Venomous: Erotic Science Fiction Romance (Alien Warrior Book 1) (67 page)

My worst nightmare stormed into the chamber.

He headed right for us, rheumy eyes blazing fury.

“
Sorkbhal
,” I gasped and quailed.

As the threat drew nearer, Venomous pushed me behind him; done with such force, I skidded backwards.

Cobra wrapped an arm above my stomach and fastened me to his side.

Snarling, Fiercely was two steps ahead, prickly, crouched and baring dripping fangs.

Satisfied I was safe, Venomous twisted to meet our attacker and took the lead, his clan protected behind him.

He hissed with a viciousness that caused the curly hairs on the back of my neck to snap straight.

His anima rose and the armoured scales on his spine, forearms and calves jutted up into lethal blades.

Snout snapping open, Sorkbhal roared.

He crouched onto his haunches then lunged, lashing out with hooked talons.

Venomous braced to meet the attack, but a blade of light flared to the arched ceiling.

Rebounding off the transparent screen
,
Sorkbhal flew across the chamber to thump onto his back.

He rolled onto his front then lumbered upright, tail whiplashing behind him.

“Defendant representing registered Planet 336754.” A shaft of pale light shone on the small, wizened form at the apex of the rising stands of shadowed figures. “You are here to address the charges of unlawful enslavement and poaching of a primitive species indigenous of Category One Unregistered Planet 2276549. How do you plead?”

Sorkbhal spat putrid phlegm then paced.

Skull crest spreading, he stopped and glared at the figure on the dais. “We accept the charge of enslavement for the Rä. The other thing is our property. We bought it fairly. He stole it.”

Venomous reacted vehemently to the lie, crashing against the partition, punching it.

Warning light rippled from the impact.

“Lie!” he shouted.

Sorkbhal cracked his tail.

He grinned, an evil stretch that distorted his hideous phizog. “Return my property.”

The Premier was silent, shadowy figure motionless.

His voice seemed resigned once it spoke. “Justice be done. This creature’s planet is protected under Universal Moral Law, and the charge of poaching is valid. You bought her legally, and so you bought responsibility for the crimes done against her, and the risk of being prosecuted for them. However, her species is not registered, and she does not come from an Intergalactic Alliance Registered planet. Her world is not included within our sphere of penalty. Therefore, secondary charges of enslavement, torture, cruelty, and sexual abuse brought forth on the creature’s behalf will be struck off the record. The creature must be returned to her legal master, Sorkbhal, Tribal Chief of the L’Odo.”

Venomous went rigid.

Cobra’s grip on my ribs turned punishing as his body turned to stone.

I squeaked, “
Returned
,” and my knees knocked.

Spinning to face the front, Fiercely snarled a denial.

“The Defendant will pay a fine of ten million standard credits,” continued the Premier, “as we find the Defendant guilty of poaching. The penalty must be paid in full by the end of this cycle or a further million standard credits will be levied each rotation past due.”

“My Lumen is Rä,” Venomous protested his four arms thrown wide, stance aggressive. “The protection of the Edicts apply to her as our Rä’Na.”

“A moment.” The Premier fell quiet.

I realised the rows of figures discussed the case then fed their opinions to the Premier.

“Petitioner,” his voice boomed. “Present evidence the creature is yours.”

My head twisted to Venomous, expecting him to do something that did that.

“Her name is She, Lumen of the Stars and she became my mate during captivity by the L’Odo
.
” He motioned to us all.
“
She carries our offspring.”

“Rök is a registered planet,” Fiercely added. “As such, our laws and traditions must be respected by this assembly.”

Cobra nodded, the set of his mouth grim.

“This is truth,” the Premier droned.

“The creature was taken from its world by a lawful trader, and I purchased it fairly. It is my possession,” the pugnacious L’Odo bellowed. “The Rä soft-scalp had no right to mate it.”

“This is not truth,” the Premier replied. “Registered species, even as slaves, retain that right under Intergalactic Prime Edict Five.”

Weak with relief, I slumped into Cobra.

His upper hand stroked my hair as his lower one patted my thigh, soothing me even as he glared daggers at the presiding Speaker.

