Hunter's Claim

  “Are healed,” Hunter said kneeling by the bed so that Jesse was forced to see the sincerity in his eyes. “They need you, Jesse. They are worried about you.”

  Her eyes filled and her bottom lip trembled. “I let them down,” she said in a small voice. “I promised…”

  Hunter laid his fingers on her lips. “As did I. If there is blame for what happened, it lies on my shoulders.”

  Jesse frowned and shook her head. “How can you say that?” She asked.

  Hunter sighed again. His cock was rubbing against the bed cloth and it was so sensitive he had to force himself to count backwards. The feel of her soft lips against his fingers was not helping. The warmth of her breath and the touch of her tongue against his fingers were doing strange things to his insides that he had never felt before.

  “I promised to protect you,” he reminded her.

  “With your life,” she added shyly. “But we left you. You couldn’t protect us if we were the ones who left.”

  He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers with a chuckle. “Yes, I know you left. I figured that out when I woke the next morning on the floor covered by a blanket. How did you get one of our injectors?” He asked sitting back on his heels again.

  “Taylor lifted it while we were in medical,” she said proudly. “She is so smart.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” he muttered. “I need a cold shower,” he suddenly bit out, standing.

  Jesse’s breath swished out of her as she caught an up close and personal view of why he needed a cold shower. Her face flared with color as she found herself at face level with the evidence of his reason. Her gasp echoed in the small room.

  His laugh echoed in the room as he turned. “You are on the warship Star Raider headed back to my home world of Rathon,” he called out over his shoulder as he walked through the door into the bathroom.

  Jesse blew out the breath she had been holding as she watched the sexiest ass she had ever seen walk through the door and out of sight. Only when he had disappeared did she fall back on the bed and lay staring blindly up at the ceiling. She was in trouble. Major, catastrophic, out-of-this-world trouble and it had nothing to do with being on a spaceship heading to an alien world.

  No, she thought in despair. It has everything to do with an alien warrior hot enough to melt every bit of resistance I have inside me.

  Chapter 9

  Jesse stepped cautiously through the doors. She would have turned and run back to the cabin where she had woken earlier if it wasn’t for the fact that Hunter was blocking the doorway. Her eyes swept the large dining room filled with mostly men. There were a few female aliens scattered among the men but they were far outnumbered. All of them were seated near a male.

  Her eyes paused briefly on the female she had met once before. Her brow creased as she tried to remember the woman’s name. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had met her.

  “Her name is Bree,” Hunter said as he slid his hand around her waist when he felt her hesitate. “She is the Amate of Carp, the healer who took care of you and Jordan.”

  Jesse nodded but her eyes were focused on the two small, pale females sitting next to Bree and Carp. Jordan saw her first before Taylor. Jordan looked at her in concern while Taylor’s eyes lit up and she rose from her seat with a cry of delight.

  Jesse took a step forward and opened her arms as Taylor rushed forward. Jesse closed her eyes and held her little sister tightly, overcome with emotion to see the sun shining in Taylor’s eyes again. Jesse pulled back far enough to cup Taylor’s cheeks. She searched every area of her sister’s face, needing the reassurance that Taylor was really alright.

  “Are you okay?” Jesse asked hesitantly.

  Taylor smiled. “Yes,” she said with a small smile. “I got knocked out so I didn’t know what was going on, thank goodness. Jordan didn’t say anything but Saber said that they took care of the men who attacked us. From the look on Jordan’s face, I’d say they kicked some ass.”

  “Taylor,” Jesse said sternly in rebuke at her sister cussing but she couldn’t prevent the corners of her mouth from lifting at the mischievous twinkle in her eye. “They kicked some major ass.”

  Taylor tilted her head. “Are you okay?” She asked, suddenly seeming so much older than fifteen. “We woke up a few days ago but Hunter said you needed more time and we needed to let you rest.”

  Jesse looked over to where Hunter was talking quietly with Saber and Dagger. He looked up as if he knew she was thinking about him. She flushed and lowered her head. She was so confused. None of this made any sense to her.

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m just glad you and Jordan are alright and… safe.”

  Taylor grinned. “Come on and sit with us. Are you hungry? It is so different, being able to eat when we want and not be starving all the time.”

  A low growl rumbled through the room as several warriors heard Taylor’s comment. Jesse flushed again, this time out of guilt. She had done a piss-poor job of protecting and taking care of her sisters. She had done the best she could but it was obvious from Taylor’s comment it had not been good enough.

  “Don’t,” a soft warm voice whispered in her ear. “What you did was remarkable. I do not know of many warriors, myself included, who could have done what you did.”

  Jesse glanced up at Hunter and gave a small shake to her head. She stiffened when he turned her to face him. He carefully cupped her face between his hands, tilting her face upward so he could see her eyes.

  “I mean it, Jesse,” he said. “What you did is remarkable. There is not a warrior here that is not in awe of what you have done.”

  Doubt clouded her eyes as she continued to stare up at him. “Why? You heard Taylor. We were always cold, hungry, tired. We had to move constantly and they were always in danger,” she murmured in regret. “That is no life for a fifteen and seventeen year old. They should have been enjoying high school, going to dances and thinking of boys.”

