O'Rrin The Protector, page 17
part #1 of Thoherian Barbarians Series
“You could not protect her after all, could you, N’Akron?” Even though it was dying, the Caterri seemed almost like it was laughing.
Strange, strange creatures.
N’Ashtar immediately took stock of the ones around us and his scales went pale. After a quick look, I came to the same conclusion he did. They’d taken Dana. Somehow, during the battle she’d gotten separated from the tribe, and a small subset had taken that advantage and bolted with her, somehow without us seeing.
“We have to find her.” N’Ashtar bared his sharp teeth, standing and ignoring the dying Caterri.
“I must check on Hetta.” There wasn’t a bargain in my voice. Instead, I was as firm as my best friend was.
N’Ashtar shot me a look that told me he was not pleased I did not immediately do as he wished, but I did not care. “Why was she not here?”
“I told her to hide in the tall bushes next to our tent,” I answered calmly, even though I didn’t feel it.
“We must be careful,” R’Asha said, blood spattered over him even as he spoke like the spiritual leader he was. “That was a small force of Caterri, but their numbers are far greater and now they will know we are the ones behind the attack.”
“I’m not leaving Dana behind,” N’Ashtar snarled.
“I did not say as such,” R’Asha said patiently. “Just that we must be smart about getting Dana back, so we do not endanger everyone.”
“Like we already have?” V’Annor muttered. He was standing next to Erica and Jackie now, relief flashing in his gaze every time he looked at the woman he had established as his.
L’Anna sank into a crouched position, her body radiating sorrow. Even her scales had dimmed, like all the light had left her. Her hand was clutched over the mark on her neck, the mark a N’Akron could only take once in their lifetime. In one moment, her future had been tainted. If she was to ever take a partner, they would not be true mates, not in the eyes of the tribe.
“We should continue forward to N’Akkar,” V’Annor argued.
N’Ashtar growled. “No. We’re not leaving her behind.”
“We need supplies and reinforcements,” R’Asha pointed out, forever sensible.
I shook my head at them, ignoring the debate. I would do what I was told, but for now, my priority was Hetta. Keeping my spear clutched tightly in my hand, I headed back to where our trampled tent was and where Hetta was hiding.
Except she wasn’t there.
My alarm started growing when she wasn’t in the bushes, and when I checked the tent, she wasn’t there, either. My tongue flickered out, tasting the air, desperate for a scent of her so I could track her. Her smell was clearly on the air, mingled with another one—that of a single male.
Yrrix.
Fire burned through my veins. Yrrix had taken my mate, something that was punishable by exile in our tribe. At least by our current chief. If Yrrix really was trying to take over the tribe, he could be trying to use Hetta as his queen.
The fire burned hotter, thinking of the mating bite on L’Anna’s neck. If he bit Hetta, I couldn’t say what I would do. He would pay for it.
“O’Rrin?” N’Ashtar asked, trotting up next to me.
“Yrrix has Hetta,” I gritted out.
N’Ashtar paled. I couldn’t imagine what it was like, hearing that your own flesh and blood had done something like that. “You’re sure?”
“You can smell it,” I snarled. Already I was running through plans in my head about how to get her back. I had to. She was probably terrified, her gentle soul forced to deal with Yrrix, who was clearly only out for himself. Rage thrummed to the beat of my heart, making my hands shake as I packed supplies.
“We need to rescue Dana,” N’Ashtar said, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I need to save Hetta first,” I answered sharply. I needed to find her, prove to her that we were meant to be together. Whether it was fate or something else, I wanted her by my side forever.
“Dana could be in danger.” N’Ashtar scowled.
“The Caterri are likely to use her as a slave,” I pointed out. “She’s not likely to be harmed. We don’t know what Yrrix’s plan is for Hetta.” My eyes flashed red. “He’s already bitten L’Anna.”
It was customary that a male only gave one bite in his lifetime, but that did not stop a rebel from doing something different. If Yrrix wished, he could bite and claim my Hetta and at the moment, I could not stop him.
