by Ivy Sparks
Sophie stepped forward instead, saying as she pointed to herself, “Sophie. My name is Sophie.”
Ryker nodded, then looked at the other woman.
“Nora,” she said, her tone guarded.
Ryker then turned to me again, his eyes soft and encouraging, despite his barbarian body.
I awkwardly cleared my throat before saying, “Claire.”
He licked his lips and repeated softly, “Claire.”
He held out his hand to me. I hesitated, looking down at his massive hand, realizing how easily he could crush me with it. Even the muscles in his palm were ripped. Jeez!
But his eyes told me I was safe, even if he couldn’t express it in words I understood. So I reached out and put my hand in his. The warmth of his gentle grasp sent a shiver through my arm and down my back. My breath halted for a moment as the core between my legs pulsed.
I immediately blushed, hoping to God this guy didn’t have advanced senses, because otherwise he’d smell my desire from a mile away.
A smirk just barely tugged at one corner of his full lips before he suppressed his expression and turned back toward the king. They spoke some more, and it seemed that a decision was made.
Ryker dropped my hand, then stepped back and started giving orders to the Xeki warriors on either side of us. With that, he marched down a side corridor, the Xeki warriors nudging us to follow him.
I heard the sound of streaming water again, and soon I discovered why. The room we were escorted to housed an enormous hot spring. This room, though shaded by a stone roof, was partially open to the nature of the mountain, with greenery encroaching through the latticed walls.
The other Xeki warriors turned around and headed back for the throne room. It was just us three women and Ryker. I exchanged looks with Sophie and Nora, then we all watched Ryker with wide eyes as we huddled up together.
Ryker pointed at the water and gave us verbal instructions. When we all just continued to stare at him, he sighed and motioned at our clothes, then his own, and mimed taking them off.
“He wants us to clean up,” Sophie said. I had figured as much, but I wasn’t about to strip down with him watching me.
Nora said, “You know what? Screw it. I’ve been fantasizing about a hot bath for the past hour.” She stripped off her tattered clothes and stepped into the large pool of hot water. The steam mostly obscured her naked body, but that didn’t make things any easier for me. I was frankly shocked how easy it was for her to strip naked just like that. She must not have been kidding.
Ryker didn’t seem the least bit fazed at Nora’s display of nudity, simply nodding at her then motioning for us to do the same.
Nora let out the longest, most excessive sigh of relief I ever heard. “You two, this water is amazing. All my pain… It’s like it’s melting away.”
Sophie groaned, saying, “Fine! I can’t take these dirty clothes anyway,” and she stripped too, hopping into the water moments later.
But I continued to stand still. Considering the way Ryker looked at me with clothes on, I wasn’t about to test my luck with a barbarian who probably never had a woman say no to him before. Damn did that steamy water look nice though.
Ryker stepped toward me, his palms held out as if he were approaching a timid animal. I half wanted to snap at him. Tell him I didn’t need to be treated so delicately. But after all the Ixol’s rough-handling, maybe I could use a tender touch…
He put both of his warm hands on my shoulders, then softly turned me toward the water. With my back now to him, he whispered something in my ear. I didn’t know what he was saying, but the softness of his voice and warmth of his breath made my ear and neck tingle.
“Navier?” he asked me.
I assumed that meant ‘okay?’ so I nodded at him.
He stepped back and removed his hands from my shoulders, giving me room to remove my clothes, leaving me already longing to feel his touch again. He wasn’t leaving until I took my clothes off, it seemed.
All right, fine. But my underwear and bra were staying on.
My clothes were outright disgusting, drenched from the long desert walk. Now I was really hoping he didn’t have much of a sense of smell. I had to reek. After about a minute of using my weakened limbs to pull off my jeans and shirt, I was finally down to my underwear.
I glanced behind myself and saw Ryker’s eyes exploring every inch of me. I could feel his temptation from where I stood. I didn’t dare look down past his waist.
It wasn’t my first time experiencing the old ‘male gaze,’ but Ryker’s stare did something different to me. Instead of repulsing me, it made my knees tremble. Having him look at me like I was the most tempting thing he’d seen made me freeze up yet again.
He came forward. My heart started pounding.
He took my face in his hand and caressed it. I closed my eyes as I felt his warm, rough skin touch my face, my ears, my lips.
He turned me around again and unclipped my bra. It fell to the floor. His hands then traveled down my torso to my hips, where he easily ripped my panties off.
I stood completely naked now, my back to Ryker, my eyes locked forward. I felt like I was on display, and instead of feeling offended or defensive, all I kept thinking was: Does he like what he sees?
A moment later, the door behind me closed with a thud. I looked over my shoulder to see Ryker had left.
I crossed my arms over my breasts and let out a little scoff.
Both Nora and Sophie were watching me. Sophie had a smirk on her face. Was it mocking, or was it something else? I narrowed my eyes at her as I stepped into the water, the heat enveloping me. Given all the shit I had been through over the past few days, I wasn’t about to take any snide remarks on top of that. “What?” I asked her as she continued to smirk.
“Dude,” Sophie said in a whisper that carried throughout the marble room. “You should have seen the look on his face.”
