Venomous Craving

by Mary Auclair

  “No, of course not.” His eyes flashed. He was getting angry. “Eoks mate for life. The females we take are kept safe and well-cared for all their lives.” Karian straightened. “I am the Commander in Chief of the armies, and heir to the chief of the Erynian tribe. As my mate, you will be the second most powerful female in the tribe, after my mother. Many would wish to be in your position.”

  “Okay, then why don’t you go and mate someone who wants it?”

  Karian’s already pinched lips thinned to a slim white line. His shoulders tensed and his brows furrowed into a fearsome frown. She didn’t give a shit. She wasn’t property, and this mating was nothing but disguised slavery.

  “If I hadn’t claimed you, you would be free to be taken by any other male on board this ship. Believe me, there are lots of males who would stake their claims on you, and not in the gentlest way. Even Khal would be tempted.”

  Rose shut up and let that sit for a while. What Karian said dissipated some of her anger. He was right. It was easy to forget how the world saw humans when she was with him. When he was there, she felt normal, strong. She felt free. It was an illusion, of course. Rose was not free, and she certainly wasn’t safe. She was a human female, and she belonged to the strongest, or the highest bidder. She belonged to anyone who was powerful enough to stake a claim on her.

  Still, she rebelled against the idea of being a mere possession. Maybe even because it was Karian staking a claim on her. She couldn’t accept being owned, not by him. Not after everything they went through.

  “I should be your mate just so another male doesn’t grab me?” Rose shook her head and lifted her eyebrows. She wasn’t convinced by his explanation. “I don’t buy it. You’re the Commander in Chief, all you have to do is give an order, and I’m back home.”

  “Yes, but it will not be enough to protect your village. What I’m proposing will give the Eoks’ protection to your entire family.”

  “How?” Rose stiffened. Hope flared, but it was tempered by confusion and a healthy dose of skepticism.

  “By our laws, the entire family of any female mated to an Eok warrior is considered to be Eokian. This means your family will be protected under Eok law. An attack on any of them will be considered an act of war against the entire Eok nation.”

  She hadn’t expected that. Surprise and hope merged together in her mind and she found herself stunned. All she’d ever cared about was going back to her family, to keep them safe, but Karian’s offer was a thousand times better.

  Still, it meant she was losing her freedom forever. But what choice did she have? Even if she managed to convince Karian to send her back, what real protection could she offer her family? Nothing, that was what. In becoming Karian’s mate, she was giving her family safety and freedom for as long as they lived.

  “What about the rest?” She knew this wasn’t part of their deal, but she couldn’t help it. She had to try to save everyone. “My family can’t survive on their own. We need the entire village.”

  “I will put a motion to the Ring Council to expose the existence of free-born humans,” Karian said with calm, measured words. Like this was just a conversation. Like this wasn’t going to end slavery for an entire people. “It is illegal to hunt and enslave free people, has been for a century. Anyone who is born free shall remain free. Humans will even regain their rights to the Earth’s natural resources.”

  Rose looked straight at Karian. He returned her stare, locking gazes with her. His face was a stone mask, void of any hint of emotion. On her side, emotions raged a mighty storm.

  “What’s in it for you?” She was breathless, and her words went out on raspy whiffs of air. “Why would you do this for me?”

  “You saved my life,” Karian answered, his eyes shining with an intensity she didn’t recognize. “I am repaying my debt. A life for a life.”

  He stood straight, his hands clasped together behind his back and his legs spaced wide in a military stance. His eyes shone with a cold calm, waiting for her to say more. Rose watched him, a stone settling down in the pit of her stomach. There was no trace of the wry, darkly humorous male she had befriended on Saarmak.

  You did more than just befriend him, and you know it.

  The male who stood before her was the Commander in Chief of the army of the most powerful warrior race in the Ring. He had no place in his life for softness.

  Still, better to be Karian’s mate than any other.

