by Zoey Draven
Vaxa’an’s chest rumbled, content. Peace calmed his pulse and he felt more at ease in that moment than he had in the past week. He’d needed this. They’d both needed this.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked quietly.
“No,” she murmured. Then she teased, “Although it was a tight fit since you’ve been denying me this past week. I almost forgot how big you were.”
He huffed out a breath. “You understand why I did, mate.”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes softening. “I’m honestly more than impressed that you held out as long as you did.”
“It was the most difficult exercise of my discipline that I have ever encountered,” he murmured, almost somberly.
Kat’s giggle filled his ears and he nuzzled her cheek, grunting when her laugh made her cunt clench around him.
They grew quiet. Their eyes connected and held as silent words were spoken. Through their blood bond, he sensed a small thread of her joy, her affection for him. Delving more deeply, he also sensed her worry, her fear.
The Trials were an ancient custom, but one that he stood by, one that he believed in. His mate gave him her trust. She trusted that he would emerge the victor, but their blood bond highlighted that she’d been struggling against it.
Kat felt him prying into her innermost thoughts, but she allowed it, opening up to him.
“I promise that as long as I have strength and blood left in my body, luxiva,” he murmured to her, “I will never be taken from you. Trust this, if nothing else.”
She blew out a shuddering sigh and nodded against the furred pillow her cheek rested on.
“I know,” she whispered back.
TEN
The drums woke her the morning that the Trials were to take place.
Harsh and ominous, the steady beating of the drums made Kate’s stomach roll, but given that she hadn’t eaten a single thing last night, due to her nerves, she had nothing to vomit.
Vaxa was already up. Kate sat up in their bed, cradling her belly, which was getting large enough to brush the tops of her thighs. He was looking out the window of their bedroom, at the rising suns that spread golden light over his skin. He was fastening on his gold metal that banded around his arms, just below his biceps. The last time she’d seen him wear them, he’d been fighting for her at the Pit.
He must’ve heard her awaken because he turned to study her. The night before, he’d made love to her like it would be their last time and just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. She knew that there was some part of him that worried. Vaxa may be an excellent warrior, he may be a great leader, but mistakes could happen. One wrong move and he could be taken from her. Her mate knew the risks better than anyone.
“Hi,” she whispered, wishing those damn drums would stop. Every beat of them grated against her chest and her heart thrummed in time with them, perfectly synchronized.
He gave her a small smirk and for some reason, it relieved her to see it. “Good morning, luxiva.”
“When do you have to…go?” she asked. His gaze dropped to her rounded belly before he met her eyes again.
“Soon,” he murmured. “I regret that I do not have time for another mating, if that is your angling, female.”
Kate shook her head in as much amusement as she could muster, given the circumstances. He was trying to joke with her, trying to put her at ease, when it should be the other way around. He was the one fighting this day, not her.
Don’t cry, she ordered herself. It would only distress him and she wanted him to be completely focused on one thing and one thing only: winning these damn Trials so he could come home to her and their unborn child.
Kate swallowed a sob that threatened to emerge at the thought and swung her legs over the side of their bed. She approached him and walked straight into his chest, pushing her nose right between his pectorals and breathing him in. When she felt she had a good enough grasp on her volatile emotions, she looked up at him and said, “I love you.”
Three simple words but they threatened to break something in her. If he didn’t leave soon, he’d witness a full-blown breakdown.
He touched her cheek and then leaned down, placing his forehead against hers. Between them, their baby moved for the first time and Kate gasped, reaching down.
“He kicked,” Kate whispered, eyes wide. She felt the baby kick again and she immediately reached for her mate’s hands so that he would be able to feel.
Her mate’s expression was nothing short of wonder. “He?” he questioned, his voice guttural and deep.
Kate gave him a small smile, getting used to the strange sensation of something moving within her. “I—I’ve felt for some time that it’s a boy. I don’t know why.”
