Engulf

by C. L. Scholey

  How odd. How could he have made that print? It didn’t make sense. Did he know what made the imprint? She had so many questions and cursed her lack of hearing for at least the millionth time. Abri had little chance to ponder when suddenly two massive gray creatures burst through the foliage. Abri screamed.

  The six and a half foot tall beings had long tails, bulbs where there might be their eyes, claws for feet and talons for hands. Worse were the shining white fangs hanging an inch past their mouths. Black tattoos shone on the sides of their faces. Their bodies were massively muscled. Sinister was the word that came to mind as the creatures advanced; long talon fingers ready to do battle wiggled like Freddy Krueger. Except these talons were longer, thicker, deadlier and ready for a fight. Abri had never battled a day in her life.

  Before Abri knew what was happening Sam had her hand, and they began a mad race for their lives.

  Chapter 3

  “Renegades,” Raiden bit out.

  His armor snapped in place over his entire body from the inside out before the Tonan warriors could attack. Looking around Raiden noticed the females had scattered in all different directions. Damn. It would take forever to find them since they were terrified and would go into hiding, this planet wasn’t huge but was large enough to hide a few petrified humans. He would scent his little female Abri easy enough. Her essence had mixed with his, his body already claimed her. But the others were in need of protection against these bastards.

  Instinct put Raiden and Cace back to back as they prepared to fight the Tonans. A long gray tail slithered its way up Raiden’s leg until he stomped down on it snapping it in half. The Tonan howled in pain. Long talons slid across the Tonan’s armor causing sparks as Raiden and Cace clashed with their opponents.

  “Give us the females and leave,” a Tonan commanded.

  Raiden slashed at his face in answer. For a brief second, a small splatter of blood seeped through a fine opening in the Tonan’s armor before closing over and healing the area. The Tonan roared in anger and jumped back in surprise. To draw blood in the first few strokes of battle was a rarity.

  “My essence has imprinted on a female,” Raiden yelled. “You know what that means.”

  The Tonans would know. The Tonans were distant relatives; scent emotion was everything to both of their species. It meant Raiden’s heightened awareness of a female was strong enough to give him a fighting edge. And because his awareness was heightened so too would be his warrior mate’s. The Tonans could fight, but they wouldn’t win in endurance. They didn’t have the drive that Raiden had for a potential possible mate. It meant failure—something a Tonan loathed.

  “Then take your female and leave,” one of the Tonans snapped.

  “Unless you have aid coming to your miserable defense in the next few seconds, you know that won’t happen,” Raiden shouted and again his talons sunk home to slit across a Tonan belly. He was feeling empowered with his protective urge. A strange and new but welcome feeling.

  “Of course others are coming. They’ll be here any moment.”

  Raiden saw more of Cace’s fangs and knew he was grinning. The Tonan’s tail began to grow before their eyes—a sure sign he was lying. The Tonan howled in frustration, having been caught.

  “Then let us see who finds your female first.” The Tonan snapped back, and both warriors took off in different directions. The pair jumped, picking up speed as they went from tree to ground to tree in a zigzag pattern.

  With his nose to the gentle breeze, Raiden caught Abri’s scent. The Tonan would kill her, rendering the playing field even again. Abri was in grave danger. Worse was all the females were in danger, the Tonans would systematically kill each female until they scented Raiden’s endorphin level change. They might very well lose all of them. What a travesty to lose six females, six possible mates and life partners. Their leader, Cobra, would be so disappointed if the females were to die. Raiden’s essence had claimed Abri. Even now, he felt his armor preparing and readjusting to pick up the needs of his potential mate. How could he lose her after just finding her?

  Raiden became so overwhelmed with worry his armor did something it hadn’t done in almost four hundred years. After his parents died, Raiden, at only four years of age, had been so emotionally distraught his armor sent a distress scent to the one person who would answer—his older brother. Now Raiden had two brothers. But his brothers were a planet away.

  * * * *

  Abri and Sam crouched, huddled together under an overhang of soft rock and foliage. Their bodies pressed back as far as they could, hiding. Abri had her teeth clenched to keep them from chattering. At times she forgot even though she couldn’t hear herself, it didn’t mean she couldn’t be heard. The thought made her heart drop—she couldn’t hear the approach of the enemy. She was so scared, her thoughts couldn’t center on a single thing except that fear. Those beings were hideous. Not even her nightmares were as frightening.