I was scared to ask. “What do you mean?”
“He bit his lower lip. I swear if he could speak English, he would’ve been all, ‘Dayum, that’s fine!’”
I laughed at Sophie’s poor imitation of a masculine voice and waved her off. “No way he thought that. I’m a hot mess.”
Sophie cupped some water in her hands and poured it over her hair. “Maybe these barbarians like it that way. Dirty. Messy. Primal. Like animals.” Her eyes widened. “Ooh, that’s kinda hot, actually.”
“Err… No thanks.” I quickly started washing off the sand and dirt from my skin, but I had to turn my back to Sophie and Nora to hide my blushing cheeks.
Primal. Like animals.
Fuck, maybe I did think that was hot.
And here I once believed I was a clean, civilized city girl, in need of a chivalrous gentleman.
Maybe all this time what I had needed was a barbarian.
Chapter Six
Ryker
I stood in front of the mirror inside my private chamber, asking myself the same question over and over again.
How could I let that happen?
I had to make sure Claire felt safe here, but it was so hard to control myself around that small woman. She made me feel things I hadn’t felt before. She stoked a fire I thought had long since gone out.
When she stood before me, so close to being naked, a primal desire took over. A Xeki warrior, after all, was never denied a woman—but she was no Xeki female and I knew that.
Still, it was clear her presence was fated. Why else would she be here? A fertile female, in our land, at this crucial time.
I felt an undeniable connection with her, which should have been impossible given she came from a distant planet light years away. The Ixol had called these women creatures ‘humans,’ and claimed they were a real prize. Rare and desired throughout the universe.
The Ixol didn’t have to convince me. One look at Claire was enough. Maybe that was why I set aside my usual rules and accepted on the king’s behalf to buy these women slaves. Not that they were slave
s now, of course. They were free to leave. But so long as the Ixol owned them, they had no freedom, and I couldn’t have allowed that. The Ixol had treated these women horribly, leaving them in bad shape.
They were free to go, as Xekis kept no slaves. Many races did, but our tribe refused to take such immoral shortcuts.
I just hoped one of the humans in particular didn’t choose to leave. Yet I might have already scared her with my primal act.
A knock on my door pulled me away from my thoughts.
“Earl Ryker?” A servant girl came in. “Your presence is being requested in the dining room.”
I nodded and asked, “Where are the humans?”
“Still bathing, my earl. What should be done?” She bowed and awaited my order.
“They’ll stay in the empty servant corridor for now. Take them to their beds. Make sure they’re comfortable and clothed. And offer them food and water before they sleep.”
She nodded and left.
I returned my gaze to my reflection, seeing the scars on my face from past battles. Our oasis attracted the coveting eye of many sand tribes, but not one of them had managed to stage a successful invasion. I made sure of that.
They had left their mark on me though. Ugly scars. Scars usually meant one was of low status, an expendable warrior. The king, as powerful as he was, had no scars, as he had others to fight for him. It was only through years of fighting that I had climbed to the top and earned my position as his right-hand man. But the scars from my poorer youth still remained, and most female Xekis sneered at them.
Claire didn’t though. She seemed entranced by every facet of me. Was she attracted, or was she scared?
I couldn’t tell.
Shaking my head as I turned from the mirror, I made my way down the hall. This entire wing of the castle was mine, but I never had anyone to share it with.
Would that change?
I shook my head. I generally found that things always stayed the same.
Once I entered the cavernous dining room, I greeted Lord Kali by pounding my fist to my chest and bowing my head
“Ah, Earl Ryker, come in.” He sat at the head of the table and motioned that I sit opposite him.
I was used to this room only being used for celebrations of war or to impress fellow earls and kings from distant tribes. Tonight, though, only two places were set at the table: one for me, and one for the king. Still, the feast was impressive.
Servants stood at every corner ready to be instructed. I wondered what the occasion was. It couldn’t simply be the three humans I bought?
Lord Kali ate heartily and sipped at a chalice of asnir—a strong drink usually reserved for warriors.
“Do we need to be concerned about the Ixol returning?” Lord Kali asked.
Lord Kali had been ruling the oasis of Xekis since I was a boy. His forefathers had sacrificed their lives in order to protect our bountiful land, and after years of constant attacks, we were now small in number. Still, Lord Kali had promised that one day, we’d be a mighty nation again.
“I made sure the Ixol left satisfied, my Lord. I considered slaying them right then and there—they were only three in number—but that would have likely resulted in many more attacking in retribution.”
“Why do any business with them?” Lord Kali asked. While he trusted me to make decisions like this on his behalf, he was wise to make sure my reasoning was sound.
“Because the women would have died if they had to return to the desert. I couldn’t accept that.”
“Is there not another reason behind your decision, Earl Ryker?”
He always knew when I was holding back. But his ability to dig into the heart of the matter was one of the many reasons I respected him as a leader. “We have few women who are capable of breeding. These human women… if they’re willing… could help us with our dwindling population. And to bring in new blood—I think it’d make us stronger, many generations from now.”
