“I’m okay,” her voice broke. “You got to me in time.”
Ral dropped the blade on the bed as he reached for her. Ariel didn’t flinch as Ral reached for her with both bloody hands. He gently lifted her up into his arms and held her tightly against his bloody chest. He buried his face in her throat. He was still breathing hard and shaking with fury.
Ariel didn’t hesitate. She threw her arms around his neck to hold on to him for dear life. Ral had saved her again. He’d killed for her again. They had survived and they were both together.
Chapter Ten
Ral refused to put her down, refused to leave her side. Ariel didn’t mind at all. They sat on the couch with Ariel firmly on his lap. Ral’s arms were around her, holding her tight. After a shower, they were both clean with wet hair and fresh clothing. The dead men had been removed from Ral’s home. She’d been lucky. Besides some bruises, she’d just sprained her ankle. Nothing was broken.
The uniformed Zorn police force had come and gone. Ahhu had arrived to treat injuries. Erra was bruised but fine. She’d run for help but Ral had gotten home before the neighbors could rush to Ariel’s rescue. The conis had been moved into the living room. The bedroom was bloodstained and off limits until it could be cleaned up.
“I don’t understand why they would dare,” Erra said softly. “You are Argis Ral.” Erra held ice to the large bump on the side of her forehead. “It was death for them if they harmed Ariel or not.”
Ral eased his hold on Ariel and gripped her jaw gently. He turned her face so they could stare into each other’s eyes. “I know why this happened. I know you will be angry. I am enraged. When we took the tests at medical we were monitored without our knowledge. Someone with access to that monitoring released them to the population to watch on the conis. We were seen by many.”
Ariel blinked. She was horrified as his words set in. The blood drained from her face and she felt a little dizzy. Her heart almost stopped. She stared into his eyes and saw his rage reflected there. He nodded at her grimly.
“Many males probably viewed the monitoring of us. I think that is why they dared come after you. They saw how it is between us.”
“Oh God,” she breathed. “I’m in a porn video on the internet with you.”
He frowned. “I…”
“I know. You don’t understand but I do. What we did anyone can see on the conis, right? Us naked and doing what we did together at medical?”
“I had it removed from the archive.”
“But once it’s on the conis it is out there. You can’t stop it from being seen.”
He frowned. “That is not true. Once it is removed from the archive it is gone from the conis.”
“Can’t someone store it and watch it later or put it back on the conis?”
“Our conis isn’t like that. It has to be in the archive to view it on a conis.”
Relief hit her. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. That is why I was late. I was told about it and had it taken care of. All monitoring of us was destroyed. It makes me burn with rage to think of the males who saw you naked. They saw what I see when I touch you. That is mine alone. I want to kill every male who looked at your beautiful body being touched by me.”
She shut her eyes. She opened them after taking a deep breath. “So why did they attack? I don’t understand.”
“You are very responsive to my touch and you are different from our women. You make males very hard, Ariel. Very hard and very stupid if they think they can touch you and come after you. I will make them very dead if they try again. I kept you home out of fear that you would attract males with your looks. I was afraid they might scare you by approaching you to talk to you but I never thought anyone would dare come after you like this. You are mine.”
The front door opened suddenly. Ariel gasped as she was moved from Ral’s lap so fast that the world spun as he leapt to his feet to snarl at whoever walked into his home. He moved between Ariel and the front door to protect her. She could see Ral’s tense body.
His large frame slowly relaxed and he sat down. He reached for Ariel, lifting her back onto his lap. She stared in shock at their company. She felt instant anxiety. Six men entered the room. Ariel recognized the three brothers and Hyvin Berrr. The other two men were strangers but they were dressed like guards with weapons strapped to their hips. The front door shut firmly when the last male entered the room.
“What do you want?” Ral glared at his father. “I am furious with you. You ordered those tests. Only you could order us monitored without consent. This is your fault.”
Hyvin Berrr lowered his head slightly. His eyes, much like Ral’s, locked onto his son’s raging glare “I did not know someone would steal the monitoring to put it on the conis for all to see. That was not my intention. You are slated to take my place one day to lead Zorn. I needed to make sure you were not bewitched. I wanted her tested. I wanted to see how she was controlling you.”
Ral snarled. “You put her in danger.”
The man lowered his eyes, glancing at the floor and then back up. “I know. I have no excuse. I apologize. I know she is not bewitching you. I saw the monitoring and the test results state there is no chemical control.”
“Shit,” Ariel sighed. “Great. Did anyone not see us have sex?”
“I did not,” Erra said in a very soft tone.
Ariel shot her a grateful look. “Thank you.”
“We all saw it,” Argernon said with a growl. He shot his father a cold look. “We did not realize what we were to watch or I would have walked out of that meeting. He called us all in to evaluate what he called a threat.”
All of the color drained from Ariel’s face. “Great.” She glanced at Ral. “I guess everyone in your family has seen us having sex now.”
He growled and glared at his brothers and his father. “I am enraged.”
