Luna Touched: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Brides of the Aashi Book 1) Page 4

  Which I guess either meant there would be sun at lunch like yesterday or that we would be at the Zaali Clan by lunch.

  When the sun finally came out, it was not lunch, but we stopped for a short break. I took my translator off and found a sunny patch on the ground to direct onto the face of it.

  The fog really tricked you in the morning. It felt nice on the skin, but as soon as it was gone, you felt the heat and humidity weighing you down. It didn’t seem to affect anyone else—obviously, they were used to it. But me… yeah. I was a sweaty, melting mess.

  A huge shadow loomed above me, blocking out that precious sunlight I needed. When I looked up to see it was Nezyn, I groaned internally.

  “I can’t understand you, buddy. My translator is charging.” I pointed to the ground where it was lying, now in his shadow. He pointed to Axoh and called him over. That much I could understand.

  Axoh looked nervous. I felt bad that he was being used to translate.

  “Luna. Pee?” he asked. Oh, okay that was what he wanted to know. I nodded and replied, “Yes.” Might as well go while we were stopped.

  I stood, and Nezyn shifted away from me. I looked at the Chosen all around, watching me, and quickly darted away behind a tree to do my business. When I got up and returned to them, the Chosen guys were acting all… weird. Well, as weird as alien guys could act. Vallyn’s face had a look of rage, which kind of scared me, he had been so scared of these guys. Axoh glanced at me, his eyes looked… well, sad.

  “Okay, what happened? Who died?” I asked Axoh. Knowing he didn’t understand that but he knew I was asking what was wrong. He turned to where I left my translator charging and it… it was in pieces.

  My stomach dropped.

  “What the actual fuck?” I growled out though gritted teeth.

  I looked around, and the only one with a smile on his face was Nezyn. I was livid. No fucking way, dude. Not gonna fly with me.

  I ran over to the translator and picked up all the pieces. I didn’t know if I could fix this, but I wasn’t leaving the pieces behind, just in case. I had to try at least.

  I will not cry. I will not cry.

  But I could feel the tears starting to burn behind my eyelids.

  I took a deep breath, swung around, and jabbed my finger right into Nezyn’s hard chest.

  “You are a fucking asshole. If you think you will ever touch me, ever be my mate, I will slit your throat while you sleep.” I punched his chest with my fist. Fuck, he was solid! That hurt like a “sonofabitch!” Which only made me even more angry, I was shaking now.

  “You have messed with the wrong woman, douchebag. You are gonna wish you were never born if you expect a happily-ever-after with me.”

  The asshole was smiling. Like, more than before. He liked that I was fucking mad. The other four came closer to me and bowed their heads.

  What the fuck was going on?!

  Chapter Eight

  Axoh

  I was both sad and relieved that Luna had decided to start the mating bond with Nezyn. I was so sure she was going to disrespect the queen and not accept her Chosen. But for Nezyn to destroy her communicator… that was not in any way respectful to a female.

  He would normally be banished for that, but now he was a Chosen male, first to be Chosen of the five. I wished she had not touched him first and made Nvaa her first and favorite. He was a good, kind, honest male. And I knew it upset him when Nezyn destroyed her communicator.

  “Axoh, whhata fuk goowin on?” My head snapped up to her.

  “Luna, Nezyn mate.” I pointed between them. Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head.

  “No mate. No Nezyn,” she yelled at him. She pointed to me and then back to Nezyn, letting me know she wanted me to tell him. Everyone around us was still. They didn’t know what she was saying. Only Vallyn and I understood what she was saying, and it was not news I wanted to deliver to Nezyn.

  I did not understand why she touched Nezyn when she did not wish to take him as her Chosen mate. It was if she did not understand that she’d started the mating bond with him.

  “What does my female say, weak takxe?” Nezyn demanded. I didn’t want to be the one who said this to him, but I would, as her takxe. She had been kind to me and Vallyn. I would do this for her.

  “She says she does not wish to mate. She says ‘No mate, no Nezyn.’”

