by Erin Tate
The space easily fit five hundred males.
“How many did they bring?” He shot into the hallway and strode toward the lifts.
“Seven councilmen and two hundred warriors,” Hassee supplied.
“Warriors? Not simply guards?”
“Warriors.” The ambassador returned, his anger easily heard. While their class often provided protection, it was not to be used in the form of keeping individuals safe as part of a traveling party.
They defended their world, not the men who ran it.
The lift doors parted and they all climbed aboard.
“Ambassador Haspava?” Kede kept his voice low, attempting to keep his tone calm and smooth while rage roiled inside him.
“Yes, Commander?”
“I will try to remain calm, but I tell you this now, as a male speaking of his female. If they have harmed her, I will take the hand of every male who has touched her.”
“As is your right.”
As was his right. Yes, he had a right to tear apart anyone who dared split a mated Doshan pair.
He kept those words close. It was a vow spoken from the commander of the Vehly as the harau of Joyce Enner to Ambassador Haspava, Primary Ambassador of the Doshan people. A vow which was heard and accepted.
It was his right.
It was his right to stride down the barren hall of the command deck as he did, unhindered.
It was his right as he continued to enter the gathering room that held seven Doshan councilmen and two hundred fellow warriors.
It was his right to stare down every single warrior who dared meet his gaze. He did not miss the shame filling their faces. That alone may save some of them.
Then he spied his Joyce… She stood on the low dais, Doshan councilmen to her left and Terran officials to her right. He disliked her being near other males, but then he noticed the rest. She was dressed in no more than thin shorts and an equally thin t-shirt. She was practically exposed to these males, but then he noticed the source of the warriors’ shame. Yes, she was half-dressed, but she was also shackled at her feet and ankles, disheveled, teary eyed and a darkening bruise marred her cheek…
It was his right—his privilege—to kill them all.
Chapter Twenty
Joyce refused to show fear. That didn’t mean it didn’t pump through her veins or force cold sweat from her pores. No, it merely meant she glared at the men who’d violated her quarters—stupid council identification that overruled Kede’s orders—and dragged her from her room.
Of course, that came after one of them backhanded her.
Apparently calling an alien an alien motherfucker did not go over well.
Now she just yelled the words on the inside as she pretended to stab the man through one of his mismatched eyes with a letter opener. Though, truthfully, Doshans didn’t have letter openers. Not when they had their comm pads and vid screens.
Fine, she’d stab him with one of Resane’s hypos. With any luck, it’d be filled with hemorrhoid cream.
How’s your ass-eye feeling now, dickhead?
If only…
Said dickhead must have felt her hatefire because he turned his attention to her, tearing his gaze from the restless crowd to meet her eyes. Loathing slammed into her. Loathing and fury and pure unadulterated hatred seared her veins.
Okay, he won in the hatefire department. It didn’t make hers any less valid. She just wasn’t quite that high up on the “fuck you, die now” scale.
He, obviously, was.
Point to the male with the green and red eyes. Wait, the green and red-black eyes?
She met someone recently who…
Sudden, deafening silence had her tearing her attention from the man she’d happily gut. She scanned the crowd, hunting for the reason an uncomfortable quiet blanketed the large room.
Half of her hoped and prayed it was Kede. Kede with his big assed Ginsu knives that could slice and dice better than any other Made for TV blades.
The other half of her wished he was anywhere but here. The Doshan delegate on her left and the Terran bastards to her right would happily take his blood. Take it and bathe in it. Well, maybe the Doshan assholes would. The Terrans would want to test it, manipulate, and pervert the DNA.
Good guys, those Terrans.
The crowd of warriors parted, slowly separating to create a wide swath of empty space between the low dais and… the room’s entry.
The entry where four armed males stood strong and tall. Each one clutched their own set of Ginsu knives, the blades gleaming in the ship’s light. The rays reflected off the carefully honed edges and she had no doubt they could slice through a body as easily as they’d shred paper.
The men moved as ONE, striding forward and pausing a handful of feet within the room. That’s when the one in the center, the one who towered over all others, whose strength was visible in every carved line of muscle, met her gaze.
The familiar eyes weren’t filled with the warmth she’d become used to seeing. Even when she screamed and yelled and called him a bastard… he’d always stared at her as if the bright light shined out of her asshole.
Okay, crass, but no less true.
Joyce shifted, body swaying toward him without conscious thought. He’d come for her. Armed and ready to go Kerosa all over everyone’s asses.
Kede had come for her. Kede, Resane, Hassee, and Yare had come for her.
She wanted to tell them it was pointless. She’d listened to the Doshan councilman’s speech and heard what the Terran representatives had to say.
No, not just representatives. Director Wardsen. Director Wardsen and a few of the government military personnel hitched a ride with the Doshan group to reclaim her.
It apparently didn’t matter that she didn’t want to be reclaimed. Or that she’d been genetically altered until she truly was Doshan now.
None of it mattered.
Nothing but her new life on the Vehly. The new life that included Kede Tria and sure as hell didn’t include the murdering dickheads known as Terrans.
Nobody seemed to care.
Fuckholes.
