Miners of Djaromir: K'hor

by Leora Gonzales

  Not wanting to worry K’hor, Juniper put on a happy face and tried to muscle through. “I’m five-two. That’s basically average where I come from.”

  The snort K’hor let out against her hair made her smile despite how miserable she felt. Winding one arm around his waist, Juniper found herself breathing him in. After a few lungfuls, her stomach calmed a bit, the persistent ache easing up.

  “While small you are still the perfect arm full,” K’hor added with a squeeze to her rounded hip.

  It was going to take some time wrapping her head around the fact that K’hor not only liked her curves but also considered her small. Take into consideration the muscled perfection he brought to the table and she was in all new territory.

  The last time a guy looking like him had talked to a girl looking like her had been to make sure she wasn’t having a heart attack when she had fallen off an elliptical at her local gym.

  “They’re stronger than they look, I promise you.” K’hor chuckled when Juniper elbowed again him in the side. “But if it makes you feel better, I can assure you that my mate was indeed the smallest bride awakened.”

  Sparx patted K’hor hard enough on the back that Juniper felt the echo of impact where she was leaning against him for support. “That’s good to hear. Hopefully it will ease some of fears they have. I’ll just let the men know you chose the runt of the bunch,” Sparx teased before dodging the large fist that shot toward him as he moved away.

  “I’m not a runt,” she harrumphed. Watching him go, Juniper was taken aback by the muscled giant’s teasing. The man she was seeing now was nowhere close to the intimidating Warlord that had first stared her down.

  “Don’t worry, Tiny.” K’hor tried to hide a grin as they walked around the mass of miners that Sparx had disappeared into. “I will make him pay for that later. For now, we need to get moving. It’s too cold for you to stay here without the proper clothing. You’re already shaking.”

  Pulling her cloak tighter around her, Juniper didn’t correct him regarding her visible chills. She didn’t want to make a big deal of it when it was just her nerves acting up. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her so weak she wouldn’t be able to handle life here.

  “How’s Djester?” she asked, crossing her fingers that his answer would distract her from her upset tummy.

  “I expect he’ll be fine now, thanks to you,” K’hor answered with a grateful smile. “We emptied one of the supply sleds to use as a pallet so he can be comfortable. When they left, he was awake and communicating, which shows he’s already improving. He was slurring but asked for water. Now that the stinger is no longer pumping him with venom, he should improve swiftly.”

  “Good.” Juniper used the back of her hand to wipe sweat off her forehead before gesturing to the miners scattered about. “So, everything is okay now?”

  K’hor shook his head before also nodding, “We still have a lot of the details to go over, but for now they have agreed to let the women stay within my city. It will take some time and planning, but we will figure out a way for all of our race to have a chance at their soul’s mate. That will be a worry for another day, though. Today, I want nothing more than to—” K’hor tightened his grip on her arm when she swayed on her feet. “Tiny…are you all right?”

  “Something’s wrong,” Juniper whimpered seconds before a severe stomach cramp had her doubling over.

  “Juniper!” K’hor’s arm caught her body as it folded in on itself. Cradling her in his arms, K’hor sank to the floor while letting out a panicked shout.

  “Sparx! ‘Trix!”

  Unable to open her eyes although she was still completely conscious, Juniper lay limp in his arms. The nausea and stomach pain that had wracked her before was now gone and in its place was…nothing. Her body felt as if it had simply decided to fall asleep. It was weird. She didn’t feel sick or shaky any longer, simply numb.

  That couldn’t be good.

  “Help me!” K’hor yelled, the emotion in his voice making her heart ache.

  Juniper tried to calm his panic, but she found herself unable to speak. Even her lips refused to move. All of a sudden, she realized this was much more than a simple case of the nervous nellies. Unable to do anything but lie there and listen to the surrounding chaos, she felt the energy flow from her body. Breathing deep, she drew a little comfort from the musk emanating from him as he held her to his chest.

