Page 25 of Warrior Enchanted

I didn’t even wince when Jakar dealt his opponent the final blow. Just cheered, awed by the amazing spinning kick he’d done it with. He was so athletic, my very own Tarzan. I wasn’t the only one impressed by his skills. The guards were in awe too, some clapping and cheering just like me. The elf-like asshole standing over the fight from his raised platform was grinning greedily. Yeah, he was seeing the dollar signs right there. He knew it would be wasteful to kill Jakar when he could make money off him in the arena.

It pissed me off so much to know that he thought he could subject a good man like Jakar to more slavery. To another pain collar around his proud neck. No, when I got the chance, I was stabbing that bastard just like I had the last one. Wouldn’t even matter if rescue was here yet or not.

I wasn’t listening to the eager pronouncements the rich guy was uttering. Something about making a name with Jakar, maybe with Fierce too. They were urging me closer until I was right below the dais. Then he reached out and used a long-fingered and be-ringed hand to tilt my chin until I had no choice but to look at him. “Yeah, you’re not the beauty I was after, but you’ll do,” he said with a malicious grin. “You’re going to do as I say, gladiator, or your mate dies. And every day you get to live with the knowledge that she’s in my bed. But if you fight well, maybe you get a night with her if I feel like it. That’s how it’s going to be.”

Over your dead body, I thought right as an alarm started to blare. “Proximity alert, asteroid incoming, activating automatic meteor defense system.” The ship shook and trembled, and I saw my opening. Shaking out of the hold on me, I yanked free my knife, and with a single leap, I was up on the dais. I wasn’t nearly as tall as the elf-like dude, but that didn’t matter. I just jabbed the tip of my knife into his side, hard enough to actually cut but not yet kill. “Tell ‘em to back the hell off right now. Or I’ll take great pleasure fucking you up.”

The guy yelped like a girl, whimpering, and I made sure to grab the gun off his hip and toss it at Jakar. He was up on his feet, towering over his downed opponent, and he was the only one not swaying back and forth like he was on a seesaw. The ship was going through some heavy turbulence, which I didn’t think existed in space. Somehow, I doubted it was an actual meteor.

It was all done in seconds. With weapons in our hands and their master as a hostage, none of the guards knew how to respond. Didn’t help that their leader had been killed after their boss had discarded him. With their boss under our control, Jakar told the guards to allow the Vagabond to board so they could retrieve us. With his life on the line, that little shit was yelling at them to obey in a high-pitched whine.

Not even ten minutes later, Jakar and I were standing in the airlock. Surrounded by the many aliens from the Vagabond, our hostage was still with us. We didn’t trust him to let us go without a fight the moment we released him. Fierce was already off to the med bay, while we’d retrieved our things from the ship. I’d seen the red-headed pilot of the Vagabond gleefully cart several valuables with him too.

At the last moment, Jakar pushed this stupid Sir Firxyrran out of the airlock, and my heartbeat shot up in expectation. He raised the pistol we’d confiscated from him and, with a whine, the laser exploded from the small barrel, lighting up the entire hallway with the blast. I didn’t see the aftermath. Jakar had tackled me into the airlock and someone else slammed the hatch closed behind us.

I panted in shock, curled up in Jakar’s many arms. Had that tiny pistol just caused such a giant explosion? That was more than just taking out that rich guy, that had torn apart that entire corridor. Good, that meant he couldn’t go around buying other slaves. One less evil out there in the universe.

*

Jakar

My mate had insisted that I go to the Doc to get checked out, and I only protested a little just because I liked it when she got all insistent. She cared, she said she loved me. I was going to make her so damn happy she never wanted to leave, and I knew she’d do the same for me. She’d been magnificent when she’d taken Sir Firxyrran hostage like that, beautifully executed.

I snorted in laughter at my thought, considering I’d executed the bastard afterward. Doc Luka’s eyebrow went up as he worked on me, but he didn’t say anything, just kept on working on the burn on my shoulder. It was the last one he was treating; I had several layers of plas bandages on my back and hip already. Whatever salve he was coating me with, it had eased away the last of my pain.