“I would be just as happy with a girl,” he told her, leaning down to capture her lips in the sweetest of kisses he’d ever given her.
Just then, the rhythm of the drums changed and Vaxa broke away. His gaze turned out the window and it was there that Kate could see hovercrafts approaching the Golden City. They were still far enough away that they were mere specks in the sky, but they were in formation and there were many, at least ten, probably closer to fifteen.
“Now I must go,” he murmured down to her. She swallowed thickly but nodded. “Bidan will come soon for you.”
Kate nodded again and leaned forward for one last kiss, needing to believe that it wouldn’t be their last. And then she let him go.
“Remember my promise, luxiva,” he told her as she walked with him out of their bedroom, down the hallway, through the living room, and out to the terrace. The suns were already blazing hot, even at this early of an hour.
“I’ll be there,” she said, watching him climb into the hovercraft.
“And I will be watching for you,” he said in return, firing it up until it began hovering off the ground. Wind swept little black specks of sand across her bare feet, dirtying them.
“Vaxa?” she called out, when the hum became too noisy. Her mate looked back at her and she gave him a wobbly smile. “You better come home. Or else I’ll be seriously pissed at you.”
Her mate gave a purring laugh.
“That is motivation enough, female.”
And then he was gone.
* * *
The Trials were held in an amphitheater-like structure located inside the mountain of the Golden City. Dressed in the bronze dress that Keriva had suggested, although her friend had needed to let out the waist a little due to her rapidly growing size, Kate had to remind herself to take calm, steadying breaths as Bidan led her inside the arena. It was jam-packed already, even shortly after the morning meal. Luxirians, some even that she recognized, nodded their heads in respect to her, murmuring greetings of lavrix’an, some reaching out to touch her stomach, something that she had begun to get used to whenever she ventured out in public. They parted a path for her and Bidan. The older Luxirian led her to a raised dais, which was the furthest point inside the mountain. From this angle, she could see the arena ring, which was currently empty, and the massive crowd that had gathered inside. The amphitheater was lit by the light pouring into the mountain from the mouth of the cave and by floating balls of blue light that hung overhead, giving all the Luxirians a blue-tinged glow.
The energy inside the mountain was strange. It was a mixture of excitement for the impending spectacle, no doubt, but there was also a hushed quiet, like some were dreading this Trial just as much as she was.
On the dais, there were several older Luxirian men, who she assumed were the elders, and also Vaxa’s ambassadors, a few whom she had much contact with. Lihvan, Rixavox, and Kirov were all there, in addition to two others, who she guessed were Cruxan and Vikan. All the men had gone through military training with her mate and all were his trusted friends and advisors.
Lihvan greeted Bidan and then turned his eyes on her, bowing his head. He must have read the blatant fear on her features because he said, “Do not worry for him, lavrix’an.”
Even though she’d ask him to call h
er Kate—or ‘Kat’ since Luxirians couldn’t pronounce her name fully—he still insisted on using the proper term.
She nodded at him now, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. She had to put on a strong front.
Rixavox cut in, his eyes briefly straying to her stomach. “Vaxa’an will be the victor. The warriors that challenged him pose no serious threat, although he may come away with a few injuries.”
Another of Vaxa’s ambassadors stepped beside her, either Cruxan or Vikan, she couldn’t be sure. He was just as handsome as all the rest, just as built, with tightly spun muscles and an almost intimidating bulk. He wore a mischievous expression on his features, his eyes light with humor.
He said, “Although, lavrix’an, if he were fighting any of us, then you would have need to worry, for we know all his weaknesses.”
Lihvan huffed out a deep laugh.
“I am Cruxan,” the new ambassador said, his eyes twinkling. What a flirt, she thought. “And behind me is Vikan. We have not yet been introduced, lavrix’an, but Vaxa’an has boasted of you often and it is an honor to finally speak with you.”
