Slave Gold 3: Darcy's Zennoxian Mates (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5

  “Old parchments.” Isa opened another drawer and pulled out some soft-looking black material and then held it up. “You wear? Yes?”

  Darcy nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

  She turned away and put the pants on underneath the towel and then she dropped the towel and put the shirt on. The material was cool and soft and felt wonderful against her bare skin.

  “Sit.” Isa pointed toward the bed.

  Darcy sat down and watched as Isa moved to another drawer in the dresser. She rummaged around for a moment and then she walked toward her with what looked like a brush in her hand and ribbon in the other. Isa climbed onto the bed and began to brush her hair.

  “I can…” Darcy started to say but Isa shushed her.

  “I do. You have such lovely tresses. So soft and light in color. Same color as moonlight.”

  “Uh…thanks.”

  “Zennoxian warriors spent much time traveling the galaxies many, many, many moons ago.”

  Darcy nodded but stayed quiet. She had a feeling this was a story she very much wanted to hear.

  “The males were very angry all the time. Much fighting and killing amongst themselves. Because of this females were very scared of the males and refused to mate because they were frightened they would also be killed.” Isa sighed as she continued to run the brush through Darcy’s hair. “Less younglings were made and when the babes arrived nearly all were male. Zennoxians were becoming less and less, so a few brave warriors went searching for compatible breed mates.

  “Many planet cycles passed and by the time they found the Earth, only a few warriors were still alive. Space pirates and other species attacked the ships. Many warriors died. Only one ship made it to your planet.

  “The warriors took brides, but some of the females were so scared of the strange males their minds broke or they took their own lives.”

  “Oh God,” Darcy whispered.

  Isa began to tug on her hair and Darcy knew she was braiding it.

  “Only ten females became mates and although half bore more females, it wasn’t enough. Our race is…dying, Darcy. You are the hope to the Northern Province, of all the provinces, but because you are female and different to what the current warriors have ever seen, you are in danger.”

  “What?” Darcy whispered. Her heart pounded in her chest and she began to hyperventilate.

  “Your mates will keep you safe, Darcy,” Isa said as she finished braiding her hair and tying a ribbon around the end. She got off the bed and then held Darcy’s cheeks between her hands. “All warriors under the rule of the Bim males have been informed to keep you safe.”

  “Do the men know about Earth? What if I want to go home?”

  Isa reached out and touched a finger to the gold bracelet on her arm. “You were sent here by the gods, Darcy.”

  “The gods?”

  Isa went on to explain about Branwen and the spell she’d placed on the gold slave bracelet.

  “How do you know all this?” Darcy asked, not sure she believed a word Isa had said.

  “The mother of Zennox speaks to me while I sleep. I knew you were coming, just not when.”

  “The mother?”

  “Deity.”

  “How did you know it was me that was coming?”

  Isa tapped her temple. “I see in my dreams. Brave, strong woman with moonlight-colored hair. Mate to the Northern Rulers.”

  “But…”

  “Do not worry, Darcy. All will be well.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Darcy muttered under her breath. “You don’t have five men wanting to fuck you.”

  Isa burst out laughing and Darcy’s cheeks heated when she realized that she had heard her.

  “You will find much joy with the Bim brethren.”

  “What if I want to go home?” Darcy asked as she stood and began to pace. “I don’t belong here. And from what you’ve said, I’m in danger.”

  “Trust the warriors to protect you.” Isa took hold of her hand and tugged her toward the door.

  “Wait!” Darcy stopped and looked down at her bare feet. She loved not having to wear shoes, but the rock floor was cold and she didn’t want to venture outside and end up hurting herself.

  Isa looked down and gave her a sheepish smile before hurrying over to the dresser again. She pulled out the bottom drawer and motioned for Darcy to look inside. She gasped when she saw all the different colored boots lined up in pairs in the drawer.

  Darcy picked out a pair that matched the color of her tunic top and was shocked that they fit her perfectly.

