Honor Bound

by Michelle Howard

  The Overlord smashed his fist into the palm of his hand at her answer. Miki jumped. A small argument broke out among them. Miki watched with interest, unable to understand a word. Finally, they reached some sort of consensus. The leader looked as if something distasteful filled his mouth. She held her breath.

  “You will present your offer but it will be up to him to accept or decline.” He leaned forward a step in her direction using his body to intimidate. He was very successful and Miki flinched from his next words. “The moment you seek to betray him or us, I will kill you, Raasa.”

  “Why should I agree? If he refuses, I am left with nothing after my efforts to awaken you. I risked a lot and you offer nothing in return.” Miki hated that her voice trembled but his death threat frightened her for many reasons. She was the last of her line and her house needed her. She would not leave them to the mercy of others. If Miki failed it meant they’d all suffer. Thenl’s actions did not lead her to believe her people would survive with him at the rule.

  He considered her words. His scowl spoke volumes but Miki waited. “If he refuses, I guarantee another to take his place for all you have done.”

  “Then I accept this decision.” He left her no choice.

  Miki leaned over the prone Warlord. Her sac swollen and full. She needed to release. A quick prayer to the Blessed One and Miki placed her mouth against his. Her tongue stroked the swollen flesh and her sakar released. Its tangy essence filled her mouth with familiarity though there had been few times for her to use the defense mechanism.

  The Warlord’s mouth lay still beneath hers. Her tongue stroked along his until she coated his mouth with venom. The texture of his soft tongue differed, not forked at the tip like hers and no bumps on the surface. It was smooth, wet and silky all at once. Miki raised her hand and rubbed his throat. The primitive manner of transfer would have to work because she had no injector to direct it into his blood stream.

  May this warrior forgive me, she prayed because mouth to mouth exchange of venom between a male and female not bonded could often prove fatal. Miki had to gauge the amount she released exactly. Too little and it would have no effect. Too much and he’d never awaken, leaving his body to eventually succumb to death.

  When she deemed a sufficiently amount of time had passed, Miki pulled back. She eyed him closely for any sign of change.

  “He is not up.”

  Miki ignored the grumble as best she could and placed her hand on the bare chest. “It takes longer without the injector. I must make sure to give him enough.” She once again pressed her mouth to his and kissed him deeply. Miki loved kissing. The intimate act showed a sign of trust between two Raasa for the mouth could be generous or deadly.

  His mouth warmed beneath hers and she felt the tentative touch of his tongue. Miki sought to pull back in surprise but a firm hand came up to clasp her neck from behind. Miki braced a hand on the ground beside his head and moaned. Her lips moved against his until she was pushed back suddenly and fell to her back side.

  The man beneath her sat up and unsheathed the dagger from his thigh. The look he aimed Miki’s way had her breath catching. Black eyes shot flames of anger as he slowly climbed to his feet.

  “Raasa,” he growled. “You seek to poison me.”

  Miki shook her head frantically crouching on all four. “No, No. You misunderstand.”

  The other Warlords came between them. Words flew back and forth. None of them included Miki in the conversation.

  With quaking limbs, Miki stood and stepped back a pace. She had to get away. Spinning around, she tried to spot a way out of the cave without crossing their paths. These were not the understanding warriors she’d come to expect. Why had she ever thought different?

  “Hold.” The order came from her future mate. She turned back only to see two Warlords move forward between them. They stood with their backs to Miki in an effort to contain him.

  Miki snorted and wished them luck with that. Another hasty step pressed her back against the cave wall and ended her escape. He shoved the others to the side and came to stand in front of her. Heat pulsed from his body. As a cold natured race, Miki admired those that maintained their own body temperature.

  “You know of Thenl.”

  Clearly they’d exchanged a lot of information with him in a short amount of time. Miki found herself nodding beneath the intimidating look he sent her way. Her palms flattened against the wall behind her.

  “He seeks to join with you in the way of a man and woman?”

  Another sharp nod was all she managed. He cursed and moved too fast for her to anticipate. The Warlord pinned an arm across her chest and raised his dagger to her throat. “I owe you thanks for my life but if you lie, I will slay you where you stand, Raasa”

  Fear danced through her. The pressure of his blade made it difficult to swallow. With a shaky breath, she spit out, “Mikayla S’Apul. My name is Mikayla S’Apul.” She wouldn’t accept the continued insult of referring to her by her race. If he killed her, he would know her name.

  He eased his hold marginally and Miki breathed deep. His masculine scent filled her nostrils but did not stop the racing of her pulse. “Will I die from the venom you placed in my mouth?”

  Miki couldn’t help but to blush. She hadn’t considered how an outsider would view her actions. “No. It’s different,” she explained.

  Pulling her away from the wall, he eased behind Miki, the blade never wavering. Her back met his chest as he lowered his head along side hers to speak. A muscled arm clamped around her waist and warm breath stroked her ear. “I know of the Raasa means of defense and I would have you vow that you have not poisoned my men or I.”

  “I vow that I have not,” she hissed, suddenly angry at his accusations. “I seek to save you in exchange for your help.” She struggled in his grip but his hold held firm and the blade bit deeper into her flesh. Miki froze. Would he actually kill her?

