Bethany's Heart (Unearthly World Book 3) (8 page)

Thick black hair hallowed her stunning face. The garneg had made her cheeks rosy to match her luscious lips. When she had rolled over her rounded bottom rose slightly in the air, invitation style, making Finn clench and unclench his fists. Before he did something he would regret, he left her. After a while, Titus joined him at his table in the eating room and downed a mug of the garneg in one gulp.

Titus turned to him and glared. “You gave me the most exasperating female of the bunch.”

Finn grinned at him and sucked back his drink. “I gave her to you because you’re the only one I can think of who won’t kill her. I’ve spent six days too many with her. So has Blu, she’s lucky he didn’t sneak her out and drown her.”

“I had three warriors show up at my door wanting her, until she opened her big fat mouth. How can something so small make so much fucking noise? All three warriors ran for their lives and now the entire ship knows about her. Couldn’t you have left her behind? I’m tempted to hand her over to the Castians but they aren’t the enemy. The Tonans would be a better choice.”

“Come now, you’re more than twice her size. You can manage her.”

“When we get home I’m building a cage in a tree at the perimeter. Every time she sees a cyron she can warn us with her howling. Best fucking form of defense on the planet.”

“Holy yackity yack,” Blu complained as he flopped down at the table and poured himself a mug of booze. He gulped down two mugs of the strong beverage before taking a breath.

“Now what’s your problem?” Finn asked taking in his bedraggled appearance.

“Adan found the interpreting console and asked me four hundred questions in five fucking minutes, tops. Her mouth is motorized, solar-propelled, or runs on some substance not known to our kind as yet. Yippee for us it’s being tried out on me.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “So who’s next to complain?”

“The other warriors seem happy with their females.” Titus rolled his mug in his hand.

“Where is Adan?” Finn asked.

“I gave her a glass of garneg. She’s out cold, on my bed and hard to resist when she’s quiet. She’s so damned cute when asleep—and her gums aren’t flapping like the hood of her fur coverings in a brutal wind. My urge to Holiday is in overdrive with her so close.”

Finn waggled a finger at Blu. “Do not touch her unless you want to be her mate. If she smells like you I’ll have a hard time giving her to another warrior.”

“No worries. I plan on staying drunk for the duration of our journey home. Garneg isn’t called limp dick fuel for nothing. I’m certain whatever warrior you give Adan to will be crazy about her. But words to the wise—find a deaf warrior.” Blu downed another drink and left, but not before refilling his mug.

“Fucking limp dick fuel. The human female cyron has a mouth, but her female scent is killing me. You’re an ass, Finn.” Titus also downed another drink and rose, also refilling his mug, he was glaring at Finn. “Find two deaf warriors.”

* * * *

Finn crawled into bed beside Bethany. She stirred and protested when he took her into his arms.

“Shh,” he muttered.

For a moment she tried to pull away but Finn snuggled her closer. A sound as old as time filled his throat and he crooned a melody to her. Each warrior was capable of producing the sound. It was to lull an infant or strangely enough calm a female Zargonnii they had overpowered during the Holiday with a slight variation. Finn switched between the two sounds. She wasn’t a babe and he hadn’t overpowered her. His cock was thankfully at rest. She felt warm and soft. Female Zargonnii were tougher than rock.

The garneg made him awash with annoying feelings. His body slipped into battle mode when he was engulfed with a sensation of protection. He slipped out of battle mode when he had thoughts of tenderness. Into battle mode when he heard an unfamiliar sound. Out of battle mode when he heard her whimper. He was reminded of when they first met. Her running, stumbling, falling, up again. He slipped into battle mode when her face pressed into his chest and her warm sweet breath filled his nostrils. She was a female and if he dominated a female he should be in battle mode to protect her.

Bethany groaned and Finn slipped out of battle mode. She was too delicate to pull against him so roughly. By the time Finn fell asleep he felt as though his body had gone to war. There was no winner. Garneg had become the enemy.

“You look horrible,” Bethany said to Finn.

