Worth Fighting For (Little Blue Book 1) (10 page)

Tasid waited for a moment, expecting Oduz to continue, but he didn’t. “Is that it?”

“Yes, sir. I took her from him.”

“No, Oduz, you caught her fairly. It isn’t who opens the box, it’s who catches her, just like it would have been with me, should you have succeeded. In any case, to attack any flyer with a mate is beyond reprehensible. I saw him clearly attack you. There was no way it was an accident. How is your mate?”

Oduz looked over at him in shock, then looked down as if he could see his mate through both wings. Tasid heard him mumbling to her. When he looked up, he had a worried look on his face.

“She’s in a lot of pain.”

Errim’s growl was loud. “That piece of shit is going to pay for this.”

“Agreed.” Tasid gave a nod.

Looking down, he saw the ground was getting closer, but they were still a great distance up. Three other males, with mates wrapped securely to them, winged their way closer to them. One of them he recognized as one of his engineers.

Tasid smiled at him. “Congratulations, Broza.”

“Thank you, sir. What happened? Anything I can do?”

Tasid looked up and over at Nerk. He was finally able to clearly see the angry faces of the other males directed at Nerk. This led him to believe that they were honorable males, and he could leave the escort to them.
Good.

“I witnessed that male, Nerk, attack him,” he pointedly looked at Oduz before continuing, “
after
Oduz had already caught his mate. It wasn’t an accident. I witnessed the attack. His mate is possibly hurt. Do you think you can fly ahead and get medical crews ready?”

The look on all three of the males turned dark, and they each swore.

“Yes, sir,” Broza answered, “and I’ll have males sent up to take the vile piece of shit into custody.” He briefly bent his head low to his chest and spoke gently. “Hold on, my mate, we have to descend fast.” Broza folded his wings in and aimed down. His mate squealed, but it sounded to Tasid like it was in glee, as they descended rapidly to the area with the platform.

Tasid looked back at Oduz and saw that he looked like he was weakening. It was hard to hold a mate under you while you were flying, but Oduz was doing that with only one wing.
He must be losing strength,
Tasid thought.

“Tell me, Oduz, where are you and your mate going to be living?” Tasid asked, hoping it would take Oduz’s mind off a little bit of the pain and fatigue.

“I, uh, actually work for you.”

Tasid lowered his brows. “I know everyone on my ship, but I do not know you. How do you work for me?”

“I’m one of your new flyers. I was supposed to report to you as soon as you got your new ship, but…”

“Ah, yes, but I haven’t even ordered it yet. Sorry about that, Oduz. With trying to get the humans organized and dealing with the large numbers of visitors from all the different alliances, I’ve been too busy. I’ve been going from one emergency meeting to another.”

“He isn’t kidding, Oduz,” Errim said. “He gets woken up nearly every morning by several people trying to get a hold of him before anyone else does, because they all think their matter is more important. I know this because I either get woken up for them, too, or I’ll hear about it later when he gripes about them.”

Tasid raised a brow at Errim. “I don’t gripe,” he said indignantly. “I’m merely informing my second on what’s going on.”

Errim returned his look with a skeptical one.

****

Juno felt warm and secure in Tasid’s arms, and the rocking motions, along with the unique trilling Tasid was doing, helped her calm down and relax. She was grateful for the universal translator implant she had. Without it, she would have been a lot more terrified, not knowing what was going on. She listened to the males talk and hoped the injured girl would be all right. It also helped put her at ease a little, to hear all of the males’ deep concern for the other girl, and eagerness to take action against the male who injured her.

The jerk sounds like he could use a real good ass-kicking.

****

Tasid held his precious prize close to him and was grateful that she had calmed down. It didn’t sit right with him, how upset she had gotten. All the females of his race enjoyed the event, and from what he had seen in the human vids, they enjoyed freefalling.
I guess not all of them enjoy it,
he thought, and inwardly winced.

After they flew close enough to the ground, other flyers were there to help Oduz land. Tasid was impressed with him as he watched Oduz carefully unwrap his new mate, and lay her on a gurney to be examined first by medical personnel, before allowing anyone to tend to him. Tasid knew he had to have been in extreme pain, but he had put his new mate first.

