Hannah's Warrior: Cosmos' Gateway Book 2 (4 page)

“
Do you agree?” Teriff asked
again.

Borj looked in confusion at
his father for a moment.
What the hell did
he just ask?
Borj’s head was not on what
his father was saying but on the idea of burying himself balls deep
inside the delicate female. Borj flushed as he realized his father
and the council was waiting for his answer. Uncomfortable at asking
his father to repeat his request, Borj nodded his head in
agreement. The only thing he cared about was he finally had
permission to return to the planet where the female he wanted
lived.

Later that day, Borj looked again at the
items Tink was telling him about. She was giving him so much
information at such a rapid speed his head was spinning. Did she
always talk so fast? The translator was having a difficult time
keeping up with everything.

“
These are jeans and you are wearing a
t-shirt and leather jacket. You would stick out like crazy if you
wore that uniform-thingy you guys always seem to wear. We really
need to get you guys some new outfits although I have to say the
form fitting on the pants is oh-la-la, if you ask me! I can always
tell when J’kar is horny and the curve of his…” Tink was
saying.

J’kar let out a low growl and turned Tink
around rapidly in his arms sealing his lips to hers in a deep kiss.
“Enough!” J’kar growled softly under his breath. “You are…” J’kar
drew in a swift breath and his face flushed as Tink turned back to
Borj with a mischievous grin.

Borj bit back a groan when he saw the reason
for his brother’s sudden discomfort. Tink was running her hand over
the hard length stretching the front of J'kar's pants though she
was trying to hide it. Borj watched partly in envy and partly
because he couldn’t take his eyes off the erotic sight of a female
responding so passionately without even having to be bitten. In all
his years, Borj had never seen a more passionate female.

On Prime, females were few
and far between and coupling only occurred to relieve built up
aggression or to produce offspring. Before either could occur, the
males would bite the females releasing a chemical into the females
to increase their desire to mate. It normally required many times
before the chemical would build up enough for a female to become
fertile enough to receive a male’s seed. Their scientists believe
this might be one reason the birth rate had begun declining,
especially the births of females. Another problem was only bond
mated couples could reproduce. Each Prime male and female was
required to attend a Mating Ceremony when they came of age. Prime
males were matched to their mates though a mating rite ceremony;
and, if no match is made, life for the unattached males meant a
solitary existence. The mating rites were a chemical reaction that
occurred when a Prime male had a physical and emotional chemical
reaction bonding them to a female. The males become overwhelmed
with feelings of possessiveness, protectiveness and sexual desire.
A mating mark, a series of intricate circles denoting the
unbreakable bond between mates, appears on the palm of the male and
matching female when they come into contact with each other. Each
mark is as individualized as the bonded pair.

The Prime, a proud warrior species, were
desperate to find a species that the larger population of males
could bond with. That was one of the reasons Borj had been on the
warship. Borj was acting as an ambassador for Baade, their home
world, hoping to find out if any of the men on board would react to
the females in the nearby system. Despite meeting hundreds of
females, none formed a bond mate much to the relief of some of the
males on board. Many of the males had almost revolted at some of
the females paraded before them. Borj couldn’t really blame them.
He had fought back panic himself when presented with females who
were larger than he was, had green scaly skin and far more limbs
than he was comfortable with. The only other choice was one with
more hair on its body than some of the creatures found on Prime.
Neither represented a desirable choice. But, if it meant a bond,
the male would not care what the female looked like. Borj found out
his brother Mak’s trip was just as unproductive.

