Harden My Heart (Club Release 3) Science Fiction Abduction Romance (10 page)

The clanging of metal and loud cussing of gruff voices draws my attention back to the guys. Din Ryk is slashing at Din Ash who is holding his ground with unnatural strength. The tattoos on Din Ash’s arms seem to ripple and pulse with life. But that can’t be, can it?

Din Lor shifts into my view as he sends his cord out and whips Din Zairin’s sword aside long before the thick metal can cut him. The cord slowly comes back to Din Lor only to be whipped out and around Din Dax’s leg. One tug and the warrior goes down. How the hell does Din Lor have such control over the cord?

Taunts are flying as Din Tairin steps in and fights Din Lor off while Din Dax jumps to his feet. They are amazing to watch. So beautiful—in a sleek deadly animal sort of way.

They are a badass team.

My foolish heart longs to be a part of their team forever. Even if it’s only filling their glasses so they can practice longer. I want to be part of this world, their world, Tairin’s world. An awful ache spears through my chest. My heart longs for Tairin’s love. A foolish longing, that one.

A blur of tan, low to the ground, catches my attention. The guys yell and Din Tairin doges just in time to avoid something hitting him. What was it? And what is that creature? From the guys reaction it is something dangerous.

I’m glad Din Tairin is able to dodge so well. The twins seem to have an uncanny sense of movement around them before it even happens. Looks like that ability just saved my lover. My heart seizes at the thought of Tairin getting killed. Pain shoots through my chest. I can’t do that again. I have to harden my dumbass heart.

Life is too uncertain to get attached to anyone. My gaze drifts over Tairin. If I can just make myself believe that, I’ll be all right.

The guys are talking fast as they surround the slender creature. I openly stare at them. Why are they so concerned about the small bundle of fur? It’s funny to watch such tall stout men get so stirred up over a two foot tall fluffy animal.

“Yeah, why is that?” I ask one of the green camleons that is chattering up a storm right in my face. The bird’s unibrow is going up and down and the tuffs of hair on its head are bobbing more than usual. “What is it?” The bird flaps its wings and flies high over the guys heads.

Din Tairin calls me over. What the hell? I look up and see that all five of the camleons are chirping and watching the guys. Something is up. I cautiously move over to Din Tairin.

He has the slender tan creature in his hands. It is squirming and hissing. “I don’t think it likes you holding it.”

I hear a chuckle come from one of the guys.

“It doesn’t,” my lover agrees. “This is a dagstab. Stay far away from them. When they feel threatened or get startled they shoot poisonous quills from their tail.”

Fuck. “That’s what you dodged? Poisonous quills.”

“Yes, seema. They usually don’t kill zaphinians but the poison does make us very sick. With your skin being so soft, you’d get a full dose of poison.”

I look closely at the creature. It looks a little like a ferret. I think of the quills and shiver. The dagstab’s tail is about two feet long. I’ll have to remember to avoid it like the plague.

One of the camleons flies over my head and chatters loudly. Fear for my friend has me pointing to the birdhouse. To my relief the bird actually does fly home.

“How come it’s not shooting more quills?”

“Because it can’t. It used them all up when it tried to get me and then Din Dax when we surrounded it. Now it’ll be half a day before new quills have grown in enough to make it dangerous again.” I watch Din Tairin walk a little ways into the lush jungle and release the dagstab. A blur of tan shoots through the undergrowth and is gone in a heartbeat.

Blue and green surround me. Four of the camleons living in our birdhouse are flying wildly around me. The tuffs of hair on their heads is dancing wildly as they chirp and chatter like crazy. They seem to be trying to tell me something.

“What’s got you guys all riled up?”

“The dagstab,” Din Ryk says.

“Why?”

Din Tairin looks at our birds and then back at me. “Because dagstabs eat camleons.”

“Backflipping fuck.” A camleon flies over and lands on my shoulder. I ruffle the hair on its head. I can barely contain myself. My friends need me. I turn narrowed eyes on Din Tairin. “Why didn’t you kill it?”

The camleon chatters something toward Din Tairin and flies off.

My pulse kicks up and my hands tremble. “Did you just murder my friends? Is that little bastard coming back tonight to kill them all? Flipping fuck! Was he casing the place?”