  Looking at Sam didn’t make her feel any better; her friend was as white as a ghost—no doubt so was she. The repugnant beings looked like walking terror. Did Raiden mean he too looked like a beast? Or did he mean he knew what had made the footprint? Raiden looked normal. How could anything be so scary? Abri had been running so fast she never noticed if Raiden and Cace had run as well. Those talon fingers looked razor sharp—they would slice through human flesh like a hot knife through warm butter.

  Sam tensed and when a hand slipped over Abri’s mouth, she knew she must have whimpered. Even with the hand covering her mouth, Abri screamed when a black face peered into their hiding place. The ebony skin-like armor sported green tattoos, bulbs for eyes and razor-sharp-looking fangs. It was even more frightening than the gray creature.

  They were trapped; one slice of those claws…Abri jerked back as the creature leaned closer, she knew she cried out in fear. Sam lunged for the being, trying to defend Abri, attacking it. The creature lifted Sam up like a tiny rag doll and pulled her out of the enclosure with ease. It pinned her arms to her sides. Abri wanted to help and though she knew it would be useless she was no coward. They would die together. Abri jumped at the being. A massive powerful arm wrapped around her waist.

  The ebony being held her firmly to its chest. It felt like cold steel. Solid cold steel. Instinctively Abri knew if she hit at it, she would break her bones on impact. Both women kicked and screamed, arms flailing. Before long, Abri and Sam tired. Then settled. The being wasn’t hurting them after all—just holding them. From the rumbling and rise and fall of the being’s chest pressed tight to her back Abri could feel it was speaking. Abri took deep breaths to calm her rapidly beating heart. If it wanted them dead they would be already. It appeared Sam had come to the same conclusion. Abri watched as Sam said something to the creature.

  Sam was lowered to her feet. Her face was filled with shocked surprise as she apparently listened to what the creature was saying in return. Sam began nodding. Her once pale face had grown red from exertion and her breasts rose and fell with her short gasps for air. She looked incredulous and Abri wanted so desperately to know what was going on.

  Abri screamed when one of the gray creatures appeared. Abri was thrust at Sam who pulled her back under into the shelter at an obvious command from the black being. Both beings fought fast and hard, but the gray one faltered. The ebony giant looked to be on a mission. His long talon fingers ripped through gray armor to expose flesh and blood and Abri gasped. Was the black being Raiden or Cace under that dark armor? Were they fighting the gray things to save them?

  Back and forth the creatures fought until the other gray creature made an appearance. The ebony being was flanked and still it fought for all it was worth. Claw feet latched onto and sank into a gray-armored chest while the ebony creature spun sideways in the air ripping at the other gray creature. A tail wrapped around the ebony being’s ankles, trying to snap them together with no luck. A small puncture in one gray’s neck and the ebony snapped its fangs over the spot. The gray went down to Abri’s s
urprise.

  Abri screamed again when another being became present. Only this one was white-gray, sleek, and shiny. It moved so fast Abri gasped. It appeared like an apparition. The gray thing still battling had no hope as the gray-white thing obviously helped the ebony creature. A wicked looking claw slid down the gray armored beast slicing it almost in half. Abri almost vomited. Guts and blood oozed out onto the ground. But it appeared the gray-white thing wasn’t done. It was definitely helping the ebony creature, and it was definitely furious from the way it was attacking the other creature.

  Soon the flesh and bones of what appeared to have been a man lay on the ground. A gray pile of rusted armor faded so fast it looked like it was melting into the ground and air and was soon gone. The second gray creature on the ground roused and took off into the trees in a sluggish way. The apparition made as though to follow, but the black being stopped it. The ebony creature was suddenly Raiden—the armor absorbed back into his body and there stood the man again. Abri blinked hard. Had she really just seen that? Like mercury, it immersed into his skin, disappearing.