  “Don’t worry, Tiny. I won’t let anything happen to you.” he mumbled; his lips brushed against her hair where her head lolled against his shoulder.

  “What happened?” Sparx asked urgently, his voice somewhere above her.

  “I don’t know. We were talking, and the next moment she was doubled over in pain.” With Juniper cradled in his arms, K’hor stood. “She was shaking a bit earlier, but I thought it was just her nerves from helping Djester or the cold. She grabbed her stomach when she collapsed, so maybe that’s where she’s hurt.”

  Juniper was paralyzed. Only the comfort of K’hor’s musk kept her calm as her body took an unscheduled nap. As he probed her stomach, she breathed deep.

  “I don’t see any sort of injury, and she’s not flinching away from my touch.”

  “What about her hands, K’hor? Do you think she may have picked up some of the venom removing the stinger?”

  Normally, Sparx’s words would receive some sort of reaction. She would have clutched her pearls or at the very least, let out a gasp worthy of a recurring role on a telenovela. Now, with her waning energy, Juniper couldn’t do anything but fight to stay awake as her arms and hands were inspected as if she were a life-sized doll.

  “I don’t see a wound that could have been an entry point for the toxins.” K’hor breathed out in relief, his breath puffing against her cheek as he dropped a kiss there.

  “If not that, then what?”

  Juniper heard K’hor’s voice rumble out an answer but couldn’t make out the words as her consciousness slipped away. Before long, their muffled sounds had completely faded as she sank into the lonely silence.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As Sparx, waited in the corridor outside of the healing center, he heard K’hor questioning a healer he had cornered.

  “Is that all you can tell me?” K’hor demanded.

  Having witnessed the handful of times that his long-time friend showed true depth of his emotions, Sparx was not keen on witnessing a reenactment. K’hor was a dangerous man. Doubly so, with the life of his mate threated.

  Ready to make a quick exit if needed, Sparx leaned against the wall. His position effectively concealing his presence from the others around the corner.

  “That’s all we know, right now,” the healer explained. His tone was respectful yet strained as he spoke to the Warlord.

  “It’s not enough,” K’hor gritted out. “If this is due to the mating heat, then why is she not awake yet? We can’t complete the bond with her unconscious!”

  “Warlord K’hor, the Djaromir have never mated with humans before,” the healer answered softly. “We are letting her body show us what she can and cannot handle at this point. From our readings, her system reacted much more strongly to the mating heat than any of us have ever seen. Even Dracur has never known a female to go through the cycles so quickly.”

  Sparx had to acknowledge that if any of their healers would know how to proceed it would be Dracur, the elder who had trained most of the healers scattered throughout the cities. The old Djaromir not only taught their old ways but also embraced the newer technologies that they acquired during their trading missions.

  “What does that mean?” K’hor’s tone was strained, barely holding himself in check.

  “It means that her hormone levels have progressed much further than we’ve ever seen. By the time she was brought here she was in the middle of a full heat cycle. We suspect that the delay in mating is what is to blame for her current condition.”

  Hearing K’hor’s frustrated growl, Sparx reacted quickly,
rounding the corner in time to catch the chair he’d sent tumbling across the room. “Calm, Warlord K’hor,” he said, hoping the use of his formal title would remind him of the control he should be displaying. “Calm.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm!” K’hor yelled, the tendons in his neck and arms pulsing in anger.

  “Warlord K’hor?” Dracur interrupted from the door leading farther into the healing center.

  “What?” K’hor yelled, his voice like a whip as it slashed through the room.

  Sparx saw the moment that K’hor realized who he had yelled at as the raw anger quickly dropped from his friend’s face. Dracur was not only their healing elder but he was also the Djaromir that had helped birth both of the men standing before him.

  “I apologize, Dracur.” K’hor bowed respectfully to the elder, his body visibly relaxing at the motion. “Is my mate—?”

