Alien Warrior's Mate (Brion Brides 1)(3)

Behind them, the ranks closed. Out from every point of a rough square, elite squads closed in on the runners while others tightened the noose around them, slowly moving closer to center while taking care not to overlook anyone.

It didn’t take long for the champions to realize their mistake and see the commander’s trap, but by then they were already left with a single choice. As he ran, avoiding the chasms and razor-sharp edges of the rocky terrain, Darien felt his valor squares pulse to a joyous, delighted tune. The Antanaris didn’t despair. On the contrary, they howled to the uncaring stars and faced the Brions head-on.

All around them, Brion squares answered the challenge with the same surge of joy Darien felt. The Brions didn’t like enemies who ran. What honor was there in killing powerless, helpless opponents? No, true glory in battle came from real fights. The Antanaris weren’t going to receive any mercy from them, but they’d earned their respect nonetheless. Darien doubted they knew that, but the Brions would count their corpses among their more admired enemies.

Beside him, Deliya was running as swiftly as though she was floating. Even with the battle hormones pounding in his ears, his every sense sharpened to the maximum, he caught glimpses of her running by his side. Her long, dark hair billowed like a cloud behind her, giving her an ethereal look of beauty. She was tall and slender, a warrior goddess in true form, her green eyes shining with inner fire. A match for him, all his desires given form.

The commander chose his favored carefully, as was natural. The fact she could keep up with him was enough to make him grin. It was the Brion way to treasure the things they’d fought for hardest the most. And she was undoubtedly putting up a fight, making him desire her even more than he already did. It sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

Under their feet, the snow all but bounced. The Brions were very spiritual when it came to the natural order of things. It seemed to Darien that the planet itself was rebelling against the intruders. Soft light snow glowing in the radiance of the valor squares was falling as they descended to the surface, making it harder for them to see traps. The ground shook from the heavy tread of the warriors running in sync with each other, battle trained together for years.

They were shaking the covering snow off the surface, making it look like it was floating inches above the ground while really it was rising and falling to match their steps. Still it obscured their vision, and the cold seeped through even their protective armor designed to generate heat from their bodies. Darien knew every last one of the Brion warriors on the field had the same thought as he: Antaris was fighting back and it was going to give them a good fight.

His eyes flickered to Deliya again. Bathed in the light she cast, she was simply gorgeous. Darien knew why men desired her so. It wasn’t simply the fact her curves could make anyone lose their hearts or that she smiled a lot, making each and every one of them smile with her – although she smiled less around him he’d noticed, only making his desire for her worse – or that she was strong and capable, sometimes even able to give the commander a true workout. It was the way her eyes lit up in battle, shining as if she’d had valor squares planted in them, unmatched in her ferocity. Snow fell around them, soft and gentle, so out of place in the roaring, wild, merciless crowd beneath the cold sky. The ground before them was already marred with streaks of red.

“Pick up the pace!” Deliya called to her warriors. “Can’t let them have all the fun without us!”

Darien smiled. It was a good, good day.





CHAPTER THREE

Deliya



No fear anymore. As Deliya ran, she didn’t even see a sign of the fear she’d glimpsed in Darien. As soon as the enemies made themselves known, he’d transformed completely, just like she’d seen him do on countless times before. Darien may have joked around while they were simply advancing, but in battle he was a Brion warrior first and person second.

She kept half a pace behind him on purpose to – to watch him, really. Like all the commander’s chosen, he was the living embodiment of a warrior. His messy dark hair framed his face, illuminated by the valor squares in his neck, going almost to his ears. His every step was precise and careful at the same time, and yet he didn’t give any leeway in his speed.

Others had to double-step behind them, sometimes stumbling on the icy, slippery ground, but he ran like there was nothing to be concerned about. Darien seemed to have no trouble finding just the right path to power through, straight to the heart of the battle.#p#分页标题#e#

Deliya’s eyes took in his form despite herself. To be fair, it shouldn’t have been all that special. They were all warriors, all in great shape. Only Darien fit together like he’d been crafted. He was tall, powerfully built, and not even the protective armor could hide his solid frame. Unbidden, Deliya imagined what he would look like without the armor, just him, bare, naked… perfect muscles glistening as he flexed them –

She had to shake her head clear. It was merely battle hormones flooding her body with emotions that so easily translated to lust. She respected Darien, but disliked him as well. Right. Right?

