Citun’s Storm

by

C.L. Scholey

TORRID BOOKS
www.torridbooks.com

Published by
TORRID BOOKS
www.torridbooks.com
An Imprint of Whiskey Creek Press LLC

Copyright © 2016 by
C.L. Scholey

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-63355-804-5

Credits
Cover Artist: Vinessa Riley
Editor: Melanie Ann Billings

Printed in the United States of America

GAME ON!

This is one married couple whose appetites for each other grow ever stronger with each passing year. They thoroughly enjoy discovering new ways to keep the spark alive and thriving. Allowing another couple to share in their fun only seems to increase the possibilities. Keeping the love alive is certainly not a problem for Mac and Jenney, which makes their escapades deliciously fun to read.

~ Coffee Time Romance

ENGULF – NEW WORLD BK 5

Abri is a strong female heroine. She didn't let deafness define who she is. Raiden is a likeable guy. Why? Even though Abri is deaf, Raiden picked her for his female.

C.L. Scholey has done a terrific job of creating this futuristic romance series. We have action, romance, adventure & mystery all in 102 pages.

~
Romance Bookaholic Traveler

THE BRETHREN OF TAVISH – VAMPIRE COVEN BK 1

The Brethren of Tavish is a wonderfully written book. The characters are well rounded and bring you into the story as if you were really there. The story flows smoothly tying one part to the next. The plot is well thought out, giving you plenty of action…

~
Night Owl Reviews

Game On!

Enslaved

Timeless Witch

Viking Warriors Mega Book

New World Series Package Set – Books 1 to 5

NEW WORLD SERIES

Shield

Armor

Impenetrable

Apparition

Engulf

Guardian

Defender

MINE!

VAMPIRE COVEN SERIES

The Brethren of Tavish

A Vampire to Watch Over Me

A Vampire’s Embrace

UNEARTHLY WORLD SERIES

Bay’s Mercenary

Zuri’s Zargonnii Warrior

Bethany’s Heart

Cautious Surrender

To Catch a Warrior

ELEMENTS SERIES

Fire’s Flame

VIKING WARRIOR SERIES
w/a Constantine De Bohon

Valhalla Hott

Valhalla Wolf

Valkyrie Heat

Norse Valor

DARK WORLD SERIES

Cage

ASSASSIN SERIES

Assassin Territory

My Assassin Lover

Assassin Master

Assassin Treasure

Assassin Deception

AVAILABLE AT WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

Back to Our Beginning

For my family, who continue to be supportive.

Citun couldn’t breathe. The waves crashed overhead, water swirling, pounding, invading his tortured lungs. He had to suck in air or he would die, but to inhale would be death. His mind warred with his body, need over reason. For a single second, he broke the surface, barely, only his eyes, blinking in rapid succession, watched as the tumultuous sky met the angry waters. The whitecaps of the waves crashed over him spiraling him down, down to smash against the sandy floor before he was able to relieve his tortured lungs. Pools of watery dust wafted, swirling, turning before his eyes as the side of his face cracked against the hard surface below.

Spinning, shoving his hands against the hard yet yielding floor, he glanced up, his deadly world surreal. There was no light, the red glow of his gaze burned brighter searching for a glimpse of the surface, straining for hope in a mere glint. The ocean was so deep, the surface so far away. Citun had never been in the bowels of the waters. Surreal thunder clapped to rock his fragile world, rumbling within his chest. How could he hear the noise so deep? If his men were to find him, they would need to hear him call. The pounding grew within his ears and his grim revelation was—they never would hear him, and he was going to die alone. Only his warriors would mourn him when he wanted so much more in his life. How cruel was fate to introduce human adult females, and female children he could hold. Now he would never have the chance, never revel in the intimacy.

How long have I been down here?

Long white hair billowed around him in a frenzy; his natural instinct was to create a smoke screen, but no matter, the water could see him and the substance wasn’t intimidated. Nothing but emptiness swam before his tired red, dimming gaze. Lungs about to burst, Citun gave in and took a breath, what could a small pant hurt when he ached so terribly already. His lips parted.
A tiny taste for air.
Pain exploded inside. Choking on putrid water, Citun lurched up toward the tiny bead of light his gaze settled onto. A flicker, nothing more, but it was a shred of hope. Swim harder, his insides screamed, but he couldn’t. The waves were too strong.

I’m dying.

Fighting was useless. He never remembered how he came to be surrounded in death. A Zargonnii warrior could hold his breath for hours. Had it been that long? His arms were dead weight, languishing to roll with the tugging current as he slowly drifted back to the bottom of the ocean where his ass settled and he slumped. The planet had seemed so innocuous. Not a cloud had darkened the blue sky. Beautiful golden vines hung from massive pale grey trees gently swaying in a charming come-hither motion. Many of his warriors had smiles playing on their lips, running their fingers through the mellifluous strands causing harp-like tones. Green ponds sparkled; diamond-sized lively colors danced over sheer surfaces. Small breezes whipped up to stir and send flickering silver leaves shimmering in the sun. Rounded and flat rocks lay in an array of sizes and colors dotted tiny shorelines.