“The Caterri could also be meeting with others,” ever-rational-yet-believing-in-fate R’Asha said calmly. “We stand no chances against a large Caterri force, not like this.”
I could see the war going on in N’Ashtar’s eyes, then I saw when he gave in. “Do you need backup?” he asked, although there was a flicker of hesitation in his gaze.
“I’ll be fine.” I didn’t want to put N’Ashtar in the position where he had to hunt down his own blood. The situation was bad enough.
N’Ashtar studied me for a long moment, but I ignored him. Instead I picked up one of the Caterri swords, examining the metal and feeling its sharpness. I wasn’t used to it or the weight, but I had a strange feeling it would be necessary, so I took the sheath and wrapped it around my hips. It barely fit, not accustomed to the size of a N’Akron. The Caterri were much slimmer, although they made up for it in terms of natural defense.
“We will head back to N’Akkar,” N’Ashtar said finally, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Rescue your Hetta and bring her back. Then we will go to save Dana.”
I gripped his shoulder back, the scales hard under my skin. I could tell it was difficult for him. If he felt even a sliver of what I felt for Hetta, I knew this would be something he did not want to do with the fire of a thousand suns. “I will be as quick as a rykon,” I told him, and I felt it in my heart. “We will be back in time to save Dana.”
N’Ashtar nodded, but there was a tinge of red to his eyes. He turned to look at the others. Erica was standing near V’Annor, Jackie by R’Asha, and Dana’s missing presence was obvious enough that N’Ashtar had to be in pain.
My heart ached with the need to solve this for my friend, but I could not, not right now. Right now, Hetta had to be my priority.
Bending down, I slung the pack I had made over my shoulder and started in the direction of her scent, determined to catch up to Yrrix. I would find her, save her, and make Yrrix regret ever laying a hand on her.
The anger that fueled me burned brighter at the thought. I had to find her in time. I just had to.
19
Hetta
Five minutes with Yrrix proved exactly how slow the N’Akron had been taking it when it came to accompanying us, even when fleeing from the Caterri. While they had been fast, this was beyond that. Not that it was enjoyable, at least not as the pack. Each bounce of his step jolted my stomach against his shoulder, and already the nausea was building to a point where I was close to throwing up.
Not that I would regret it, really, as long as I made sure to hit my captor. Now if it was a few hours ago and I was still wearing a gag, that was a different story.
I scowled at him, although I knew he couldn’t see me and didn’t particularly care. I’d been hiding from the Caterri when he had snuck up on me, binding and gagging me before I could scream, then knocking me out when I wouldn’t stop struggling. When I had woken up, it had been to nausea and the sensation of the scenery passing by. His fingers were also digging into my soft thighs to keep me clutched where I was, probably adding to the bruises.
Inwardly, I sighed. I already looked bad enough. The bruises hadn’t even started to heal, and now he was adding to them. Although when it came down to it, that was probably the least of my worries.
I closed my eyes, torn between quelling the upset rising in my stomach and purposefully aggravating it. They slid open again when I thumped onto the ground hard, Yrrix apparently taking no care with the human he’d spent all the time kidnapping. Seemed pointless to me, but I wasn’t entirely sure why he had kidnapped me in the first place. Ransom? Because he wanted a wife? Revenge against O’Rrin? It wasn’t like we had been quiet in our sack. Privacy didn’t seem to be a thing the N’Akron valued particularly highly.
“If you speak, I will gag you again,” Yrrix said, a harshness to his words that had never been there in camp. Whatever it was that had caused him to take me, it seemed to have broken something inside him.
I nodded meekly, although inside I wasn’t meek at all. No, my mind was working. There was no way I was going to outrun a N’Akron, no way in hell, so my only option was to outsmart him, and Yrrix seemed the crafty sort to begin with.
As he moved closer to remove my gag, I could feel the contempt rolling off him like waves, so much it was palpable. Why did he have such disdain for us? Was it really all because of what had happened with the Setti? Or was he just jealous?
