Laurann Dohner - Ral's Woman

Four men attacked him instead of three.

Horror rushed over her. She looked up at one of the three big men. “Can’t you help him fight?”

One of the men shook his head. “You are Ral’s woman to fight for. We only guard you. It is our way.”

“Your way sucks,” she whispered. Terror for Ral hit her as she watched him fight.

Ral was damn good. There were four men surrounding him. Two of them grabbed his arms while the third man gripped him from behind. The fourth man came at him from the front. It was Gru. Ariel gasped and tried to get to Ral. She wanted to jump on one of those bastards. Ral needed help. One of the men ordered to protect her gripped her arm yanking her back.

“Stay.” He spoke softly. “Ral needs no help.”

Ral threw his head back slamming it into the face of the man behind him. Both of Ral’s feet shot out in the same instant to kick at the man coming at his chest. Both men gripping Ral’s arms staggered backward trying to keep hold of him. It knocked both of them off balance.

Gru roared in pain when Ral had kicked his chest. His body flew backward, slamming hard into a rough rock wall. When Ral’s feet hit the floor he yanked his arms together. It sent both off-balanced men crashing into each other in front of Ral. He yanked an arm free to slam his fist into the face closest to him.

It was brutal. It was bloody. Ral beat the hell out of all four of them. The men on the floor were bloody and some of them had broken bones. Ariel learned that Zorn also fought with their teeth. Ral had torn up one man’s arm when the man had tried to use that arm to batter Ral’s face. Ral turned to snarl at the room. He walked over to grab Gru by his hair. He yanked the man up to his unsteady feet.

“She is mine. I told you it would cost you your life, Gru.” Ral glared around the room. “Death to any man who tries to touch the woman I bound to.”

Ariel almost collapsed when she watched Ral snap Gru’s neck. He just twisted it and she heard the pop sound. Ral threw Gru’s body down. He reached down and grabbed up the next man. That man whimpered.

“Please, Ral—”

Ral broke his neck. He threw him aside. Ariel shut her eyes fighting a sob. She heard two more pops. Both of the remaining men had begged for their lives. Ral hadn’t hesitated to kill them.

“She’s mine,” he roared.

Ariel’s eyes flew open when a hand gripped her. A bloody Ral was panting as he jerked on her hand. She stumbled after him when he didn’t give her a choice. He dragged her from the room, around the dead bodies of the men he’d fought, and down the corridor. He didn’t stop until he reached the bathroom. He yanked her inside. Two men occupied the room. Ral snarled at both of them.

“Out. Baras, guard the door.”

One of the men nodded, glancing at Ariel. “Are you all right, Ral?”

“I had to kill four men stupid enough to try to take my bound woman.”

The man paled. “I will guard the door.”

“Appreciated,” Ral said softly.

He stared down at Ariel. She looked up at him fearfully. He frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You killed all four of them.”

He softly growled at her. “I don’t know how things are on your planet but you aren’t there anymore, Ariel. If I did not kill them then I would have to fight to keep you every day. Would you prefer I let them take you? Do you know what they would have done with you? They would have bred you until they passed you to other men. You are little. You would not survive long. They would hurt you. You are mine. You and I are in love. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “I’ve just…” She fought tears. “It scared me and I’m not used to violence. I realize you had no choice and I appreciate that you did that for me. I really do. I’m just in shock.”

He sighed as his hold on her arm loosened. “I will wash. Remove your clothes. We wash together.”

She stripped quickly. She kept glancing at the door. Ral chuckled. “Baras won’t let anyone enter. Most of my people fear me. I am stronger than all.”

“You fight really well.”

“I am a…” He hesitated. “I don’t know how to make you understand. On my planet some are stronger than others. I am from the strongest family. My father leads our planet.”

She was stunned. “Like a king?”

“I don’t know that word. My father is the strongest. He leads all of our people.”

“Shit. You’re like a prince.”

He shrugged. “I don’t understand that term but my people follow me here.

Sometimes some of them get stupid. They forget I fight the best. It is our way. The strongest lead the weaker. I am the strongest of my people here.”

“So why do they even fight you?”

“To win you from the Anzons…” He hesitated. “We do not like to injure each other but we are good at inflicting enough injury to make it look real. Sometimes we pretend broken bones. Sometimes the fight is real. Some fought for real for you. I always win the fight and award the prize to one of my people who deserve it. This time I kept the prize for myself.”

She was shocked again by the man who jerked her naked body into the shower stall and waved his hand against the wall. A waterfall of warm water fell from above the entire shower stall area like rain. It startled Ariel.

Ral chuckled. “The water cleans us. It will clean all. Just rub it on your skin.”

“There’s nothing to wash our hair with?”

He touched the rain. “It cleans your hair. There are chemicals in the water. Do not swallow it. It won’t harm you or your eyes since it gets in our eyes but it doesn’t taste good. If you swallow much it will come back up.”

“So that whole fight to win me from the Anzons wasn’t real?”

He hesitated. “We learned long ago when we were first captured how to show a fight to make it look good or they would withhold food to all to make us fight for real.

Some fight for real to try to win prizes they desire with much greed. I give away what I win to who I believe is the most deserving. Many fought for real today for you. They were being stupid and they wanted to win you from me so they could have you. They knew they were not in favor with me and I would not find them deserving of you so they fought.”

“That is why that man stopped you to ask you who I was being given to.”

He nodded. “Gru did not like it that I kept you but I have more than earned the right to withhold you for myself. He thought he was deserving enough for me to give you to him.”

“You’ve won other women?”

“Yes.”

Jealousy hit her. “You bred with them?”

He eyed her with narrowed lids. “No. I handed them over immediately to what man I had deemed deserving.” He reached to cup her face gently with his hand. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “You are the only woman I have had taken to my bed since we were taken from our planet. That was six months ago.”

She was shocked again. “Why did you keep me? Why didn’t you keep any of those other women?”

He smiled. “I was attracted to you so strongly I felt it in my blood when I laid eyes upon you. I had to have you.”

She nodded. “I’m glad.”

“I am glad as well. Let’s go to our room. I feel the need for you in my blood and I don’t think it would be safe for me to have you here.”

Ral shut the door firmly. “Remove your clothes.”

She stripped quickly. She watched Ral remove his pants. He was aroused. He walked to the mattress to sit on his legs. He tapped his lap.

“Up or down. Your choice.”

Ariel smiled. “Do you always sit on your legs?”

“Your kind does not?”

“No. Stretch out flat on your back for me.”