“Calm down, Kinsey Lea. Dagstabs cannot climb poles like the one attached to your birdhouse. That’s why it’s so slick and smooth. Birds who live in houses like that are protected.”

I feel some of the rage pulsing in me slip away.

Din Tairin strokes back a few strands of my hair that my friends messed up. The gesture is gentle and his gold and purple gaze is soft. I feel even more of my rage ease away.

“That’s why I bought the birdhouse for you. To protect your pets.”

Now I feel bad for yelling at him.

I hear a few sniffs and then see the guys walk off in my peripheral vision. I must look like a loon to them. A short human loon.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.” A blue camleon chirps as it flies over my head. “I just can’t stand the thought of my friends getting killed.”

“It’s all right, little seema. I know how it feels to want to protect those you love.” The wind blows a few strands of hair in my face. Before I can brush them aside, he does. “Go inside. You did well today.”

I glance at the table and see that most of the glasses are empty. “Don’t you all need more stros?”

“No, we are going to talk business for just a little longer and then they are going home. You can clean up after they leave. Go on inside, seema.”

“Okay, but I will refill the glasses if needed.” He gives me a curt nod and then heads over to his friends. Badass friends. I could kick myself for getting mad in front of them. Showing anger could get me taken into the jungle and left there to rot. I have to start doing better.

I don’t want to lose Din Tairin. Ugh, when am I going to learn? Nothing in life lasts forever.

As I pass the guys I hear them talking about the increase in crime. Their growly tones cause a shiver of fear to slither through me.

Is this planet more dangerous than Earth?

~ Din Tairin ~

As the guys talk about the strange increase of crime on Zaphin, I watch Kinsey Lea walk into the house. She did well today. The tiny warrior defended her pets with honor.

Ash slaps his hand down on my shoulder. “Your seema handled her training well. Her submission and loyalty are good signs.”

Ryk dips his chin knowingly. “Yes, that loyalty will easily transfer over to you, Tairin.”

“Her scent makes me believe that to be true. But it also tells me that she’s holding back. Just when she’s starting to relax and enjoy her life here, she closes up and mentally distances herself from me. Her past is not a pleasant one so I understand her actions. But it’s still painful to watch.” She’s too precious to have suffered so much.

“Give her time. She’ll come around. Earth is a bad place. Only time will teach her that Zaphin is a good place to live,” Ryk says.

Since Ryk has a human female himself, his words make me feel better. Kinsey Lea Walker will come around. She’ll be fine.

Now if I could just figure out why she draws me like no other, I’d be fine.

CHAPTER

13

~ Kinsey Lea ~

♥

Butterflies are rioting in my stomach.

We just pulled up to Din Tairin’s friend, Din Zar TocGar’s, home. From the amount of vehicles in the yard, we must be the last ones to show up. My fingers twist in the soft material of my short dress. It’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen but with it’s open back I’m wondering if it’s too sensual for a house party.

Din Tairin inhales deeply. “Don’t worry, seema. You will enjoy yourself.”

I shrug and the thin strap falls off my shoulder. I shiver when Tairin’s rough fingers slid the material back into place.

“Don’t you think I look too slutty? I love this dress but I don’t want to leave a bad impression on your friends.” If he doesn’t get rid of me soon, that is.

He looks so handsome in his snug jeans and fitted shirt. The short tight sleeves allow me to see just how buff he is. I can’t believe he’s mine. At least for the moment. It’s paramount that I remember that last part.

That tsking sound comes from him. “You look fine, seema. Here on Zaphin we appreciate our bodies. All manner of dress is acceptable. Let’s go in. There are a few more people you need to meet. Remember how you are to greet them.”

Maybe this pretty dress will be fine. “I won’t let you down.” As he gets out of the vehicle, I release a pent up breath. I sounded much more confident than I feel. Meeting more of his severe friends is scary.

The second he helps me out of the vehicle, I hear music. My heart lightens. Maybe everything will be okay, fun even.

I just need to remember that I’m his seema. I’m here to please Din Tairin GyRol. I glance over at him and shiver. Pleasing him in bed is extremely satisfying. Desire pools in my belly. No, no, no. Don’t think about sex. I don’t need flushed cheeks to give my infatuation with my boss away.

We don’t even make it a foot into the house when Din Zairin inhales and his gaze captures mine. I endure his probing gaze like a champ. At his nod I move on to greet Din Dax and then the rest of the guys I know. By the time the soul probing is over I don’t feel as confident. They are just too intense.

