Ral's Woman (6 page)

“What is a hunt planet?”

“My kind vacation on our hunt planet. It is primitive planet
without civilization. The ship that takes us there leaves us for a week. The
Anzons thought we were a very basic species with no technology because we don’t
allow it on our hunting grounds. That would ruin the vacation if technology
were allowed to poison the planet and the beasts we hunt for sport. The Anzons
are seriously learning how they underestimated us now.” He chuckled.

“So they can’t come after us on Zorn?”

Amusement lit Ral’s incredible blue eyes. “No. We have ships
far better than this and a defense system that would never allow them to even
get close to our planet. They only got us because we were on our hunt planet.
When I return home I will have measures taken to defend that planet from now on
so this never happens again.”

Ariel was nervous. She sat between Ral’s thighs staring at
the planet they were approaching. Zorn wasn’t a blue and white planet. Zorn was
shades of red and had three large moons closely surrounding it.

Ral nodded at one of his men. “Open communications.”

“Yes, Argis Ral.”

“This is Argis Ral,” he growled. “We have returned home.
Alert Hyvin Berrr.”

A male growled in response. “Argis Ral? Confirm your
identity.”

Ral issued some growling. The translator didn’t give Ariel a
translation. It was just harsh sounds.

“Welcome home, Argis Ral.” The man sounded happy. “Your
father will be very pleased. We have searched for you and our people without
success.”

“We have escaped our captors.” Ral hugged Ariel. “We will
need transports.”

“Immediately, Argis Ral,” the man said.

They put the ship in orbit over the planet and Ariel
couldn’t stop staring at Zorn. It looked so different from Earth—not that she’d
ever really seen Earth from space, only movies and pictures of it from space. Zorn
was definitely different. The planet looked bigger too than any pictures of
Earth. She swallowed.

“Are you all right, Ariel?” Ral softly growled in her ear.

“Yes. I’m just nervous. What is it like?”

He chuckled as he held her tight. “You will like it. It is
beautiful.”

That’s all he ever told her about his planet. For the last
three weeks while they’d traveled to Zorn Ral had been busy. He’d left her
mostly alone in the leader’s quarters, but he’d come to her at night to sleep
and make love. He’d avoided all her questions and it was starting to concern
her. To just say a planet was beautiful left a whole lot open.

Ral lifted both of them to their feet. He led her to the
bowels of the ship with her hand in his. She saw most of his people gathered
there. They looked unusually happy and excited, standing in groups. Ral smiled as
he nodded at them as he pulled her closer.

“We are home. It has been too long since they have seen
their families and friends.”

Ariel missed her home and family too but she smiled at him.
Ral was her world now. To go home meant she’d have to leave him. After the
almost month they’d spent together she couldn’t imagine life without him.

“They have sent transport ships to fly us to the planet.
This ship is too large for our planet docking stations.”

She eyed the ship around them. “What will happen to it?”

He smiled. “We’ll keep it. They took us. We took their
ship.”

A loud sound startled Ariel. Ral chuckled. “A transport is
docking.” He motioned his head toward the far corner. “We will go first. My
father and brothers will be very anxious to see me.”

She gripped his hand tighter, staring up at his face. “How
will they feel about me?”

“We are bound. They will have to accept it.”

“Can’t your father unbind us? You said he was leader of this
world.”

Ral frowned. “He won’t.”

Dread hit Ariel. Ral didn’t say the man couldn’t unbind
them. He’d used the word won’t, which implied it was possible. What if his
father wanted Ariel out of Ral’s life? What would become of her then?

The doors by them slid open and large Zorn men dressed in
black uniforms stepped out. Ral smiled. He walked forward, pulling Ariel along
behind him as he closed the space between himself and the newcomers.

“Argernon.” Ral chuckled. “You came all this way to see me.”
Ral released Ariel to yank the man into a bear hug.

Ariel saw the resemblance between both men then. Argernon
kept his smile in place as he released Ral. “You look good, Brother. We feared
you were dead.”

Ral laughed. “I am too mean to die.” Ral turned, reaching
for Ariel. He pulled her forward.

Ariel stared up at the large Zorn. She saw his eyes widen as
he stared back at her. His mouth opened but immediately slammed shut. His eyes
flew to Ral.

“She smells strongly of you.”

“This is Ariel. I am bound to her.”

Horror hit Argernon’s features. “You bound to an enemy?”

Ral growled. “She is no enemy.”