“However, if Lumen of the Stars is afforded the right by the laws of her people is unknown,” the Premier mused to a rumble of agreement from the Council members.

“It belongs to me,” Sorkbhal snarled. “If I am denied my property, the poaching fine and allegation must be overturned.”

My jaw swung open.

I turned to look at the shadowy figure with a horrible feeling, my presence complicated things for the Rä complaint.

“Our decision is this. We are to contact Lumen of the Stars’ birth planet to determine if she holds the right to relocate, and mate with the Rä warriors. If approval is not granted, Lumen of the Stars will be returned to the L’Odo
.
Though she was apprehended during unlawful poaching, which we have levied a fine against, regardless of outcome, her species is not protected, and she was purchased legally during a sanctioned auction
.”

Crest flaring with glee, Sorkbhal jerked forward. “As it was originally my property, I demand the right to its return until final judgement.”

A short, electrifying pause where my heart stuttered.

So followed the six hearts of my mates.

“
Denied. Lumen of the Stars carries Rä offspring. The males may legally claim a percentage of her body mass. The right to protect genetic progeny outweighs the right to protect property, until this Council’s final conclusion. The Rä already have Lumen of the Stars in their possession, and possession is the fundamental backbone of Intergalactic Edict. Your request is illogical. We reconvene next rotation. A notification will be sent to your pods.” A gavel banged. “Next!”

Clutching my throat, I turned to Venomous. “It’s a bloody good thing you knocked me up, babe!”

The force field kept us separated from a sneering Sorkbhal, until we were out the chamber, and into the transport capsule.

Returned to our habitation pod, we trundled into the living bubble then stood in a circle.

We stared sombrely at each other.

Making a face, I walked away, spun around then flopped onto the cushiony mat on my back.

I slapped the bedding. “Now what?”

Venomous crossed the pod to stand at my feet. “We wait.”

“For what?” Fiercely raged. “For those cold-hearted bureaucrats to take our life mate because of some imbecilic law? So they may give her to that sadistic monster?”

“All will be well,” Venomous averred his expression strained.

“You cannot say that. We should not have come here. We risk
everything
.”

“What else was there to do? You sat in the same conclaves as I. The Senate floundered for an answer to appease the populace. They need to see justice done against those who treated
me
like chattel. They need to believe they are safe from subjugation. Coming here was the safest, most diplomatic resolution. One that
I
could live with.”

“We could have declared war on the L’Odo mother planet. Lumen would have been kept out of harm’s way.”

“We leave,” Cobra declared. “Withdraw the complaints, and return to home world.”

Venomous shot him a forbidding look. “Fleeing won’t solve this. The L’Odo need to be punished, or they
will
dare more in future. We must protect our people from the cruelty I endured. And our Rä’Na wouldn’t
be
in danger, if she was back on Rök,
safe
, in our lair as I wanted.”

“You don’t know that,” I protested popping up. “That I’d be safer on Rök. The events of the last moontide have proven that.” I angled my chin up. “My presence here is not the issue.”

Venomous glared.

“Okay, so maybe it would’ve played out different if I hadn’t come, but you couldn’t make charges of poaching, and the other offences against me stick without my testimony. I complicate things, yes, but I do add weight to your case. Other species might complain too, especially if they’re too intimidated to speak out about the L’Odo’s crimes for fear of retaliation. Our actions may inspire courage.” I gave them each a smile far braver than the dread turning my insides to slush. “I’m not afraid to stand up to these tyrants. Neither should you be, not because of what you fear will happen to me.”

“
Not afraid
?” Cobra thundered his eyes burning. “If that vile male gets hold of you, the depraved things he will–”

“
I’m fucking terrified of what he’ll do should he get hold of me again
. But I have faith. Not in the Intergalactic Council’s procedures. Not in some deity, or my own intrepid ability to avoid disaster by the skin of my teeth.
I have faith in you
. In Venom, and in Fiercely.” Passionate words filled me up then spilled over in a messy rush. “My fears are not flesh and blood reality.
You three are
. I know you will protect me from Sorkbhal, making my fear of what he
might
do obsolete. We have to make a stand.” Feeling powerful, I faced Venomous. “We have to be strong for beings like Yofk, who lose their family to greed. For females like the Vudwani, who are savaged, so destroyed they don’t want to
exist
anymore.” I knelt then tugged him down so I could cradle his gorgeous face in my palms. “So honourable males are not forced to spend years alone, cut off from those who love them.” Besieged with the realisation of how important seeing this through to the end was, my eyes watered. “And so plebs like me don’t get snatched, and terrified to within an inch of their lives.”