  “Your mate is beginning to wake,” the healer said softly, gesturing for them both the follow him. “I assure you, she feels no pain or discomfort. I was sitting with her just now when I noticed she seemed to be waking.” Dracur looked at K’hor over the top of the glasses he wore. “That was when I heard you.”

  “I’m sorry for the disturbance, but I have to know.” K’hor practically vibrated with worry as he stood beside the much older Djaromir. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “Yes, she will and I do believe it was your disturbance that started waking her up to begin with. Her body knows your near even in the current state she’s in.”

  Sparx let out a sigh of relief as he watched the Warlord visually calm at the news.

  “Has she spoken?” K’hor asked, as he quickly followed the older Djaromir through the opening.

  “No,” Dracur lifted up the front of his floor-length healer’s robes as they walked, the heavy fabric held tight in his whitened grip. “She hasn’t been awake enough yet to speak, but the monitors show her vitals have calmed. We are simply watching and waiting right now.”

  “The other said her condition was caused by the mating,” K’hor said roughly, his voice brimming with an emotion Sparx was unable to identify.

  “Yes, son.” Dracur stopped his shuffling and turned to place a comforting hand on K’hor’s shoulder. “The mating heat is strong in her blood. The concentration has raised much higher and much quicker than we have ever seen with our Djaromir women.”

  “What does that mean?” both Warlords asked at the same time.

  “I believe it is what prompted your mate to succumb to such a deep sleep.” Dracur let out a deep breath, his long white beard moving slightly at the action. “Normally, our female’s cycles can take anywhere from one week to a month. During that time there’s a gradual adjustment both biologically and mentally. Physically, the female experiences hormonal shifts, which trigger the mating heat as their body readies to breed. The mental bond becomes stronger with every moment that passes. As you know, Djaromir males have traditionally used that time to woo and court their mates so when the time comes, everything falls into place.”

  “And?” Khor prodded.

  “Juniper is different,” Dracur answered.

  “How so?” Sparx interrupted, unable to keep his thoughts quiet. From what he was hearing, none of this sounded good for K’hor and his mate.

  Dracur paused outside of the only closed door they had come across as they walked through the healing center. Placing a weathered palm on the wood, the elder stared at the barrier long enough for Sparx to become nervous. Casting a glance at his friend, he could see K’hor wasn’t doing much better.

  “Do not worry, Warlord K’hor.” Dracur nodded even as his gaze remained focused straight ahead. “All will be well with your female.”

  Opening the door, Dracur motioned for K’hor to enter. Falling back slightly, Sparx was unsure if his presence was welcome. As much as he wanted to be there for his friend, he also didn’t want to overstep.

  “K’hor.” Sparx cleared his throat, ready to politely excuse himself once he realized K’hor wasn’t paying him any attention. Unable to do anything other than follow, Sparx stopped just inside the doorway at the sight that greeted him.

  Covered from shoulder to feet, Juniper lay on the healing bed in the center of the room. At first, it looked as if she were simply sleeping, her face peaceful in slumber. That illusion was quickly ruined when he noticed the machines she was connected to.

  Then, Sparx witnessed something that he’d never expected or even imagined for that matter.

  K’hor, one of the most feared Warlords he’d ever met, knelt down onto the dirty stone floor beside her bed and bowed before his mate.

  “Forgive me, Tiny.” K’hor placed his forehead against the back of her limp hand.

  Moving back against the wall, Sparx tucked himself as far out of the way as possible. He would be here if K’hor needed him, but the scene before him was too intimate for his liking. In truth, the more he watched K’hor fawn over Juniper, the more he wondered if finding a mate was the right path for him. The small sleeping female had managed to do something that none of their enemies had ever accomplished.

  She’d brought the Warlord to his knees.

  Sparx watched K’hor whisper to Juniper for a few moments, his discomfort rising the longer he watched. Their society had so few females that Sparx had forgotten what it was like to see a pair of mates together.

