by S. E. Smith
“Of course,” the older male replied turning back toward the path they had left just minutes before.
Ha’ven paused looking back at the sunken transport. “How did she get me out?” He wondered out loud.
“Have her share her story tonight at dinner,” Saba Monda suggested. “My wives were very impressed at her determination. I asked them if they would have done the same for me,” he chuckled. “Only Olla said no. I made her mad when I did not compliment her dessert. I am still trying to get her to forgive me,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I need to see my mate,” Ha’ven said suddenly.
He had an urgent need to touch her, hear her voice and see for himself that she was alright. He had tried to reach out to her but every time he tried to touch the power deep inside him, excruciating pain radiated through his head. His stomach turned with nausea as he thought about how defenseless he was at the moment to protect Emma. He could only hope Kejon was unaware of their location.
Chapter 16
Emma giggled as she splashed in the water with the other women and children. She had been mortified when they had first brought her down to the river. Large pools of warm water bubbled up from several hot springs overflowing into the shallow rock formations. Small groups of women of different ages played with young children who squealed and chased each other.
She now understood that Saba Monda had four wives. Sebra, Telmay, Olla, and Pollamay. Sebra was the lead wife as she was the oldest followed by Telmay, Olla and the youngest, Pollamay, who still had the soft sable colored hair covering her body which was rounded with her first child. The four women had finally forced her away from Ha’ven’s side where she had stayed for the last two days.
She had been terrified when the strange creatures had first approached her. She had frantically searched the beach for some type of weapon. She had finally grabbed a large piece of driftwood and stood holding it like a baseball bat as they approached.
She had been shocked when the silver-haired female that she later learned was Sebra chuckled when she growled at them to stay back. Sebra had waved the others to stand back as she and Saba Monda stepped closer to where Emma was standing protectively over Ha’ven’s crumpled form. Sebra had tilted her head before speaking in a soft husky voice.
“We will not harm the young Prince,” she had said calmly. “You are a fierce warrior even for being so small.”
“You… you know him?” Emma had asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Saba Monda had responded. “He is the Prince of Curizan, Ha’ven Ha’darra.”
“My husband has met the young prince before,” Sebra commented. “He is injured.”
Emma had been shocked when Sebra had turned and barked out several short commands. Within moments, a small group of women emerged from the forests. Several carried a large stretcher between them. Sebra touched Emma as the women came closer, pulling her gently to the side so an older woman could exam Ha’ven’s injuries.
After several long minutes, the older woman stood up and waved to a group of younger females. Emma watched as two of the females opened the stretcher and laid it on the ground next to Ha’ven. Six females with black and brown hair gathered around Ha’ven’s still form. They bent as one and gently lifted him onto it. Once he was centered, they lifted him and began moving back toward the forests.
“Where… what?” Emma started to protest.
Saba Monda stepped up to her left side while Sebra moved to her right. Sebra reached up and touched Emma’s blonde hair with a reassuring smile. Emma glanced back and forth before she let the stick in her hand fall to the ground as weariness suddenly washed through her.
“He will heal,” the older woman said as she came to stand in front of Emma. “This one needs rest as well,” she said as she touched a small knot on Emma’s forehead that she didn’t know she had.
“Are you sure?” Emma asked, worriedly looking where the women had disappeared with Ha’ven. “Are you sure he will be alright?”
“Yes,” the old woman snorted softly at Emma’s doubt of her diagnosis before she turned.
The trip back to the village had passed in a blur. Emma had swayed for a moment when she tried to move forward. Sebra had gripped her around her waist and quickly climbed up the large beasts they had been riding. Emma had clung to the fur in terror as it turned to follow the others down the wide path. A brief thought flashed through her mind as the forest close in around them. She wondered what other strange things could possibly happen.
*.*.*
“Catch me!” A small voice cried out.
Emma barely had time to lift her arms to catch the small bundle of brown hair that flew through the air. She laughed as the thin arms wrapped around her neck. She had been embarrassed when she found out they had brought her to the river to bathe.
She had refused to take her clothes off at first but Pollamay had chuckled and began dancing around her, pulling at her clothing. Soon the others joined in and a very red-faced Emma had been left standing in the sunlight with nothing but her hair and hands to cover her. The women had quickly removed their coverings and stepped into the small basins of warm water where they splashed and teased each other.
Emma had reluctantly joined them and soon forgot her own nudity as the children came over to see if she would play with them.
“What happened to all your hair?” Beta asked, touching Emma’s face. “Did it hurt when you lost it?
Emma nipped at the little girl’s fingers. “I don’t have hair like you do. I have a light coating on my arms and on my legs if I want. Human females mostly just have hair on their heads,” she explained as cradled Beta in her arms.
“You have some lower,” Beta responded, looking at Emma puzzled.
Emma blushed as Olla chuckled. “Beta, go play with your sisters and leave the poor female alone. You have made her face red again.”
“I’m sorry if I made your face red,” Beta said, looking at Emma with big dark eyes before she rubbed her nose affectionately against her cheek. “I think you are beautiful even with only a little hair on you,” she whispered before she climbed off of Emma’s lap to go find her older sisters.
