The Chalice (24 page)

Staggered, Kara glared at the alien female. “What the frick was that all

about?” she yelped.

Lips twisted in a nasty sneer, arm  akimbo, Siri dom inated the chamber. Towering over even the tallest, her attitude clearly challenged the human femalesto react. For whatever reason, she didn’t seem  concerned about the growing

numbers of irate wom en. In fact, she seem ed to enjoy the chaos she’d instigated.

“I’m  gonna freaking kill you,” Dread roared. She rounded the table. Rage

radiated from  every pore of the black woman’s tensed up form .

“Get in line.” Kara started forward. If the big bitch was here to stay, she’d

better m akes some major adjustments in her behavior patterns.

“I believe this is my job.” Dim inutive Um e stepped up. Chin high, she gazed at Siri. The difference in height and weight class was almost laughable. The top of the tiny Japanese woman’s head barely reached the alien’s chest. Ume rotated her neck, flexing her back, squatted and then stood up, rolling her shoulders. She drew a deep breath.

“I got this, Um e,” Dread ground out. “You aren’t a match for her.”

Ume chopped a hand down, the black bob swinging. “I’m  trained for just this

type of encounter. You aren’t.”

Hanna pushed through the mob and into the fray. Standing alm ost eye to eye,she glowered at the m ocking Siri. “It vill be me. I m ust be the one who vill fight.”

Kara silently applauded Hanna— relieved. Of them  all, she was the only one big

enough to go toe to toe with the alien bitch.

Still sm irking, Siri’s foot tapped a rapid staccato on the marbled floor. Insolentand hateful, she casually leaned over and spat in Hanna’s direction, an outrightinsult in any language.

“Pick a champion.” Anne’s voice came from  behind. “You’re our leader and

she’d expect you to.”

She felt like ripping the bitch in half herself. No need to choose anyone!

Her hands clenched and unclenched. “I want to do the dirty deed.”

“Of course you do. So do I,” Anne com m iserated. “But I wouldn’t last five

minutes. It has to be one of the others. In feudal states, the ruler always appoints a champion.” She nudged Kara’s back. “I’d go with Danesha,” she whispered. “She’s the one boiling with rage. Might just be the ticket.”

Kara sized up the alien, taking close note of each feature. Tall and willowy, Siri’s physique had the look of a honed-to-the-bone body builder. There wasn’t anounce of fat anywhere on her lean frame.

Dread on the other hand was stocky and well developed. Of them  all, sheworked out every day to maintain muscle mass, utilizing whatever she could tostay in training. She was an athlete, strong and fast.

Moira’s wailing sobs echoed through the cham ber. Voices offered comfort,

murmuring reassuring words to the injured girl. Of all the women, why did it have

to be Moira? Really pissed her off!

She drew a breath, steadying herself. “Hanna, Ume, back off. Dread’s going to

teach our newfound friend a well-deserved lesson.”

She tilted her head at the black woman. “Take her out.”

Dread grinned, an evil twist of her full lips. She ducked her head and barreled

in.

Siri feinted to the left and slam m ed her fists down on Dread’s back as the black

woman tackled her with the brute force of an NFL linebacker. Siri’s breath exploded in a loud whoop. She grabbed a handful of the black locks, yanking out tendrils of hair as they both went down in a roiling heap.

The watchers quickly form ed a circle around the fighters, yelling words of

encouragem ent and cheering Dread on.

“Get her Dread!”

“Stom p the bitch.”

“Rip ‘er ears off!”

The alien rained vicious blows at her opponent. Dread ducked, wrapping herarms around the female and held on, protecting her face as she em itted infuriatedscreeches of pain as more hair ripped from  her skull.

“Freakin’ whore,” she screamed, landing a solid punch into Siri’s sinewy

thorax. “You fight like a girly girl.”

She arched back then slam med her head against the alien’s nose. A loud popand a geyser of crim son burst from  the injured nostrils. The silver eyes flared,surprised. Siri’s fingers relaxed, loosening her hold.

Dread rolled to the side and leapt to her feet, dropping back down with a brutalelbow to the woman’s exposed stomach, following up with a right clip to thewoman’s chin. Blood bubbled from  a thin cut to Siri’s jaw.

“Ve must stop this,” Hanna shrieked, wringing her hands. “It is enough.”

Kara agreed. She bolted forward, only to be stopped by Anne.

“Let them  fight it out,” Anne said. She winced, grimacing as the alien’s fist connected with Dread’s eye. “Danesha needs to release her pent up emotions and the alien can’t be allowed to take control.”

The combatants were now on their feet, circling warily. Both sported a fair

number of cuts and purpling bruises. Besides the bodily injuries, Dread’s eye swelled shut and blood crusted Siri’s nose and lips. They looked like hell warm ed

over.

Jabbing and punching like a pro, Dread landed yet another solid whack to Siri’s

face.

W ith a loud huff, the alien fem ale’s hands slashed down, contacting with

Dread’s collar bone.

Kara could hear the crunching snap of breaking bones.

Dread screamed and fell to her knees, rocking in agony.

Siri staggered, swiping a hand across her face. She coughed, spitting blood.

Red streaks smeared her cheeks and forehead.

“Enough,” Anne cried out. “Danesha,” she ran forward, crouching down and

hugging the black woman. “Are you all right, sweetie?”

The entrance panel slid open and a host of breeders led by Tegan rushed intothe room . He skidded to a stop and held up a hand, silently perusing the nowquiet battleground.

Color flooded his pale face. His glistening silver blue eyes flashed with electricsparks. He hissed a string of angry sounding words to Siri, slashing his arm  in acutting motion. Her head dipped and she backed off, looking uneasy and ashamed.

