“I have almost lost River twice. I will not take the chance of losing her again.” Torak said harshly turning to look out the window. “I will send her to our country estate until the threat is resolved.”
“No.” came a soft reply from the door.
Torak spun around. Standing in the doorway was River, Jo, and Star. All three of the women stood perfectly still. River glided into the room. She was wearing a pair of pants that looked almost like the long part of a gown. Around her waist was a jeweled belt. Her top was a sequenced scooped neck with billowing sleeves caught tight at her wrists. She had her hair braided so it fell in a long rope down her back. She looked so beautiful, so fragile, so…mad.
Torak groaned. The last time she had had a look in her eye like that he had ended up pinned to the door of their bedroom. He shifted his gaze to make sure he was standing far enough away from anything she could use should she begin throwing her knives again.
“River.” Torak began softly.
“Don’t you ‘River’ me. I am not going to be sent anywhere. Your father is right. We may not have been trained as warriors but we know how to fight and to defend ourselves and those we love.” River said coming to stand in front of Torak. She placed her palm on his chest over his heart. “You said you would not change who I was. Now accept who I am.”
Jo and Star stood just inside the door. “That goes for us too.” Jo said softly. Star nodded her agreement.
River moved to sit on the low couch. “If Tai Tek is behind the assassination attempts then I have a vested interest in capturing him.” She gently touched her chest and the small scar barely visible. “I owe him a return favor.”
Torak’s eyes darkened at the reminder. He crossed the room to kneel in front of River. “River, it will be too dangerous. I will not allow you to be in harm’s way. Please, little one, I could not live if something should happen to you.” He pleaded softly holding her hands in his.
River leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, softly replying, “Then keep me safe by letting me help you.”
“Besides, wouldn’t it look a little funny if suddenly all three of us were to disappear? I mean, River is your wife, uh I mean, mate. If you show up at this dinner without her, isn’t that going to make the bad guys suspicious?” Jo asked looking at Manota. “It would me.”
Manota sighed heavily. “She is right, Torak. If you, any of us, were to show up at the dinner without the females Tai Tek would become suspicious. It would be too obvious we are planning something. He would never expect us to let our women be where there is possible danger.”
“Then it is decided. The females will stay and participate in the trap.” Ajaska said.
The three brothers nodded, their faces showing the pain such as decision cost them. Jazin looked at Star with barely concealed fury. She was too small, too delicate to be fighting. He should just take her off somewhere safe and…
“Jazin.” Star said softly pulling him from his thoughts.
“Yes, love.”
“It’s not gonna happen so don’t even think of trying.” Star murmured firmly.
Jazin sighed heavily again. “Yes, love.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent planning what the women’s roles would be during the dinner. They would be mingling with the other guests and acting as an extra set of eyes. The men hoped they would be negated since they were female, even though they were considered female warriors. At no time would they leave the main room unless accompanied by one of the men or one of the select elite force members.
Before leaving in the early evening, Star pulled River to one side. “I’ve been working on more clothing. I have special ‘gowns’ we can wear.” She smiled mischievously when she noticed Torak looking at her.
“You are not planning anything, are you?” Jazin asked suspiciously when he caught Torak’s look.
“Why would you think that?” Star asked as she looked up at him with an innocent smile.
Jazin looked at her a moment before groaning. What have I ever done to deserve a woman like this? he thought with a sense of forbearing.
As the days got closer to the dinner the men spent more time away giving the girls more time together. River took Jo and Star down to the training room where they practiced intensely. Two of the newer elite force members were assigned to watch them as Kev Mul Kar was busying finalizing plans with other members who would form the tighter core group of first responders.
Both men watched with appreciative silence as all three females worked out. After stretching, they would flow through all the obstacle courses moving silently up and over walls, across beams and down ropes, sometimes upside down, other times pausing halfway before doing a flip and landing on silent feet on the mats below before coming up with a weapon in their hand to strike out at an imaginary opponent.
It was only when the females started practicing with the weapons did the men pale. Today, River and Star were practicing a routine River’s parents had been famous for. The men watched as Star pulled a compact crossbow off her waist, flipping a release to open it and loaded six arrows into it shooting them at River in rapid succession. River dodged them, bending, rolling, and twirling at the last second before the last one came at her. The men heard Star gasp watching in horror as the last arrow came at River’s chest as she was turning away from the last one. The men started running yelling into a com device as they charged towards River.
Within minutes Torak, Jazin, and Manota were rushing into the training room. They found River on the floor next to the two elite force members, Star and Jo standing over them
“Breath, okay. Just put your heads between your knees and take a steady breath. You’ll be okay. The dizziness will pass.” Torak heard Jo say softly.