“There’s some water. Drink.” He moved back and jerked towards a small oasis to our right. That was when I realized we were sitting in the shade of some trees, trees I hadn’t expected to see this close to the walled city. Not that we were particularly close, but it was at least visible. No, these were like palm trees except a muddy brown from head to toe. Strange and fascinating at the same time.
I glanced at where my hands and feet were bound. “I can’t move.”
Yrrix sneered. “I said no speaking, human.”
“And you said drink, but with my hands and feet bound, that’s impossible.” I spoke calmly, for once grateful for the years of diplomacy training I had sat through at the hands of my parents. Talking to him was like talking to a riled ambassador or diplomat who was certain they were being slighted somehow, even though they were just being treated like everyone else.
He glared at me again, like that would somehow change things. Then he stood, coming over and taking off the bonds on my hands. “If you speak, if you try to run, I will bind and gag you again.” He paused. “I may cut your tongue out to save myself the trouble.”
I gulped but nodded, trying to seem obedient and like my only goal was to obey his wishes. The oasis was cool enough, the water clean-seeming and fresh-tasting as I drank my fill. It had been a while since we had had free access, and the water was so crisp it reminded me of home.
The home it was looking like I might never see again. Would never see again, presuming Yrrix did whatever his plans were. Speaking of… “What do you plan to do with me?” I kept my words soft and nonconfrontational, not wanting to trigger the anger he had shown earlier.
The contempt was clear in his face and body language, and he was fiddling with a knife in his right hand. “If you’re worried about rape, don’t. I wouldn’t stick my dick in you if you were the last female on Thoheria.” He sneered. “I do not understand why O’Rrin is obsessed with something so gross. Are you particularly good in the sack, then?” The sneer turned to a leer, and it was only the disgust on his face that kept me from panicking.
Then again, did disgust really mean anything? My heart thumped louder, faster. Anger sex was a thing. Maybe that was what he was going to do?
“O’Rrin has a soft spot for you,” Yrrix continued. “And N’Ashtar for him, despite the fact I am his blood.” The scowl was back and with a flick of his hand, he sent the knife flying through the air and hilt-deep into one of the trees with a solid thwack. “I am taking you to Kohta as penance. You will be the tithe for my tribe, the sacrifice for our error.”
I gaped at him, my mouth falling open.
“You should be aware of what I can do, human.” He rose fluidly and took the knife from the tree, then sank back into his original position, except this time he was looking at me, cataloging my every move.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
Yrrix sneered again, and it seemed to be his main expression. Then again, hadn’t he always looked a little sour, a little unhappy? “To prove myself. To save the tribe.” His face darkened. “To prove to Father that I deserve to be heir, not N’Ashtar, who would follow his own cock anywhere.” There was blatant contempt in his words for his brother. “L’Anna will see me as a strong male, able to protect her and take care of her. It also gets rid of O’Rrin.” The pleasure in his words did not go missed.
I wasn’t sure what, if anything, to say to that. It was clear he had a long-standing grudge against O’Rrin, and I doubted there was anything I could say or do that would help me escape.
“The tribe will realize they have always underestimated me.” He rose to his feet in that same fluid motion, then started pacing, twirling his knife in his hand. His eyes were starting to flash tinged with red, and the more he talked, the less it seemed like he was entirely connected with reality. “All my life, I was the small one, the weak one. The few females never glanced twice in my direction, despite me being the chief’s second son. No, I wasn’t good enough for anyone.” He lifted his head, the satisfactory gleam in his eyes sending shivers down my spine. “Then I learned size is not the only way to get power.”
“What do you mean?” I tried to sound genuinely curious, because the longer I could keep him talking, the longer we stayed where we were and didn’t do whatever plan he was threatening.
He frowned at me, although this time it looked genuine. “Do small males not have trouble in your tribe?”
I shook my head, lying through my teeth. “We’re all pretty short, so no one really cares,” I said, ignoring the fact I was shaking. “We don’t really focus on proving how powerful we are.” Bitterness pulsed through me at the thought. It wasn’t because we didn’t care, no. It was because we had weapons that made everything else obsolete. Who needed brute strength when you had a gun?
