Quell (7 page)

Amylia stretched and smiled. “Good.”

Kreatha hissed and ran forward, Amylia switched her modes of defense from guard to combat and the fight was on.

Fists made contact, elbows flew, hair was pulled and legs engaged in a flurry of kicks.

Amylia grinned as Kreatha backed off to attack again. She bent, stuck out her arm and lifted her opponent off the ground, slamming her back into the dust.

The crowd gasped, and Kreatha fought for air.

“Do you yield?” she whispered it to Kreatha.

The woman nodded slightly and a larger shockwave ran through the crowd.

“Good. Did you want some tea? I think that Dorren can get something together.” Amylia helped her to her feet, and they dusted each other off.

Artruo had a foolish grin on his face, and Gyrion was looking undecided.

“Why are they scowling?”

“Well, I will explain it over tea. Damn, you tore your dress.”

Amylia looked down, and her legs were exposed through a few long slits that hadn’t been there when she started the workout that morning.

“Yeah, these dresses aren’t really that suitable for working out in.”

Kreatha took her arm, and they walked toward the keep. “They are traditional.”

“Yeah, well, I am not.”

“That is true, and I am glad to hear it.”

The phrase hung between them for a few minutes until Dorren was delivering tea and some snacks to them at a table in the great hall.

“So, Kreatha, I thought you weren’t going to visit until a week had passed.”

Kreatha sipped at her cup and gave Amylia a frank look. “Have you taken Gyrion as your consort?”

Amylia nodded. “I have.”

“Physically?”

Amylia blushed but nodded. “Yes.”

Kreatha grinned. “The Imperium wants to negotiate for the return of their prisoner and their guard.”

Amylia was getting the idea. “So, you threw that fight?”

“No, I picked it. For defeating me, you are now the representative of Rohul. It was a bit sneaky, but now, I can breed, so Artruo is delighted.”

“Wait, what?”

“A sitting queen isn’t fertile. Not under normal circumstances. The hormones needed to start the cycle are given to the other women in the population. That is what the contact is all about. They are taking your fertility.”

“That seems weird. Do we have med scanners?”

Gyrion interrupted. “Do you feel unwell?”

She was reminded that the men were right next to them. Oddly enough, with Kreatha there, the wall of males next door didn’t seem obvious.

“No. I just wanted to check on my scans. If my hormones are out of whack, I want to know it.”

Kreatha smiled. “Gyrion would know. He’s a biological talent.”

Amylia looked toward him. “I didn’t know that.”

He shrugged and held the small cup carefully in his hands. “You are the one who assumed that all the talents here were female.”

Kreatha chuckled. “Artruo has beast capabilities.”

Dorren cleared his throat from next to them. “My Queen, your visitor from yesterday has returned.”

Amylia smiled and stood. “Funny you should say that, please excuse me.”

She went outside and stood on the wall, greeting the other alpha female with head butts and long strokes of her hand down the beast’s neck. It didn’t need a name; it was the herd alpha. It was all she had to know.

Once their greeting and acknowledgement ceremony was over, they parted and Amylia turned and smiled at Kreatha.

“So, he has beast capabilities you said?”

Kreatha snorted. “Why am I not surprised?”

She shrugged. “Shall we return to tea?”

“I think that is a good idea. The Imperium contingent will be arriving tomorrow, and you are going to have a lot of negotiating to do.”

Amylia stared at the smug face. “I thought you were the Queen of Rohul.”

“Oh, I was until an hour ago. Now, I am simply
a
queen of Rohul. You are
the
queen.”

“So, that is why you came over.”

Kreatha nodded. “And to get a hug.”

Amylia gave her a hug and felt the touch on her skin. She closed her eyes. If she could pass anything on to Kreatha through her skin, she would do it.

They adjourned to the hall again, and a lunch was being prepared. Dorren also stopped and murmured to Gyrion, and the slow smile was enough to set Amylia’s senses on edge.

“What was that?”

Gyrion straightened and announced. “Three women in the village have gone into season. I will have to supervise the mate fights after lunch.”

