by Ruby Dixon
Barbarian’s Tease
A SciFi Alien Romance
Ruby Dixon
Ruby Dixon
Copyright © 2017 by Ruby Dixon
Photo by: Sara Eirew Photographer
Cover Design by: Kati Wilde
This book is a work of fiction. I know, I know. Imagine that a book about big blue aliens is fiction, but it is. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental and would be pretty darn nifty.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Contents
Barbarian’s Tease
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
AUTHOR’S NOTE
TRIBAL WHO’S WHO
ICE PLANET BARBARIANS READING LIST
DRAGONS - NOW IN AUDIO!
WANT MORE?
Barbarian’s Tease
It should have been a one-night stand.
I never intended to seduce Taushen, but things happened. I don't dwell on the past and while it was great, I'm not looking for a relationship. Of course, try telling that to Taushen. The big blue alien's in love after one night, and it's making things darn awkward. We've got bigger problems than whether or not I'm his woman, like the ‘cargo’ of the space ship that landed here.
But Taushen's not giving up. He thinks I'm his mate.
And he'll do anything to keep me.
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
Aliens are real, and they’re aware of Earth. Several human women have been abducted by aliens referred to as “Little Green Men.” Some are kept in stasis pods, and some are kept in a pen inside a spaceship, all waiting for sale on an extraterrestrial black market. While the captive humans staged a breakout, the aliens had ship trouble and dumped their living cargo on the nearest inhabitable planet. It is a wintry, desolate place, full of strange wildlife…and stranger people. The humans are not the only species to be abandoned.
The sa-khui, a tribe of massive, horned, blue aliens, thrive on the icy planet. They hunt and forage and live as barbarians, descendants of a long-ago people, who have learned to adapt to the harsh world. The most crucial of adaptions? That of the khui, a symbiotic life form that lives inside the host and ensures its well-being. Every creature has a khui, and those without will die within a week, sickened by the air itself. Rescued by the sa-khui, the human women take on a khui symbiont, forever leaving behind any hopes of returning to Earth.
The khui has an unusual side effect on its host: if a compatible pairing is found, the khui will begin to vibrate a song in each host’s chest. This is called resonance and is greatly prized by the sa-khui. Only with resonance will the sa-khui be able to propagate their species. The sa-khui, whose numbers were dwindling due to a lack of females in their tribe, were overjoyed when several males begin to resonate to human females, thus ensuring the bonding of both peoples and the life of the newly integrated tribe. A male sa-khui is fiercely devoted to his mate, and one by one, each human woman was claimed by a male hunter. Families have been created, and the tribe is now full of happy families and young kits. As time has passed, more humans females have been found and successfully integrated into the small tribe.
Nearly eight human years have passed since that first band of survivors arrived. Now, directed by a lonely hunter, a spaceship that chanced upon their planet has brought back five new human women. Once slaves, they are adjusting to their new life on the ice planet. Some resonated immediately and cling to their new mates. Others are still settling in.
No one is prepared for the spaceship, the Tranquil Lady, to arrive again…or for rogue slavers to appear. The old crew was killed, and many of the sa-khui and their humans are taken captive. It is only through the heroic efforts of a left-behind pair that the slavers are defeated and the others freed once more. Upon exploration of the enemy ship, it is discovered that more slaves—twenty of them, in fact—were waiting to be transported to the black market.
Now the peaceful barbarian tribe must decide what to do with not only a hijacked spaceship, but the dubious cargo inside…
1
BROOKE
“Buh-brukh, are you all right?” Farli gives me a curious look over her shoulder. “You seem angry this day.”
I grit my teeth, my hands full of strands of her long, thick hair. Buh-brukh. Again with the Buh-brukh. I don’t bother correcting her—as I have many times in the past—that my name isn’t “Buh-brukh” but “Brooke.” No matter how many times I correct the tribe in a nice, polite voice, they never say my name right. Not that anyone’s name is pronounced correctly. Gail is Shail, because no one can say a “G” sound correctly. Summer is something more like Sooh-murrh. And Georgie is Shorshie. I suppose I should be lucky that I only stuttered when someone asked me my name, and so it’s Buh-brukh for now and forever in their minds. I could have retorted with, “It’s Brooke, asshole,” and then I’d be stuck with Brukh-Asshole for the rest of my days.
Doesn’t matter. Buh-brukh is what has stuck. Most of the time, I don’t mind. It’s even cute when it comes out of the mouth of one of the adorable, tiny-horned kits that wander around the tribe.
Of course, there’s one tribesmate in particular that has taken great pains to learn my real name. Taushen calls me Brooke…
But Taushen can also jump off a cliff for all I care. I’m done with his ass.
