by Becca Van
“Are you all right, little Darcy?” Cark asked.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Please do not go out again without a guard or one of us by your side. As you saw, it can be very dangerous.”
“I know how to defend myself.”
Cark heard a snort come from behind him and watched as fire filled his tatra’s eyes. His cock jerked in his pants and a spurt of pre-cum erupted from the tip. By the moon, she was magnificent. He wanted to strip her down and bury his shaft into her until he could go no further, but he didn’t and wouldn’t until she agreed that he and his brethren were her mates.
Even his fangs were aching to sink into her flesh and mark her as his for all time. It didn’t seem to matter that they had receded. They throbbed right along with his cock, balls, and heartbeat.
Darcy lifted her hands, gripped his wrists, and tugged his hands from her face. She stepped to the side and glared at Drac. Her hands landed on her hips and she took a step forward. “Did you just snort at me?”
Drac glanced away and to Cark’s surprise, his brethren’s cheek tinged a darker color, but he once more met her gaze, and scowled with belligerence. “I did.”
“Why?”
“You are a female.”
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“There is no way you could protect yourself from one of us.”
Darcy’s eyes went ice cold and when Cark looked at her chest he noticed that she was breathing quickly.
“Do you think that just because I don’t have a cock dangling between my legs, that I am helpless?” she asked angrily. “Because I am not as tall or muscular as you, that I am too weak to defend myself?”
“You are little, tatra. You do not even come up to our shoulders. Our bodies are much heavier than yours. Your thighs aren’t as big as my arm.” Drac flexed his arm, his bicep bulged out even more.
“So you think because I am shorter, thinner than, and not as strong as you, your brothers, and your men, that I am a helpless little female?”
Cark winced at her high-pitched tone and when he looked at her face and into her eyes, he swore he saw determination.
“I do not mean to make you feel…less, tatra,” Drac shifted closer to Darcy. “But it is obvious to all who look at you, how…delicate you are.”
Drac reached out toward Darcy’s face. Whether he was going to stroke or cup her face or caress her hair, Cark didn’t know, but whatever his brethren had been about to do, he didn’t get to do it.
Darcy stepped into Drac, grabbing his wrist, and, turning quickly so that her back was toward his brethren, she bent over at the waist and tugged. Drac seemed to roll over his mate’s hip and flip in the air before landing on his back on the hard ground with a thud.
At first Cark couldn’t react because he was so surprised that his tatra had managed to get the better of his older brethren, but when he saw the perplexed astonishment on Drac’s face and he was gasping as if all the air had left his lungs, he started to laugh.
He couldn’t believe that their little Darcy had managed to flip Drac.
Drac pushed to his feet and rubbed his ass as if it was bruised, and then he stepped toward Darcy.
“How the pharm did you do that?”
“A girl never gives away her secrets,” Darcy said nonchalantly and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. She smirked, raising an eyebrow at Drac before continuing on. “Do you still think I’m weak and helpless?”
“I never said—”
“No, but you thought I was a delicate little female who wouldn’t know how to defend myself, if necessary. Do you still think so?”
“Darcy…”
“I would like to see more,” Plat said as he came to stand beside Drac.
“As would I.” Cark smiled, pleased when Darcy smiled back.
“Where did you learn to move like that?” Lowl asked.
“I’m a dance teacher back on Earth. I also went to self-defense classes twice a week.”
“Self-defense?” Froz asked.
“A class where I learned moves like that one.” Darcy swept her hand toward Drac. “Where I learned to defend myself.”
“What is dance?” Plat asked.
“You don’t know what dance is?” Darcy asked incredulously. “What about music? Do you know what that is?”
“Yes,” Froz answered. “We have music.”
“That’s good. If you play some music later, I can show you what dancing is.”
“Will you show us how to do what you did to Drac? Please?” Plat asked.
“Okay,” Darcy said. “I have a whole lot of moves I can show you. If you’d like, I can teach self-defense classes to show all of your men.”
Froz growled. “That will not be necessary. You can show us and we will show our warriors.”
“Why? Don’t you trust me?”
“It’s not you that I don’t trust.”
Cark cringed when Darcy scowled at Froz before turning her back to him and walking over to Isa. “You have more to show me. Let’s go to the market like we planned.”
“Senna Darcy, I don’t think that is a good idea.” Isa swallowed audibly and after meeting Cark’s and his brethren’s eyes, quickly lowered her gaze.
“Why not?” Darcy asked. “Those men have gone. There is no danger, no matter what they say. Can you see the warriors doing something to hurt me?”
“No, Senna.”
“Neither do I.” Darcy took Isa’s hand in hers and pulled her along. Cark bit his tongue to keep from laughing when he heard his tatra muttering under her breath. She said something like, “overprotective overbearing assholes.”
“Darcy, get back here,” Drac snarled.
“Kiss my ass,” Darcy yelled over her shoulder and stuck her middle finger up into the air before turning back and continuing on walking.
Cark let loose with a roar of laughter this time. He glanced over and saw that Plat and Lowl were smiling, whereas his two older hard-ass brothers, Drac and Froz, were scowling.
