by Ruby Dixon
I nudge Farli, who’s settling in next to me with her paint pots. “So what’s with Haeden lately?”
“Hmm?” She dabs a brush in red and then paints a dot on my arm.
“He looks more angry than usual,” I tell her, and obediently turn my arm so she can paint an accompanying blue dot next to the red one.
“Oh. He was very…sour…when he found out you went to the main tribal cave alone. He yelled at Taushen for many hours.”
My eyebrows go up. “Why? He hates me.”
She shrugs and holds my arm, painting a ticklish circle on it. “He is protective of females. He thinks it is foolish to risk them.”
Oh barf. So he’s a chauvinist. “I was perfectly fine.” Sure, it was a little scary, but I handled it.
“Yes, but humans are weak. He says that risking your life means risking more than just one life. It is potentially robbing another male of his mate and kits.”
“Good thing I’m only worth my vagina to him,” I say blandly. Joke’s on him, my girl parts have a permanent no-vacancy sign on them, alas.
“What is va-shy-nuh?” Farli asks. “I do not know this word.”
“Never mind.” I probably shouldn’t be teaching Farli dirty human words. She can’t be more than fourteen or so. “He’s just a jerk. Always has been and always will be.”
“What is yerk?” She draws another circle on my arm, this time a sickly green. “You’re fun to paint on, Jo-see. You are white like Cham-phee’s belly. The colors show up nicely.”
Greeeaaaat. “A jerk is a man who thinks with his male parts.”
She giggles.
So much for my vow not to teach her bad human words. Oh well.
The murmur of voices dies for a moment, and as they do, I hear a throaty moan coming from my cave. Ah, crap. Tiff’s definitely getting it on with Salukh, and it sounds like they don’t know – or don’t care – how loud they are. Farli seems unfazed by the noise, though Taushen gets up and leaves the fire. Yeah, I know how he feels, but at least he doesn’t have to room with the happy couple. I do.
Well, at least for tonight. Tomorrow, who knows. I’ll probably be rooming with the baskets tomorrow. Or the dvisti. Great. Me and the dvisti – the only creatures no one wants to hang with.
I’m not that chatty, so Farli eventually moves on to someone else, and I stay by the fire, moping. I can’t go back to my cave, not with those two getting it on. Maybe I’ll go borrow a blanket from Kira and hide in one of the now-empty caves. I get to my feet, and as I do, a soft clink at my feet catches my attention.
I look down, and there’s something gleaming in the firelight on the tip of my boot. I pick it up, frowning. It fell out of my leggings. What on earth? It looks like a plastic little Y of sorts, which is weird. Did it get stuck in my boot from when we were at the Elders’ space ship? But if so, how…
I gasp as I realize what I’m looking at. It’s not from the elders’ ship.
It’s my IUD.
Somehow, my body has forced it out. My khui must have been silently working on pushing it out of my system. I clutch it in my hand, my heart hammering with excitement.
This changes everything!
Now, I can get pregnant.
Now, I can resonate. I can have a mate!
I can have a family, a happy ever after. I can have everything I always dreamed of. I don’t have to wait for Harlow to fix the surgery machine, because my body fixed itself. Thank you, khui! Thank you! I take back all the awful things I said about you.
I look around eagerly at the people by the fire. Who’s going to be my mate? There’re several males in the tribe that are attractive. Vaza returns my gaze with an assessing look of his own, and to my relief, my khui remains silent. Good. It’s not desperate. Vaza’s older and he’s tried hitting on everything with tits. He’s seated next to Bek, and I’m glad that my khui isn’t making a sound for him, either.
Hassen is probably my number one draft pick at the moment, because he’s sexy, but he’s nowhere to be found. Taushen either. There’s two elders talking off to one side but I’m pretty sure one had a mate back in the day and the other could be my grandpa. Just to make sure, though, I stroll past them.
Nothing. Whew.
No problem, cootie. We still have lots of man-meat in this cavern before we run out. “Anyone seen Hassen?” I ask.