“I do not blame you,” Hyvin Berrr said quietly. “I never thought it would hit the population for viewing. I am very apologetic, Ral. It was not my intention to endanger either of you in any way. It was not my intention that this happened. It was to be a private family matter. We viewed the monitoring and realized what was between the two of you was not her controlling you.”
One of the brothers snorted. “She could control me if she—”
Argernon shot out a fist and him hard in the mouth. He growled. “That is your brother’s bound woman. Respect her now.”
The slightly younger brother winced and slapped his hand over his now-bleeding split lip. He nodded and lowered his eyes. He said nothing. Argernon sighed. He eyed Ral.
“What Father is saying is that he doesn’t know how to make this right. Not only has he caused you problems with your bound and with other males wanting her—”
“Desperately,” the younger brother said around his hand.
Argernon snarled. “Keep talking if you want to lose some teeth.” His eyes went back to Ral. “Father has really made a mess of things. Unfortunately, that monitoring was viewed by many males. It has caused widespread trouble. We need your help. We need you to set aside your rage because there is serious trouble brewing with our people.”
Ral tensed. Emotions filtered across his face. Ariel saw his mouth press into a tight line. He looked pissed as he shot his father a glare before giving his brother his full attention.
“What is the problem?”
Argernon hesitated. His eyes flickered to Ariel and then back to Ral. “They want one of her. Some demand we allow them to go to her planet to find women to bound with.”
Ariel knew she wasn’t the only one shocked by Argernon’s statement. She heard Ral hiss as his body tensed. He relaxed a second later shaking his head no.
“Tell them we are not into slavery. What they want is wrong. We do not go to other planets to steal women. We have a good population of women right here. Our males do outnumber our females but it is not an issue.”
“We tried.” It was the brother who hadn’t spoken yet. “They
are willing to revolt, Ral. We’d have a war on our hands. They would attack our family en masse and we would be stripped of power. Too many of them want to bring her kind here. They want one like her.”
“I’m not a damn toy,” Ariel was pissed off. “Ral is right. You can’t go to my planet to kidnap women.”
“They are not the same as our women.” Ral frowned.
The younger brother snorted. “No shit.” His lip had stopped bleeding. “She’s built for pure enjoyment. She’s way better than our women. It was so hot watching you do her standing up facing you with her in your arms.”
Hyvin Berrr turned this time to punch him. The father hit him hard enough to make him stagger back. Hyvin Berrr growled.
“Enough.” He turned to give Ariel an apologetic look. “He is young and his mouth is run by his lower region. Please forgive his youth.”
Ral lifted Ariel from his lap and gently sat her down next to him. He slowly stood up to glare at his youngest brother. “One more word to embarrass Ariel and I will knock you out.” He shot his father a glare. “They do not understand that she is different in more ways than sexually.”
Hyvin Berrr hesitated. “Will you share how?”
“They do not share with others sexually,” Ral tone was quiet. He shot his youngest brother a glare. “That means only one woman to share sex with until death.” He looked back at his father. “She is conscious of her nude body. She won’t walk around naked unless we are alone. It is their way. They need strong emotions from a male to have sex. She needs strong commitment and attention from me to be happy. I am happy to do it but will others be?”
Ral eyed the quiet brother who had only spoken once. “Rever, they are very uncontrollable. I find it refreshing but most males would take issue with a woman who will not submit on demand. Her kind resists that from what I have learned from her. She has not conceived so it is doubtful we will have offspring. It matters none to me. I want her more than anything. I know many males demand to bound to women who can provide offspring.”
Argernon smiled. “We will release this information. It will make them think about wanting a female like her no matter how interested they are sexually. It might work. Otherwise we still will face this problem.”
Rever met Ariel’s eyes. “Is your world very different from ours?”
She hesitated. “The water is blue and so is the sky. We only have one moon. The trees are brown for the most part. Men and women are equal. Women fought for that right. We do love a good fight. We have a history of fighting back when we are attacked. If I didn’t love Ral you’d have serious problems with me.”
“She killed one of her attackers,” Ral said in a soft voice. “They will kill to protect themselves. They are a strong people. They deserve our respect. If some of our men wish to find women to bound with it should be voluntary on the female’s part.”
“Agreed,” Hyvin Berrr growled. “We will give them the facts of your female along with the drawbacks. We will say if any wish to attempt to bound to one they must get the female’s permission and do so without giving us away.” The man looked at Ariel. “Do your people know of us?”
“We think we’re alone in the universe. We suspect and hope that other people exist on other planets but I don’t think we’re ready for someone to openly come to us. It would make them afraid and my people are dangerous when they are afraid. Most would attack what they fear. My planet is divided by many leaders and not all of them are of the same mind. We still have fights between them that sometimes turn into wars. I think they would attack you if they knew you were there. We haven’t the technology yet to travel too far into space. We’re getting there though. One day perhaps, but I don’t think my people are ready for first contact with your race.”
“What would you suggest?”