Din Tairin gestures toward three males that are staring me down. Oh flipping fuck. They are just as tall and menacing at the rest of them.

“Kinsey Lea, these are my friends and fellow Din warriors, Zar TocGar, Hauk QuanLo, and Fane OcanTi. Greet them.”

I straighten my spine and look into Din Zar’s eyes. They are teal and silver and super intimidating. I fidget even though I don’t want to. Din Tairin’s hand lands on my hip. His warmth is comforting. I sink into it.

At Din Zar’s nod, I look up into Din Hauk’s blue and silver eyes. His gaze probes into my soul just like the others. Damn, they are good at this. When he dips his chin, I notice the scar through his left eyebrow. These guys are tough and all of them are handsome in a rugged masculine way.

At the clearing of Din Tairin’s throat, I remember what’s expected of me. And it’s not to stare at his friends. “Sorry.”

I look over into amused blue and silver eyes. Din Fane’s are a different shade than Din Hauk’s but they are just as pretty and intense. My shoulders drop when he nods.

The sound of feminine voices carry over to us. I look over and see two human females heading our way. Both females look at me and smile before they each greet Din Tairin.

As they stare into his eyes, I realize how intimate the greeting is. Those butterflies in my stomach go on a rampage. Will he like them better than me? Will they want him? Din Tairin does have a draw that the other males don’t have.

Flipping fuck. I’m about to get kicked to the jungle. I hear a few loud inhales and some soft growls. The others must know I’m about to be booted. I think of my friends. Maybe it won’t be so bad. But I am going to miss my lover terribly. Fuck, I shouldn’t have gotten so attached to him.

Din Tairin inhales and his vents flutter. “Calm yourself, seema. You have nothing to fear. These people are my friends and business partners. You can trust them.” He looks the females over. “Now it’s time for you to meet Hallie and Skyla. They are taken by Din Zar and Din Ryk.”

Relief whooshes through me and makes my knees weak. If they are taken their males most likely won’t let them go after Din Tairin.

“Hi, I’m Hallie and this is Skyla.”

“I’m Kinsey Lea. It’s nice to meet you.” They are so pretty that a touch of doubt worms its way into my heart. Tairin has to see how pretty they are. I look up and see that he is watching me. My heart beats a wild rhythm when I see the possessive look in his eyes. For now, I belong to him. And I love it.

“Let’s get the guys some drinks and then nibble on some snacks as we get to know each other,” Hallie says. Her dark brown eyes are filled with curiosity.

I look over at Din Tairin. “Go on, seema. We’ll be in the backyard talking.”

I’m all mixed up inside. I want to see if Hallie and Skyla are as nice as they seem but I want to be near him too.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. We have a table close to the guys but far enough away that we can talk without them catching every word,” Skyla says. Her green eyes are bright and she has an intriguing glow about her.

I look back at Tairin and then follow the two women into a kitchen. To my relief they are both dressed similar to me. Our soft dresses are sheer in some places but the darker color patterns on them keep us from being totally revealed to the others. As I look them over I notice that Skyla has a little belly on her.

She giggles and rubs her rounded belly. “I’m pregnant. Usually I’m happy but sometimes I want to snap everyone’s head off. Or eat all the food I can find. I apologize in advance if I hurt your feelings.”

I flip my hand. “I’m sure you won’t.” She seems way too nice for that.

Hallie’s eyebrows shoot up. “Accept the apology. Trust me, she gets real bitchy at times.”

Skyla’s cheeks flush making her look even sweeter. “She’s right. My hormones are all over the place. Once the baby is born, I’m not going to miss these raging emotions at all.”

As we fill some glasses with stros it dawns on me that Din Ryk must still have his balls since he got Skyla pregnant. A pang moves through my chest. I would have liked to have had a baby with Tairin.

When I see my lover sitting at a massive table with the other males, I feel bad for him. Losing his balls must have been traumatic. Although he doesn’t have any scars that I’ve seen. I’m glad he got the best medical care.

Although, him being a bit uglier would make it harder for him get rid of me. I place his drink in front of him and yelp when his hand grips my thigh and pulls me in closer to him. My heart races when his hand slides up and under my dress. I shudder when his thick finger slips along my slit. In no time I feel moisture dampen my folds. His eyes brighten before he removes his hand.