Lord Kali smiled, pleased with my answer. “My forefathers didn’t think ahead many generations like we do. That’s why we’re in the bind we’re in right now. But you and I, with our foresight, can correct this course.”
A discomfort stirred in me. He was right, and we both were thinking the same thing, but I had a misgiving about this situation. “The women aren’t here by choice. They should be allowed to leave, if they wish. Anything else is slavery, and we’ve seen what lowering oneself to using slaves has done to other tribes.”
Lord Kali sighed. “Do you not trust me, Earl Ryker?”
“I trust you, my Lord.”
He filled another chalice with asnir and pushed it toward me. “Drink. Relax. I’ve never seen your posture so rigid before.”
I sipped in hopes of not having to explain myself. I couldn’t let him know a woman was doing this to me.
His eyes narrowed as he asked, “Where are the humans presently?”
“I’ve instructed them to be bathed, then housed in the servant’s quarters until they have recovered.”
“They’ll be staying here a while,” Lord Kali said, staring into his chalice.
My grip on my drink tightened. He wasn’t suggesting we keep the women here by force, was he?
Lord Kali continued, “My seers say the sandstorm season will begin any day now, if not tonight. These women, whether they want to or not, must stay here until the storms subside. It’ll take four moons at the very least before the desert is safe to cross again.”
“I see,” I said. But he still wasn’t saying whether he’d let the women leave after, once it was safe.
“It almost feels fated,” Lord Kali mused as he chewed on a chunk of roasted meat. “The Ixol shoving three good women into our arms, the exact day a sandstorm is going to force them to stay with us.” Lord Kali asked suddenly, “Didn’t you feel it, when you first met them?”
I set down my chalice. “Feel what?”
Lord Kali gave me a wry smile. He knew I was playing dumb. “You do feel it. A connection, with one of the women. I feel a connection too.”
“With which one?” I asked rather too quickly.
Lord Kali let out a booming laugh, settling down into a chuckle after a few moments. “Not the one you have your eyes fixed on, my friend. The chirpy one. Sophie. I look forward to her.”
I looked down sheepishly. “Yes, I do feel a connection with one of the humans. Claire. But what if they don’t feel the same?”
“When have we not gotten what we wanted?”
It was true. Never had I been turned down by a woman, even with my undesirable scars. But when it came to Claire, she barely wanted to bathe in front of me. What if what I was taking for attraction was actually fear?
Lord Kali didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned, however. “Make sure they feel at home here. Let them roam free, become familiar with our land, learn our ways.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Let’s see where fate takes us, Earl Ryker.” He smiled and raised his glass. “Savast!”
“Savast.” I raised my glass too, before gulping down the asnir.
Chapter Seven
Claire
“Oh my God, it’s heaven!” Sophie exclaimed as she fell into one of the beds. “Fuck memory foam. This stuff is like a cloud.” She squeezed the corners of the mattress, as if trying to uncover the secrets of its stuffing. “Damn, if I could import this stuff back to Earth…”
I wasn’t in such a giddy mood as I adjusted the very short slip the servant girl had given me to wear. We weren’t even offered underwear, Just these simple, mostly revealing slips. As utterly soft and cool as my mattress was, I was longing for my old squeaky bed back on Earth. At least there, I could take on the wimpy men on offer.
With Ryker, I was completely at his mercy. Not just my body, which was tiny compared to his, but my mind too. My every thought kept cycling back to the question of whether he found me attractive or repulsive. Would I ever feel his touch again, after he saw me completely bare and vulnerable?
A Xeki servant girl had provided us with clothes, jugs of water, and our own personal stick baskets full of various fruits, dried meat, and bread. I was about halfway through my basket of food, eating not just out of starvation, but depression. I had to hand it to the Xeki: this was some good comfort food.
“You know,” Sophie said sitting straight on her bed as she pointed her bread loaf at me and Nora. “We could be on the ground floor of a new species hybrid.”
I was too dumbfounded to find my words, but Nora simply remained quiet.
That didn’t discourage Sophie. “All right, maybe the idea doesn’t appeal to you two, but this is kind of a dream come true for an Alien Relations student like myself. It’s theorized that someday, millenniums from now, all the intergalactic races will have melded together into one. And that will be the day we reach galactic harmony.”
“And I take it that you’d be more than happy to help that along?” I asked with an eye roll. If my interaction with Ryker was any indication, romance between such disparate species wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. At least, that was what all my self-doubting thoughts were telling me.
“Uh, hell yeah, I’d like to help that along,” Sophie said, hugging a pillow dreamily. “I mean, did you see the king? He looked like a Viking god, and he was eyeing me up and down too, so it seems the attraction is mutual… Imagine if I struck up a romance with him? Now that would be one hell of a thesis!”
I could see there wasn’t much talking sense into her. But I did have one concern that she might find relevant: “Okay, but they’re about twice the size of your average human man in muscle mass. And then there’s the… bulges they’ve got going under their pants. You really think our dainty bodies could handle them?”
Sophie frowned as she imagined it for a moment. “Yeah, okay, maybe you have a point.”
We both glanced at Nora, who had been very silent throughout this conversation.