Krygor’s Hope: Braxians 3

by Abel, Regine

  The sound of his soft chuckle, the feel of his powerful arms closing around me, and the heat of his hard body against mine turned me into a complete mess. I swallowed the tears of joy that threatened to surface and crushed his lips with a desperate kiss. Krygor immediately took over in that commanding way that made my toes curl and my knees wobble. And yet, despite the passion between us, lust didn’t fuel the fierce and frenzied way in which we kissed. The depth of our feelings, joy at being reunited, and the fear of the last few days were stamped all over the way our tongues and our bodies clung to each other’s.

  The sound of the door closing snapped us out of our trance. Breaking the kiss, Krygor cupped my face in his hands and looked at me as if I were the most precious of gifts before pressing his forehead to mine.

  “You have thirty minutes,” the aggravating guard said, although his voice was apologetic.

  Letting go of me with obvious reluctance, he turned to Siona who was staring up at him with needy eyes. I felt slightly ashamed for my selfishness in hogging Krygor. He crouched in front of her and opened his arms. Watching my baby throw herself at him and cling to him with the energy of despair successfully undid me.

  After a few moments, Siona pulled back to look at Krygor.

  “You showed them,” she said with a fierce pride while gazing at his fearsome face. “I knew you would crush them. You’re the strongest warrior in the galaxy.”

  Krygor chuckled and caressed my daughter’s left horn. “Actually, I believe Magnar Ravik is the strongest warrior in the galaxy, but I wouldn’t mind claiming second place. I am glad you approved of my performance.”

  “You were amazing!” she exclaimed.

  He had indeed been. But while pride also filled my heart, worry gnawed at me at the sight of the lash wounds covering his back. The angry welts and split skin had thankfully been treated, reducing the risks of infection. Still, the pain had to be excruciating.

  “I am fine, my mate,” Krygor said in a soft voice, having noticed me staring at his exposed back. “The healing salve is doing wonders and, like most Braxians, I have a very high pain threshold. I’ve sustained far worse injuries while sparring with my people.”

  The lightness of his tone, the absence of stiffness in his movement, and the lack of any sign of pain or discomfort slightly lessened my worries, but I still wished a doctor would tend to him. Better yet, I wished Thesala, the Veredian healer who had restored my horns, could fully mend him.

  “But how are the two of you?” he asked, rising to his feet. “Have you been harmed or mistreated in any way?”

  “No,” Siona and I responded at the same time.

  “We have been treated with the utmost respect and consideration,” I continued. “No one has behaved in any inappropriate manner towards us. The Sarenians… aren’t quite what I expected.”

  Without a word, Krygor stared intensely at me, then at Siona. I frowned, taken aback by his odd behavior. And then it dawned on me.

  “I obviously cannot swear to it, but I am certain no one messed with our minds,” I said in a soft voice. “I remember all too well the discomfort, the impending sense of doom I’d felt on Lilith Hive when Faolen had mind controlled me. I didn’t know what was going on, but my every instinct screamed something was off. I feel no such thing right now,” I added with conviction.

  “Me neither,” Siona said. “Everyone has been kind to me, even the Prince.”

  Krygor’s gaze weighed heavily on my daughter, examining closely her features. “You like Prince Zerien?” he asked in a neutral voice.

  Siona’s cheeks took on a crimson color that gave her away. She scrunched her face and shrugged her shoulder dismissively. “He’s treated me nicely.”

  “He claims to be your soulmate,” Krygor insisted.

  The redness in Siona’s face cranked up a notch, making her look as if her cheeks would soon burst into flames. “I’m too young for a soulmate, right now,” my daughter mumbled, clearly eager for a change of topic.

  “Agreed,” Krygor said.

  Drawing us to him, my mate sat down on the cushioned wooden plank that also served as his bed. He settled Siona on his lap then wrapped an arm around my waist. I snuggled against him, hating that our time together would soon come to an end.

