Claimed: The Warriors of Nur (12 page)

The space where the ceremony was to be held was a large clearing, free of vegetation to allow the sun to shine brightly on the shrouded remains of the released.  Curiously, no one gathered around the raised dais, but instead a large group formed before the entrance of the larger dwelling of the clan elder.

He picked out the sandy brown scruff of his brothers among the varying shades of gold’s and browns that identified his other kin.  At least they wouldn’t have to waste time tracking them down; they could leave as soon as the reversion was complete. 

Pushing through, he forced his way to his brother’s side at the front of the crowd, inconsiderate of the hissed growls and disgruntled mumbles he garnered.  In the mood he was in, nothing would do him better than working off a little steam with a fight.

“What’s the hold…” his jaw snapped closed, at the sight of the half-naked woman before him. “ 
Matiiiiiiiiii…
” he roared, his body beginning to phase. 

Leo’Nya’s attention shot to the enraged roar, its origin, something she’d never seen before.  An…animal?

It hissed and growled at her, two males, the only thing keeping it from lunging.  Its skin, a yellow-green, strained with raised leathery scale like protrusions, armored plates extending from its forehead to protect the nose and eyes.  Sharp fangs distended from its gums, while long curving claws grew from its hands and feet, but its eyes, a deep crimson, disturbed her most of all.  They focused intently on her, its sight never once leaving her as it snarled and clawed to get to her.

Unceremoniously, she was pushed behind Rasipni’s larger body as he bent to scoop the still-unconscious Vinda into his arms.  Hastily backing her into the entrance, he gently laid his mother down before crouching aggressively in defense.

“Brother!  Calm!”  Neron strained to hold on to the now fully phased Erol.  By the Blessed Goddess, what in the Seven Shades just happened!?  One moment he’d been observing a rather brutal disciplining, the next…this!  “Calm brother…be calm!”

“Not again…”  Atif echoed his silent sentiment from the other arm.  “What just happened?”  He threw all of his weight into keeping Erol from attacking the other two males. 

Enraged by the sight and scent of the males mingled too close to his mate’s exposed body, Erol detonated.  The rage consuming him was unlike any other he’d experienced.  His vision bled red, his only sight, that of the breast bared for all to see, her arm vised within another’s hand, her face bruised and obviously recently battered.  Her scent, soiled by fear, anger, and blood, over whelmed his senses until only a ravening beast, bent on protection, remained.  Vaguely he heard his brothers’ voices, as if from a far distance, entreating him to calm.

“DO NOT!” he roared as she was jerked from his sight by the younger of the two males.  “She is mine…I will have her.”  His snarling rage and distended fangs making his speech almost indecipherable.

A silently comprehending glance passed between the brothers as they continued to restrain him.

“SHE …IS…MINE!” an equally enraged roar answered the challenge of Erol’s claim.  “My father gifted her before his release.  You dare disrespect his mourn with this false claim!”  Muda, fully phased, stood almost identical in height, with similar coloring.  His eyes, black, flamed in indignation at the perceived affront.

“I dare!”  Erol, no longer restrained, mirrored his low aggressive crouch.  “She was stolen…I want her back.”

“What you cannot keep…you cannot have!”  Muda taunted.

The two males collide in a churning mass of straining muscle.  Both matched in size and rage, they wielded their
sikkinas
in a macabre dance of slicing lunges, each trying to maim or kill.  Erol grunted, bracing against the slashing claws aimed at the flesh of his exposed throat.  He crouched low, slicing up and in, in an attempt to sever the artery thickly pumping in his thigh.  Muda leapt back, avoiding the rending strike, only to return with a well-placed jab of his own.  They circled, crouching low to the ground, unwilling to give the other an easy target.  Defensive wounds dripped steadily from each, blood absorbing into the thirsty ground below.  Muda charged, throwing Erol to the ground in an over exaggerated display of strength and speed, only to be thrown off before landing a killing blow.  His hand shot forward towards Erol’s wounded left arm, only to feel the tendons in his wrist sever as a blade sliced cleanly through, leaving it to dangle from the brutalized flesh, his own
sikkina
clattering uselessly in the ground.  With an enraged howl, he launched himself at the other male, intent on ending the fight, halting  only when he felt the cool blade of the si
kkina
ease past his breast plate, and into the stuttering muscle of his heart, only to twist and wrench painfully free.

Erol watched the soon to be lifeless form drop heavily to the ground.  Almost feral, he scented the air in search of his female. 
There!

He turned, making his way towards the entrance of the stone dwelling.  He growled low in warning at the male odor that mingled to pollute the pure femininity of her scent.  A young male blocked the entrance, crouched low, but un-phased.

“Brother!”

His head swiveled towards the familiar timbre of Neron’s voice.  “She is MINE!” he roared in anguished possession.

“He only guards her…brother.”  Neron slowly, inched towards the enraged form of his brother.  “Look, he stands un-phased.”  He placed a hand meant to soothe against the heaving, blood soaked shoulder.

