Thunde (Vortex Alien Warriors Book 3)

by Arcadia Shield

  Thunde remained unconscious and unresponsive, and Jessie took a moment to admire the strong angles on his face, his broad flat nose, high cheekbones, and strong brows. She found his masculinity intimidating but also intriguing. Men on Earth looked nothing like this, and she realized she enjoyed being close to someone so powerful. If only he wasn’t trying to kill her, they could be friends.

  “Just remember, I gave this to you so you can keep yourself safe, so use it well.” Jessie placed the blade next to Thunde. “No stabbing your innocent prey with it.” She rested a hand on his chest. He was incredible to look at and had a solid air about him. When they’d spoken, he’d seemed interested in her work, which was a surprise. Most men she’d met quickly started rolling their eyes and talking about their own interests when she went on a rant about archiving. And she understood why they did that. Most people found history dull, all those dead rulers, strange laws, and habits people used to have. But she loved that sort of thing and had been searching for somebody who shared the same passions she had for a long time.

  Jessie traced a finger down Thunde’s arm, enjoying the feel of his tough skin. It would take a lot to damage a Vorten, but she was glad they weren’t immune to natural sedatives. If she’d drugged him and it hadn’t worked, she could already be dead.

  Her fingers moved to the injuries on Thunde’s face. He’d taken quite a beating from the Fraken, and it was cruel of them to attack him just before he entered a game. But that was their way. They used their lightning sticks first, and if anyone was alive afterwards, they moved onto torture.

  None of Thunde’s injuries were serious, but she didn’t like to see the bruises that bloomed across his cheeks and ran through his short dark hair. As she ran her fingers through his hair, it was softer than she thought it would be. She’d like to see it longer, down to his shoulders. It would soften his sharp features and make him even more handsome.

  Chuckling quietly to herself as she stood, Jessie knew a warrior like Thunde would never look twice at her. He was only paying attention to her now because she was his prey. If they passed each other on a space station or when traveling on a starship together, he wouldn’t even have noticed her. How had he described her earlier? Tiny. So tiny, she was easy to ignore and invisible to most people. And Jessie liked that. She was happy to be on the sidelines for most things, keen to stay out of the limelight and make sure people didn’t pay her attention. But occasionally, like now, she wouldn’t mind if someone like Thunde noticed her, looked at her with the interest that had flared in his eyes, just for a second, and saw her for who she really was.

  Jessie carefully tucked the rest of the throwing blades into her bag and then shrugged off the harness and placed it next to Thunde. She was kidding nobody; it was best to stay quiet and invisible. That way, she was more likely to stay alive for a little longer.

  “Don’t be too mad.” She looked down at Thunde one last time before slipping into the darkness of the trees.

  ***

  Thunde woke to a dry mouth and a pounding head. His first attempt to get to his feet failed, and he rolled onto his side and hit the base of a tree. He groaned and struggled into a sitting position, using the tree to lever himself up. Rubbing his puffy eyes, Thunde looked around. Darkness had fallen, and he was still in the trees. But where was Jessie?

  As his thoughts tumbled through his head, he let out a growl and slammed his fist into the tree trunk. She had drugged him. He’d been stupid enough to accept a drink from her, and now here he was, having wasted time sleeping off the effects of whatever she’d slipped into the water.

  He looked down to discover his empty weapons harness on the ground, and curses fell from his lips. She had no right to remove his weapons. They were a part of him. He considered them to be almost sacred objects, and they’d been created specifically for him. This foolish human woman had taken them, was maybe even using them now to eat her food with or harvest more toxic berries.

  A roar of frustration slipped from Thunde’s mouth, and he punched at the tree several more times. He paused as his foot hit one of his sparring blades. Why would the human leave behind a blade for him? Wouldn’t she worry he’d chase after her and use it in an act of vengeance?

