Sarazen's Claim, Book One (34 page)

Tarek silently asked her if she’d actually said that, amusement plain along their bond, and she almost gave in to the urge to squirm, confirming that she had. He almost smiled. “This however, was my favorite part. I quote, ‘Council your pack of foolish idiots, to give us reason to continue seeking peace, to continue adoring our mates and staying out of your ridiculous politics. We want none of it. The day you give me a reason, me and mine will become a threat.’” She glanced around the hall, and saw more than one face grinning, ear to ear. Brennaugh coughed into his hand, doing his best not to laugh, but Falken was half bent over, shoulders shaking while he choked on his laughter. Her people looked proud, and were sitting tall and not smiling, so much as smirking. Shit. “Sister,”

She gulped down her nerves and stood up to face the pride ruler, touching her fingertips to her chest and gave the bow she truly felt he had more than earned, “
Asho
,” He clicked his tongue at her and she looked up at him, feeling Tarek rise to stand at her back, but T’mai was looking at her with warmth, with approval. “What would you do for your mate?” She didn’t even hesitate with the answer to his weird question, despite how it put her on edge. “Anything.”

“You would demolish any who threaten him, and the peace he deserves.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He is my home. My one.”

She saw the flash of envy, the pain and ache that moved through his golden eyes, and it made her heart ache for him in turn. But he masked it before turning his gaze back to the pride, “Does anyone present here, doubt her words?” Silence, so profound it made her skin crawl. T’mai nodded like he had expected no less of an answer, and walked down the steps to stand in front of them. Tarek’s muscles turned to stone, but other than that he didn’t move at all. Didn’t shove her behind him or push her to the side, forcing himself to show that he felt no threat from his brother. Trusted him with her between their formidable bodies. “I give you this command then, brother, in front of every member of our pride.” The air felt like it was sucked out of the room, everyone holding their breath, “There is a reason you are feared by our enemies, and it seems that the ones who have bred closer to home, forget that reason. Make them remember. Make them run before you in terror of your wrath, line the halls with their pelts so that our warriors make walk over them until they fall to dust. Rule this pride as you were meant to, all along, with your mate at your side. This remarkable female who is your match, in every way.”

Tarek sighed softly, but reached out and met the hand T’mai held out, their forearms clasping with a sharp slap, muscles bulging as emotion flowed from brother to brother. “As you command, brother.” Niora shoved to her feet so fast that her chair crashed to the floor, “No challenge has been issued!” She hissed, and T’mai didn’t offer her the respect of even a side long glance, “Would you challenge the commander of our armada, to take his place as ruler of this pride?” He drawled, and chuckles were heard around the room, which only incensed Niora more. “No. You easily roll over to show your belly to him, but I will not so easily give up my place. If the alien
Asha’na
wishes to rule, then I challenge her to prove she is worthy.”

Tarek snarled, curling his arm around her waist, and she heard every chair at their table scrape back as to a one, Brennaugh and his warriors, Tarek’s warriors, the warriors and females who had come to them in the forest, her crew, all shoved to their feet in show of support. She heard Tarek suck in a breath to no doubt give Niora the dressing down of a lifetime, but she lifted her hand and curled it around his arm. She looked up at him and smiled, letting her cat stroke against his along the strange filament of their bond, pushing her confidence at him.
‘She won’t get within ten feet of me. Let me prove it to them.’

His lips peeled back from his teeth in a feral grimace, but he gave a jerky nod and vowed to her that if she allowed herself to be harmed, he would spank her until she couldn’t sit down for a month. Promises. She rolled up on her toes to touch a kiss to his cheek, hearing curious titters roll through the crowd. T’mai looked strained, furious, vibrating with tension, but he looked down at her with confidence and she asked, “You have exposed the truth, will you trust me to do the same for you?” A momentary look of confusion pulled his brows together, but then understanding dawned and she saw how his eyes flicked to Elenna and back to her. The yearning was there, and so great that she could hardly bear it. “Yes.”