“What in the name of all the Gods and Goddesses happened?” Torak roared paling as he saw both men sitting on the floor with their heads between their knees, River patting them gently on the back.
“It’s okay, Torak. They’ll be alright in a few minutes once the dizziness passes.” River said looking up while she continued rubbing the men’s backs.
“You okay, honey?” Star asked one of the men who looked like he was about to pass out again.
“Honey?” Jazin growled. “You call him honey, while all I get is called…”
Star blushed. “Not now. Quit being such a jerk. I’m just trying to make him feel better.”
“Jerk.” Jazin stuttered. “She wants to make him feel better and I get called a jerk for being worried out of my mind!” Jazin pulled his hair on each side of his head before letting out a loud roar that resounded off the walls. Jazin glared at Star for a moment before walking with slow determined steps towards her.
Jazin gripped Star’s wrist glaring down at her. “Enough, Star. You are mine. I am going to do something I should have done long ago. Computer record: I, Jazin Ja Kel Coradon of the Third House of Kassis, claim you, Star, for my house and as my mate. I claim you as my woman. No other may claim you. I will kill any other who try. I give you my protection as is my right as leader of my house. I claim you as is my right by the House of Kassis. Computer end recording and file.” Without another word he swung Star into his arms, turned and stormed out of the training room leaving everyone behind them standing in stunned silence.
“Well, of all the nerve.” Jo said sputtering. “Just who in the hell does he think he is?”
Manota glared at Jo. Jo, seeing the look on his face, stumbled backwards holding up her palms. “Now, don’t you go getting any ideas! I already told you it wasn’t happening.” Jo let out a squeal and turned to run only to be grabbed from behind and swung her over his shoulder.
Growling Manota started speaking, drowning out Jo’s protests. “I claim you, Jo. I should have done it weeks ago. You are mine. Let it be known I, Manota Ja Kel Coradon of the Second House of Kassis, claim you, Jo, for my house and as my mate.” Jo struggled kicking out at Manota. She let out a howl of rage when he slapped her ass hard. “I claim you as my wom
an.” He slapped her ass again when she didn’t stop struggling. “No other may claim you.” Slap. “I will kill any other who try.” Slap. “I give you my protection as is my right as leader of my house.” Slap.” I claim you as is my right by the House of Kassis.” By the fifth slap Jo had quieted down, her ass burning and her pussy wet. Manota growled again when Jo tried to speak rubbing his hand on her burning ass. Jo stiffened for a moment before relaxing over his shoulder, not fighting any more.
Torak and River stared in disbelief as Manota turned and carried a quiet Jo out of the training room. It was only the groan from one of the men as he struggled to his feet that drew Torak’s attention back to the matter at hand. The other man was still sitting on the mat looking only slightly better.
“What happened?” Torak demanded between clinched teeth.
He had a bad feeling about what he was about to learn. He held his hand up when River tried to explain, holding his hand out instead for the data screen attached to the man’s waist. The man silently handed it to Torak giving River an apologetic look.
Torak watched the replay for a while. River knew exactly when he got to the part that had caused both men to almost pass out. River and Star were practicing a move River’s dad had perfected with her mom. It was extremely dangerous. River’s dad would shoot arrows or throw knives at her mother. Her mother would either dodge them or, as in this case, catch them at the very last second. It took incredible discipline and concentration, not to mention someone you trusted. Everything was timed to perfection. River had heard Star’s gasp and knew it was the one she was supposed to catch before it pierced her. Just to be on the safe side, they had been using rubber arrows. While it wouldn’t have killed River if any had hit her they would have hurt like hell and left a bad bruise. River made sure after she had been hit a number of times when practicing the routine with her dad not to get hit.
Torak was extremely pale as he watched the vidcom of Star shooting the arrows at River and her dodging it until the last one. He turned almost white as the two men had when they had rushed to River. When she had turned it looked like the arrow was imbedded in her chest. When they saw her pull the arrow away grinning and spinning it between her fingers both of the men had almost passed out. Torak held his palm up silencing the man. He calmly handed the data screen back to the man before he turned towards River with no expression on his face.
“Torak.” River said reaching out to him.
“Not now. Not here.” Torak said in a voice devoid of all emotion. “Go to our living quarters.”
“I need to get…” River began.
Torak closed his eyes. “Go to our living quarters now, River.”
River looked at the strained expression on Torak’s face before nodding. She murmured a soft apology to the two guards for scaring them before hurrying out of the training room. She began running as soon as she was in the outside corridors. She made it back to their living quarters in record time slamming the outer door as she walked through it. Fear had turned to anger. What did she have to apologize for? What did any of them have to apologize for? They were only doing stuff they had been doing all their lives. It wasn’t like those were even real arrows. She wasn’t stupid! Her dad had told her to never use real ones because anyone could have a bad day. He had learned that the hard way when he had come close to killing her mother one time.
