Marcael: A Terraneu Novel, Book Five (3 page)

Different groups from the Elyon had been searching the planet in a grid
pattern for months and found nothing. Then on one away mission, Marcael had
found
something
. On that day, Colle had been assigned to search with
him. He had gone one direction, his friend the other. At first, all around him
had been the usual jungle flora and fauna. Then he had heard the laughter.
Moving toward the sound Marcael came upon some type of oasis. Looking around
for the source of the laughter, he stopped dead. He lost the ability to think
clearly. He could not make his body move...if someone had asked, he could not
have said what his name was. The vision before him stole his very breath.

She was so small compared to any female he remembered. She was talking
with her back to him, and when he searched for whom she was talking to, all he
saw was some type of beasts in the grass. His eyes had refused to remain away
from the smaller female for long and his gaze swung back to her. He drank in
the gentle curve of her back as it sloped to an indented waist and rounded
hips. He did not know what kind of covering she was wearing on her lower half,
but it barely covered the round globes of her bottom. Her skin was a glowing
golden color that he was sure could not be natural. It had to be due to the
lighting in this jungle. Her hair was in a tight braid that reached halfway
down her back. He imagined what it would look like unbound and falling around
her golden body. His hands fisted as he tried to regain control of himself
before he did something stupid. When she laughed again, something inside him
started to unfurl. Then she turned around to place her clothing on a pile his
breath came out in a whoosh of sound. The blood was pounding so hard in his
ears that he could not even hear the waterfall any longer.

He had never seen the likes to compare to her loveliness and they had the
most beautiful STARRs Hedal science had created available to them on the Elyon.
Not to mention his years with royalty and common folk alike on Hedal before
they had fled. This female before him was exquisite! Her eyes were large in her
heart shaped face. The purple color reminded him of a flower they had used for
courtship back on Hedal. Her lips were full and pink and even a male that was
under the sexual block could get ideas about that mouth. His breathing was
erratic and he knew he was going to lose control. Something about this female
was waking up things inside of him that were better off asleep. He averted his
gaze to get control of his thoughts. The sound of the female talking finally
broke through.

“What do you think Cebat?” He heard the female say, “Does this new
gingham bikini look good? I personally like the little bows at the hips and
chest.”

Do not look! Do not do it! His conscience screamed at him. He did not
know what “gingham” was and he did not need to know. Ignoring the warning his
brain was shouting...he looked. Then instantly wished he had not. The words
hips and chest made it so that his eyes went to those areas. At her hips were
two little red bows. He swallowed hard. Blowing out two huge puffs of breath,
he tore his eyes from her hips to her chest. He should not have done it. There
it was. A little red bow right between the most glorious breasts he had ever
laid eyes on. His mouth began to water as he imagined what the material was
hiding from his eyes. Would her nipples be small and pink like her luscious
mouth? Or would they be large and coral colored? He could not help himself he groaned
softly, his gaze dropping to look at the area between her legs. What color
would those lips be?

As he stood there stunned, the female had made to go into the water. The
curvy blond went under and did not come up. Before he could panic, she surfaced
halfway across the pool. She swam around enjoying herself for the longest time.
Every now and then Marcael would catch a glimpse of the material covering her
breasts as they bobbed in the water. When she started swimming back to shore he
started sweating. When she rose out of the water and walked toward the grassy
bank, he almost swallowed his tongue. Water was running down her body in
rivulets, between her breasts and down her golden legs. She was looking around
with water spiked on eyelashes that would make a STARR envious. Her eyes were a
deeper purple in her confusion and concern.

“Cebat?” Her voice was sunshine and smoke, feminine, sultry and
promising. It danced along his body, waking all the nerve endings as it went.
“Tabec?” He stepped forward with the intent to...what he would never know. He
suddenly heard an unholy growling noise and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Oh there you are. Here!” The little female had called. Both animals had
been looking at him, which was impossible since they should not be able to see
him when cloaked. “It’s time to go you two.” The little female had clothed
herself and after hugging both animals she had returned to her pack animal to
leave and he had let her go.

He had spied on the tiny female a few times now. Marcael knew he only
dared come to this oasis when paired with someone faithful to him. That was not
very often but each time he was able, he made his way to the water in the hopes
of seeing her again. Today he had been waiting for any sign of the little blond
female. He had almost run out of time when his patience had finally been
rewarded. She came riding up with her usual companions at her side. He had
figured after the first encounter that the huge beasts were her pets since they
responded to every command she gave.

