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TALIA TRUDGED THROUGH the four-inch-deep snow, her boots making a squishing noise with each step. They’d been walking for several hours now, and though she would never admit it, she was exhausted. She tightened her grip on the fabric at the base of her hood to keep the cold air from reaching her neck.
Walls of bluish-gray rock, twenty feet high in places, formed a pass through the mountainous area they were traveling through. Areas along the smooth ridge were filled with stacks of boulders that looked like huge mismatched steps leading to the upper ridge.
Ahead of her, Ross and Corran took the lead, with Lexa following behind them. Gedrin was off to her right, positioned in the middle, while Dolok had taken up the rear, making sure he wasn’t far from Talia.
After their argument earlier, she’d been afraid he wouldn’t speak to her, would do his best to avoid her. She’d learned that men with wounded egos had a tendency to keep their distance or find a way to get even when their command was questioned by a woman. Instead, he’d done the complete opposite and remained close, never leaving her side.
Ross slowed his pace, causing everyone to stop. He reached inside his coat and unclipped a device he’d attached to his belt. So far, and to her surprise, the signal on the handheld monitor that he’d linked with the computer system on the transport hadn’t given him any problems. After studying whatever information he’d accessed on the tiny screen, he lowered his hood and peered over his shoulder. “Dolok, there are caves at the other end of this ravine. It might be a good place to camp for the night.”
Talia turned, noting the way Dolok studied their surroundings. Daylight was dwindling, and there was a noticeable drop in temperature the closer it got to evening. Based on the position of the sun, they had plenty of time to travel farther.
“Lead us to the caves.” Dolok held out his gloved hand, catching a few of the white flakes drifting down from the sky. “I do not want to risk traveling in the dark, nor do I want to take the chance of being stranded out in the open during another storm.”
“Sounds good,” Ross said, returning the device to his belt.
The group hadn’t made it more than ten feet when a rumble tore through the air. It was loud and echoed off the walls, making it hard to determine what direction it was coming from.
“What the hell was that?” Ross nervously glanced back and forth between the two ridge lines above their heads.
“No idea, but it sounded like an animal.” Corran gripped his weapon, then reached for Lexa and pulled her behind him.
“Let us hope it does not belong to those large footprints we saw earlier.” Gedrin had also retrieved his repeater, his gaze alert and wary.
“Keep going. The sooner we get to the caves, the better,” Dolok commanded.
Talia was torn between getting close to her sister and staying next to Dolok. One look at the serious glint in Corran’s golden eyes and his protective stance told her she didn’t need to worry about Lexa.
Dolok edged closer to Talia, then shifted sideways to glance behind them as he moved. Another rumble—a deep, feral growl—ripped through the air. It was much louder and much, much closer. Her pulse raced, and the ache in her chest reminded her that she needed to breathe.
A shadow moved across the ground to Talia’s right at the same time something large, gray, and furry flashed in her peripheral vision. She pushed the hood off her head to get a better look and froze. Moving swiftly, using the boulders to make its way down to the bottom of the ravine, was the ugliest, most terrifying creature she’d ever seen.
Her mind barely registered its massive body, the razor-sharp teeth lining its gaping jaw, the huge paws with long, yellow claws. If her aunt hadn’t taught her to think and react, not give in to panic, she would have started screaming hysterically. It was a blur by the time it leaped from the last boulder and hit the ground running—directly for Gedrin. He had his back turned and didn’t see the thing advancing toward him.
“Gedrin, look out!” Talia shouted as she launched herself at him. She slammed into his side, using the momentum to shove him forward and out of the creature’s path. Gedrin was a solid wall of muscle. She was glad he hadn’t been expecting the hit. Otherwise he’d have braced, she’d have been bruised, and neither of them would have gotten out of the beast’s way.
Unfortunately, she’d slipped in the snow, lost traction, and hadn’t moved quickly enough to be left untouched. When the animal sailed over them, it hit the back of her leg with one of its paws, driving her knee and the front of her leg painfully into the hard, rocky surface.