She managed a smile and murmured a polite reply, although she hardly remembered what she said. Her eyes kept straying back to the arena in front of her, checking to see if her mate had appeared, or if any of his challengers had appeared. While the drums had not been brought into the mountain, she could still hear their steady beat from somewhere and it provided an ominous atmosphere for the buzzing amphitheater.
Keriva was nowhere in sight, although Kate knew that she would be present. The crowd was just too large that it was almost impossible to make out just one single face and distinguish it from the rest. She was slightly disappointed that she wouldn’t have the moral support of her friend, but Bidan—and Vaxa’s ambassadors—were there and that was more than she could ever ask for. She couldn’t imagine facing this alone.
There was a bench running alongside the dais and Kate sat. Privanax had not wanted her to attend the Trials. He thought that it would be too much stress for her pregnancy, but there was no way that she wouldn’t be there. She had to be, even though pure terror chilled her spine at what she could possibly witness.
With a sudden, hissing hush, the drums stopped.
On the edge of the circular arena, she saw a path being made for five men. Five warriors. Once they reached the arena, they spread out, side-by-side, facing the dais, completely still, their faces vacant of expression.
Vaxa’s challengers, no doubt. Her eyes ran over them. Just as she feared, they were all huge, strong, just like all the warriors she’d seen on this planet. Scars lined their bodies, tales of battles and fights won, which meant they were experienced. She wondered if Vaxa knew any of them personally, if he felt a sense of betrayal from their challenge.
Then she saw her mate. Her heart beat ferociously in her chest as he appeared from behind the dais she was seated on, from a tunnel that wound further into the mountain. He was dressed in exactly the same garb from when he’d taken her from the Pit. Golden bands gleaming in the blue light, bare-chested, his hair raked back from his face, his horns following the curve of his skull.
His eyes scanned over his opponents, his features unreadable, although he looked fierce. His gaze was sharp and alert and he walked to the center of the arena with an easy gait, his stride long and sure.
For a brief moment, he glanced back at the dais and his eyes met hers. Her chin tilted up and her spine straightened. Vaxa must’ve been comforted by what he saw, because his lips curved up, just slightly, before he swung his head back around to face his challengers.
Her fingernails picked at the skin around her cuticles, a nervous habit she’d never quite broken, as her mate began speaking in Luxirian.
Bidan, who was sitting next to her, murmured, “He is leveling the claims brought against him and reciting the ancient rules of the Trials.”
Rules she already knew: during each challenge, one lived and one died. Vaxa would either kill five of his fellow warriors this day or he would be killed himself. The rules were simple.
Kate didn’t say anything. She didn’t even think her voice could function at this point. She picked at her skin harder when she felt the baby move, as if sensing her distress.
Vaxa’s voice, the voice that had caressed her with its sensuality and thrilled her with its husky darkness, ended to a sharp cheer in the crowd and the drums began once more.
“It is beginning,” Bidan said, although she’d already guessed that for herself.
The first challenger stepped forward, a warrior who was not as tall or as broad as the others, but one who would still intimidate the shit out of Kate if she came upon him. He met her mate in the center of the arena and before she could even draw a steadying breath, the warrior lashed out with a swipe of his claws that nearly caught Vaxa across the chest, had he not dodged quicker than her eyes could track.
If Kate wasn’t so on edge and afraid of the outcome, she might have been thoroughly impressed by both men’s skills. She’d known that Vaxa was a good warrior. She’d seen him fight during training sessions. He was quick, calculated, and ruthless.
Vaxa fighting in these Trials was no different. He seemed to hold back at first, letting the younger warrior attack on the offensive, blocking blows and dodging kicks that probably would’ve broken all of Kate’s ribs had she been in the ring and not Vaxa.
He’s learning, Kate realized, watching her mate with bated breath. He was deliberately fighting on the defensive to learn about his opponent, so that when it came time to strike—which he eventually did when the warrior left an opening for him—he did so with fierce efficiency…and with devastating results.
