Dangerously Mine

by A. M. Griffin

“Sonis is a new colony, you are still forming your own traditions.”

  He thought on it for a moment, looking at his guards on the training field, no doubt pondering the idea in his head. “I will allow you to train—” His sentence was cut off by Eva jumping off the ground with a squeal and giving him a kiss on his cheek. “I will allow you to train,” he started again, “using the simulators only. Not with any of my guards.”

  Abruptly, she stopped jumping up and down. “What? Why can’t I train with the guards?”

  “Yeah, why can’t Eva train with the guards?” Lo’Ren asked. Taio peered her way. “I get it, you’re not talking to me.”

  “Eva, they are royal guards, warriors. Look at them. They will think I am belittling them if I send you in there with them. Be glad that I am allowing you to use the training simulators.”

  She started to balk, but stopped short, snapping her mouth closed. He was right. Being able to do some kind of training was better than sitting in the grass, plotting a way to get closer to the training field.

  “Okay, but you still have to get me one of those jango things.”

  * * * * *

  Early the next day, under the protective canopy Taio had erected for her, she stood in front of a training simulator with sweat pouring off her body. When Taio restricted her to using the training simulators, he failed to mention they were replicas of the enemies that were common to the Drazlan and Sonis people.

  So to say the least, she was more than a little taken aback when Rasha led her to an equipment room that held seven life-like alien simulators to choose from. Hell, she didn’t need the guards. She could have her fun with these for years to come.

  She picked out the ugliest-looking one of the bunch. It looked the same as the Loconuist and she planned to kick some Earth-invading, human-enslaving alien ass.

  With Rasha’s help, she was able to set it to the training level she desired. At first, she started off slow, warming up to full fighting mode. But after noticing the guards watching her, she decided to kick it up a notch.

  Taio said the guards would not train with a female and would feel it was beneath them. Ha! She laughed to herself. She was making mincemeat of this robot and loving it.

  Lo’Ren sat at the edge of the field, watching her, positioning herself at a good vantage point. The girl was no Ally, but she wasn’t bad either. Taio had removed her from the cleaning crew and had given her the official job of “friend to Eva”.

  Yesterday, Eva tried, unsuccessfully, to shake her after lunch. Wherever she hid, Lo’Ren popped up. That girl was taking her job very seriously. This morning Eva decided to take a different approach. She was Batman and Lo’Ren was her sidekick, Robin.

  Aside from Lo’Ren, Rasha and Jor’Dan came by and watched. But she was really trying to impress the rest of the guards, who were watching her out of the corners of their eyes.

  “You have much talent, Eva,” Rasha said.

  “Wow, you approve? Thank you, Rasha. It means a lot coming from you.”

  “The guards seem well impressed with your moves and skill. We don’t practice hand-to-hand combat anymore, but it seems to be a skill that we may need again. Are all Earthlings trained in this type of combat as you are?” Rasha asked.

  “We are called humans, and yes, most of us are trained as youngsters in martial arts. It is an Earth tradition.” Well, it wasn’t an outright lie. She did say “most”. So when Rasha and Jor’Dan exchanged a look between themselves, she didn’t feel all that guilty.

  By midday, she was semi-surrounded by four guards. Rasha had gone to Taio and gotten permission to have some of the guards, those who were interested, watch her train with the simulator. Although she was still pummeling the simulator for now, she was sure that soon she would be accepted to train with the guards.

  All seemed to be going well, except for a small group of guards who were laughing and pointing her way. Knowing they mocked her, she ignored them. This was not the first time she had been laughed at. If these guards wanted to upset her with their taunts, they really had a lot to learn. They needed to hang out with elementary school kids.

  “Do not mind them, Eva,” Rasha said.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m having the most fun I’ve had in years!” She somersaulted over the simulator, landing at its back and giving it one hell of a kidney punch, well, assuming its kidney would be in that spot.

  “When you are all ready to see real warriors train, make your way to us!” one of the guards yelled.

  She looked over to see the guard from the group of hecklers motioning his way.