“You will not take her!”  Rasipni denied.  “She will come freely or not at all.”  Uncaring of the admonishing glares of the male’s brothers, he withdrew his
sikkina
, crouching lower in preparation to defend against the attack he felt was imminent.  He would no more be able to win a fight against this male than he would against Muda, but he would die willingly before allowing her to be abused by one such as the ravening beast before him. 

“Steady, brother…”  Atif placed a calming hand on his other shoulder.  “She is
Aljeni
…you will scare her in this form.”  Slowly, he eased the bloodied
sikkina
from his fisted hand.  “He does only what any worthy male would...she cannot come to you as you are.  Calm, brother.”

Their consistent pleas gradually pierced the fury-induced fog, allowing him to recognize the determined fear etched across the younger male’s face.  He could tell by his aggressively defensive stance that he would fight to protect the females he sheltered. 

His breathing slowed as he returned to his natural form, the only indication of the beast he’d been were the bleeding wounds across his forearms and chest. 

“She is mine,” he demanded. “I will do her no harm”

“She will come willingly…or not at all!”  Again, he stated his intent.

“She will come willingly!”  Erol growled in frustration.  He did not want to fight the youth, but he refused to be put off by his unnecessary protectiveness.  “Come female…tell him you are mine.”

CHAPTER TEN

What the hell just happened?  She’d heard the increasingly frantic roars as she was taken beyond its sight, and she cringed to think what could have happened to Muda.  She didn’t like the guy, but dead was a little too much for her to wish on
anyone
. 

After being herded in, Rasipni had asked her to drag his mother--still unconscious-- farther toward the back of the long corridor.  Now, she inched back towards the open entrance that he guarded. 
‘Come female…tell him you are mine.’

Leo’s heart stopped at the familiar timber of the demanding voice.  She ran the last few feet, pushing past a surprised Rasipni to step into the sunlight. 

Her eyes filled at the familiar sight of this 6 feet 3 inch male.

“Tarzan…” she croaked in a devastated whisper.

“
Duša
…” 
My Soul.
His equally devastated whisper carried loudly across the now silent clearing.

After dragging Vinda back, Leo had stopped long enough to change back into her other
libsa
, a fact she was extremely grateful for at the moment.  Every eye turned to the two of them, including a surprised Rasipni’s.

Erol moved slowly towards her, his footsteps steady, unhurried.  He didn’t want to frighten or intimidate her.  Her fear would be evident to every male present, and he knew it would only further incite the young male’s urge to protect her.

“You were dead…” she gasped, tears rolling freely down her cheeks.

“Injured, but not dead,
Duša...
”

He sighed, relieved, as she stepped hesitantly toward him.  Leaning forward, he sank into the hand extended, feeling her warm palm slide the length of his uninjured arm.  Bending, he scooped her into his arms. Wrapping one arm behind her back, and the other beneath her bent legs, he pressed her unresistingly to his chest.  He buried his face in the fragrant mass of her hair, inhaling deeply to taste her scent.  For the first time since he’d lost her, he felt his body relax.  He knew that they were far from safe, but having her in his arms gave him a solace previously unknown.  He was calmed.

Looking over her shoulder, he stared into the eyes of the young male, but addressed his question to her: “Do you come willingly?”

She nodded, head buried deep into the side of his neck.

“You must speak,
Duša
.  All present must hear you, lest they challenge my claim to you.” He softly informed her, nuzzling the top of her head.

“Yes…” she declared loudly, her voice carrying to all gathered.  She wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck at the thought of someone trying to take her away from him.

She became aware of movement, as the space cleared of all but a dozen or so other males, including the two males who flanked him and Rasipni.

“I thank you for keeping safe what I could not.”  Erol lowered is head in a brief but respectful bow.

Leo lifted her head, shifting her gaze to the male who’d become so precious to her in so short a time. 

“Put me down, please.”  She whispered for Erol’s ears only.  The tightening of his arms told her just how opposed to that request he was.  “Please!” she begged quietly.

Reluctantly, he allowed her feet to slide to the ground, his every sense immediately protesting the loss of her warmth. 

She walked the few steps to stand before Rasipni, and with steadying hands on his shoulders, she lifted up on her toes, gently kissing his cheek.  She ignored the low growl behind her to whisper softly: “Thank you Rasipni.”

His head dropped in a defeated nod, understanding that she said good-bye.  “For you Leo…anything.,” and turning, he disappeared within.

The silence that followed his departure was almost deafening, and Leo returned to Erol only to be lifted back into his arms.  Closing her eyes, she buried her head in his neck and listened to the males around her make plans to depart after the Reversion Ceremony.  Apparently, Muda would be added to the ceremony since the days of mourning were not required for a male who hadn’t a mate or children; after that, they were to be escorted to Erol’s home by the dozen or so males that had remained with him and his brothers.  They were his extended family, and they would ensure that they made it without further incident. 

“Rest,
Duša
.”