  “So you said to Arlen that I’m your mate, and that’s it? We’re mated, just like that?”

  “Of course not.” His gaze pierced right through her. “There’s more to it than that.”

  “So what you’re saying it’s that it’s a fake mating?” She did her best to keep her voice low and steady. It wasn’t easy. “We’re pretending?”

  “No.” Karian shook his head slightly, staring at her with intent. “There is no pretending an Eok mating. For my tribe to recognize you as my mate, it has to be real. Once you are my mate, there is no turning back.”

  His calm words settled between them. Her ears rang as if Karian had screamed. No turning back, he’d said. This was a lifelong decision, and it wasn’t even one she had made. Karian had made it for her. That it was for the best was beside the point.

  “As soon as we complete the Mating Ceremony, I’ll send a fleet of Eok warriors to Earth to protect your village. But you can never go back. You’ll live on Eokim with me for the rest of our lives.”

  “What if I refuse?”

  Karian inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “I’ll still send a fleet of Eok warriors back to Earth with you, but there will be no way for me to ask them to stay and protect your village. You will be on your own. I won’t have the legal standing to make a motion before The Ring.”

  Rose nodded. She knew what would happen, then. They would be found, sooner or later. Now that the Cattelans knew there was a human village still out there, they would be relentless. It was only a question of time.

  Only now, it didn’t have to be. All she had to do was accept Karian’s offer.

  “Okay, then.” She swallowed and wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. “I accept.”

  Karian stared at her for a long time, then nodded. After another pause, he turned and walked to the door. Before going out, he turned his head halfway.

  “We are going to seal the mating when we arrive on Eokim.”

  Rose watched the door for a long time after Karian was gone.

  CHAPTER 15

  ROSE

  A few days later, Rose was in the midst of another pacing contest when there was a loud, single knock on the door. It slid up to reveal a now familiar sapphire blue face, grim as usual. He stayed at the doorstep, unmoving.

  “Arlen.” She stopped in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please, come in.”

  “Nice to hear you with better manners. How refreshing.”

  Arlen stepped in, and she looked around, bewildered by his empty hands.

  “I don’t have your dinner, if that’s what you’re thinking. Not that it’s my job to serve food anyway.”

  “Of course not.” She lifted her chin. “Someone might think you’re at my service. That wouldn’t do.”

  “No, it wouldn’t. You might not care, but I have been acting as Commander in Chief for the past ten years.” His mouth tightened. “I am now the Second in Command of the Eok fleet, not a female’s servant. I am here to tell you we arrive on Eokim in an hour.”

  “So soon? Why didn’t Karian come to tell me?” She couldn’t care less about Arlen’s ego, or that he didn’t like being her little errand boy.

  “He didn’t have time.” Arlen opened his mouth to add something, then closed it.

  “Don’t lie to me.” Rose narrowed her eyes at him, trying to read what he was hiding. “I can see straight through you. What happened?”

  “It’s not for me to say why.” Arlen stiffened, anger flashing in his eyes. It was always so easy to get at him. “Something came up, but Karian’s
taking care of it.”

  If anything, she had learned that about Eok culture: they were loyal to the bitter end. Arlen wouldn’t tell her anything if Karian told him not to. With what she hoped was an intimidating frown, Rose chose not to press him. It was like trying to squeeze juice from a rock, anyway. Arlen wouldn’t talk.

  “Am I coming with you to meet him?”

  “Yes.” Arlen turned to go, but stopped and turned his chin toward her. “He cares about you. More than you seem to know, and certainly more than he should. Don’t ever betray him.”

  With that, he walked away, and she had to skitter across the floor not to lose sight of him. The ship was still an odd sight, one she hadn’t become accustomed to. It was a complete battle station, one of the pride of the Eok nation. It was Karian’s old commanding ship, and the one Arlen had claimed for his search for his brother.

