C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) (18 page)

“I want her to stay, Kobe; we have so much to talk about,” Bay said.

Both women became increasingly upset; Luna howled her misery. Kobe started to argue until he went flying toward a wall. Everyone stood stunned. All three females in the room had been concentrating on him. Kobe saw Zuri blink and the hold against him relaxed. He was soon released.

“Did you feel that?” Zuri asked, she was looking at Bay in wonder.

“Yes,” Bay replied. “It must have been all three of us. We connected.”

“Try it again,” Finn said.

Zuri and Bay concentrated on Finn; he was propelled back but not as quickly. “We need Luna,” Bay mused. She put a huge smile on her face and tickled the baby. “Get him, Luna. Get Uncle Finn.”

The baby giggled, her gaze settled onto Finn and with the two women concentrating hard this time Finn was smashed back with greater force. Zane reached for his daughter.

“It seems Luna has her mother’s intelligence and aptitude for real telepathy,” Zane said, his gaze turned thoughtful. “I wonder in time if you’ll have the ability to pin a cyron together. That would be good on this planet. I’m always worried when we go out. I’ve grown bigger, but if you two can defend yourselves it would be remarkable.”

Kobe was thinking the same thing. If a child of his and Zuri’s could do the same, he wouldn’t have to be so worried. He felt bad when he faced Zuri, knowing how terribly tired she was of traveling and knowing the worst was still yet to come.

“You need to be brave,” he told her. “I need to tell my leader about the kidnapped females.”

“Who are no doubt caged.” Her tone spoke volumes.

“I’m not trading your freedom for theirs, Zuri.”

“Then let me stay here.”

“Zuri, you’re the only one who can help those females. Zargonnii can’t fight the Gorgano in battle. Bay can’t leave her baby here to help and I highly doubt Luna’s father would allow the baby to go regardless; if she were mine, I wouldn’t.”

Finn took Zuri by the shoulders. “If Citun can’t see clear to let you stay with my brother, he will have me to deal with. Titus is one of my dearest friends. That means you have the entire south standing with you. Please help those females.”

Zuri nodded.

Chapter 12

Zuri was startled when an alarm went off inside the ship. She practically jumped into Kobe’s arms.

“It’s alright, Zuri. It just means we’ve entered the Northern continent. My home. Come and see.”

Kobe led her to the large window in their room. Zuri gasped when she stared down at the ground beneath them. Everything looked like a frozen wasteland. She shivered and pressed her back against Kobe’s warm chest.

“You live in igloos?”

“Igloos?”

“Are your homes made of ice blocks?”

“No, the white of the cyron bones grows whiter with each passing year to aid in camouflage. Though I call this the cold season, it lasts for a great length of time; our warm season hits over night halfway through the year, then it stays warm until the cold season settles in, again overnight. When a female Zargonnii gives up her male babe, the beginning of the warm season, she leaves him a gift to help care for him. A dead cyron is left for the father a week or two later. They say a female is so upset over her loss she finds and fights the biggest cyron she can to give her peace.”

“How sad,” Zuri muttered, thinking of Unna and all of her losses.

“The bones are almost impenetrable and woven together to make a domicile that much stronger. The hide is worked and placed on the interior of a warrior’s home. The hides are important, the larger the hide, the more it shows a warrior’s prowess of the female who dominated him.”

“It seems your females take good care of you and ask for little in return. If I give you a child I can’t go out and kill a cyron for our home.”

Kobe took her into his arms. “The second I met Luna, my strength grew. I have no doubt if you give me a child, I will be able to gift you with a cyron.”

“No more cyron battles,” Zuri demanded and waggled a stern finger at him.

Kobe laughed; he captured her hand and kissed the tip of her finger. “I love you, Zuri.”

“What will happen when we land?”

“We’ll go to Citun. He will separate us, but I swear it will be only a short while. I’ve never gone against a direct order, but I will if he won’t release you to me. Titus swears we are welcome. He has a fondness for human females and I think he would like one of his own.”

