Sensing I’d waded heedlessly into treacherous depths, I avoided his gaze to peer straight up at the star strewn night.
Ooh, shooting star.
Finally, because I was a bit mental, I drawled, “Me. Naked. Willing.”
Edgy silence.
“I am going to smother that male with his own severed seed sac.”
A considerably longer silence.
Venomous threw back his head and roared laughter as he staggered to the side.
Totally deadpan, Fiercely added, “I spoke aloud?”
“You jest,” Cobra finally exploded. Anima rising, he planted two hands on the back of his head. The other two fisted. “Tell me she is jesting.”
“Let us say,” I began, rubbing my forearm, “theoretically, of course, that I, um, gave Wyn the location of a blue and white planet third from the sun in a milky way galaxy eight hundred billion stars that-a-way.” I overextended my arm to point up and to the left of nowhere. “How would you react?” I squealed, “Theoretically,” when all three males bellowed, “Lumen!”
“You did not,” Venomous stated more to himself than the rest of us. “You would not.”
“Whaaat? Look, I made him swear he’d only take one adult, unattached, mentally sound human per Rök solar who agreed to leave without sexual or violent coercion, and to not share the coordinates on pain of death.” After counting the stipulations off my fingers, I flung out my arm. “Everybody wins. This is the part where you clap.”
“It is against Universal Edict to poach humans from Earth. We lobbied the Intergalactic Council to make it so.”
“Balderdash.”
“It is only endearing to use words I do not understand when I am not maddened by you.”
“We did that to protect Earth, babe. Not to restrict the magic of true love conquering inconceivable odds.”
“And that,” Fiercely muttered, “is how she justifies it in her poor, addled mind.”
“Wyn can afford a fine if he’s daft enough to get caught.” I slanted them each a coy look. “Just admit it.”
I slipped my foot in a stirrup to mount the goodbeast they’d ridden to the Senate Quarter earlier.
Wind Dancer and Dawning Light had taken our glider, too overcome with the conclave to deal with their temperamental mounts.
I said, “Admit my diabolical genius gets you hot.”
They eyed me warily.
Venomous turned to Fiercely. “I blame you.”
“Unmerited!”
“Who taught her how to use the communications matrix?”
Fiercely’s indignant protest died.
He crossed his arms. “How was I to know our female, who looks so guiltless, would wreak this chaos? How?” A guilty scowl cleared to distort into one of accusation. “And which of us, infallible Venomous One, said no harm would come of her being best friends with a warmongering sovereign? A conniving male with a harem four hundred strong, and a predilection for raiding planets abundant with the nubile when in the mood to get, I quote, frolicsome.”
“Wyn has four hundred concubines,” I shrilled almost breaking my ankle as I twisted to gawp at them. “I dodged a bullet when I told him no. It’s going to take one hell of a woman to straddle that stallion.”
Cobra mumbled, “Truth, I believe she jested.”
Abandoning the stirrup altogether, I faced them, balled up hands on my hips. “Did I, or did I not, singlehandedly, negotiate a transient treaty of peace between the Rä and the Veraks that might lead to a stronger, permanent alliance securing peace for our future offspring, scare the living shit out of the L’Odo, averting a world war, win the respect and approval of the Great Senate, bag a kick ass job, and accomplish all this looking fabulous as I did so?”
They glanced at each other in angst.
“There is no pleasing some people. I’m only one woman. There’s only so much I can ... oh my gosh. We locked Nāga in the garden! We have to get back to the lair.” Flustered, I spun to the goodbeast then spun back to them. “Seriously? You couldn’t remember this? I had sooo much on my mind and I’m pregnant. What’s your excuse?”
Venomous clasped my nape and tugged me into him. “Dearest?”
“Babe?”
“I am loving you.”
Stilling, I melted into him.
“As am I.” Fiercely kissed me the Rä way.
“You know how I feel,” Cobra murmured. “I shall love you until the long sleep.”
“And beyond that,” Fiercely added gravely.
Venomous whispered, “Always, always.”
My eyes brightened with tears. “Loving you, too.”
Venomous One studied the triumphant faces of Cobra that Strikes and Fiercely Comes the Night.
As one they faced me.
The brille veiling their eyes lifted.
Their hearts beat for me.
THEN
In a spiral star cluster a bazillion galactic leagues away, Vayhalun, the Royal Atoll, a bedchamber....
