Barbarian's Lady: A SciFi Alien Romance (Ice Planet Barbarians Book 14)

by Ruby Dixon

  Harrec pulls me against him for another kiss, and we make out as the kitten plays for a moment, exploring. It’s amazing how much I’m attracted to him. Every time he smiles at me, I feel my pulse shoot straight down to my girl parts. Every time he laughs, my thighs squeeze together. And every time he kisses me, I want to tackle him to the snow and demand that he make love to me.

  It’s like he’s turning me into a nympho.

  I’ve never been like this before, but I’m totally craving Harrec and his touch. I…kind of love it. And I’m so happy with him. When we first got here, I couldn’t see how Georgie and the others could be so stinking content on an iceball of a planet, living in a hut, but I get it now. When you have the person you love at your side, it doesn’t matter what the weather is or if you’re sleeping in animal furs instead of thousand thread count sheets. All that matters is the love and the happiness it brings.

  The only thing I’m not looking forward to at the moment is the crap the other humans are going to give me. I know Summer’s going to have a million questions, and Gail and Brooke will probably tease the heck out of me. Elly won’t say much, but I picture her little knowing smile and inwardly cringe. It’s going to be hard for them to understand how I came from hating Harrec to being in love with him in such a short time.

  Sometimes I hardly believe it myself.

  “Come, little one,” Harrec says, kneeling to the ground and putting his hands out.

  To my surprise, Mr. Fluffypuff scampers through the snow and bounds into his arms. Maybe these cats are smarter than Earth cats. “Wow, that was impressive.”

  He grins and gets to his feet, stroking the tufted ears. “I am good at petting things.”

  “Oh god, was that a sex joke? Please don’t say that in front of the others.” I can feel myself turning red.

  He just laughs. “I shall save all my mating jokes for when we are in private, I promise.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him primly.

  It’s not a long walk to the ship itself, and as we get closer, I can see plumes of smoke drifting up from a small fire near the entrance and a few more drifts of smoke coming from the open doorway. “Is the ship on fire?”

  “Eh?” He looks over when I point, then shakes his head. “No. It is cold inside, so they build a fire to warm things.”

  With no smoke hole? I wrinkle my nose at the thought, but I guess if his people were living in caves before, it’s not a big deal to make the inside of a spaceship into a cave.

  I’m musing on these thoughts when Harrec cups a hand to his mouth. “Ho!” he bellows out, startling both me and the cat, which goes bolting out of his arms. He laughs and scrambles after him, and I shield my eyes with my hand, squinting off into the distance.

  “Ho!” someone else calls back, voice faint, and then there’s a stream of people emerging from the ship.

  Oh god. I feel a bit like a spotlight is shining on me, but there’s nothing to do about it. Harrec returns to my side with the kitten, and then we head toward the ship and the others waiting to greet us.

  Bek is the first one out, followed by Vaza. They both meet us before we get close to the entrance, and Bek scowls at the sight of the kitten in Harrec’s arms. “What is that?”

  “My pleasure-mate decided she wished to keep it,” Harrec boasts proudly, looking over at me.

  I can feel myself turn beet red as Vaza laughs, and Bek’s narrowed gaze focuses on me.

  “So,” Bek says. “His idea to get you alone worked, did it?”

  “Um…I’m not answering that.”

  He snorts. “There is my answer.”

  Harrec puts an arm around my waist. “Do not bully my mate, Bek. Go bully your own.”

  “I am glad you are back, even though I questioned my support of your plan,” Bek says, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “It is becoming something of a tradition, hey?” Vaza adds. “Take a female away for a few days to woo her, and return her to the tribe when she is soft and pleasured.”

  “Ew?” I say.

  “Ew is right,” Gail says, pushing her way forward. “Vaza, honey, you ain’t a window. Move your ass.” She moves through the men and puts her hands out for me, beaming. “Girl, I am so glad to see you. I should beat your ass for running off with a man, but I forget that I’m old and gray and maybe these things make sense when you’re young and pretty like you are.”

