Page 32 of Royal Alien Mate

She breathed a sigh of relief.

One down. Ten to go.

Chapter 24

Esmay’s stomach had never been twisted into so many knots. She felt positively sick as she watched fight after fight. Thus far, Vaath had killed seven advisors and was currently working on the eighth, a tall orange Martian with short but thick horns.

She watched in horrified fascination as Vaath ceased headbutting the advisor, reached for his throat, and twisted until the orange alien’s head lulled to the side and his tongue dangled from his mouth. Vaath released him and he fell to the ground, yet another dead body on the field.

“He’s doing well,” Jav said, “as I knew he would.”

Esmay nodded but kept her gaze on the field below. The ninth advisor, a purple-skinned Martian, approached Vaath and screamed something that caused the crowd to jump to their feet again. Confused, she watched as the tenth advisor, whose skin was the same blue shade as Vaath’s, joined his companion on the field.

“What’s happening?”

Jav growled. “The first one is a coward. He called for a friend to join him on the battlefield. He has selected the last advisor as that friend.”

“Wait, Vaath is supposed to fightboth of themat once?” She moved to the edge of her seat, her spirits sinking.

“Yes.”

“Is that legal?” Esmay’s heart pounded so loudly in her ears, she almost didn’t hear Jav’s response.

“It’s legal, though it is viewed as shameful. Even if these two advisors win, they will be viewed as cowards for the rest of their lives.”

The royal advisors circling Vaath were larger than the eight that had come before, making Esmay worry this was a sinister plot to see Vaath murdered. Two Martians against one wasn’t fair, even if the rules ofvooggallowed it. She glared at the back of the purple advisor’s horned head.

Vaath was a strong and skilled warrior, but could he handle two large Martians who were trying to kill him at once?

“Esmay, I…” Faith said, but her voice trailed off. From her peripheral vision, Esmay noticed her friend trembling beside her.

Summoning bravery she didn’t know she possessed, Esmay straightened in her seat as she peered down at the battle about to commence. “Vaath will win, and if his father choosesvooggrather than banishment, Vaath will vanquish him as well. By the end of the day, Vaath will become King of Mars.” She continued holding her hands together, lest anyone notice them shaking.

In the field below, Vaath was easy to spot, even though one of the advisors was the same shade of blue. Vaath was dressed in a black uniform similar to that worn by the palace guards and enforcers, though colorful symbols decorated the back of his shirt, which she suspected denoted his rank in the Brotherhood of Warriors. He had told her about the Brotherhood one night as they curled up in bed together, their legs tangled underneath the soft sheets after a rough session of lovemaking. He had explained that all Martian guards and enforcers were considered respected warriors, as their status as uniformed protectors meant they had survived a battle against a deadly beast native to Marttiaxoxalia. He’d told her the beasts, some which were relocated from their old homeworld, now roamed one large island on Mars, and that young prospective warriors would venture to the island when they came of age and wished to join the Brotherhood.

The royal advisors were not guards or enforcers. Though they were large and muscular, as all male Martians were, they hadn’t fought in any wars.You are strong and brave, Vaath. You can do this. You must do this.She closed her eyes briefly and kept summoning encouraging thoughts, which she imagined she was sending directly to her mate, though she realized there was no way he could hear her. But perhaps he would feel her encouragement and sense her support from above.

In Vaath’s world, spirits ascended to the stars and shook the ground. It seemed as though the fantastic was possible here. Not quite magic, but almost.

The two advisors each growled at the same moment and charged at Vaath.

Esmay’s heart nearly stopped when she saw the glint of a blade.

Chapter 25

Vaath growled when an electrified knife pierced his flesh, pushing through his armored skin, a sharp impact of agony deep within his chest. He backed away from the advisors and looked down at himself. A stream of blue blood gushed forth from the shocking wound. A knife. One of the cowardly advisors had disregarded the rules set forth forvoogg, rules blessed by the Gods, and brought a weapon into battle.

Advisor Grennul charged him, headbutting Vaath to the ground. Despite the pain ripping through him, Vaath jumped to his feet and returned the charge. Once he had Grennul on the ground, he stomped on the coward’s head, over and over again, putting his full strength into each blow. When the male’s friend, Advisor Wammlet, attempted to knock him over, Vaath struck the heel of his palm into Wammlet’s throat, causing him to collapse on the ground as he fought for air.

With a roar of outrage, Vaath yanked the knife from his chest and tossed it to the edge of the battlefield. Bloodlust filled him and the pain in his chest receded. He cared not for his wound, deadly though it might prove. His only thought was to kill the curseddrakks, those who had tried to harm his sweet human bride and others like her.

He would make Mars a safe planet for all human females. Never again would an Earth woman need to worry about her wellbeing on this planet. After Vaath finished killing Grennul and Wammlet, he would deal with his father’s outrageous treachery, and then as the new king, Vaath would order the execution of all the captureddrakks.

Assuming he survived the knife wound, that was. Blood continued gushing down his chest and he was beginning to feel lightheaded. But he continued fighting. He would not give up.

He felt a bone in his foot break as he persisted in stomping on Grennul’s head, but he soon had the advisor’s skull caving in, smashing it with brute force and pure rage.

Satisfied that he’d taken down one of the cowards, Vaath released a fierce growl and focused on Wammlet’s current attack. The remaining advisor was charging him again, having recovered from his earlier injury. Next time Vaath throat punched him, Wammlet wouldn’t manage to rise to his feet again. The shamed advisor would fall for the last time and join his comrades in death, join the bodies already strewn over the bloodstained field.

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