Claimed by the Warrior Read online

* * *

  After grabbing two ales from the cooler, Con joined Cyn in the living area. His brother had stripped off his boots and tunic and was stretched out on one of the recliners facing the window.

  He handed his brother the drink and sat beside him. Drifts of snow skittered past the wall of glass in flurries. “How was the evening?”

  Cyn took a swig of his drink. “She’s not interested in any of them, so do not worry.”

  He automatically straightened. “I am not worried.” As the leader of the mountain clan, he was not concerned about a human female other than her capacity as his responsibility.

  “Hmm.”

  Con was silent for a long moment. “She is not?”

  “No.”

  That single word soothed the jagged edges that had filled his belly. He didn’t like feeling this way. He didn’t want to care about her one way or another. And when one of his warriors had dropped off that gift, it had angered him, which was not a rational response. He didn’t care though. He’d wanted to burn the fur throw and be rid of it. At least Leilani did not seem interested in the gifts she’d received so far.

  “Buying her clothing was a good start to courting her,” Cyn said after a while.

  Con immediately started to deny that was what he’d done, but…he hadn’t needed to buy her so much. He’d simply wanted to please her. The concept of wanting to please a female was strange. When he desired release he went off planet and found a willing female for pleasure. The thought of doing so now made him frown. He did not like the idea of touching another female.

  “I will not share.” The words were out before he could analyze them. The gravity of the statement should have made him recoil but it didn’t. If anything, a sense of determination punched through him. Leilani would be his. One night would not be enough. Maybe not even a moon cycle. Mates were too much trouble. Females were too much trouble, but…he would not think about that now.

  Cyn took another swig. “I know.”

  Chapter 4

  Leilani stepped out into the hallway, listening to see if Cyn and Con had left yet. She wasn’t certain if she’d be stuck here again all day. She could probably just leave but with the way the males had stared at her last night when she’d been out for dinner, she figured she should have an escort if she left the house.

  As she strode down the hall, the scent of something delicious teased her nose. Real meat. She had it occasionally on the mainland, but not often. She wasn’t certain what type it was, but didn’t really care. There hadn’t been much animal life left by the time she’d finally escaped her dying planet.

  When she stepped in the kitchen Cyn looked up. His eyebrows rose slightly as he took in her new style of dress. She looked down, wondering if she’d put something on the wrong way. There had been a lot of pieces of clothing so she couldn’t be sure.

  On her planet she’d mostly worn shift dresses, so moving to Lumineta and adopting their style of dress hadn’t been an adjustment. But the change to pants was nice. And she was warm. “Am I wearing this wrong?” she asked as she sat at the island across from him.

  Her black pants were a thick material that provided insulation to keep her warm, but not uncomfortable. It was almost like it adjusted to her body temperature. And they were very formfitting. She’d worn a thin black shirt and a grayish fur corset over it that showed off her shape. She hoped she’d put the corset on right. She’d seen herself in the mirror and thought she looked pretty good. The lace-up black boots topped everything off—and no matter what, she was keeping them.

  He looked away. “Nope. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving. And you’re going to have to expand a little. Does this look like what women here wear?”

  His lips curved up the smallest fraction. “Con will be pleased.”

  She wasn’t sure how to take that. The most feminine part of her practically preened thinking that Con would like what she was wearing. She frowned at herself, not liking her train of thought. She’d never cared much about what males thought. On her planet she’d avoided most of them. The majority of them had turned into savages when the world started dying. After relocating here she spent most of her time fending off males who simply wanted a mate. She’d never felt as if any of them had cared who she was specifically. Just that they’d wanted her because she was a female and had the requisite body parts.

  She cleared her throat. “I’m thirsty. Is it okay if I—”

  “Everything here is yours.” He lifted a platter of thinly diced meat and moved to the stove. “And if there’s something you want that we don’t have, just let one of us know.”

  Okay then. “Thank you.” She really wanted to ask where Con was, but held off. There was a lot she wanted to know and she was hoping Cyn would answer. Leilani pulled a large container of purplish-colored liquid from the cooler. She lifted the top and smelled it. It was crisp and fruity. “What is this?”

  “It’s arilod juice—ah, it has nutrients taken from the flower but it’s mixed with other plants and flowers. It’s all natural.”

  If it tasted as good as it smelled, she couldn’t wait to try it. “Can I ask you some questions about living here?”

  “I might not be able to answer everything, but yes.” The pan sizzled as he dropped colorful slices of…something she didn’t recognize in with the meat. It was probably a type of vegetation from their region.

  She pulled down a cylindrical glass and poured her drink. She noticed he already had one or she would have offered. “Are there females living in this sector?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re all mated?”

  “Yes, most mated threesomes live close to each other. That way the females have companionship. I think it can be lonely for them sometimes.”

  On a planet that already had a high ratio of males to females it seemed as if this sector had even fewer females than what was considered normal. She was silent as she digested his words. Over the last few moon cycles she’d done a lot of work on the expansions here but some things even her supervisors wouldn’t tell her. Like what exactly the males here on this mountain sector did. All males had warrior training but… “Is this sort of like a military, uh, base or location?”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised. “Base is the right word. And in terms I believe you relate to, yes. We do a lot of special operations off planet, usually covert.”