  The hallways and floors of the Eok ship were nothing like the Cattelans’. Where the slavers’ ship had been white and cozy, the Eok warship was a model of military efficiency. The walls and ceiling were metal panels, without paint and unpolished. Instead of a string of soft yellow lights to make the way clear, there was a pathway of harsh white flood lights, stripping every corner of the least bit of shadow, making people appear sick and flat.

  She hugged herself as she followed in Arlen’s long footsteps. Her heart fluttered and her knees were weak. Nervousness was eating at her. Rose hadn’t seen or talked to Karian since agreeing to mate him, and she wasn’t sure how he expected her to act in his presence now that they were virtually engaged.

  As they walked, every warrior they passed eyed her with inquisitive, searching expressions. They knew who she was, but not necessarily what she was. If they knew she was human, they would have been far more stricken. As she went, all sorts of nefarious scenarios traveled through her mind.

  Maybe Karian had changed his mind. Maybe he was sending her back to Earth after all?

  Arlen finally stopped in front of a large four-panel door, which slid up without so much as a squeak.

  There, in a full half circle of glory, was the dizzying vision of a glowing green orb. This was planet Eokim, home to the Eok warriors. This was to be her new home as well. The sight filled her with a strange mixture of fear and elation, making her heart flutter and her stomach constrict. Their journey was over. A new life was waiting, one she knew nothing about.

  The reality of that life slapped her across the face and she found herself breathless. She had accepted the mating with Karian without hesitation when she knew she would be saving her family, and possibly the entire village by doing so. She didn’t doubt he would treat her well, and she would spend a lifetime in comfort, but she hadn’t allowed herself to picture that life. Now it was in front of her, so close, yet so far. Somewhere on that green globe was Karian’s house, Karian’s family and friends. Karian’s entire world was waiting.

  In front of the glass wall, his broad back to her, stood a tall, midnight blue male. Karian was fine looking in his Eok uniform: tight-fitting synthetic leather black pants and vest. The fabric of the pants hugged his muscled ass and thighs, and the vest outlined the perfect triangle of his shoulders. He exuded power and masculinity. Every time she saw him, her insides churned with desire.

  “Rose!” Karian turned from the view and smiled at her. “I wanted to talk to you before we land on Eokim.” Karian walked up to her and took her hand in his, then looked up at Arlen. “Thank you, brother. You can leave us now.”

  “Remember what we talked about, that’s all I’m asking.” Arlen exchanged a look with Karian, and something passed between them.

  Karian’s smile stiffened, and the corner of his eye twitched, but he stayed silent as Arlen took his leave. After the door sealed behind Arlen, Karian’s hands closed on her shoulders.

  “We’re going to land on Eokim in a little less than an hour.” Karian’s smile melted down imperceptibly. “There’s a change of plan from what I wanted to do originally. We’re going to have to get to the Tribe Hall immediately.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, suddenly suspicious. “Why?”

  “The Mating Ceremony will take place as soon as we land.” His face was all serious, and his voice was authoritative. “A mating doesn’t need a ceremony to be official, but in our case, having witnesses is essential.”

  “So soon?” Rose swallowed through a closed throat.

  Karian straightened and his face set in stone. “The Mating Ceremony is to proclaim our union publicly to the tribe, and to the rest of the Ring.”

  A chill traveled down her spine. She had given Karian power over her destiny, at the cost of her freedom in order to ensure her people’s safety. This was what she was afraid of, having Karian take her ability to make decisions away. Already, she could feel her relation to him shift from what it had been on Saarmak. She wasn’t his partner anymore. She was his mate, his subordinate.

  “You’re doing this to facilitate the motion to the Ring.” Even though it wasn’t a question, his slight nod answered her. “Why didn’t you talk about this with me?”

  “All you have to do now is be my mate.” Karian’s face remained expressionless, but she knew him enough to understand he was deadly serious. “You can trust me.”

  “I guess it’s a relief.”

  But it wasn’t.

