Claimed: The Warriors of Nur (8 page)

Erol stared into the dense canopy above him.  His whole body ached. 

Goddess Mother!  What in the darkest shades of The Seven Gates…

“
Mati
!” he called, jacking into a sitting position.

Strong hands restrained him, pulling him back down.  He fought wildly, feeling his body begin to phase. 

“Calm, brother!”

He whipped his head in the direction of the deeply rumbled command.  Crimson eyes narrowed to focus on the male that kneeled beside him, pinning him to the ground by his shoulder.  On his other side, another male did the same. 

Lost in phase, he didn’t recognize them as brothers, but as males keeping him from his female.  He continued to struggle, teeth snapping at the hands that held him down, a continuous growl of aggression rumbling from his throat.

Neron struggled to hold Erol.  In his weakened state, he should not have been able to fight both him and Atif, yet both struggled to restrain his thrashing body. 

“He’s phased, Neron!?”  Atif ground out through teeth gritted in an effort to keep him down.

They both stared in amazement at the almost instant change in their brother.  One moment, he had been resting quietly, the next, they were holding down a fully phased male.

“Brother…listen…” He tried again to reach him through the confusion of his phasing senses.  “Calm the fuck down!  You’ve been ill…are newly healed…”  It was as Erol didn’t hear him.

“They’re released, brother…the Goddess now holds them…your
Mati
is safe…” Atif interrupted, shrugging as if to say,
what could it hurt
, at Neron’s frown.

To their relief and confusion, Erol began to calm, his struggles lessening until he lay still, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of his chest.  Slowly his body began to change, his fangs and claws shrinking to their natural size, still sharp, but less dangerous.  His skin smoothed to its normal creamy brown color, his eyes draining to their equally odd, but less disturbing, grey-white.

“We found you brother--half dead--among the remains of another clan.”  He looked to Atif when there was no response.

“Where is she?”  The sound was like sand through a grinder from Erol’s unused throat.  “The female.  Where is she?”

In confusion, Neron glanced at Atif, a silent question passing between them.

“What female, brother?” questioned Atif.  “There was no female. We scented only males.”

“She is
Aljeni
.  Her scent is faint…not as strong as our females.”  His body relaxed, focusing on the now familiar faces of his brothers.  No longer being restrained, he slowly sat up to face them. 

“Is that why you were attacked, brother?”  Neron asked, slicing cleanly through a vesi fruit. 

Erol nodded, drinking deeply.  “There were five males, all fully phased.  Four of them, I released.  The last must have taken her.”  Struggling to his feet, he swayed, fighting to clear the vertigo.  “She’s small…very small.  Not nearly as strong as our women. She won’t--”

Again, the brothers exchanged silent glances. 

“We’re far from where we found you, brother.  It has been several moon coverings since we’ve journeyed from there.” 

For the first time, Erol looked at the vegetation around him.  It wasn’t the yellow-green color of that which grew in the eastern regions near their home.  This was a darker blue-green color, the vegetation not as dense, providing less shade from the blazing sun.

“We’re in the north.”  Neron answered the unasked question.  “We’ve been to the
Tobba
.  You’ve… been to the
Tobba
.”  He braced for the anger he knew to expect.  Erol made no secret of his feelings in regards about the
Tobba
, and it was a betrayal to be taken there without his consent.  “I wasn’t ready to release you, brother.”  He stated unrepentantly.

Erol saw resignation, not regret, in his brother.  Of the six siblings, Erol was closest to Neron.  Of all the others, they thought the most alike, shared the same perspectives most often.  He could well imagine the weight of the decision that Neron had faced. 

“They wouldn’t have healed me willingly, brother…what did you barter?”

“Little that isn’t replaceable.”  He answered, shoulders sagging in relief.

“Whatever it was…thanks.”  Pulling him forward, he gripped him, hugging him briefly.

“Urhmm…so…if we’re done with the …ah…bonding…?”

Both turned, and as one lunged, pulling Atif into the brotherly embrace.  “Disrespectful cur…” he growled, roughly squeezing the back of his neck.