Just thinking about the male sa-khui makes me grit my teeth. It’s useless wasting breath—or thoughts—on someone like him. So I shrug, braiding Farli’s hair a little tighter. All these sa-khui are so competent and skilled it makes me second-guess myself. I may not be a great huntress like Farli or Liz, and I’m not terrific with electronics like Harlow, but being a hairdresser means I can make a fierce braid and that I can manage to look great even on a remote iceball planet. Since that’s the skill set I’ve got, I use it. Harlow’s got a pair of bright red French braids this day, and my own hair is done in a pink fishtail tail over one shoulder. For Farli, I’m doing a starburst coronet of braids—not so easy with someone that has a pair of horns. But her hair’s so thick it’s going to look downright magnificent when I’m done. Not that it’s hard for Farli to look magnificent. All she has to do is stand there, all pretty blue skin and lean, muscular body and proud horns. Someone like me with nothing going for her but boobs and an ability to braid has to play up her assets.
But when Farli tries to turn around and look at me again, it’s clear she’s wanting an answer as to why I seem “angry.” There’s a million th
ings that pour through my head as to how I could answer, but all of them sound bitter, and I’m determined not to be that person. “Just thinking,” I tell her brightly.
Nothing more than that, no siree.
“Are you…what is the word.” Farli pauses for a moment, trying to choose her thoughts carefully. “Like Ell-ee? Your head hurts after what we endured?”
Is she asking if I’m traumatized by what happened? It’s sweet of her to worry. We’ve been through a lot lately, especially us new humans. First we’re kidnapped from Earth, and then not much longer after that, we’re dragged to the ice planet, given cooties, and told this is our new home forever and ever. Then, bad guys show up, take us all captive again, and come this close to selling us as slaves back on the intergalactic black market. It’s a lot to process.
Truth be told, the alien hijack and almost-kidnapping was scary, but it had a good ending. We’re still here on the ice planet. It was actually less traumatic than my last experience. No one stripped me naked and prodded me or checked my teeth. No one pinched my flanks or sniffed my hair or groped me. No one stole me away from everything I’ve ever known.
Except for one particular incident, it actually went much better than expected when one’s captured by slavers. “I’m okay,” I tell her. I want to ask if she’s okay, honestly. I think Earth people are a little more jaded than the sa-khui. We’ve had television to make us a little more immune to things like murder and slavery and all kinds of heinous shit. To Farli and her people, everyone’s happy and huggy and everything turns out well. It’s like they’re living in some sort of Disney movie.
If anyone’s going to be traumatized, it’s them. I’m getting better every day about moving past the bad shit. Did I cry a lot in the beginning? Yes. But all my tears are dried up. I guess this is what they mean when they say survival mode kicks in. I think if more aliens landed and attacked, I wouldn’t even cry at that point. I’d try to figure out what it takes to stay alive.
In the end, that’s all that’s important—getting to the next day.
There’s a clatter of footsteps up the ramp, and I freeze, waiting to see who pops inside the ship. But it’s only Rukh, Harlow’s almost-feral mate. I’d smile at him in greeting, but I know he won’t smile back. He’s been in a real mood ever since shit went down—not that I blame him. Both he and Harlow are missing their little son something fierce. I just nod at him in acknowledgment and then go back to braiding Farli’s hair as she twitches in her seat. For all that she’s graceful and strong, she’s a squirmy sort.
And I forgot to answer her again. Oops. Am I traumatized? “I’m not going to go all Elly and not bathe for months if that’s what you’re asking.” Elly has every right to be how she is. She’s had a really rough life, and I don’t hold it against her…but at the same time, I like clean hair far too much to ever go that far.
Farli chuckles, folding her legs under her and moving again, disturbing my careful braiding. “I was merely curious. You have been less…friendly with Taushen. I wondered if he said something cruel.”
Oh, did she notice the chill between us? I guess we’ve been a little obvious in our mutual disdain for one another ever since…the Incident. Not that I want to think about—or talk about—said incident. I grab another section of her thick hair and weave it into her dark braid, continuing my circle around the crown of her head. What to say about Taushen that won’t be considered rude and will end the discussion? Hmm. “It wasn’t anything he said,” I edge after a few.
It was definitely something he did, though. The dick.
The answer seems to satisfy Farli, and she remains quiet and still while I braid yet another section into her crown. I’m pleased with how it’s turning out, and just the sight of my handiwork relaxes the knot in my stomach that’s been present ever since the Incident.
A stiff breeze blows in, ruffling my own unbraided hair and carrying with it the sound of Chompy’s bleating. Farli chuckles, a happy little sigh escaping her.
She’s so easy to please. I’m envious.
We’re seated just inside the Tranquil Lady, at the top of the ramp that leads to the outside. Farli’s pet llama-thing is pawing at the snow below and nipping at frozen roots underneath. She wants him to stay close, but since he was pooping all over the deck, we decided to set up here so I could do her hair. It’s a good spot, with a fresh breeze…and an easy exit in case we have to run. Which might be silly to think about, given that the last enemies had laser guns, but I still consider such things.
After being held captive twice now, you start to keep an eye on every escape route in the nearby area. Just in case.