Froz pointed a finger at Cark. “Follow them and make sure they stay safe. Take our tatra’s new warrior guard with you.”
Cark looked toward the back entrance to the large domicile and saw that Keet, Baed, Gace, Cork, and Buxt Deg were staring after his mate with a mixture of awe and stupefaction. He knew exactly how they felt, because he was also bewildered by his female’s actions.
Although there were few females on Zennox none of them knew how to protect themselves and they were much larger and muscular than their little Darcy. He just hoped she wasn’t overconfident in her skills, because he worried she would get herself into a situation she wouldn’t be able to get herself out of. Even if she was skilled in this self-defense, he couldn’t see her being able to escape a group of males. She wouldn’t have a hope in hades.
* * * *
“How did you do that?” Isa whispered.
“Didn’t you hear my explanation?” Darcy asked.
“Is this self-defense like warrior training?”
“In a way. I will only ever use it if I’m in danger. I don’t go looking for trouble.”
“This is good. Why didn’t you go back inside when the leaders of the Western Province came? Now that they have seen you, they will try and find a way to take you.”
“Yeah.” Darcy sighed. “I kind of figured that out by the way they were looking at me. What is it with men on this planet? Why are they so segregated? Why can’t they all get along and live in peace? They are all living on the same world.”
“Do the people on your world live without fighting?” Isa asked.
Darcy sighed. “No. There is always some fanatic trying to dictate their beliefs to others. Not that I care what other people think, but there are those that brainwash people into their way of thinking. I hate that there doesn’t seem to be peace anywhere.”
“The males of Zennox were a lot worse long ago. They used to kill each other instead of just fight, as they do now.”
“Well, that’s something.” Darcy stopped outside a small hut-type building and peered in the front window. When she saw that there were what looked like clothes inside, she decided to go in. She needed something else to wear other than the outfit she had on. “Can we go in here?”
“Of course.” Isa smiled. “The whole point of visiting the village was to get you some garments to wear.”
Isa opened the door and stepped back to allow Darcy to enter first. She breathed in deeply when she smelled a light perfume in the air. It smelt like jasmine and vanilla and she wondered where it was coming from.
“Isa,” the older female behind the small counter greeted.
“Till, this is Senna Darcy.”
“Oh.” Till bowed her head and then smiled at Darcy. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You have?” Darcy asked.
“Well, yes. You are the talk of the north.”
Darcy was a little disconcerted to be the talk of the town, but she guessed being an alien would accrue curiosity. She didn’t think there would be much to talk about, though, because she hadn’t been there for very long.
“You have come for garments? Yes?” Till asked.
“Yes,” Isa answered before Darcy could. “Our Senna will need everything.”
“Uh, Isa?”
“Do not worry about a thing.” Isa patted Darcy’s arm. “Sen Froz has arranged everything.”
Darcy was a little piqued that he had “arranged everything” without telling her, but she couldn’t really argue. She didn’t know how they paid for things on this world, plus she didn’t have any money, if that’s what they used to buy things. For all she knew they used a barter system.
For the next hour Darcy tried on outfit after outfit. She liked the formfitting dresses and loved the way the material felt against her skin. It was so soft and silky it felt like it was caressing her flesh. However, she was more interested in getting some pants and tops, since that’s what she usually wore, but she couldn’t see any on the shelves.
“Till, Isa, I really like these dresses, but I’m more of a trouser girl. Do you have any pants I can try on?”
Till gasped and then looked to Isa. “Give Senna Darcy what she wants.”
“But I only have what the warriors wear,” Till explained.
“That will be perfect.”
By the time they exited the shop, Darcy had three dresses, three pairs of pants, five tops, and new boots. When she’d asked the ladies about underwear, they didn’t have a clue about what she was talking about. Darcy drew a picture of panties and a bra and Till had promised to make her some.
Cark was leaning against a post outside the shop and talking to five other men. They all straightened when they saw her. Cark hurried to her side, took the packages from her hands, and passed them over to the other men.
“Did you have fun, my tatra?”
“Yes, thank you. Who are your friends?”
“This is your personal guard. The Deg brothers will go everywhere you go.”
“I don’t need—ˮ
“Darcy, my brethren and I need to know you are safe. After what happened this morning, we aren’t willing to risk your life.”
Darcy sighed and gave a slight nod of her head. Although she didn’t want to have people following her around all the time, even she conceded that after the way the men from the West Province looked at her, it was probably a good idea. “Hi, guys.”
All five men bowed their heads to her.
“Darcy, this is Keet, Baed, Gace, Cork, and Buxt Deg. They would give their lives to keep you safe,” Cark said.
“Thank you, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m pleased to meet you all.”
“Do you have everything you wanted?” Cark asked.
“I have everything I need. Thank you. I will try and figure out a way to pay you and your brothers back.”
“There is no…”
Darcy held up her hand to halt Cark’s words. “I’m used to paying my own way, Cark. I’ve never been a freeloader and I’m not about to start being one now.”
