“Grak, you said they could choose their females,” I remind him, agreeing with Baloc’s desire to conquer his female quickly and avoid any torment similar to what our graka put Atox through. “After we finish here, we should allow the warriors to go where they wish with their females and—” I stop mid-sentence as Baloc turns, and I see the face of the female who’s pounding his back with her fists.
The blonde female that Yanzu had been hunting. She escaped Yanzu only for Baloc to capture her.
My lip curls and I snarl at seeing her slung over Baloc. I should not react to a female so viscerally, especially a human. What the vekk is wrong with me?
Baloc smacks her ass. “Behave, female.”
I spur my gorja over to Baloc where I slide off, fully intending to rip Baloc from his gorja and bash in his face fortouchingher.
“Neld, what is wrong?” he asks, seeing the anger in my face.
“Our grak said you will not touch any of the females. No one will,” I shout. “Your orders are to take them and return to Mount Racha.”
“But—”
“They arenotto be touched, Baloc. Is that clear? Or do you wish to challenge me?” I say quickly, my brain scrambling with what to do. I didn’t plan on taking a female for myself, but Icannot ignore my reaction to this one, for this insane need to protect her, even though Baloc claimed her.
I cannot take her from him. Our laws are clear on the matter. A warrior never touches another male’s female.
“We’re not on Orcos, but our laws remain. You will not force a female. Even a human.”
Especiallythishuman.
Myhuman.
Except she isn’t mine. Vek the creators above and vek Baloc!
Blaster fire streaks past Baloc’s gorja, causing the animal to buck, but Baloc quickly regains control.
“Go! Get the female to safety!” I order as I race toward the human firing from a structure too small to be a home. This one is built from stone and won’t burn, but we can tear it down after I take care of the sartog who shot at Baloc, endangering my female.
I drive my fist into the male’s face, taking the satisfaction in feeling bones crunch. For a split second, I imagine I’m pummeling Baloc, until I remind myself Baloc is not the enemy. This human is.
The weakling drops the blaster, but I continue pounding into him, taking all my anger out on the human. Anger deserved and undeserved.
“Enough,” Atox roars. “He’s already unconscious. Burn the building, then mount up. We have what we came for.”
The females. Twelve of our warriors took females, more than Atox had approved, but he doesn’t object. Two additional females means two more warriors will know pleasure in their furs and in time have younglings to continue our ways.
“If you find a female inside, Verig, she’s yours.” Atox walks off as I drop the male.
I fully intend to take a female. The one riding on Baloc’s gorja, heading to our settlement. At least he better be heading there and not a spot in the woods. If he touches her, I’ll kill him.
“We have not found the graka yet,” I say to Atox, who stops cold in his tracks.
“We didn’t come for her. She made her choice.”
“She chose you, Atox.” Normally, pushing Atox is unwise, but it’s my duty as his second to tell him that which he does not wish to hear. “The risha?—”
“Never should have happened! It was all a deception. She never wanted to stay with me.”
“Then choose another.”
“We’re here for our warriors, not me.” He digs his knees into his gorja, charging down a path between a row of untouched buildings. “Burn them!” he shouts at the warriors in that section of the colony.
“Let me out!” a muffled female voice carries from the stone structure behind me.
More blaster fire shoots across the compound and nearly strike me. A section of the building crumbles and a female screeches inside.
