Neverwylde (19 page)

Authors: Linda Mooney

Tags: #sci-fi, #aliens, #alternate worlds, #action, #adventure, #sensuous, #science fiction, #space opera, #romance

“Yes, I’m sure! I was there!” she hissed.

There was another roar as the two warriors clashed. The D’har managed to knock Kyber off his feet before throwing himself onto the Seneecian. Miraculously, Kyber managed to roll enough to one side, and the D’har landed partially on the rocky ground. Kyber took the advantage to crawl onto the man’s back, lifting an arm to swipe at the Seneecian’s head and neck. The D’har bucked, heaving Kyber off, and the two men separated.

Both were breathing heavily. Both were bleeding from open wounds. And both were starting to tire.

A warm hand clutched her shoulder. Kelen looked back up at Massapa.

“You are not saying that to protect him, are you?” the Seneecian murmured.

Kelen gave him an intense stare. “Ask Dox. He has the weapon in his pocket.”

They both glanced over at where the young man watched the conflict with wide eyes. Kelen gasped, noticing that he had pulled the neuro-paralysis tube from his pocket and was palming it, preparing to use it. Massapa also noticed and grasped Dox’s intentions. Reaching across Kelen, he snagged the young man’s arm. Dox glanced at his stern look as the Seneecian shook his head.

“This must be done by the laws. By tooth and nail. To aid him would break our protocols. Then his life, and all of yours, would be forfeited.”

As Dox slid the tube weapon back into his pocket, Kelen let out a sigh of relief.

The two men clashed again and struggled to sweep the other off his feet. Amid the loud grunting, she saw the D’har’s eyes sweep over where they stood, and a sick grin split his face. Placing his mouth to Kyber’s ear, he whispered something. Whatever it was, it had an immediate effect on the Por D’har. Kyber roared and shoved the commander to the side, slicing sideways again. His talons caught the other strap of the D’har’s uniform. When the men parted, Kelen noticed the heavy skirt sitting haphazardly on the man’s hips, held only in place by the wide belt. Now two deep gashes running horizontally across the man’s chest marked where Kyber had cut through the straps.

“They’re too evenly matched,” Cooter whispered from behind her. “It’s a stalemate.”

She shook her head, unable to tear away from the sight of the two standing in place, waiting, anticipating, sizing each other up.

“It cannot end in a stalemate,” Massapa said, confirming what they already knew.

She heard Cooter start to reply when the D’har gave an ear-splitting scream as he plowed into Kyber, shoulder to shoulder. The impact nearly knocked Kyber backwards, but somehow he managed to keep his footing as the D’har continued to push him across the floor like a bulldozer. Kyber clawed at the man’s back, trying to dislodge him, as the D’har tore at Kyber’s outer thighs. Blood trickled onto the floor, making footing slippery.

The D’har didn’t stop until Kyber was slammed against one of the rock-like mechanisms. But instead of pressing his advantage, the Seneecian turned and ran over to where Gaveer stood. Kelen cried out as the D’har snatched Cooter’s rifle from the man’s grasp, whirled around, and aimed it directly at Kyber.

Everyone froze in shock.

“Massapa, please tell me that’s not allowed,” she whispered, desperate for a negative.

Kyber stared at the weapon, then at the D’har. “If you fire that, you’ll be breaking the laws,” he announced in a strangely calm voice, answering her question. “By tooth and nail. That is the protocol.”

The D’har snickered and raised the rifle to his shoulder. “You attacked me from behind. You are the coward. You broke protocol first, which gives me the right to summarily execute you.”

There was a movement behind her. She heard a slight scuffle, and knew what it was without looking back. Dox had produced the tube weapon again and was prepared to use it, but Massapa was trying to stop him. Even if the little man managed to get over to the D’har, the Seneecian would spot him coming.

Kyber’s life hung on a split-second. The D’har lowered his face over the sights and pulled the trigger.

“
No!
”

Everything in her was in her scream. She jumped toward Kyber, her arms outstretched in a vain attempt to shield him, but she was too far away to close the distance in time.

Her heart broke and she sobbed. “
No! God, no!
”

It took a few seconds for reality to return.

The D’har stared at the Seneecian still standing in front of him. Unaffected. Untouched.

A guffaw rent the air. “The gun’s empty, you snarp-headed sneek!” Cooter loudly announced.

Kyber motioned toward the D’har and snarled. “Take him!”

Without question, Gaveer, Massapa, and Verin rushed over to place the Seneecian in a headlock. Plat struggled, but he was too injured and weak to overcome the three of them.

“Let me go! That’s an order! Let me go, or I will have the Alliance place a death cap on your families!”

“Go ahead,” Massapa told him. “You broke protocol when you used the weapon on him.”

“He broke protocol first when he attacked me first!” Plat screamed.

Kelen hurried over to face the commander. “Kyber did
not
attack you in the apartment!
You
broke protocol!”

Gaveer gave her a puzzled look. “Where is your proof?” he asked, almost desperate to believe her.

Although she knew Massapa was aware of the truth, Gaveer and Verin still needed verification. The two Seneecians had seized the D’har, hoping Kyber would come out the victor. They were taking a huge gamble, risking their lives and their families’ lives because they believed Kyber. They believed him and trusted him, but they also needed proof.

