“We track, we hunt, but we do not break. We will not cut your life, or that of your female.”
Eyuul snorted. “Why haven’t you killed the Agraak yourselves and so end your slavery?”
A solemn look fell over the Arobi’s face.
“I, Exeri, wish to hunt the Agraak. All Arobi hunger for it. To kill the ones who torture us and slaughter our sires and dams. We wish it—we yearn for it.”
“Then why haven’t you?” asked Jenn.
Exeri’s head tilted toward her at her soft-spoken question. Its oblong pupil dilated as it considered her.
“Our bonds are imbedded in our minds and hearts. We will not taste the blood of the innocent, and the Agraak leash our minds.”
“Leash your minds?”
“Pain, in our heads. A chip implanted to cause pain and terminate, he holds it in his hand.” The brush at the tip of his tail flicked angrily beside him as he gestured to his hand.
“He has a device to control them in his glove! Eyuul, remember his gloves? His right hand was nearly encased in metal. He must have something there that’s connected to implants in their heads.”
Eyuul muttered a curse against the Agraak, one that Jenn thoroughly agreed with. She looked sympathetically at the Arobi.
“What’ll you do?”
He glanced back toward the other males, and they seemed to resume a silent conversation between themselves, low growls vibrating in their chests, muscles twitching and tails whipping through the air as they moved together. Exeri offered a brusque nod and returned his attention to her.
“We guard and wait. We cannot let you bring down the wall that will bring our death for our failure. The Ashier, he retreats to heal, but he will always come. Be aware. We will delay him as we are able.”
A small smile flitted over Eyuul’s mouth. “That is fair enough. We thank you.”
Eyuul sank down before her but Jenn placed a restraining hand on his chest.
“Hold on—you’re hurt. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to carry me.”
He glanced down at the shallow cuts decorating various swathes of his skin and tail.
“They are not grievous wounds. I won’t be significantly injured by carrying you the rest of the way. I prefer to move quickly while our enemy is recovering.”
Jenn didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? I don’t want to cause you any more pain.”
Eyuul laughed, exasperation in the sound. “I am already in pain. Your slight weight will hardly be noticeable. Now, return to the sling.”
Jenn’s hands slammed down on her hips and she glared at him. “I don’t want to cause you any pain, you stubborn ass! I’m not a tiny woman who weighs less than a feather soaking wet.”
Eyuul’s expression darkened and he shifted so that he could loom over her. Not enough to be threatening, but enough to make Jenn more than aware that he meant business.
“We will proceed in the manner that is the safest and most expedient. Now stop arguing before I drop you in my hunting sack and carry you into the valley that way.”
Recoiling, Jenn gaped at him. Her mouth snapped shut and she reluctantly nodded and took her place behind him. Exeri shifted closer to her and Eyuul’s eyes cut to him, the menacing rattle of his tail resuming as he rose to a menacing height. The Arobi immediately dropped into a crouch again with his hands out before him.
“No disrespect or harm from us. I, Exeri, seek only to assist the female.”
“Jenn?”
Eyuul looked at her, his posture uncertain. Jenn swallowed and glanced at the Arobi. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if she could hold onto Eyuul. She gave the Vori a shaky smile.
“It may be quicker if he helps, but can I hold onto your tail while he does? I just don’t know if I can tolerate his touch without a little help.”
With an understanding smile, Eyuul sank before her again the tip of his tail curling against her palm. Jenn wrapped her fingers around it and held her breath as unfamiliar hands gripped her hips. She swallowed back a cry of panic as she was lifted into the air, but it lasted only a moment before she was released again. With Exeri’s help, Jenn was back in the sling.
Panting, Jenn buried her face against the crook of Eyuul’s neck, his crown coils sweeping around her in a comforting cascade. She opened one eye and looked at the Arobi who was regarding her with a dismayed expression.
“I’m sorry. It’s not you.”
The male nodded his head once more in a jerky gesture.