  “Tell me this bargain you seek and I will decide if we accept.”

  The others did nothing to aid her. In fact, the one she was beginning to hate intensely smirked at her.

  “I need a mate.” No response, not even a betraying twitch. He knew. They’d already told him of her desire. This was a game. A cruel game. She bit her lip to control her wayward tongue. Anger would solve nothing at this point. Putting pride to the side, Miki repeated her bargain. “In exchange for saving your lives, I seek a True Union to help me and my house defend ourselves against Thenl.”

  “You have refused the others.” He ran the blade from her neck to her shoulder and back again. It wasn’t a question.

  “The others would not have me and I would not have the Overlord,” she corrected.

  His entire frame stiffened. “You would refuse the leader of the Warlords you see before you? Why?”

  Uncaring of how he reacted, she flung her hand towards the smirking figure. “He is hapfe dung and hates me. My youngling will know love and honor from their father.”

  He pulled the blade away from her completely and loosened his hold around her waist. His next words were again in Kaban and directed toward the others. Her tormenter responded in kind, not glancing her way but she knew he spoke of her. A few of the Warlords joined in. For her defense or to add their own interpretation against her? Her hands clenched at her side.

  “Be at ease.” The husky command distracted her.

  Miki tried to tilt her head to the side to catch his expression, but he merely lifted her until her feet scrambled for purchase. Her hands came up to push against his arm but it was like attempting to move steel.

  “You chose me?”

  Miki wanted to deny it. Her decision based on his appearance seemed embarrassing now. She slumped in his arms. It was all for nothing. Her noan would be disappointed that they would have to come up with a new plan. “I can see you don’t want me anymore than your men. I will find another way. I am willing to enter a True Union without love in hopes of respect and affection developing, but I will not
tie myself to one who believes my people are distasteful as your eyes reveal. Some things should not be dishonored and a mating is one of them.”

  The grip at her waist loosened and Miki took it as an opportunity to turn. His eyebrows rose quizzically. The arches of dark hair added to his intimidating expression and Miki questioned their actual purpose. Raasa had no such hair on their foreheads.

  “You believe in honor that much? You would sacrifice the one chance your people have at survival?”

  Miki nodded.

  “Then I accept this bargain, Mikayla S’Apul.” He said her name smoothly without the stumbling many outsiders made over the long drawn S of her surname.

  It took a moment for his words to sink in. Her eyes widened in shock. Many races mingled and provided mixed birth but none with the Raasa. Miki’s joining with a Kabanian would be the first of its kind.

  Chapter 4

  Vaan managed to block the confusion he felt. There were so many questions and sensations pouring through him but he had no time for any of it. His Warlords counted on him and the story the woman told was too strange to be untrue. Asleep for three years. Years in which friends may have died. Battles lost. And most disappointing of all, the treaty with the Desani gone.

  He eyed the Raasa woman. Her pupils contracted and dilated in an odd display. Fear glinted in the diamond shaped green orbs though she tried to appear strong and confident. Vaan admired her for it. Her actions were bold with no guarantee of success.

  Her features differed slightly from most of the women he came in contact with. She had no eyebrows and no eyelashes to speak of but neither distracted from the symmetry of her face. Sharp cheekbones, a smooth forehead and a pert nose completed his initial assessment.

  He touched on her mouth and inhaled. Her lips were full and pink with a hint of fangs peeking out. Fangs that could rip into flesh yet she hadn’t bitten him when he threatened her with his weapon. He’d met Raasa before. A deadly but peaceful people with the ability to shoot poisonous venom from their mouths. A dangerous weapon for a people not known for their physical strength.

  Raasa were a slender race and she was no different. Her lean arms wrapped around her middle. The yellow tunic she wore stopped at mid-thigh and her brown leggings revealed long legs with an enchanting curve to them. A shapely Raasa woman in her prime.

  The Raasa men weren’t much different than their female counterparts in physical stature although they tended to favor one another. The males were almost indistinguishable with their hairless features and bald heads. Not a challenge in any way physically to a warrior of Kaban.

  Vaan gazed at the flowing black hair that just touched her shoulders. He remembered the feeling of the silky length when he’d touched the strands. It surprised him that the cold blooded race had something soft about their nature.

  The dark gold of her skin confirmed time spent living in a warm climate year round. Overall, an attractive package if one were inclined to think in that direction. It would provide no hardship to lay with her to create children.

  “We will go to your holding. We will train your men to defend your home and we will end Thenl.” Anger at the warrior who’d plotted against him knew no limits. “How long before he returns for your answer?”

  “A month. He is due in a month to force my agreement.”

  He nodded and pointed at the other warriors. “The Warlords present are Ramar, Tolan, Kavan, Balal.” He rattled the names of the others and ended with his best friend. “And my top commander, Warlord Argan.”

  Her lips parted and her eyes shot to Argan in dismay. Vaan considered smiling. An unlikely action but it was difficult to force back his humor. His men had told him of her assumptions. “And I am Overlord Vaan Galip. But you may call me, Overlord.”