As Talia rolled off Gedrin and onto her side, she heard Lexa scream her name, followed by the crisp zing of a repeater’s blast. The beast released a loud shrilling wail, then collapsed on the ground. She stared at the dark orange liquid, which had to be the animal’s version of blood, gush from the wound in its chest, then spread across its shaggy gray fur.
“Talia!” Dolok’s shout was filled with fear and anguish. In seconds, he’d holstered his weapon and was on his knees beside her, tugging her onto his lap. “Are you injured?” He kept one arm wrapped snugly around her waist and swept his hand along her body, periodically holding out his palm as if checking for any signs of blood.
She didn’t get a chance to answer. Gedrin had pushed off the ground and was kneeling beside them, a deeper frown than usual marring his forehead. “Female, why did you do that? You could have been killed.”
Because I’m an idiot. “Someone has to look out for you.” Her entire leg throbbed, and she wanted to see how badly she’d been injured. “Next time, I’ll let you be eaten. Though as grumpy as you are, the damned thing would probably spit you out.” She pushed aside Dolok’s hand and reached for the hem of her pants, wincing when the fabric scraped along her skin. There was a lot of bruising, but she was glad there were no visible cuts.
Gedrin snorted. “Do not ever risk your life like that for me again.” He hadn’t actually thanked her, but his frown had softened, and there was a hint of a grin on his lips.
Dolok glanced at the marks on her leg, then cupped the side of her cheek, pulling her attention toward him. “I assume it would be a waste of my time to tell you I agree with Gedrin.”
“Good assumption.”
Gedrin shook his head and pushed to his feet, stepping back to give them room.
“Can you stand?” Dolok easily cradled Talia in his arms as he got to his feet.
She nodded and gripped the front of his coat, using him for support when he lowered her to the ground. Her knees were a little shaky at first, but she was eventually able to stand on her own.
No sooner had she taken a step away from Dolok than Lexa’s arms were wrapped tightly around her neck. “Are you okay? You scared the hell out of me.”
Talia wiggled to get out of her sister’s crushing grasp. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” One second, Lexa was standing in front of Talia; the next, she was kneeling behind her, tugging on her coat. “Because there’s a hell of a rip back here.”
Talia twisted her head to the side to see what Lexa was talking about. There were several long gashes where the creature’s claws had connected with the material.
Lexa lifted the coat higher and looked underneath. “At least the fur protected your pants. I don’t see any tears, and there aren’t any signs of blood.” She released the material, then brushed snow from the front of her own coat as she stood.
Talia ignored Dolok’s growl, a reminder that she was damned lucky she was walking away from the attack unscathed. Well, almost unscathed, anyway. She took a few steps, wincing at her aching muscles. No doubt she had bruises along the back of her legs that matched the ones on the front.
“Damn, would you look at the size of this thing’s claws?” Ross exclaimed.
Talia glanced past Dolok to see Ross walking toward the creature. He kept his repeater aimed at its head, then kicked it with his foot to ensure it was dead.
Lexa walked over to Ross and punched him in the arm. “Not helping.”
Ross holstered his weapon and rubbed the spot where she’d smacked him. “Why did you hit me? I was just...”
Lexa tipped her head toward Dolok, her way of giving Ross the hint to stop talking. He followed the direction of her gaze, realization dawning when he saw Dolok’s clamped jaw and clenched fists.
He was still angry because she’d risked her life to save Gedrin. She didn’t want him to lose his temper, to take it out on Ross over something she’d done. It wasn’t the only reason she felt the need to touch him, to comfort him. No man had ever cared or gone to such extremes to ensure her safety.
She might not be willing to follow his orders, but the least she could do was show him that it mattered, that he mattered. “Hey.” She reached behind Dolok’s neck with her gloved hands, leaned into him, then rose on her toes to rub her face against his cheek. “You need to calm down. I’m okay.”
#
EVERY MUSCLE IN DOLOK’S body rippled with tension. He didn’t need a reminder that the creature had long, deadly claws. He’d seen its huge rear paw scrape across the back of Talia’s leg.
Images of what had transpired played over and over again in his mind. He’d been standing a mere four feet away from her when the creature attacked. He hadn’t been able to reach her, to protect her, to keep her out of harm’s way.
