Chapter 3

Adrik

Ah, the journalist. Of course. I would not have missed this stunning human before I left for the hunt, had she been here. Attractive or not, if this was an indication of how her presence would effect the Thrail, then she was a menace. This female’s actions could have caused death and destruction in the streets had she startled any ugris other than mine, who was calm and deliberate in her footing, and not easily provoked.

On the other end of the size spectrum was the small creature in my hand. I eyed it with confusion, wondering what it was and why the female had been so intent on chasing it. “What is this beast you were chasing?” I asked the female, who I noticed used a translator to speak Mitran, rather than having learned it. “Does it talk to you?”

“No.” She held out her hands and I placed the little, furred thing in them. “Not really.”

My ugris, Besi, stood behind me and let out a snort, reminding me of her presence and letting me know that she was offended by the commotion. I turned toward her and held out a hand. “Taka-asla,” I murmured. Besi let out a huff and shook her great head, as if to say, what’s the holdup?

“Apologies, Pal-Adrik,” said a vexed-looking Dikon, the guard whom I’d assigned to have primary responsibility of the humans while I was on the hunt with my warriors. He jogged up to us, brows low. “I see you met Lise Avory, the female sent from Earth to observe and report on the human females’ experiences here.”

“I have.” This female was the price I had to pay for extra protection on the northern border. No warlord wanted a floating camera and a journalist in their Thrail, but concessions had to be made. I said yes to the journalist and in return, three Mitran Bashan-X-class attack ships with skilled operators were parked on landing pads in the valley. It was a good deal, as far as I was concerned. So, we had to deal with a nosy human who asked a lot of questions. “Dikon, take Besi to her enclosure and have the kill broken down and the meat hung in the salt caves. I will bring our guest to her quarters.”

Dikon did not look pleased with himself. He nodded, bowing lower than he should have. “Yes, Pal-Adrik.” He moved to Besi and touched her front leg, and the ugris plodded forward with a grunt.

I turned my attention to the troublesome female. “I am taking you to your quarters, where we shall discuss proper behavior in my Thrail.”

She looked terrified, whether of me or Besi, or some combination of the two, I didn’t know. Her arms tightened around that little animal in her arms. “Okay.”

“Must you always keep that orb hovering around you?” I asked irritably. It moved quicker and with more agility than I was comfortable with.

“It’s a flycam,” she said, flicking an annoyed glance at the sphere. “It’s recording my…activities on your planet, and yes, I’m contractually obligated to keep it on during all interactions.”

Which meant it had caught the stunt she just pulled. She probably didn’t like that one bit. “I don’t like it,” I said, ignoring the curious and mildly scandalized Mitran faces around us. Scandalized because I had handled a human female with such indignity. The males of my Thrail were so entranced by them, half were afraid to speak to them, and here I was, having tossed one over my shoulder. To save her life, but still. I suppose I could have been gentler about it.

“Neither do I, but my boss sent it and said I had to use it.” She looked around with a worried expression. “I am sorry about the commotion. All I was thinking about was Nugget, not…causing a stampede.” Her face was pretty, with a stubborn set to her chin and a natural curl to her full lips. Her hair was some shade between brown and yellow, and long, although it was held back from her face and swung in a low tail. Her eyes were warm golden brown spun with green, and her body…well, that was a fine thing to look on. She was petite and mouthwateringly curved. As she breathed heavily, there was no missing the rise and fall of her full breasts. The lush tops of them swelled from the scoop neckline of her shirt. They beckoned, hinting at more delicious delights, but this female was not here to find a mate. I shifted to the side and gestured for her to follow me. “No one was harmed. Not even…the Nugget.” I glanced at the creature she cradled like a baby. It blinked smugly up at me. “Come. Your quarters are this way.” I knew which dwelling she was assigned to. I had chosen it myself.

