Venomous: Erotic Science Fiction Romance (Alien Warrior Book 1) (58 page)

She’s making out like this is my fault?
“Why are you talking to me?”

“I have approached to apologise, make amends.”

“I don’t want you to. Frankly, I wish you didn’t exist.”

“But ... you did not speak when ... when....”

“No, I didn’t. Partly because I couldn’t take anymore. Partly because it hurt Venomous to have to do that to his mother and I didn’t want to add to the burden, and, yes, I’ve come to care for Cobra. Speaking out meant laying at his feet the choice of shunning his Rä’Na, or enduring the wrath of my vengeful mates.” I didn’t look at her. My face would give it all away if I did. “So what I did, I did for
them,
not you. You are just the worst type of person. You made me think we could be friends.” My voice cracked. “You look sweet, but you’re rotten, and I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Cobra that Strikes is
my
Rä’Vek.”

“I understand feeling so strongly about someone that you would consider the most unreasonable of things, but what you tried to–”

“There is no affection between me and him.” She sounded nauseated by the suggestion. “Truth, I feel nothing for him. He dishonours me by the way he looks at you.”

And I don’t see him as just a friend either, not anymore.

I hate this female is what he goes home to, but it’s not my place to interfere.

I said, “He’s never behaved improperly.”

“Of course not. He would never, but the look is enough to cause me offence. To shame me.”

“The shameful person here is you. You, and the six others like you that tried to rip apart a happy clan because of arrogance, pride and jealousy.”

“It will sound insincere, but I did think the odds of you being happier outweighed the risk of you suffering.”

“The lives of others are yours to gamble with?” My fingers dug into my drinking bowl. “I was sold into a harem. If Beowyn had been different, my offspring would have been torn from my body and discarded like waste. I would have been raped, repeatedly, and my Rä’Veks would have grieved thinking our young and I had died.”

Could she not comprehend how twisted that was?

All because she was jealous of a few stolen looks when she couldn’t be bothered to feel anything for Cobra?

“They would have blamed
themselves
,” I finished.

“I did not think of that. You must see my intentions were not evil.”

“Oh no, just selfish and nasty. You stand there and tell me you played a game of chance with fate, and expect me to, what? Forgive you? I am on to you, you crazy bitch. So back the fuck up, and go pray to your gods my males don’t find out what you did.”

“Y-you will not tell them?” She sounded faint. “You vow it?”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut. I refuse to hurt Cobra that way. And yes, I do covet my lesser mate. He is a good male. He deserves better than you.”

I beamed a smile at a passing a’Rä then waited until it was out of earshot.

Finally, I turned to Singing Water, keeping my expression carefree in case my mates glanced in my direction, but my eyes were
evil
. “If I get so much as an inkling, you’re plotting to hurt me and mine again, I won’t send my Rä’Veks after you. I’ll send the Great Alpha,
and his big fucking sword
. See, he offered to take the heads of those who
piss me off
as a bonding present. I’m sure Cobra will get over it with
me
to help him through.”

Ugly hatred twisted her mouth in a sneer for the briefest moment before she masked it with remorse. “Lumen–”

“You were right before. This is a festival, a celebration, and I don’t want you here poisoning it. Leave. Now.”

“He may want you,” she hissed, “and you may want him, but he can
never
have you, and you must forever look on knowing he is
mine
.”

She fled.

“Bitch,” I muttered.

I can’t say I was proud of how I behaved.

I
can
say it felt bloody good to get that off my chest, but the truth?

She’d got the last word, and it was a direct hit.

Not long after I got shot of her, I went looking for Cobra for two reasons.

One, I just wanted to see him.

Two, I needed his help.

Looking left then right, I sidled up to him during a dramatic re-enactment of Zython and Starlight’s love, and nudged him with my elbow.

He slowly turned to look down at my arm then higher at my face. “Yesss?”

“You want to be a good lesser mate, right?”

His attention sharpened to such a degree, it felt as if twin lasers drilled into my skull. “Yesss.”