There were similarly lethal animals on Tarron. Maybe not in appearance, but in size and destructive capabilities. In his adolescent years, he’d seen what a bimmaton, a massive beast with long, deadly fangs, could do to an experienced hunter. The tucked-away memories of the carnage the animal left in its wake resurfaced as if he’d witnessed it yesterday.
Dolok was having a hard time dealing with the fact that Talia had purposely risked her own life to save his friend’s. It was an honorable act, one that made him proud, and one he never wanted to see repeated. He knew she would disregard what he did or said, that she’d do it again if given the opportunity. He realized he could have lost her forever, and it was driving him crazy.
She was right; he needed to remain calm. He was in charge, and the other males looked to him for guidance. Keeping everyone safe and completing the mission was his priority. Losing control, no matter how much Ross’s thoughtless comments irritated him, would do him no good.
He wrapped his arms around Talia’s waist and held her close, wishing he could touch more of her. He hated the thickness of the fur coats that separated their bodies. Closing his eyes, he inhaled her floral scent, using his mind to order his body to relax. It would be so easy to spend hours holding her, to forget the rest of the world existed.
Dolok opened his eyes and peered at Talia’s concerned face. “I am calm, but we will be discussing your actions later.” He pressed a kiss to her lips to silence any arguments.
“We should not linger here. There could be more of these”—Corran wrinkled his nose and pointed at the creature—“whatever they are, or something far worse. Its blood will draw others.”
Determined to keep her by his side, Dolok released Talia’s waist and reached for her hand, then addressed the group. “We need to find those caves.”
“Guys...” Ross’s mumble was barely audible.
Dolok ignored him, expecting another one of his less than humorous remarks.
“Guys.” Ross drew out the word, louder this time and more insistent.
“What?” Gedrin snarled, tearing his assessing gaze from Talia, then spun to face Ross.
Dolok hadn’t missed the glances Gedrin had been giving Talia since she’d saved him. He trusted his friend, knew his interest in his mate wasn’t sexual. Gedrin was a stubborn male and set in his views. Judging by the way he studied her, Dolok assumed the male was viewing her with a renewed perspective—a less demeaning viewpoint.
“We have company.”
Company. Dolok had no clue what Ross was talking about until he jerked his head in the male’s direction. Ross had the right side of his coat hooked over his hip, his fingers curled around the handle of his repeater.
Everyone in the group was now focused on the six men—at least the aliens resembled men—blocking the path in front of them. He glanced over his shoulder, noting that four more were approaching them from behind.
“Holy crap,” Lexa muttered, moving to Talia’s other side. “Abominable snowmen do exist.”
Surprisingly, Dolok understood Lexa’s reference. He’d seen several virtuals from Earth about their myths and legends, and the men surrounding them closely resembled the images. They were huge, some nearing seven feet tall, and each one held a spear of equal length. Spears with crude construction, yet currently aimed at the members of his team.
Their pale blue skin bordered on violet. Sharp cheekbones were the most prominent feature on their narrow faces. They had long, coarse hair, the dark strands intermingled with varying shades of brown and gray. Their heavily muscled chests were bare, their legs covered with white fur from the waist down. Their feet sank into the deep snow, and from this distance, Dolok couldn’t determine if they wore leggings or if the fur was part of their bodies.
“Lexa.” Talia gritted her teeth and kept her voice low. “Don’t piss off the big scary guys.”
It was admirable advice, and Dolok willed the female to listen. They were outnumbered, and the last thing he wanted was to antagonize them into attacking.
The more Dolok saw of the planet and its life forms, the more he appreciated Tarron, and the more he wished his mission was over so he could return home. He would do everything possible to convince Talia to go with him, but first, he needed to deal with their current situation.
He returned the stare of the tallest male, the one standing at the front of the group, the one who appeared to be in charge. The male studied them for several minutes, then tipped his head to the male on his left, making noises in varying degrees of grunts and growls.
The fact that their visitors hadn’t attacked them outright showed a level of intelligence. Dolok worried that they wouldn’t be able to communicate since the universal communicator implanted in his ear hadn’t translated their noises into a recognizable language.