Thirty Two

She picked up the skirt of her dress, wondering where the woman had gone who studied flowers and made no contact with anyone on regular basis, terrified to lead anyone anywhere. Here she was, about to throw down in front of an audience of fifteen thousand. The human part of her was quaking, but the Sarazen part of her, the beast, was snickering with amusement that this inferior female thought she could best her. Eager to prove her worthiness. She faced the other female, who had yet to come down from her dais and was thinking that the height, being above her, would intimidate her. Ha! She bowed respectfully, knowing that how she met this challenge would set the bar for any and all others. “
Asho’na
, I accept your challenge. As I understand it, it is my right to choose the manner in which we battle, yes?” Niora’s face twisted in annoyance and fury. Thought she was stupid, huh? Bitch. Her cat purred in agreement. “Yes.”

“Very well. We have a custom on my world, called Truth, or Dare.”

She heard squeaks of laughter behind her, from her human crew, but didn’t turn around to look at anyone. She didn’t acknowledge anyone, but Niora. “How is this custom of yours possibly enough to prove your worth?” Niora’s black eyes flamed, the ring of gold around her iris flashing brightly in all that inky darkness. It looked unnatural, evil even. “You can decline, admit I am superior and forfeit,” She swept her hand to the large square of space in front of the dais, still raised enough for everyone in the hall to see, and smiled easily to allow Niora time to choose whether or not she would go through with the challenge. “Superior?” Niora drawled, laughing as she stepped down the stairs to face her on that square of stone. “I will never admit such a thing, you are a mutant.” Tarek’s coughing roar made Niora flinch, but she didn’t back down. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I have accepted your challenge,”

“But you will not honor our custom of combat, is that right? Or is it that your mate thinks you too weak to best me?”

“You are posturing for more time. You challenged me, I choose the manner in which we battle. You will have two attempts to best me, if that makes you feel any better. If you choose Truth, I will ask you a question, and you will answer it, no matter what. If you choose Dare, I will dare you to do something, barring harm to yourself or harm to others. For instance to hop on one foot for six hours, only I will choose nothing so childish and no matter what, you complete the dare. If the council is satisfied with your completion of the Truth or the Dare, you may then challenge me to the same. Truth, asking me anything you wish, or Dare, commanding me to do anything you wish, barring physical harm to myself or others.”

Niora laughed incredulously and kicked the heavily,
heavily
, embroidered train of her blood red gown out of her way, the snick of her claws releasing into her hands audible within the cavern. Tarek rumbled an unhappy sound, pacing behind her, but she ignored him. “Very well, I will play your silly game, and then you will play mine.” She inclined her head and waited patiently for the other female to choose. “Dare.” She proclaimed loudly, and she arched a brow, “Are you certain?”

“Now who postures for more time?”

“Very well.”

Something in her smile must have startled Niora, because her arrogant sneer slipped a little when she leaned forward and spoke clearly. “You are known,
Asho’na
, for your ability to call the beast from inside any pride member. I dare you, to call my beast, without touching me.” Tarek hissed again, but Niora had already tried this game and failed before. She would fail now, and the rage on the other female’s face told her that she knew it. She tried valiantly, and she was pretty sure that every member of the pride could feel the power that surged off of her, slashing and batting at her, demanding her beast rise to her command. She waited patiently, and after a few moments, she lifted her hand to pick at her fingernails, picked at a thread on her sleeve. And then asked, “I don’t intend to be here all night, have you even started?”

Gasps were drawn in from the entire hall, and she felt Tarek’s grudging admiration, his amusement at the screech Niora gave and how she spun away to pace off the ragged energy that had built inside her, with nowhere to go. “Council members?” She looked directly at them, pleased to see more than just the ones she’d already met, staring at her in blatant shock. “Ah, fail.” T’farro announced, and a wave of murmurs filled the hall. “Your turn then,
Asho’na
. Do you choose Truth, or Dare for me?”