  Raiden’s talons were gone; his clawed feet were bare and normal-looking. There were no fangs at his lips or bulbs where his eyes sat. His skin was tanned and firm. The gray-white creature was now also just a man—a huge man, but a man. He also had blond hair, but his was cropped short and almost white in appearance. There was a resemblance between the two—perhaps brothers? It would explain why the gray-white creature had fought with such ferocity.

  The two man-beings seemed to argue for a moment until something Raiden said startled the other. He peered down at the overhang where Sam and Abri sat squished together staring up at them. Abri wondered what would happen next and trembled. What were these creatures? They certainly weren’t human males. They had saved their lives—but for what purpose? Abri hadn’t failed to notice the outline of a thick long cock under Raiden’s tight black pants. The fighting had aroused him, it seemed, or perhaps it was just his size. He was huge everywhere.

  Raiden squatted down and his gentle gaze fastened onto Abri. He said something, perhaps the word safe. Abri was hesitant to come out. After all, the gray-white apparition may look like a man now, but she had seen what he could do. He had gutted that gray thing like a Thanksgiving turkey. She held back as Sam was the first to leave the shelter. After some coaxing gestures, Abri followed.

  Abri was pulled against Raiden’s chest. Again, she felt he was in some way claiming her. He did a close inspection of her while smiling and talking nonstop to the other man. The other man said something to her, but Abri didn’t understand. Raiden was speaking again. The man came close to Abri and inhaled deeply. He cocked his head and, turning her, he fastened his gaze onto her. A large hand settled onto her shoulder and she felt warm moistness with his touch seep through her t-shirt. Abri almost bolted when the man’s gray eyes seemed to roll in a haze. Fog like, an image appeared, it was disturbing and surreal and drew her in. Abri got lost in his eyes. She felt frozen where she stood.

  Calm settled her as the image took shape. She felt the man inside of her mind. His thoughts were coaxing not frightening. She could see inside him. She could feel his kindness, it was important to him. She could hear him.

  How is that possible?

  The man’s name was Doss—he wouldn’t hurt her. Neither would Raiden. She saw this as well as heard it in her thoughts. Hypnotism? She wondered. Were they some freakish kind of vampire?

  No.

  Abri heard the word in her thoughts then her mind took flight as the being showed her a beautiful place he called home. They were taking them home. She would be safe, warm, loved, and not alone. Raiden had claimed her; she was to become his brother’s mate. Abri blinked. A mate? His mate? Raiden’s mate? Huh? Weren’t they taking them back to Earth, or Ulsy? It had been a year, surely Earth had recovered. Abri tried to explain her thoughts to him.

  Their contact broke. Abri looked from brother to brother. She felt dazed and confused when the contact ended. Doss seemed distracted by something. She saw him sniff the air and frown. Doss was once more in head to toe gray-white armor. It covered his body in seconds seeping from his skin to encase him. It was so strange to witness; it was as though he was simply shrugging into a winter jacket.

  There was no time to ponder when an ebony being appeared carrying Tasha in his arms. She had four vertical bloodied wounds across her chest. She was unconscious and looked dead. If she wasn’t already, she soon would be. Pain settled into Abri’s heart. Please no more death, no more. For the first time in a long while Abri began to cry.

  * * * *

  “We need to get her to the ship and in our healing waters, fast,” Doss said.

  Doss pulled the limp woman to his chest and was on the move. Raiden marveled at his brother’s speed. Before long he was invisible to the eye. Raiden had no idea where he had come from but was grateful he had shown up when he did. And since he mentioned a ship there had to be other Castians present to help round up the other three women.

  Raiden gazed at his sobbing little female. Tears were an oddity, but he had seen his brother Loy’s mate cry. She was exceptionally emotional and pregnant. Loy could calm his female mate with his touch. Raiden stroked Abri’s face. Her tears seeped into his skin and he felt her sadness. She was worried for the female named Tasha. Raiden had thought the woman spoke incessantly, but he would never wish to see a tiny female harmed.

  An overwhelming urge to find and kill the other Tonan made Raiden’s blood boil. The Tonan had frightened Abri and harmed a female. He had no doubt Doss would make it to the healing waters in time, and Tasha would be fine. But how was he to explain that to Abri? Raiden had never heard of anyone who couldn’t hear. Humans had such odd maladies. Abri looked so afraid. He was compelled to pull her against his chest.