Dox calmly pushed his way between them until he stood beside the struggling D’har. He held out his hand to show them the tube weapon.

“Here is proof,” he calmly announced. “Did it like this.”

Before anyone could comprehend what he would do next, Dox pressed the neuro-paralysis tube against the D’har’s shoulder. There was a slight flash of light, a buzzing sound, the smell of something burning, and the Seneecian commander slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Chapter 27

Confirmation

The three Seneecians let go of the D’har and watched as he folded into a small heap. The air was rank with the scent of blood and sweat, and singed fur.

Singed fur.

Reaching down, she inspected the D’har’s arm where Dox had hit him. “Look! Look here! Here’s the mark where the Dox’s tube weapon shot him.” She showed them the small, blackened scorch mark the size of a thumbprint. “Turn him over and you’ll find another one on his lower back where Dox hit him when he rescued me.”

Gaveer rolled the Seneecian over, exposing his back. They quickly found the first wound directly over the man’s spine, right above the waistband of his uniform.

Kelen glared at each of the three Seneecian crewmembers. “If Kyber had attacked him, he wouldn’t have aimed that low. He would have gone higher, between the shoulder blades. But Dox isn’t tall enough to reach that far.”

Their expressions of belief were enough to calm her racing heart. She stepped away and hurried over to throw her arms around Kyber’s waist. The Seneecian allowed himself to lean on her. She felt his legs trembling, and she knew he was on the verge of collapse.

“Is that it? Are you the new D’har?”

Kyber graced her with a loving smile, then faced the others.

“By my words and my actions, I, Kyber Nau, Por D’har of the Seneecian warship
Ist Umberu,
declare that I have challenged and bested Plat audo Reen. I therefore assume command. However, because Plat audo Reen has repeatedly disregarded protocol and broken our laws, I strip him of his military status and all prestige associated with it.”

Walking over to where Plat lay in a wet pile, Cooter reached down and pulled out his beloved rifle. Kelen saw him kick the ex-D’har before moving away.

“Are we done here?” Cooter inquired, looked around at them. “What happens next?”

“We need to go back to the apartments and release the prisoners,” Gaveer suggested.

“I agree, and we will,” Kyber replied. “But there is something more important I must do first.” Pulling her hands away from his waist, he turned to face her.

“By my words and my actions, I am announcing that Kelen and I Confirm ourselves as life partners. Here in front of all, bear witness. She and I have Committed and Cleansed ourselves, in order to present ourselves to all.”

Kyber stared down into Kelen’s wide-eyed gaze and smiled. She met his smile with one of her own.

“My turn?”

He chuckled. “Yes.”

“Same thing you said?”

“Or as close as you can remember.”

Taking a short, deep breath, Kelen first glanced around the room where the others were watching. She flashed them a smile, cleared her throat, and looked back up at the new D’har, the Seneecian, her lover and her love she’d chosen to spend the rest of her life with.

“By my words and my actions, I, Kelen Chambliss, Confirm that Kyber Nau is, from this day forward, my life partner. So say me in front of all who are here to bear witness. We have Committed to each other, we have Cleansed each other, and now we are here to Confirm ourselves.” She couldn’t help the way one corner of her mouth tilted upward in a half-teasing grin. Leaning forward, she whispered, “Will that work?”

“Most adequately,” he assured her.

He continued to hold her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. She could tell he was barely able to stand, much less walk, but he was determined to finish this one last part of the ceremony before he’d return to the nonagon and allow Sandow to tend to him.

“Okay. What now?”

“That is all. We’ve Confirmed. We’re done…unless there is something else you wish to add?”

“Uh-huh. There is.”

He tilted his head slightly, a puzzled smile crossing his darkly-furred face.

Letting go of his hands, Kelen reached up to cradle his cheeks in her palms. Slowly, she drew his head down, close enough to where she could lean in.

“You may now kiss the bride,” she murmured against his lips, and waited.

If anyone clapped or cheered, or in any way made a sound to congratulate them, she never heard them. All she was aware of was the feel of his mouth eagerly taking hers, and the low moan rattling in her husband’s throat as he accepted her invitation.

About the Author:

Linda loves to write sensuously erotic romance with a fantasy, paranormal, or science fiction flair. Her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel.

A wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Kindergarten and music teacher, she lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf coast where she delves into other worlds filled with daring exploits, adventure, and intense love.

She has numerous best sellers, including 10 consecutive #1s. In 2009, she was named Whiskey Creek Press Torrid's Author of the Year, and her book MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE was named the 2009 WCPT Book of the Year. In 2011, her book LORD OF THUNDER was named the Epic Ebook "Eppie" Award Winner for Best Erotic Sci-Fi Romance.

In addition, she write naughty erotic romances under the name of Carolyn Gregg, and horror under the pseudonym of Gail Smith.

For more information about Linda Mooney books and titles, and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit her website.

http://www.LindaMooney.com

http://shop.lindamooney.com

Other Science Fiction Romances by Linda Mooney

The Battle Lord Saga

The Battle Lord’s Lady

Her Battle Lord’s Desire

A Battle Lord’s Heart

One Battle Lord’s Fate

This Battle Lord’s Quest

Every Battle Lord’s Nightmare