Claimed: The Warriors of Nur by C.C. Coats Read Free Book Online

grabbed his shoulders for balance.  Even with him kneeling, she didn’t have far to bend.  “Get the hell OFF!” 
    “Where are you injured, female?  Tell me, or I will strip you and search you myself.”  His grip tightened when she tried to yank way.
    “What are you talking about?  Get OFF!”  Again, she tried to yank her leg away as he eyed her boots with determination.
    “You jumped and squealed.  Where were you bitten?”  His frustration showed in his growled words.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about!  Nothing bit me.  Now STOP!”  With a forceful jerk, she stumbled back.  “What the HELL!”  Glaring, she bent to pull the flight suit legs back down.  “What is WRONG with you?  You have absolutely NO respect for personal space!”
    “You jumped and squ…”
    “I was excited.”  She interrupted “Not bitten.”  Holding up her arm, she pointed to her wrist.  “I was excited about finding this. How I can talk to you now?”
    Erol gathered the fruit as he got to his feet.  “Come.”  Striding past her, he piled the fruit beside the fire and replaced the items still strewn on the ground.  He knew she hadn’t moved, and wondered if she would run. 
    Carefully, he pulled the meat away from the fire, and sliced off three thick portions to cool.  He hoped she wouldn’t run.  She wouldn’t get far before he caught her, but he would rather not have to bind her for the remainder of their way to his home. 
    “Come.  You need to eat.  The sun has made you very ill; we still have many hours before we reach my home.” 
    Without looking at her, he indicated she should sit beside the piled fruit. 
    A relieved sigh left him at the sound of her approach. 
    Leo again felt her stomach cramp with hunger.  Goodness, she was starving.  If she weren’t so hungry, this would be the perfect opportunity to tuck tail, but who knew when she would be able to eat again?  It wasn’t like she knew what was edible around here anyway, so this would probably be the last meal she’d have in a while. 
    The meat was roasted to a crisp golden brown on the outside, and moist and flavorful inside.  It tasted a lot like her sister’s fried chicken.  She ate the three pieces, greedily licking the remaining oils off her fingers.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had anything that tasted so good.  She mostly ate the synth-protein rations while on ship, and they had very little flavor, if any.   
    She watched him remove a knife, about eight inches long, from a sheath on his thigh and cleanly hack several of the strange fruit in half.  They were radish-shaped, but without the leafy tops, and were a dark brown color with faint yellow lines.  They didn’t look at all appealing.  Standing, she stretched her arms above her head to work out some of the kinks.
    “Is there any water?”
    “Drink.” he handed her one of the fruit.  The scent was slightly tangy, but not unpleasant.
    Wrinkling her nose, she tried to hand it back.  “No thank you.  I just want water.”
    “Water is scarce here.  The juice of the vesi fruit will sustain you.”  Lifting one to his lips, he demonstrated how to drink without spilling.
    After the first hesitant sip, Leo quickly drained the rest.  Before she could lament its loss, a second was pressed to her hand, and she quickly drained that while she watched him pack away what was left, and carefully cover the fire with dirt.  Surprisingly, it didn’t taste as bad as it looked.  It definitely wasn’t water, but it was cool and refreshing.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    By the position of the sun and moon, Erol knew there were at most five hours left before moon cover.  “We must go.” 
    Though they were closer to his home, it was more dangerous for her here.  The cooler areas were more heavily populated, with many clans making their homes within a mile or two of each other.  They were much more likely to come across other males before reaching