After he himself landed, Tasid continued to hold his mate against his torso, keeping his wings secure around her, shielding her naked form from others, as he gave out orders. One of the orders was to Errim, to stay with Oduz.

“Errim, go with them, and keep me updated on their progress.” Turning to the males who escorted the offender to the ground, he saw their looks of anger and disgust with the male, and could clearly see their tight hold on him. Many others had gathered around.

Nerk turned and directed his anger towards Tasid, shouting at him. “He stole my mate! I demand you bring her back to me.”

“What’s the meaning of this?” another male yelled as he approached the group. Tasid saw the mark on the suit he wore, and could tell that this male worked for his father, who he saw walking up right beside him. He temporarily ignored them both, and turned back to Nerk, shooting him a lethal look.

“First, I am Advocate for Earth, so you have no right to demand anything from me. Second, I witnessed you unjustly attack him. I heard his story, and coupled with what I saw with my own eyes, you are disqualified from this Mate Catch.”

Nerk bellowed out a loud roar and tried to lunge for Tasid, but the other males easily held him back. The male standing next to Tasid’s father suddenly became angry.

“I’m his father, and I hold rank in the Zori embassy. You don’t have the authority to ban my son from The Catch! You are overstepping your bounds.”

Tasid saw anger burn in Jurresh’s eyes, but the human official, Adam Nuntz, caught his attention when he stepped up beside Tasid.

Adam’s look towards Nerk was lethal. “We all saw on the video feed what your son did,” he said, nearly snarling in his anger. “Without thought or care for the girl, he attacked the Zori male who had caught her, causing him great harm, which in turn caused her harm. Then compounding that, instead of thinking of her needs for medical care, he demanded, not asked,
demanded
she be brought to him.” His eyes darted between Nerk and Nerk’s father. “Either of you have yet to even ask how that girl is. We are not about to allow the mistreatment of any of our women, by any alien male. You think he is overstepping his bounds? He has every right as Advocate of Earth, and if he doesn’t ban you from all Mate Catches involving humans, then Earth will pull all negotiations from all matings.”

Gasps sounded throughout, but Adam ignored them and continued. “Say another disrespectful word, just one more muttered oath or expletive even, and just see what power I have.”

The crowd went still around them. With the threat thrown in their faces, Nerk’s father was about to erupt, but Jurresh silenced him with a look, before anything could come out.

Fury burned inside Tasid, and fear—he didn’t want to lose his mate, nor did he want any of the honorable males who caught a mate to lose theirs either. Perhaps he didn’t do enough by simply banning Nerk from today’s event. Now that he thought about it, Adam was right. Tasid needed to take action with the power of his new rank, Advocate of Earth, or risk further endangering the humans to races who would think to exploit them.

He turned a lethal gaze at Nerk. “You are hereby banned from all human Mate Catches and this solar system for the duration of your lifespan.” He then turned to Nerk’s father, who was still standing by Tasid’s father. “And you, for your equal disregard for the female’s safety by siding with the wrongdoer, you are also banned from this solar system for the duration of your lifespan.”

Jurresh turned to Nerk’s father, fury still distorting his feathers into something terrifying. “Now it’s my turn.” Barely contained rage hardened his voice. “I cannot believe you just claimed that the leaders of Earth don’t have any authority in their own solar system, on their own planet, regarding their own people. Your contempt, abuse of power, and blatant false accusations have endangered our negotiations with Earth, and in turn, with the other alliances. You are no longer fit to represent the Zori people. And I will personally see to it that your son will never be qualified for any Mate Catches ever again. This I do have authority to do. Leave now, silently, thankful that I don’t charge you with treason, and that’s just for starters.”

Jurresh motioned for Zori soldiers, who then took away both Nerk and Nerk’s father. The anger on both of their faces was apparent to everyone.

With the danger and drama dealt with, the crowd dissipated, and several people began celebrating their successful matings. Before the three males who had escorted Nerk to the ground—possibly at the cost of a chance to a mate—could leave, he stopped them. “You three have my gratitude. Where are you stationed?”