“What about Zargonnii females, where do they fit in?”

Kobe smiled. “There are warriors who don’t want a human female. They’ve learned human females can be mouthy.” Zuri punched him. “They enjoy the traditional mating. And Zuri, you are only the second human female warriors have come across. It’s not like there are many of you.”

“Do you think you’ll miss traditional mating?”

“Traditional mating once every other year with a Zargonnii female who dominates me or mating on a regular basis with you whom I can dominate? Hmm, that’s a hard one. Let me think.” Zuri punched him again. “You’re turning me on, you realize that don’t you?”

“Your idea of foreplay sucks.”

“I can think of something you can suck on.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Enough.”

Kobe pulled Zuri into his arms. All play aside. He swept a lock of her hair behind her ear. His nose nuzzled her throat. Zuri knew enough about Kobe to know when he kissed, tasting her not devouring her, he meant what he said. He had no worries about his meeting with Citun, but there was something Zuri knew that Kobe didn’t. She had a piece of ammunition. Her discussion with Unna about how fearful she was of being locked away proved fruitful. Unna had armed Zuri with volatile information. Something that would make Citun not only listen, but react.

Zuri jumped up and wrapped her legs around Kobe’s waist. Her bottom settled into his large hands. Kobe’s warm breath slid down her throat. He took her closer to the window and to her surprise, he pressed her against it. For a second, Zuri panicked when the window gave way and she stretched out over the edge of the ship.

“Kobe?”

“The material can shape shift at this low altitude. There are times when a warrior needs a bird’s eye view of the lay of the land. Nothing can penetrate the substance. I have it on my window at home; except at home, I can walk through it. That would be dangerous on a ship. This way there is no concern. Besides,” his look became cheeky. “If you fall I’ll catch you.”

Zuri smiled, knowing he would. She tilted her head back, the window accommodated her. She gazed at the frozen land beneath feeling warm in Kobe’s arms. The ground slid slowly by as Kobe slipped into her heat. She felt like she was flying. She gasped when she caught sight of a massive winged white bird that flew beside them. She could almost touch the tips of the creature’s wings.

“They’re harmless—and delicious.”

“It looks like a dove on massive amounts of steroids.” Zuri couldn’t get over the being’s breathtaking presence.

She squealed when Kobe thumped into her. He growled teasingly down at her. “Um, hello.”

Zuri chuckled. “Zargonnii warriors are like human men in one sense. They don’t like it when a woman they are having sex with is multitasking.”

“We are not having sex; we are loving each other.”

“Can you love me harder?”

Taking up the challenge Kobe gripped her hips and did indeed love her harder. He loved her so hard the window substance was soon bouncing and retreating until the startled bird took off. Kobe flipped her onto her belly. Zuri was staring at the ground, at the many round housing lumps which circled a massive housing complex.

Zuri rested her head against the coolness of the window. Kobe’s nails gently slid up and down her back, hips and ass. She loved the feel of him.

“Zuri, make your crooning sound.”

She smiled at what he referred to as crooning. Zuri loved to purr. She had tried to imitate his sound, but her noise sounded like a content kitten. Zuri purred while Kobe began crooning to her. The sound was music, sweet, delightful. It matched his rocking motion.

“Do your females croon?”

“They do to babes. The noise I make is what I would do if I had dominated a Zargonnii female.”

“I thought you never had.”

“I didn’t, the noise is just natural. I had no idea I could until it happened. It calms me as well, to know I’m dominant and the fighting is over. I like this kind of loving best. I like to talk to you while we make love. You really are mouthy.”

Zuri looked back at him and clamped her lips shut defiantly. Kobe laughed and took up his pace until he became brutal. Zuri had no choice but to scream his name. She had an orgasm while watching the ground come closer, closer. The ship hovered not more than ten feet from the snow. As warriors began to disembark Kobe pulled her away from the window and into his arms.