“What about my stuff?” She looked back over her shoulder. “Dikon had it, but…”

She hesitated, which surprised me. Ordinarily, my decree would be enough. It was jarring to see someone question my word. But this female was new here. She looked overwhelmed in every way. I shifted my weight. I was weary from the long hunt. Ready for a long soak in the hot spring and a deep mug of ale. “Your belongings will be brought to your quarters.” I gestured with more firmness. “Now, come this way.” I walked off without waiting to see if she would follow. I knew she would. There was nowhere else to go. And her pet was starting to wriggle at being held for so long.

As I expected, she fell in step to my right. She smelled delicious, but the scent was not one I could place. It burrowed through my senses. We passed Mitrans and humans. I nodded in response to their greetings and thanks for bringing back a kill. All the while I could see Lise’s gaze taking everything in. This female was sharp and observant, which fit her role. It was a sharp reminder that she was not here to stay.

We stopped in front of a domed dwelling similar to all the others on this street. “Number thirty-eight is yours.” I opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

She looked at me uncertainly, but stepped inside. I entered behind her and closed the door. “While you are here, the Nugget is to remain indoors. No exceptions.” I held up a finger and wagged it in her direction to make my point. “It would not be safe outside of this building.”

She released the little creature to the floor. It lifted its nose and began exploring. “Believe me, Nugget is an inside-only cat. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

I sighed and looked around the simple interior. “It would not look good in your reporting, should anything happen to it.”

A slight crease broke the skin between her eyebrows. “Forget the reporting. It would break my heart,” she murmured.

“Then see that it stays within these walls.” It was not a large space. The domed roof hung over the four square walls, giving shade to the windows. There was a bed against one wall. One corner was squared off for a simple washroom and toilet, but bathing took place in the underground springs. Someone would have to show her there. In the center of the room was a cylindrical heating unit that drew heat from deep below ground and distributed it as needed. Temperatures dipped at night, even in the warm seasons. It also served as a simple cooking unit for warming up food and drinks. Shelves and storage rested on the opposite wall, which was a dim shade of gray. Windows of plastoid let in light, but after nightfall the room would be lit by the red glow of our nearby gas giant, Brinat.

“I trust this will be satisfactory.” It didn’t matter if it wasn’t. This dwelling was available and what she would have. They were all the same, anyway, for singles or couples. Only families received larger homes.

She swallowed, looking around with wide eyes as the Nugget jumped up on the bed and let out a yawn. It tucked tiny paws under its body, then gazed at us like a tiny king in the center of the bed, letting out a vibrating, humming noise that could be heard throughout.

“Well, he’s at home.” She let out a little laugh and looked at the small beast with soft eyes. Still, I could tell that reality was beginning to sink in. That she was here, and it was nothing like Earth. No matter how much reading she had done about Mitra, none of it would prepare her for the reality of living here for six standard galactic months.

“Yes. Thank you,” she said quietly. “This is perfect. Bigger than my apartment, actually.”

“Good.” I was at a loss of what to do with my hands. I felt too big to be in this small space with her. Compared to this, my home was massive. “I will send a female to show you where the bathhouses are and where meals are taken. You will quickly learn our ways. They are not so difficult to adjust to, I think.” I looked at her, casting one last admiring glance before I left her. “Do your best to stay out of trouble. I may not always be there to save you.”

A flash of defiance flared in her eyes, but she wisely tamped it down. “Noted, Warlord.”

“You probably feel that you can save yourself,” I said.

“I’ve been saving myself for twenty-nine years,” she said. “I suspect I can keep at it for six more months.”

I smirked. She was as overconfident as her little pet and just as vulnerable, but I found that mix of trait and circumstance oddly appealing. “Very well, little berisi. Then I won’t expect to hear any problems from you.”

That stubborn chin rose. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

“Oh, yes, I will,” I said before ducking out of her little home and closing the door behind me. I pulled in a clear, fortifying breath, willing my body to unclench. My cock had tightened along with the rest of me. That female did things to me. Woke up every one of my senses and twisted them up in my mind. Lise may not be here to capture the heart of a Mitran male, but if I wasn’t careful, she would worm her way into mine.