  Rose shifted to the side and took a few steps toward the window that panned to give a complete one hundred-and-eighty degrees view of the planet.

  “So this is Eokim?”

  “Yes, this is home.” There was so much longing in those words, Rose felt guilty about shedding a shadow on his return. “There is little time. You need to prepare for the descent.”

  “I own nothing but the clothes on my back. There’s nothing to prepare.”

  Karian came to stand behind Rose and two hands settled on her shoulders. Her heart surged at the contact, delighting in the comfort and safety it procured. She noticed another ship approaching the surface, not too far behind the Eokian warship.

  “That doesn’t look like an Eok ship.” She pointed to the ship, and Karian’s hands clenched.

  “That’s because it’s not.” His hands retreated. “This is a Ring diplomatic ship.”

  “What’s it doing here?” Her words lacked oxygen and her voice died before finishing her question. Because she knew. “They heard about me?”

  Rose turned to face Karian. His mouth was thin and his eyes shone like stone, betraying nothing.

  “Yes,” Karian said. “I had hoped not to frighten you with this. There is no danger. I have claimed you as my mate. By Eok law, you are Eokian, as well as your family. The Mating Ceremony will simply give it more political power. Many people will attest to having seen a free human mate an Eok warrior.”

  Rose stayed silent a few more seconds. Were things ever going to be easy? She had already given away her freedom, she had nothing more to give.

  “Okay, so let’s do it.” She lifted her eyebrows. It was a no-brainer. “What’s that Mating Ceremony anyway?”

  “The mating is a public bite, so everyone sees the bond.” He looked at her with what seemed like an apology in his eyes.

  This won’t be good.

  “A bite? Like an actual bite?” Rose’s hands closed around her arms in an involuntary self-hugging gesture. She remembered the feeling of Karian’s fangs on her skin the last time they had kissed, but had never thought he would actually bite her. Had she? “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Karian inhaled deeply, like he had already prepared his answers for her questions.

  “The first bite between a couple releases a complex venom that enters the female and male’s bloodstream and activates the link between mates. The effect on the couple is only a by-product of the venom.”

  Rose lifted her brows, urging him to continue. He couldn’t stop there.

  “The Mating Venom is highly aphrodisiacal. It’ll make us, well, crave each other until we seal the union.”

  Rose pondered
this for a few seconds.

  “So we’ll be horny for a while.” This wasn’t exactly a surprise. She remembered the feeling that had made her skin crawl with erotic pleasure each time Karian kissed her. This Mating Venom was probably to blame. “That’s all?”

  He stared at her for long seconds before turning around to contemplate his homeworld.

  “That’s all you need to know.”

  AN HOUR LATER, Rose was sitting in the two-person transport flying across the Eokian landscape toward the Tribe Hall. Eokim was a green planet, nothing like the arid desert of Saarmak. There were no forests, but a lush cover of shoulder-length grass blanketed a land made of rolling hills, with the barren teeth of a jagged cliff here and there.

  In the distance, a lonely river marred the monotony of the grassland like a blue snake.

  “Your world is beautiful,” she said truthfully. “I’m happy it’s so green. I don’t think I would have loved a desert world like Saarmak.”

  As the transport floated over the grass, she noticed something.

  “Do you have towns here?”

  “We live in family units, with a house for each couple, surrounded by a stone wall.” Karian pointed to the round rooftop of a structure in the distance. “Eokim is a wild planet, with many predators lurking in the grass, looking for easy prey. Inside the walls, females and younglings are safe, but you must never wander outside alone.”

  “I’m used to predators lurking around!” Rose chuckled, but when Karian turned to her with a serious expression, she relented. “Very well, but I don’t think you have anything worse than our bears and mountain lions!”

  “Eokim is a rich planet, with plenty of large and small beasts. We have prides of killkons on this side of the Long Lake. They’re not to be underestimated, especially in this season when the herds of meerits have migrated for their youngling season.”