“He’s in his cave, packing,” Vaza says.
“Super.” I jump to my feet and head in that direction. Even if I don’t resonate to Hassen, there’s a few guys back at the other cave that might not be bad picks. Rokan, for one, is kinda studly and he’s always been nice to me. I’d be down with that.
I head for the cave that many of the single hunters live in, and the privacy screen isn’t up. “Yoohoo,” I call out, my voice sweet. Tonight’s the night, I can feel it.
Tonight, I get my mate and my happy ever after. I’m so excited I could cry tears of joy. Tonight, my life starts. Tonight, I get my family. Tonight, I’m no longer a reject.
Hassen pops out of his cave, a confused look on his face. “Yes? What is it?”
I smile at him, but…nothing happens. “Just…thought I’d say hi? Have you seen Taushen?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “He is here.”
“Can I say hi to him too?”
“Is this a human custom?”
I keep smiling, because even his puzzled look is not going to get me down. Not tonight. “Yes, yes it is.”
He grunts and heads back into the cave. I admire his ass for a moment, because, darn, it was a rather nice ass. Not my ass, though. Oh well. I’m sure mine will be awesome. Taushen’s got a tight little bod himself, and—
–And he pops out of the cave a moment later, giving me an eager look. “Ho, Jo-see. What is it you need?”
Nada. Dammit.
I make my excuses, citing a sudden need to find a potty, and hurry away. Who’s left? There’s Vadren talking to Harrec, and while both are middle aged, I could learn to love me some May-December relationship action. I sidle up to them, pretending to listen to their conversation. Nothing.
Is…my cootie on vacation?
I put a hand to my heart, worried. I’ve approached every guy in the cave that’s single. Maybe my mate’s back at the other tribal cave? That’s disappointing, but I guess I can wait another day or so. I start to head back to the fire when…my chest feels funny.
I automatically look down and my small boobs are vibrating. I gasp, clutching my tunic tighter to my body so no one sees that. My chest continues to vibrate, and as it does, the noise grows louder. I’m resonating.
I’m motherfucking resonating!
I want to scream with joy. I look around with excitement, trying to see who it is that set my cootie off. Who did I forget? Or did someone trigger me on a second chance? Or—
I turn around and Haeden’s standing right behind me, frozen in place.
My eyes widen and I clutch my vibrating boobs.
No.
Hell to the no.
“It’s not you,” I whisper.
He looks down at his chest, and then at me.
Then, I hear it. A matching thrum, a low purr.
And it’s coming from my worst enemy. As I watch, his nostrils flare and there’s a look of such anger and agony on his face.
It has to be echoed on mine. Has to be. This is my worst nightmare. All I’ve ever wanted is a family. Someone that loves me. A happy ever after.
Resonating to Haeden?
My dream is completely destroyed.
Epilogue
A menacing orange hand moves along the bars of the cell.
I’m shoved in here, sandwiched between several other human girls, and I’m unable to move. I’m trapped here as that hand drags over the bars ominously. In a moment, it’s going to pick someone. In a moment, that girl will be taken away and unspeakable things will be done to her.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore the stink of bodies around me. Not me, I beg. Not me.
<
br /> The whimpers in the cell die away. The smells die away. Around me, a low, steady purr begins. The hand disappears.
The cage fades away to black.
I’m safe.
The body against mine purrs and thrums, matching its song to the one in my breast. As it does, I know things will be fine. I’m safe.
And I sleep.
Coming Soon – Barbarian’s Mate
(Josie’s story)
The People of Ice Planet Barbarians
As of the start of BARBARIAN’S PRIZE
(suggested pronunciations in parenthesis)
AT THE MAIN TRIBAL CAVE
CAVE 1
Vektal (Vehk-tall) – The chief of the sa-khui
Georgie – His mate
Talie (Tah-lee) – Their baby daughter
CAVE 2
Maylak (May-lack) – Tribe Healer
Kashrem (Cash-rehm) – Her mate
Esha (Esh-uh) – Their daughter
CAVE 3
Sevvah (Sev-uh) – Tribe elder, mother to Aehako, Rokan, and Sessah
Oshen (Aw-shen) – Tribe elder, her mate
Sessah – (Ses-uh) – Their youngest son
Rokan – (Row-can) – Their oldest son. Adult male hunter.
