’t understand why males of any species felt like violence was the only way to demonstrate how strong and macho they were. Hannah focused on the posture of each male trying to see which would be the one to make the first move. She knew it wouldn’t be the tall, muscular man standing chest to chest with J’kar. It wouldn’t be J’kar or Borj either. Her eyes flick to the one of the men in the back. He was young and moving his feet just a little in impatience. He didn’t understand the rules yet. He could be the one to make the first move. Her eyes searched where he was looking. He was glaring at one of the guards who was staring him down. His pride was being challenged by the older guard. Hannah’s eyes flickered around to the others. The councilmen would not be a problem but the guards were getting antsy. Borj, J’kar and Teriff were focusing on the huge male in front of them. Shit was about to hit the fan.
Hannah glanced at her sister and mom. Tilly looked at Hannah with a grin. Hannah fought back a snarl of her own. Her mom would think a brawl in a council chamber would be fun. Hannah shook her head. Tink looked at Hannah and rubbed her fist into her hand. She didn’t like the big oaf messing with her man. Hannah’s eyes widened when she realized it wasn’t the young warrior, the guard or anyone else who was going to make the first move but her little sister. Oh shit! Hannah tried to motion for her mom to grab Tink but it was too late.
Hannah moved at the same time as Tink did. The moment the huge man went to grip J’kar, Tink let loose the most god-awful warrior cry and took off as fast as her tiny body could move. Tilly just shrugged her shoulder and let out a war cry of her own before following her youngest daughter into the middle of hell.
The moment Merrick put his hands on J’kar he could feel the change in the room. A loud war cry unlike anything he ever heard echoed around the room. He would have closed his eyes but that would be fatal. Instead, he prepared for a good ass-kicking, preferably someone other than his own. He ducked as J’kar swung his fist listening as his second in command was hit. The war cry in the back of the room was followed by a second one. He moved with lightening speed moving around and throwing a low punch into J’kar’s ribs. He heard the grunt and felt the pain radiate through his fist as it connected with J’kar. A moment later a return punch knocked him back several steps. By now, six Eastern Mountain Clan members were in a knockdown fight with a dozen members of the ‘Tag Krell Manok clan, including their ruler and his sons.
Merrick was about to take another swing when something small and vicious jumped on his back wrapping its arms around his neck and biting down on his ear with a vicious tug. He swung around trying to knock it off but it was wrapped around him so tightly he couldn’t shake it. He howled in pain as a set of teeth clamped down again on his ear and a set of hands covered his eyes blinding him. As he reached up to pulled the thing off of him another came up under his arm and hit him in the groin. His knees buckled as the creature on his back continued to scream curses in his ringing ears. He was about to get back up when something crashed down over his head and everything went dark.
Chapter 12
Merrick came too slowly with a groan. He was going to kill someone. He didn’t care who it was but he was going to kill someone just for the hell of it. He could hear voices around him. It sounded like he wasn’t the only one who was furious. The male’s voice was raised in anger. Loud curses, threats, and promises of grievous torture were echoing throughout the room.
Merrick opened his eyes slowly. He stared up at his younger cousin and his second in command with a frown. Why were there two of each of them? Slowly the images blended until there was only one of each. Core helped him sit up. Merrick moaned as he felt the knot on the back of his head.
“Who hit me?” Merrick growled out dangerously. “I’m going to kill the bastard.”
Core grinned making Merrick growl out even more dangerously. “You might want to wait before you kill your attacker.” Core said quietly nodding to where J’kar was stomping back and forth in front of a bench.
Merrick’s frown turned to puzzlement then wonder as he saw what his younger cousin was nodding to. On the bench sat three of the most tiny, unusual females he ever saw. They had similar coloring and looked somewhat alike but there were also dramatic differences. Two were very small. One was a little older than the others but still just as enchanting. Her light brown curls in a disarray around her head as she looked on with a bored expression while J’kar yelled. The other tiny one looked like a younger version of the first female. She was looking on with amusement as J’kar continued yelling threats at her. She actually looked like she was enjoying his ranting and not in the least intimidated by him. She was sitting swinging her legs back and forth. The third one was taller than the other two and had a long braid down her back. She had a dark frown on her face and her arms were crossed in front of her. Merrick’s eyes flicker to Borj who was standing next to her with a frown on his face.
“But…” The tiny female kept trying to say something. “But…”
“There is no ‘but’…” J’kar snarled out at her. “I ordered you to stay in our living quarters! I locked you in! You disobeyed me. You will be punished for that.”