They were returning from the nearby galaxy of
Grus on a trading and fact-finding mission when they received an
emergency signal from a passenger starship. The starship turned out
to be a decoy to lure in unsuspecting ships. Instead of passengers,
it contained a savage race of species known as the Juangans. They
were a cannibalistic species known to feed on their own kind if no
other food source was available. It was on this journey that Tink
suddenly appeared through a portal device created by a male of her
species. Tink had saved his youngest brother, Derik’s, life. When
she first appeared on the bridge of the warship, all of the males
were enchanted by her delicate beauty. But, it was when she touched
J’kar and the mating mark appeared that all the males on the bridge
realized an overwhelming hope for their future. When the male from
her world appeared on their warship and took Tink away, J’kar
become inconsolable with rage and anguish. Fortunately for all of
them, Tink had left two valuable pieces of her behind…RITA, the
artificial intelligence program she used and a miniature portal
device, both allowed them to travel to her world. Now, Borj was
preparing to return to the ‘warehouse’ where Tink lived and meet
with her friend, Cosmos. Borj had not met Cosmos yet but between
what J’kar. Brock, Lan, and Derik told him and what Tink was
telling him, he felt confident he would not have any problems with
the human male helping him

“
And you promise to tell Cosmos I’m
okay, right?” Tink was saying.

Borj flushed as he realized he had been lost
in his thoughts again. He didn’t know what was wrong with him but
he needed to pay better attention. He looked down at the tiny
female looking up at him with her big, dark brown eyes and smile
softly.

“
I promise to let him know you are
well.” Borj said raising a hand to touch Tink’s pale cheek. He
ignored J’kar’s low growl of displeasure. “I will return
soon.”

“
With Hannah?” Tink asked with a huge
grin.

Borj’s eyes flashed with amusement as he
glanced up at J’kar who moved closer to Tink and was drawing her
back against him. “…With Hannah.” Borj said softly letting the
female’s name roll over his tongue.

Borj walked to the room that was now
designated for traveling back and forth through the portal device.
Brock and Lan were in deep discussion over a control panel. Brock
looked up when Borj entered the room and nodded. Lan turned to
watch as well, his eyebrows raised as he took in Borj’s
appearance.

“
You look…different.” Lan said as he
let his gaze travel up and down Borj’s length.

Borj grinned as he saw the skeptical look in
both men’s eyes. “The clothing of the human men is actually quite
comfortable.” Borj said.

Lan looked at Borj in amusement. “How is Tink
doing? She was pleased you are going to bring her mother here?”

“
Her mother?” Borj said with a frown.
“I am not returning with her mother. I will bring the female called
Hannah…her older sister here.”

Brock burst out laughing. “Isn’t that the
female you and Mak were fight over?”

Borj’s frown deepened as he looked back and
forth between the two men. Something wasn’t right and he could tell
they knew it. “The image contained all three females. Mak wants to
claim the other one. I believe Tink called her Tansy. I plan to
claim the one called Hannah. She is the one I am going to
retrieve.”

Lan was shaking his head back and forth.
“Your father requested you return with the mother. Your father
specifically requested she be the one brought here.”

Borj grunted in frustration. “Why…” He began
only to be interrupted by the man in question.

Teriff hurried into the room waving the two
guards following him away impatiently. “Good. You have not left
yet. I need to speak with you.” Teriff glanced at Brock and Lan but
did not seem concerned they were in the room.

“
I want you to bring Tink’s mother
straight to your mother and my living quarters when you return.”
Teriff said in a hushed voice looking back over his
shoulder.

Borj was frowning at his father. He had never
seen him this agitated before. And when did he seem so nervous
about making a request before? His father was never
nervous…demanding, yes…nervous never!

“
I am not bringing her mother. I am
bringing her sister.” Borj said determinedly.

Teriff drew himself up to his full height and
glared at his younger son. “No, you will bring the mother!” He
demanded.

“
I don’t want to bring the mother.”
Borj said in frustration ignoring the snickering of the two men
standing next to him. “I want the daughter!”

“
You will bring the mother!” Teriff
roared ignoring the startled looks from his son, Brock and
Lan.

Borj was confused. What did it matter which
family member he brought as long as he brought at least one?
“But…why?” Borj asked.

Teriff flushed and looked over his shoulder
again to make sure the guards were far enough away so he could not
be overheard. Borj looked at the determination in his father’s
eyes. He was definitely missing something. Both Brock and Lan
seemed to know what his father was about to say from the looks on
their faces and their barely concealed attempts to keep the
laughter from escaping.