With a grin – Irresistible, flashed through her treacherous mind – Darien drew his battle spear, and they were right in the thick of the fight. She barely had time to get her own weapon free before giving herself completely over to the fates that decided all battles.

The Antanaris were huge, there was simply no better term to describe them. Big and brutal and heavy enough to make even a glancing blow devastating. It made them a simple, but dangerous enemy. Some enemies required complicated tactics and needed to be outsmarted, but the Antanaris simply had to be fought. It was very simple: hit them, don’t get hit. The Antanaris were roughly humanoid, but resembled some huge hairy beasts more than the Brions.

Their teeth were long enough to be called fangs, and their hands had nails that could cut through steel. Their bodies were covered with thick white fur, making them nearly impossible to see on the ice fields unless they moved. Quite a few Brions had died before they’d learned to distinguish the enemies from the terrain.

For all their brutal looks, the Antanaris were far from stupid. The fur and the claws were simply adaptations to their ruthless planet. Underneath, a dark and bloody mind observed the galaxy. The Brions knew the look in their eyes instantly. It was a rage similar to their own bloody past, the reason the galaxy trusted them as little as they did. They were glad to understand – so they didn’t underestimate their enemy. With their bodies as good as weapons and minds as sharp as their own, the Antanaris were their dream opponents. Not that the Brions were unequipped.

The Brion battle spear was a miracle in the great galactic whole. It was heavy enough to be used to simply bludgeon the enemy to death, but boasted a few tricks as well. The blade was sharp and nigh unbreakable. Deliya liked it, enjoyed the weight in her hand, an extension of herself, sharp and powerful.

The champions met them, roaring in their strange language she didn’t speak. All of the surrounding Antanaris rounded on them and for a moment Deliya considered if they hadn’t run too far ahead of their support. It wasn’t a regret but hope. More fight for them.

She thrust the tip of the spear into the stomach of the first Antanari that stormed her, narrowly dodging out of the way of the creature’s claws aiming to gouge her eyes out. It growled even as it died, trying to pin her down with its weight, but Deliya yanked out the spear and jumped out of the way. The creature’s blood glittered in the light of her squares as another immediately took her fallen enemy’s place, only this time it kept a distance from her spear. It didn’t matter.

A spear wasn’t merely a striking weapon. Deliya took aim, every muscle in her arm tensing as she threw the spear with all her might.

The Antanaris had thick skin, and it would have been difficult to throw a spear and make it do some actual damage, which said something about the way the Antanaris were built, astounding even Brion scientists, who had thought no living being should be able to withstand weapons designed to cut through metal. So she threw the spear straight and swift towards the creature’s eye. For a moment, it didn’t seem to realize its end, towering above her. Then it roared and collapsed but not before Deliya had kicked its legs to make it fall on its back.

At the last second she retrieved her spear, before another Antanari thumped in her direction. Distantly, she sensed her warriors arriving. They’d run a considerable amount ahead, she realized. To her left, the snow was red with Antanari blood and Darien stood in the middle of it, breathing calmly, smiling as he always did in battle, victorious and strong. Deliya had to tear her eyes away when the newcomer’s weapon caught her attention.

She thought only then that the first wave had been butchering meat and not much more. They’d tried to hurt the Brions, pin them down, but they hadn’t even carried any weapons other than their claws. The true champions had simply sent them to slow down the attack.

What a horrible species, Deliya thought, disgusted. She didn’t understand how anyone could follow leaders who all but killed their own men, however as much as they understood, the Antanaris had a culture very different from their own. The champions ruled with absolute power, taking no responsibility. That single factor had eventually determined their fate in the eyes of the union  . The Brion Elders also ruled over their people without having to explain themselves to anyone, but they were reasonable, and acted according to certain rules and traditions.#p#分页标题#e#