Kede’s bright eyes bored into hers and she felt his thorough perusal as if his hands were stroking her skin. When they fell on her shackled wrists, they glowed brighter. More still when he noted those that encircled her ankles. But they truly turned into blazing fire when he noted the injury to her cheek. It’d been hours since she was dragged from her rooms. She imagined the tanned hue of her skin had darkened further with the forming bruise.
Some things about her physiology were still Terran.
Blushes.
Bruises.
Her sense of taste.
Her violent nature. Violent? Ha! Let those fuckers get tackled in a hallway and see how non-violent they’d be.
Apparently that hadn’t been the worst. No, Doshan females did not shiver nor shake when aroused by a male.
She didn’t think it was her fault the males didn’t know how to arouse their women.
Thankfully she hadn’t said that aloud. She hadn’t wanted another bruise to join the one she already sported.
Kede stepped forward, Yare and Hassee flanking him while Resane followed. Their features dared other warriors to stop them. As one, the males retreated, giving the quad even more space.
“What is the meaning of this?” Councilman Dickhead snarled at the approaching group and Joyce knew confronting Kede was a mistake.
She’d seen him in action, seen him leap over tables and take another to the ground for merely calling her an abomination. There was no telling what he’d do now that he’d seen the bruise.
Kede’s steps never faltered or slowed. Even as the councilman snarled the question again, he continued coming toward her. Her. Not the mass of officials surround her. It was as if they didn’t even exist in his eyes.
It wasn’t until he reached the dais that his fluid gait slowed. And that was only so he could take a step onto the riser.
Others rushed forward, a
few Terran guards and one or two from the Doshan delegation. She knew they weren’t warriors. They didn’t wear the menace and restrained power like Kede’s warriors.
The males were strong in their own right, but it took a single, loud snarl from Kede’s friends for the nearing group to halt and ease back.
The three took up position around her, Yare and Hassee keeping men away from her sides while Resane watched Kede’s back.
He placed his blades to the side and then soft fingers slid over her skin and she realized that while she’d panicked over the impending violence, Kede gently worked on her bindings. Now that she focused on him and blocked out the cacophony around them, she truly saw him.
She saw him and his barely leashed fury. His face was pale, whiter than she’d ever seen, and his muscles seemed larger than ever. His movements were quick and precise, fingers careful as he took what looked like lock picks and unlocked the shackles on her wrists. The metal fell to the ground in a heavy thud, and then he was stroking her flesh, digits exploring the reddened skin.
“My harae,” he murmured and brought first one wrist and then the other, to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to the markings.
“I’m okay,” she whispered and fought the tears stinging her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry, not in front of these bastards and their political warring. Not when they’d laughed at the single drop of moisture that’d escaped after she’d been backhanded.
Fuck that.
Joyce Mother Fucking Enner wasn’t going to be the butt of anyone’s joke.
Especially not theirs.
Kede stroked her forearms, slid his palms along her biceps, over her shoulders and up her neck until he finally cupped her cheeks. He forced her to stare into his eyes, firmly but carefully urged her to turn her head. Her eyes remained open until her gaze clashed with Councilman Dickhead’s.
Unrestrained anger lurked in his eyes, the green and red now green and black.
Blacker than night, to be sure. It was darker than anything she’d ever seen and she imagined that if she were to stare into the very soul of the darkness that was exactly what she’d see.
So rather than stare into the gaze of evil, she closed her eyes as Kede examined her face.
“I can see you are fine, my harae.”
“Do not release the prisoner! She is your nothing!” Joyce recognized Councilman Dickhead’s voice. “Doshans do not join with other species!”
Kede stiffened, his fingers growing firm, but not tightening on her. Rather than responding to the man’s outburst, he returned to caring for her. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her bruise.
“I cannot make it better as a Terran mother, but I hope it brings you comfort.” The words were barely audible as he whispered against her cheek.
He released her and dropped into a crouch, those deft fingers easily ridding her of the shackles on her ankles as well. When he rose to his full height, she was free to run and hide. Yet, she was where she wanted to be. With Kede at her side, she knew she was safe. Oh, she had no doubt they were in a tense and potentially violent situation, but she didn’t think Kede would let her get hurt. At least, not when he could prevent it.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for my harae.” He reached for her again, his hand hovering over her injured cheek. “Who struck you?”
The words were calm, but she knew it’d take a single point and the offender would be dead. She was all for kicking ass, but she refused to have the taint of someone’s death on her soul. If the guy died over being an idiot, it wasn’t going to be because she said, “That’s the idiot.”
Besides, they had bigger issues.
Such as… the fact that she apparently wasn’t Doshan.
Then again, she wasn’t Terran either.
Which meant she was the next body on the table for experimentation.
Goody.
Joyce shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I believe—”
“Commander Tria! I demand an explanation. How dare you come into these proceedings and—”
Kede’s roar was deafening to everyone but Joyce. She’d become used to his yells. “I come to retrieve my harae and kill any male who touched her!”
No one breathed. No one blinked. No one even twitched as his scream echoed through the room.
“She is not—” Councilman Dickhead again.
Kede snarled. “She is mine.”