Before they could answer, his father spoke for them. “They were handpicked by me, to replace some of the crew who will be leaving you. They, like many others, have been currently waiting onboard my ship until you finally choose your ship.”

Tasid didn’t miss his father’s pointed look. He turned to the males, smiled at them, and nodded. “Then I look forward to meeting with you later.”

As the males departed, Tasid gave his father a puzzled look. “If you are leaving tomorrow, what will happen to them?”

“There’s room on the new space station we finished setting up. There are some living quarters available, but I would suggest that you take them in yourself. The space station is filling up fast, and is meant only for military. And several of your new males have just taken mates. You are going to need private quarters for them. You have plenty of room in those storage containers to set up something temporary, for the single males, but it shouldn’t be for long.” His father gave him another pointed look.

“I understand, Father. It will be my next priority to tackle.”

“Good to hear it. I understand that you plan to fill several other positions from CROWN.”

“Yes.”

Tasid saw his father smile with pride. “Excellent thinking. Now, go get your mate dressed, and medically checked out, so your mother and I can finally meet her.” With that said, Jurresh abruptly turned and walked back to the stands, where Adonna was waiting for him.

Chapter Twelve

Tasid and the other mated pairs were led to a large covered tent with tiny rooms, separated by nothing more than a light cloth. But it provided some privacy for him and the other lucky males, as they got to properly meet their new mates for the first time.

There were attendants in the front, handing out clothes. Tasid had his new mate reach her arm with the bracelet on it up to be scanned. They entered her new status into the computer, with his name, formally solidifying his claim on her.
She is now mine.
It also gave them the information for her size. They handed him clothing for her, and for him, and he was ushered in to find a room.

Tasid stepped through an opening to one of those rooms and looked around. There was a bench along one side and a chair in the opposite corner, which he placed the clothes on.

Unwrapping his wings, Tasid looked down at the small human female, who was now going to be his entire universe. He could see vulnerability portrayed in her beautiful blue eyes, as she looked up at him, returning his stare. Her pale skin felt silky smooth, hugging her soft curves, making her to feel almost too good to let go. Her moist, supple lips tempted him to taste them, and her scent was intoxicating.

His dick hardened to the near point of pain, causing him to groan.

“Hello,” he breathed out.

“Hi.”

Tasid could hear the fear in her voice and tried to reassure her. “Do not be afraid, little mate, I will not hurt you.”

She spoke almost in a whisper. “Not all hurt is physical.”

Tasid frowned. “You are everything to me now. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. Any who would dare to harm you will suffer my wrath.”

Tasid didn’t want her to dwell on the subject, and after what she said, he knew he needed to take things slow, so he forced himself not to give in to his desires. He reached down and picked up her clothes.

“It’s Juno, right?” At her nod, he continued. “I am Tasid. We should get dressed so you can properly meet my parents, before we head out. If you are willing, I would like to attend the mating ceremonies of some of my officers.”

She nodded again and took the clothes he handed her.

It was customary for medics to give the females an exam following The Catch. In this case, all the human females also received a shot that had microbes to protect them from most galactic illnesses, including those from Earth.

Since Yebiri was readying for his own mating ritual, Tasid watched as another one of his medical officers examined Juno.

The physician smiled at her as he introduced himself. “I’m Zanzazzi. I will be performing your exam. What is your name?”

He saw his mate smile kindly back at the physician. “Juno.”

“Hi, Juno.” He held up one of their scanner wands. “This won’t hurt at all.”

Running the scanner over her, the male frowned and concentrated scans on a few of her areas.

“What is it?” Tasid asked, worry beating in his chest.

“She shows she has recently sustained significant injuries. Most are not life threatening, but I am concerned with her ribs.”

Tasid gave her a concerned look. Juno lightly shrugged and looked down at her hands. “I was trampled in the riots.”

Tasid was horrified. Before he could say anything, the medical officer reached for a repair device.

“It is a simple fix. I can mend the bones.”

Tasid quickly gave his permission. “Yes, of course.”