Meena was sitting next to me on the cot, clinging to one of my arms, her head on my shoulder. She was tired. Her hair was a wild mess of black locks that she’d exclaimed over when she’d seen her reflection. I liked it though; it looked like sex hair, and it looked like she’d been in a fight. Both were hot.

I’d insisted on letting Luka check her over first and she’d frowned at me before caving. Maybe she knew it would be quicker to just give in on that one. Whatever, I was glad that she did and that she’d turned out to be in good health.

When the Doc had removed the remains of the broken pain collar from around my neck, I’d fought down the urge to vomit. So many feelings were tied into that thing. I hated it, and it felt weird to not have it around my neck. I was simply so used to wearing one. Never again, I’d have the rest of my life with my mate to get used to having my neck bare.

One after the other, my brothers visited us to say hi, and their mates were in tow each time, eagerly hugging Meena and me. I loved that. I loved how warm and welcoming it was here. How much this was family. Tapping my fist to my heart in a gladiator greeting, I glowed each time my brothers returned the gesture.

I was home, and I finally had my mate. We’d been through a lot, but it was all worth it in the end. Nothing could be more perfect than proudly leading her to my own room on the ship so we could rest up. Letting everyone know that I had in fact won the girl, as Camila would put it. She was staying with me.

Everyone was safe. Fierce was going to be fine. Yeah, this was the start of the rest of my life, and it was going to be awesome.

*

Meena

I didn’t ease up on my worry until Jakar had had a full check-up from the kind doctor. I was worried his heart might burst after all those shocks and the stress. I remember specifically asking him to check for any heart damage and the Doc had just politely nodded and smiled, moving his scanner to the center of Jakar’s massive chest.

Once he’d assured me all was well, I had just sagged against Jakar, all the energy leaving me in a big whoosh. I was done for, exhausted, but I was also just so happy right now. We were free, safe, and I’d learned so much about myself and what I needed in life. And what I needed was definitely this big gentle sweetheart at my side, making me smile, giving me gifts because it made him happy too. Making love to that sexy body of his. Yeah, I couldn’t wait to get started on that.

It was overwhelming to meet all the people on the ship all over again, but I was grateful for Hina’s tight hug. She was the most familiar face, and she was just so gentle and kind. I could see us being close friends; now that I wasn’t holding so much back of myself.

When Jakar proudly led me to his room, I was glowing on the inside so much that it spilled out onto my face in a giant smile. Yeah, he wanted to show his friends that I’d agreed to be his girl, his mate, but I was proud to show the same thing. I even loved the catcalls and the whistles, especially that obnoxiously loud one from Camila, the lady with the super long braid.

Jakar paused us in front of his door in the hallway with all the prettily decorated doors. He had a giant tree painted on it, like the tree of life, with bright vibrant colors that made the whole painting look almost alive. It impressed me. Each door looked different, with various degrees of artistry, but this was out of this world beautiful. He was so freaking talented; I needed to make sure he painted more things.

When the door slid open and I was greeted with a wilderness of green. My smile just got wider. Of course, Jakar would have plants everywhere in his room. And there, perched in a cubbyhole, was the blooming plant he’d gifted me, repotted and safe. I recognized those pink blooms, one stalk broken but gently splinted by some of that handy plasfilm.

Then my eyes widened when I spotted the hammock dangling from one wall to the next. It looked big and sturdy, wide enough for us both, and the type that had a mattress bottom, not just fabric that conformed to your body. That was going to take some getting used to, but I was all for it.

“Oh, Hina must have taken care of my plants, they look good,” Jakar said with a grin and what was a hint of relief. My sweetheart had totally been worried about them; I thought that was the cutest. Especially when I saw how his spots were glowing with color, mostly yellow.

“Come on, big guy,” I said, taking one of his hands. I’d spotted the door to the shower. He was only too willing to get naked with me in there, our clothes discarded on the floor around us, soap getting pretty much everywhere. Then he had me up by the hips, pinning me against the shower wall, his tendrils wiggling through my folds to stroke along my clit. His ridged cock slid into the hilt. Obviously, we liked doing it standing up, no complaints from me.