Amylia didn’t know how this worked, but it was confusing. They could get pregnant because there was a woman in charge? Weird.

“You look confused, Amylia.” Kreatha nibbled at a cookie.

“I just don’t know why there isn’t a regular season for mating. Many species have it.”

Artruo smiled. “Does yours?”

“Oh. No. we are cyclical. We go off a lot. As an average, once every twenty-eight days.”

The stunned expressions of those around her preceded Kreatha snuggling against Artruo and her whispering, “When we get home, I want you inside me.”

Amylia got the feeling that that was going to happen on the
way
home.

Gyrion lifted her grubby and bruised hand to his lips. “This might just be the boost that the population needs.”

She made a face. “And no children for me.”

He gave her a small smile. “Not in the normal scheme of things, but you are far from normal.”

Kreatha gave the information on the incoming visitors, and she agreed to return the following day.

Amylia was exhausted, and she was relieved when Kreatha and Artruo left. She got a shower and looked at the shreds of her dress. Tradition was one thing, but practicality was another.

She put on a new dress and wandered out in search of Dorren. When she explained what she needed, he nodded, took her measurements and left the keep with a grin.

The mating combat was taking place in the square, and once she was clean and dressed, she wandered out to see what was going on.

A woman stood with her mate, and other males were invited to fight for the right to take his place.

Amylia had a thousand things to say about that, but Gyrion looked at her and frowned, shaking his head. The women stepped aside as the men took the circle and stripped to the waist. She moved through the crowd until she was standing near the woman in question.

While Amylia was outraged, the woman seemed eager to watch the fight. She was into it. This was her culture.

The woman walked off after her mate proved himself, and they chased each other in turn off to wherever they could find privacy.

The next female came forward and didn’t have a pre-chosen mate. The men fought, and the winner walked up to the female and bowed before pulling her in for a kiss.

The woman went from timid to enthusiastic, and her new mate wrapped his arms around her, carrying her off.

Gyrion moved closer and chuckled. “Are you upset that you missed a chance for your own consort battle?”

She smiled. “I like you in one, large, un-bruised piece.”

His eyes darkened as his pupils dilated. “Do you? Good to know.”

“But, if you want to fight for the right to be my consort, meet me in my quarters tonight with a bottle of oil. You can wrestle me for the privilege.” She winked.

“That sounds... fascinating.” He chuckled. He had to turn to the next combatants, and they squared off before attacking each other.

About a minute into the fight, she found out why Gyrion had to be there. One of the men sprouted fangs and was about to use them.

Gyrion was in the centre of the fight in seconds and holding back the feral attacker.

His arms flexed, and he was letting out a low growl that appeared to work on the other male. The man slumped and the fangs disappeared.

The woman was called forward, and she was made to choose. To Amylia’s surprise, she chose the guy with the fangs.

Gyrion straightened. “Today concludes the first of what we hope will be many mate competitions. I would like to thank Queen Amylia for giving of herself to make this possible.”

The crowd applauded, and Amylia nodded to those assembled. Today a mate fight, tomorrow the Imperium. Now, what else was she forgetting?

“So, how is this supposed to work?” Gyrion spread a handful of oil across his shoulders and chest.

Amylia had gotten Dorren to put down a mat of sorts so they didn’t wreck the bed, and she was standing at the edge, gleaming and slippery. “Oh, whoever can pin the other for a count of five is the winner. Aside from that, it is anything goes.”

She faced him across the leather mat. He had a few spots that he had missed, so she was going to try and take advantage of them.

She hunkered down and touched one hand to the mat. “Agreed stakes?”

“Agreed. Trousers for you or you will support my claim as consort.”

“Done.”

He lunged forward, and they grappled, slipping off each other and sliding apart. He scowled. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

She checked out his erection and grinned. “I promise not to pull.”

His eyes widened, and she tackled him, throwing him off balance until he toppled to the mat. He tried to grab her, and she squirmed loose by sliding back across his cock and down his thighs.

