Alien Warrior's Wife: Sci-fi Alien Military Romance (Brion Brides Book 2)

by Vi Voxley

It had happened to both of them minutes after Narath’s moment – if he’d had that, Urenya’s healer mind provided. She truly had to send Seleya a thank-you note, Urenya thought bitterly. The old healer had warned them that it wasn’t nice to know all the things they kept most of the Brions in the dark about. It took away from the certainty the bindings were supposed to have. Not from the certainty that when it was right, it worked, but it instilled doubts she couldn’t banish. Her other fears were worse, though. She’d never even consummated her bond with Patren, and now she was very close to never getting to do that with Narath either.

  She felt proud, though. They’d both come through the test with perfect scores. Even in the midst of what had to have been a terrifying moment for Narath on TD-17, he’d still managed to keep his wits about him and save both of their lives. And then she had done the operation, because there was simply no one more qualified around. Perhaps if Seleya had been there Urenya might have stepped aside and allowed the experienced Elder to replace her behind the table, but she hadn’t even considered trusting Narath’s life to her own classmates. So it had been she alone for thirteen hours to the point of exhaustion when her mind only worked on some sort of drive that kept her going when all rationale had long given up. It were simple instincts that functioned in the end, no particular output from her mind, when it seemed as though she had to put everything she’d ever learned from the healer Elders to use.

  Narath awoke slowly, growling as he did. The sound sent shivers down Urenya’s spine. There was the thing that had become ridiculously endearing to her.

  The big warrior opened his eyes, looked around in clear worry, but when he saw her standing there, his whole body settled down and peace returned to his eyes. Only then did Urenya allow herself to burst into tears.

  Narath’s reaction was immediate. She saw the twitch of his fingers searching for his spear – such a natural movement for the warriors who spent most of their lives with the spear in their hands even in leisure.

  “Who hurt you?” he demanded. “I will make them wish they had never been born.”

  Tears still rolling down her cheeks, Urenya couldn’t stop herself from bursting out laughing.

  “Gods, no,” she said, touching Narath’s arm gently – pure steel under her fingers – “no one hurt me. I’m just so glad you’re alive. And you’re in no form to go killing anyone, you barely survived the last fight.”

  He cut her through at once.

  “The Atherin. Are you unharmed?”

  The clouds of doubt were slowly starting to dissolve in her mind. It was very like a gerion to worry about his gesha while practically on his deathbed.

  “Yes,” she said, giving him a quick spin to let him see she was still in one piece. “Still here. Thanks to you.”

  He smiled, though she’d seen the flash in his eyes when she turned. Her own body responded to that look almost immediately, but she couldn’t allow herself to think of that. Yet.

  “How did you get away?” he pressed on. “We were in the middle of a field. I should have kept going, gotten you back to the ship.”

  Urenya chuckled.

  “Oh yes,” she allowed. “The commander was very mad. He said that when he tasked you to keep me safe, you were supposed to do that and dying was not an excuse.”

  Narath looked petrified for a second until he saw her grinning.

  “Don’t fool me,” he warned her. “I will go and apologize to him myself. Did he come to you?”

  “He did,” Urenya confirmed. “And I don’t think he wants you to apologize for anything. In fact, I think he means to praise you. He looked at the Atherins you killed and said he was impressed.”

  Narath snorted.

  “I doubt that.”

  “Are you calling me a liar?” Urenya teased him.

  Relief was washing over her wave after wave, incomparable to anything else she’d ever felt.

  “I don’t doubt he said that,” the big warrior said, looking at her gently. “I just doubt he meant that. Diego…”

  He stopped, clearly wondering if he’d been too informal, but Urenya laughed.

  “Diego is Diego, yes. He’s almost never impressed with anyone because he compares everyone to himself. But I really think he was this time. There were four of them, and you killed them all.”

  Narath’s eyes were suddenly alight with fire.

  “I had to,” he said, his voice almost shaking with emotion. “If they’d hurt you… Living without you would be unthinkable.”

  Urenya was left speechless by that. The sudden, brutal honesty took her breath away. Of course she’d learned all about the fated couples, but the words had sounded so hollow to her then. All the absolutes, and promises, and vows never to take a single step without the other. It had seemed… over the top to her. She understood passion and caring about someone, but the way fated couples looked at each other was simply beyond her.

  And there she stood, watching Narath looking at her, knowing for a fact he meant it, certain that he hadn’t lied. Her heart thudded. After all, hadn’t she thought the same? As they’d transported Narath to the Triumphant for the operation, hadn’t she refused to even consider the fact that Narath could die and leave her alone. In every context she could recall where she thought of him dying, her own future had been blank, as though it didn’t exist beyond her gerion.

  She must have shown some of that on her face, because Narath took her hand into his big palm, holding it with gentleness she hadn’t thought the giant could muster.

  “I can’t believe I have to fight you,” was all she could whisper, and then they both smiled. The traditions couldn’t keep them apart for long when death had tried its best.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Narath

  Narath had always been a proper Brion. He’d respected the Elders, as all Brions did. He’d learned to fight with the spear, although it was quite obvious another weapon would have suited him better. Overall, he knew his place, he did his duty and was very good at it. Never had he questioned a part of the Brion way, until now.