  I recoiled when I saw all four of his arms swing out. I raised my arms up to defend my face, but he hit me hard. Luna screamed and ran to me as Nezyn continued to punch my face, chest, abs over and over. All the males were calling out for Nezyn to stop. I was not a warrior I didn’t know how to fight back.

  “Stop this at once!” Nvaa called out as he held tight onto Nezyn’s lower left arm. With Vallyn on the right, they both pulled him back from me.

  I quickly got to my feet and saw stars. My stomach rolled at the feeling, and I glanced to Luna. She looked fearful, her eyes darting around to us all. She reached out as if she was going to come to me, touch me. That was when I realized my lip was bleeding. I wiped it away, and without a word, she took off running.

  “I will get my mate,” Nezyn yelled as he ran after her.

  My heart fell. Luna. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted to go back to yesterday when we all laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, something I never thought would be possible with a female. But with Luna, I realized that these females were different. And I was so lucky to be her takxe.

  But she was not happy now. I had been a terrible takxe when I translated for her, but Nezyn would never make a good enough Chosen for her. I could see that, but he was too arrogant to know that.

  I heard her scream and yell out many of her human words. Some I understood, which made me happy, but she was screaming, which made me upset and angry for her. My chest felt tight and I didn’t know what I could do for her, to help her.

  I saw him running through the forest with Luna thrown over his shoulder, I became enraged. She did not want to be his mate, and yet he was freely touching her as if he was one.

  “Come, we will journey fast to clan land,” Nezyn commanded. “My female has claimed me as her favorite and first mate. We will have the ceremony and I will mate her first.”

  Vallyn looked to me, his expression mirroring mine. The queen needed to know about this. He disrespected his female more times than I could count on my fingers.

  We arrived back to clan land with many males waiting for us, cheering and sending well wishes to Nezyn and the other Chosen males. His chest was puffed out as he walked toward the clan meeting hut, where the queen would be at this time of day.

  He had one hand holding Luna’s and the other around her shoulder to keep her close. She had screamed when he held her hand, then she made a whimper sound. I believed he used his strength to stop her from pulling away. He was hurting her and it broke me to know couldn’t stop him.

  Nvaa approached me, waving to the crowd and thanking them as he spoke to me quietly.

  “I do not approve of Nezyn’s ways. I will speak to the queen at once. I will explain what happened. Even if I am removed as female Luna’s Chosen, I will not allow him to treat her in this way. This is not the way of the Aashi.”

  I thanked him. Being one of her Chosen, his words would carry more weight than mine.

  When Iwe walked into the meeting hut, Queen Fraryn was studying Luna. Staring, most likely at her size, as the queen stood the tallest of all Clan Zaali. Luna looked to me, and I wished in my heart I could go to her. But I was her takxe. I could not approach her in the presence of the queen.

  “Queen Fraryn, mother, this is my female Luna. She has chosen me as first and favorite among your Chosen males.” Nezyn bowed to his mother.

  Luna just stood still. Unmoving.

  “Welcome, female Luna, to Clan Zaali. I am your clan mother Fraryn. We have set up a hut for you and your Chosen for after the Ceremony of Touch, where you may take your Chosen males as true mates.”

  I was waiting for Nvaa to say
something. To speak up. But I saw from the corner of my eye that Komn was holding him back, even as Nvaa struggled against his grasp to approach the queen.

  This was not good. I had to do something, even if I would be punished severely. I couldn’t allow Nezyn to hurt Luna like this. It wasn’t right.

  I rushed forward and threw myself down in front of the queen, and the room erupted into gasps and whispers at my sudden move.

  “My queen. Female Luna has requested to speak to you about the Chosen males. I speak some of her language and she said as much. Nezyn destroyed her communicator to stop her from speaking to you.”

  I was roughly grabbed by my braid by one of the queen’s mates and dragged into the corner of the room. Luna called out to me, and I could hear the panic in her voice. I looked over to the queen as she turned her gaze onto Luna and Nezyn.

  “This is lies, Queen. Axoh only is saying this as female Luna no longer wishes him to be her takxe. She wishes for a high-born takxe, not scum low-born.”