Emma’s eyes filled with tears and her hand rose to touch where Beta had rubbed against her. A warmth spread through her, melting the last of the ice around her heart that she had surrounded it with since her was kidnapped and her world changed. She looked at Olla who sat across from her with a small smile on her greying face.
“Beta is right,” Olla said. “You have unusual coloring. Even without hair I think our males would find you attractive. If you wish, I can…”
“No, you cannot,” Ha’ven interrupted, standing near the edge of the clear pool. “She has already been claimed.”
“Ha’ven,” Emma looked up in surprise. “You woke up.”
“Yes.”
Emma didn’t hear Olla as she silently climbed out of the pool. Her eyes were glued to the man who had become the center of her world. Her eyes roamed greedily over him.
Sebra and Saba Monda had both insisted that he was simply sleeping a healing sleep. She only came down to the river after the women insisted and Saba Monda promised he would stay with Ha’ven until she returned.
“I…” She blushed as she became aware of her lack of clothing. She glanced around and realized they were suddenly all alone. “Where did the others disappear to?”
Ha’ven reached up and tugged his shirt over his head. “I think Sebra let them know we needed time alone. We will join them later,” he added as his hands went to the front of his pants.
“Why don’t you do that hand-wavy thing?” Emma asked breathlessly.
Ha’ven’s eyes darkened when she licked her lips. His body tightened as he felt it respond to her unconscious invitation. He toed off his boots before pushing his pants down and off.
“It appears I will have to do things a bit slower for a little while,” he responded with a smile as he watched her eyes widen at his arousal.
“There are some advantages to this way as well.”
Emma opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out as he stepped lightly onto the smooth rock rimming the basin before stepping down into the warm swirling water. She rose up to meet him, her hands sliding up his chest and her mouth searching for his as he sank down.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him, kissing him frantically as all her fear and worry washed away at his touch. Her fingers tangled in his hair.
“Don’t ever…” she whispered fiercely. “… do that… again.”
Ha’ven moaned as his arms tightened around her, pulling her against his chest. He kissed her like a dying man given a second chance at life. His hands roamed over her slender form. The more he touched her, the more he needed to touch her. He buried his face in her shoulder panting as overwhelming relief flooded him.
“I cannot live with you, my Emma,” he whispered. “Just the thought of you being in danger almost destroyed me. All I could think about was getting you to safety.”
Emma threaded her fingers into his hair and held him against her as she heard the desperation behind his words. He had promised to keep her safe. He had but almost at the cost of his own life.
“You promised to keep me safe and you did,” she whispered, pressing her lips against the side of his head before she pulled back far enough so she could look him in the eye. “But whatever you did hurt you. I could feel it. You must promise never to do that again.”
“Emma…,” Ha’ven began before his voice faded as she pressed her lips to his to silence his protest.
*.*.*
Ha’ven had waited impatiently as Saba Monda took his time walking back along the path to the village. The need to see Emma grew deep inside him until it became an unbearable ache. He had breathed a sigh of relief when the village came into sight. Turning, he opened his mouth to demand the location of the river only to find Saba Monda’s eyes twinkling as he pointed to a path to the right.
Ha’ven had dipped his head in appreciation before he strode over to the path. The moment he felt sure no one from the village could see him, he broke into a run. He had to stop several times and let small groups of women and children pass him as they came back from their baths. The women chuckled and shooed the children to the side when they moved to surround him. He nodded as he scooted around them.
When he broke through to the river, his eyes were immediately drawn to Emma’s light colored hair. It shone with changing strands of gold, white and yellow in the faint light of the late afternoon sunlight. Her aura glowed with the faint yellows, pinks and purples he had grown to look for. Even from this distance, he could see the traces of black, gold and reds from his own essence intertwined with them.
Several of the women had smiled at him in understanding but he had ignored everyone but Emma. She held a small child in her arms. Her eyes were filled with a soft warmth as she listened to whatever the child said. Whatever the small girl said, it had drawn a rose-colored glow to his mate’s pale cheeks. He watched as tears filled her eyes as the child brushed her nose along her cheek before scrambling out of the pool to join several older girls.
He could not hold back the jealous possessiveness that flooded him when he overheard Olla offering to find her a mate. A hot fury rushed through him at the thought of another male touching his mate. He realized from the mischievous twinkle in Olla’s eyes that she had known he was there and listening.
What pulled the breath from his body was when Emma had looked up at him. The warmth from before was nothing compared to the blaze in them as she stared up into his eyes. He felt like he was melting under the spell she was casting.
He drew in a deep breath now as he ran his hands down to grip Emma’s hips. He shifted enough to align her with his throbbing cock. With one swift move, he rose up impaling her as he pulled her down over his thick shaft. Her loud cry fired his blood even hotter. He held her hips tightly as he rose up again and again. The need to claim her, to imprint his mark on her forever held him tightly in its grip.
“Goddess Emma,” he groaned as he felt his balls drawing up tight. “I do not understand these feelings but I can never lose you.”
