“You dare to touch a mated female?Myfemale?” he growled.
The alien shook its bulbous head. “I did not know—”
Veral snarled, shaking the alien in his grip.
“I am not ignorant of your kind. Male Manvi taste the air, seeking mated and unmated females alike guaranteed to be of breeding age to deposit your seed and breed when opportunity presents itself. Your mistake was daring with an Argurma’s mate,” he hissed, his mandibles widening aggressively.
The Manvi began to shriek as Veral’s claws dug into his mating tentacle, tearing into the flesh as he twisted and pulled on the limb until it tore free, blue blood spurting everywhere. His screams were so terrible that they drowned out the panicked shouts of the merchants fumbling as they searched for a safe place to hide.
Terri watched as the blood splattered on Veral, but he didn’t appear to notice it. His teeth bared in a savage grin, he transferred his iron grip to the male’s jaws, forcing them apart, and silenced his screams by shoving the tentacle deep into the gaping mouth.
Her assailant made a ghastly gurgling sound as Veral finally dropped him and turned nonchalantly to greet a group of males. They were dressed alike, and each possessed an air of authority. She determined that they must be the space station guards her mate hadn’t wanted to attract the attention of.
Wiping a bit of blood off her cheek, she stepped on the Manvi, grinding her heel as hard as she could into the place where the tentacle was torn free, and wandered over to his stall. Without hesitating, she helped herself to several meat sticks, loading her arms with tasty treats. Sinking her teeth into one and ripping away a deliciously spicy chunk of meat, she returned to Veral’s side.
One of the uniformed males was grimacing down at the Manvi. “You are fortunate that the species breathes through a low set of gills over their chest or else we would have no choice but to bring you up on attempted murder charges,” he muttered.
Veral shrugged. “I would not have cared if he died, but I am familiar with the species and know the laws.”
The male nodded, his eyes sliding over to Terri and her pile of snacks—more specifically eyeing the food. She clutched them defensively to her chest and glared. If they thought they were going to take them away from her after she been assaulted and with her belly complaining, they were going to have to wrestle them away. The male’s eyes narrowed as if debating doing just that until Veral growled. Not wanting to cause an altercation, Terri smiled cheerfully and waved a stick.
“I think after everything I just had to go through, sacrificing his dignity and a few snack sticks is an appropriate payment.”
The male, never taking his eyes away from her growling mate, nodded slowly and cleared his throat. “Yes, I can see how that would be reasonable. What is your business on the Xenxinexa space station?”
Veral’s vibrissae twitched as his mandibles clicked with impatience. “Our business is between us and our employer, a respectable merchant on Xenxinexa.”
The guard’s eyes sharpened as if weighing whether or not he wanted to pursue the matter. The Manvi gurgled again, and he grimaced down at the poor wretch. “This is going to take considerable time to write up,” he huffed at last. “You and your female are free to go. I trust that you are not planning an extended stay with us.”
“No,” Veral grunted, grabbing her arm as he turned away. “Our business is concluded. We are leaving.”
Terri was certain she heard a muttered prayer of thanks as her mate hustled her away, back toward their ship. His eyes cut to her, softening in amusement as she gnawed eagerly on her treat.
“Are you still ‘hangry,’ anastha?”
She licked the spices and delicious flavoring off her lips. “I think I’m good. How did business go?”
Veral grinned as he fingered his comm unit. “The male rethought his bid and doubled the original offer.”
“Wonderful!” she said. “Before or after you threatened his life?”
Veral smirked and curled a protective arm around her. “It may depend on who you ask. According to my processors I had not yet threatened, only suggested what happened to males who cheat an Argurma.”
Terri chuckled as she pressed her cheek lovingly into his side. “I love you.”
“This I know—which is very fortunate for the other males in the space station staring at you, stinking up their air with their lust.”
Grinning widely, Terri fed a bite of meat to her mate as she bit off another chunk, chewing happily, Veral’s raspy chuffing surrounding her as they entered their ship.
Despite his good humor, her mate gave her a sideways glance as they settled into their chairs on the flight deck, his expression turning thoughtful.
“It may be prudent if you stay aboard the ship next time. The males exhibit too much interest in you. I do not mind exercising my right to protect you and detach their reproductive organs from their bodies, but it unnecessarily alarms security and brings attention on us.”
Terri frowned at him in confusion. “I don’t see how it is my fault.”
Her mate’s expression softened, a soft purr vibrating from him. “It is not your fault, anastha, that you attract the attention of males. But I do not wish for my female to be in danger.”
“But how am I in any danger with you at my side?”