  “Female Luna, do you wish to discuss the males chosen for you? Or to acquire a new takxe?”

  I could see Nezyn smile at the fact Luna did not understand the words spoken to her. She looked to me and then around the room. Maybe she was looking for Vallyn. I knew he was outside the meeting hut, waiting, as he could not enter being a lower class warrior. My tails vibrated with anger at Nezyn’s words.

  “Lee do nut waannt Nezyn ass mi mate.” Luna’s beautiful language had everyone in the room watching her in awe.

  “I do not understand you, female Luna. If you do not speak to me in the tongue of the Aashi, I will have to take the word of your Chosen Nezyn and appoint you a high-born takxe.” The Queen wasn’t happy as she waved her arm around the room.

  Nvaa finally broke free and spoke up. “Queen, what takxe Axoh is saying is true.” Just before the other males pinned him to the floor of the hut, and Luna screamed. Nezyn let go of her, and a fight erupted in the meeting hut between the chosen males.

  Chapter Nine

  Luna

  I did not understand what was going on. This “no translator” situation was really not helping and now the nicer one of those guys spoke to the queen and everyone was fighting. As soon as Nezyn let go of my hand, to join the fight. I ran toward the large male holding onto Axoh.

  “Let him go,” I yelled at the big alien. He looked down at me and over towards the fight, he didn’t blink as he let go of Axoh and went towards the fight.

  The queen, her voice deep and rumbling, was yelling at them all. She stood from her chair, using her imposing height to gain everyone’s attention. She was taller than all the males in here, and like the males, she didn’t wear much to cover herself, her chest bare for all to see.

  “Axoh, are you okay?” I asked, his face and body still injured from where Nezyn attacked him ealier. More males fought and screamed out in anger behind me but I ignored them, wanting to make sure he was okay. I felt someone beside us and I flinched away. But when I looked up I saw it was Vallyn beside us, his spear aimed towards the fighting males. Where was he before?

  Eventually the fighting stopped, and I saw Nvaa, the nice one of the Chosen, cradling one of his arms, which looked as if it was broken. I gasped. His face was covered in blood. Holy shit.

  The queen looked to me and spoke again, but I didn’t understand what she was asking me. I did understand the word for “mate,” but that was all. When Axoh didn’t say anything, I reached out and placed my hand on his chest so she understood that he was my translator.

  “Axoh knows my words,” I told her quickly and then touched Vallyn. His body froze when my hand landed on his arm, so I took it off gently and apologized. I forgot that he didn’t like people touching him. Which was a pity because his arm felt nice. And he really looked like he could use a hug. Fuck I could use a hug just about now.

  But when I looked around the large room of males and the one female here, everyone looked shocked, surprised, angry? I didn’t start this, that was those other guys. When I looked to the queen I felt a chill go down my spine from the way she galred at me. I think I made her furious.

  Another male grabbed Vallyn and his spear, while the one that had Axoh earlier was back and holding onto him again. Oh my god, were they in trouble or something? What the hell did Nezyn say to her?

  Nvaa was also being taken away, and the sneer on Neyzn’s face was now directed at me. It had me backing up a few steps until I bumped into a wall. I wrapped my arms around my middle, I wasn’t sure what was going on and all I wanted was to go home. This wasn’t what I signed up for at all.

  There was yelling now from the queen, and then a male looked at me then pointed toward the door of the hut. Okay, we were going outside now. I looked at Vallyn, his upper arms pinned behind his back. His twin tails lay limp beside his legs. This was not good.

  “Are we okay, Vallyn? Axoh, okay?” I asked nervously as I hurried outside. Axoh shook his head, his brows pinched together as his whole body slumped as if he seemed to admit defeat to whatever had happened. My head started to feel dizzy, my heart raced in my chest. What were they doing with them? Were they going to kill them? All these thoughts were racing through my mind as they marched us in front of what seemed like the entire clan that we had seen earlier. I thought I was going to be sick when we finally stopped.