The tiny female jumped to her feet at that. Merrick and the rest of his warriors watched in fascination as one by one each of the females stood up and faced the furious warriors surrounding them. None of them seemed afraid. None of them seemed to even be aware of what could happen. If anything, the warriors now appeared to be a little nervous. A door opened in the back of the chamber and another male resembling the human male they had at one of their camps came hurrying in. He took the older woman in his arms in a brief hug before moving to stand beside her.
“You try to punish me, mister, and I’ll…I’ll make your life totally miserable! I was just trying to protect you and this is how you treat me! Like I’m…like I’m nothing but a pain in your ass. I just wanted…” The tiny female’s voice falter and a loud wail could be heard as she started crying. “Now look wh…what you made me do again.”
The older female moved forward quickly and wrapped her arms around the tiny female comforting her. A few murmured words and the human male and the two smaller females moved down the corridor. J’kar watched them leaving in frustration and worry before he finally said a muttered curse under his breath and quickly followed them. Merrick watched in disbelief as J’kar gently picked up the female, cradling her in his arms. Whatever he said to her must have made her happy as she looked up at him and gave him a passionate kiss before snuggling back into his arms.
“Did you see that?” Core asked in a hushed voice.
&
nbsp; His eyes swung to the taller female. He recognized her scent now. It was the one he smelled earlier when he thought something was behind them. There had been…the females. She was still much smaller than him. He watched as whatever the male next to her said seemed to make her angry. She tossed her head and glared up at him. The male bit back a curse before he reached for her. She pulled away from him, turning and walking stiffly away followed by two guards. The male would have followed her but Teriff called him. Core watched as the male looked first at the female before turning back to Teriff reluctantly. Core smiled. If he was her mate he should keep a better eye on her. From the looks, she was not happy with him either. Perhaps, she would be interested in a different mate.
Merrick stood up slowly. “Which one attacked me? I need to return the favor of a pounding head.” Merrick said with a grimace as he rubbed his ear and groin at the same time. “And by hockta balmas, who bit me?!”
Core laughed. “The one that bit you was the tiny female carried out of here. The other tiny one hit you between the legs bringing you to your knees while the tall one hit you over the head with the planter. They then turned on the rest of us. I have never seen anything like it. Between the three of them they were able to take out two more of our men before Teriff and his sons grabbed them.” Core said with a glint in his eyes. “I want the tall female, Merrick. She could tell us where other females are.”
Merrick’s eyes narrowed. He did not like the idea of taking a female against her will but the needs of his clan weighed heavily on him. Teriff refused to tell them where the female’s planet was and the human male couldn’t tell them anything except it was called Earth. He did not know how he ended up on board the warship the Prime Destiny. All he said was Earth females liked to be taken against their will and made to be submissive. It was the only way they would accept a male. Merrick found that hard to believe considering what he just witnessed but he did not know enough about the customs of this species to question the male. Perhaps, as Core pointed out, the female could tell them more.
“Why not the smaller female?” Merrick asked quietly looking at where Teriff, Borj and the councilmen were quietly talking.
“I heard she was breeding. The one called J’kar yelled at her for endangering their younglings. He said younglings as in more than one.” Core said with a small grin. “I have never heard of a female breeding more than one youngling at a time.”
“Be quick. I will meet you on the edge of the forest. Make sure she is not harmed. Until we know she is bonded to any of the males, I want her to remain untouched. I want to learn more. I do not like that the human male did not tell us everything.” Merrick growled out quietly.
Core nodded. Two of the other warriors left with him. Merrick watched them go with a sense of warning. Something wasn’t right. He needed more information and he needed it now. He looked at Borj who was watching Core and his other two warriors with a frown. Borj’s eyes turned to Merrick and narrowed.
Borj moved towards Merrick determinedly. “The other female is mine. I have claimed her.”
Merrick looked at Borj with a raised eyebrow. “She did not seem happy with your claim.”
“It does not matter what it appeared like.” Borj said fiercely waving his hand in rejection of Merrick’s observation. “She is mine. We have completed the mating rite. She wears my mating mark.”
Merrick looked at the intricate circles on Borj’s palm as he held out his left hand. He felt the sense of warning twisting in his gut again. Borj may be the quietest of the brothers but that did not mean he was not as deadly as his brothers. Merrick thought of the tiny female in J’kar’s arms and the symbol on Borj’s. If he wanted his mate back then they would need to share the information they had on where the females came from. His clan was in desperate need of females. There were a few young females but none of claiming age. He would do what was necessary to bring hope to the males of his clan.
“You have found a mate and you would deny others the chance?” Merrick asked coldly. “You know as well as I do that times are becoming more desperate. The men need to find a mate or they will begin fighting and it will be the end of all of us.”
Borj looked at Merrick in resignation. “I cannot promise anything but I will speak with my father and the council. They are aware of the situation. We have noticed it among our own clan. There are extenuating issues I cannot share at this time.” Borj said quietly.