CAVE 4
Warrek – Tribal hunter.
Eklan – His father. Elder.
CAVE 5
Ereven (Air-uh-ven) Hunter, mated to Claire
Claire – mated to Ereven, currently pregnant
CAVE 6
Liz – Raahosh’s mate and huntress.
Raahosh (Rah-hosh) – Her mate. A hunter and brother to Rukh.
Raashel (Rah-shel) – Their daughter.
CAVE 7
Stacy – Mated to Pashov. Has an unnamed child as of book 5.
Pashov (Pah-showv) – son of Kemli and Borran, brother to Farli and Salukh. Mate of Stacy, and has an unnamed child.
CAVE 8
Nora – Mate to Dagesh, mother to twins Anna and Elsa.
Dagesh (Dah-zzhesh) (the g sound is swallowed) – Her mate. A hunter.
Anna & Elsa – Their infant twin daughters.
CAVE 9
Harlow – Mate to Rukh. ‘Mechanic’ to the Elders’ Cave.
Rukh (Rookh) – Former exile and loner. Original name Maarukh. (Mah-rookh). Brother to Raahosh. Mate to Harlow.
Rukhar (Roo-car) – Their infant son.
CAVE 10
Megan – Mate to Cashol. Extremely pregnant.
Cashol – (Cash-awl) – Mate to Megan. Hunter.
CAVE 11
Marlene (Mar-lenn) – Mate to Zennek. Has unnamed child.
Zennek – (Zehn-eck) – Mate to Marlene. Has unnamed child.
CAVE 12
Ariana – Mate to Zolaya. Unnamed child.
Zolaya (Zoh-lay-uh) – Hunter and mate to Ariana. Unnamed child.
AT THE SOUTH CAVES
SOUTH CAVE 1
Aehako – (Eye-ha-koh) – Acting leader of the South cave. Mate to Kira, father to Kae. Son of Sevvah and Oshen, brother to Rokan and Sessah.
Kira – Mate to Aehako, mother of Kae.
Kae (Ki –rhymes with ‘fly’) – Their newborn daughter.
SOUTH CAVE 2
Kemli – (Kemm-lee) Female elder, mother to Salukh, Pashov and Farli
Borran – (Bore-awn) Her mate, elder
Farli – (Far-lee) Their teenage daughter. Her brothers are Salukh and Pashov.
SOUTH CAVE 3
Drayan – Elder.
Drenol – Elder.
SOUTH CAVE 4
Vadren (Vaw-dren) – Elder.
Vaza (Vaw-zhuh) – Widower and elder.
SOUTH CAVE 5
Asha (Ah-shuh) – Mated to Hemalo. No living child.
Hemalo (Hee-mah-lo) – Mated to Asha.
SOUTH CAVE 6
Tiffany – Currently unmated. Human female.
Josie — Currently unmated. Human female.
SOUTH CAVE 7
Bek – (BEHK) – Hunter.
Hassen (Hass-en) – Hunter.
Harrec (Hair-ek) – Hunter.
SOUTH CAVE 8
Haeden (Hi-den) – Hunter.
Taushen (Tow –rhymes with cow- shen) – Hunter.
Salukh (Sah-luke) – Hunter. Son of Kemli and Borran, brother to Farli, Pashov and Dagesh.
Ice Planet Barbarians
Ice Planet Barbarians, Book 1
You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…
Part One
GEORGIE
Up until yesterday, I, Georgie Carruthers, never believed in aliens. Oh, sure, there were all kinds of possibilities out there in the universe, but if someone would have told me that little green men were hanging around Earth in flying saucers, just waiting to abduct people? I would have told them they were crazy.
But that was yesterday.
