Claimed: The Warriors of Nur (26 page)

“Come here.” 

Lying down, she patted the space beside her and waited for Leo to lie on the bed.  Turning, they faced each other, their bodies curving towards one another until they touched at forehead and knee.  A familiar pose for both, they sometimes joked that this was how they’d slept in the womb.  Their faces not inches apart, they breathed each other’s air.  “Did you want to stay?” she questioned softly staring into identical eyes.  “I love you more than air, ‘Nya.  Please…be honest.”

Leo closed her eyes, tears welling at the use of her childhood name. 

“I don’t know ‘Nyla.”  She let out a shaky break, lips quivering at the effort it took not to let all the pent up emotion flow into a river of tears.

She was so confused. 

Why was she so confused? 

There was nothing here to be confused about.  It was time to go home.  End of story.  So what the hell was wrong with her?  In the last few days she’d wavered between anger, sorrow, and resignation.  Anger at herself, her sister, Erol…  Sorrow, deep welling and unanswerable…Resignation, that there was no other choice. 

“I don’t know.  I just keep…keep thinking about,” she shook her head.  “What the fuck Avi, I
would
fall in love with someone from a different planet now, wouldn’t I?”  She laughed, the sound broken by her tearful gasps.

“Well, I always knew there wasn’t a guy on Earth good enough for you,”  Avi joked sadly.  “So why didn’t you stay?”

“What do you mean, ‘why didn’t I stay?’”

“I mean…why didn’t you stay, Leo?”

“Wow sis, really?”  Leo frowned, “Nice to see you missed me as much as I missed you!”

“Oh come on.  You know it’s not like that.” her frown identical.  “I almost went crazy not knowing where you were.  If you were safe.  If you were even alive.  You know not even the fiery pits of hell would have kept me from getting to you.”

“I know.”  Leo deflated.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t know why I’m attacking you.  I just…I...” she sighed.  “I miss him, Avi.”

“Of course you ‘miss him,’ silly.  You love him.”  She sat up, “which means you’re staying.”

“What do you mean, I’m staying?”  Leo  sat up, her feet tucked beneath to mirror her sister.  “I am so not staying.”

“Uh…you are so wrong.”  Avi stood, resolve, and patronizing humor in her tone.  “You are definitely staying.  I am so not living with you all mopey like you’ve been for the last seven days.”

“But wait.”  Leo grabbed her before she could reach the doorway.  “I…we…”

“You’re staying Leo.  End of story.”

“What if he says no?”  Atif crossed his arm, “then what?”

“He won’t.”  Erol answered with more confidence than he felt.  I was completely possible that ‘no’ was exactly what he was going to say.  The “he” in question being their cousin and
estiż
through kinship of their
majka
, controller of all departure from Nur, and the High
Mexxeja
himself.  In fact, it was the most probable answer.  It had been at least three complete cycles since he’d been to court, unwilling to return there after the loss of his parents, but his memory of the male was that he was more cruel than compassionate, and was about as likely to grant his request to leave Nur as he was to kill him outright for even suggesting that he bring an
Aljeni
to live permanently.

“And if he does?”  Uriel perched across from him as he packed the last of the vesi fruit he would need.  “What will you do then?”

“I don’t know.  I’ll figure out a way. ” He glanced at his youngest brother, quiet and solemn in the face of the rampant discouragement of his siblings.  “Even if I have to rip apart the stars.”  A new understanding had formed between the two brothers.

“We should all go.”  Uriel jumped up, her willingness to petition the High
Mexxeja
obvious.  “After all, she’s going to belong to all of us, as part of this clan.”

“No” Cahil answered before he could.  “Have you learned nothing sister!  It is not safe for you outside our dwelling.”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous.  It was not me that—”

“Ridiculous!?”  Cahil stood, aggression boiling from him.  “Have you forgotten so  soon that you and your refusal to obey, to stay where you can be safe, is what brought us here in the first place!  You are no longer puerile, Uriel.  Stop behaving as one!”

“That’s enough, Cahil” Erol winced at the obvious guilt on his sister’s face.  “None of what happened is her fault, and you will not blame her for it.  It is our responsibility to keep her safe.  It is a failure of her males if she comes to any harm.  Not her own.” 

He turned to her, “But he is right,
Kallis
, you will not come.  None of you will.” 

He stood, heart stuttering with the announcement to come.  “I’m not returning without her.” 

He waited, the heated denials no more than what he expected.  In truth, he’d been waiting until there was no other option.  In the brief time that he’d been without her, he'd come to the very real understanding that he
couldn’t
be without her.  It took every ounce of energy to just keep breathing with the knowledge that he would never taste her scent again.  The idea of continuing into his eternity with the knowledge that he’d never have her again was beyond his ability.  He’d find her, with or without permission, and he’d search until he did. 

“Atif,” he nodded towards the silent male, “Neron must complete his blood oath.”

Atif nodded, the mantel of responsibility settling with visible weight at his understanding of his new position.  As the eldest male, he would serve as
Prokura Mexxeja
until Neron returned.  It would fall to him to keep his clan safe, their female protected, his brother reined.

“Go well brother.”  He stood, his forehead meeting that of the other male’s before gently kissing it. “Find your mate, that you may return and make whole what shall be in your absence broken.”   

Erol frowned, his body tensing with awareness.  Inhaling deeply, he curled his tongue, an attempt to more fully taste the slight fragrance that drifted to him.  It was familiar, but different.  Spicy, but calming.  A scent that had lingered, mingled with that of his mates, on his sister the day that his female had left. 