“It’s good to see you healed, brother.”  Atif chocked down the lump in his throat.  He’d been loath to remain behind while his brothers continued on, and his concern was unchanged when Neron returned, carrying a still unconscious Erol.  Apparently, once they were sure that he would make a full recovery, the
Tobba
didn’t feel that it was necessary for him to remain.  They’d sheltered within a nearby coppice, wanting to remain near until they could be sure that he’d regained consciousness. 

“So you leave us to hunt, brother, but instead of meat…you find a female.  An
Aljeni
female?”  Atif chuckled, shaking his head in mock consternation.

Swiftly packing their
borżas
with the remaining supplies, they turned towards the southeast to begin the journey back towards the lusher regions where they made their home.

“Her transport crashed in the wastelands.”  His
borża
rested heavily upon his injured side, and he passed it gratefully to Atif.  “I’d begun the journey home when I saw its tail blaze against the sky…”  He told them of his intention to destroy the
Aljeni
and with regret, of his almost successful attempt.

“She’s the tiniest thing...”  Hand to his chest, he indicated a height almost unseen in the Gwerriera Nies.  “...but she thinks she’s fierce…she attacked me.”  He chuckled.

“Attacked you?” he repeated in disbelief.  “She wished you to mount her…already?”  Atif questioned with a scandalized raise of his brow.

“Yes, but I resisted her…told her that she must wait for me to claim her.  The females of her planet, I think, are more impatient than our own.”

“Do you know the males who attacked you?  Who took her?”

“No” he said, shaking his head.  “There were five in total.  The eldest would have been the one to take her. He was the only one I left alive, and I made him bleed.”

“A blood trail will be difficult to follow at this late time, brother.  It’s been several moon coverings since then,” added Neron.

Erol stopped, turning to his siblings.  “We’ve been long from our home, brothers, and to track my female will keep us much longer.”

“We’ll return when we find your female, brother.”  Neron answered without hesitation.

“Besides,” added Atif, “Cahil is home…Uriel will be safe.”

“Now…about your female…”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Erol knelt beside the pile of shredded clothing.  Lifting the rags to his nose, he inhaled the faint scent that still lingered.  It was almost gone; only traces remained in the cloth that had touched her most intimately.  His claws curled at the faint, but unmistakable coppery scent of blood, a low growl rumbling in his throat.  Gathering them, he gave them to his brothers to learn her scent.

“You’re right, Erol…” breathing in deeply, Neron too noted the faint blood scent. “  It is very faint.”  He passed it to Atif, who did the same.

“She is injured…I scent blood.”  He cringed at Neron’s heated glance.  “I mean…she
may
be injured.  The scent is very faint; he may have just scratched her while stripping her…there would be more blood if…”

“For all that is sacred, Atif…”  Neron interrupted.  “He wouldn’t wound her Erol…she’d be of no use to him.”

“He’s bared her…”  Erol gathered the remains of her clothing, stuffing them into his
borża
along with her wrist device.  “She’ll burn…her skin isn’t like ours.”  He ground his teeth against the knowledge that others would see her exposed body.

“He won’t injure her, brother—”

“He’ll subdue her!” he interrupted “You know as I do--, what’s allowed.  As long as no irreparable damage is done, he can force her!.”  He took a moment to subdue the anger that had begun to simmer.  “We must return home…I can’t scent her.  We must gather our
Estiż
.”

Neron nodded in agreement, his thoughts wandering the same course.  Though they lived in small clan groups often composed of a
Mati
pair and their young, once mated, the young left to establish their own clan, adding to their network of extended family.  A young clan with few males often called upon their
Estiż
in times of clan wars , and to assist in the protection of an unclaimed female.

“It’ll take time to gather them brother.  Curry favor she doesn’t agree to
Mati
before we find her,”  Neron counseled.

“I will release any who claim her, brother…she’ll belong to no one else.”  With a determined stride, he turned east towards their home , and the first steps towards retrieving his female.

“So this sister of yours…she’s identical?”  Rasipni leaned comfortably against the arched frame.

“Yup!”  Leo shook the long mass of her hair forward, using long brush strokes to free it of tangles.  “Physically, we’re completely identical…well, except for the hair. She cuts hers and straightens it, but other than that…we are Si-a-mese”

He frowned not understanding.  “Is that your people…Si-a-mese?”