After five days aboard the ship Bethany was used to Finn and the other warriors. But lately they all seemed a bit squirrely. Many were growly, a few fought, tempers were high. One moment Finn was desperate to be by her side, the next he almost tripped over himself to keep his distance. It made no sense to Bethany and he offered no excuse. Bethany wasn’t the only one who was having issues with her warrior. Adan was hopelessly in love with Blu who avoided her except to viciously keep any other warrior away from her. The poor girl was so confused by Blu’s actions, she was eerily silent at times.

The other women were equally confused. She had seen Bertha. Titus had put her in a room all to herself, the women took turns visiting her and taking her food. None of the warriors wanted anything to do with her. Bethany wondered if the woman was going crazy, she spent a great deal of time humming and rocking back and forth. All of the women wondered where they were being taken. Tasia kept her warrior at arm’s length as did the others. Right now, Bethany’s thoughts centered on Finn. He looked exhausted.

“My urge to Holiday with you grows stronger.”

Bethany was sitting beside him on the bench in the eating hall as he rubbed at weary eyes. She was eating a type of oatmeal with softened meat chunks. Finn informed her their food was too hard for human teeth unless it was boiled or pre-chewed by a Zargonnii. The idea made Bethany gag until he told her the warriors had come prepared with the developed substance in case they proved lucky.

“Holiday means sex. I get that. It sounds so primitive.” Bethany scooped up some food onto a large spoon and nibbled the contents, it wasn’t bad.

“Not primitive, a necessity to our species survival.”

“I’m not necessary to your survival.”

“To mine you are.”

“For a badass warrior you are pretty sensitive.”

“You find me weak for not pouncing on you and taking what I want. I can remedy that.”

Bethany had never heard him sound so angry. “I didn’t say you were weak, not by any means. I just think you’re sensitive. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Bethany cried out when she was hauled to her feet by another warrior. Finn flipped the long table over when he jumped up.

“Release my female,” he roared.

“I’m not hurting her, I’m curious. She doesn’t wear your scent. After all this time,” the other warrior argued. “Maybe she’d be interested in another.”

Finn’s hand shot out and he grabbed the warrior by his throat lifting him off the ground. The flailing warrior had no choice but to release Bethany who fell to the ground. She was no wimp—she reminded herself as she scooted to hide behind Finn’s legs. She merely wanted to stay out of the way.

“Finn,” Titus bellowed. “Drop him. If you hurt him, you would have to heal him.”

Growling, Finn dropped the warrior. “This female is off limits.”

“This female is driving you insane. Does she know that?” Titus countered.

“What do you mean?” Bethany asked. Though many of their words eluded her she got the idea of what was said.

Titus looked down at her then to Finn. “Explain our mating habits to your female now, before I lose my only healer. And you.” Titus glared at the other warrior and the ones who had gathered around. “If you’re so horny go find the big mouth female cyron and see if she’ll have any of you. By all means—take her off my hands.”

The entire room groaned. Finn leaned down and gripped Bethany under her arms, she squealed as he tossed her over his shoulder. She could feel his grunting growls rumbling right through his back. When he entered his room she bounced when he dumped her on the bed. Finn began pacing. Bethany began to wonder if his huge booted feet would wear a groove in the floor.

“You’ve stopped eating, you hardly smile, you’re moody as hell. Spill it, Doc Jaws. You’re driving me nuts,” Bethany said.

Finn stopped and spun to face her. “I’m driving you nuts? You have no idea the restraint I’m containing. It’s—killing—me.”

“You said your males and females don’t live together for a reason, because of a Holiday?”

“Our females come into heat every two years. The closer they come to the male section the greater our urges to Holiday increase until males will go wild if they don’t mate. It’s for our safety; our females are bigger and stronger. We need the fury to fight for dominance. They don’t need fury, more temperance; it’s believed they eat a fruit which makes them receptive to sex.”

“You really battle for sex?” Bethany became very aware she was sitting on a bed.

“It’s our nature. If our males and females lived together we would constantly be battling.”

“Do you feel the need to battle me?” Bethany tried not to gulp as she said this.