“
Why?” Borj demanded more
forcefully.

Teriff’s face turned red before he drew in a
deep breath before responding. “Her mother knows all kinds of
things about human females and their sexual likes and dislikes.
Your mother…” Teriff couldn’t keep the grin from breaking free.
“Your mother has learned a lot from your brother’s bond mate and
she said her mother knows a lot more. Your mother demonstrated some
of this new knowledge on me last night. I want her to learn
more.”

Borj took a step back and stared at his
father in disbelief. He looked just like a young warrior having his
first taste of release. Borj was already shaking his head. He was
supposed to give up the possibility of a bond mate so his mother
could learn better ways to pleasure his father?! Oh, Goddesses no!
His father could just wait.

“
No. I will bring the one called Hannah
back. She is the oldest sister. She will have much knowledge and
can share with mother.” Borj growled out stepping up until he was
almost chest to chest with his father.

Teriff raised his eyebrow at his younger
son’s stringent refusal. “You are refusing a direct order from your
father?”

Borj gritted his teeth before nodding. “Yes.”
He said.

Teriff looked carefully at the determination
in his younger son’s eyes. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps the older
sister would have just as much knowledge as the mother would. After
all, it was the responsibility of the mother to pass such knowledge
on to her children. Tink proved she had some of this knowledge and
if the other girl was older perhaps she knew even more. Teriff
frowned as he weighed which female would be more beneficial.

Borj watched as his father contemplated his
refusal. Borj glanced at Lan who nodded to Brock who slipped the
portal device into Borj’s hand with a small grin of encouragement.
When Borj looked at both men in surprise, they just shrugged their
shoulders and stepped back. Borj didn’t ask twice if everything was
ready. He pushed down on the top of the device and watched as a
shimmering doorway appeared not two feet away from him. Teriff
jerked back in surprise as Lan and Brock each took up a position
between him and the doorway leaving Borj a clear path to it.

“
Safe journey, my lord.” Brock said
with a grin. “Bring us news of other likely females.”

“…
And additional images to choose from
them.” Lan added with a grin.

Teriff couldn’t suppress his chuckle as he
watched his younger son disappear through the shimmering doorway.
After having tasted the delights of unrestrained…and delightfully
restrained…passion, he could understand his son’s resistance to his
command and his eagerness to find the younger female. Teriff
adjusted the front of his pants which seemed to be staying in a
perpetual state of tight discomfort since he first tasted his
mate’s sweet essence. With a grunt to Lan and Brock for him to be
notified when his son returned, Teriff decided he had worked enough
for the day. He believed his mate promised him some additional
lessons on how a female could receive pleasure if touched just
right.

Chapter 3

Hannah dropped down wearily
into the chair in Tink’s living room on the third floor of the
warehouse. It had taken her a little over a week to get to Calais,
Maine. Things had gone to hell in a hand basket almost from the
moment she hung up with Tink. One of the nice things about being in
the middle of nowhere was the privacy and solitude. One of the bad
things was trying to find a flight out of it. The first order was
to get to a town big enough to have an airport, of any size. The
closest one was over two hundred miles away as the crow flies.
Unfortunately, the Land Rover didn’t. So, the trip ended up being
more like five hundred miles across very rugged terrain. Three
hundred miles in the Land Rover overheated. Abasi was able to patch
it to get them to another small village but it took some creative
maneuvering to get it repaired. It seemed the water pump was acting
up, as well as the thermostat. There was a supply truck that came
through ‘sometimes’ once a week. If Hannah gave a message to one of
the men, he would run to the next village where another man would
give the message to someone else, who would then go to another
village and so on. It took four days before she found out the truck
would bring the needed parts. Normally, Hannah had some spare parts
on hand, but it just so happen, the last part to break was the
water pump and she forgot to get another one thinking it wouldn’t
go out again so soon.
And that,
she thought tiredly,
was
what she got for thinking.