  “And after you see how a guard fights, come back and watch a girl.” For emphasis, she dropped to the ground and swiped her foot underneath the simulator, knocking it flat on the ground.

  “Ouch.” Jor’Dan smiled.

  Jumping up, she halfheartedly gave a bow to the guards standing around her, who had begun to clap.

  “You think you know how to fight, but you are nothing here.” The same guard sneered, now walking her way, fists balled up at his sides.

  His face was red and full of rage and his lips were pressed in a hard line. Rasha stepped in front of Eva, blocking his pursuit.

  “Coyl, don’t come any farther. She has permission from Taio to be on the training field,” Rasha said through gritted teeth.

  “His judgment is obviously clouded by the slickness of her pussy, since it is well known that he fucks the bitch night and day,” Coyl said.

  “Get out of my sight before I hold you down and let her beat you myself,” Rasha said.

  Eva stepped from behind Rasha. “Thank you for the offer, Rasha, but I wouldn’t need you to hold him down for me. Anyone can see he’s past his prime and hoping, wishing and…no, praying that I’ll knock him down. Because it’s as close as he’ll ever get to having a woman touch him.”

  Coyl let out a war cry and ran toward her. Rasha dropped in a low stance, about to take the brute head on, preventing him from reaching Eva. Although she appreciated the gesture, she had a different idea. She had never been known to let others fight for her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she took off running toward Rasha and Coyl. Using Rasha’s leg and shoulder as steps, she leaped over him and extended her leg, aiming it right at Coyl’s face.

  “Humph,” was the only sound that came out of Coyl’s mouth before he fell backward in an unconscious heap.

  Keeping her stance low, she circled slowly. These guards were trained to watch each other’s backs. She was prepared to take on anyone else who came her way.

  Instead of a fight, she was met with applause from the guards before they returned to what they had been doing.

  Slowly rising, she watched as Rasha walked toward her.

  “I think you may have some requests from the other guards to help with their training,” Rasha said after stopping in front of her.

  “You think so? They won’t be upset that I took down one of their own?” She looked over to Coyl’s body. Jor’Dan was now standing over his unconscious body, nudging him with a boot.

  “That’s exactly why they would want some training tips. The hard part will be getting Taio to agree to it.”

  As if on cue, Taio came stalking into view. The guards made certain to keep out of the way as their large king walked toward them. Guards who were training near her inconspicuously moved farther away.

  “Rasha! Ship told me there was a disturbance on the training field. What’s going on here?”

  “Nothing that should have caused Ship to be alarmed,” Rasha replied.

  “No?”

  “No.” Rasha wasn’t lying. In fact, she had taken care of the situation effectively.

  “Lo’Ren?”

  Lo’Ren shrugged when Taio turned her way. Her mouth was sealed shut. Eva loved her immediately.

  She silently prayed no one would give them away. If Taio found out Coyl had almost jumped on her, she could kiss training on the field goodbye. It wouldn’t even matter that most of his guards didn’t
mind her presence here. One idiot would ruin her chances of returning.

  Taio looked around, taking in the surroundings. His eyes settled on Coyl. “Great Ancients! Is he dead?”

  Eva and Rasha looked over at the heap lying on the ground. Just as Coyl started to groan, Jor’Dan gave him another hard kick in the face.

  “He was injured while training,” Jor’Dan said.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You are still going through with it?” Rasha asked Taio.

  They were both watching the dinner entertainment. Three females swayed their hips in shimmering see-through material to music as they danced in the center of the dining area.

  “Yes, I am still going through with it. Nothing has changed for me.” Taio glanced at Eva, who was sitting next to Lo’Ren, smiling as she watched the provocative dance. As he watched the pair, he decided he had made the right decision when he brought the two together. Unsure at first if the quirky female would be good company for Eva, now he was quite satisfied.

  “Have you told Eva?”

  “I will. But it will not make a difference. My plans have not changed.”

  “I thought you were getting closer to her. You two seem to be a good match.”