“What is a freeloader?” Cark frowned, then took her arm and guided her back toward the massive house.
“It’s someone who takes advantage of someone else. Usually by not paying their way and expecting others to pay for them.”
Cark stopped, a look of horror on his face. “Little one, we would never think of you that way. You don’t need to do anything to…pay your way. My brethren and I are honored to make sure your needs are met.”
“That may be so, but I don’t like letting others take care of me. I’ve always worked for my own things.”
“Did you not have a protector back on your planet?”
“Protector?”
“Sire, brethren, a male to make sure you are kept safe.”
“Um, no. I lived alone.”
“Alone?” Cark asked in a voice full of anger. “Where was your sire?”
“My father, sire, died when I was very young. I don’t remember him. If it hadn’t been for the pictures my mother kept, I wouldn’t even know what he looked like.”
“I am sorry, tatra. I didn’t not mean to make you sad.” Cark stroked a finger down her cheek before pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight.
Darcy’s breath caught in her throat as his woodsy scent assailed her nostrils. Her breasts began to ache, her nipples hardened against his stomach, and her pussy wept moisture. When she heard Cark growl, she drew back and looked up into his glowing hazel eyes. His gaze was so full of heat, of hunger, her body responded more.
Cark leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. Darcy wanted to grab hold of his shirt and devour him, but she was aware of Isa and the Deg brothers watching, so she reluctantly pulled away. He took her hand in his and started walking again.
“So are you and your brothers going to let me show your men some moves?”
“If that is what you want, then yes. We want you to be happy here with us, tatra.”
Darcy’s heart filled with warmth and her eyes filled with tears of emotion. That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. And although she was a little hesitant about accepting five men as her mates, the idea wasn’t so frightening as it had been when they had told her what she was to them.
What worried her most at the moment was how the hell she was supposed to keep five big, sexy, muscular men satisfied, if she did concede to being their mate. One woman could only handle so much.
* * * *
Borg Lom sat staring at nothing in particular as his brethren talked. He took a sip of his ratt and tried to get the image of the unusual female out of his mind, but no matter how hard he tried to remove her face and lithe, curvy body, he couldn’t.
It hadn’t taken long for the rumors about the strange female to reach the warriors of his province and he had been so curious he had talked his brothers into taking a ride. When he’d met her eyes and seen the fire in them, he’d wanted to pick her up and take her. His cock was so hard it was aching, and she’d looked so soft and feminine he could just imagine how she would feel naked under his hands.
When he tuned into the conversation his brethren were having, he realized they were just as enamored of her as he was. Could he take her and have her for his own? Would he start a war between the two provinces? That was a definite and as much as he would like to get a better look at the female, he wasn’t sure she was worth going to war over. But he couldn’t ignore the way she had stirred his body. There were so few females as it was. If he could kidnap her and find out where she was from, maybe he and his brethren could go to her planet and get a mate for themselves.
The more he thought about that, the more sense it made. But once he found out where she was from, would the Northern Leaders let bygones be bygones? Or would they hold a grudge and continue fighting them? Borg didn’t want to start a war, but he and his brothers were desperate for a female of their own. Would it be worth the tension between the two provinces? They always seem
ed to be fighting anyway, what was one more reason to continue the hostilities?
And maybe that female was their mate? Could he ignore her and lose a chance of a lifetime?
“I want to know where she is from,” Starg said.
“As do I, brother.” Larg nodded in agreement.
“For all we know she could be our mate.” Forg leaned forward in his chair and met Borg’s gaze.
“I think we should take her.” Varg’s words mirrored his own thoughts.
Borg nodded, smiled, and motioned to a young warrior. “Bring more drink and food.” He waited until the warrior hurried away before meeting each of his brethren’s eyes. “Let’s plan.”
Chapter Six
Froz sighed with relief when he saw Darcy, Cark, and the Deg warriors returning. He had been on tenterhooks the whole time she had been out of his sight. Drac hadn’t been much better. They had continued training with their men and had been more aggressive than they should have. Luckily their warriors were well trained and could be just as forceful as they were.
He was so het up with need for his tatra it was almost impossible to concentrate. Although he tried, he couldn’t seem to get her move with Drac out of his mind. She’d looked so fierce and sexy and his cock was so pharming hard it was painful. But it wasn’t just his own desire he was feeling. Since the moment he and his brethren had spotted Darcy lying on the ground, his emotions had been roiling and the connection to his brethren was strengthening. His cock kept expanding and pulsing until he was sure he would burst out of his warrior pants. It was damn uncomfortable to try to fight in that condition. The only way to appease the ache was to mate with their female, but he wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to them just yet. He just hoped she wouldn’t take too long to accept them, because he was worried he might just kill someone. And that would be a travesty.
Froz didn’t want to hurt any of his own men or brethren. He wouldn’t mind taking out his aggression on the leaders from the Western Province, though. He had a feeling they hadn’t seen the last of those Lom brothers. Frac had told him and his brethren how the Lom brothers had been staring at their tatra. He was concerned that now that they had seen their mate, that they would want her for themselves.