Watching intently from his place among the trees he wondered what kind of
covering she would be wearing today. To his shocked amazement the damn female
took off her dress and there was
nothing
on underneath. Well unless you
counted that scrap of material between her legs, which he did not. That was not
covering enough to leave anything to the imagination. Then she bent over and
his brain screamed again at him to look away. What was the point of torturing
himself like this? No matter how many times he asked himself why he kept coming
back, he did not have an answer or explanation that made sense. When he opened
his eyes again, the female was in the water. He knew she liked to swim for a
long distance so he looked for her at the surface closer to the waterfall. He
groaned loudly when he spotted her golden breasts topped with their coral
nipples bobbing in the water. He licked his suddenly dry lips, he had
fantasized about what color her nipples would be and he was not disappointed at
the real thing.

Sensing something, he tore his eyes off the water imp and fixed them on
the male suddenly in the clearing. The female’s pets let out a warning growl
and the male stopped. Coward, he thought to himself. Those animals would not
hurt you unless the female called for them to. Was this male here at the
request of the female? Was he her protector? Her lover? His mind and body raged
at the idea that this male would put his hands on the little female. Returning
his gaze to her, he saw that she was moving to shallow water but kept her body
submerged to the chin. Therefore, he assumed she did not want this male to see
her naked body. Was he a threat? Moving slowly he shifted his position closer
to the clearing. He could just make out the words between the two. The male was
whining about being a fit partner to the female. Brennae was her name. Marcael
tasted the word on his tongue almost like a fine wine of Hedal...Brennae. He
almost laughed aloud when the female said she was not the mate for him. That
was right little female he is not man enough for you! When the male had reached
for the covering at his lower body Marcael had stepped into the clearing. His
fist clenched at his sides. He stopped short when the female had warned the
other male that she would feed his manhood to her pets if he took off his
covering. He could not stop the laugh that escaped him at the look on the poor
male’s face. It was clear at this point that despite his size he was immature
and still just a boy. Then she was coming out of the water and his blood began
to boil again. She was hairless between her legs, and he would kiss his mad
kings ass if her nether lips were not the same sweet coral color as her
nipples.

He could have kept control if the boy had not put his hands on Brennae.
He could have let them both leave the clearing, but the male had made the
mistake of touching her. Some unknown madness gripped him and turning off his
cloaking device, he stormed toward the pair. He wanted the boy to see him
coming. There was a slight fluttering in his mind and he slowed.

“Brennae! RUN!” He heard from ahead of him and two more figures came
toward the pair.

“Why would I need to...run?” The tiny female had turned toward him. He
had to give her credit. She did not scream or faint, she just stood there with
her dress pressed against her chest.

Brennae stood frozen in horror staring at the figure
striding toward her and Barrett. Her brothers’ warnings were too late, even if
she ran now she knew it would be pointless. They all had personal cloaking devices
but they had nowhere to run, they would surely be followed. Even if they
managed to evade capture this time, the supporters of her mad uncle would know
they lived close to this oasis and put all of their efforts into searching
until they found Terraneu. Their only chance was if they could kill this scout
and hope the others didn’t know where he had been searching.

“Brennae!” Barrett had come out of whatever held him
fixated, her brothers mind freeze she was guessing and reached to put her
behind him. She could have sworn she heard the figure growl, “Do not touch
her.” Then the next thing she knew Barrett was flying away from her to land
with a splash in the pool. All she could do was stand there in terror as the
figure reached for her. With surprising gentleness, he put one arm around her
pulling her up and into a massively muscled chest, that she was entirely
certain wasn’t all armor. The other hand held some type of bladed weapon. All
she could do was stare at the blade in shock, her mind refusing to accept that
this was happening.

Her brothers had almost reached them. Both had their
blades out and were ready to fight. Instead of attacking, they suddenly went
still along with Barrett who had gained the grassy bank. The three of them just
stared at her and the armored figure with wide-eyed horror. The sacath were
circling them now snarling and snapping waiting for a command.

“Tell your pets to stop or I will be forced to kill
them.”
 
The figure warned. His voice was
deep and husky.

She felt him tense and she closed her eyes and
whispered, “Please don’t.” Against all of the survival training she had from
the time she could hold a dagger, she just dangled there against the male’s
chest, naked and terrified. When he went to take a step, she hurried to shout,
“Cebat...Tabec...cease.” The sacath instantly stopped, their ears perking up,
“Go home!” She yelled hoping to get the beloved pets out of the way if it came
to fighting.

“Do you care for one of the males?” The figure
holding her asked shifting her in his arms. She ended up turned away from the
eyes of her brothers and Barrett.

“I care for both of them.” She thought about poor
Barrett on the grass and added, “Okay, all
three
of them.”