“No, not battle. I can feel my dominance over you. It’s your proximity; your smell is driving me insane. You’re a walking, sitting, lounging, sleeping aphrodisiac. I can’t put you somewhere you would be alone because, trust me, the other warriors are going just as batty as I am. There are females on this ship who have not been claimed. None of them want Bertha and her mouth which keeps her safe. Blu is having a hell of a time. Adan is attracted to him and doesn’t hide it; Blu can scent her emotions because they’re so high. But because he doesn’t want to mate with a human female he has to keep battling other warriors to keep her safe. It’s one of the reasons I split you all up. I can’t protect all of you.”

“If we mate, or have sex or, or if we Holiday will the other warriors still want me?”

“Their drive will lesson. It would be suicide to approach a male who has dominated a female looking for a taste.”

Bethany listened as the computers words drifted off translating his words. Some of which she already guessed. Finn had rigged the initial console to all three of his rooms as well as his office.

“If I stay away from the warriors…”

Finn was shaking his head. “There have never been so many subservient females in one place. Our hunting party wasn’t the only successful one. Some of the other human females have been claimed, some haven’t and some are just plain terrified. Zargonnii males aren’t used to females fearing us to such an extent. It’s unheard of. Females don’t fear males—at least they’re not supposed to. Females aren’t so vulnerable.”

Bethany started to argue but Finn held up his hands. “Which of these Zargonnii warriors can you battle and win? You are a tiny little thing. How strong are you? It is our culture to battle aggressive females. How aggressive are you? Will you battle me?” That shut her up, her mouth snapped closed. “You are looking at this from a human perspective. Human females can be dominated by a few of your males, they want to be, but not all human females feel the same. Zargonnii males are all about dominance. We dominate other cultures for a price, payment when we are contacted. This has nothing to do with payment. We came to try and save you.”

“Do your females really dominate the males?”

“Most of the time.”

“Have you ever dominated a Zargonnii female?”

“Yes, my last Holiday. It’s why I want a human female as a mate. I’m tired of the fighting, always watching my back or there would be a warring female chewing on it. Even when dominated, the females still fight. It’s exhausting. You have no idea the rarity it is for a male to be talking to a female. I don’t speak Zargonnii female.”

“Your females speak a different language?”

“Yes, all male Zargonnii, be it north or south, speak the same language while all female Zargonnii be it north or south speak their own language.”

“Why don’t you learn their language?”

“I did the first month of my life, but by the time I was seven or eight I forgot it. It’s hard to remember when there is no one to communicate to. By the time our males are schooled, they have forgotten most of their mothers’ words.”

Finn slumped beside her. Bethany didn’t know what to say. She liked Finn, he was gentle and kind. She wasn’t afraid of him. Looking at him, she realized how miserable he was. He was definitely a male any woman would be proud of. Earth was gone and he was taking her to his home.

“Hey, are you saying I wouldn’t have a mother-in-law.” She almost wiggled at the idea trying to make light of the situation when she was so uncertain.

“I have a mother, it’s rare but I have seen her and spoken with her. You saw her picture when you first boarded. At least we communicate, as I mentioned males and females of my species don’t have the same language. I’ve been told humans have many languages which I find odd. We only have two. All males on my planet speak ‘male,’ all females speak ‘female,’ except for the humans, humans are being taught to speak ‘male,’ it makes it simpler because you will be surrounded by warriors.

“My mother doesn’t come around much but I catch her scent in the breeze on occasion. She has become very protective of my brother’s babe. You see, it’s unnatural for males and females to live together, so having two females living with a warrior is disturbing to females. It upsets our culture’s balance. I suppose in one way, it gives males an edge where they hadn’t one before. My mother understands Kobe’s female wishes to stay with him. But she doesn’t really understand why. I think mostly my mother returns to hunt in our area. We have massive beasts on our planet called cyrons, they are beasts which the females do their best to keep at bay, away from their male offspring. Those and other nasty creatures will keep you close to my side. Some of the beasts on my planet won’t go near a warrior, if they scent me on you, it would be to your advantage.”

Bethany thought about that. Finn had said he was basically indestructible, but cyron beasts were vicious and he almost lost his brother Kobe to one. She was hit with an epiphany. She was with an alien on an alien vessel going God knows where into heaven knows what. Bethany didn’t doubt for a second Finn was lying about vicious creatures, just looking at him was reason enough to believe.