“Dare. If you think you are so superior, I dare you to call my beast.”

“You are certain?”

“Dare” Niora hissed, and she almost lost her composure and screamed, ‘
gotcha bitch
!’

“Very well.”

Niora had blasted the entire hall with her power, making several members present struggle to control themselves, flinching in pain because there was no focus to her intent, just blind rage. She coaxed her cat to go easy, like she was stalking Niora’s beast through the grass, slowly coaxing her into making a fatal mistake. She let her rise, focusing all that energy on the other female, whispering and purring enticement to the weaker beast, giving her a chance to come willingly. “You call yourself superior? I feel nothing but-“ Clary let her have it then, felt the power of her beast charge from inside her, pouncing on Niora and physically took her down to the floor despite the ten foot space between them.

Niora fought, screaming and thrashing to throw Clary’s energy off of her, her cat giving a valiant effort, but before long Niora’s beautiful red dress ripped as her body bulged and morphed, her face and snout elongating, fur spreading down the bare stripe of her spine now bared, over her shoulders, tufting from along the outer line of her arms. Muscles strengthened, her hands curled into vicious claws and dripping fangs filled her mouth. She crouched there on the floor, looking like a thing out of nightmares, and Clary pushed just a little harder to see if there was any more beast to be had. But when Niora started to writhe and scream, she backed off and drew that energy back with a deep, calm breath, hands still folded in front of her.

She looked to the council and lifted her brows in question, T’farro was forced to claim her win, and she saw him brace for her to brag and rub it in his face. “Do you need a moment to gather yourself?” She asked Niora, wondering idly how fast Tarek could put himself between them if Niora acted on the rage burning bright in her hideous, animalistic face. But it seemed Niora needed to save what little face she had left, and stood up to a height two feet taller than her previous stature. A few heaving breaths and she began to shift back, shrinking while the fur receded, clutching the remains of her torn gown to her body with a proud lift of her chin. “Truth or dare?” She asked the bitch, with as much kindness as she could manage, and thinking it was the lesser of two evils, as she had anticipated she would, Niora demanded, “Truth. And yes, I am certain,” She spat viciously.

Clary inclined her head and moved to clasp her hands behind her back, rocking back on her heels while she pretended to think about the question. Ne’tare appeared with what looked like a sheet, bowing to her as he offered it, “Thank you,” She murmured, taking it to offer to Niora so she could cover up. She held it up in the air between them with a questioning tilt of her chin, and Niora hissed softly but caught the sheet and whipped it around her body, letting her blood red dress fall to the floor with a slap, kicking away what she knew was a very costly garment, like it was trash. “Ask your question,” She snapped, and Clary nodded. “Of course.” She turned to look over her shoulder, asking Ga’rae if he had the tablet he seemed to always carry with him. He brought it to Tarek, and Tarek handed it to her, relinquishing his wrist unit to her as well when she asked.

She set the tablet down on the stone floor and activated the holographic protocol to put a 3-D image of a vibrant red moss, growing on a dull black tree that grew only at certain altitudes on S6. “Do you know what function I had aboard my starship,
Asho’na
?” Niora snorted derisively, “From the body modifications you’ve made to yourself, I could only conclude that perhaps you were a pleasure slave.” She wanted to laugh, but from the shocked sounds made by the people closest to them, the sounds Tarek’s warriors made, she gathered that Niora had just dealt her a very cruel insult. “My function, was to catalogue new plants and flowers on the worlds we might discover. After I overheard the intent to poison my bond with my mate, I began to research just exactly what plants among the Sarazen homeworlds could do that. Poison a bond, or create a false one. This moss was among those toxic plants I eliminated, but not because to touch it would burn or cause pain, but because when ingested by a female on a regular basis, it makes the body produce pheromones that drive males insane with lust, mimicking mating heat, while giving the added benefit of infertility in the female.”