Chapter 6 #2
"We have a year to find out." Khaazai scraped his claws lightly along her back, sending shivers of pleasure up and down her spine. Seeming to notice her response, he continued to run his claws lightly over her back.
"Emperor." Another Khuuz’eth walked up and bowed with a hand to his chest as he spoke to Khaazai's cousin. "Should we begin the ceremony?"
"You seem close to your cousin." Zahra whispered.
"We are more like brothers. There isn't anything you could say to him tonight that I wouldn't be able to fix."
"Hmm." Zahra wasn’t convinced.
"Start the ceremony." The emperor snagged some meat from the table as the other man backed away. “I’m ready to celebrate a wedding. About time Khaazai settled down and started a family.”
Zahra’s face heated. Start a family. Sex. There’d be sex in this relationship, and although she worried about the anatomy side of things, she couldn’t truthfully say she wasn’t interested. Khaazai was tall, dark, and handsome in a strange alien way.
"Have you read up on our ceremonies?" Khaazai inquired, as he studied her with those electric blue eyes.
"No." Zahra replied as her cheeks flushed again. "I wasn't given a lot of time to read up on your people before arriving here. It was a pretty quick deadline I was given by your people.”
"I'm told our rituals are very different than human ceremonies." Khaazai explained.
Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Will I need to do anything?" Her voice held steady despite the nerves pumping through her veins.
"No. Only I will be expected to do anything of importance. Your part will be simple." His other hand landed on her knee. "It's about to begin."
Zahra watched the room as a space opened up on the floor before them as people backed away or took seats. A male Khuuz’eth stepped forward into the empty space and then addressed the room.
"Khaazai has claimed a female from the humans. Who here challenges him for the right to mate?" The male asked, his deep voice carrying through the quiet room.
"Challenge?" Zahra's forehead wrinkled as she glanced back at Khaazai. And where was Holly? She was supposed to be here for questions. And Zahra had questions! She felt certain there’d be many more before the night concluded.
"Yes." Khaazai whispered, his eyes never leaving the man standing in the middle of the room.
Her brow furrowed even more when she sensed excitement buzzing up from Khaazai. The energy seemed to radiate straight from him and into her, which ignited her own curiosity and also some worry.
"Umm. Okay." She glanced around the room again to see a male rise from the crowd. He strode into the middle.
"I challenge Khazzai."
Then another two males strode into the center of the room and declared their intention to challenge.
"What’s going on?" Zahra glanced around the confusing scene unfolding before her. She spotted Holly pushing her way to through the crowd of Khuuz’eth.
The poor woman was dwarfed by all the tall aliens standing around her, their towering frames like a dense forest that formed almost an impenetrable barrier.
The determination stamped across Holly’s face gave Zahra the comfort she’d make it through in time to answer the questions burning inside Zahra’s chest.
Khaazai wrapped his hands around her waist and set her on her feet beside his chair. Then he stood to his full height, and she craned her head back.
"Only three challengers?” Khaazai roared to the room. “Will no one else challenge me for my female?" He lifted a hand to Zahra as if showing her off, like the rest of the males in the room were blind or stupid for not wanting her.
"Wait, what?!" Zahra asked none to quietly as her eyes darted from him to the males in the middle of the room and then to General Bohler.
"Outspoken." A male Khuuz’eth chuckled as he too stepped forward. "I'll fight for her."
She should have kept her mouth shut. She wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but she figured the less challengers the better for her and Khaazai. Though he had been the one to tempt more fighters into the middle of the room.
Holly rushed up beside her having finally made it past all the Khuuz’eth. "Sorry, I tried to get here faster but... a guy wouldn't leave me alone." She rushed out in a single breath.
"What's going on, Holly?" Zahra felt a solid pit forming in her stomach, her own anxiety causing her to miss Holly’s words.
"The general tried to get this tradition removed because he knew you wouldn't like it, but Khaazai and the emperor insisted this tradition must be adhered to for the alliance to continue forward." Holly rushed to explain, still trying to catch her breath.
"And what exactly is this tradition?" Zahra nearly growled under her breath. She might just strangle General Bohler, she didn’t care how insubordinate the thought might be.
"Other men are offered the chance to fight Khaazai for you."
Zahra narrowed her eyes on Holly. "Let me get this right, if he loses,” she hitched a thumb at him, “I go to the winner like some prize?"
"No." Holly shook her head. "You can still accept or decline the male that wins, but if Khaazai loses, then your marriage won't go through."
"And the alliance?"
"Will fall through if you refuse the winner." Holly grimaced. "It only goes through if you join with one of the Khuuz’eth. It doesn’t matter if it’s Khaazai or another male."
"Not what I signed up for." Zahra grumbled. She still wasn't entirely sure she wanted to marry Khaazai. It felt so similar to an arranged marriage. She knew very little about him or his culture. But to marry a completely different man? No. Definitely no.
As if sensing her apprehension over this fight, Khaazai turned and his electric blue eyes met hers. He gave the slightest nod of his head as if to say, "Don't worry, I've got this."
“You better.” She growled at him, making sure he heard her.