  He used the tree to help himself stand, grabbing the weapon as he did so. The sparring blade was his favorite, and he’d had it for many cycles. It had been given to him by his brother, Thaddeus. Some of Thunde's anger faded as he looked at it. Maybe Jessie wasn’t so stupid. She’d been clever enough to remove his weapons and given herself a slight advantage but realized he’d need a weapon of his own.

  That grudging thread of admiration ran through him again as his initial rage ebbed. This human woman was fascinating. Many prey would have stabbed him while he was unconscious, but she’d left him alive. Maybe she did believe his words, after all. He could understand why she was fearful of him. Jessie had good knowledge of the Vorten. She knew what these games were like, and she knew what the outcome would be for prey. But she’d had the sense to keep him alive, just in case he was being honest.

  A bemused smile crossed his face. This woman was different from other prey, and Thunde was beginning to understand why Axen was so entranced with Eloise. If she was anything like Jessie, this was going to be an interesting game.

  Still, Thunde pushed against his own thirst for revenge. He wasn’t used to being humiliated, and it stung. He wanted to show Jessie he wasn’t a pushover, and she shouldn’t mess with him. He adjusted his grip on the blade he held. Maybe Axen had made a mistake about the human prey, and they shouldn’t be helping them. He’d be happy to get out of these games, move onto whatever scheme Axen had planned, but why did he have to save this woman? Why should she come with him? She’d shown herself as cunning, and he’d admired her courage when they’d first met, but was that enough? He was risking everything on the words of his warrior brother, and it could all be for nothing.

  Thunde’s head spun as he staggered forward. Whatever Jessie had fed him had been powerful, and he’d be interested to know how she created such a drug. He shook his head and thumped a fist into his chest. Maybe the drugs had addled his brain. He shouldn’t be interested in getting to know more about his prey. His mission was to keep her safe, that was all. He wasn’t going to fall for her like Axen had Eloise. He was a dedicated warrior and wouldn’t let himself get distracted by a pair of large brown eyes and a sweet smile.

  Thunde shook his head again, some of the fogginess clearing. He looked at the ground and saw the track marks Jessie had left behind. He would find her and they’d get out, but that would be an end to their relationship. He hunched his shoulders as he pulled on his weapons harness and began tracking Jessie.

  Chapter 7

  A faint smudge of purple spread across the sky, and Jessie could see her first day in the game had ended. She felt a small sense of pride at that. She knew not many of Thunde’s prey lasted long. Maybe she’d be the first to make it into the third day of a game against him. That would be an achievement in itself, one to go in the Fraken record books, and her face remembered forever when the audience tuned in to see the kill tallies of Vorten warriors.

  She'd been walking for hours, wanting to put as much distance as possible between herself and Thunde. Jessie imagined he’d be furious when he woke and would seek her out and cut her down as soon as he’d caught up with her. So, she needed to give him time to cool off, then he might realize why she’d done it and decide he didn’t want to chop her head off, after all.

  Jessie couldn’t help but recall his words about freedom, a promise of escape from the games, of safety, and the possibility of a new life. She was intrigued by that. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to believe him. Could it be that simple to get out of the game? What did Thunde know about this game that made him different from the other warriors who’d been in before him?

  Maybe he believed he could simply fight his way out, smash through the barrier, and get free. If that was the case, he was a fool. She knew about
Fraken technology. Her time in the archives had given her access to information about the advanced systems the Fraken used, and she’d seen numerous schematics of their technology.

  Jessie also knew her way around a computer system and had managed to gain access to some of the Frakens’ databases. What she’d seen had blown her mind. Their technology was beyond anything she’d ever used.

  She paused as she heard footsteps behind her and her heartbeat sped up. But as she turned and scouted the area, she realized it was nothing more than the wind blowing leaves around. Still, Jessie couldn’t risk stopping. Thunde must be awake by now, and he’d be angry.

