took in his long robes and regal bearing. Naron bowed, and I only stared, stuck on what my mate just said. Females remain silent… What the hell?
What kind of planet had I landed on? Naked? Nipple rings? Silent females?
I was thankful for Naron’s thoughtfulness regarding the robe because the old guy stared. And stared some more. Not in a friendly or warm way. Nope. I felt a little creeped out. While Naron was a stranger to me, he was my mate. He would see me naked...while awake and probably soon. I didn’t have any illusions that he would court or woo me prior to getting me beneath him. Yet I didn’t wish to reveal myself to the entire planet, especially if this guy was his boss. Especially if this guy gave me the willies.
The man… guy, alien, was old. I couldn’t guess his age but definitely older than Naron. He could be his father. Even grandfather. His hair was gray, and his face was heavily lined, but his spine was ramrod straight. I couldn’t guess to his physique beneath the long robe he wore. He had an assessing gaze. It wasn’t sexual as much as… predatory. As if he saw something he wanted.
That wasn’t happening. I recognized that look from men before. It never meant anything good.
“Naron, word has quickly spread that you were matched and to an Earth bride.” His voice was deep and imposing, laced with coldness.
“Yes, Councilor,” Naron replied, setting a hand upon my shoulder. His touch was warm and reassuring.
The ice blue gaze of the older man settled on the action. “I had to see for myself your prize… a proud fighter such as yourself has earned.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt being a prize. I was just a woman from Boston who’d seen and done enough shit on Earth to try a hand at space. The testing said I’d been matched to Trion. How living in bitter cold for half the year made me a good match for a desert planet, I had no idea. And Naron, well, he seemed… sweet. I wasn’t sweet. Far from it. Like the song, I was bad to the bone.
He appeared kind though, and that was a good start. He wasn’t hard on the eyes either. At the words of praise, I saw Naron’s chest puff up.
Bertok looked me over as if I were a blue-ribbon heifer at the county fair. “It’s obvious you are human. Your diminutive size is that of High Councilor Tark’s mate.”
I had no idea who that was or his mate. I was just over five-feet tall, so I had to assume the guy’s Earth bride was petite, too. Opening my mouth to respond, I remembered Naron’s whispered words and closed my mouth. I had no clue what the deal was here, and I didn’t want to blow it this early in the game.
Bertok stepped closer, his long robes swirling about his ankles
He stood before us, his gaze on me. I didn’t know what to do other than to keep my trap shut. I knew nothing about Trion. Nothing about their ways. Nothing about—
Bertok lifted his hand, a dagger within his grip catching my eye. I barely had time to gasp before he struck. If I thought him weak and frail, his ability to slash through Naron’s throat with one well-aimed slice proved I was wrong. So very wrong.
Naron’s hands went to his neck, and his eyes widened in stunned agony.
“Holy fuck,” I said, taking an instinctive step back.
Blood spurted onto me, hot and thick as my mate collapsed to his knees. Bertok retreated as Naron fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Dead. Very, very dead.
Blood continued to seep from his neck and into the packed dirt.
I’d seen bad shit in my time. Bad things done by bad people. Hell, I’d done a bunch of that bad shit myself. I was hardened from it. Jaded. Definitely untrusting. But this? What Bertok just did with ruthless precision? He wasn’t even breathing hard. Hell, other than the blood on the knife, he didn’t have a drop on him.
I took a step back. Then another. I did not want to be next. I had to get away. How, I had no idea. All I’d seen of Trion was inside this tent. Hell, I’d only been on the planet less than five minutes. I tried to hop back on the transport pad, hoping it would Star Trek me back to Earth. I’d tell the warden I wanted