Pulling her clothes off, River headed for the bathroom. She was hot and sweaty from the workout and the run back to their living quarters. She took a moment to stretch while the water filled up the huge pool that worked as a tub. The water came from an underground stream heated by a thermal layer in the crust of the planet. The water would be filter than returned after her bath. She had fallen in love with it as she could practically swim in the huge pool while bathing. It also worked in the shower carved into the rock facing of the mountain the Houses of Kassis sat on. She would soak for a while to ease her muscles and her mind before confronting Torak. She wasn’t going to apologize, she just wasn’t! If she started apologizing now she would spend the rest of her life apologizing for everything she did.
Stepping into the warm water, River couldn’t keep the groan of pleasure from escaping her lips. Diving into the water she let it flow over her. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes floating and letting the warm water sooth her as it moved around her body caressing her in its gentle flow.
Torak paused in the doorway of the bathroom watching River as she floated in the water, her hands moving slowly back and forth while the water caressed her body. He had come close to joining the men on the mat when he watched the vidcom of the incident earlier. He had had flash backs of her with blood dripping from her chest, collapsing in a puddle of blood next to him while he screamed for help. Torak began pulling the ties holding his shirt, shrugging out of it, his boots and pants quickly followed. He stepped into the warm water swimming over to where River laying floating.
River started when she felt hands slide under her. Opening her eyes, she stared into Torak’s dark eyes drowning in the desperate desire she saw there. Lifting her arms she moved into his arms, letting her legs move around his waist. Without a word, Torak slid into River pulling her tightly against him as he moved in and out, thrusting with increasing force. River tightened her hold around Torak’s neck hanging on. Torak held River’s hips thrusting up pushing into her deeper and deeper with each thrust. River knew deep down something inside Torak had snapped. His fear had taken him beyond the point of rationale thought and he was acting on a primal urge to dominate her. To show her she belonged to him and he could not lose her, to anyone or anything. River felt her climax building as Torak pushed deeper hitting every nerve ending inside her as he moved to claim her. When it peaked River bucked trying to get away from the overwhelming feelings flooding through her body. Screaming, she fought as Torak grimly held her tightly against him, not letting her move away from the source of her pleasure/pain. River felt his body tense before he let his own release flow into her hotly.
River collapsed against Torak. She was shocked when he suddenly pulled away from her and climbed out of the pool. River watched him fearful. He had his back to her and still hadn’t said a word. It was the silence which frightened her the most. Normally when he was mad at her he would yell or tell her she couldn’t do something, never had he just not said anything.
River watched as he picked up a towel and walked into the bedroom. She slowly climbed out of the pool picking up a towel and blotting the water from her hair before wrapping the towel around her body. She nervously picked up a brush and followed Torak into the bedroom. Torak had dressed and was walking out of the room when she came in.
“Where are you going?” River asked quietly.
“There are things I must take care of. I will return later. Do not wait up for me.” Torak replied without turning around. A moment later River heard the door close to their living quarters.
Chapter 18
It was the night before the dinner and Torak still barely talked to River, only answering direct questions with the least amount of words. River was a nervous wreck. She had not been allowed out of their living quarters. Jo and Star had not been heard from since their last faithful day in the training room. The two elite guard members who had been at the training center had been replaced with two others who looked like they had eaten a load of sour lemons. Every time she had tried to leave their living quarters the warriors had stood in front of her silently shaking their heads. By order of Lord Torak, River was to stay inside they told her. They would gently push her back in and close the door.
River had tried at first to get a rise out of Torak but he had remained silent turning and leaving. When he had returned River had been asleep. She had woken to find herself being made exquisite love too. She had screamed out her release as she felt Torak pulse his own deep inside her. Afterward, he had pulled out of her and left her again returning after she had fallen into an exhaustive sleep from crying. When she had woken in the morni
ng he made love to her again. Afterwards, he had pulled out of her arms ignoring her cry to stay for just a little while.
This had been going on for three days, although it seemed more like a lifetime. River hadn’t been sleeping well and had lost her appetite. This morning had been the last straw. She couldn’t continue like this. The silence between them was killing her. She knew he enjoyed the sex as he came to her several times a day, making love to her without saying a word and leaving as soon as they had both found release. Her heart was breaking and she didn’t know what to do. She had no one to talk to. He wouldn’t let her out of their living quarters and apparently Jazin and Manota were not letting Star and Jo out either. River knew she had to do one of two things, break the wall between them or give up. It hadn’t helped that for the past two days she had been very nauseated when she had gotten up. She figured the stress of everything was finally getting to her.