Beowyn ThunderClaw, King of the Veraks gripped the striped mane of the brawny male that fellated him.
He came with a thunderous roar then roughly rubbed the male behind the ears as he suckled the last drops of spend from his softening member.
“Enough, Rykier.” The male didn’t disengage until Beowyn pushed his otherworldly handsome face away. “Hie yourself back to the harem.”
The Great Alpha left without a backward glance.
It was cruel to leave his husband aching for him, but he was displeased.
Rykier yet again intimidated the others into ignoring their liege’s call for a bed partner, so he might come himself.
Beowyn exited his luxurious apartments then the palace, home to Dyna ThunderClaw, the mightiest Noble House on Vayhalun.
He loped to his private shipyard then boarded the idling Dragonfly, a military-grade spacecraft and his personal conveyance.
Éorik’s nostrils flared when he arrived at the command centre. “Rykier again?” Grey eyes flashed. “You know better.”
Dropping into his chair, Beowyn grunted.
“He grows too attached. ‘Twill cause strife between you and your One.”
“If I find my fated mate, I shall deal with it then.” He slanted the male a cautioning look. “I manage my harem, no other.”
Imperturbable, Éorik entered the coordinates the Great One manipulated out of the kind-hearted Lumen of the Stars. “Are you certain this is a good idea?”
“My dreary minion, must you suck the life out of everything? Come now. Surely you are excited to explore the hedonistic pleasures these humans have to offer.” Beowyn purred thinking of how Lumen felt beneath him. “I am fair bursting with excitement.”
“I doubt you will find one as attractive and bright as Lumen. She is likely the best. You should have brought her back to Vayhalun, and bedded her whilst you had the chance. Mark my words, ‘twill be downhill from her.”
“Ye of little faith.” Beowyn stared broodingly out of the curved windshield. “Who knows? Maybe I shall find my One this time.”
“You think we are going to arrive on a backwater planet, and find a healthy, beautiful, intelligent nubile who is unwed, not an idiot, and who will agree to leave without sexual or violent coercion when sex, violence, or a titillating combination of the two, encompass the entirety of the knowledge and experience you gained over the solars of how to woo concubines and lovers?”
“Aye.” Beowyn started the engine sequence and took up the controls. “Truth, SnowBlade. How hard could it be?”
NOW
A galactic moontide later, in the Milky Way you live in, on the Earth you live upon, in Scotland, on a mountainside....
Bleeding from the lip, hanging by his claw tips off the edge of a cliff, a disgruntled High Commander Éorik SnowBlade turned to his liege and the bane of his existence.
The Great One clung to a branch jutting out of the fragmenting rock.
Attached to his back, their fated One, screaming obscenitie
s, her curls a fiery tempest in the howling wind.
Her freckled face was deathly pale, yet her eyes were wild and wrathful. “I dinnae ken what ye are, but take me home. I cannae stand heights. And I cannae stand you.”
“What was it you said?” Éorik grated. “‘How hard could it be?’”
Beowyn’s SonCom bleeped.
He used his free fingerclaws, mouth and teeth to yank the device from his battlesuit and glance at the message.
“‘Tis good tidings.” He grinned. “Lumen has dropped cub. A male. I shall gift her an atoll on Vayhalun. I am to be an honorary uncle, and ‘tis best the cub has somewhere grand to stay when he comes to visit who he likes best.” He used his barbed tongue to touch type a reply. He purred over his shoulder, “I cannot wait until you swell with what is mine, sweet puss.”
Their mate screamed.
Éorik sighed.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading. What did you think of Venomous? If you’d like to read a second book (ThunderClaw) please mention so if you leave a review for this novel.
Rock on earthlings.
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Did you love Venomous? Then you should read Smolder by Penelope Fletcher!
Wounded, a dragon drops from the sky to crash in front of Marina in an explosion of fire. She does the only reasonable thing a woman can do – she saves his life. Marina knows any moment may be her last, yet she cannot deny the connection between her and the alluring creature. When fierce dragon lords appear, leading a dangerous assassin to their hiding place, the truth about her dragon is unveiled. The consequences of falling for a beast gifts Marina wonders never before seen ... in this world.
Read more at Penelope Fletcher’s site.
Penelope Fletcher, Venomous: Erotic Science Fiction Romance (Alien Warrior Book 1)
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