Tiny spikes of ebony grass, only inches in height, were silk when he bent to run his hand over the tips. A few creatures studied Citun and his landing party of six other warriors. Black, foot-long, slippery creatures hung from curly limbed trees. Reptilian anomalies with a spike flowing down their head, nose tip to shoulder blade. Webbed, six-toed, six-footed creatures that slithered in an engaging fashion from tree limb to ground to tree. A perpetual grin on their faces, appealing, as though welcoming the visitors.

Never before had Citun or his people ventured this far into the unknown of the universe, but thought the trip worth the danger of the mysterious. There should have been humans on the planet. A lost colony planted by Tonans. The evil rampage of the Tonan rebel warriors was coming to a close. Defectors waited, hoping to join Cobra as many had. Rumors before Citun left his planet rampaged. The planet they searched was given in exchange for asylum by the renegade rogues scattered into the universe.

The Zargonnii wanted no Tonans on their planet, but Cobra, Castian leader and cousin to the Tonan was willing to allow Tonans on his planet if the warriors were mated. The mating must be done fairly; no mating could be forced, or all would scent the deception. The race was on to find the last planets harboring refugees. Zargonniis were allies to the Castians, but the warriors wanted human females, the spoils of war. There were a number of heat sources detected on the planet, but they needed to figure out which were human. Citun would never have a female if he was dead.

The few moments of fighting the parts of his mind telling him he was drowning filtered for the briefest of seconds within his thoughts. His brain’s rambling thoughts gave him a last burst of energy. Citun surged up and surprisingly broke the surface. His gaze settled on a distant figure as he sucked in a huge gasp of air, coughing as water slapped him in the face. He saw it then, as he focused, and remembered. Tall gangly, thin and almost transparent, the evil alien his mortal enemy. The Gorgano had come across Citun, alone. The images of death and drowning filled his thoughts overpowering the warrior. He was unable to refuse the urge to enter the water. The Zargonnii fought with brute strength, mind-battling was beyond their capability.

Citun was going under again. The Gorgano would kill him. The all-powerful warrior was helpless. A movement caught his eye and hope surged for a second and he battled anew. There was a human female hiding, watching him. But only him. Citun hoped the little female discovered the Gorgano first. Otherwise, she would have no chance, and Citun was out of time. Slowly he began to sink, every limb went limp; the Gorgano was done playing with him. The ocean turned into a coffin of a thick inky substance. This time, Citun had no will to resurface. His body shut down.

* * * *

The strange alien was struggling in the quiet pond. Storm could feel the tug of the frown arching her eyebrows in confusion while she crouched hidden, her knees buried in the sand with her weight. She was surrounded in foliage. The water wasn’t over his head, from the looks of him, it, the being was at least seven feet tall. Storm didn’t understand his actions. Sodden, gasping, choking. Black claws ripped the water; if the substance were concrete it would be dust. Red eyes blazed causing patches of water to sizzle and bubble, though briefly. Sodden white hair billowed eerily even when submerged, droplets of water sprayed in all directions. The poor beast was thrashing as though it was at death’s door, but only a few feet from the bank, mere strokes from the beach.

Why doesn’t he just climb out?

The being went under as his body flayed helplessly. A Mad Hatter dance to the naked eye. Storm knew ever since she entered into this universe, venturing from Earth in a crazy shuttle ride, nothing was as it seemed. She wondered if whatever he was, its kind was, hated water. If he didn’t come up soon, he would drown, that scenario was as plain as day. So had been the panic on his face. The water was crystal clear. She could see the massive creature twisting and turning—dying. It was apparent it took a breath then realized the grave mistake as it jerked.

“Come up, come up,” Storm whispered aloud.

It stopped moving. The odd red light bathing the wet sand beneath it was dulling, until fading altogether. The beast lay on the pond floor; its battle was over, the water victorious. Strands of its hair hallowed him becoming white seaweed. Storm struggled with her thoughts. There was no danger in getting a closer look she surmised. Storm began to creep from the foliage, her moccasins making no sound on the cream colored sand, until she noted the gangly creature ahead in the clearing. With a bird’s eye view of the drowning alien, evil watched. A Gorgano. Storm knew what this loathsome being was. It was why she hesitated to help the dying alien in the pond. This creature, the Gorgano, and Tonans were deadly, as were a few other aliens she avoided. The flailing, water-logged, creature could be worse than the ugly menace to her left. Then again, if they were enemies…

Storm saw the Gorgano shift its hand. Realization filled her. The creature in the pond wasn’t smart enough to save itself. The Gorgano was toying with it. The Gorgano loved to mind torture. The alien glorified in the suffering of others. Filled with rage at the Gorgano and pity for the hapless creature, Storm concentrated on the Gorgano. The being spun, she sensed its surprise and fear, but it was too late. Storm annihilated its mind with her own. Vivid images of Earth’s destruction boiled and melted the Gorgano’s eyes into literal puddles, oozing down its gaunt cheeks. The ugly alien fell but before it hit the ground, it disappeared.