“I am beginning to see how this is a sport on your world.” His grin became predatory.

She had his full focus now, and he grabbed and twisted her to the ground, holding her down with the weight of his body. Unfortunately for him, she slipped out on one side.

They slipped, slid, genitals came in contact for moments, seconds and longer as they ground against each other, striving to be on top.

Amylia finally had enough. She pinned him on his back, straddled him and slid him into her. He locked in place and gripped her hips.

She started to slide on him, and before he knew it, she had gotten her five count.

She leaned forward and kissed him. “I win.”

He groaned and held her hips, rocking her over him. “I don’t care, keep moving.”

She moved with him, slipping and sliding over him. She clawed at his chest for support, and he shuddered. His slick fingers moved over her clit, and she was soon rocking to the rhythm set by his hand.

Heat built in her bloodstream and tension coiled in her belly as she got closer and closer to release. He didn’t draw out the torture; he tipped her over the edge and followed her in a rush.

She slumped over him, feeling the thickening and gradual reduction inside her. Her body pulsed around him again.

He grunted, and his fingers dug into her hips. She could see a flash of white as he gritted his teeth and he held himself back from her until he calmed.

“Um, what was that?”

Gyrion ran his tongue over his teeth before answering. “Five percent of the population have mating teeth. I have them; the rest of my family does not.”

“What does it mean?”

“Higher testosterone, better breeder.” He looked embarrassed.

“Oh, so that is why the lady chose him over the other guy that didn’t go insane.”

He covered his eyes with one hand. “Probably.”

“And why you had women lining up to sleep with you.”

He mumbled. “There wasn’t a line.”

She smirked and sat back, slowly unravelling her braid. “Thankfully, I am an open book. No embarrassing secrets.”

“Do you really go into heat twelve times a year?”

She wrinkled her nose. “It is hard to detect, but yes.”

“You don’t need any special trigger or food or anything?”

“Nope. My species just goes off, some more, some less, but as long as the body is sound and everything is normal, that is how it happens.”

“So, it is possible that we could interbreed?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know if my species and yours have ever been assessed for compatibility. I know that Terrans are easy to tinker with on a genetic level, but I am not sure about us.”

“Would you mind if I looked into it?”

She shrugged her shoulders and combed her hair out with her fingers. “Go nuts. I have never had a plan for family either way.”

He grinned. “Are you going to sit on me all night?”

“I thought about it. Would you like me to get off?”

He chuckled and stroked his palms over her butt. “I would like to shower and try this on a less slick surface. You have meetings tomorrow, but I think a little relaxation is in order.”

She ran her hands down his chest and levered herself free of him. “Shower, huh?”

He was on his feet as soon as she completed her dismount, and he had her under one arm, hauling her into the shower with her giggling and her feet skidding.

Morning would come soon enough. Tonight was for spending with her consort.

The shuttle hovered at the top of the cliff, and Amylia stood with Gyrion on one side of her, Kreatha and Artruo on the other.

The Imperium wasn’t taking any chances. Six guards came out with the representative.

The shuttle let them out, and then, it sank down to the actual landing site.

“Queen Kreatha, we are here on behalf of the Nyal Imperium to arrest you for the death of Ambassador Nefican.”

Amylia stepped forward. “The Imperium has no grounds to remove a Rohul citizen from its soil. Queen Kreatha served six months in Janial, and that was a gross breach of etiquette. As ruler of these lands at the time, she had complete sovereignty. A sexual advance from the ambassador was met with the restraint of her people.”

The representative scowled at her. “Why are you speaking for her? Wait, are you Guard Caxton?”

“No, now I am the Queen of Rohul, Amylia. It is an alpha-based society and no treatise will be concluded with this world until all charges have been dropped.”

“But, you were... were you working with her during the escape?”

Amylia shook her head. “Most assuredly not. The Imperium had my loyalty to its legal system until I was no longer in Imperium space. I believe that a treatise with the Alliance might be a good idea. They have far more respect for the social mores of the people on the worlds they deal with.”