“Lovely. Here’s your chance to earn some of my goodwill.” I glanced around to check we were alone. The Rä were so light footed, I couldn’t tell if Venomous or Fiercely were standing right behind me. “Between me and you, where’s the good stuff at?”

“Good stuff?”

I gripped his shoulders and stared into his handsome face, pleading. “Where is the sugar at?”

“We do not have such things.”

Liar.
“Fine. What about those sweet berries? Where can I get more of those?”

His lips twitched. “Delicacies bought during trade. There will be none available to purchase until the expedition offworld next solar
.
”

Silent, I eyed him until he shifted.

I sensed a conspiracy.

No is there nothing sweet on the whole damn planet.

He’d been forewarned I’d approach him.

Letting him go, I pursed my lips and squinted. “They talked to you about this, didn’t they?”

He reached to touch my cheek, but snatched his hand back. He sighed. “Rä’Na....”

“Oh, yeah, they talked.” I stomped my foot. “Clever bastards. I’d hate them if their deviousness didn’t make me hot. They’re
challenging
me.” I snapped my fingers then dropped a loose fist to my cocked hip. “It’s so on.”

“Venomous has spoken to me and others of your fondness for such things. Scans from the healer He, who is Widowed, Nāga Shadowed by the Bluest Moons show damage to your body from your Earth diet. It will take solars for you to heal. So many toxins and chemicals are stored within you.” He cocked his head. “We do have confectionary on Rök, but they are to be consumed within moderation. Our species learnt this in its infancy. The population developed health concerns that seemed trivial, but had devastating accumulative effect.”

“Sooo,” I drawled, “what it
sounds
like you’re saying, is you’re
not
going to help this hormonal female feed her sugar addiction.”

“Yesss.”

My face crumpled. “
But why
?”

He clicked his teeth, exasperated. “They are bad for you, and for the offspring until you heal.”

Pouting, I grumbled under my breath.

How did you argue with common sense like that?

Still, I was a sugar junkie like you wouldn’t believe.

Shit would get ugly if I didn’t get a little somethin’ somethin’ sweet.

Drawing nearer, Cobra asked, “Why does this anger you?”

“Because they’re cramping my style! I can’t be crafty and sly when they’ve warned everybody that I’m being crafty and sly in my hunt for decent food.” I chuckled and shook my head. “They know me better than I realised.”

“The fare they provide is purchased from the Hunters Caste. I assure you, it is of the highest quality.” Shoulders tense, he looked indignant. “The meat for this festival was hunted by
me
.” He inched closer to murmur, “My gift to you.”

“Was it?” I one-arm-hugged him. “Thanks. Not what I meant though.” I tipped my head back and stared at the glister creep. “I need sugar or I’m going
to die
.”

“
Die
,” he whispered rubbing his waist where I’d embraced him.

“Yes!”

As I performed a rain dance to the heavens, begging for
Snickers
to plummet from the sky like manna, Fiercely had a meltdown.

He grabbed me, scooping me to his chest.

He bolted through the concert bellowing for my mates.

The actors were startled, but carried on with their performance, even when half the audience craned their necks to see what happened to the alien female.

Rushing into one of the meditation pods, he settled me onto a divan with piles of hand stuffed cushions adjacent to a stone pond filled with aquatic creatures.

The fountaining water feature was lit with diffused blue light.

It drew the eye to help the supplicant seeking inner peace relax.

Incense wafted by as purple curls of fragrant, liquorice smoke.

Shadows hugged the pod corners, and the music from the festival hall was a low hum in the background.

The quiet, intimate space was a welcome change of pace after being on display.

Shaking, Cobra pressed his calloused palm to my forehead. “Are you chilled? Your skin feels cool. Your life force dims as I speak.” His voice turned hoarse. “Grandfather’s Hood, I never should have listened to them. I should have given you all you desired.”

This killed the hasty assurances that I was fine and he was overreacting.

I blinked.

Cocking my head, I thought of the
possibilities
....

“All I desire?”

Nominal time later, feet up, nestled into the pillows, I let Cobra feed me what he’d found.

Clutched in one claw was a pannikin of fruity liquid called amrita
.