  The only comfort he had was that it was driving Urenya as mad as him. For his part, he didn’t know what was worse – when he didn’t know if he could ever hold her perfect body in his arms, or now that he knew he would, but for some reason had to hold off for a proper period of time.

  He’d asked Urenya what she thought. The look on her face had been both so sad and so devious it had taken him all his self-control not to lift her into his lap and kiss her like her lips clearly begged him to.

  “I think the Elders who came up with the concept had to have been extremely disappointed with their fated,” Urenya said.

  “Are you?” he asked her, teasing, knowing that underneath all her happiness there was something else.

  After all, he’d been there the day she arrived at Diego’s home and he’d seen the way the tragedy had broken her. As much as he knew, one never fully healed from a thing like that. Trying to imagine what his life would be like if something happened to Urenya was so unbearable he stopped torturing himself.

  Her eyes were sparkling when she looked him straight in the eye and said very quietly,

  “No.”

  Growling, he pulled her onto his lap after all, kissing the soft lips that opened for him readily, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. After a week of healing, Brion science had worked its magic on him, and even though bits of him still ached, he shrugged off the pain of regrowing organs as if it was nothing. Some parts of his body seemed quite fine, after all. His cock strained against his pants, pressed against the soft folds of Urenya’s healer robes. Everything about her was soft, as much as he’d been allowed to explore. Her lips, her skin, her breasts that fit right into his hands, but always for a mere moment before Urenya slipped out of his grasp.

  “No, no,” Urenya said, laughing, pushing him away, which he allowed.

  Brion men, especially Brion warriors, never intruded where their gesha didn’t allow them. It was fair; after all, the gesh
as usually had no physical might to push them away so they had to pull back.

  “This is torture,” he grunted when Urenya went back to her work.

  He was spending a lot of time in the med bay now, time he didn’t spend training that was. Every second with Urenya was precious, even if they had to wait to become one.

  “It is,” Urenya agreed.

  Narath could swear she was wearing even more skintight robes than before, just to drive him wild with desire. That was a torture he could live with, even if it was almost impossible to bear.

  She looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes he knew by now was reserved only for him. A call, a seduction when she already had him – heart, mind, body and soul. It set something deep inside him on fire he couldn’t sate knowing only Urenya could do that.

  “Once I stop fighting you,” she said, teasing, bending over just to give him a view of her delicious curves, slipping out of his grasp laughing when he reached for her. “What will you do to me?”

  Her voice was breathless and quiet when she asked that. Narath stopped their play chase at once. He stood there, watching her, grinning in anticipation.

  “I’ll make you scream my name,” he said, low and deep, lust creeping into his voice.

  “I want to hear what you sound like when you truly belong to me. I will get your whimpers first, then your pleas, and then I will make you scream, not in pain, never in pain, but simply out of need for me. And then I will never stop, never let you go.”

  That had gotten him close enough to Urenya she could no longer slip away from his big arms, and from the look in her eyes, that was the last thing on her mind. She rubbed herself against him, his cock throbbing almost painfully at the sensation. He growled in need, making Urenya giggle sweetly and tease,

  “Or perhaps I’ll make you do all that.”

  He laughed, deep in his throat, and had her pressed against the med bay wall before she could react. From the way her eyes were wide, wild, she didn’t seem to think it was a bad surprise at all. He kissed her, forcefully, hard, releasing some of tension that was building up in both of them to an almost painful degree. Urenya’s hands fisted into the folds of his shirt, pulling him closer, or rather pulling herself up to get closer to his lips. A moan escaped her lips, and it was the most delicious sound he’d ever heard. His hands cupped her breasts, hearing her whimper in desire and longing. It felt like a crime to deny her.

  Denying himself felt like a crime as well. Urenya’s hand came down to touch his cock through his pants, completely on purpose this time. He grunted, the feeling of her stroking him through the fabric driving all sense from his mind. She smiled seeing his reaction, and he couldn’t stop himself from grinding down into her hand. As he grew harder, he saw the look on Urenya’s face grow from pleased to worried to stunned.

  “Gods, I don’t know how I…” she began, but then a smile broke way to her lips, erasing his concerns.

  “You’re huge,” she just stated.

  Narath grunted, her hand felt just amazing. It figured a healer would know all the places to touch him to give him pleasure. Having her use all of that knowledge on him, having her let go and give herself to him…

  “Urenya,” he said, warning. “You have to start saying no before I will no longer be able to resist you. You drive me insane, you must know that.”

  She laughed, nodding, removing her hand and pushing past him. His cock ached to have her come back, but he knew he wouldn’t have been able to hold himself off for much longer.

  “I’m truly glad for you,” a voice said from behind them.

  Narath turned to see their commander standing, leaning at the med bay door, with an amused expression on his face. He resembled his childhood friend the most since they’d actually last been on Briolina as youths. There was only the three of them there, after all, so the general could afford to be a little less formal.

