Page 11 of Warrior Revealed

“Indeed. None of us knew what to expect.” Though it still wounded his pride that Thorac needed to save his shell. “I will give a report to the Conclave so you don’t need to worry about that. Plus, I need to let them know I’m returning home.”

“You must be eager to return to Osi. You’ve been away on various missions for quite a while now.”

“I have,” he agreed, though he couldn’t quite say he was eager to return home. “I wish you well. Contact me if the Jurou Biljana roam too close to the rift. It’s best if we can keep those flesh merchants safely contained to this quadrant of the cosmos.”

“Of course.” Thorac nodded.

Aculus continued on his previous course, but Nadzia wasn’t in her quarters so he headed for the ship’s clinic. It wasn’t a big surprise to find her hovering over the sanative capsule where her sire lay in stasis. It was hard looking at Brennan Murray, and he’d witnessed many casualties in battle. It wasn’t the missing leg that worried him as much as the charring burns to the male’s left side that occurred when the human military attacked with an incendiary. But their medics had fixed far worse. Still, he could only imagine what Nadzia was feeling as she stared at her sire.

Quietly, he studied her profile. She wasn’t like the females he’d met during his various missions. Her pale skin didn’t possess the remarkable coloring or patterns like the females of Munir and Telor. Her flaxen hair lay flat around her shoulders, not wavering with a life of its own like the crested beauties of Gaban. She didn’t have gossamer wings or seductive tentacles or even hypnotic eyes that could entrance prey. She was a far cry from the females of his home world who could strike fear in friend and foe alike. And yet he sought her out at every turn. Perhaps it was her simple beauty that drew him in, or maybe it was the enigma her species presented. Nadzia, like many of her kind, was so fierce in the face of danger, it was like she had no clue how delicate and defenseless she truly was. Or maybe she did know and accepted her mortality but refused to be daunted by her limitations. She incited his protective side, yet at the same time he loved antagonizing her, just to see what she’d do.

But now’s not the time for the latter.Nadzia was worried about her sire.

“Thorac is about to disengage. I assure you Brennan will be fine if you wish to go to Cadi to visit your sister along with Abby.”

The thought of her fretting over her sire all the way back to his planet didn’t sit well with him. The captain could easily catch up with the Cadi vessel if she’d changed her mind.

“No, Mom needs me. I already told Ash and Abby goodbye. Besides, I’ll see them soon, right?”

The worry in her eyes cut him deep, and that was something since his shell was damn near impenetrable.

“Indeed, as soon as he is healed. But I wanted to give you the option and assure you all will be well.” He put a consoling hand on her shoulder and was pleased when she didn’t pull away. “Now, I was thinking, since your sire has to have his leg regenerated, why don’t we give him an upgrade? The Ensifera can jump incredibly high. Granted their segmented legs bend backward and that would take some getting used to, but Brennan would be a formidable warrior.”

“You are such a jackass.” Nadzia swatted his arm.

Okay, so he hadn’t lasted long before riling her, but her scowl followed by the incredulous smile was worth it. And for some insane reason he liked her acerbic tongue. Few people were so brazen when speaking to the Premiere Servant of the Conclave and it was refreshing.

“So, that’s a no?” He grinned.

“Although Dad would probably think it’s cool, my mom would find a way to crack that thick skull of yours. But thanks for the offer.”

Although Nadzia’s tone was sarcastic, the way she squeezed his forearm in appreciation wasn’t. His shell registered her touch like it did when anything grazed him, but for some reason the sensation went all the way to the quick. He stared at her hand, completely stunned. He could feel the gentle pressure from every one of Nadzia’s little fingers, the subtle heat she radiated and even the trace of hormones her skin exuded. Gracelessly, he tugged his hand away when the plate on his forearm started to retract of its own free will.

“Well, I better see Thorac off,” he said abruptly and left before the weight of what just happened could sink in.

Two

Status Update

Aculus

No. It’s not possible.He stared dumbfounded at his arm as his mind swirled around the implications of how he responded to Nadzia.

It was more than a little disconcerting. This had never happened before. It made him feel more than a little vulnerable. The Osivoire didn’t expose their quick. They stayed shelled from the instant they entered the world to the day they dropped.

Except when we find our weakness.

A sly grin split his face as what this meant sank in. The image of Nadzia beneath him, her delicate legs wrapped around his waist, her pink lips parted in passion as he claimed her, surfaced in his mind.

Who am I kidding? As if that female’s going to let me mount her.

He’d be honored to claim Nadzia. But he wasn’t the only person in this equation.

The erotic scene in his head shifted.“What are you doing? Get off me, bonehead!” she screeched while pummeling him.

Even that thought turned him on, his spurs pressing painfully against his shell. He groaned at the image of wrestling Nadzia into submission, like she were an Osivoire female forcing him to prove his dominance before she relented. But she wasn’t Osivoire, she was human, and her resistance wouldn’t be feigned.

He looked down at his crotch. “You just had to pick her.”

---