As Zanzazzi ran the device over her ribs, he shook his head. He directed his comment up at him. “I do not know why they let her in The Catch. If she would have been caught wrong, it could have done her serious harm.”

Juno grimaced. “They believed we would be given exams and healed before putting us in the boxes.” Juno kept her eyes downcast as she held still for the physician.

Tasid rubbed his jaw. “We expected the first mating ceremonies to have some minor issues, as everyone learns the procedures and what to expect.”

“That’s a pretty big mistake.” Zanzazzi said, still running the device over her ribs. “Sir, if it is acceptable, I would advise ordering a checkup before each event. If she would have been the other girl, who was injured after she was already caught, her injuries could have been life-threatening. I am also concerned about their questionable judgment of what is acceptable health. And sometimes their technology is not good enough yet to detect smaller injuries or illnesses in their earlier stages.”

Tasid didn’t have to think about it before he answered. “Agreed. But gathering enough wands and translator implants and teaching them what to do with them, was a big enough feat, in the short amount of time we had. It will take longer to gather, and teach them how to use the more thorough scanners and healing devices. I’ll talk to Yebiri later, about any ideas about coming up with a solution.”

****

After the medic was done healing Juno’s ribs, she pulled her shirt down, and slid off the exam table. She rubbed her hand up and down over her ribs.

“Hey, the pain is gone,” she said, surprised.

“It’s supposed to be,” the medic told her as he put the device away. After giving her, her shot he sat back. “You’re all set.”

“Do you know where they took Oduz?” Tasid asked.

Zanzazzi pointed down the end of a row of exam room. “Yes, they are in the final exam room, on the left.”

“Thank you.” Tasid nodded at the medic, then placed both left arms around Juno’s shoulders, and led her towards the indicated room. Standing just outside the exam room, were several Zori males. At five foot eight, Juno was used to others being taller than she was, but the Zori were taller than even the human men that were around. She guessed the shortest stood around six foot five.

She pressed herself closer to Tasid, but as the males parted for them, she could see two specific males who looked to be in charge. Recognizing the woman standing by one of the males, Juno squealed and ran to her.

“Jeri!” she cried out as she wrapped her arms around her friend. Jeri returned her hug.

Benny’s muffled voice came from the other tall male. “Hey, I can tell I am missing out on some serious bear hugs.”

“Juno?” Tasid asked.

Juno looked up at the male who she was now, technically, married to. Though he wasn’t human, his features seemed to portray the same, so she guessed what he was silently asking.

“These girls are like my family. They mean everything to me. We consider each other sisters. There’s one other, but she chose the other flying race. The Nans-something-or-other.”

“The Nanstrahi?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s the one.” Juno’s face fell. “Will we ever be able to see her again?”

She heard a purring growl—which sounded like an irritated lion—come from him, and he looked upset. She stiffened in fear, suddenly feeling like she was about to be chomped on by a predator. Instead, Tasid ran the back of his fingers down her face. “I will make sure of it, little mate. Your happiness is important to me. I am sorry you were led to believe different.”

A huge weight felt like it was lifted off her shoulders. She let out a relieved breath and smiled up at Tasid. Her vision began to blur as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Tasid pulled her against his body and wrapped his guardian wings loosely around her. He kept them low enough so she was still able to see everyone around her, but at the same time, she felt the intimacy of it, and his warmth radiated around her. She suddenly felt happy and relaxed.

****

Tasid tried to hide the rage that burned in his belly, when he saw the fear and pain in his mate’s eyes. Somewhere, there was a miscommunication that caused these females to fear that they would never see their friends or family again.
That is going to be corrected as soon as possible.

The smile she gave him when he reassured her made his knees feel wobbly. She was truly the most beautiful female he had ever seen. His heart warmed, and his belly flipped when he wrapped his wings around her and she relaxed against him. Her trust meant a lot to him.

Tasid mentally shook his thoughts back to the present. Errim and Sharrow both stood before him. Sharrow and his mate were already dressed, but Errim wasn’t. He was carefully concealing his mate and himself. This meant his mate still needed to be seen by a medic.

“Errim, thank you for staying with them. Go take care of your new mate, and then meet us over by my parents.”