It tasted similar to crisp wine.

The naturally occurring plant nectar slid down my throat like runny honey.

In another of his hands, a deeper bowl of blue grain with the texture of couscous called kakt’mi.

Boiled in goodbeast mylk the grain went down like porridge.

But the flavour!

Rich chocolate pudding with a hint of salted caramel.

After the first hesitant spoonful, my mouth watered just thinking about it.

The look and consistency might be of sludge, but it tasted scrumptious, and I hummed with pleasure as Cobra brought the rim of the drinking bowl to my lips.

After making sure I was comfortable, Cobra had flown into action like a whirling, howling dervish.

He’d barked orders at scurrying Sylphs then haltingly explained what happened to Venomous and Fiercely when they thundered into the pod looking for me, wild eyed and hissing with worry.

Now my mates watched me with exasperation even as they shoved Cobra out of the way and took over my pampering.

“I need at least one sweet treat a day,” I informed as I lay back. “You know, for my emotional health.”

Venomous looked suspicious, but was too relieved I wasn’t dying to naysay me.

Fiercely said, “I will make provisions.”

As he hustled from the room, no doubt to see to the ordering of more grain, I nibbled my luscious treat as Cobra continued where Fiercely left off.

Venomous crossed his arms over his chest, lips thinning as he picked up on my not-so-secret smugness. “Truth, dearest?”

“Really, babe?” I shot back not caring in the least. “Do you think I haven’t figured out unless we’re in the same room at the time of a meal being served, I don’t
have
to sit in your lap, and have you hand feed me?” I flung out my arm knocking into the spoon headed for my mouth. Delectable gloop went flying. “If you want to fight this, fine, but be prepared
to lose
.” My voice turned shrill. “
I’m a woman on the edge
.”

He eyeballed me harder before deflating. Leaning over, he cupped my jaw and touched his cheek to mine. “Loving you.”

“More than all your gold?”

“Much more.”

I sniffed and tugged on his ear to draw his mouth within kissing range.

It was a wet, leisurely knot of tongue and press of slanted mouth.

The kind of kiss where you meet in the middle, breathe the same air and your lips part forever because the clench of your sex, blood rush in your ears and the sensation of free falling has your jaw dropping.

All you can do is kiss, and kiss, as your heart races, your toes curl, and either he breaks away or you pass the fuck out.

When we pulled apart, gasping, and grinning sappily at each other, I caught a spasm of envy streaking across Cobra’s face.

He turned away and clutched the bowl tighter. He made as if to rise. “I shall give you privacy.”

“There is no need.” Venomous extended a fist in a commanding gesture that he remain. After another press of his mouth to mine, he tore his gaze away to focus on the other male “Stay with her. There are things I must see to before she rejoins the festival.”

When we were alone, Cobra returned to feeding me.

This time a trace of agitation slowed his movements. “You care for them?”

I moved aside the bowl he brought to my lips, forestalling my answer, even as his expression begged I respond. “I do. Why do you ask?”

“I was not liked as a youngling. My temperament was changeable and considered unpleasant. I had no gold. Fiercely was my first true friend. He saw my worth, my
potential
before all others. He is not even of my Caste. My experience with females ... I was worried when I learnt of who he matured for. It is my wish he be happy.”

Cobra’s tongue flashed past his lips, its lustre more a iridescent purple than blue, as he tried to gauge how I reacted to this revelation.

“I got the impression life has been harsh on you.” I bit my lip, unsure if what I wanted to say would offend him. “I think in certain ways it still is.”

His black eyes gleamed and his lips curved. “You do not like my Rä’Na.”

I blinked at his bluntness, shocked he’d sussed what I thought I’d hidden. “Um....”

“It is fine, Lumen. Singing Water is skilled at making friends. It is the keeping of them she finds difficult. We both know it is not because she attracts bad people.”

As he had opened up such a candid line of communication between us, I thought maybe it would be prudent to address the whole ‘staring longingly at me’ situation, and how I thought it might ‘upset’ his life mate, when an eight foot, half naked Verak bounded into the pod then skidded to a halt before me.