Page List


Font:  

She couldn’t believe that he just said that. And in front of everyone—his entire family—as if she were nothing at all.

Her breath stuttered as she wheezed, trying to draw a breath past the knot of emotions constricting her throat. She couldn’t breathe! She could feel the pressure of tears behind her eyes and at the back of her throat threatening to choke her with the crushing weight of her embarrassment.

She needed to get out of there.

Blindly, Terri spun around, colliding with the males still observing from behind her. One of them grunted, but they mercifully didn’t otherwise react as she pushed her way through. Not that it surprised her. They had barely even glanced her way when she slipped between them despite all the wiggling and elbowing involved on her part. Whereas it hadn’t made her efforts to get past them any easier, this time it at least did her the favor of being able to make an exit without drawing too much attention.

Pushing her way back through the crowd, relief filled her in a cool rush as she broke free into the main corridor. Bracing herself against the one wall with one arm, Terri drew in gulping breaths of air, the unshed tears that she refused to let fall stinging her eyes. A tremor ran through her, and she shuddered with pent-up emotion.

Something had changed, and she felt helpless to understand it or circumvent it. Veral had changed since they arrived on Argurumal.

Now that he had gained the leadership of his family, was he regretting mating with her? Did he suddenly so dislike the idea of having a human mate and half-human offspring? Was it just a matter of time before they were stuck in a room somewhere in the compound to be cared for but forgotten?

A few days ago, Terri would have laughed at such speculations. Never before had she been plagued with worries like these. From the first when Veral made his intentions known, she had been secure in their bond. But now… everything was different, and she was faced with uncertainty for the first time.

She hadn’t been able to ignore the fact that Veral was delegating her protection to guards, a perception confirmed by how pleased he had been when she accepted Malraha into her guard… Was it because he couldn’t be bothered with her?

He hadn’t even accompanied her to the last few visits with the medic.

She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to push away the doubts and slow her panicked breathing. She didn’t allow herself to think of anything else but the rhythmic flow of air in and out of her lungs.

And the burning anger that wouldn’t be ignored even as her anxiety dissipated. If anything, it felt like it was climbing through her blood. Blinking back her tears, she glared at the red threads of mineral in the black stone beneath her hand. She didn’t look up from it as she listened to the approaching footsteps.

“You are well?” Malraha asked, hesitant.

“Of course she is not well,” Azan snapped with heat. “He just humiliated her out there in front of everyone! I am half-tempted to go neuter him in your honor,” she offered, slanting Terri a hopeful look.

“I’m sure that offer comes from a good place somewhere within your heart, but no, that’s not going to help anything,” Terri said with a weak smile at her friend.

The pirate grunted, unconvinced. “I find it changes a male’s behavior quickly. I would enjoy fighting my way through his guards to make a point… but if you insist, I will not.”

Malraha curled her lip at the Blaithari, her mandibles widening and closing in clear discomfort despite her sneer.

“You do not understand Argurma society. Veral cannot appear weak…”

“Oh, so it is habit among your kind to pretend as if your mate doesn’t exist?” Azan said, a brow cocking in challenge.

“No,” the Argurma admitted. “But we should trust him to act in the best interests of the line. That includes his mate as well as all of us.”

Azan shook her head, her three pairs of arms folding over her chest as her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“I do not like it. This is not the same male I remember. That male would not have spoken in that manner. Nor would he willingly be parted from his mate as he has allowed. Something is wrong with this scenario,” she snarled.

Slowly, Terri straightened, adjusting the thin white material of her robe that flowed over her belly. She couldn’t see the hem any more than she could see her ankles around which it fluttered. She smoothed one hand over her symbiont gauntlet, watching the way tiny metal tendrils lifted from its surface at her touch, like grains of metal to a magnet. Unlike everything else around her, her symbiont was the one thing she still had some measure of control over, even if it was responding.

“I agree,” she said slowly, drawing the attention of both her guards. “But there’s not much I can do about it. Not until I’m able to speak privately with him. I’m tired of just waiting around for him to have time for me, rarely venturing beyond our chambers or our private part of the courtyard gardens. Time to do something constructive.”

The Blaithari gave her a curious look, the Argurma stood stiffer at her side. Terri grinned at them as she lifted her right hand.

“I do believe it’s time to resume training. I don’t know if someone is trying to kill me, or what the hell is going on with Veral, but I am not just going to sit around waiting to be saved.”

A wide smile split the pirate’s lips.

“Thereis the female I know so well!” She glanced over impatiently at the female at her side. “So where can we take her to train with her symbiont properly?”

The Argurma’s vibrissae puffed and flattened uncertainly as she considered.

“There is a training yard…”


Tags: S.J. Sanders Argurma Salvager Science Fiction