“I know you do not care for the one on the grass that
I am going to kill. I saw the way you interacted with him.” He adjusted her
higher on his chest and she was suddenly looking into the black faceplate of
his armor. “I am asking how you care for the other two. Are they both your
lovers?” His voice hit a gravely note when he said the word ‘lovers’.

Brennae had been stunned when he stated he was going
to kill Barrett as if they were talking about the weather. Then the shocks just
kept coming when he asked if her brothers were her lovers. “What? No they are not
my lovers.” Before she could think twice she asked him, “Please take down your
armor so I can talk to you face to face.” Now that the shock of his arrival and
subsequent grabbing her was wearing off, she was coming up with a plan to
incapacitate him. If he would take down his faceplate, she could go for his
eyes or neck and hurt him enough to get her brothers out of his mind control.

Hesitating for a moment he shrugged then put his
blade in a sheath at his thigh and reached for a spot on his neck. Brennae held
her breath waiting, and then released it on a breathy sigh. Her mind went blank
as she stared into the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen, framed by the
longest, thick black eyelashes. His face was a pale white color that contrasted
sharply to the dark black hair framing it. To her astonishment, this male had
hair on his face. The males of her community did not have this anomaly and she
was fascinated. Against her better judgment, her fingers brushed hesitantly
against his cheek. It was soft! She had been expecting it to be bristly or
hard, but it wasn’t coarse at all. “It’s so soft.” Had she said that aloud?
When her eyes flew to his she saw something in their depths she couldn’t
identify and then she felt the rumbling in his chest. He was laughing at her.

“If they are not your lovers then what are they to
you?” The male holding her asked causing her eyes to move to his mouth to
stare. His lips were full and looked kissable soft. When she just kept gawking
at his mouth he smiled and she saw straight, white teeth flash at her. “Tiny
female...we do not have much time. I need to know what the two males are to
you.”

Brennae wasn’t sure if she should answer. Was he
going to kill them all and then find Terraneu? Would he take them to the Elyon
and torture them there? She felt a tremor go through her at the idea of having
to board that ship. She had heard all about her mad uncle and his search for
them. When her Aunt Catherine and Uncle Knaleg and others had escaped a
scouting party on Antilles all those years ago, they were warned that to be on
the Elyon was “hell”. This male radiated both power and danger. She had no
trouble believing that life on the Elyon would be unbearable if it forged males
like this.

When he squeezed her gently, she hurried to say, “They
are my brothers, we are triplets.” She whispered her eyes leaving his face to
look down his body. She covertly tried to gauge if she could reach his weapon.
After a quick peek, she hurriedly moved her eyes back to his face. When she saw
his questioning look she added, “We were all three carried in the same
pregnancy and born at the same time.”

“Such a thing is possible?” His face showed
confusion.

“Yes. Many pregnancies on Terraneu are multiples.
That just means more than one baby.” While he was distracted by the facts of
her birth, she slowly moved her hand from between her chest and his. Trying to
act as naturally as possible so he wouldn’t be suspicious, she moved her hand
toward his weapon.

“Little female.” He actually started laughing a
rich, booming sound. The vibrations from his chest to hers caused her nipples
to tighten. What was her traitorous body thinking? This man was the enemy and
she had to find a way to incapacitate him! “You are as easy to read as any
person I have ever faced. I know you are not trying to initiate a physical
relationship by moving your hand along my body. I have had a sexual block done
on me as punishment and could not service you right now even if I wanted to.”
Brennae stopped moving her hand and locked her gaze to his. Her mouth had gone
dry at the thought of this giant of a man trying to seduce her...or as he had
so eloquently put it “service” her. Thinking about what exactly that might
entail made her thoughts scatter and her eyes move to his mouth again.

Pursing his lips, he said with deadly intensity, “If
you try for my blade, you had better make it a killing blow. You will not get a
second chance.”

Brennae stared into his turbulent blue eyes and knew
hers were filling with tears of frustration. She slowly moved her hand back up
his body to rest on his shoulder near his thick hair. “I’ve failed everyone I
care about then. Can you please kill me first, I couldn’t bear to see my
brothers come to harm...and I refuse to go to that hellhole you come from.” She
proclaimed vehemently.

To her surprise, he burst into laughter. With his
eyes burning into hers he softly whispered, “Brennae.” He said her name as if
he was savoring a long drink of cold water. “I am not going to kill you. I have
spent thousands of years trying to protect your family.”

His declarations made her raise her eyebrow. “What
do you mean?” She asked warily, not sure she could trust him

“I have had time to study your brothers and they are
their father’s sons. I recognize your family line in them.” He turned to look
from her to her brothers and back. “You must be a lot like your mother. I do
not see much of Kniam in you.”

Shocked and terrified that he knew her father’s name
she choked out, “Who are you?”