  The reaction was immediate. Raiden felt his secretions surface to slip into her body. It wasn’t just a compelling need it was—everything—to calm her. Her tears absorbed into his body making him pull her tighter. After initially struggling, Abri’s cheek lay against his chest. Raiden’s secretions were geared to quiet a female—especially one he wanted to mate with. He saw Sam move to interfere but Cace stopped her. Cace pulled Sam to his chest. Raiden’s warrior mate’s gaze became enlightened.

  Cace cocked his head to the side. “I can feel her fluid mix with mine.”

  “I know, it’s instinct, search your scent memory for the feeling. We must get them to our vessel where it’s safer,” Raiden replied.

  “There is nothing to fear with these females. Your brother must have been aboard Cobra’s search vessel. There are other Castians now on the surface rounding up the human females. I was told to bring the female, Tasha, to you. Cobra said Doss heard your emotional scent of worry while on board the ship. In fact, Cobra barely had time to open the ship door before Doss was on the move. Your brother has a very big protective streak. He also moves faster than any other Castian. He’ll save Tasha.”

  “But how?” Sam whimpered. “She was sliced to pieces.”

  Raiden looked at the female in Cace’s arms. She was trembling. Tears rolled down her cheeks much like Abri’s. Raiden could scent her despair. She looked so small. He wondered how long they had been on the planet alone. They all must have become very close. It would be better for all six females to mate with Raiden’s close friends to ensure they weren’t separated.

  “Cobra, our leader, has come with a war vessel. Aboard the vessel are healing waters. A Castian warrior has no need of healing waters, and it was by accident we discovered these waters could heal female humans of inflicted pain.” Sam looked hopeful and Raiden knew immediately what she was thinking. “I am unsure if it will help Abri to hear.”

  “But you’ll try?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Abri tugged on his arm, and when Raiden looked upon her face, he could see her worry. Seeing her tear-filled gaze made his heart flip in an odd way. He stroked her hair. Then cupping her cheeks in his hands, he
brought her gaze to his lips.

  “Abri?” She nodded. “My ship is near.” He motioned she was to follow him.

  “Your ship?” Sam asked.

  “We can’t abandon the vessel to the planet. It has coordinates we cannot allow the Tonan warriors to get a hold of,” Cace replied.

  “Is that what those creatures were?” Sam asked.

  “Yes. We are Castian warriors. Tonan warriors are distant relatives who mutated. There are more on our planet, but you needn’t fear them. If there was a trace of dishonesty in them, Cobra wouldn’t allow them to be near our planet. It’s simple enough to differentiate. The lying deceitful Tonans have long tails. The Tonans on our planet have snapped their tails off. If their tails begin to grow, they will have been caught in a lie and will be severely punished.

  “Once we get you to Bagron, we can try the healing water on Abri. With luck, it will cure her.” Raiden was hopeful it would heal her. If not, mating with her should. Mating a female seemed to work on any ailment. Abri’s hearing disorder should be no different.

  When they reached the ship, Raiden voiced a command and the vessel de-cloaked. It floated approximately a foot off the ground. If Raiden chose to, he could move it with a touch of his hand, so too could Cace. For any other it wouldn’t budge. It didn’t mean it was invincible—Raiden was. Abri held back and Raiden could scent her fear. He stroked her cheek.

  Human vessels were oddities and outdated junk. To Raiden, he thought it would be the same as comparing a human fighter jet to a paper plane. Through his travels to Earth, Raiden had seen images of such things through what was left of the satellites surrounding the planet. Raiden was surprised humans had become capable of flight at all—very astute beings or perhaps tenacious.

  The sleek, black, rounded dome vessel before Abri was more than likely intimidating her. Raiden thought briefly of taking her to Cobra’s vessel, but he didn’t want to let her out of his sight—he scented Cace felt the same of his own female. With Cobra’s warship near, Raiden was certain the danger was minimal. If he left Abri alone on Cobra’s ship, another might scent imprint with her as well. That could prove tricky. Cobra wouldn’t allow his warriors to fight each other except in mock battle. If the other warrior was older and more experienced, Abri might gravitate towards the other warrior.