Terran (Breeder)

by Cara Bristol

  He tapped into his PCS, and her coordinates appeared.

  Marlix frowned. According to the data, Tara had ventured several kilometers away from the Enclave. He called up the detail and discovered her location corresponded to an isolated wooded area. For what reason would she have left the Enclave? Was she alone?

  Had somebody taken her against her will? Qalin! Had he learned about her? Found her? The idea was too horrifying to contemplate, and he forced himself to consider other alternatives. Perhaps she’d gone hunting with his beta, though it seemed an unlikely way for a female to occupy herself.

  Quickly he contacted Urazi. “Is Tara with you?” he barked. Worry skyrocketed as Urazi’s PCD coordinates popped up, and they did not match Tara’s.

  “No, Commander. I am with Jergan. Is she not at the Enclave?”

  “No.” He clenched a fist. “I am sending you her location.” He forwarded the data.

  “I have her information now,” Urazi said. “We are not far away. What would you have me do when I locate her?”

  “Deliver her to the Enclave. Inform her she is forbidden to leave the hut.” He blanketed his fear in anger. It should not have been necessary to tell Tara not to venture out of the Enclave without him or Urazi. Her buttocks were going to be very sore.

  “I will contact you when I have her in custody,” Urazi said.

  * * * *

  “Where are we going now?” Tara followed Anika through yet more brush. This trek at least appeared to be following a rudimentary path, although brambles raked at her, adding to scratches she’d received while picking acca. Her arms and shoulders ached after lugging three heaping baskets to the conveyance.

  “You will see.” Anika peered back with a grin. “It is a surprise. A reward for a job well done. I appreciate your help—it would have taken much more time to pick all those alone.”

  “You did the feleen’s share of the work,” Tara said. “I only filled two baskets.”

  “Still you helped me. We must store many units of nuts.” Anika stopped. “We are almost there. Close your eyes and give me your arm.”

  “I don’t know…” Tara feared stepping into a hole or tripping over a branch, but she held out her hand. Anika grasped it, and Tara closed her eyes. With Anika pulling her, she tottered forward. She wrinkled her nose at an odd chemical smell, out of place in the wood. Then detected a bubbling noise.

  “Open your eyes.” Anika released her.

  Tara blinked. “It’s a hot spring!” Steam rose from a gurgling pool set among the rocks. She inhaled, filling her lungs with pungent, moist air. Not sulfur but something similar. Her face broke into a smile. “A bath!” Tara pulled off her double shifts and dropped them on a rock. She saw Anika’s eyes widen a little at the sight of Marlix’s insignia. Conscious of the ring, she tiptoed gingerly over wet rocks.

  “You should move a little that way.” Anika pointed. “The water is scalding where you are headed.”

  “Thanks.” Tara tested the temperature with a dip of her toe. Hot but not overly so. She eased into the pool. Water lapped at her hips. She found a rock to sit on, which brought the level to her collarbone. Her entire body relaxed with a silent sigh.

  “Good, no?” Anika slipped into the water and headed for another rock.

  “Glorious,” Tara responded. Not since she’d left Marlix’s domicile had she soaked in a hot bath. The water at the Enclave bathhouse was tepid at best. The stream where she and Marlix had had sex had been wonderful but icy cold. She could wash at the cottage, but that meant hauling in water and heating it on the stove, so she settled for sponge baths.

  “This is one of the reasons why I pick acca here. Many places have an abundance of nuts, but only this location has this. It is my secret treasure.”

  “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  In silence they lazed in the pool. Tara pillowed her head against a rocky ledge, stared at the tree canopy above, and imagined her and Marlix going at it like bunnies in the pool. She wondered if Anika would mind if she brought him here. “Have you shared this place with Jergan?”

  Anika shook her head. “It is not a female’s place to want for herself, but I enjoy having something that is mine and only mine. Is that wrong?”

  Tara had gotten so used to Parseon females’ acceptance of their culture as normal, she’d never considered they might have hopes and dreams. “No.”