  Oh. She was a little surprised he’d told her. “Probably stuff you can’t tell me about, huh?”

  He grinned. “Probably not.”

  “Where’s your brother this morning?” Screw having self-control.

  Cyn watched her for a long moment before he turned back to the stove. “He’ll be back soon… Our mother left us when we went off to the Samio. She waited until I’d gone since I’m a solar cycle younger than Con. She hated living in a mountain sector so she left and mated with an off-worlder. We heard later that she died in an asteroid storm.” His words were so monotone, as if he didn’t care. But she knew he must, otherwise he wouldn’t have told her.

  Leilani stared at his broad back, not sure why he’d told her something so personal. There’d been no segue into it either. It was definitely oversharing but she’d come to learn that Luminet warriors sometimes just said what was on their mind. For the most part she appreciated the bluntness. “I’m really sorry. That must have been hard for you both.”

  He nodded once. “It was. For my fathers as well. They never looked for another mate.”

  Her heart twisted. Leilani couldn’t imagine leaving her own children. Sometimes relationships didn’t work out, but to leave your kids? No way. She tried to think of something appropriate to say but kept coming up blank.

  Cyn continued though so she didn’t have to. “How is it that you are not mated yet?”

  His blunt question took her off guard, but she figured she should have expected it. As she started to answer, Con strode in on silent feet. She almost jumped, but managed not to show her surprise. The
warriors on the planet were so stealthy, she still hadn’t gotten fully used to it.

  “Sit, I’m cooking,” Cyn said without turning around, clearly having heard his brother, though she couldn’t imagine how unless he had supersonic hearing. “Leilani was just going to answer why she’s not mated yet.”

  Her cheeks warmed, though she wasn’t sure why. Con didn’t look at her as he got a drink and joined her, but she was under the impression he was interested to hear her answer. Despite the foot of space between them she swore she could feel his heat radiating and wrapping around her. He had a rich, masculine scent that drove her crazy. Whatever this reaction to him was, she didn’t fully understand it.

  “Well, there’s no real reason, I guess. When we were rescued they told us we’d have a choice who we wanted to mate with. I just haven’t found the right male yet, I guess.”

  “Male, not males?” Cyn asked. He still didn’t turn around and his tone was thoughtful. She wished she could see his expression.

  She stole a glance at Con to find him watching her, that neutral expression in place. It was maddening. Just being near him made her temperature rise yet he didn’t seem at all affected. “Whatever, either, or.” There, that was vague enough. After struggling to survive every day then being rescued, getting mated hadn’t been a priority. She liked not having to answer to anyone, to be free to come and go as she pleased. For the most part. The truth was, she was also scared to completely fall for someone—or two someones. She’d lost everyone she’d ever known on her home planet. It had been hard enough to make friends with the females on the ship to Lumineta. She didn’t want to lose a male, or males, she fell for.

  Silence stretched between them, the only sound the sizzling and popping on the stove. Thankfully Con broke it. “Would you like to see one of the job sites today?”

  “I’d love to.” Being able to see the progress they’d made would be incredible.

  “As soon as we eat we can head out. I think you’ll need to contact your supervisors though. I spoke to them earlier and they’re still refusing to release the updates.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Why?” She’d sent in the request late last night.

  “They want to hear it from you personally, not via a transmission. Apparently they don’t trust me.” His voice was wry.

  That made her smile. “I’ll contact them now.”

  He reached out, his hand skimming over hers as she started to get up. “You can wait until you eat. I think this is the first time Cyn has cooked in a solar cycle. It’s a momentous occasion.” His lips curved up a fraction.

  Just like that, heat surged through her. Almost against her will she found her gaze drawn to his mouth. She knew the rumors of Luminet warriors and their ‘magic’ tongues were true and she wondered… Nope. Not having that thought right now. “Sounds good to me. Thanks for taking me to one of the sites today.”

  Con nodded and withdrew his hand. It didn’t matter though, her skin still tingled where he’d touched her. She didn’t think she was going to make it an entire moon cycle without finding out about that tongue thing. At that thought, her nipples tightened in awareness—and she was really glad she wasn’t wearing her shift dress.

  * * *

  “This is incredible.” Leilani looked up, her long, smooth neck exposed as she stared at the progress his males had made. They were in one of the replica residences—which would eventually be converted into a final residence.

  All Con wanted to do was nibble at her skin, to suck and kiss along her neck, then jawline as she moaned. Falling for a female was dangerous but when he was around her it was difficult to remember why he should keep his distance.

  “It’s a shield, isn’t it?” Understanding laced her words.

  He nodded as she looked back at him. They’d been specific in their requirements of materials and dimensions but her architecture firm hadn’t been privy to everything. “We wanted to make sure all the new housing was protected from any potential aerial attacks.”