“She is one of your captors.”

“No. She was taken from her world as well as we were.”

Argernon still looked angry. “She is other world. You cannot
be bound to one from another world. Father will not allow it.”

Ral growled viciously. “It is done. She is mine. We are
bound.”

Argernon took a step back. He put up his hands. “I will let
you take it up with Father.” His eyes lowered to Ariel. “She is too small and
pale.”

“She is mine.” Ral snarled at his brother. “No one will take
her from me.”

Argernon looked concerned and a bit angry. “Is she breeding
compatible? Can she carry your offspring?”

Ral hesitated. “I do not know nor do I care. She is mine.”

Argernon sighed deeply. “Let us go. Father is in a strong desire
to see you quickly.” His eyes turned to Ariel. “Can she even understand us?”

“Yes.” Ral focused his attention on Ariel. “Speak to my
brother to see if Zorn translators work with your language.”

Ariel swallowed. “Hello, Argernon. It’s nice to meet you.”

Argernon frowned. His eyes slid to Ral. He shook his head.
“I cannot understand her. She speaks softly. She does not speak like us.”

Irritation made Ral frown. “We will have to have someone
work on this. The translators they fit on us work. We’ll have to modify our Zorn
translators for her language.”

“This is not acceptable,” Argernon growled. “You brought a
woman home who can’t even speak or understand us.”

Ariel glanced at Ral. “I can understand him.”

Ral nodded at her. “Good.”

“What did she say?” Argernon looked grim.

“She can understand you perfectly. Let’s go. Contact someone
and have them work on this immediately. I want my bound woman able to speak so
all can understand her and not just the Zorn on this ship.”

Argernon looked furious. His glowing blue eyes narrowed on
Ariel for a second and he could sense his direct gaze made her feel uneasy. He
jerked his eyes to his brother. His head snapped an affirmative response before
the man spun around to stomp for the door he’d come through.

The transport was about the size of an Earth bus. Ral pulled
Ariel onto his lap as Zorn filled the seats. The doors closed and then they
were flying toward the planet. Ral held her tightly and belted them in. When
they hit the atmosphere the transporter shook—it was a rough ride. Ral chuckled
at her fear and he held her tighter, nuzzling her cheek with his, he whispered
into the wrong ear. He softly growled at her.

She didn’t remind him she couldn’t understand him—she knew
the gist of what he had said. He was assuring her it was safe. The transport
didn’t have windows so she didn’t get to see anything until it sat down with a
small bump. Ral unfastened them from the seat and took her hand to lead her
out.

She knew who Ral’s father and brothers were immediately.
Ral’s father looked so much like Ral that she didn’t need introduced to know
his identity. The four younger men who surrounded their father shared a strong
family resemblance. Ral kept hold of her hand until he reached out to his
father. Ral dropped Ariel’s hand to grip the older man in a bear hug.

Ariel didn’t move an inch as she watched Ral hug each of his
family members. The men looked really happy to have him back. One of Ral’s
brothers turned his attention to Ariel. He frowned and his eyes flew to Ral.

“What is she?”

Ral pulled back from his brother’s embrace. He turned,
smiling, and reached for Ariel. “This is Ariel. I am bound to her.”

The old man roared—Ral’s father looked furious. Ariel gasped
as she almost fell on her ass when she stumbled back to distance herself from
the man. Ral caught her around her waist and hauled her against his body. He
snarled at his father.

“What was that for?”

“You are not bound to that.” Ral’s father snarled back.

Ral’s mouth tightened into a grim line. “She’s from Earth.
She’s human. She was taken from her planet by the Anzons who stole our people.
I have bound to her. She is mine. Never roar at her again, Father.”

“She’s small and weak. Look at her skin. It is pale.”

Hyvin Berrr glared at Ariel as he spoke. If looks could kill
she knew she’d be taking her last breath. This man ruled Zorn according to Ral.
If the older man wanted her dead she had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t have
much time left to live.

“She is brave and beautiful. I do not care what you think. I
have bound her.” Ral snarled the words at his father. His body was tense and
his hold on Ariel was almost bruising. “She is mine and I will not let her be
taken from me.”

His father shot a vicious look at Ariel. “What kind of hold
does she have on you?” He turned his head to stare at a Zorn woman. “Take her
to medical. I want to know if she is doing something to my son to make him lose
his head.”

Ral growled. “No.”