Of course, sitting at the entrance of the ramp means that we’re in a high traffic area. The hunters have to come through here to get to the interior of the ship, and we’re staying in the Tranquil Lady until we figure out what to do with her. She’s in better working order than the ancient ship, and she’s got guns. Plus, Mardok has working knowledge of how to run everything on this ship.
And then there’s the cargo, of course. Until it’s decided what to do with it—them, I guess—we’re staying here to keep an eye on things.
Not my favorite choice, but the room I’m staying in has running water, a toilet, and oh, no Taushen, so it’s a win.
As if our thoughts have summoned him, Taushen enters the spaceship hold next, coming up the ramp. Of course it’s Taushen, because I have the worst luck imaginable and naturally I’d run into him when I’d rather never see him again.
I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he saunters up the ramp. He’s got a spear in hand, a hopper corpse in the other. An alien guy shouldn’t look that good, I decide. A swish of a tail shouldn’t be sexy. Horns shouldn’t make me get all faint at the way they arch and curl around his head. Blue skin and bulging muscles shouldn’t do a thing for me. A fur loincloth should be stupid.
Stupid, I tell you.
Especially since I know how much he’s packing under that little scrap of leather. It’s doubly stupid, then. He needs more fabric.
And I should tell him that, but it’d mean I’d have to talk to him, and I’ve vowed not to do that anymore. So I just give a haughty sniff and pretend to concentrate really, really hard on Farli’s hair.
Taushen pauses at the top of the ramp at the sight of us. He nods at Farli and gives me a cold look. “Buh-brukh,” he murmurs, then saunters past.
Oh, burn. That ass. I know very well that he knows how to say my name correctly. He said it just fucking fine when he was balls deep inside me.
But I suppose that’s my fault, too, since I’m the one that seduced him.
Farli hisses, pulling away from my hands. “You are making my mane a very tight cord today.”
Oops. Did I pull too hard? “Sorry. I’ll pay more attention.” Especially considering that Taushen’s still lingering nearby. I don’t want him to hear that. I don’t want him to think that I’m even dwelling on him for one hot second. I pat Farli’s shoulder and try to forget all about Taushen, and that night in the ship. It didn’t mean anything, just like I told him then.
No idea why he’s continuing to be a huge dick about it. I’m pretty sure these people are familiar with the concept of “one and done.” And I’m also pretty sure that the situation we were in was an obvious one that meant no strings attached. And the sex was good. Really good.
But for some reason, Taushen’s had a burr up his butt ever since.
And if he’s expecting me to go to him and apologize for seducing him to save both of our lives? He’s going to be waiting a long, long damn time.
Because I am not that girl. And I can hold a grudge for-motherfucking-ever.
Then, Taushen leaves. He doesn’t say anything else, just up and leaves. I don’t care. I tell myself I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if he walked right into the engine room and turned into a crisp. It’d serve him right.
I’m a bad liar, even to myself, though. I chew on the inside of my cheek as I finish braiding Farli’s cro
wn and use a small bit of leather to tie the end off. If I had bobby pins, I’d pin the tail end into her braid and hide it so it looks like a perfect circle. I don’t have that, though, so I just do a bit of artful tucking into the loops and hide it as best I can. “There. You’re more beautiful than ever now.”
She touches her braid, a smile brightening her face. “Shall I go show Mardok?”
“Only if you want him to throw you down and ravish you like the glorious creature you are,” I tease, my spirits a little lighter at her happiness.
“That is exactly what I wish to happen,” she exclaims, her expression eager. Then, she sighs. “But I should not distract him from his work.”
“I should see what Harlow needs me to do,” I tell her. I get to my feet, dusting off my leather tunic of any stray strands of Farli’s hair. “After all, I stayed behind to help her, right? Might as well do it.”
“Might as well,” Farli echoes, agreeing. An impish look crosses her face. “I am still going to find Mardok and show him my mane, though.”
“You do that,” I say, chuckling. At least someone’s determined to have a good day. That’s the thing with Farli—nothing gets her down. She’s sunshine personified, and I have to admire that.
The rest of us are having a harder time keeping that cheer going. Especially Harlow. When I make it to the far end of the ship in the med bay, where she’s working, her eyes are suspiciously red as she makes notes on her electronic pad-thingy. It’s kind of like an iPad from back on Earth, except it responds to hand flicks instead of tapping, and so when she uses it, it looks a bit like her hand is spasming. She told me the other day that it also responds to pupil movements, but it doesn’t read our eyes correctly, thanks to the glow from the khui within. So, hand-twitches it is. Rukh hovers in a corner of the room, spear in his grip, looking like a really big blue vulture. I know he hates to leave Harlow alone. Can’t blame him. Not after what we recently went through. “Hey, Harlow,” I say, keeping my voice cheerful to try and bring her up, too. Seems kind of insipid to ask her how she’s doing this morning, so I opt for humor instead. “You look like you’ve lost weight.”