  “Life is easier for females at the Enclave. I was very naive before I came here. Seeing the difference between the freedom at the Enclave and our treatment at the BCF opened my eyes.” Anika’s gaze flickered. “I am happy for my sire’s son that you came into his life. You will be good for him, and he will be good to you, but you will face challenges as his breeder. His position will protect you from other males, but you will have no status of your own—it will be much different than it was for you on Terra.”

  “I know that,” Tara said. “As long as I am with Marlix, I’ll be happy.”

  Anika tilted her head. “Did you ask permission to come with me today?”

  “Did you ask Jergan?”

  “Of course.”

  Uh-oh. “I thought about it, but he was gone, and I was going to be with you, so I did not think it mattered.” Belatedly, she realized it did. Marlix would be displeased. Tara’s stomach fluttered.

  “I expect when you return to the Enclave, Alpha will exert his authority.” Anika confirmed her fear.

  Some of the sparkle of her day dimmed. Perhaps if she explained to him, promised never to do it again, he would be lenient with her. Tara fidgeted, wondering if her butt would again feel the sting of the sudon. She’d only recently recovered from the last paddling.

  Her dismay must have shown on her face, because Anika said, “You will become accustomed to our ways. Unlike many alphas of our race, Marlix is kind. I see the way he stares at you. He favors you.”

  Fuzzy warmth suffused her now. “You think so?”

  Anika nodded. “I do.” She paused. “My friend Omra, who has studied about Terra and whose Alpha is ambassador to your planet, has told me females are considered the equals of men and have complete autonomy.”

  Tara nodded. “That’s true.”

  Anika sighed. “I admit I am envious of your planet’s customs. The freedom females have. Why would you want to exchange your independence for life as a breeder?”

  “For love.” Tara shook her head. “An independent life can be a hard one too.” Tara cupped her hands and let the water flow through her fingers. “I have been on my own since my mother died when I was sixteen years old. I never met my father, because my mother conceived me through artificial insemination at a reproduction center.”

  “Is that how Terrans procreate?” Anika stared.

  Tara shook her head. “No, most Terrans pair up and conceive children the old-fashioned way through intercourse. But those who do not have partners can purchase sperm or ova from depositories.”

  Anika nodded. “I understand.”

  “My mother contracted a rare fever for which there was no cure.” Tara bowed her head and cupped the froth bubbling on the water’s surface. “After she died, I had nobody. The government would have sent me to live with a family of strangers, so I ran away from home.” She shrugged, belying the incredible desolation that had haunted her from her mother’s passing until Marlix had stormed into her life.

  “I begged on the streets until I became an adult. Then I worked all day and most nights at whatever jobs I could get.” When she’d finally gotten established, become secure in her life, in herself, Bobby had attacked her. He’d been caught, tried, convicted, and incarcerated, but that had not compensated for the damage to her body, her loss of peace of mind. She would always be Terran, but Terra itself had been no paradise.

  Presented with a chance to come to Parseon, she had grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Fled and never looked back. She realized she’d been on the run most of her life. Until now. Marlix would not permit her to flee. But she would not wa
nt to. She loved him, and he cared for her. Even Anika had thought so and commented on it.

  “I am ready for a new life on Parseon.” Even if it led to punishment. Tara clenched her butt cheeks. She hated the sudon.

  Anika tipped her head and eyed the sky. “The time grows late. We should get back. It will be better for you if you confess what you did than if he finds out on his own.”

  “I hope so.”

  Using one of Tara’s shifts, they dried off. The minerals in the spring had left Tara’s skin soft and smooth—normally a good thing. But she would have preferred something to toughen her ass. Tara had just donned her dry shift and had yet to put on the damp one and her boots when she heard a crunch from the woods on the opposite side of the pool.

  Two males emerged, ballistae slung over their shoulders. Anika sucked in a breath of alarm, then dropped her head into a bow. The sudden obeisance chilled Tara.

  Nor did Anika’s whispered words provide comfort. “Commander Qalin’s alpha guards. Keep your head down.”

  Tara dropped her chin and peeked at the men from beneath her lashes. Large. Thick, overly defined muscles. Coarse, ugly faces. Insignia designating them as alpha.