Peeking through the dark curtain, she noted the complete lack of understanding.  “No, I meant Siamese…like Siamese Twins…”

His frown only deepened. 

“I mean like…attached at the hip…” she giggled when his gaze drifted down. “  Very close…Rasipni…almost inseparable.”

“Ahhh…” he nodded. “  I understand.”

“So” she began braiding small sections of hair.  “Tell me about your brother…”

Rasipni’s shoulders tensed.  “What of him?”

“What is he like?” she asked, ignoring his obvious reluctance.

“He is…Muda.”  He answered simply.

“He is…Muda.”  She mocked.  “What does that mean?”

Silence stretched with no answer.  He stood tensed against the wall, mouth pinched, his arms crossed.

“Look Rasipni…” she sighed “The mourning period is almost done, and after that…” she swallowed to dislodge the lump in her throat. “  I just want to know what’s coming.  Is he kind…like you?  Or is he like…” her voice trailed off, reluctant to speak ill of his father.

Kneeling before her, her gently lifted her face to his,. “No one will harm you, Leo’Nya.”

“But…”

“No one!” he silenced her.  “No one, Leo’Nya.”

Hesitantly, he pressed his lips to hers, their firm softness testing her response.  Unhurriedly, he swept his tongue along her lush bottom lip, nipping at its fullness.  The sweet, citrus of her breakfast lingered, igniting his desire to taste her more fully. 

Her response was slow but heated.  She melted into the warm arms that wrapped around her, one banding her waist to pull her into his kneeling lap, the other lost in the thickness of her locks, holding her immobile for his consumption.  Her breasts pearled, their sensitive tips rubbing against the smooth fabric of her
libsa
.  Roughly, he bunched the material, freeing them to the cool air. 

Gripping her hair, he arched her back, granting himself better access to the feast revealed.  He savored the taste of her, lapping softly at the straining peaks before sucking them greedily into his mouth.  He repeated this, teasing with cool breaths, only to again swallow the swollen globes. 

Leo panted, straining into the delicious sensations, every pull on her sensitive nipples echoing in the throbbing nerves of her clit.  Her legs twitched restlessly, wanting to wrap around his wide, muscular hips. 

He answered her silent plea.  Releasing her hair, spreading her legs wide to embrace him, his engorged cock jerked enthusiastically as it pressed tightly to her flushed, weeping pussy.  A hiss of pleasure escaped him as he felt her drenched petals wrap like silk around his overfull member.  Bunching the material, he roughly gripped her ass, riding her forcefully along the length of him, angling his hips to rub its mushroom head along her bundle with every upward glide. 

Lost, Leo whimpered in surrender as the pleasure coiled tighter.  Her pussy pulsing with every heartbeat, she felt herself climb closer to orgasm with each of his demanding strokes.  “Please..…” she begged, opening her legs wider. 

Gripping her more fully, he spread her ass, allowing his fingers to run gently along the crevice. 

“Give me your pleasure, Leo’Nya..” he growled roughly into her ear.

With a jolting rush, her body began to spasm.  Muscles locking, she hung suspended in the engulfing wave of inescapable pleasure, her body flooded with sensation as her climax peaked higher and higher with his endless gliding strokes.

Leo’Nya drifted on a cloud of warm satiation, her body relaxed more than she could remember in…weeks?  Months?  Her eyes filled, and tears fell on the warm chest beneath her. 

Gently, he stroked her back, brushing her hair aside to caress her flushed skin.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, uncertainty in his voice.

“No…” she chocked.  “You didn’t hurt me.  You didn’t even…”

“Shhhh.” Gently he cradled her in his arms, his still rigid shaft pressed against her hip.  “Do not be concerned.”

“But you didn’t…I mean, don’t you want to…”

“Mount you?” he interrupted gently, “Fuck you?”

“Yes.” she whispered

Inhaling deeply, his cock jerked at the ripe smell of her spent sex.  “Yessss.”  He hissed.  “But I will not take, what you don’t really want to give, little Leo”

Lifting her head from his chest, he gazed into her sex-drowsy eyes.

“Who’s…Tarzan…?”