  “I’m sorry, Gail. I really thought it was a shortcut.” I shoot Harrec a look, trying not to laugh at his mock-innocent expression. I squeeze her hands and then pull her forward in a hug. The tiny woman doesn’t even come up to my shoulder. “And you’re not old and gray, you nut.”

  “That’s because black don’t crack, honey.” She chuckles. “But I am old.”

  “I’m so glad you’re back,” Brooke squeals, rushing forward. She flings her arms around both me and Gail, wiggling back and forth with enthusiasm. “We were so worried about you.”

  “I’m fine, really. We just ran into a bit of trouble crossing a glacier.”

  “Trouble?” Bek asks, turning to look over at Harrec.

  Harrec grimaces and hands me Mr. Fluffypuff. “Perhaps we should talk about this near the fire. Kate is probably cold. She lost her gloves yesterday.”

  “Oh my god, is that a kitten?” Brooke asks, gasping. “Where did you get a kitten?”

  “Long story.”

  “Well, come and tell it inside,” Gail says, taking my elbow and ushering me forward. She makes a shooing motion at the men. I turn and look helplessly at Harrec.

  He moves toward me and presses a kiss to my brow. “I will join you soon, I promise. I need to speak to Bek and Vaza.”

  “Okay.” I let Gail and Brooke lead me forward, stroking Mr. Fluffypuff’s head. I have no idea why I’m nervous, but I am. They lead me toward the ship, and we don’t stop at the fire outside, but head toward the ramp that’s clear of snow and leads to the interior. Brooke and Gail are chatting casually, talking about the weather, and the long walk here, and how glad they are to rest even though we have to leave again soon. I try to follow along in their conversation, but I’m still focused on Harrec and I wonder what he’s talking to the others about.

  We go inside, and I’m surprised anew at the inside of the ship. I don’t remember the one that kidnapped me—I was unconscious the entire time—and I only remember waking up in slave cages. I didn’t get to see much of the ship, but I suspect it was nothing like this spacious, open interior. It really is like a gigantic cave, complete with high ceiling and dark walls that flicker with a few lights if I peer closer. There are distant doors at the far end of the long room, and in the center, there’s a fire pit. There’s a sa-khui man sitting with a boy by the fire, a woman off to one side brushing what looks like a dvisti, and they look up in surprise when we enter.

  “Ho,” the woman calls out in greeting. She pats the flank of the dvisti, who returns to chewing, his head dipping into a large basket. She approaches, and as she does, I can see that this must be Farli. She’s about my age, but she’s bright blue, a fraction taller than I am, and has arching horns. Her figure is slim and athletic, and she has a beaming, happy smile on her face. “Welcome, sister. You must be the human Kate.”

  “And you’re Farli,” I say, smiling. She extends her hands, but mine are full of kitten, which she notices after a moment. “Oh! What is this?”

  “This is Mr. Fluffypuff,” I announce.

  Brooke giggles. “Did you really call him that?”

  “It’s ridiculous, I know.” But I want them to see him as small and ridiculous. I hand him over to Brooke, who’s practically bouncing with anticipation. “Just be careful. He’s little and scares easily.”

  She presses a kiss to his head, her short pink pigtails bouncing. “I love him! Can I have one?”

  “Not if you knew what we went through to get him.” I give her a crooked smile and then hold my arm out, rolling up my sleeve. “I got bit several times while fending off his mom.”


  Farli makes an unhappy noise in her throat. “You should have Har-loh use the healing machine on you.”

  “Oh, they’re not bad bites,” I protest, a little worried. I don’t know what a healing machine is, but I’m not sure it’s good.

  “Don’t be silly,” Gail says with a wave of her hand. “They’ve been looking for excuses to use that thing.” She peers past my shoulder, over to the fire. “Rukh, is Harlow in the medbay?”

  The big sa-khui male by the fire gives a quick nod, not getting up to greet us. The little boy at his side glances at me, but then his gaze goes back to Brooke, who’s snuggling my kitten. Aw.

  Brooke has the same idea I do. “I can watch Mr. Fluffypuff for you while you hang out with Harlow.” She presses a kiss to the tufted ears. “But I think we should call him Puff for short.” She kneels down. “Want to come see him, Rukhar?”