Tegan stared at her for several seconds then, with a wave of his regal hand, atoga-clad breeder clutching a valise of sorts rushed forward and began to exam inethe now weeping Dread. His clever fingers flew over her shoulders, touching andpressing, muttering soft syllables.

Must be some sort of doctor, Kara thought. Good to know we have one.

He finished his exam ination and stood up, shaking his head and looking

concerned. Just like her gynecologist did at the last visit.

“Over here,” a voice called out.

The sort of doctor turned, eyeing the stretched out form  of Moira cushioned inthe well of Leah’s lap. His undivided attention now focused on the huge lump ofseeping flesh peeking through the matted red hair covering the back of her head.

He probed the wound, eliciting soft cries of distress from  the injured girl. He

looked up, chattering a stream  of intelligible babble. Tsk tsking.

In a com manding voice Tegan spouted what m ust have been instructions. Twolines of breeders formed and the injured females, Dread and Moira, were heftedup. They started out the entryway, overt in their disregard of Siri. Not that shecared! Bitch could die as far as she was concerned.

“W here are you taking them ?”

Tegan’s studied gaze scrutinized every feature from  the top of her head to thetips of her toes, lingering on the breast area for a m illisecond before returning toher face. He seemed cold, unaffected. She suffered a brief moment of panic. Always before his contacts’d been warm , prom ising, but this time… She couldn’ttell if he was angry with her or the situation. She opted for the situation. After all,she reasoned, it wasn’t her fault the alien’d gone ballistic. The women were just

defending themselves and their territorial rights—which he should understand. The women had so few comforts here. At the very least, they shouldn’t be forced to endure the added burden of an antagonistic and undesirable roommate.

He cleared his throat. Moisture beaded his furrowed brow. She could almostvisualize the workings of his mind as he struggled to form  an appropriateresponse.

“Fix,” he blurted, pointing at the injured twosom e. The m usical lilt of his voice sent tremors of excitem ent wafting through her nervous system . “Fix,” he said again.

Close enough! “Okay,” she nodded, smiling. “Fix.”

At least they were com municating! Well, maybe com m unicating wasn’t an apt

comparison, but they were vocalizing. It was a huge leap in the right direction.

“Can I come?” she asked.

His face skewed into a puzzled expression. His shrugged, shaking his head. He

didn’t understand.

O…kay! Try something else. “Go?” She wiggled her fingers in a walking m otion,

pointing at herself and then at the injured duo.

His head tilted, his lips pursed. He was considering.

Time for som e affirmative action! She leaned in, almost touching his chest,took a deep breath and filled her lungs, expanded the line of her bust. Breathheld, she offered him  her m ost beguiling smile, calculated to do the m ost damage. She held the pose, willing him  to notice.

His gaze dropped. The silver blue eyes widened. Hunger swirled in theircrystalline depths. She arched her lower back causing the tips of her boobs tolightly brush his torso. Subtle punishment for ignoring her these past days!

He gasped, wincing as if in pain, pale face flushing beet red. He licked his

mobile lips, chewing on the lower one.

Good! He was reacting as hoped. About time! Oxygen deprivation was causing

white spots to dance across her vision.

At a snail’s pace, his gaze lifted.

She exhaled, doing her best to m ake the action appear sexy, unintentional. Provocative. He was a m ale and most males— at least the non-gay kind—responded to the sexual overtures of a desirable female. Human men thoughtwith their dicks. It was a proven fact. Physically, he wasn’t all that different.

“I’m  almost positive you won that round,” Anne commented with a chuckle.

“He’s so heated up, I doubt he can think straight.”

Kara continued to sm ile, staring into Tegan’s glistening orbs. “Don’t get too

happy. You’re coming with me.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Vat about m e,” Hanna hissed.

“And me,” Ume added.

“ We’ll be fine.”

Pressed against the wall, head down, the alien Siri appeared hum bled,nervous. She looked neither right nor left, merely stared at the floor. The bitchdidn’t fool her for a minute. Siri wasn’t the type to bow to anyone. Not with thatattitude. Something didn’t fit. She could feel it.

“You guys keep an eye on Ms. Congeniality over there. If she tries anything—

kill her.”

“Might be a tad harsh,” Anne whispered. “But then, perhaps not.”

Hanna marched over and planted herself in front of Siri, sturdy arm s crossed,

looking every inch the Viking descendant she probably was.

Moira moaned, whimpering in pain.

Tegan scowled, spinning on his heels and striding out the door. The two women

hurried to keep up, following on the tails of the breeders.

Chapter Fourteen [Fifteen]

Tegan stood at the view port, gazing into the dark void. The injured femaleswere now ensconced in the infirmary, watched over by the capable staff of medtechs. Ka-Ra, or Kara as she’d corrected him , and the other female’d returned totheir quarters, after having assured themselves their friends were well cared for.

Kara. The female presented a never-ending enigma. Confusing and mystifying,she bewitched his troubled m ind. He rubbed his chest. He could still feel the pressof her soft mammary glands as she’d brushed against him , innocently unaware ofhow desperately he wanted her. Every aspect of his being ached from  that briefcontact.

His ram pant thoughts churned, easing as they drew peace from  the tranquility

of space.

Tranquility? He craved tranquility. A harmony denied him  for too long. W ith

the advent of the Chalices, especially his Kara, tranquility was a wistful dream .

He exhaled, his breath m isting on the clear com posite of the wide transom .

W hen would serenity reach out a welcoming hand? It would not be too soon.

He brushed back his hair. The m emories of happier times sustained him  intimes of need. Chiagan had once been a paradise, full of light and beauty. Rainbows blessed the vibrant landscape, prisms of color fabricated by the brightmorning suns—colors so intense, it alm ost hurt the eyes to see.