Argernon got between father and brother. “Let her be
examined. You will be at her side, Ral. It will make Father see she has not
bewitched you with her other-world ways. You can also have her translator
evaluated to see if it can be tuned so others besides you can understand her.”

Ral was breathing hard and he was obviously still furious.
He jerked a nod at Argernon. His eyes shot to his father. “If you try to take
her from me I will take that ship in space and we will go to her world. You
will lose me forever.”

Ral grabbed Ariel’s hand and stormed away. She had to run to
keep up with his longer strides. Ariel got one glimpse of Hyvin Berrr’s furious
face before he was out of sight. They followed the Zorn woman toward medical.

Ariel eyed her surroundings. It was beautiful. The buildings
were mostly black and the sky had a red tint to it, reminding Ariel of a sunset
at home, only all of the sky was a light red. The dirt was a dark red and the
grass purple. She walked over a small bridge and paused.

Ral stopped with her. He followed the direction of her eyes.
“What is it?”

“Your water is a dark purple.”

“What color is water on your planet?”

“Clear mostly but our oceans are blue.”

He rubbed her hand in his. “It sounds nice.”

“I’m just glad I can breathe. I was worried about that.”

He chuckled. “I wasn’t. We breathe the same. Let’s go.”

The Zorn woman was waiting. Her eyes were fixed on Ariel.
The woman looked at her like she was a bug. Ariel sighed. She spoke softly.

“I don’t think your people like me.”

“You look different but you are beautiful to the eye.”

She met his eyes. “You think so.”

“They think so as well. You are just different and they
haven’t seen such pale skin before.”

“What is she saying?” the Zorn woman asked softly.

Ral turned his attention on the woman. “She thinks you don’t
like her. I was explaining that you are just curious.”

The woman looked at Ariel and nodded. “She can understand us
but I cannot understand her. She speaks so softly and strangely but it is
pleasant to the ear.”

“We figured that out.” Ral chuckled.

Inside the medical building they were taken to the second
floor. The woman smiled at Ariel. It was a forced smile in Ariel’s opinion.

“I am a healer and a scientist. Do you understand me? I am
Ahhu.”

Ariel nodded.

The woman looked relieved. She eyed Ral. “Will you stay so
you can translate?”

“I will not leave my Ariel’s side.”

“Can you have her remove her clothing? I would like to
examine her.”

Ariel tensed. “Now I feel like a bug.”

“What is that?” Ral arched his eyebrow.

She met his curious gaze. “Like a science experiment. Is
that a better description?”

Ral pulled her into his arms to give her a hug. “I know this
is difficult for you, Ariel. I am sorry.”

She nodded into his chest and let him comfort her for a
moment. Ariel pulled back. “It’s all right.” She removed her clothing. Ahhu
stared at her with open curiosity. Ariel flushed and stood as the woman’s gaze
raked over every inch of her.

“You have bred her.” Ahhu glanced at Ral. “Correct?”

“Yes. I told you I bound her.”

Ahhu nodded. “How is she physically different from our
women?”

“Besides her obvious looks?” Ral growled.

“Besides.”

“It’s all right,” Ariel sighed. “Don’t get mad.”

He was angry. Ariel could see it. Ral glared at the Zorn
woman. “Her
unis
is in the front.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Her
unis
is in the front, exposed between her thighs
when spread.”

The Zorn scientist’s eyes flew to Ariel. “May I please see
this?”

Ariel knew Ahhu had to examine her, but she still felt
embarrassment. She climbed on the exam table and spread her thighs, but she
shut her eyes so she didn’t have to watch herself being stared at. When she
felt the hand her eyes flew open and she started to jerk away. It was Ral touching
her and she instantly relaxed. He spread her nether lips with his fingers to better
expose her sex. Ral’s eyes locked with Ariel’s.

“Look but don’t touch her, Ahhu.” Ral warned. “You are making
her uncomfortable and you will treat her with the respect of my bound woman.”

The woman dipped her head in a nod. “Of course, Argis Ral.”

Ariel saw Ahhu staring at every exposed inch of her. The
woman reached for something. Ral growled. He looked furious.

“No.”

Ahhu froze. “I wanted to document it.”

“You will not take documentation of my woman’s sexuality to
share with other scientists. Put that down now.” He snarled. “No other male
sees my woman like this but me.”

Ahhu put the electronic device down. She moved closer to
study Ariel. She was fascinated. “Her color is different. She’s pink.”