“We know.” Sadness descended over the pack as they murmured back and forth between each other with low whines. “We know the look of the soul’s pain.”
The Arobi didn’t move from their position, watching with the eerie light behind their eyes, as Eyuul darted away. Jenn watched until they were obscured by the thick brush as she and Eyuul descended once more on their route to the es’Etale territory.
Chapter 17
When the first markers of the es’Etale nesting grounds came into view, Eyuul finally felt comfortable enough to ease his ruthless pace. His wounds tormented him with every tug at them from his movement. Carrying Jenn hadn’t helped, but he didn’t want to take any chance of being caught off-guard out in the open again. Thankfully, the wounds had been shallow, so he wasn’t yet any risk of bleeding out.
Jenn’s muffled laugh against the back of his neck made him turn his head questioningly.
“What amuses you?”
He felt her shake her head against his skin as she snorted out another volley of laughter. When it finally subsided, humor still tinged her words as she spoke.
“You realize we’ve had our first argument, and it was probably the shortest and politest disagreement I’ve ever had?”
Despite himself, Eyuul felt his own lips curve in an answering smile.
“An important relationship landmark, I gather. Humans are strange. My clan would be horrified. A male is never to fight with a female, but rather defer to her lead at all times.”
“Are you shitting me?”
Startled, he jerked his head back. “What?”
“Sorry, just an expression. You mean to tell me, that you never fight with your mates? Like, ever?”
“It is true. In our society, the female leads. It is considered the sign of a most deplorable male if he argues with his mate or refuses to yield to her authority.”
“You are really one of a kind then, aren’t you?”
From anyone else, he would have thought that they were calling cruel attention to his abnormality. From Jenn, the words seemed more like praise than condemnation. They inspired warmth in his hearts. He felt her shift in the sling and her breath teased his ear.
“Just so you know, many human women like a take charge, dominant guy.”
His breath caught in his throat and he nearly slid sideways as his tail blundered uncooperatively. Only when he regained control of himself could he respond.
“You like it?”
“Well, I may not always like it, but I prefer an occasional argument with a strong male who knows his own mind to a guy who’s a virtual doormat, always letting me have my way even when it’s not in my, or his, best interest.”
Eyuul filed that away. Although doormat didn’t translate, he did understand what a mat was and got the general idea. Jenn, and many human females if her word was accurate, desired males who had strength not only as protectors but also in character and the will to be equal within and outside the nest. Even perhaps to dominate in moments when it was necessary.
The idea was a strange one on Vora, but it appealed to him on a forbidden level.
He considered his brother’s relationship with his human mate. Vadal and his nestmates Shaagra and Walooth hardly seemed to defer to Reggie in the customary manner, something which his mother disapproved of, especially when Reggie never found fault with their disrespectful behavior nor made any attempt to correct it. It had perplexed him at the time, as he was unable to comprehend why his brother would risk the displeasure of his
mate. Shaagra was the worst among them for showing inappropriate behavior, often daring to restrain Reggie for her safety, or arguing with her when their opinions clashed. Now that he thought on it, more than once sounds of argument were often followed by sounds of passion.
“Do humans consider arguing to be arousing?”
Jenn made a muffled noise against his shoulder which he could not identify.
“I suppose some do. There are couples who get off on arguing, but I don’t think it is so much the arguing itself but the make-up sex that is satisfying.”
Eyuul felt himself swell uncomfortably as he imagined the heat of an argument once resolved being turned to pleasurable things. Either in the nest amid a mound of cushions, or perhaps even against a tree.
“Are you a female who enjoys make-up sex?”
“Oh, definitely.”
The purr in his ear was almost his undoing. It was only by some miracle that he refrained from extruding right there at the boundary of his clan’s nesting grounds where any of his family could come upon them. The very idea was illicit... and exciting.
He flashed a smile loaded with heat over his shoulder. “If you’d permit my courtship, I’d endeavor then to vex you at every appropriate opportunity.”
