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

lifted her to draped over his shoulder, and wrapped his arm firmly across her thighs.  Time to go.
     

    Good God, her head hurt.  Time…and the miles seemed to drag on as she hung suspended over his shoulder.  Every drop of blood in her body was pooled in her head, and the resulting headache was ridiculous.  She’d long since given up on trying to wiggle free. So far, her only reward for that had been,  a stinging slap to her extremely vulnerable backside. 
    After hours of cursing and yelling, her throat was too dry to continue, so she’d resigned herself to just dangle until he put her down.  The constant grind of his shoulder into her stomach made her dangerously nauseous, and it took everything in her not to puke down his back—not that she’d mind covering him in puke, but the way she was swaying¸ some was guaranteed to make an exit through her nose.  No matter what planet you were on, that was soooo not a sexy look. 
    The swaying abruptly stopped, and she ground her teeth.  Bending, he slid her onto her feet, gripping her arm to steady her.  Dizziness consumed her as blood poured back into her body; again, she fought waves of nausea.  She glanced up to see him scan the surrounding area.  They were in a large copse dense with towering vegetation.  The odd birdcalls and buzzing that had been background noise for the last few hours was absent.  Silent tension weighted the air: the calm before a storm.  Leo looked with curiosity at the male beside her.  His body was perfectly still as his eyes continued to scan. 
    Using her bound wrists, Erol slowly placed his body before his female’s.  He couldn’t see anything, but his instincts and the quiet told him that they were no longer alone.  He backed her into a wedge of closely growing Aħdar Injam trees.  They grew thick in this area, sprouting in root networks of threes and fours.  The bark was copious, almost impenetrable. 
    He angled his body to make it impossible for her to exit or for anyone to enter, effectively trapping her at his back and ensuring that nothing and no one reached her.  His body began to phase.  His heart slowed to a soft, almost imperceptible thump; his body relaxed; his muscles loosened.  Sharp fangs slid from his gums.  His eyes shifted; their grey-white color now a deep crimson.  His skin, smooth no longer, showed raised leathery scale- like protrusions, the creamy brown color fading to a yellow-green, matching the surrounding vegetation.  Armored plates extended from his forehead to protect his nose and eyes.  Long curving claws grew from his hands and feet. 
    Out of the dense growth burst five fully phased males, two with scales dark emerald in color, attesting to their recent maturity.  Two others wore a yellow-green color identical to Erol’s, while the last wore a color almost completely yellow.  This was the eldest.  As a warrior seasoned, less green showed when he phased until there was a complete absence.
    With a hissing growl, they attacked.  Erol slashed with his Sikkina as the younger two pounced.  They were careless in their attack, leaving their vulnerable undersides exposed.  Bowels spilled as he ripped through the tender flesh of one.  He felt a sharp sting as a blade entered his right thigh.  He opened the throat of one and watched as thick red-black blood poured down his chest and onto the ground.  Mercilessly, he slashed and clawed, jaws snapping at anything within reach until only two of the males remained. 
    Erol watched as they spread to either side of him.  Their rapid breathing and slowed reactions meant that they were tired, but no more so than he.  His own breathing now shallow; he felt his energy drain with the slow trickle of blood from the wound in his thigh.  Both attacked.  Using his Sikkina , he slashed down, catching the closest across the face and removing an eye.  The male howled, and backing away, tried to cover the empty, bleeding socket.  Erol felt a wrenching