  ***

  The journey from the cave and down the hill to the Raasa strong hold took less than an hour. Mikayla complained of the pace on behalf of the old man that joined them but Vaan had Kavan carry him and the time was not wasted.

  “Do you think she speaks truth?” Argan asked in Kaban.

  Vaan knew his men listened intently for his response. They all worried, though they masked it well in the presence of their enemy. “She believes the words she has spoken.”

  “Three years asleep in a cave. It is hard to imagine.” Argan cursed and spit on the ground. “We can not take her word. We must see for ourselves, Vaan.”

  “When we reach the home where she resides and take care of the joining, I will send a scout. It will be easy to ascertain if she lies.” Vaan placed his hand on the dagger strapped to his thigh. “If she seeks to trick us, she will meet punishment at the hands of the Overlord.”

  Argan worried. It was there in the crease of his brow.

  “Speak your mind friend. Ever have I listened,” Vaan encouraged.

  The sound Argan made was one of disgust. “Thenl proves you should not always.”

  Vaan thought deeply. Argan argued heavily for the warrior Thenl to reach Warlord status. If any other pushed on such a choice, Vaan would not have listened. “A warrior’s way is to err and learn. We learned.”

  They both grunted at this bit of truth. Still Argan pushed. “Perhaps, it is best to wait for the scout to return before tying yourself to the female.”

  “It is a small debt to pay. What price would you put on the life of fifteen Warlords and your Overlord?”

  Argan had no answer, letting silence flow while deep thoughts weighed heavy. The appearance of her home in the distance brought a deep sigh of relief from the female. The large rectangular structure reached two stories high yet paled in size to his home in Kaban but it looked a sturdy dwelling with its amber colored stone work and red tiled roof. From their approach, Vaan studied the massive framework of the gate surrounding the entire property. A wise security precaution. His own home had no such gate.

  As they approached the gate of the Raasa’s home on foot, the first thing Vaan noticed was the lack of guards around the perimeter. No one stopped their entrance into a home that harbored defenseless women and children.

  He sensed his men were troubled by the like as well. Their eyes betrayed disgust at this basic measure.

  “There is much to accomplish if we are to make this a formidable spot.”

  Argan’s words were truth. Vaan thought of his own compound and the warriors who patrolled the Galip stronghold throughout the day. At no time could anyone enter his home without his knowledge. He faced the woman who maintained a set distance between he and his Warlords. She fairly reeked of her woman’s anger and again, Vaan’s humor made an unusual appearance, causing him to keep his head angled away so none would question his smile.

  The Raasa female was not pleased with Argan’s deception. She believed him to be the Overlord and was dismayed at her error in judgment. Still with fifteen warriors to choose from including the man she’d thought was the Overlord, she’d selected Vaan and he admitted to pleasure at the fact, though he could not say why.

  Vaan shifted his attention to his best friend. Argan’s reaction he could not explain. His right hand Warlord remained firm in his distrust of her and wanted to kill the Raasa and be done. Argan’s irrational anger made Vaan view everything with a second eye. He’d already made one bad decision and could ill afford another. Vaan would be more cautious with their second chance at life.

  When they crossed the threshold there were shouted greetings. The massive gate opened at their approach without question. They entered her hall unchecked and Raasa bowed in their presence murmuring, “Su-Su.” The term was unfamiliar to Vaan, though he knew a few words of the Raasa speech. The split at the end of their tongue made it impossible to mimic the sounds completely. Add in the clicks and hisses and it was not an easy language to learn.

  Women in brightly colored tunics surrounded Mikayla and cried out, their arms touching her familiarly. A few caressed her hair. The men approached, bald heads angled down in admonishment and welcoming smiles on their faces. Vaan forced himself to remai
n still but when the men attempted to add their touches, he pulled his sword and slid it between Mikayla and the nearest Raasa male that thought to approach. His men followed his action and the sound of fifteen weapons being drawn filled the hall.

  “Overlord, what are you doing?” Her eyes bounced back and forth from him to her people.

  “They are too familiar with your person. I do not accept this.” If they were at his home, servants would not have dared and clearly, these were servants and not her family. Permission would have been requested prior to any daring to touch a leading member of the family. Those here would learn early of what he expected.

  Vaan spoke in the standard tongue and by the shocked looks on their faces, no one mistook his words. Only Mikayla dared to step closer to him, pushing away the sharp edge of his weapon as she did so. He allowed the disrespectful gesture. The Raasa men, he noted did not get any closer to her.

  “They worried for me. I was gone longer than expected.”

  Vaan eyed the three women and four men. “Then they should have sent scouts to search for you. Otherwise, their concern is without merit.”

  She gasped in outrage but even his men nodded. “They would have but I am back.”

  One of the Raasa men broke away from the group. He bowed to Vaan. “The Su-Su avoided her guards today. It will not happen again.” His green eyes promised sincerity but Vaan did not like the way they rolled in Mikayla’s direction with heat.

  Vaan would watch this one closely. With a subtle lift of his head, he signaled Argan who smiled grimly. His trusted friend would keep this one under watch as well.

  “Show me to our room, Mikayla. We must settle matters between us. My men will wait down here and begin preparation to fortify your home.”