He was relieved, yet remained apprehensive, when a few seconds later, he could understand the words the male spoke. “My name is Torak.” The male narrowed his dark eyes, his gaze traveling slowly over each member of their group. “Which of you leads?”
“I am Dolok, and I am in charge.” He took a step forward, ensuring that Talia stayed closely behind him.
“You are not a human, not from one of their cities.” Torak tipped his head in the general direction of the colonies.
Corran said that when he’d spoken to Paul, he hadn’t mentioned anything about inhabitants in this area, seemed unaware that any existed. The settlements were quite a distance from this location, and Dolok wondered how Torak knew about the people who lived there. Was it possible they’d been watching the humans from a distance to make sure they didn’t present a threat?
“No, we came from another planet.” Dolok pointed at the sky. “Off your world.”
“Why are you here? No one comes into our territory, no one except...” The male’s grip tightened on his spear, his pale blue knuckles whitening. “Do you seek the evil one? He is not from our world either. Do you work for him like the other terrible males?”
“The ‘evil one’?” Gedrin shot a confused glance at Dolok. “Do you think he’s talking about Tremaine?”
“Tremaine, yes, that is what his men call him. He is a human male like him.” Torak pointed at Ross.
“Can you take us to him?” Talia moved around Dolok, taking a few steps closer to Torak.
“Talia, don’t.” Dolok reached for her wrist to keep her in place. He wasn’t happy with the way several of the males kept leering at her, including Torak. He didn’t want her anywhere near them, not until he assessed the level of danger they posed. “We do not work for Tremaine. He has committed crimes against many races, and we are here to return him to our planet for punishment.”
Torak stared at him, narrowing his dark eyes in a scrutinizing gaze. After several long seconds, Torak grunted at the males beside him, then returned his attention to Dolok. “You will order your males to lower their weapons and come with us.”
“How do I know you will not attack us once we do as you ask?” If things didn’t go well and they had to fight the males, Dolok preferred to do it out here in the open.
“I give you my word as a warrior and a member of the deltoirra clan, that you will not be harmed. We are a hunting party, and Soren, our chieftain, will want to speak with you.”
“Where is this chieftain of yours?” Gedrin asked.
“Our homes are in the caves.” Torak glanced at the top of the rock walls. “It is not safe out here. The death of the wormalan will bring others.”
By the grimace on Torak’s face, Dolok could only imagine the others he referred to would be equally unpleasant and dangerous. Their leader might also possess the information they needed about Tremaine, possibly tell them where to find him.
“I think we should do as he says,” Dolok said.
Gedrin and Corran were frowning, but both gave him an approving nod. Ross appeared unsure, then finally showed his agreement by releasing his weapon and unhooking his coat from his hip.
Dolok addressed Torak. “We will comply with your request.”
“Good.” Torak clicked his teeth and made several short snorts, then the two males on either side of him approached the creature. One of them pulled some long thin strips of leather from a pouch attached to his waist. He used them to secure the animal’s legs together, then hooked them over the spear so the males could carry the carcass between them.
The males at the rear lifted their spears, so they were no longer aimed at Dolok’s group. He had a feeling that would change the minute they viewed any of them as a threat.
“Our dwellings are this way.” Torak turned, leading them in the same direction they had originally been traveling.
Talia leaned closer to Dolok, clutching his sleeve, her gaze trained on Torak. “I want to find Tremaine, but... Are you sure about this?”
No, I am not sure. “I believe it is our only option.” Indecision was not something Dolok usually struggled with, but in this instance, when the surrounding lives depended on his choices, he was assailed by self-doubt. His personal preference would have been to whisk the females back to the safety of the transport and confine them there until they could leave this desolate place. Afterward, he’d take Talia to Tarron, where he’d convince her to join with him. “Stay close. I will not allow anyone to harm you.”
“You really need to...” Talia huffed, then shook her head. “Never mind.”
Though he scented her fear, it didn’t completely mask her anger. Dolok was certain she’d been ready to argue about her abilities to protect herself again. Instead, she stomped ahead of him to join the group in following Torak back to his caves.