  She’d seen some of that anger when they’d spoken. It bubbled just beneath the surface, as if he was holding it in, trying not to scare her. And it had worked, after a fashion. When he’d listened to her and paid attention to what she had to say, that angry vibe had faded. Maybe that was all Jessie needed to do, find something that fascinated Thunde enough, so he decided to keep her alive. She shook her head. What did she know that would interest a Vorten warrior? He hadn’t been impressed by her knowledge of Earth books or ancient artefacts. In fact, he made it seem like they were wasteful. And, when she thought about it, he was right.

  Jessie stumbled forward, her eyes burning. She was exhausted and couldn’t keep walking. She needed rest and somewhere safe, out of the clutches of any Fraken beasts, and away from Thunde, just in case.

  She rested against a broad tree trunk for a moment, catching her breath and looking around as she did so. There wasn’t anywhere suitable to hide, no underground holes or caves. Her gaze lifted to the trees. The branches that spread out above her head were wide and thick. They looked like they’d support her weight.

  Jessie grinned as she inspected the tree in front of her. She’d always been a good climber. When she was growing up, they’d been lucky enough to have a small outside space near the family home. She’d climbed the tree in the back garden hundreds of times, seeking refuge from the excitement that surrounded her father when he gained his celebrity status. She’d spent many happy hours hidden up that tree, reading from a dog-eared book and dreaming about a life away from the noise and chaos that came with having four siblings. All that climbing experience was about to pay off.

  She slung her bag over her back, making sure it was secure, and then grabbed at a low branch. She had to jump several times to reach it, and it bowed under her weight, threatening to snap. But she made it up and swiftly climbed to the next one, a sturdier branch, which easily took her weight.

  Jessie looked down and frowned. She was not high enough. Thunde could leap and drag her down from that height. So, she climbed higher and carried on until she could go no farther without getting dizzy every time she looked at the ground.

  Straddling the branch, Jessie slid out and lay across it. It wasn’t the most comfortable of sleeping positions, but she felt safe. She pulled a blade from her bag and used it to saw through the strap, before tying it around her middle and lacing it around the branch. She triple knotted the end and tested her weight on it. She could sleep like this without fear of falling.

  Jessie eased the remains of the bag along the branch and tucked it into a V-shaped arm of the tree. That would keep her provisions safe. She rested her cheek against the rough bark with an exhausted sigh and closed her eyes. Just a few hours’ sleep, that was all she needed, and then she’d be on her way.

  ***

  Thunde growled to himself as he circled the small copse of trees. Jessie was here. Her tracks ended abruptly, and he could smell her scent. Maybe a Fraken beast had scooped her up and taken her away, although he saw no signs that any had been in the game.

  He ground his teeth together, hating that thought. If Jessie was dead, then he’d failed her and Axen. His head still felt fuzzy from being drugged, and he was aware his tracking skills were being affected. But he didn’t want to waste any more time. He needed to locate Jessie and keep her safe.

  He’d plotted her route through these trees three times and still couldn’t find her. With a grunt of frustration, he knew it was time for a rest.

  Thunde sat at the base of a tree and pulled out a ration pack and a container of water. He also extracted a Medi-patch from his kit bag and applied it to his head, and the lingering ache lessened. He downed the water and swiftly ate his food.

  Where had this strange little female gone? As he waited for the Medi-patch to do its work, Thunde had to admit he found this particular prey interesting. She’d had an opportunity to exterminate him and hadn’t taken it. She’d also disabled him and removed most of his weapons, but left him alive. Did that make her stupid or clever? Or had she seen something in him that made her pause and realize he wasn’t a threat?

  Axen had warned him not to underestimate these human females, and he’d been right to issue such a warning. Not only was Jessie smart, but she was also good at hiding.

  With a full stomach and a temple that no longer throbbed, Thunde stood and assessed his surroundings again. He shook his head and a thin smile crossed his face as he realized he should have spotted the signs of broken bark and scuff marks on the ground. Jessie hadn’t vanished. She’d simply climbed.