Emma moaned as the tips of her nipples brushed along his broad chest. Each time he pushed up they rubbed against him until she was ready to scream from how sensitive they were. Her fingers clamped down on his shoulder. Her nails left tiny crescents as the feelings inside her swelled.
“Ha’ven,” she cried out as her body suddenly shattered around his. “I love you,” she whispered hoarsely as her head dropped forward so she could look into his eyes.
“Emma,” he groaned loudly as his body tensed before exploding into her.
He stared into her eyes as he filled her, holding her gaze with his own blazing one. He felt the power of his essence try to reach for her. Even as the pain flared briefly inside him as it reached for her, her own essence wrapped around his, calming him.
He realized in that moment that he did understand what was happening to him. He was… had fallen in love with his little mate. Shock held him mesmerized as he was pulled into the tender warmth of her blue eyes. He felt the darkness inside his soul open to the healing warmth of her love. His hand rose and he tenderly touched his fingers to her cheek. He traced the curve of her face until he touched her lips. He leaned forward, pausing a breath away.
“I… love you, my Emma,” he said in a shaken voice. “I love you.”
“I know,” she whispered tenderly as she closed the distance.
Ha’ven closed his eyes as her warm lips touched his. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, deepening it. He was in love! This little human had done something no other woman had ever done… she had captured his heart. Suddenly, he understood what Creon and Vox had. He understood why they were so protective, so possessive, so completely overwhelmed.
It is really going to suck when I tell them they were right, he thought briefly before he lost himself once again in Emma’s embrace.
Chapter 17
Ha’ven watched as Emma blushed and laughed as she fingered the beautiful wrap that she wore later that evening. Sebra and Saba Monda’s other wives had spirited Emma away when she and Ha’ven had finally returned to the village. They had insisted she needed to be prepared correctly for the evening celebration. When she had asked what the celebration was about they had informed her it was for the handfasting for new couples. The young women would have a chance to choose an unattached male for their hut.
The men had teased Ha’ven when he had grumbled as she was being led away. While it had given him a chance to contact Adalard and Arrow, he didn’t like her being out of his sight. His brothers had warned him that Kejon was not far away and to be on alert just in case Kejon found him before they arrived. Adalard said they were on their way but it would be at least another day and a half before they arrived.
Now, Ha’ven’s eyes devoured Emma as she was led past him. A possessive, self-satisfied smile curved his lips as a heated blush darkened her face when she saw the look in his eyes. He definitely liked what the women had done to her.
“You have done well in your choosing, young prince,” Saba Monda said as he watched the women walking past them. His own eyes lit with pride and desire as his wives created a semi-circle around Emma. “Perhaps you will be lucky and she will choose you tonight.”
Ha’ven glanced briefly at the silver-haired male beside him before his gaze turned back to his mate. “What do you mean, she will choose me? She already has,” he muttered with a frown.
Saba Monda chuckled and shook his head. “Perhaps on your world,” he paused a split second, leaning back before he continued. “But you are not on your world, are you?” He finished with a grin. “Tonight the women will get to choose from the new males who have returned from the Red Planet. The males will do all they can to attract the females’ attention. If the looks your mate is receiving are any indication, I think you will have some competition for her affection.”
“Wh
at?!” Ha’ven growled out looking around the large circle.
Sure enough, there were several of the huge Moniker males studying Emma with interest. Rage washed over Ha’ven when one of the males stood and flexed his arms to show off the muscles in his arms and chest before he ran his hand over the soft pelt of dark brown hair covering his flat stomach.
His eyes swiveled when he heard Emma’s giggle. She was studying the male as Telmay whispered something in her ear. She shook her head before turning to look at him again. A nervous smile played around the corner of her lips before she shyly looked away as the women led her past him. His eyes followed her as Sebra guided her to a small group of females who were laughing and eyeing the males.
“Yes,” Saba Monda said with a quiet chuckle of delight. “I do believe you will have a bit of competition.”
“Like hell,” Ha’ven bit out as he shot a warning glance at the male who sat back down with a grin on his face. “I’ll gut his hairy ass before I let him touch my Emma.”
Laughter filtered through his consciousness as he stared possessively at Emma. Power or no power, he would fight anyone who thought to take his beautiful little mate away from him.
*.*.*
Emma had been stunned earlier when Telmay and Olla had shown her the colorfully woven garment that she now wore. Pollamay and Sebra had worked on her hair, threading flowers in it as they braided it around her head, leaving a few long curls to outline her face. Delicately woven sandals had been slipped onto her feet and Pollamay had shown her how to wrap the gown around her. Olla had produced a beautiful pin in the shape of birds in flight on it. She said it represented a species that mated for life and was considered to bring good luck to the wearer.
“Now, a touch of berry oil to make your lips red and shiny,” Sebra had teased. “Not that it will last long if the young prince has his way.”
She laughed and blushed as the small group of women she was sitting with teased her about which male she should choose. She shook her head as they kept piling food onto her plate telling her she would need her strength tonight after the ceremony. Emma turned and looked at the young dark-brown haired female sitting next to her when the girl touched her blonde locks in wonder and sighed loudly.