She hesitated. Her eyes went to Ral. She loved him. He was everything to her. If some of his men were willing to love one of her kind as much as he loved her, who was she to stand in the way. She turned her eyes to stare at Ral’s father again.
“Swear you’ll make it so the women have to agree to leave with your men?”
“I swear.”
“You’d have to go to remote areas to find women and not allow my people to know you are even there. You’d have to hide your visit. We have great communication systems with portable devices to call for help if need be. We have mechanical eyes in space around my planet that tracks movement. We have weapons. I’d land a small space ship at night. There are tons of sightings of space ships at night in remote areas of the United States. People just think they are crazy when someone says they saw one. No one really takes it that serious unless they have proof. Don’t give them any. We also speak many different languages. I speak English. You will want to make sure you look for a woman who speaks this language so you can understand her. I’m from the United States.”
“We’ll work it out.” Hyvin Berrr nodded at his son. “I made this mess and I will clean it up, Ral. I have set guards around your home to protect your bound. I have asked Rever to take your duties for a few weeks so you can bond with your bound and soothe her from the trauma that happened here today. I never meant for this to happen. You have my deepest apology, my son. Somehow I will make this up to you.”
Ral sighed. “You accept Ariel as my bound?”
Hyvin Berrr bowed low. “I do, my son.” He stayed bowed and his eyes turned to Ariel. “You are to remain bound to my son. I give you my apology as well.”
“Thank you,” Ariel whispered.
“You could make this up to us by making it a priority to integrate the translation program from the aliens into our translation implants. I would like to be able to communicate with Ariel at all times and not just in a room with the current program running on the conis.”
Hyvin Berrr nodded his head at Ral. “Consider it a priority. I will inform medical to put all their staff on it before the day is over.”
“Thank you, Father. Thank you for the guards as well to help me protect Ariel.”
Ral pulled Ariel against his body. He was silent as his family and the guards left. Ariel smiled at Erra as the woman quietly got up and walked toward the kitchen to her bedroom that was on the other side of the house. Ariel and Ral ended up alone in the living room. He sighed.
“My family made a mess of our life.”
Ariel snorted. “There’s something humans and Zorn have in common. Families can screw up big-time when they think they are doing the right thing by putting their nose in someone’s business.”
He frowned. He opened his mouth.
She laughed. “I know. I lost you. It’s a universal family thing to try to protect who they love and making a bigger mess of it.”
He grinned. “Humans do this as well?”
“Oh yes.” She grinned back at him. Her smile fell with a thought. “How many of your people do you think saw us have sex?”
He shrugged. “I am sorry the monitoring was put on the conis but it is done. We have no way of changing that.”
“At least your father accepted us.”
“If I knew that was all it would take I would have invited him to watch us have sex. Since we returned he has been shoving females at me while I was at work to try to lure me from you. It has really angered me.”
“You never said anything.”
“Would you have wanted me to leave? I have a job to do.”
“You don’t have a job for a few weeks. You heard your father. He’s making your brother cover your duties.”
A grin split Ral’s face. “That means we can be alone and you will stay naked for me.” He stood up swinging her into his arms and started to walk for the bedroom. He froze. Rage crossed his features. “Our room has been violated.”
“The guestroom.”
He nodded. “Tomorrow I will have the room stripped of everything and made whole. We will make it our room again.”
She wrapped her arms tight around his neck. “I love you, Ral.”
He tilted
his head to kiss her. His eyes sparkled. “I love you, Ariel. I am about to love you for many hours.”
Chapter Eleven
Ariel was nervous. She didn’t know what anyone could really do for her. She eyed Ral. He actually looked frightened for her. He gripped her hand.
“If they have no help for you we can have you back on your planet in a week. I contacted my father. He had someone study the Anzons charts with the description you gave me of your world. We think we have found Earth. It would be a week of fast travel but I would get you there so your medical can look at you. I won’t allow you die, Ariel. You are everything to me.”
Ariel fought tears. She felt ugly. She had a fever. She was a blotchy red, like she’d gotten a mild sunburn. She was also experiencing swelling. It was like PMS symptoms but worse. Her stomach was bloated, her breasts ached and her fingers were swollen.
“I don’t think this is going to kill me. I think I’m having some kind of allergic reaction. I probably ate something that caused it.”
He softly growled. “You are suffering. I hate this. You do not feel well. Your skin is hot like mine. Your skin is usually cooler. You have redness to your skin. I know your breasts hurt. You keep moving your shift from them and you get an irritated look on your features.”
She smiled at him. “Do you usually watch me that closely?”
He smiled back. “You always have my full attention when you play with your clothing or remove it.”
Ahhu was the medical personnel assigned to Ariel. She was the top in her field and took care of the entire Berrr family. She walked in smiling. Ariel relaxed on the exam table. If Ahhu was smiling after running all those tests on her then it must be something they had a cure for.
“Lean back and go flat,” Ahhu ordered Ariel. “I have found the cause of your discomfort. This is a first so we have to watch you very closely but I think you will be fine.”