Jenn drew in a sharp breath in surprise, but then he was treated to her warm laughter.
“I’d be sure to expect mischief from you then.”
They said nothing more on the subject, but his mind kept returning to the fact that she hadn’t outright rejected the idea of his courtship. He’d have to ask Reggie’s advice on what human females liked... and Vadal would likely have some wisdom to impart.
“Hello, Eyuul! Where have you been? Our matriarch has been inquiring about your long absence.” A young male of a dark yellow hue, the offspring of one of his cousins, pulled to a halt, his word dropping off as he stared wide-eyed. “You have returned with a human!”
He smiled patiently at the younger male. “You do have a gift for stating the obvious, Maydor. This is Jenn. I must bring her before my mother. Do you know if she is within her nest?”
The young male barely seemed able to take his eyes off Jenn and Eyuul felt his mood deteriorating fast. He suddenly understood, all too well, how protective Shaagra had been of Reggie in the company of other males. Although completely innocent, the youth’s curiosity and interest toward his female was unsettling. He didn’t realize that he was rattling his tail until Jenn pinched him. Maydor backed away, his expression surprised and a little wary.
“My apologies, Eyuul. I meant no harm.”
“Eyuul, that boy wasn’t doing anything other than being a typical nosy kid. Quit scaring him. At this rate, no one is going to even want to say two words to me.”
“The males of my clan don’t need to talk to you,” he muttered resentfully. He hissed as Jenn lightly pinched him again.
“Eyuul, seriously, you are way overreacting. Put me down so you can go see a doctor.”
Knowing that he wasn’t going to win this particular argument, with Jenn already squirming to unseat herself from the sling, Eyuul helped her slip free of it. She rounded on him, scanning his cuts, many of which were already scabbing over. She glanced over at Maydor, frowning when he slid closer. She paced back skittishly and Eyuul snarled at his cousin. A flash of yellow tail, and Maydor recoiled at the sound. Jenn took a deep breath before giving Eyuul a wan smile.
“I’m all right, big guy. I just wasn’t expecting him to be so close.” She gave Maydor a small, hesitant smile, which the youngling returned broadly, excitement obviously bubbling within him.
Eyuul sighed. He was obviously going to need to give the male something to do to occupy himself or else he would be trailing after Jenn like a lovesick corcoo.
“Maydor, please fetch Vadal and let him know that I have minor wounds that need treating.”
“Shall I have him meet you at your mother’s nest?”
“Yes, I’d appreciate it.”
With a final longing glance at Jenn, the male shot through the grass in the direction of Vadal’s nest. Jenn chuckled and nudged him gently.
“Don’t be too hard on the kid. If he’s anything like human teens, he’d fall all over himself for any pretty face and will forget me when a new one strikes his fancy.”
Eyuul smiled but unease gnawed at his gut mercilessly as they made their way toward his mother’s den.
“Jenn, before you meet my mother, I must tell you a few things.”
“Well, I imagine since she’s the head of your clan, ‘be on my best behavior’ is probably at the top of the list.”
He chuckled despite himself. “Yes. That is one of the things. She expects a certain reverence, but she will also expect you to be strong of temperament. But more importantly, I wanted to tell you that she might try to replace me with more worthy males to protect you.”
Jenn stumbled and stared at him when she caught her balance. “What? Why ever for?”
“I told you of my clan’s opinion of me and my reputation among them.”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with you and me?”
“In my mother’s eyes, I am unworthy of a mate. Accompanying you can potentially lead to courtship, and she has other sons who she’d prefer to see have the opportunity.”
“Wait a second, who said anything about mating anyone?”
“You have not, but even if you objected, my mother would do the best to surround you with appropriate males to see if she could tempt you into forming a mating bond with one of them.”
Jenn stretched her neck from side to side, a contemplative frown on her face.