  “Things that you gave up to care for them,” Hunter pointed out. “You risked your life to save mine.”

  “I couldn’t let them kill you like that,” she started to say, stopping when he touched her lips with his thumb.

  “I was an alien to your world,” he reminded her. “My people were the reason your world was the way it was. Others would have left me to die and felt I deserved such a death and more.”

  Jesse flushed when she realized that the room had become silent as all the warriors in the room listened to her and Hunter’s conversation. She looked at all the eyes staring at her, waiting for her response. She trembled and moved closer to Hunter. She turned to look at him when she felt his arms move down to draw her closer.

  “My world is like it is because of the humans who live there,” she stated calmly. “Your coming only gave them the excuse they were looking for to self-destruct.”

  Hunter drew her against his chest and held her close. This human female continued to shake him. It took several long moments before her arms reached out and circled his waist. He looked over at Jordan as he felt Jesse relax against him. Jordan nodded and smiled sadly at him before she turned away. It would not be easy but he was beginning to learn and be accepted by his new family. He just needed to assure them that he would not leave them as well.

  *.*.*

  Jesse stood in the doorway separating the bathroom from the bedroom. There wasn’t a lot of room in the cabins and they had been bumping into each other since they returned from the dining room. Jesse had suggested that she get her shower first.

  Now she stood in indecision as she looked at where Hunter was leaning back against the headboard of the bed reading. She glanced at his long body then the door leading out of the room. She flushed with guilt when she glanced back and saw him studying her with a tight look.

  “The door is sealed,” he commented, rising from the bed. “I am the only one who can unlock it.”

  “I…” Jesse turned red and bowed her head so her hair woul
d hide her face. “I still think it would be best if I stayed with Jordan and Taylor.”

  “And I think you will be more comfortable here,” Hunter said, standing in front of her. “The rooms are small.”

  Jesse nervously pushed her hair behind her ear and stared at the bed. They had already had this argument – twice. Each time, Hunter had insisted that she stay with him.

  “We’re used to small areas,” Jesse argued again. “They can have the bed. I’m used to sleeping on hard surfaces. The floor will be fine. I can lay a blanket down and…”

  “No,” Hunter retorted firmly. “You are my Amate. You will stay by my side where you belong.”

  “I never agreed to be your Am- Amate,” Jesse stammered out. “I never agreed to any of this.”

  She waved her hand around in aggravation. She was so far over her head she was past drowning. She had sunk to the bottom and couldn’t even see the top. Unable to deal with the uncertainty shaking her, she wrapped her hands around her waist and hugged herself.

  “Get in the bed while I use the cleanser,” Hunter ordered gently. “Scoot next to the wall. I need to be near the door.”

  “Why?” Jesse asked, tilting her head to look up at him.

  “A warrior always sleeps near the door,” he said in exasperation.

  Jesse stepped aside so he could walk into the bathroom. She waited until he closed the door before she muttered under her breath. She squeaked when he opened the door and glared down at her before closing it again.

  “Stupid alien super-hearing,” she cursed out before growling in aggravation when she heard his deep chuckle.

  She climbed into the bed thankful for the long tunic that she wore. It covered her from her shoulders to her knees. She scooted under the covers near the wall and turned her back to the bathroom door. She just hoped he stayed on his side of the bed.

  *.*.*

  Hunter grimaced as he stepped under the cold flow of mist. He really needed a long, icy cold shower in the waterfalls near his home. He couldn’t keep the grin from his face as he thought of her muttered comment.

  “I’m a warrior too, you know,” she had snorted out under her breath.

  She was right, he thought as he rubbed cleanser through his hair. She was a warrior. But, no longer, he thought fiercely as he rinsed the solution out of his long hair and ran his hands over his body. It is my turn to protect her from now on.

  He leaned forward for a moment before turning off the cleansing mist. He breathed deeply through his nose, trying to calm his mind and body. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. A shudder went through him as he gripped his hard cock in his hand.

  So much for a cold mist, he thought in frustration. I cannot even seek relief from my own hand.

  A shudder went through him as he released his throbbing length with a low hiss. He stepped out of the unit and reached for a drying cloth. Once he was done, he looked with regret at the training pants that she had laid out on the counter for him. He knew that was her way of saying she wanted him to wear a cover to bed. He glared at the offending material. His hands clenched as he resisted the urge to shred them.

  He muttered a dark curse before he grabbed the pants and slid them on. He stared back at his reflection. Dark, repressed passion had changed his eyes to an almost gold color. He reached up and ran his fingers through his damp hair. His eyes froze on the two bands of tattoos circling his wrists. He slowly lowered his arms and stared at them, reading their meaning.

  I am Hunter. I belong to Jesse as she belongs to me. Forever will I tie my life to hers. I will care for, protect and give my seed only to her. She is my Amate. She is my life.

  Doubt filled him as he touched the dark markings. It was true, she was his life, his future. When he said he would give his seed only to her, he was saying that she was the one who would decide if his lineage would continue. A shudder went through him as he thought of what life would be like if she were to deny him his claim. It would be a bleak, cold and very frustrating existence.