  When her eyes widened, he continued. “The possibility is small.” They had shields in place around the actual planet, making the extra fortification of the mountainside homes almost unnecessary, but their ancestors had taught them to prepare for the absolute worst. The extra shields weren’t common knowledge.

  “Can I see the drying tube in the washroom?” she asked.

  “This way.” He nodded toward a hallway. The living area had no furniture so the space was wide open as they crossed it. “I like the addition of the drying tube. It’s unique and will save my warriors time.” And the energy used to power the tubes was recycled so it was a win-win.

  “It was my idea.” Her cheeks flushed when she said it.

  Her design impressed him. “Do you have one in your home?”

  She shook her head. “No. My firm wanted to see how they worked here first.”

  He gestured that she should proceed him as they reached the open entryway. Doors hadn’t been installed yet so everything was open. When she stepped inside, she gasped. Seeing the room from her perspective, he could appreciate its beauty. They’d used stone for most of the materials but the floors had been made to appear as if they were the shiny, polished wood from one of their giant koa trees. The washbasins had replica jewels lining the rims and with the wide open windows they sparkled in the sunlight. His warriors didn’t care for such things, but it was one of the reasons they’d hired an all-female architecture firm. If more females moved here they were hopeful that the living situations would be pleasing. Not that Con saw that as a possibility any time soon.

  “Would you like to see how it works?”

  Grinning, she nodded at him. Her smile was enough to make him lose his train of thought. Unable to find his voice, he motioned to the stone circular area on the floor next to the enclosed shower.

  “This is it?” She looked at the circle, which appeared to be a decorative addition to the flooring.

  “Just stand there.”

  Eyeing him dubiously, she stepped onto it. The moment her body heat activated it, the dryer started. Small holes opened up beneath her feet and warm air from below and the tube in the ceiling above pumped over her.

  She yelped at the sudden rush of air and jumped out of it. Immediately the air ceased. But her loosely braided hair had come undone, the dark strands wild around her shoulders and face. Laughing, she brushed at them. “This is a little different than the original design, but I like it. Definitely more aesthetically pleasing.” Groaning, she tugged free the ribbon holding the end of her braid together and started finger combing her hair. She muttered something about looking like a mess, but she was mistaken.

  “You look beautiful,” he said before he could contemplate whether it was wise to be honest.

  Her dark eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks once again flushed crimson. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing, but he liked the reaction. Some primal instinct had him taking a step closer to her. When she sucked in a sharp breath, all his muscles tightened. She wasn’t moving away, a very good sign. She’d worn some of the clothing he’d bought her and the sight of her in the snug pants and body-hugging fur made his mouth water. He liked knowing she wore something he’d given her.

  After one step, he froze. A distant noise pricked his ears. Bootsteps. An irrational sense of disappointment flooded him. It would be one of his men, either to question him about the project or simply to see Leilani.

  He’d wanted to spend more time alone with her. Which was ridiculous since he had no need for a mate. Or he hadn’t thought so until this human female had come into his life. For so long all he’d cared about was making sure his warriors were trained and keeping the planet safe. Being around Leilani made him want more. He’d seen what losing a female had done to his fathers, but he still found himself drawn to Leilani.

  “What is it?” She gently touched his forearm.

  The feel of her smooth fingers against his skin made everything in him go still. He didn’t move because he
didn’t want to break the connection. “Nothing. I hear someone entering the residence.”

  She blinked. “You have really good hearing.”

  “Have dinner with me tonight,” he blurted. He hadn’t meant to ask her but the words escaped of their own volition. The need to make sure she was with him tonight and not some random male clawed at him. Clearly human females made males insane. Or maybe just one human female in particular.

  “If that was a request, then I’d love to.” When her cheeks tinged pink he had to actually bite back a groan. He wanted to see her entire body flushed with the pleasure he gave her.

  When she smiled, it lit up her entire face and made him feel like he had when he’d completed his first round of Samio training so many years ago. Con forced all emotions from his face as he turned to the entryway. He was leader for a reason and his warriors could not see him acting like a fool over a female.

  When Einar entered, Con stepped slightly in front of Leilani. He angled his body so the movement seemed natural, but he did not want this male near her. As tall as Con, Einar had white-blond hair and was apparently good looking according to females. He also desired to take over Con’s position as leader, though he’d never voiced his intentions.

  Instead of simply challenging him, the male tried to play manipulative games. It was not the warrior way and it had grown tiresome. That, Con could have dealt with, but he had a suspicion that Einar had been behind recent construction delays. If there was another one, Con was having the male removed from his sector.

  “So this is the human female.” Einar’s gaze landed on Leilani, something assessing in it making Con want to take his short sword and run the male through.

  The violent urge made him pause.

  “I have a name.” Leilani’s voice held an edge to it that made Con want to smile. She came to stand next to him, ignoring the way he’d positioned himself in front of her. But she placed her hand lightly on his forearm as she’d done earlier.

  He wondered if she was aware of it. It felt as if she was reaching to him more for protection than any sense of claiming him in front of another warrior. Either way, it pleased him.