  “I’ve spoken with the Emperor and the Prince,” my mate said in a serious tone. “They are giving us an opportunity to regain our freedom and go home. We must not let it slip through our fingers. Therefore, you must both be strong and focused.”

  Krygor spent the next few minutes informing us of the simultaneous Hunts the Emperor had setup for the occasion. Although he didn’t say it out loud, I could read between the lines that it would not be an easy journey for him. Still, I had seen what a formidable warrior he was. Nothing could stand in his way, especially not with his men by his side. It gave me hope that we could actually make it, that we would be free.

  * * *

  Morning came quickly. It was both too soon and yet not soon enough. In the next few hours, Siona, Krygor, and I could be on our way to Braxia. To my dismay, the terrible storm had abated, and a beautiful sun shone over the city. It had been a foolish hope, anyway, as the rain would have merely delayed the inevitable.

  In preparation for the hunt, my daughter and I were given simple short dresses, comfy shoes, a small pouch with energy bars, water, and a distress flare. In theory, we would be caught long before needing the food that was given to us. However, in very rare instances, some females had avoided capture for nearly half a day. I wanted to believe that Krygor would find a way to us long before that. Still, I appreciated the care they showed their females.

  To my surprise, hundreds of women were herded to the launchpad a short distance from the Serail. We were granted a thirty-minute head start on the men. However, I was dismayed to realize that each female was being launched individually inside some sort of bubble transport. The glass spheres, equipped with a single bench, could only fit a single person. Once we entered, one of the guards would close the door and the sphere would immediately begin to hover. Seconds later, it would fly away at high speed towards the forest surrounding the city.

  I had hoped that Siona and I would travel together in the same sphere. Unfortunately, she was sent away first. I followed the path of her bubble as closely as possible to get a sense of where she was, and how I would get to her. Relief flooded me to find her sphere headed close to the river, which we’d agreed to follow while heading towards the Monolith. However, to my further dismay, my bubble ended up being shot in the opposite direction from my daughter’s. Under different circumstances, I would have reveled at the breathtaking view flying over the city gave me. Seizing the opportunity, I surveyed the land for potential landmarks while enjoying this bird’s eye view.

  My heart sank at the sight of the very wide river between the Garden and the Gauntlet. Worse still, the high cliff of the plateau where Krygor would run would impede his ability to get to our side of the river. The great distance prevented me from getting a glimpse of my mate and his men, or of the Hunters that would be tracking them down. But soon, too soon, my bubble began its descent. I could see many others landing a short distance from me. I hoped the Hunters would chase after those very willing females and leave us be.

  The sphere settled smoothly in the middle of a small clearing, if it could actually qualify as such. Tall trees surrounded the area, making it impossible to see my destination. However, thanks to the little trip in the sphere, I had a good sense of which direction I needed to travel in. The glass door of the bubble automatically opened as soon as it stopped moving. Without hesitation, I started running northeast of my current position. I took on a slow but steady pace while building into my second wind. As an exotic dancer, fitness and stamina had been essential to my ‘career.’ I didn’t fear a long run, but I also did not want to wear myself out too early on. It would be at least a couple of hours to reach my destination assuming nothing got in our way and that I managed to find my daughter quic
kly.

  Although they called it the Garden, this truly was a forest, but a peaceful one. Once again, had the situation been different, I could have seen myself jogging through its beauty in my daily routine. The tall trees, the lush bushes and greenery, the colorful plants that filled the air with sweet floral scents, the lively chirping of the birds hiding in the high branches, and the adorable, small wildlife scurrying about made it an enchanting path to tread.

  The sound of voices ahead startled me. For a second, my stomach knotted with a sliver of panic. For some silly reason, the thought that the Hunters had already caught up to me flitted through my mind. However, not only were the voices feminine, but the males would also come from behind, their starting point being a lot closer to the city than our drop points. Although I slowed down a little, I did not veer from my current path. Soon, the two females came into view. Standing by a tall tree with large, drooping, dark blue leaves, the women whose names I did not recall appeared to be weaving flower crowns while making idle conversation. They paused to look at me when I entered their line of sight.