  Taio blew out a breath. “She has almost everything that I hoped to find in a suitable mate. She is beautiful, smart and brave, she has nice-sized breasts and the roundest ass I’ve ever seen.”

  “Whoa. Enough, my friend. I know how much you enjoy your human. I believe everyone who happens to be in earshot of your coupling knows how much you enjoy her.”

  “As much as I enjoy her, I cannot create a match with her.”

  “Why not?”

  “She will not bring what we need to Sonis. I need to create a match with someone who can bring more business to the people of Sonis. If I take her as my mate, we will remain in the same position that we are in now.”

  “I think we have done quite well for ourselves. We receive families who migrate from the home world every day.”

  Taio pondered the thought. He would want nothing more than to be bonded with Eva. But she could not offer him or his people what they needed. It would be selfish for him to only consider his needs and not look at the bigger picture. Yes, families came in droves from Drazlan to Sonis, but without a means to provide for themselves, his people would be forever dependent on him.

  His only option would be to find a mate in name only, all the while keeping Eva for himself. Eva would agree because he was all she had. He was sure it was still an acceptable plan for the both of them.

  “What do you plan to do with Eva once you find a mate? Let her live on the palace grounds? Once you give up your claim on her, I expect the guards will be falling over themselves to claim her. Are you prepared for her to find a mate as well?”

  Taio stilled. Never. I would kill any male who tried to touch her.

  “She would have no need for a mate. I will still have her. It is practiced in many cultures throughout the galaxy. Who’s to say it was not practiced on her home world as well? She would have to move from my personal quarters, of course. But I have no problem with setting her up in one of the apartments on the other side of the palace.”

  Taio tried to control his temper. He cared for Rasha just as he did his own brother, but if he kept up this talk of Eva finding a mate, he would gut him.

  “Oh and you think Eva will abide by this new arrangement?” Rasha jerked his head in Eva’s direction.

  “Of course she will. Why wouldn’t she?” He seemed to be trying to convince himself more than his friend.

  “It may be widely practiced in this galaxy, but what if it is not in her culture? Have you even talked to her about it?”

  “No, I haven’t. But it will not matter. She will stay with me. She has nowhere else to go. Eva will understand that it is for the best.”

  He blew out a breath. “I am responsible for everyone who you see around you. This is extremely important to us. We need to make a good alliance to bring prosperity to our world.” Taio could feel himself growing more agitated by the minute. This conversation was pointless and he didn’t want to talk about it.

  “I thought we were already prosperous,” Rasha replied. “We have Sonis Mercenary and Sonis Gold. We are one of the richest worlds in this galaxy. What more do we need?”

  Taio’s fist slammed down on the table. “What we need is more businesses to ensure our world will thrive. We need visitors to flock to our markets to buy the local goods.”

  Exasperated, he ran a hand across his hair. “We can accomplish this quicker and easier if I am able to form a successful bond. The right mate will help bring more visitors, settlers and businesses to Sonis. Sonis will need to survive on its own without the help of my businesses. I want the people of Sonis to be independent.”

  “Taio, you are not your father. You never were, nor will be.”

  It wasn’t easy growing up in the royal Xochis household. He had tried time and time again to forget his childhood. His father had made the people of Drazlan, including himself, subject to his every whim. His father owned the largest company on Drazlan and “employed” the people of Drazlan to work for him.

  “How do you intend to find a mate?” Rasha asked as Taio sat in silence.

  Taio let his friend’s question pull him out of his trance. “I was thinking of a party.”

  “A party?”

  “Yes, a party. I am thinking of inviting eligible females here for a party,” Taio said, satisfied with the decision.

  “Well, good luck with that. Be prepared for every female species in the surrounding galaxies to come running here in hopes of mating with one of the richest males.”

  “I’m not opening my doors to just anyone.” Taio shook his head. “I want to extend invitations only to those who I know can help bring prosperity to Sonis.”

  “Which females do you have in mind?”

  “I have a few in mind. But I need help finding enough to choose from.”