  Menace slid over the ugliest one’s face. “Female drakor.” His gaze felt like a violation as it roved over her body, raked over her hair, her tattooed arm, and her exposed breast. He eyed her ring, and Tara cringed. Beneath his heavy brows, his eyes widened, and then predatory satisfaction twisted his mouth into a chilling smile. He nudged his companion and jerked his head at Tara. “Do you see what I see?”

  “Yes, she is Terran.” His companion kicked the ground.

  “She is the breeder of Alpha Marlix.”

  The companion appraised her with greater interest now. A rusty fear dried her mouth.

  The ugliest one, the apparent leader, pointed at Anika. “That one we can use for our enjoyment.” He gestured at Tara. “This one we will take to Commander Qalin. We shall be rewarded for capturing the drakor breeder of his enemy. A Terran.” He nudged the other male, and they lumbered around the pool.

  “Run!” Tara and Anika both shouted at once and sprinted through the woods. Anika led the way, sprinting like a gazelle. Tara followed, crashing through the undergrowth. Rocks and sticks cut her feet, but she hardly noticed.

  The pounding of heavy boots and coarse laughter revealed the alphas enjoyed the chase and were gaining. Desperation pushed her faster. A tree branch slapped her face, blinded her so that her foot rammed into a fallen tree branch. Tara screamed as she pitched forward. She hit the ground. Several paces ahead, Anika halted.

  “No, don’t stop!” Tara scrambled to her feet, only to be lifted off the forest floor by hard male hands. She kicked and punched. “Run, Anika, run!”

  Anika hesitated, then took off. The companion male cocked his crossbow and aimed it at her departing back.

  “Anika!” Tara yelled.

  Jergan burst through the brush. “No!” He threw himself sideways to shield Anika as the alpha discharged the bolt. Jergan convulsed as the pointed shaft embedded in his chest. He fell.

  “Jergan!” Anika screamed.

  Tara heard a whoosh, and then the alpha who’d shot Jergan toppled over with an arrow piercing his chest. Urazi appeared, a ballista planted against his shoulder, but before he could reload, the alpha holding Tara shoved her aside, whipped out his dagger, and charged.

  No time to reload, Urazi clubbed at the guard with the crossbow, but the massive, stronger alpha knocked aside the weapon like it was a toy, leaving Urazi defenseless. With a swipe of his dagger, the alpha opened the skin of Urazi’s chest. Another slice crisscrossed the first.

  Tara realized the alpha was playing with him, intended to torture him to death. A sobbing Anika had thrown herself over Jergan’s body. Red stained Urazi’s arms in a mass of cuts as he raised them to shield his face and throat.

  Tara grabbed the dead alpha’s crossbow and yanked an arrow out of his quiver.

  The alpha swung the dagger up and plunged it into Urazi’s abdomen. Tara’s hands shook as she loaded the arrow into the crossbow. The guard pulled out the knife, and Urazi clutched his stomach and lurched. Gripping the bloody hilt, the alpha prepared for another undercut of the knife.

  “Fucker!” Tara screamed and released the arrow. With a thunk, it pierced the alpha’s back. Impact drove him forward. He caught his footing, but then arched and teetered. He fell onto his back, and the weight of his body shoved the bolt through his chest.

  Wide-eyed, Urazi sank to his knees. Blood spurted between his splayed hands and bubbled out of his mouth. With horror, Tara watched his eyes cloud. He pitched forward.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The physician turned away from the pale shadow in the infirmary bed, his expression grim.

  Only by sheer will did Marlix refrain from acting on his rage and pain. He forced the emotion inward until it pounded against his skull, throbbed in his chest, caused his fists to spasmodically clench. “Heal him,” Marlix ordered.

  “Commander, I have done everything I can. His injuries are so severe.” The physician shook his head, his wary gaze skittering from Marlix’s fists to the patient. “I have stopped the bleeding and injected him with a hemoregeneration serum, but the damage to his organs may be irreversible.” The physician hesitated. “Commander, you should prepare for the worst—that he may die.”