  “How…”

  “Your carta,” Isa said.

  “Carta?”

  “Heart and body’s desire.”

  Darcy gulped but nodded, not wanting to upset Isa by refuting her statement.

  “They programmed the replicator with your sizes and what they wanted.”

  “Oh, wow. Will you show me that later?” Darcy asked.

  “Of course, Senna Darcy. I am to do anything you wish,” Isa said. “But for now we will go eat first meal. You are hungry? Yes?”

  “Yes,” Darcy replied and followed Isa.

  Darcy sighed with repletion and sat back in her chair.

  “You have had enough?” Isa asked.

  “Yes, thanks. That was wonderful.” Although she had no idea what she’d eaten, it was all delicious.

  She glanced over at some men as they hurried through the hall and quickly looked away when she saw they were all looking at her curiously. One guy nearly ran into the back of another when he stopped abruptly. Darcy giggled and then covered her mouth when the guy noticed and smiled at her.

  “Where are Froz and his brothers?”

  “Organizing other warriors to take over their border patrol,” Isa answered.

  “Oh.” Darcy stood and began to gather the used dishes.

  “No.” Isa covered her hand with hers. “You do not do such menial tasks.”

  “Yes, I do,” Darcy said emphatically. If she was stuck here for goodness knew how long, she wasn’t going to sit around on her ass all day long like a pampered princess. She was used to working, not being idle. If she didn’t find something to occupy her time, she would end up going batty.

  Isa sighed and then began to help her. “As you wish, Senna Darcy.”

  “Senna?”

  “Your word would be…queen.”

  “I don’t know how to be a queen.” Darcy stacked the used dishes and then started carrying them toward the door.

  “You will learn,” Isa said with conviction.

  Darcy sighed.

  “You don’t need to change who you are, Senna. Just be yourself,” Isa advised.

  “I–I…”

  “All will be well.”

  “If you say so.”

  Darcy was amazed at the size of the kitchen. There were at least fifteen young men working in the room, with one older male directing them.

  She was introduced to them all but after the fourth name she gave up trying to keep them straight in her head. She would just have to ask each person their name as she came across them.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked the older male, Brag.

  “No. No, Senna Darcy. We are here to serve you.” Brag bowed his head and smiled at her, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Maybe he was worried she wouldn’t like the food. “You must let me know if there is any special food you would like me to make.”

  “Thank you. Everything I’ve eaten has been delicious. Except for the uri, of course.”

  Brag burst out laughing and nodded his head. “Not many like uri. I will make sure not to serve it to you again.”

  “Thanks, Brag.” Darcy turned and headed to the exit. She was pleased she had alleviated Brag’s anxiety. He had still been smiling as she left.

  “Can we go outside?” she asked Isa.

  “Yes. I will take you to the village to get you some more garments. It is much more fun to browse, don’t you think? “

&n
bsp; Darcy nodded distractedly as she looked about. “Do all the warriors live in this building?”

  “Not all. Just the Sen’s guard. No doubt your carta will choose more warriors as your personal protection.”

  “Oh. Do you really think that is necessary?”

  “Yes,” Isa answered without further explanation.

  Isa showed Darcy the backdoor and they walked out into the fresh air. When she looked up into the sky she was astounded to see four small suns high above. Isa must have seen where she was looking.

  “The suns are over each separate province.” Isa pointed to one. “The Northern Province sun. The Southern Province sun. East and Western Province suns.”

  “Do you have four moons, too?” she asked.

  “No. There is one great moon which lights all provinces at dark.”

  Darcy nodded and wondered how big their moon was. If it covered each territory it was probably as big as Earth’s moon, if not bigger. She took in all the brightly colored unusual plants and when she touched the black petals of one flower she squeaked when the petals closed up tight.