“You did not do so bad,” Venomous rasped, cupping my face in return. “I found you.”

“What about the ones who don’t have a warrior to fight for them? Babe, if you hadn’t been captured and sold into slavery think about what would’ve happened to me.”

He blanched.

“I won’t back down from this. We can’t. Not if it protects another soul from the horror we suffered.”

Tearing my gaze away, I held out my hand.

Cobra grabbed it like a lifeline.

I stared into his panicked eyes, and my heart thudded at his distress.

He cares so much.

“To do nothing, or to run because it’s dangerous is
wrong
. Not when what we do here might save others.” I squeezed his hand. “Be brave for me, honey, so I can be brave for them.”

Cobra made a pained noise then snatched me off the mat.

He crushed me to his heaving chest. “My Rä’Na. You are
fearless
.”

I laughed, and rubbed my face against his throat that smelt of charred, campfire wood and herby smoke, knowing to move my nose higher would lighten the scent to fresh split bark.

“Not even,” I said. “I’m just
pissed
. So pissed, I’m determined to slap the L’Odo down so hard they struggle to get back up.”

Fiercely said, “The sensible decision is to return to home world, and that is what we must do.” He levelled Venomous with a damning look. “You are primary. You must make her see this, even if it means she sulks for a moontide.”

And here comes the tough sell.

I faced him with a sober expression. “Sweetheart–”

“Do not think to try your wiles on me, Lumen.” His jaw clenched, arms crossing his front as if they were armour. “I am proud to be mated to one so valiant,” a fist thumped his suited chest, “so very proud. But it is
your
safety and wellbeing I defend. It is
you
I am pledged to, no other. I am He, Fiercely Comes the Night, Rä’Vek to She, Lumen of the Stars. My priorities are her, our offspring and our nest mates. It always will be this way. Come philanthropic undertaking, come galactic war, come the obliteration of the universe as we know it. So, I say,
we are going home
,” he ended on a roar. “Because I refuse to lose you.”

Flabbergasted, I hung frozen in Cobra’s embrace and stared.

And stared.

And just freaking
stared
at the impassioned warrior declaring himself my eternal champion.

He’d never been so open.

My reply eked out in the faintest of whispers. “W-What did you just say to me?”

Alarmed by my wild expression, Venomous held up his hands. “Let us calm down....”

I wrenched from Cobra’s arms and launched myself at Fiercely with a battle cry that had all three males jumping.

He caught me, startled.

Then smiled broadly as I peppered frantic kisses over his face.

I mumbled, “You are
so
getting laid right now.”

“Laid?” he and Cobra muttered with identical chin drops.

Used to my dirty talk, Venomous rumbled, “I think it means you lie back....”

“And I have my wicked way with you,” I finished on a leer.

Handsome face creased with laughter, Fiercely’s brille gleamed as he strode to the mat, twisted, and then tumbled us to bounce around, copying what I’d done earlier.

I adored how they did that; how they accepted my human gestures and claimed them for their own.

“Ooh, la, la.”

Straddling magnificent, muscled thighs and a filled out hardsuit bulging in all the right places, I dragged my nails down his rubber-clad pectorals.

Hard, hot male mine to touch and taste.

I grinned, and I just knew it was fiendish. “This is going to be epic.”

He rolled on top of me. “Indeed.” He darted down to score fangs over my throat, meandering lower as I bent my legs to accommodate his hips.

Desire sank needy claws into my limbs, like tangled holdfast.

His weight pressed me into the spongy mat, and his peppery heat, his rumbling hiss, the hard prod of his cock on my inner thigh drove me fucking crazy.