With a deep growl he turned from his brothers towards the entrance to the winding tunnels that emptied from the deep enclosure of the mountain dwelling.  The scent was fuller now, more robust, the flavor identifiable as his mate’s—but mingled with another.  And still there were more, both male and female.  A male who was close enough to mask, almost overpower her light aroma.  Erol tensed, his body heating at the thought of another male touching what was his.  He scented anger.  Anger and trepidation.

A growl started low in his belly, and the alerted males around him soon echoed the sound.

“Uriel.  Phase.”  He commanded, preferring her in a more aggressive form should she need to protect herself.

Uriel strained, her body struggling into the less familiar form of her predator.  It felt awkward to her, less controlled.  This feeling of unease was what’d kept her from phasing when she was attacked.  In phase she felt aggression, an emotion nearly foreign to her in any other state.  The violet in her eyes bled to the deep crimson common to her clan.  She growled, the sound more aggrieved frustration than aggression.  She backed away, her body corralled by that of a fully phased Cahil, until she was pressed firmly into the corner.  Whatever threat Erol scented was close enough to put all three of her brothers on guard. 

Atif phased, his body becoming larger, eyes bleeding deep crimson red; both would guard her, she knew, a sliver of trepidation dancing her spine to think of Erol going to face the threat alone.  Who or
what
ever it was, had entered the space leading to the entrance to their dwelling.  A telling action.  Either they were foolish or dangerous.  Both left a sour taste to curdle the back of her tongue. 

Closing her eyes, she tipped her head to scent.  Drawing in a deep lung full of the air around her.  A familiar citrus wafted to her, light and fragrant like… “Leo!” she growled, the word low and slightly muffled.  Erol took off, his command—“Protect!”—growled in his wake.

Avi’Nyla stopped feet short of the main entrance, the bright beacon of the wrist unit given to the young female alien leading them straight to the front door.  If she didn’t know better, she’d think that was the plan from the gate. 

What the fuck was she about to do!?  The calming breaths she’d been practicing for the last hour weren’t helping.  Not in the least.  She needed a bag to breathe into.  She felt like puking, the knot that had settled heavily in her stomach now giving birth to a million angry butterflies.  Her heart beat a pounding staccato, the force echoing in the rushing pulse in her ears. 
I’m about to give my sister to some guy I don’t even know…some alien guy…WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!?

She turned, her vision focusing in the dim illumination.  As they’d gotten closer, use of night-vision goggles had been unnecessary to the point where she was now completely able to see the thoroughly pissed off, betrayed, and gagged face of one Miss Leo’Nya Carpathia Zesiro.

“I can’t do this.”  Avi whispered, the sound almost inaudible in volume.  “I changed my mind; he can’t have you.  Fuck being the bigger person.”

“Ummm, kinda late in the game, AB,” De’Lhila hissed.  She was all for a woman’s prerogative and all that shit, but damn if this wasn’t just bad timing.

“I know, but I can’t…” she panted, “I mean, what if he’s mad that she left in the first place and takes it out on her?  Or what if he says that she can’t see me ever again?”  Her heart rate increased, her breath coming shallower as panic set in.  “I can’t, D.  I just can’t.”  She turned to Leo.  “I’m sorry, sis,  I tried.  I wanted to give you the love that you deserve, but I can’t.  I’m such a selfish bitch…” her voice broken, her throat clogging, she shook her head, “but I …”

Leo shook her head, love and understanding shining as she silently denied her sister’s claims.  It was the same war she’d been battling.  She understood completely.  But she
was
still angry at being trussed like a turkey, and told that she was
‘going back to your alien lover to make little alien babies and be happy’
.  Which is probably the same things she would have done had the situation been reversed, and Avi had been struggling with the decision.  Her happiness or her sister’s.  Avi had effectively taken the decision out of her hands, assuaging any guilt she might be experiencing by looking to her own happiness.  It was a sentiment that, in any other scenario, she could get behind.  The difficulty in this reality was that it meant never seeing Avi again.  Or at least the possibility of it.

A loud hissing growl erupted; all eyes turned, matching hazel ones opening wide at the large partially phased male. 

“Put.  Her.  Down.”  The command was growled, low and full of promise. 

It took everything in Erol not to phase and rip the male that was currently holding his mate into little tiny bite sized pieces.  His fangs were already dropping, his eyes bleeding to a deep crimson.  The staying hand was the understanding that he’d have to rip through  Leo to get to him.

“I d-don’t t-think I w-will,”  Aramis stuttered, stepping back to put more distance between himself and the larger male.  “Not just now.” 

With slow movements, Avi untied the weighted material from Leo’s neck, allowing the gag to drop freely to the floor.  “Tell Tarzan that Missy won’t hurt you.”

“Put.  Her.  Down.”  He commanded again, his gaze never leaving the other males.

“Erol, he—”

“Quiet,
Duša
,” his tone gentled, but just barely.  “I warned you…”

If you run, I will track you.  I will find you, and I will claim you.  You will no longer have a choice.  I will drown you in my scent.  I will seed you so deeply; no other will question my claim.  If another claims you, he will die.  If another touches you, he will die.

“Put me down, Aramis.” he wiggled, the sudden movement almost catapulting her onto the hard ground, which–taking into consideration the fact that both her hands and feet were still tied—would have really hurt.