  The little boy gives his father an uncertain look, but the male nods and touches his son’s shoulder, and the boy races over to Brooke’s side. The father continues to watch me, wary.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Gail murmurs. “Rukh’s not all that good with people, but he’ll warm up to you in time, I promise. He’s really good to his woman, too. I think he’s shy.”

  “Ah.” It seems weird to equate the big hulking guy with shyness, but then again, I’m shy and I’m six feet tall, so maybe I’m not one to judge. I flash him a brief smile and let Farli and Gail lead me deeper into the ship, through the double doors that leave the big open area and turn down several twisting hallways. “Where’s Summer? I didn’t see her.”

  “She went to the fruit cave with Warrek and Taushen,” Gail says. “Brooke was supposed to go with them but bailed at the last moment.”

  “Fruit cave?” My mouth waters at the thought.

  “Yes,” Farli exclaims. “Many good things to eat. You will like it.” She leads us through the winding hallways, her tail swishing as she walks. She looks very athletic, like a slim, younger version of Kemli.

  “And Elly?”

  “Napping,” Gail says. “She’s been hit hard with morning sickness this week. She’s napping a lot lately.”

  I nod and glance speculatively at our escort. Farli’s supposed to be pregnant, too, but doesn’t look it. She’s glowing with health. “And you live here with your mate, Farli?”

  “For the bitter season,” she agrees, glancing back at me. “We will be leaving soon to rejoin the tribe for the brutal season. My mate, Mardok, enjoys working on the ship with Har-loh, so we stay here when we can to help out.”

  I knew they were staying at the ship for a while, because Kemli talked happily about her non-stop back at the village. “And Mardok…he’s the one with the tattoos?” I ask, trying to think back to the descriptions I’ve heard of him. “Because he comes from the homeworld?”

  “That is correct,” Farli says, and then turns to the side, sliding back a door that looks as if it had been mechanized at some point.

  The interior is brightly lit, I realize for the first time, and that means the ship is up and running to have lights inside. It’s bright white in here compared to the dim main “cavern” of the ship and reminds me of a doctor’s office. The walls are lit up with all kinds of flashing panels and one that looks an awful lot like a computer screen. Sitting across from it is a heavily pregnant redhead with a magnifier strapped to her head. She looks up when the door opens, one khui-blue eye appearing enormous in the glass. “Oh,” she says, and gets to her feet awkwardly, a hand on her stomach. “Hi there. You must be Kate. I guess Harrec brought you back?”

  There’s a knowing little smile on her face, and I can feel myself turning beet red again. I would love to know what everyone’s been saying about us. I can just imagine all the speculating around the fire at night. “Hi. Yup. Kate.”

  Gail chuckles and gives my arm a pat. “Why don’t I go start a nice stew, honey. You can eat once they’re done looking at your bites.”

  “Sure, thanks, Gail.” I feel a little weird being left with strangers, but that’s not Gail’s fault. I watch as she leaves, and the moment she walks out the door, another person enters.

  “Harlow. I think I found out what’s causing the power fluctuations,” the big sa-khui male begins, wiping his greasy hands with a bit of fur. “I think—” He pauses at the sight of me and Farli in the doorway. “Oh. Greetings. You must be Kate.” And then he grins. Wide.

  I’m totally going to give Harrec a piece of my mind when I see him again. “Hi. You must be Farli’s mate.” It’s kind of obvious given that he’s covered in tattoos and his horns are a bright, shiny silver instead of the dark color that the others have.

  He grins even wider. “I am. I would clasp your arm in greeting, but my hands are dirty.” He keeps wiping at them while Farli gives him a lovesick smile that makes me wonder if I stare up at Harrec like that.

  Probably.

  Farli puts a hand on my shoulder. “Kate has a few snow-cat bites she needs examined. That is why we brought her, so you can scan her with the healing machine.”

  Harlow and Mardok exchange a look.

  “Oh, they’re not bad bites,” I say quickly. “I’d rather not be a bother. They’re healing just fine.”