They remained naked, their bodies in close contact. He held her until her gasps for air were controlled. His big hands soothed her flesh. The real battle was about to begin, the battle for her freedom. She trusted Kobe, but she didn’t trust Citun, and he was leader. Zuri buried her face into Kobe’s chest and for the first time since she had met him—she cried with pain.

“I would rather battle a cyron than see your tears,” he whispered. Which only made her cry that much harder. “I will not fail you. I promise on my life. I will not simply watch you through a window. Trust me, Zuri?”

Zuri looked up into his concerned expression. “I came back with you didn’t I?”

She watched him grow into battle mode. He was larger now. A knock sounded and Zuri and Kobe quickly dressed. When Kobe let the door slide open, six warriors stood with Titus and Finn. All went into battle mode at seeing Kobe. Zuri didn’t blame them; he was fiercer than the cyron.

“She stays with me,” came his thick-throated growl.

“Citun wants her in the human area.”

Kobe centered his gaze onto the six warriors. “I will take her.”

The warriors conceded. Zuri gave a longing look to Finn and Titus, neither looked happy. The only reason Kobe was taking her with him was the fact Citun needed her to save the female Zargonnii. It was the only reason they had come back at all. Zuri hoped Citun would listen to reason—or this would not end well. With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, Zuri followed Kobe.

* * * *

“I will come back for you.” Kobe’s promise was sincere as he stared down into Zuri’s sad expression. He had shaken off battle mode when she had flung herself into his arms once witnessing the holding area. She bravely shed no tears, but her eyes were wet. The area made for the humans was cold, dark and unwelcoming. The two human males had lost weight, they looked sickly. Neither bothered to look up when their caged area was opened.

“How could Citun do this to those poor men?” Zuri’s words were soft but laced with disgusted horror.

The six warriors who flanked them shuffled their feet and looked none too pleased. In fact, they looked guilty. Everything in the room was in plain sight. The washing area, sleeping area, eating area. There was no privacy. The men looked un-kempt, unwashed. They looked tired and defeated.

“I’ll talk to Citun, Zuri. I’ll explain this is wrong.”

“There’s something I need to tell you.” Zuri gazed deeply into his eyes. “It’s about your mother and the female Zargonnii.” Kobe was hard-pressed to keep the other warriors from crowding them as she spoke. “Two of the females the Gorgano have captured are Citun’s mother and his little sister.”

Kobe knew immediately why his mother had given Zuri the information; she must have known what life for Zuri would be like. Only Zuri could fight the Gorgano, Citun needed her help. Why would she help if he locked her up? There was no way Citun would leave any family at the mercy of the Gorgano.

Kobe gave her a cocky smile. He kissed her lips and patted her behind as she hesitated for only a second before moving into the penned area. Kobe was escorted to Citun.

“Start explaining.” Citun had his narrowed gaze on Kobe.

“Zuri tried to escape, I found her; we ended up falling from the ship.” Citun who was in battle form was obviously surprised when Kobe grew into battle form. The other warriors gasped with amazement, Kobe was almost as big as Citun.

“Leave us,” Citun demanded of the other warriors. When the door to his chamber closed Citun gazed at Kobe. “You saw the mixed babe?”

“Yes, she exists and the rumors are true.” Kobe cast a glance to the window displaying the humans’ every movement in Citun’s personal cabin. He glanced back at Citun. “They are miserable in there.”

“Don’t you think I know this?” was Citun’s growled response. “They’ve stopped eating. Every time one of them moves, my warriors jump to their feet in relief only to see the humans stagger to their beds. For the life of me, I can’t see what danger they possess. But I don’t know what to do with them. They are my responsibility, they’ll die if set loose. We have to monitor the heat; they almost froze to death the first night. We regulated the temperature; we boil all of their food. Gave them blankets.” Citun ran a hand over his face, his agitation was apparent.