“All right, so your mom is a matchmaker from hell. Got it. Anything else I should know?”
“My clan will treat me... unkind at times. I don’t want you to become alarmed when you meet them. Even my eldest brother, Vadal, while not cruel, is distant toward me and may be suspicious that I have behaved inappropriately toward you. Don’t be offended if they ask you about it. It is expected and I’ve become accustomed to it.”
Her jaw tightened and her cheeks darkened with an angry flush.
“They’d better not. Not in front of me.”
“Just don’t be surprised.”
“Oh, trust me. I won’t be.”
He acknowledged her with a small smile and led her to the entrance of his mother’s nest. Running his hand over the pad near the door, he waited as the metal slid away, revealing the softly lit interior. Knowing that his fathers would have been alerted the moment one of their offspring gained entrance to the nest, he waited patiently and smiled when Father Morsu made his appearance.
His father, the blue of his scales faded in color, smiled but it dropped when his eyes landed on Jenn.
“Eyuul, you return with a female?”
“Father Morsu, this is Jenn. I found her and brought her safely from the Shagorith Mountains.” He knew he was skating over some details that almost made that statement untruthful but pushed on, thankful that Jenn did not contradict him and reveal the truth of where he’d found her. “She requires refuge so that she might contact the Intergalactic Council.”
His father frowned. “Contact the Council? For what purpose?”
“Jenn escaped from Agraadax and has vital information pertaining to the human females contained on the planet.”
Morsu’s eyes widened. “This is a subject for your mother’s attention. Come.”
With Jenn walking close beside him, as if wanting to be certain that she wouldn’t be separated from him, he departed from the entry hall into the common room and then into to the large office where Esfalee handled all clan business.
His mother frowned at the sight of him. Any shock she’d shown at seeing a human at his side seemed to morph into displeasure.
“Mother, allow me to introduce Jenn. Jenn, this is my mother, the matriarch of the es’Etale clan, Esfalee.”
His mother regarded Jenn coolly, her hand upraised to halt any further discussion as Father Morsu hurrie
d to her side. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. When he pulled back to rest on his coils at her side, she leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips, one claw tapping thoughtfully on her worktable.
“Eyuul, your arrival with a human female is surprising, to say the least, although your father has informed me of her purpose here. Vadal possesses the only intergalactic comm system, so you will have to speak to him before using it. As it stands, I have no problem giving sanctuary to the human.”
She glanced down to her comm pad and Eyuul almost let out his pent-in breath in relief. She wasn’t going to force him to part from Jenn. His relief was short-lived when she continued to speak without glancing up.
“Naturally, we will have to find a more suitable male to serve as her protector. Your service is no longer needed. You are dismissed. Be sure to see Vadal so that your injuries can be attended to, clean up, and rest. Tomorrow you may return to your duties that you’ve neglected in your long absence.”
“Uh, yeah, about that, it’s not happening.”
To his horror, his mother’s head snapped up, her eyes blazing.
“What did you say to me?”
He slid forward to insert himself between his mother and Jenn, but the human smacked his arm with her palm in warning and stepped in front of him. She paled slightly under the weight of his mother’s anger, but thrust out her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I appreciate your kind assistance and generosity, Matriarch, but I am not staying here without Eyuul’s protection.”
His mother’s lip curled. “You would rather take your chances in the jungle?”
“Not at all,” Jenn laughed weakly. “I’m not suicidal, but I do not trust any male near me after all that I suffered on Agraadax. I was raped and tortured by a male whom I was forcibly given to be his mate, to breed for him, and it nearly destroyed me. Eyuul, and only Eyuul, has won my trust. He is the only male I can tolerate to touch me or come near me.”
The angry rattle of Esfalee’s tail echoed in the room as his mother demonstrated her displeasure. He noticed that Jenn restrained herself from jumping in fear, but it was only just barely. As it was, the scent of fear was strong in the air despite how hard she tried to keep control over her instinctive reaction.
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