  Taking a few steps back, he peered into the foliage above his head. He couldn’t be certain, but he was pretty sure he could see her outline lying against a thick limb of the tree.

  She really was clever. Thunde was no climber and it would be hard for him to reach her up there, but he was happy to wait her out. She wouldn’t last up a tree indefinitely. And the Fraken wouldn’t be prepared to wait and watch without much action for long, either. This could put them both at risk if she didn’t come down.

  “How’s your head?” Jessie’s quiet voice filtered down to Thunde.

  He gave a wry smile, realizing she must have been watching him the whole time. “It’s fine. And I suppose I should be thanking you.”

  “For what?”

  “For not killing me after you drugged me.”

  “Well, I did think about it. But...”

  “Go on,” said Thunde. “Why did you spare my life?”

  “I’ve never killed before,” said Jessie. “And I know why I’m here. I know I’m the prey, and it’s your job to kill me. But even so, I couldn’t help but think that you looked so helpless after you passed out.”

  Thunde’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve never been called that before.”

  “I imagine you haven’t,” said Jessie.

  Thunde scratched his chin. “What about my weapons?”

  “I got rid of some of them and kept the rest for myself. Figured they’d come in handy. I left you one, just in case anything attacked you.”

  “Most fighters would have finished me off with that blade.” Thunde’s fingers brushed the hilt of his beloved weapon.

  “I’m not a fighter,” said Jessie.

  “You are more of a fighter than you realize,” said Thunde. “You follow a true warrior code.”

  “I don’t know what that is.”

  “What I meant is you did not kill someone who could not defend himself. That is the Vorten way. It is a warrior’s way.”

  “But don’t you do that in these games?” asked Jessie. “Aren’t all your prey defenceless?”

  Thunde scrubbed his hand across his eyes, knowing there was truth in Jessie’s words. “Most of them fight back and many have strong fighting skills. But, perhaps you’re right; there is an unfair advantage when we enter the games with our weapons. At least you helped even the score in this particular game.”

  “You don’t need a blade to kill me,” said Jessie softly.

  “That is also true.” Thunde stared at his toughened palms and squeezed his fingers together. He’d be able to snap Jessie’s neck easily. The idea left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “You must have been in great demand when you were on your home planet,” said Jessie.

  “I have not been back to my home world for many cycles,” said Thunde. “Once I completed my tra
ining, I joined the Vortex Squad.”

  “You helped protect our vortex?”

  “Your vortex? I didn’t know Earth laid claim to that particular wormhole.” Thunde shook his head. “You have forgotten that no one on Earth knew the vortex existed until we alerted you.”

  Jessie chuckled. “You’re right. But I always knew there was something else out there. I couldn’t believe Earth was all there was. And, well, I’d heard things about alien life.”

  Thunde lifted his gaze. “What sort of things?”

  “Signals from outer space,” said Jessie. “We’d been receiving them on Earth for years, but different countries’ leaders wrote them off as anomalies or space noise, nothing to do with aliens. But I wasn’t so sure. I used to listen to this great info-cast, run by some guy who’s obsessed with aliens. He pieced together some of the signals and played them live, and it sounded like a message from another race. It had me convinced.”

  “So, when aliens made contact with Earth, you weren’t surprised?”

  “Not so much,” said Jessie. “My family was involved in early space flight. My dad took the first flight on an alien ship.”

  Thunde stood up straight. “Your father was Demetri Keenan?”

  Jessie peered down at Thunde. “You know him?”

  “Of course,” said Thunde. “I’ve read one of his instruction manuals. His practical application was flawed, but he got the basics right when it came to space travel. I would have liked to have met him. The early pioneers of space travel are fascinating. Do you know there are flight simulations based on his work?”

  “I know that.” A smile traced through Jessie’s words. “I spent my childhood testing his designs. Do you fly spacecraft?”

  “There’s more to me than muscle,” growled Thunde. “I enjoy being a pilot. I’m an excellent pilot.”

  “I’m sure you are,” said Jessie.