Today? Today’s a very different sort of story.
I suppose it all started last night. It was pretty ordinary, overall. I came home after a long day of working the drive-thru teller window at the bank, nuked a Lean Cuisine, ate it while watching TV, and dozed off on the couch before stumbling to bed. Not exactly the life of the party, but hey. It was a Tuesday, and Tuesdays were all work, no play. I went to sleep, and from there, shit got weird.
My dreams were messed up. Not the usual losing teeth or naked in front of the class dreams. These were far more sinister. Dreams of loss and abandonment. Dreams of pain and cold white rooms. Dreams of walking in a tunnel and seeing an oncoming train. In that dream, I tried to lift my hand to shield me from the light.
Except when I went to raise my hand, I couldn’t.
That had woken me up from my slumber. I squinted into the tiny light someone was shining in my eyes. Someone was . . . shining something in my eyes? I blinked, trying to focus, and realized that I wasn’t dreaming at all. I wasn’t home, either. I was . . . somewhere new.
Then the light clicked off and a bird chirped. I squinted, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, and I found myself surrounded by . . . things. Things with long black eyes and big heads and skinny pale arms. Little green men.
I’d screamed. I’d screamed bloody murder, actually.
One of the aliens tilted its head at me, and the bird chirping sound happened again, even though his mouth didn’t move. Something hot and dry wrapped over my mouth, choking me, and a noxious scent filled my nostrils. Oh shit. Was I going to die? Frantically, I worked my jaw, trying to breathe even as the world got dark around me.
Then, I went back to sleep, dreaming of work. I always dreamed of work when I was stressed. For hours on end, angry banking clients yelled at me as I kept trying to tear open packs of twenties that wouldn’t seem to come open. I’d try to count out change only to get distracted. Work dreams are the worst, usually, but this one was a relief. No trains. No aliens. Just banking. I could deal with banking.
And that brings me to . . . here.
I’m awake. Awake and not entirely sure where I am. My eyes slide open, and I gaze around me. It smells like I’m in a sewer, I can feel a wall behind me, and my body hurts all freaking over. My head feels blurry and slow, like all of me hasn’t quite woken up yet. My limbs feel heavy. Drugged, I realize. Someone’s drugged me.
Not someone. Something.
My breath quickens as a mental image of the dark-eyed aliens returns, and I look for them. Wherever I’m at, I’m alone.
Thank God.
Ice Planet Barbarians is available now!
Barbarian Alien
Ice Planet Barbarians, Book 2
Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me.
In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont tha
t wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a cootie. And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.
BARBARIAN ALIEN is a sequel to ICE PLANET BARBARIANS. You do not have to read both in order to understand the plot, but the story will be richer if you do!
Part One
LIZ
Kira and I watch as Megan and Georgie run their fingers along the panel of the alien ship's hull, trying to figure out how to pry it open and get out the girls enclosed inside. There are six capsules, and each one has another captive girl. Each girl inside has no idea of where she is or how she got here.
"I can't decide if they're the lucky ones or the unlucky ones," I tell Kira.
"Lucky," she says, her soft voice flat. Her gaze is fixed to the blinking lights and the dark wall of the hull. "They don't know what we've gone through for the last few weeks."
I grunt a maybe sort of agreement. I don't know that I agree with Kira, but she can be a real Debbie downer at times. The last few weeks haven't exactly been a party for the rest of us, but maybe it's better to know everything than to be blind to it.
I guess.
Kira and I are watching the others work because we're too weak to actually help. Of the six of us, Georgie is the strongest still. She's been with the alien guy so she's been getting three squares a day and warm clothing. The rest of us have been stuck in the hull, and Megan is doing the best out of our small group. I'm weak and lethargic, and my toes hurt like mad. Josie has a leg that looks like it's broken in two spots, and no one knows how to fix it. Kira's ankle is swollen and she's super weak. Tiffany is possibly dying, since we can't wake her up out of the deep sleep she's in. She roused for a bit of broth and then fell unconscious again.