Leo waited with Erol, just outside of the area cleared for the ceremony.  It’d been agreed that it would have been a bad idea for them to remain at the ceremony, all things considered.

“Rest?” she lifted a delicately arched brow.  “Rest.  You want me to rest.”  She mumbled.  Yeah, that’ll be easy…especially since I’m still freaking out from your resurrection and everything.

Erol watched the unconsciously seductive sway of her hips as she paced restlessly around the clearing.  His cock woke at the thought of her swaying gently as she rode him.  He could already imagine what it would feel like to have her ass slap franticly against his thighs, her vaginal walls milking him, the tight fit of her small body.

“My home isn’t far from here, but the sun is high.  I remember the last time, how easily you became ill from exposure.”

She shivered to think of the last time they’d traveled, a reaction that did not go unnoticed.  He stood, blocking the path she paced, and opening his arms, drew her in, surrounding her in his warmth.  The sweet, warm scent of his skin engulfed her, and she relaxed into his embrace.  “God, I just want to go home.”  She mumbled into his chest.

“When my
estiż
return, we will return to my home.”

“Your
estiż
?” she asked in confusion.  Guess there were some words her uplink couldn’t translate.

“Yes, my brothers, and the other males of my line.  They will help protect you on our journey.”  He gently ran his hand through the thickly silken mass of her hair.  He’d dreamed about the texture, and knew he’d never tire of feeling its softness.

“Males of your line…your family?”  Stepping away, she sank to the plant carpeted ground.  “I don’t understand any of this…not why I was taken in the first place.  What that whole fight was about.  How you’re not dead.  And why I need protecting.  This just …I don’t get it.”  She silently entreated an explanation.

Erol sank to his knees before her, wedging himself within the cradle of her thighs.  “You are exotic,
Duša
.”  Her face in his palms, he studied her.  “The Gwerriera Nies are a male dominant race, almost to the exclusion of females.  For that reason alone, you are of great value to our males.”  He brushed her lips in a soft undemanding kiss before continuing.  “One out of every twenty births is female, and without females to mate and breed, a clan weakens.  If a male is not strong enough to protect the females of his clan, then they are stolen to strengthen another…a stronger clan.”

“So what you’re telling me is that somebody else will steal me at some point?”

“No.” he fiercely declared.  “I only answered your questions.”

He grazed her mouth more insistently, his tongue savoring her sweet citrusy taste.  Gently, he coaxed her lips apart, deepening what had begun as a comforting caress into something fuller…more demanding.  His tongue swept past her lips, learning her contours with each passing taste.

Leo moaned needily.  Never had a kiss ignited such a hunger.  With each passing sweep of his tongue, she imagined what it would feel like on the curving fields of her body.  Not even Rasipni had ignited such heat.  Her stomach coiled with delicious desire to beg him to make real her imagining.

With one last caressing lick, Erol ended the kiss to stare into her desire-flushed face.  “I was lax in my protection of you once…it will not happen again.  Once we return to my home, we will,
Mati
.”

If ‘
Mati
’ meant sex…she was all for it.  Boy would she love to
Mati
him. 

“--once you are bred, there will be no one who can challenge our bond.”

Wait…wait…wait a minute now.  It was obvious that in the midst of her internal dialogue, she’d missed a huge piece of NTK info. 

“Bred?” she questioned, shaking out of her kissed induced fog.

“Yes, once you give me sons.” He looked at her as if  this was the most natural thing in the world, which she supposed, from his point of view, it was.

“I’m sorry.  Rewind that.  I was day dreaming.”  There was no way she’d heard correctly.  “Once I wha-who-what?”

His confused look translated loud and clear.  Sarcasm was definitely lost here.

“I’m going home, Erol, as in…back to Earth.”  She eyed him with trepidation.  “I’m sorry, but as soon as a recovery teams finds me…I’m leaving.”

His face clouded with understanding.  Firmly he pulled her to him, “You will not leave.” Again, he pressed his lips to hers, demanding acquiescence to his decree.  “You are mine.” 

The finality in that statement slammed Leo with the anger and fearful frustration that she’d been fighting back since crashing on this burning, dry, backwards-ass male, “-Me Tarzan, You Jane”- planet.  She felt the volcanic explosion of her temper as a physical thing, her body flashing hot with her erupting indignation.  “Maybe that’s how it works in Tarzantown.”  She angrily poked his chest, “But I live in Leoville, and here we make our own decisions.”  With an angry shove to his chest, she stepped away, putting space between them.  “I want to go home!”  She fought the frustrated tears that burned her eyes.  She missed her friends, her ship, her…life!  But most of all, she missed her sister.  She couldn’t imagine not ever seeing her again, and sex with Erol, while it would probably be mind blowing, was definitely not worth never seeing her twin again.

“I do not know where this ‘Tarzantown’ is.  But you will remain here with me, as my mate, not in this ‘Leoville’.”  He stood with his arms crossed, watching her pace the small clearing.  “Like it or not,
Duša
, you are home.”