All it took was one carefully, well-timed strike and Vaxa had the warrior on his back. Quicker than Kate could process, Vaxa delivered a bone-crunching punch to his opponent’s chest, making the warrior wheeze and gasp for breath, and while he was taken off guard, Vaxa slit his throat with his claws, cleanly and swiftly.
The arena cheered, although the tension in the amphitheater became even more palpable. Vaxa’s face was grim as he pushed off the still warrior, kneeling at his side.
Tears sprung into her eyes as Vaxa seemed to murmur something over the body, his shoulders hunched.
He didn’t want to do this, she realized. Of course, he didn’t want to do this. He had to kill these men, these warriors. They were his people, people he had sworn to protect, warriors that had faced the same challenges, the same training, the same battles as him.
As her mate climbed to his feet to deafening cheers and several Luxirian men rushed into the ring to retrieve the dead body, Vaxa met her eyes once more. There was not one mark marring his skin and despite what she had just witnessed, she felt a prick of relief.
Then he turned from her. The second Luxirian had just stepped into the ring and was ready for his fight.
ELEVEN
As the Trials drew on, it didn’t get any easier to watch. It got harder.
It was obvious to Kate that the five challengers had a strategy. Vaxa’s first challenger had posed little threat, but as the fights wore on, each challenger was significantly more skilled than the last, which made Kate worry about the furthest Luxirian warrior standing along the arena’s edge.
They were hoping to tire Vaxa out, so that the last warrior, the most skilled, would have a better chance of killing him. The others were just warm-ups. This grim realization didn’t help to settle Kate’s nerves, even though she knew that Vaxa should have no problem defeating them.
The second Luxirian went down just as quick as the first and the third had stepped into the arena. There were no breaks, apparently, for Vaxa. He got a brief moment of pause, using it to connect eyes with her, as if he needed to reassure himself that she was still there, before the next fight began.
It wasn’t fair. It was brutal and one of the most horrible things she’d ever witnessed. Back on Earth, she would have been even more horrified had she seen this happening among h
umans. On Luxiria, it was commonplace. Bidan had told her during the second fight that all Prime Leaders in their history had been challenged at one point or another and it had been centuries since one had fallen in the Trials. It was simply Vaxa’s turn in the ring.
The third opponent took her mate longer to bring down and this warrior managed to make contact, drawing blood that made her heart sink in her chest. But the strike against him only seemed to motivate Vaxa and, like some gruesome chess game, he brought his opponent down within three moves. This time, he managed to get behind the warrior and with one quick twist of his neck, his challenger dropped to the mountain stone floor, unmoving.
Still, there was no break for her mate. The fourth hardly waited a few seconds before rushing Vaxa and Kate could see the beginnings of sweat bead on her mate’s forehead, could see that his chest heaved a little bit more with every passing breath. She worried about his endurance and fidgeted in her seat, hardly daring to take her eyes off the grisly scene. Briefly, she had to take a look at Vaxa’s ambassadors, at Lihvan and Rixavox, but their expressions gave none of their thoughts away, surprise surprise. Luxirians hardly showed an ounce of emotion unless they were fighting…or mating. And only then were they expressive.
Vaxa’s opponent landed another blow. With his claws extended, he managed to rake them over one of her mate’s horns and down the left side of his face, narrowly missing his eye. Kate’s stomach lurched, trying to prevent herself from crying out in distress. Blood ran down Vaxa’s face and she saw him blink hard, trying to clear the dark blue fluid that ran into his eye.
This warrior wasn’t as quick to strike again. Instead, he circled Vaxa, seeking out another opening rather than forcing one, which had been the second opponent’s mistake and one that her mate had taken full advantage of. This warrior was smarter, more seasoned.
Vaxa, however, defeated this fourth challenger as well, although the kill was slightly sloppier and less restrained than the others that had come before it. Her mate was covered in the warrior’s blood by the time he dropped him down to the floor.