The words resonated in her soul and everything inside her agreed with his statement. She was his even if she was pissed at him a lot of the time.
“Doshans cannot join with those outside our species.” One of the other robed men stepped forward.
Hassee responded, “Father, so good to see you. I thought it was against our laws, our most ancient of laws, to interfere with a joining. Have you decided you know better than millennia of history?”
Great, so there was Councilman Haspava. She was pretty damned thankful Hassee took her side in this space-bound drama.
Councilman Dickhead jumped in again. “A Doshan cannot join with another—”
Resane interrupted this time. “Joyce Enner Tria-se is Doshan.”
Joyce welcomed the addition to her name. Welcomed it with open arms as it filled a hollow spot in her heart.
“By my own tests and at my own hand, she is Doshan.” Resane reiterated his statement. “I am sure that if you were able to steal onto the Vehly and kidnap Mistress Enner, you also have the results. Is that not correct, High Medico?”
The man wearing the white robes flushed a deeper tan.
“Your testing is faulty. The procedure was flawed.” Councilman Haspava shot back. “Joyce Enner is an alien spy and will be terminated as is our law.”
Oh, that was a mistake. Resane could take insults and teasing about many things. His science, his work, was not one of them.
Wait. Spy? What the fucking fuck?
Kede retrieved his blades and rose to his full height. Rather than vent his fury, he spoke calmly and directly at the councilman. “And your evidence to support such a statement? Or has the council taken to violating all of our laws? Those that dictate the treatment of the accused? Those that dictate a formal hearing and presentation? Or those that state a harae is not to be touched by any other than her harau unless it is necessary to her well-being?” Kede eased past Yare and faced off against the other man.
Yare, Hassee, and Resane eased closer to her, forming a solid, violent barrier between her and the rest of the room.
“I will have the male who struck her brought before me. Now. Once I have my justice, I will listen to your hollow words. Then I will return to my quarters with my harae and you will vacate my ship. Immediately. If you do not, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
“You dare—” the councilman sputtered. “We are the ruling—”
“You will be nothing unless you give me the male and get the fek off my fekking ship!” Joyce was pretty sure she saw Kede’s spit fly.
“I want her back, dammit. She is Terran and I want her returned.” Director Wardsen pushed into the conversation. Or roaring match. Whatever.
At a foot shorter than even the shortest Doshan, she figured the man had to have balls the size of Terra.
Kede turned his head and his left hand tightened on his blade. Oh, that man was gonna lose his head. “Terran,” he sneered, “you have no place on my ship. Return to your blue planet. Joyce Enner Tria-se is Doshan. She is mine and she will stay with me.”
He turned his gaze and those flaring eyes encompassed the whole room, landing on each male. “She is mine and you will die if you try to take her. Hear my words, weigh them for the truth and then be prepared to fall into darkness if you step near her.”
* * *
Kede let his words sink into the minds of the warriors before him. He knew, most were not witnessing this spectacle by choice. More than one male was filled with his same rage. Their eyes flared with the familiar hues of their caste. It would not take much to send
them tumbling into a bloody battle.
No, these males were related to the councilmen now crowding the stage. They were here as ordered by their Holder of House. He had no doubt.
The ruling body’s Houses were not controlled by the councilmen, but usually by their sons. Sons who then controlled the males spread across Dosha.
The councilmen had called. These warriors were forced to answer.
If they remained in place and out of Kede’s way, they would live.
He could be kind.
To them. Not to those responsible for tearing Joyce from his protection.
“Warriors do not join and she is not Doshan,” Councilman Riskz snapped back, not addressing Kede’s words or message. “She will be removed.”
Kede spun his blade, the metal making a glittering arch before he finally brought the tip to rest at the base of Riskz’s throat. “If she is removed, I will kill you. Make your choice, Councilman.”
A soft rustling of cloth and shift of white lingered in his vision, but he did not remove his gaze from the councilman. The male looked as if he would happily sever Kede’s head from his shoulders without hesitation. Some may even think Kede deserved it.
“Commander Tria,” the High Medico spoke low.
“Tria-se,” he immediately corrected. Joyce could yell at him later. He had read this. He would ask for forgiveness later and then convince her to remain with him.
“Commander, then. The Terran, Joyce, has been tested and other reports indicate—”
Kede increased his pressure against Riskz’s throat, ensuring that should the male move, he would immediately be injured. Assured of his captive’s compliance, he turned his attention to the High Medico. “Mistress Enner or Mistress Tria-se. You do not have leave to address her with such familiarity.”
The male shifted in place. “Terrans do not operate with such strict—”
“I do not care about Terrans or their customs. I care about my ship and Joyce. All on the Vehly treat every woman with the utmost respect. Further, Joyce receives what is due to the harae of Kede Tria-se, Holder of House Tria and Commander of the Vehly.”
“As you say.” The High Medico tilted his head in acknowledgement. “Mistress Enner has been tested and observed and it is the ruling of the medico council that she does not qualify as a Doshan female. As such, she is your property. However, Terrans have strict laws that state no person can be property. The council negotiated Mistress Enner’s return to Terra.”