  “I’d invite you to join us,” said one of the women with an amused smile, “but I know you have places to be.”

  The other female chuckled and gave me an encouraging smile. “We’re not running for another thirty minutes at least. No point wearing ourselves out before the real chase has begun. Plus, we want to save energy for the real fun,” she added with a naughty glimmer in her eyes. “The Monolith is that way,” she continued, pointing in its general direction. “You still have plenty of time. We intend to keep those Hunters quite busy.”

  The lurid expression on her face left no mystery as to what she meant. Her companion launched into a peal of laughter. I shook my head, both envious of their laid-back demeanor and amused by their odd culture. While it would never be for me, I appreciated that it worked for them. In truth, I could see the appeal of being chased by a sexy man you wanted to capture you and give you a memorable tumble in the bushes. The thought of my giant hunting me down, pinning me against a tree, and pounding into me with that glorious cock of his had butterflies swirling in the pit of my stomach.

  But now was not the time to fantasize over my mate. I kept pushing, controlling my breathing, straining my ears for the sound of the river nearby. In the following twenty minutes or so, I encountered a handful of other females, a few of whom were also running, or rather traipsing about while casually increasing the distance between the city and them. Like the first two females, they were preserving their strength for when the males were closer.

  I couldn’t say how much time had passed, but since the last female I had met, a loud horn had resonated in the distance; this signal meant the Hunters were finally on the prowl. It distressed me that with my bubble launching after hers, Siona would have no way of knowing in which direction I’d be coming from, nor the fact that I had a far longer distance to travel only to reach the river. However, we had been clear that in her case, she would keep heading for the Monolith.

  Minutes later, the trees finally gave way to tall grasses leading to the shores along the river. Looking across it at the edges of the tall cliff of the Gauntlet, I searched in vain for a glimpse of my giant. Plowing ahead, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of my daughter. However, I was soon distracted by a strange keening sound emanating from a short distance ahead. At first, I assumed it to be the rustling of wind through the leaves, an exotic bird or small animal, or merely the singing of the river. But soon, it became clear whoever, or whatever, was making that sound was in distress. Knowing this side of a river was safe of any dangerous wildlife, I didn’t hesitate to move towards the sound. It didn’t hurt that it also came in the same direction I was already headed.

  The closer I got, the faster I moved. The desperation and the weakening sound indicated that being would not last much longer. Moving to the edge of the water, I noticed a series of broken branches stuck in the rocks lining the shore. The sound emanated from them. Treading carefully, I stretched my neck to get a better look through the branches and brambles. At first, I thought some kind of small animal had gotten trapped, and then I saw a child’s face.

  A panicked cry tore out of my throat as I rushed to the rescue. Pulse racing from both the sustained effort I had performed since exiting my bubble and out of fear for the child, I carefully lifted the branches, my task rendered more difficult by the current that kept pushing them against the rocks, effectively forming a cage trapping the young tadpole.

  The child—a boy—his skin a very pale dusty blue, appeared to have been in the midst of his first molt when he became entangled in the branches that then dragged him to this location due to the force of the current. Judging by his weakened state, he must have been trapped there awhile. I carefully pulled him out before cradling him into my arms. The child looked at me with exhaustion, gratitude, and something akin to pleading.

  The way his arms flopped down whenever he tried to reach for my face further displayed his weakness. Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out one of the energy bars that had been provided to me. The little boy stared at me with glassy eyes, his little mouth gaping, revealing tiny pointy teeth that had barely begun to protrude out of his gums. I doubted he would be able to chew the bar. Therefore, I bit out a piece, chewed it just enough to soften it, and then fed a small portion to the child. Despite his low energy, the boy chewed greedily before swallowing, his mouth reopening immediately for more. Without hesitation, I repeated the process until I had fed him an entire bar.