  Isa laughed and Darcy joined in. There was so much to see and the air was so crisp and clean. There was no smog or traffic, but when she saw something moving just off the ground in the distance she covered her eyes to shield them from the suns and squinted.

  “What is that?” she asked, and pointed to whatever was moving toward them fast.

  “That is a hover tandem,” Isa replied.

  “Like a hover bike?” Darcy glanced at Isa and saw her frown and then she nodded.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, look, there are more than one.”

  Isa gasped and then grabbed Darcy’s arm, tugging at her. “We must go inside.”

  “Why?”

  “The warriors are from the Western Province.”

  At first Darcy was concerned, but then she straightened her shoulders and held her head high. She wasn’t about to let these men scare her off. There were other men around and she didn’t think she was really in any danger.

  Isa tugged her arm again, but Darcy dug her heels in. “We must get inside.”

  “I understand your concerns, but I’m not the type of woman to run and bury my head in the sand. They won’t hurt me.” Darcy swept her hand out to indicate the other men.

  “You don’t understand,” Isa whispered urgently.

  “What’s to understand?” she pulled her arm from Isa’s painful grip.

  “Pharm,” Isa whispered, but Darcy heard her. If she wasn’t so shocked to hear the profanity from the older woman she would have laughed. “It is too late now. They have seen you.”

  Darcy drew in a deep breath and released it as she tried to shore up her defenses and courage. Now that the men on the hover cycle thingies were closer, she began to get nervous. From what she could see, they were looking at her with lustful intentions as well as curiosity. She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake by being so stubborn.

  The warriors who had been bustling about and training in the far courtyard hurried forward and formed a formidable wall between their visitors and her and Isa. The hover cycles drew to a halt and although the men tried to hide her behind their shoulder-to-shoulder wall, she felt their eyes on her. They were well above the ground at about shoulder height to the warriors forming the barrier, and the five men were staring at her.

  “What is the meaning of this, Sen Borg?” The man in the middle of the human blockade took a step forward.

  “We heard a rumor and wanted to see for ourselves if it was true,” Sen Borg said as he pinned her with his glowing blue eyes and licked his lips.

  Darcy shivered, but not in a good way. Now that she knew what prey felt like to a predator, she didn’t like it. Not one little bit. She wanted to turn around and hurry back into the mansion of a house, but her legs were trembling and she couldn’t make herself move. Plus, she was worried about what would happen to the men trying to protect her. The odds were two to one in their favor but the five men sitting so still on their vehicles scared her.

  Even though they were only slightly bigger than her guys, they seemed more menacing and that sent another shaft of fear into her heart, making it race and her breathing speed up.

  “What rumor?”

  “Who is that man?” Darcy asked Isa in a quiet voice so it wouldn’t carry.

  “That is the captain of the Sen Guard, Frac Dom,” Isa whispered her answer.

  “And the ones on the hover things?” Darcy asked.

  “Those males are the leaders of the west province,” Isa said. “The one who speaks is Sen Borg and his brethren, Sen Starg, Larg, Forg, and Varg.”

  “What do they want?” Darcy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to that question because she had a horrible feeling she already knew.

  “They want you, Senna Darcy.”

  Darcy swallowed and the urge to run was almost too much to ignore, but she held her ground, took a deep breath, and glared back at the five men watching her. Sen Borg was perusing her body up and down, and it took everything she had not to react with fear and revulsion, but when his gaze met hers, she glared at him. It didn’t matter that she was shaking inside or that she was scared of him and his brothers. There was no way she was letting them see how much they affected her. But when his lips twitched up at the corners and she once more met his eyes, the fear amplified.

  His gaze was full of determination and aggression, and she had an awful feeling if he ever got a hold of her she wouldn’t like what he did to her one little bit.

  Chapter Five

  Cark roared with fury when he read the message on his wrist comm unit. His brothers’ yells joined his moments later and he knew they had also been sent the missive.