Another Khuuz’eth male stepped up beside him handing Khaazai one of their plasma staffs. He faced his enemies who were also given plasma staffs.
"Don't fear, human. Khaazai is renowned for his prowess in battle." The emperor stated, relaxed in his seat as if he wasn’t about to witness his cousin face off against several males.
Zahra turned to the emperor. "Do they fight him all at once or one at a time?"
"Watch and find out for yourself." He inclined his head to the fight unfolding before them as he savored another bite of the meat from the table.
With a primal growl that reverberated through her bones, Khaazai slammed a hand on the table and launched himself over the table and at his first opponent, a blur of black skin and pure muscle.
She felt a rush of relief slam into her chest when she realized they would fight him one on one instead of altogether.
It offered her some hope that he’d make it out the fight the winner, assuming he didn’t end up tiring out before the last opponent.
Their spears met in a bone shattering clash like a crack of thunder, and Zahra flinched instinctively.
When they were fighting for their lives on the planet against the Sri’thaen’s, she hadn’t gotten a good look at the Khuuz’eth strength.
Watching them now, she realized how easy Khaazai had taken it on her while aboard his ship in the training room.
It made her wonder how he’d been able to hold back that much strength.
A clash with him would easily shatter her arms.
The men flung each other away and then circled as they sized each other up, before the opposing male launched himself at Khaazai with a roar.
Khaazai met the attack head on and then managed to maneuver his spear in a display of raw skill as he flung the opposing male’s spear into the crowd.
Without a moment of hesitation, he pressed the tip against the male’s throat.
A silent declaration of his dominance over the other male.
Some feminine part of her responded to the display of male power, and Zahra squirmed in her seat.
Some silent communication appeared to pass between them, because Khaazai lowered his spear as the male backed out of the fighting area.
Another male took barely a second before he roared into the fighting area to challenge Khaazai.
And on and on they went. The rhythm of the battling seemed relentless.
Khaazai took a few hits, but to his credit he seemed to be holding his own, his stamina leaving her in awe.
At last, the final opponent stepped forward, an alien male who appeared cut straight from stone.
The two men circled each other, allowing the audience a moment to take in this new fighter.
The opponent was a mountain of alien muscle.
A spike of worry pumped through Zahra. It seemed the worst had been saved for last.
"Calm, female. I can scent your fear permeating the air." The emperor rumbled deep in his chest.
"Easier said than done." Zahra growled back, her eyes never leaving the males before her.
"Khaazai said you are a soldier, so you should know not everything comes down to brute strength." The emperor said, his voice the perfect calm. “Perhaps you are worried over his safety?”
Zahra snorted. “I barely know him. You can’t worry about someone’s safety when you have no emotions invested in them.”
“Do you humans not believe in love at first sight?” The emperor’s voice sounded almost mocking, like the idea tickled him that a sentient species might believe in something so silly, but also intrigued with the idea himself.
Again, Zahra snorted. “Some of us do, but I would call those people fools.”
“And those people might call you a fool.” The emperor chuckled. “Some of my people believe in it as well.”
Zahra’s head snapped to the side as she stared wide-eyed at him. “You believe in love at first sight?”
The emperor let out a low growl that she was coming to recognize as a laugh. “I’ll let you know once I experience it.”
Zahra rolled her eyes. “Well, it hasn’t happened here.” She turned her attention back to the males who were still sizing each other up. The suspension was almost as bad as seeing Khaazai being attacked.
As if reading her thoughts, the hulking Khuuz’eth launched himself at Khaazai in a mass of angry muscle.
Zahra gripped the side of the table as she watched them exchange blows, her knuckles turning white.
This male was finally giving Khaazai a run for his money.
Each clash of their spears echoed in her ears and had her cringing at the sheer force.
If it was her in his place, she’d have broken arms, and would probably be a bleeding pulp on the ground by now.
Yet Khaazai took each blow with a calculated calm, almost absorbing each blow, as if he bided his time.
She found herself holding her breath, and never noticed the intense way his cousin watched her every move.
Finally, Khaazai launched himself at the other male, his motions a blur as he went on the attack, his every move fluid and as he blurred between a defensive and an offensive position.
Zahra felt herself chanting inside her head for his victory.
With a few more skilled movements, he felled the massive male, who crashed to the floor, his knees hitting the ground that seemed to shake the room.
Then Khaazai pressed his spear tip to the man’s chest, and again, a silent moment passed over the crowd before Khaazai stepped back.
Granting his opponent mercy, because Zahra felt certain bloodshed was not uncommon at these events.
With another roar, Khaazai held up his spear before turning and facing Zahra. Eyes darting, she noticed everyone now looked at her. It was as if they all waited for something. Something from her.
"Umm, Holly?" Zahra asked, as she leaned slightly to one side, her eyes never leaving Khaazai’s. She felt the primal part of her tell her that a predator stood in front of her and she shouldn’t remove her eyes from him, lest he jump the table and come for her.
"So," Holly said as she glanced through the tablet in her hands. "It looks like it's now your chance to challenge him."