  “I hoped this would happen for you,” he added.

  “Thank you, Commander,” Urenya said.

  “Diego,” she was corrected.

  Then his expression became serious, and Narath’s eyes flashed to Urenya at once. He could guess what was coming, the briefings had been warning about that for days now. He was a warrior, all things aside, and now that he was better, he’d be expected to do his duty.

  “The Atherin have moved against us in great numbers,” Diego said, becoming the commander again in posture, standing up straight. “If we can crush this attack, I believe they’ll think before even considering crossing blades with us again. They’ve already been cautious for a while, so I think this is their last desperate attempt. Which makes them all the more dangerous for it. Those with nothing left to lose tend to fight like madmen. Be prepared, we descend to the surface as soon as they’ve prepared the shuttles.”

  Narath nodded, saluting hand over heart.

  “Yes, Commander,” he said.

  “Do I need to come too?” Urenya asked. “To help with the wounded. Maybe it’s better if I’m there from the beginning.”

  The commander’s eyes were cold and hard when he looked at her.

  “Not this time, Urenya. I don’t think this battle will bring many wounded.”

  When their general had left, Narath turned to find Urenya standing there stunned, rooted to place. Her lips were pressed into a hard line.

  He walked over to her, and she threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his shirt. Narath held her closer, hugging her tightly, tighter than he probably should have, but Urenya responded with the same desperate grip. She was shaking when he let her go at last to go and prepare for the battle.

  The kiss was as desperate as the embrace had been, her lips soft and warm. It took strength for him to pull himself away from her.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I wouldn’t leave you now.”

  Urenya nodded, but her eyes were sadder than he had ever seen them, even on that day years ago. It broke his heart to leave her like that, but he had his duties and Urenya had hers.

  He smiled to her at the door once more and couldn’t shake the feeling he’d done something terrible when Urenya’s beautiful eyes went wide with horror.

  The trip down to the surface was tenser than any Narath had ever experienced. Even warriors who had fought their way across battlefields for many years more than he looked serious. The only one who didn’t was the commander, but Narath had never known Diego Grothan to be afraid of an enemy.

  “Landing in two minutes,” the voice of the pilot announced over the sounds of incoming fire from the Atherin fighters.

  “I think you have the least to worry about,” the commander said so quietly only Narath heard him, sitting by his side in a compartment packed with Brion warriors, all hand-picked to fight at his side that day.

  He didn’t know what to say.

  “I don’t worry,” he boomed proudly. “I’m a Brion warrior.”

  The commander sent him a knowing glare.

  “Don’t lie to me. I’ve always said there is no honor and no true courage in denying the enemy was powerful. Only a fool wouldn’t be concerned for the outcome of today.”

  Narath knew even less how to respond to that. After a second, he said,

  “I apologize, Commander. Of course the Atherins are formidable. I just don’t think I can afford to think like that, because of…”

  “Urenya,” the commander finished for him. “It’s only natural. A warrior with something to lose always fights with that in his mind. But she is the reason I think you’re the safest of us today.”

  The shuttle landed with a nauseating thud and they got up.

  “How?” Narath asked, pulling his heavy spear free.

  Diego grinned.

  “I don’t think fate would pull the same tragedy on her twice.”

  The shuttle doors opened. They ran out and found that the ground was trying to kill them.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Urenya

  Again.

  That was the only word that s
eemed to have remained into Urenya’s vocabulary as she sat on the med bay’s table, doing absolutely nothing.

  Some time ago, she’d realized how much she had taken over from Seleya. The Elder healer had often given them a lecture on some theoretical thing while hands deep in the chest cavity of a body, stopping to point out some easily overlooked thing they should see. Urenya had adopted that method of working as though it was the only way to do things.

  The first people who had come to see her had been a bit surprised she didn’t stop working on her projects or even on a patient if they happened to be unconscious. Soon, however, the discovered it was easier to confess something or ask advice if Urenya didn’t sit there staring into their mouths as they spoke. So that was how she did things, several at once, never messing up any of them.

  And now she was sitting there on the table, frozen to place, motionless. Not even her mind seemed to be working properly. All it apparently tried to do was drive her insane. Patren’s leaving smile had been so eerily similar to Narath’s that it was impossible not to start drawing parallels. Only the next image, by logical order, was the image of Narath dead and charred, and that hurt in a way she could hardly bear.

  Why in the name of all the gods had she wished for a warrior? Yes, Narath was big and strong and made her body feel all sorts of things towards his muscled, perfectly crafted frame; that was true. But if this was to happen every time he went to war, she’d soon lose her mind. How did the other geshas do it? And not only them, what did the gerions whose fated were warriors do?

  She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help one bit. Then she took another.

  Strength, Seleya had taught Urenya, didn’t come from denial and from refusing to be weak. It came from acceptance and moving on.

  She was a healer, she had duties to attend to while the Triumphant was at war. Soon the med bay would receive the first bodies or the first wounded if they got them through the bombardment. The huge Brion battle ship had enough of an army even on its own, but its support flotilla and its fighters should end it soon.