“Go enjoy yourself, seema.”

His voice jerks me out of the trance I’d been in. Heat stings my cheeks. What are his friends going to think of me? I glance around and see that Hallie is in Din Zar’s lap being kissed hungrily and Skyla is being felt up by Din Ryk.

Relief cools my stinging nerve endings. A touch of joy whips through me. I like that Din Tairin openly shows his interest in me. Maybe things can be different here. This planet is unlike Earth. As I look around at all the big males and the two happy females, I know the difference is good. No judgmental frowns and no jealous or hateful gazes.

“Let’s wander the yard as we talk,” Hallie says as she steps away from Din Zar, off the patio, and onto lush pale green grass.

A bright blue camleon flies away from a nearby tree and chirps happily as it lands on my arm.

“Dang, I’ve never seen a camleon do that before,” Skyla says. Her gaze is glued to the bird.

“Me either,” Hallie echoes.

I give a small shrug and the bird flies away. “I love birds.”

“Looks like they love you back,” Skyla says as we walk around enjoying the plants.

We stop near some purrdot flowers and I smile when they lean toward us. Their yellow petals are open as wide as they can go.

“The plants are amazing here. So lush, beautiful, and interesting.” I look around at all the vibrant nature around us.

“How is Earth? Is it any better?” Skyla asks. Her eyes are hopeful.

I hold my hand out so a flower can breathe me in. “No, it looks dead compared to Zaphin.”

Skyla’s shoulders drop. “That’s what I was afraid of.” She nods. It’s a sad nod, one that makes my heart hurt. “I have family there,” she says.

Hallie takes Skyla’s hand and squeezes it. “The town you came from was good. I’m sure your family is doing well. You know they’d be happy if they could see you. Maybe they can sense your happiness. Some people can.”

“Not my sister, Sunny, but maybe Alberta.”

“See, it’s all right. You are where you’re supposed to be,” Hallie says and then looks at me. “We all are. You can be happy here too, Kinsey Lea.”

I can’t help myself, I look over at Din Tairin. He is deep in conversation with his friends. My heart constricts. He is getting deeper and deeper under my skin every day.

I turn back to Hallie. “Maybe.”

A knowing look enters her eyes. “You can.” She glances around at the plants lining the jungle and then looks back at me. “Have you seen a hugmar tree?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I like her shift in subjects.

“Come on then, I’ll introduce you to one.” At Hallie’s strange wording, I look at Skyla and she smiles as she encourages me to follow them.

We walk up to a tree with big leaves in varying shades of green. I look up at the interesting plant. “It reminds me of a huge leafed vine but with many shoot offs and a thick trunk.” I touch a leaf and smile. “It’s so soft.”

“Yes, I love how responsive a lot of the plants on Zaphin are,” Hallie says as she reaches out and touches the tree’s trunk.

My jaw drops when a warm pulse moves through the leaf I’m touching. “Did you feel that?”

Skyla laughs. “Oh, she felt it. Hallie and the hugmar trees in this area are connected.” She tilts her head thoughtfully. “They have a bond that most don’t have.”

Hallie shrugs as she gently strokes the trunk. “The plants here are like friends. I love them all.”

Another pulse moves through the leaf. “This is a special planet. The more I learn, the more I like it.”

“It does grow on you,” Skyla agrees.

A blur of green dances from behind the hugmar tree. I look closer and three fluffy tails spread out and bob around. I take a step back. “What is that?”

Skyla’s laughter floats around us. “Come on out, crazy thing.”

I watch a furry cat like creature scurry up to Skyla. She digs into a small pocket on her dress and pulls out a cracker. The green and tan animal makes a purring sound as it rubs against her hand. A moment later the cracker is gone and the furry thing dashes away. The last thing I see is three tails waving.

I look at Skyla for answers. “That is a flurcot. We have one at home that lets me pet its head and belly. They are curious creatures that will always take a handout.” Her gaze moves in the direction the flurcot went. “They are great hunters though, so they don’t rely on people to keep them alive.”

That she carries crackers is telling. I like the animal lover in her and the plant lover in Hallie. These two seem like good people. I’m glad Din Tairin’s friends found them and brought them here to this amazing planet.

A camleon flies over and lands on my head. It ruffles my hair before flying up to my face and chirping like crazy.