  “K’hor,” Dracur interrupted. “A decision must be made regarding not only your mate, but the others that have already begun displaying the same symptoms.”

  “There are others?” Sparx interrupted from corner where he was standing.

  “Yes, Warlord Sparx.” Dracur nodded with a small smile, his wrinkled face filled with what Sparx could only assume was hope. “At last count we have had four couples acknowledge the mating heat. We’ve requested that the matches be brought to the healing center so we can discuss what has happened…and what will happen.”

  “Please explain, Dracur.” K’hor asked, never once getting up from his position at Juniper’s side. “You’ve said she’s not only responded to our mating but is doing so stronger than even our females have. Is it not a good thing that her body recognizes the call of mine?”

  Dracur shook his head as he approached the bed to stand behind K’hor where he was kneeling. Setting hands upon the younger Djaromir’s shoulders, Dracur patted them heavily. “It would be better if her body was strong enough to handle it, K’hor. Right now, the mating heat is tearing her apart with its need to complete your bond. It’s one of the reasons why she fell into such a deep sleep. We hoped to ease some of the strain for her but unfortunately, the hormone therapy we administered to combat the levels of mating heat have had little to no effect on her condition.”

  “What do we do now?” K’hor asked, his expression one of a man who would do anything necessary to protect his mate.

  “My suggestion is you complete it,” Dracur answered with a shrug. “Complete the mating bond. Nothing we can give her would stop it, so my advice is that you give her body what it needs.”

  “But she’s asleep,” Sparx interrupted again.

  At his words, Dracur turned and slowly made his way toward him. “Not this second, you fool,” Dracur snapped right before smacking Sparx on the shoulder. “My suggestion is that K’hor convince his mate to consummate after she wakes.”

  “But she’s human—” K’hor began.

  “And that is exactly why we do not have the time to spare,” Dracur cut him off. “Your human mate will not survive if it isn’t done, Khor. The sooner the better. The moment her body recognized you as her mate, it began a countdown. Time is ticking against us. Waiting any longer could put her into a coma or even possibly kill her.”

  “I won’t force her,” he argued, shaking his head at the idea.

  “Do either one of you listen or do you just assume to know the answers?” the older man grumped, shaking a fist at the pair of Warlords as if they were children behaving poorly. “She is already experien
cing the connection that you feel. Considering the strength of the heat, she is most likely experiencing it even stronger than you. Once she wakes, you will only have a short amount of time before it builds again, urging her body to follow its will. In fact, if you hadn’t noticed, every time she hears your voice she moves slightly.”

  “Truly?” K’hor whipped his attention back to Juniper even as he asked the one-word question.

  When Sparx saw her fingers tighten, he knew Dracur was telling the truth.

  “What about the others?” Sparx moved closer where the others were around Juniper’s bed. “Will they also experience this accelerated mating heat?”

  “I believe so.” Dracur nodded. “I’ve asked them come in so I can explain what we’ve discovered. They’ll be given the option to try the therapy we’ve created but since it didn’t work for Juniper, I’m unsure if it will work for the others. Regardless, it is better that they are all made aware of this matter before any more time passes and another mate collapses.”

  “You believe once we mate, she’ll be all right?” K’hor asked, shooting a hopeful look at Dracur before once again looking back to watch his mate.

  “Yes, Warlord K’hor. The same goes for the others that have met their soul’s mates as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must gather my healers to prepare for their arrival.” Dracur bowed slightly, his robes pooling on the floor in front of him.

  “Thank you, Dracur. Your knowledge and service to Hamuir will be rewarded.” K’hor stood and returned the bow before the elder shuffled slowly out of the room.

  Both Warlords stared at one another for a few moments, neither one of them speaking in the heavy silence.

  Rubbing his chin in thought, Sparx nodded to Juniper where she still lay sleeping. “You do realize this means you’ve lied to your mate, don’t you?”

  K’hor gave Sparx a confused look, obviously too worried about his mate to think of the ramifications of what they just found out.