  “It’s not that it’s a bother,” Mardok says, choosing his words thoughtfully. If I thought Harrec and the others had a strange way of pronouncing human speech, Mardok’s is a completely different kind of accent, almost as if he’s over-enunciating, whereas the sa-khui swallow their syllables. “It is that the machine won’t do much for you right now.”

  Harlow moves to my side, her belly enormous. She gestures with one freckled arm. “We can do some bio scans, of course, but the actual machines themselves still need a lot of parts. It’s a long, complicated process, and we’re not quite there yet.”

  “As long as you can check me to see that I won’t have rabies, I’m good,” I joke.

  Harlow’s eyes widen. “I wouldn’t imagine you would have rabies, no. The khui would take care of that. But we can scan you anyhow.”

  “Why don’t you handle that, and I’ll get back to work on the power converter,” Mardok tells her. “Come see me when you’re done.”

  Harlow nods absently, flipping her magnifying glass away from her face. She waddles over to one of the panels and presses her palm to it, activating something. Stuff begins to shift around in the wall, and I gasp at the sight. Holy crap.

  Behind me, there’s a giggle, and I glance over my shoulder to see Farli disappearing out the door, following after Mardok. When I turn around again, Harlow’s just shaking her head with a grin.

  “Newlyweds,” she says. “Why don’t you come have a seat over here and I’ll power things up.”

  She gestures at a nearby chair—well, more like a metal box that’s been set up to use as a chair—and I hesitate. “Would you rather sit down?”

  Harlow grins and just rubs the curve of her belly again. “I’ve been sitting all morning. The interruption will do me good. I should walk around more as it is. Rukh’s always telling me I get too lost in my work.” Her attention strays to the doorway, just as the big male steps in. “There he is now,” she says, and her voice turns sweeter. “Hi, baby.”

  He comes to her side and presses a possessive kiss to her brow then touches her stomach. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine, I promise. I feel amazing.” She pats her stomach. “You can feel the baby moving if you stick around.”

  He nods and gives me a half-glance, then leans against one of the wall panels, arms crossed.

  “Just ignore him like he’s not here,” Harlow says absently, heading to my side. “You don’t have to get undressed or anything.” She picks up something that looks a bit like a bare circuit board and carefully pushes two wires into place, then screws something on and leans in.

  I hear a faint whine from the circuit board, and then Harlow gives a nod. “Powering up. Things are kind of rinky-dink because we’re working with what we’ve got, but
I should be able to do a medical scan.” She hefts the circuit board into her arms, and as she lifts it, I wince. It’s the size of a TV monitor and looks twice as heavy.

  Immediately, Rukh pushes himself off the wall and comes to his mate’s side. “I will hold that for you.” He takes it from her arms and holds it out, looking awkward. “Tell me where you want it.”

  She gives him a sweet smile and touches his arm as a thank you. “Let me attach another wire and then we should be good to go.” She leans over the panel, jiggers with it a bit longer, and then the whine stops. “All right. We’re good. Hold your wrist out for me, Kate?”

  “Which wrist?” I ask, rolling my sleeve up. “Both arms are injured.”

  “Doesn’t matter which one,” she tells me, her gaze fixed on the circuit board-like-thingy. “It’s going to do a scan of your chemical makeup, and we’ll get the results from that.”

  “Okay.” I bare my wrist and hold it out. Harlow punches a button on the panel, and then a small, yellow circle of light swipes up and down my arm then disappears.

  “All done,” Harlow says, beaming. “Can you set that down on the table for me, Rukh?”

  I fix my sleeve as I wait, and Rukh retreats to the far side of the room while Harlow putters over the readings. She makes a few exclamations but doesn’t share the information with me. Minutes pass, and she continues to tap on buttons and adjust settings. Eventually, I can’t stand it any longer. “What’s it say?”

  Harlow gives a little jump of surprise. “Oh! I’m sorry. I got distracted.” She gives me a sheepish look. “I’d love to say it’s pregnancy brain, but I focused in on how the data was coming out instead of what the data actually was. You don’t have rabies or any other bacteria or parasites.” She scans over the screen again. “All of your levels look good.” Then her eyes widen, and she looks over at me speculatively.