Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1)(25)

Acris bowed her head now feeling comfortable enough to look directly at Hope.

"It would be my honor Uxorem." Acris replied sounding honored.

Hope bowed back not realizing it wasn't how a person of her station behaved. Viper wanted to grin but repressed it. He recalled Hope doing the same thing a few times to the males in the ship. Viper had a feeling Hope might have a hard time adjusting to her new status. But he liked the fact she didn't fear his people.

Acris left happy but confused.

"Okay, I am lost." Hope said. "Why wouldn't she look at me?"

"Our customs are different than yours. You will find most of my people won't look directly at you out of respect."

"That's different!" She said. "What's this subeo thing you keep calling me, and what is an Uxorem?" Hope stumbled over the word.

Viper inwardly winced. Hope jumped straight to the heart of the matter.

"A subeo is a mate, and the Uxorem is the second highest-ranking female among our people." Hope's mouth sat agape as Viper carefully explained how mating heat overcame him.



Hope

Hope sat down at the table before falling down as Viper explained his family and Anguis culture.

"My sire is Adder Rex and the female who bore me, his subeo, my mother, is Hyla Regina. I am Viper Prognatus, and you will be referred to as Hope Uxorem." Viper continued. "And at some point when my father is well into his years that will change and I will become Viper Rex and you will be Hope Regina." Viper listed off his family's titles, and her's apparently.

"Are you telling me you're some sort of royalty?" Hope exclaimed. "Never mind back up."

Hope almost laughed when Viper actually took a step back.

"Sorry that's a figure of speech, it means slow down." Hope repressed her grin. "We can discuss your family later. You're telling me that because you got all hot and horny for me, it made you loose your mind, and now we're considered married or something."

Viper looked hesitant as he nodded yes.

"I guess that is the best way to describe it. But we don't usually loose our minds, as you put it, unless we scent our life mate and are separated from them. It came as a surprise to me after we met since we are not of the same species, but you are my subeo and I am your virum." Viper stated it as if it was indisputable fact.

Hope stood up. She had to do something with the extra energy and emotions that were brimming to the surface.

In the last twenty-four hours Hope's reality had been twisted by a series of crazy surreal events. One minute she feels like some abducted sex slave needing to escape, and the next she finds out she's been rescued from some planet wide plague and is desperate for her friends to join her.

In the midst of all this Hope discovers that her freaky benevolent captor treated her differently because she triggered some mating instinct that apparently only happens with 'that someone special'.

On top of that Viper's apparently the second highest ranking man, making her the second highest ranking woman in their society because he now thinks she's like his wife or something.

"Holy Fuck! I want off this roller coaster." Hope silently reeled.

As much as she appreciated being rescued, Hope refused to have the free will to decide her own fate stripped away. She didn't care how attractive Viper was.

"Well among my kind a woman isn't tied down and forced to have sex." Hope informed Viper angrily. "And if she is the man goes to jail. We get to choose who we marry or mate!" Hope yelled at him ignoring her food. She really didn't have an appetite at the moment anyway.

Hope started pacing the room clenching her fists.

She'd worked with rape victims at the clinic before. The way she'd been treated verged on that. It didn't matter that Viper rocked her world it was the way it all went down that was inexcusable.

"My captains worried I'd accidentally kill you in my state of distress." Viper said looking ashamed and disgusted. "I can never apologize enough. Our females understand and experience a similar reaction so they don't fight their mates. I..." Viper stopped seeing that his excuses were frustrating at best. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth.

Hope was attempting to be understanding, really she was, but it was hard considering what had transpired. Viper was trying so hard to explain and Hope could see he didn't like exactly how things happened either. His coloring shifted rapidly, which Hope was learning, indicated his unsettled emotions. Viper seemed angry though not at her and truly remorseful, which mollified her to some extent.

"I guess I can understand some of his people's reasoning." Hope silently conceded.

She'd been there. Viper had been crazed. If she hadn't been chained, she would've run from that monster cock and probably enraged him further. As the situation was he had bit her neck rather viciously.