  He and his brethren had been in a meeting with some of their warriors, giving them their duties on how they wanted their tatra protected at all times. They had hand-picked the Senna Guard themselves, wanting the strongest brethren unit to keep their mate safe. The only unit stronger than their own Sen Guard.

  Cark rushed from the room and ran down the long corridor toward the back of the large building. His aggression was getting hold of him, but because he had also met his tatra and she was in danger, his dormant powers were coming to the surface. His bones ached but not enough to stop him as he ran toward his female. He could feel himself growing and his already bulging muscles expanded even more, but when he felt his mate’s fear beating at him as his empathy skills kicked in, a growl of rage bubbled up from deep in his gut and out of his mouth.

  When his brethren answered his aggressive call, he knew they were experiencing the same emotions as he was. Never before had Cark felt so out of control. It had been decades since any Zennoxian had been killed, but he wasn’t sure he could contain his wrath. A red haze formed over his eyes and his fangs erupted from his mouth.

  He burst from the door to the back garden and training area, giving the battle cry as he hurried to his mate.

  Darcy spun on her heel and met his angry gaze. Her hand lifted to her chest and her fear nearly brought him to his knees. It was so much more than it had been and when he looked into her eyes, he realized she was afraid of him.

  He stopped a few feet from her and snarled at himself when he heard her whimper. His brothers must have felt her terror because they stopped next to him. Cark breathed deeply, trying to control his violent reaction and after he knew not how long, the red haze over his eyes dissipated. His fangs retracted, his muscles diminished back to normal, as did his height, and when he finally managed to look beyond his female, he mentally cursed. The leaders of the Western Province were fleeing.

  “What the pharm did they want?” Froz barked his question to Frac.

  “They wanted to look on your tatra,” Frac answered, keeping his eyes lowered as if he was worried that Cark and his brethren would snap.

  “How the hell did word leak out about our mate?” Drac all but spat the question.

  “We do not know, Sen Drac,” Frac’s br
ethren Trag answered.

  “Find out,” Cark ordered.

  The Dom brothers bowed to him and his brethren before hurrying away.

  Cark slowly moved closer to Darcy, hoping not to frighten her any more than she already was. Her eyes were wide and although she was panting, he didn’t sense fear coming off of her. It was more like nervousness, and he sighed as his more of his aggression eased.

  He lifted his hands and cupped her face between them and nearly groaned when her little white teeth nibbled on her bottom lip.

  “Do not ever fear us, tatra,” he said in a low voice. “We would die to protect you.”

  “I–I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me,” she whispered back.

  Cark felt her tremble and noticed her eyes were no longer wide. Her lids were now lowered to half-mast and when he inhaled another low rumble formed in his chest and escaped his mouth, but this was a noise of desire and not rage.

  His senses were still enhanced after his dormant fighting skills had surfaced and he could smell Darcy’s arousal. His cock twitched and began to fill with blood. It engorged so fast he felt dizzy for a moment, and then it began to swell and pulse as if he was already buried inside her wet sheath and was pleasuring her.

  “Get her inside now,” Froz ordered.

  Cark wanted to kiss her, but with so many of their warriors still around he didn’t want to incite more belligerence by giving them a show. It was hard enough for him and his brethren to control themselves around their mate. But at least they had a woman of their own. Or they would, if she accepted them to be hers and hers alone. However, he didn’t want his men to be witness to his affection for his tatra because it would be too much of a risk. There were so few women on Zennox and he didn’t want to tempt his men to try and snatch their female away from him and his brethren.

  Although he trusted most of his men with his life, and had when he was still young and learning to control his hostile tendencies, it pained him to acknowledge that someone was not loyal to him and his brethren. He just hoped they could weed out the traitor, if there was one, and keep their tatra safe. It was normal for word to spread about an unmated female from province to province, so maybe there was no traitor after all. He knew if he and his brethren had heard that one of the other provinces had found a female all alone, he would have raced to their domain, hoping to set eyes on her, too.