Merrick noticed the slight hesitation in Borj’s voice. He understood Borj’s reserve but he had already set a course that could not be changed. The female would go with them and answer their questions.
Borj watched in frustration as Merrick and the rest of the Eastern Mountain Clan left after receiving a promise from Teriff and the council they would consider their petition for more information on where the females came from. He hated his position at times. He wanted to go to Hannah. He said things he shouldn’t have. He had been angry and frightened when he saw the three of them come out from the planters. He knew she was just protecting her little sister but all three females did not realize how dangerous Prime males could be when riled. He still couldn’t believe his brother’s tiny mate jumped on the back of Merrick biting him while Tilly hit him in his manhood knocking to his knees allowing Hannah to knock him out cold with a small planter. They took out half of the Eastern Mountain Clan warriors on their own, including their leader.
Borj started chuckling. Actually, it was rather funny now that he wasn’t so frightened. When Tink jumped on Merrick and bit him then covered his eyes while her equally tiny mother hit Merrick in his groin all the warriors around them were stunned. They were used to meetings like this turning into a brawl. They would beat each other senseless then go drink together afterwards. It helped to burn the frustration of not being at war or having a female available. Obviously, the females did not know that. When Merrick pushed J’kar, Tink charged like a seasoned warrior protecting her mate attacking the huge warrior from behind. When Borj saw Hannah calmly walk up and break the small planter over Merrick’s head knocking him out before turning on another warrior and kicking out sending him to floor as well, he wasn’t sure what to do. By then, Tink and Tilly had sent another warrior to the floor in agonizing pain. That was when his father, J’kar and he decided they needed to protect the other warriors before a true war broke out.
J’kar, furious his pregnant mate was even in the room, did not help matters by yelling at all three of them. Borj rubbed the back of his neck. He did not do much better. He should never have order the guards on her or restricted her to their living quarters at all times. Her quiet response sent a chill down his spine. She looked at him with such a sense of betrayal he hated himself.
You promised never to lock me up. You promised I would always be free. Her sad words echoed in his head.
“Borj!” Teriff growled out in frustration. “Get Lan and Brock in here immediately. We need to talk.”
Borj inclined his head before heading down the corridor to the portal room where both men seemed to live. He could have called for them but he needed a walk to calm his mind. He found both men in the room. Their heads were together. He could not see what they were looking at but they seemed excited. He watched them for a few minutes before they finally looked up realizing they were not alone.
“So much for security.” Borj commented leaning back against the door. “It was unlocked and neither one of you even realized I was here. What are you working on that has you oblivious to security and danger?” Borj asked pushing himself off the door and walking towards them.
“Miss October.” Both men said with a grin. Lan held up a copy of Penthouse while Brock had a copy of Playboy. “They are different females. I have never seen anything like this!” Lan said with an excited grin.
“Where in the hockta balmas did you find those?” Borj asked startled.
“Tilly!” Both men said again. “She and Angus had us over for dinner. She showed us what necking was and the bases of love making. She said i
t is much like their baseball. She said as in the game with the ball, sometime a male strikes out, only gets to a couple of bases, or if he is lucky makes a home run. Angus showed us first and some of second base but he refused to show us any more even when Tilly started teasing him. Instead, she said some of the articles in these documents might help. RITA scanned them and is translating them for us.” Brock said as he stared at the image in front of him. “I want to copy this image for my wall.”
Borj looked at the two men and shook his head. Hannah was right. His planet might not be ready for the Bell family. He walked over and calmly took the small stack of magazines from the men. He ignored their protests. He was afraid to ask where the other magazines were. He would have to round those up later. For now, Brock and Lan were needed in the council room.
“Father and the council need you. The Eastern Mountain Clan came about the females.” Borj said. He quickly filled them in on everything that happened in the council chamber including the females attacking Merrick and knocking him out.
Lan laughed so hard his had to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I will have to get RITA to replay that for me. I would love to see those tiny females putting Merrick in his place.”
Brock laughed as well. Both men had been on the not so forgiving side of Merrick’s fist at one time or the other, mostly after a long night of drinking. In truth, both men respected Merrick as being a fair leader of his clan. Gods know, few could outsmart the bastard in the forest and mountain areas. On rare occasions, raiders and space pirates would try to steal from their planet. In days of old, it was the young and females raiders and space pirates would take. They would use the females until there was nothing left of them and sell the young boys to fighting houses. This was very rare now with their defense systems in place but a few months back both men heard of a group of raiders who crashed into the mountainous region. Merrick quickly dealt with the few survivors, especially after the remains of several dead females who had obviously been tortured were found in the wreckage.