  Aware he was wrong, Marlix struck out anyway. “You should prepare yourself for the worst. If he dies, so shall you.” Marlix skewered the shaking physician with his gaze “Get out of my sight—while you still can.”

  The beta grabbed his medical instruments and fled.

  Marlix stepped to the platform and stared at an unconscious Urazi. “You must live. I am Alpha, and I command it,” he whispered, his chest feeling like he’d been shot with an arrow. He collapsed onto the chair. He placed his hand on Urazi’s bare shoulder. His skin felt cold as if he’d already passed. Only the labored rise and fall of his friend’s chest reassured him a scant life force remained. I command you to live. I command it.

  He was responsible for Urazi, and he’d failed him. He had sent him into harm’s way.

  To protect a breeder. A Terran breeder, who demonstrated time and again she had no respect.

  Urazi lay dying. Jergan had been killed. The female offspring of his sire had been left without a male to provide for her. Two elite personal guards of a dangerous political rival had been killed, one at the hand of his beta, and another by his Terran breeder.

  Qalin would retaliate. Sooner rather than later.

  Marlix’s people relied on him for protection, and he’d endangered their lives. For the regard of a female not even of his world. Because a Terran whom he had claimed had disobeyed.

  An unconscious Urazi took a shuddering breath.

  Rage demanded an outlet. Marlix leaped to his feet, grabbed his chair, and threw it at the wall with such force, it broke through to the outside. A cold and pale daylight slanted through the hole. A beta, a med-tech’s aide, rushed in. His eyes widened. “What hap—” His gaze shot to Marlix, and he snapped his mouth shut and fled.

  Marlix blinked to clear the red haze. Destroying the medical treatment room would not serve Urazi. Taking several deep breaths, Marlix forced back his pain. With a final glance at his friend, he strode from the infirmary. Damage had been done, but he would prevent a recurrence by addressing the source of the problem.

  He marched to the blacksmith, the one person who would have the tool he needed.

  * * * *

  Tara paced the cottage, despair and anguish writhing like snakes in her gut. She’d washed off the blood and changed into a single-breast-baring Parseon shift, but the stain of guilt could not be erased. Tara had wanted to comfort a distraught Anika, but Marlix had confined her to the hut.

  How could she have comforted her anyway when she was responsible?

  If Urazi died too, she did not think she could live with herself.

  After she�
�d killed Qalin’s guard, she’d contacted Marlix with Urazi’s PCD, then did her best to stanch the bleeding. Blood flowed from Urazi as if the dagger had opened a vein. That he lived at all testified to the strength of Parseon physiology. Marlix had arrived with a regiment of guards and a medical team and had transported them all to the Enclave.

  Reaction had set in then, and she’d stuttered out what had happened, omitting nothing, especially not her culpability. Marlix had said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes.

  He blamed her.

  She did not fault him.

  Tara could not imagine what form her punishment would take. Flogging, perhaps? Even the severest spanking with a sudon could not expunge her guilt, undo the damage she’d caused. Whatever Marlix meted out, she deserved it and more. She wished she knew what was happening with Urazi. Perhaps no news was favorable? If he had died, wouldn’t Marlix have informed her? Tara hugged herself and then dropped her arms. She did not deserve comfort, not even self-soothing.

  She jumped when the hut door opened. Marlix’s silhouette filled the entrance, blocked the light. A mental fabrication, she was sure, but his form seemed to have grown, expanded. But she did not imagine the very real rage. It flowed from him in waves.

  Her knees shook while remorse paralyzed her throat. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

  He stepped inside. The door clicked shut with a quiet finality. Not since he’d first kidnapped her had he frightened her so. Should she drop to her knees and beg for mercy? She slowly brought her gaze to his face. His expression appeared chiseled from stone, but in the depths of his eyes, she spied the anguish he could not conceal.

  “Urazi… Is he…” Dead. She could not bring herself to say the word. “Is he going to be all right?” Blood pounded in her ears.

  “The physician cannot predict.” Marlix’s monotone revealed more than an overt expression of sorrow would have. He did not expect Urazi to survive.

  Tears flooded Tara’s eyes.