Yrrix looked thoughtful at this, then shook his head like it didn’t matter. “You must know when to surrender and when to be clever, when to push and when to pull back.” The contempt was back in his expression. “Something my older brother could learn.” Pace, pace. His feet dug into the ground as he started wearing a path as he paced. “Spears are useful, but what if you could not need them? What if, with one sacrifice, you could save the lives of many?”
From the way he was looking at me, I was now the one sacrifice. Much better for it to be a human than to be L’Anna, right? Yadda, yadda, pure bloodlines. Reminded me too much of Earth history. I shivered. “You really think giving me to the Caterri is the right thing to do, even after what they did to the Setti?”
Yrrix shrugged. “I do not care what they do, as long as it does not happen to me.” His lips curved into a dark smirk that sent freezing cold through my body. For all I was already chilled, this made it worse. “You should prepare yourself for the same fate.”
“What do you mean?” My words were a whisper. I had to ask. I didn’t want to, but I had to. I needed to know what I was looking at so I could firm my resolve to leave.
He chuckled. “Fucked to death by the Caterri, then cut up and served for their evening meal.” Mirth danced on his face like firelight, and he was clearly amused by his own words. “Of course, that’s after you’ve given them many babies.”
My hand went to my stomach, and the nausea churned again. I was both surprised and not, really. O’Rrin had mentioned time and time again that there were few females, and I had heard the resentment from N’Ashtar about being forced to tithe a breeding female. Was that how the Caterri ensured their lines would continue? Making other species donate women? How did they ensure that they were Caterri children, or did they just not care?
The scientist in me hated having more questions than answers, even though that seemed to be the default in my new world.
“You say this like it’s a sure thing,” I said boldly, trying to bluff what I didn’t feel. My hands I kept tucked in my lap so he couldn’t see the shaking, and I focused on holding myself straight and steady so that didn’t give me away, either.
Yrrix gave me that darkly amused look again. “It is. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
I was silent for a long moment, considering his words. Was that true? Or was that his bluff? “O’Rrin is going to come for me,” I said instead, holding my chin up so Yrrix thought I wasn’t scared. Even though I was.
Yrrix chuckled. I was starting to hate that sound, starting to hate even the sound of his voice. “But he’s still recovering from a wound, is he not?” He sounded way too pleased with himself. “He will be slow, and the trail I left for the Caterri to their camp should take care of the rest.” The gleam burned bright in his eyes. “If they survived, they still would never catch us. They would be lucky to make it back to N’Akkar alive.”
My jaw dropped and I made myself clack it shut, my senses overwhelmed by what he’d just said. According to him, he’d led a Caterri ambush straight to my friends. One he hoped would kill them all, so they were no longer a problem.
Brother of the year award, right there.
“What about the Caterri? Won’t they blame you?” I sounded as desperate as I was, no matter how much I tried to hide it.
Yrrix gave me a chilled look, one that indicated he was more than done with the conversation. “The N’Akron will not come near Kohta, not with them out for blood,” he said in that dangerously calm tone of his. “Now, I suggest you be quiet and sleep. You will not get another opportunity anytime soon, unless you want to sleep on my shoulder.”
He picked up the bindings and despite my protests, he bound and gagged me again, although this time the gag wasn’t quite as tight. There wasn’t a blanket, just the tunic I’d been kidnapped in. Not that there had been much, since it had been me throwing on clothes after fooling around with my alien boyfriend, or whatever-in-the-hell O’Rrin was. The cold was already starting to get to me, even with pulling my knees to my chest and tucking them into the tight fur.
My mind wandered as I tried to calm through the cold, but it became more and more clear it wasn’t going to happen. I may have lain there miserable, but I doubted I would be able to sleep. Instead, I thought of O’Rrin, about how much we had fought whatever it was between us. If I ever saw him again—when I saw him again—it would be different. He may not have believed in fate, but whatever it was that had pushed us together, it was something worth paying attention to.