A physician stepped from the small exam room, as Errim made a hasty exit. Tasid introduced himself, then asked about the injured couple.

The medic answered, “The flyer’s body absorbed most of the impact, so the female will be fine, just some bruises and a mild concussion. They were easily treated with our medical equipment.”

“And Oduz?” Tasid asked him.

“He won’t be able to use his wing to fly for a few days while the mending we did hardens sufficiently, but he will be fine. He chose well. His little mate refuses to leave his side,” the medic said with some bit of admiration.

Tasid smiled when he heard that. “Good. He is a noble and honorable male, and he used considerable skill protecting her during extreme duress. He deserves a worthy mate.”

The medic agreed, then excused himself, and Tasid turned to Sharrow, who happened to be mated to one of Juno’s sisters. That bit of news made him feel relieved, knowing that Juno would have two of her sisters living so close.

“Sharrow, congratulations. I’m well pleased to see you caught a mate. Please introduce us.”

Sharrow placed two of his hands on his mate’s shoulders. “This is my mate, Jeri. Jeri, this is my friend, and boss, Tasid.”

Tasid smiled down at the dark skinned female. “Hi, Jeri. Looks like you and Juno will be living rather close to each other.”

“Yes!” Both girls spoke at once and gave each other a high five, something that his crew was now doing all the time since they had learned about it.

“Juno, this is Sharrow,” Tasid told her. “He’s my weapons specialist, and head of security. He will be in charge of your protection detail. He has already chosen males that I have already approved. You will meet them when we fly back to the ship.”

Juno looked up at him with a surprised look on her face, before she started laughing. Tasid was confused.

“What is so funny?” he asked her.

“Providence, that’s what. Jeri is a security guard. She’s the one who saved me when I was being trampled, and she’s the one who saved another friend of ours, and her daughter, from some horrible fate during the riots.”

Sharrow growled. “She will not be working anymore, especially not in security.”

Both females let out an exasperated groan.

“Testosterone killjoy,” Jeri grumbled.

“Let me give you some advice, Sharrow,” Juno said. “Trust me when I say that you do not want to treat her with kid gloves, or you’ll kill the biggest part of her spirit that makes her special and happy.”

Sharrow’s brows knitted. “What is ‘kid gloves’?”

“It means to treat with extreme tact or gentleness,” Juno answered. “That means don’t hold anything back. Jeri responds best with brutal honesty. She isn’t afraid of making tough decisions, and when confronted with a fight-or-flight situation, she fights. I’m not saying not to protect her, but just don’t force her to be something she’s not.”

Tasid could see the automatic refusal on Sharrow’s face. Their race deeply believed in defending their mates from all harm. It was part of their nature. In the Zori race, males were built for battle, with their battle and guardian wings to protect and provide, and the females were wingless, therefore vulnerable. To put a female in harm’s way went totally against their deepest beliefs. Males like Nerk were rare.

“Hey!” Juno said excitedly. “She could be on my security detail.”

“That would be cool,” Jeri responded, smiling.

Sharrow began to growl and the look on his face darkened, but the girls didn’t back down. Tasid knew he was in trouble when Juno looked up at him with hope written on her face.

“It’s brilliant really,” she told him. “I am a female, and she’s family, so then who best to know what some of my needs are?”

Just by looking into her eyes, Tasid was horrified that he was actually contemplating their idea. He wanted Juno happy, and valid points weren’t helping his resolve.

“And,” Jeri added, “I can go places with her that your detail couldn’t, or at least shouldn’t. Can you imagine them following her into the ladies’ room?”

“That’s right!” Juno said. “Also, who would guess a female would be a bodyguard? She’ll have the element of surprise. And it wouldn’t be like she would be all alone. You are still going to assign a security detail, right?”

Tasid was compelled to agree, which disturbed him. “How about we discuss this another time? I would very much like to introduce you to my parents, and we can’t wait too long, if we are going to go see some of the other ceremonies.”

The females looked unhappy, but Tasid couldn’t remember a time when Sharrow had ever looked more relieved.

Looking down at their little mates, Tasid had to wonder,
What have I
gotten myself into?