  His pale blue skin seemed to darken slightly, taking on a healthier hue thanks to his returning strength. For a moment, I wondered if I should feed him a second bar. However, the boy seemed to have other ideas in mind. Clinging to me he began to wiggle in the oddest fashion. it took me a moment to realize but he was trying to free his legs of the thick skin that had bound them as a tadpole tail. I almost helped him but held back at the last minute. For such species, that kind of effort allowed them to develop their muscles in the proper fashion. I was about to put him back into the water by the shore to ease his molting process when a sudden sound behind me had my head jerking around.

  I froze at the sight of Faolen slowly approaching me. However, the wistful, almost heartbroken, look in his eyes took my breath away.

  “You were truly born to be a Matriarch,” he said, closing the distance between us.

  I eyed him warily as he crouched down next to me. He caressed the head of the little boy, and then told me to hang on. Getting back up, he ran towards a nearby tree and climbed up it with the dizzying dexterity of a feline. He reached for something I couldn’t see on the trunk, before deftly jumping back down. The Sarenian jogged back to me, while scraping with his claws at what look like a piece of tree bark. Kneeling back next to me, Faolen leaned over and fed the white paste he had removed from the inner part of the bark to the child.

  “The sap of Nejon trees is very sweet and will provide him with enough energy to complete his journey,” Faolen explained in a soft voice. “Normally, the shores would be scouted by the Matriarchs and Patriarchs to make sure no tadpole was stuck this way. This often occurs following a major storm like the one we had last night.”

  The boy devoured the three portions of sap my companion gave him before resuming to wiggle out of his molt. Within seconds, the translucent skin came off. The child gave us an ecstatic smile then raised his palm, fingers spread, towards us.

  Faolen shook his head with an apologetic expression. “No, little one. We are not your parents. You must go back to the river and finish your journey. You will find your pod ahead.”

  I realized it had been some kind of joining or bonding gesture. Although I doubted the infant understood the words Faolen had spoken, I believed he understood we wouldn’t adopt him. Taking the child from my arms, Faolen took a few steps into the river and gently placed the boy in the water at a safe enough distance from the shore and the rocks.

  “Go on, little one. Strengthen your leg muscles and fin
d your way home. Safe journey.”

  Faolen stared at the youngling as he swam downriver towards his destination, towards the parents that awaited him. I rose to my feet as the Hunter waded out of the water to join me.

  “I would have raised many such as he with you,” Faolen said with a pained look on his face. “However many you wanted… I could have made you very happy.”

  I smiled apologetically and gently caressed his cheek.

  “Although I hate that you kidnapped us, you are a good man, Faolen,” I said in a soft voice. “One day, you will find your true mate. But I’ve already found my soulmate, and it is Krygor.”

  “I know,” he replied with a resigned tone. He extended a hand towards me. I instinctively took it. “Come on. Let’s go find your daughter. I would rather not have your beast spill my brothers’ blood should they be silly enough to pursue her.”

  Chuckling softly, I let him lead the way.

  Chapter 16

  Krygor

  The bubble transport in which they had us travel into the forest was barely big enough to accommodate our large frames. My men and I departed almost simultaneously, each of us in a different direction. Mine was closest to the center while Zartag flew farther East from us. He would have a much longer journey to catch up with us. Thankfully, both my men were experienced fighters and hunters. I didn’t know what creatures dwelled within this forest, but my home world had savage beasts of its own which could rival any other. Yulan’s sphere flew further ahead than mine and closer to the river. Unfortunately, my sphere began its descent far too early through the thick woods, blocking my men from sight.

  Thick vines and gnarly roots covered the uneven terrain, making it difficult to travel the forest. The trees, with their thick trunks and sprawling branches, rose endlessly towards the sky. The rays of the sun struggled to pierce through the tightly knit canopy. It would be a long race to the river. Weaponless, and deprived of any tool, I avoided making unnecessary noise in any area that looked suitable for animals to make their lairs. I didn’t know what lurked through these woods and preferred not to find out if at all possible. At least, the Hunters tracking us had the same restrictions we did.