  We were outside what I assumed was a primitive jail. There was no roof, just wooden poles in the ground about an inch apart that acted as bars or fence, with a gate at one end. Vallyn was pushed in first, then Axoh, followed by Nvaa. They pointed their spears at me, and said some words. I wasn’t going to protest. I felt safer in there with them than out here with these assholes.

  The jail was located in what must be the middle of the clan. Everyone could see us, and they were saying words about us, words that had Axoh and Vallyn boxing me in, their tails thrashing side to side… on edge. Poor Nvaa was crumpled to the side of the fence.

  I decided I didn’t care what these other alien guys thought of me. I was not getting married to that asshole Nezyn. Ever! And if I did I would chop his cock off before I let him touch me with it.

  “Nvaa, are you okay?” I asked as I got down to my knees beside him. His eyes flashed open, his face dark with bruises, he looked so broken and I wanted to cry for him. He must have been in a lot of pain with his broken arm.

  I could hear Vallyn speaking to Nvaa from behind me. Nvaa looked up to me and gave me a small nod. Vallyn replied to me in English, “Luna. Yes.”

  But I knew he was lying to me. Both of them. I could see by the way Nvaa’s arm was bent that he was not okay. He needed a healer. A takxe.

  “Axoh, can you heal him? Fix Nvaa’s arm and help his face?”

  I could see by the look Axoh gave me that he didn’t understand what I was asking him, so I said, “takxe,” and pointed to Nvaa’s arm. He shook his head and spoke to me in his language.

  Why not? I didn’t understand. He could do something. He said he was a healer. Or were my translations wrong?

  I bent down and used the edge of my T-shirt to wipe the blood from Nvaa’s eyes. He froze, he seemed a little stunned that I had done that. Axoh said something to me in his language, I turned to him, he smiled at me. It was a sweet and cute smile.

  God, this was so confusing.

  We had been in this cage for hours. The suns had gone down, the moon had appeared, and the air was cooler now. Not enough that I wished to put more clothes on, though.

  Although, I would very much like my bag back—I’d left it in the hut where the queen was. And I needed to pee... again. Which was surprising as I didn’t have anything to drink for such a long time. The water… I have gotten use to it. There was nowhere in here to go pee.

  Vallyn had not sat down at all. He just stood there like the warrior I had come to know him as in the past few days. Not that he needed to keep guard—we weren’t going anywhere, and we couldn’t just run away from any trouble either. We were stuck in here.

  I de
cided I wanted to see Vallyn relax a moment. “Vallyn, I need to pee. Do you need to pee? Where can we pee?” He turned to me, I could see that serious façade on his face slip just a little.

  I burst out into giggles, and all three of them looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. I laughed to myself now, because this was so not in the brochure they’d given us on the Aashi.

  And yep, that was a joke too. Because they hadn’t given us a brochure at all. They hadn’t given us shit on any of this. And now I was locked up with Axoh, Vallyn, and a very injured Nvaa.

  Vallyn touched my arm so gently, which surprised me, and I think it also surprised him. He gave me a warm smile as I checked him out. Fuck, he was hot. Strong, and those tails. I swear one just brushed over my leg. I looked for it, but it was gone before I could grab it. If we were all good with touching now, I wanted to touch his hair, his muscles, his tails.

  Instead, he pointed to a corner in our little cell and said, “Pee. Luna.”

  And that was enough to stop where my thoughts were going. I patted his arm in thanks. I could see others still outside, but the moonlight hid me enough that I didn’t care anymore. I really needed to pee.

  Vallyn finally sat down beside Axoh, and I smiled at them both. Argh. Why couldn’t I marry these guys? They were so nice, protective and well… hot. They were not lacking in looks at all.

  I took a few steps over to them and hesitated, not sure what I wanted from them or if they would be okay with me being close to them. They surprised me again as they opened their arms in a gesture for me to go to them. I wondered what had changed to make them all into touching now, but I didn’t give it a second thought, I needed this. God this had been the worst day ever, and I really needed a hug. I wrapped my arms around both their necks and hugged them at the same time. It felt nice, their touch was welcomed.