  He glanced back in the mirror. Determination glittered from his eyes and his mouth tightened. He wanted her desperately. He knew she wasn’t immune to him. He felt her heart increase when he was close to her and he didn’t scent it being caused by fear. His eyes warmed as he remembered her eyes darkening as she stared at him.

  No, he thought with satisfaction. She is not immune to me. I just need to drive her to the point of madness that she will beg me to take her. I will court her until she melts in my arms. I will show her that I am the only male that she wants touching her. And I hope I survive it long enough to enjoy the rewards. Feeling more confident, he gave the command for the lights to dim.

  All of his plans flew from his mind the moment he stepped out of the door to the cleanser and caught the sweet scent of Jesse. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sight of her lying in his bed, one shoulder bare as the tunic she wore slipped down and the covers curled around her waist, were enough torture. He stepped up to the bed and pulled the covers back just far enough so he could slide in beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She stiffened at first before finally relaxing back against him.

  “Hunter.”

  “Yes, Jesse,” Hunter responded.

  “What’s going to happen now?” Jesse asked, staring at the wall.

  Hunter could hear the confusion and uncertainty in her voice. Her body trembled ever so slightly but he could still feel it. He let his warmth surround her. He understood her confusion. He had always dreamed of having an Amate and eventually a family but he had always expected it to be with a female of his own species. He was on unfamiliar ground and he didn’t like it any more than she did.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Perhaps we should just take it one day at a time. This is new to me as well.”

  Jesse relaxed even more and shyly wrapped her hand over the one he had draped over her stomach. Her fingers threaded through his and she squeezed them. A small smile curved her lips at the slight sound of confusion in his voice.

  “I’d… like that,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Jesse,” Hunter murmured burying his face in her hair. “But I hope you do not take too long to learn about me. I really want you, little human. Your scent is driving me crazy.”

  He moaned silently when he felt her body shake as she giggled. It was worth the extra pain when he felt her relax even more and her breathing even out as she fell asleep. He lay awake for several hours just enjoying holding her in his arms. She was small and needed to gain some weight but she fit perfectly against him.

  He rubbed his chin against her hair and wondered if she would like living on his world. He thought of all the things he wanted to show her and her sisters. Pride flared inside him even as his eyes began to droop as exhaustion pulled at him. He had a family. It was small and strange but it was his and he would do everything in his power to protect it.

  Chapter 10

  Their days fell into a pattern on the warship. Each day, Hunter would go off to his duty station and Jesse, Jordan and Taylor would spend time with Bree or explore the ship. They were three weeks into their journey when they discovered the training room. Jesse laughed as Taylor’s eyes lit up as they walked in and she saw the huge area where the warriors worked out.

  Taylor had been in gymnastics since she could stand. She was always tumbling and rolling on the floor. Their dad had thought it would be a good way for her to expend some of her energy. It had been devastating when the world went crazy and Taylor couldn’t train any longer. She had gone to the National Championship in her age group for years and had dreamed at one time of going to the Olympics.

  “Jesse?” Taylor asked, bouncing on the mat.

  “Have fun, squirt,” Jesse laughed. “You can tumble to your heart’s content. Just make sure you warm up first so you don’t hurt yourself.”

  Jesse and Jordan walked over to the side of the room and sat down to watch. Jesse looked at Jordan in conce
rn. Jordan had always been quiet but she was becoming even more withdrawn than ever.

  “Jordan, what’s wrong?” Jesse asked as they watched Taylor stretching. “Are you okay? Those men,” Jesse drew in a deep breath. “Those men… they didn’t… they didn’t…?”

  “No,” Jordan replied softly. “No, they didn’t. The… Dagger stopped them.”

  “So, what’s going on? You’ve always been quiet but I can feel the change in you,” Jesse said, picking at the fabric of her tunic. “I….” Jesse’s throat closed up and she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. “I’m sorry for not doing a better job of taking care of you and Taylor. I’m sorry for not protecting you better,” her voice faded as a tear coursed down her cheek and she impatiently brushed it away.

  Jordan reached over and squeezed Jesse’s hand. “You did everything you could. Hunter was right when he said not many others could do what you did, Jesse. You are only five years older than me but you’ve always been more of a mother to me than a sister. Right now, I think I need a sister more. I’m just scared, that’s all.”

  “What are you scared about?” Jesse asked.

  She looked at her sister and realized she was changing a lot. She had never thought about how pretty Jordan was with her brown hair streaked with blond highlights from the sun. She had inherited their dad’s hazel eyes. Right now they looked greener as the color of her tunic reflected them.

  “Everything,” Jordan said, watching Taylor moved to the corner of the mat and raised her arms. “We don’t know anything about the world they are taking us to. We don’t really know anything about them. What about school? I had hoped to become a graphic artist, maybe go into animation. Taylor had hoped to go to the Olympics.”

  Jesse watched as Taylor did a simple floor routine. Several warriors stopped to stare in wonder as she did a set of flips and tumbles before turning at the far corner. Life was definitely going to be different from what they were expecting but hadn’t it been already?