  Rasha raised his eyebrow.

  “I’m going to ask my mother for help.”

  “This ought to be really good.” Rasha choked out a laugh.

  His mother was known for her wildly extravagant parties. Any good news, or the possibility of good news, was a reason to throw a party.

  Taio’s eyes wandered again to where Eva sat. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her. The thought of bonding with someone else was not sitting right with him and he would never release her to another male.

  As if she could feel him watching her, Eva turned around and met his eyes. He wanted her, here and now. His cock throbbed and hardened between his thighs. Eva playfully licked her lips. She was ready for him. She was always ready.

  His cock twitched in response. Without a word to his friend, he rose, walked through the dancers, sending them scattering out of his path, picked Eva off the pillows and slung her over his shoulder.

  “Remind me to tell you about cavemen sometime.” She giggled.

  * * * * *

  Screams. She covered her ears but couldn’t keep the screams from filtering through. Her eyes scanned the panicked crowd. Everyone scattered and cowered, hiding in the smallest of places while the Loconuist stomped their way through the makeshift tent city.

  If the Loconuist were in the belly of the spacecraft, it meant one thing, trouble. Her heart picked up speed. It was another “taking”. The monstrous lizards stopped only to grab humans, picking them out indiscriminately. Men, women and children, it didn’t matter.

  Her eyes darted through the frenzy. Where was Allysan? “Ally!” she yelled. Eva pushed through the crowd. “Ally!”

  The Loconuist were coming her way. She dropped to a low crouch as everyone else panicked and pushed around her. Through the sea of legs, she spotted a wide-eyed Ally staring back at her.

  Eva held Ally’s stare, willing her to be quiet and patient. They needed to stay unnoticed. Fear was written all across her friend’s face. Ally flicked her eyes upward befor
e her crazed eyes came back to Eva’s. Ally opened her mouth to scream.

  Eva shook her head. “No,” she mouthed.

  Time stood still. The air grew thick and hot. She forced air through her lungs and out. A hot drop of liquid landed on her forehead and rolled steadily down to her eyebrow.

  She lifted her hand to catch the drop before it hit her eye. Scooping the glob away, she brought her hand to eye level. Slime coated her fingers.

  No. Her eyes filled with tears. It was time. She didn’t need to look up to see what stood over her, waiting.

  Searing pain tore through her shoulder as large claws dug through the skin and gripped the bone. No! No! No!

  * * * * *

  “Eva!” She opened her eyes. Taio’s face was inches from hers. “Wake up, little one. You are having a nightmare.”

  She pushed herself up to a sitting position. Wetness dripped from her forehead. She wiped it away and looked at her hand. Sweat, not slime.

  “I’m okay.” She scanned the room, taking in her surroundings. She wasn’t on the Loconuist spacecraft. The Loconuist weren’t here. She was safe. But Ally…

  She covered her hands with her face. She’d lost Ally. Taio pulled her closer to him.

  “What were you dreaming about?”

  “Them.” She didn’t want to say their name anymore.

  “You are safe here.”

  “I am, but Ally…I lost her.” The tears rolled easily down her cheek. She punched at the pillow. “Damn it! I need to find her. I have to find her. She’s out there all alone.”

  “Come here.” Taio lay back down, pulling her on top of him. “Go back to sleep. If anyone can find her, it is Ship. But I can assure you he won’t find her tonight.”

  She nuzzled into his arms. Her protests died away as sleep claimed her once again.

  Late the next morning, Eva rolled over to find Taio’s side of the bed empty. Taio had since gotten up and was no doubt in his office tending to “official Sonis business”. That man worked too damn hard. Taking care of Sonis was definitely more than a full-time job.

  Ship explained to her that Sonis had a total population of fifty thousand people, which definitely wasn’t enough to occupy an entire moon. He was working hard, trying to make Sonis a thriving world, and she was proud of him for that. He ruled over the people on Sonis, but he had their utmost safety, livelihood and happiness in mind with every decision he made.