Tammy waved wildly from a tassuone warrior’s back. “What’s going on?”
“They’re worried about Leah and the captain. They want to run all the way home.” I caressed Venturi’s neck. I couldn’t love him and his people more than I did now. Not a single warrior complained when ordered to run a day’s journey with a human strapped to his body.
If anything, they appeared more determined to save us.
Ne’flav exited the ship. The captain’s limp body tied to the front of his body so he could support her injured head.
“Hang on,” I called out to my crew. “This might be a rough ride.”
With an unspoken command, the tassuone surged as one toward the closest tree trunk. The race was on. Time versus the tassuone. The winner would claim the lives of the captain and Leah.
My gut clenched with anxiety. Even though Venturi had recently done this race with my life at stake, he still managed to keep up with the others.
His chest heaved, as if struggling for air and his skin was slick with sweat but he never faltered. All I could do was whisper words of encouragement in his ear.
The sky road was a mess from the storm but I recognized the bridge that crossed the canyon of almost-shit-my-pants. I couldn’t wait to tell the girls that story.
My throat tightened. Two of them might never hear it. Three, if Rog failed to find my sister.
I’d never lost someone close to me before. Sure, there were accidents but not to anyone I knew. Modern medicine kept us living way into old age, if we didn’t accidentally space ourselves. So grief and I were not acquainted. Nor did I care to meet it.
A white snake thing shot through the branches above the sky road ahead of us. Mouth unhinged, it struck at Sem. Without hesitation, the tassuone moved as a seasoned unit. The hunter who was attacked somersaulted, somehow swinging the assistant from her harness to his chest, protecting her in a roll. I could hear her scream as if I’d been right next to them.
Oh wait, that was because I was screaming too.
The other hunters swung, daggers in hand, and slashed at the creature. Venturi threw my spear, which his sister had told me not to do, and punctured its eye. The creature roared and curled back above us in the tree. The hunters never stopped their forward momentum. I knew a few generals who would give their right testicle for such an efficient fighting force. I guessed living in such a place made learning fighting tactics a necessity.
I cranked my head back as we ran under where the creature had attacked but couldn’t spot the thing. Seriously, it was white and huge. He could have swallowed me whole. Why couldn’t I see—
I blinked and rubbed my eyes. The creature fluttered to the next tree on itty-bitty wings.
“What the fuck?”
“They are cowardly beasts. Once its prey attacks back, it will always run,” Venturi explained.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. We ate and drank while running. I helped Venturi with the water skin and trail bars, then watched Tammy do the same for Benali. Since he carried two humans, his hands were full. It warmed my heart to see her hold the water skin to his lips.
I thought maybe we’d be okay.
The sight of the village seemed to give the men an extra burst of speed and they sprinted the last bit. Oddly, Ne’flav, who had lagged behind on the journey to the ship, had kept pace with the hunters, even burdened with the unconscious captain.
Many of the tribe’s people greeted our arrival. Water and food was brought as the warriors collapsed. I entered the hollow where I had spent the night with Venturi during the storm, guiding the girls who could still walk. “The healer will place a bioprocessor in your arm like mine.”
I didn’t like Tammy’s color. She looked so yellow, even the whites of her eyes.
The investor shrank back. “What if I don’t want one.”
I tried to place myself in her shoes, see her viewpoint, but I failed to understand her hesitation. “Then you die.”
Our options were slim. Did she somehow think she could escape the radiation poisoning?
She jerked as if I had slapped her and I felt terrible. There just wasn’t any sugarcoating this.
“Look, watch the procedure before making any drastic decisions.” I had them sit on the ground. Ne’flav laid the captain on a cot and Argeer set Leah on another one.
The healer left through the opening inside a tree where he grew his bioprocessors. Silently, I urged him to hurry. Against all odds, we had survived the crash and an alien environment. Oh, a monster, a man eating plant, a dragon, and a flying python. I wasn’t going to let one of my girls die on me now.
Argeer crossed to the captain’s bedside and gently caressed her forehead with a wet cloth.
My eyes almost popped out of my head. I twisted to see if my mate was witnessing this, but he was busy inhaling a skin of water. The poor, sweet man.
The healer returned carrying a handful of bioprocessors, little orbs of glowing green magical alien tech, and set them on a table.
The chief eyed the equipment set out by the healer and left the area, tossing a quick sad look at my captain. I had doubts that she would survive, even with a bioprocessor. It might be a blessing if she didn’t with such a blow to her head.
Ne’Flav made a cut in her arm and inserted the orb. I watched in awe as the wound sealed without a scar.
I rubbed the bump on my own bicep as he repeated the procedure on Leah.
Everyone, including the healer, was asleep as I exited the hollow. Before collapsing from exhaustion, Ne’flav had reassured me that sleep was normal while the bioprocessors healed major damage.
Venturi waited outside. He relaxed against the trunk, arm resting on a bent knee. A slow, tired smile spread across his face. “Did the bioprocessors accept them?”
I paused. I hadn’t known rejection was possible.
“Did the wound Ne’flav made heal after the orbs were inserted?” he asked.
I nodded and glanced back at the hollow, wondering if I should go back.
“Then they were accepted. Come, your mate requires a moment of your attention.”
I rushed to his side. “Are you all right? Should I wake the healer?”
“I doubt you could.” He tilted his head as if listening.
I focused and heard Ne’flav’s snoring. “That’s loud.”
“It’s why he sleeps in the hollow and not the unmated male’s hut.”
I tugged on his braids to draw him kissing close. “You saved them.” I loved him so much I couldn’t express it in words.
He shook his head. “I only helped. You took that first brave step away from the ship.” He clasped me against him, his spots growing darker on his black skin. He felt amazing.
“Shall we go somewhere private? Right now, all I want to do is tear your clothes off and lick every inch of your skin.”
He groaned, hugging me tighter. “I should wash first. I doubt I will taste any better than trail food.”
I ran my nose against his throat. “Let me help.” For better or for worse, this was home now. I suspected it was for better because I don’t recall ever being so happy. “What happens now?”
“We find your sister. Build a home.” He caressed my stomach. “And make babies.”
Angie…
Here I was, filled with joy while my sister was lost among a different alien race. I could only pray Rog found her soon and brought her home.
Home? I caressed my warrior’s face and gazed into his violet cat-slit eyes. Home was wherever Venturi lived. The thought felt right and true and straight from my heart. Tears welled in my eyes as I finally realized I’d found my place in the universe.
“What is it?” He pulled me closer, stroking my hair, my cheeks, my ears.
“I chose you.”
His beautiful smile shone. “I know this.”
“But did you know I chose you because I love you, Venturi’al Durab i Pallopa? I love you so much my chest aches.”
Just when I thought I coul
dn’t love him more, his brash smile turned shy. “I chose you as well, When-di’al Durab i Pallopa, and love you twice as much.”
He pointed to both his hearts.
Thank you for taking the time to read Venturi, Crashlander Romance book one. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated. Stay up to date with my new releases, giveaways, and news by joining my newsletter. As a thank you, a link to a free novel, Ravenous, will be sent to you via email.
The next book in the series will be titled Rog…Look for him early in 2017.
Annie Nicholas
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Annie Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon’s ego all with the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her adopted state of Vermont.
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Published 2016
Copyright by Annie Nicholas
Cover design by J. Hemmington
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Venturi, Complete Serial Parts 1-4: Alien SciFi Romance (Crashlander) Page 19