Soul Bond

By WE Kelton

When Ana von Lugh stepped between a warrior and her victim, she did not intend to break through 3,000 years of Imperialist doctrine by becoming the first of her kind. In succeeding where others failed, she risks her life and sanity. As if soul bonding to seven members of a healing clan, wasn’t enough of a challenge, she adopted six of the deadliest warriors to ever trek through the ‘verse – her reason, she was only trying to help.
The new Clan retreats to the stars to save Ana’s life. As they travel to the Rim worlds and begin learning about each other, Ana is forced to accept that her life is no longer her own. The members of Clan Koof’na had lived as out-caste, stripped of place and honor, for nearly a year before they were claimed as clan. Now that place and honor is returned to them they are determined to keep their healer and their clan alive. Despite the fact that their clan leader is filled with the fire of her people and dives into trouble faster than they can act to keep her out of it.
If it wasn’t enough that she wasn’t allowed to explore anything on her own, now Ana had to have two body guards with her at all times. Aside from the lack of privacy and disturbing presence of seven other voices in her head, Ana’s biggest problem is she has no idea what to do. What do you do when failure is a death sentence?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pandora's Press
• Release date: Jun 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452447070

WE Kelton

You would think a person with an advanced degree in a science discipline would have more sense than to be a fiction writer. Alas, I apparently skipped that session of course work and ran full bore at the Science Fiction and Fantasy wall. If you heard a teeth rattling sound a while back, pay it no mind - it was just me trying to knock sense back into my own head. Apparently all it did was knock a couple more story lines loose. Go figure.

Book preview

Soul Bond

by

W.E. Kelton

Copyright 2011

Pandora’s Press

Smashwords Edition

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Chapter 1 – Good Intentions

Ana stared at the shuttle port bar, the flat iridescent surface reflected the pulsing neon lights. There was no music, though there were the conflicting sounds of at least five languages floating around her. That was one of the things that made this bar experience different from any she’d ever had on Terra, the lack of music. She forced herself to look away from the attention catching way the condensation of her drink absorbed into the surface of the bar.

She lifted her head and shifted herself on the bar stool, to face the other patrons. She was able to see every corner from her vantage point. She was sitting at the long narrow elevated bar platform, allowing her unrestricted observation of everyone present. The flashes of neon painted garish bursts of color over the patrons, occasionally causing momentarily nauseating hues of skin and pelt color. Her wide green eyes took in the different species of beings that filled the bar.

There were a few other Terrans. The majority of patrons were other member species of the Federation of Allied Worlds. The most numerous species were the Karrish, commonly called Karri. They were a feline like race, humanoid in appearance with pelts of fur, eyes that glowed in the low neon light of the bar and retractable claws. They had the human, ‘Terran’ she corrected herself, range of sizes and colors. They had been the species that had made first contact with Earth. They’d found Terran cultures to be closest to their own.

Most importantly, they’d found the Terrans to be prepared to defend against invasion. There had been one on-planet battle, sixty plus years ago. Of all the places that could have been invaded, the Rakki Imperium landed in Beijing. The Forbidden City had nearly been demolished when the invading Karrish troop transports landed en mass. Every nation with armed forces joined together for that moment. Hundreds of thousands of armed service personnel lost their lives in the battle.

The Rakki Imperium had mistakenly decided that lack of space flight capability meant lack of aerial fighting capacity. Her grandfather had been a pilot for the Navy when the invasion occurred. When his navigation systems were disabled by an electromagnetic pulse, he crashed into a troop transport that was descending into Earth’s atmosphere. His was the first crash of a military action that would become known as the Beijing Blitz. Since the attempted invasion, the Karrish had come to be regarded as Allies.

Shaking history out of her mind she focused on the other patrons of the bar, watching in fascination, as she slowly sipped her drink. Most of the clear synthetic tables were filled with a variety of races. Her gaze was drawn to a table of seven elf like beings. There were five females and two males. They all had lavender colored eyes with pupils the color of wheat, white blond to silver hair, ears that tapered to a point at the tips as well as humanoid features.

Under the elf beings table, rested three of the most confused looking creatures she’d ever seen. They looked like a hybrid between a komodo dragon and a wolf. Surprisingly their most striking feature were their reptilian eyes the color of ice. While she stared at them, one of them caught her gaze and she became transfixed by the glimmering pools of ice blue.

After a few moments, she realized she was staring and inclined her head in acknowledgment of the intelligence she saw in the creature’s eyes. She resumed her visual inspection of the other occupants in the bar. There was a group of the grey skinned humanoid-raptor looking Gizian. Handfuls of the cold climate Cori, their race had white hair and blue tinged skin that sparkled, it always made her think that they were permanently covered in a layer of frost. They were the only other beings in the entire bar that did not tower over her.

Unlike the reptilian Darvish, whose rows of wicked looking teeth were only one of their intimidating features. They had reactive poisonous spines that ran from the backs of their hands up to nearly their elbows. The spines could be used as a defensive weapon, spiked arms, or an offensive weapon. The spines could be launched much like porcupine quills. At last the Tollatech, if the others were elves the Tollatech were Orc. The race had broad, heavy, features with narrow eyes that always appeared to be squinting and no hair. Their skin color ranged from milk to espresso and was often decorated with intricate and colorful tattooed designs.

Her gaze returned to the bar platform, completing her visual circuit of the patrons. A lone Karri male sat at the corner of the bar, across from her. Unlike the other races it was uncommon for a Karri to be alone. Most commonly at least a pair of clan members traveled with each other. He sat proudly by himself and stared into the swirling liquid in his glass. Even from her distance she could tell he was one of the largest males she’d ever seen. She guessed he’d stand somewhere around seven feet tall. Dwarfing her own modest height of five foot four and a quarter. The color of his pelt was shades of brown, varying from the color of chocolate to honey. In the fashion of most of the male Karri present in the bar, he wore no shirt with what could only be leather cargo pants and roman sandals. She smiled into her glass as she thought, ‘Fashion courtesy of Terra.’

Leather was in demand among the races of the FAW. It was this demand that had allowed her to come to the port planet of Bra’ket and study at the Karrish language school. Her family raised cattle in Montana and made a fortune selling leather to the off-worlders. She pushed away the ache that always accompanied thoughts of her family, only her Great Uncle Mike was still living. Her father and brother had been killed in a port accident during a trade transaction years ago and Sam, she stopped thinking of her sister immediately.

The lone Karri male’s gaze shifted from his glass and caught her own, as though he’d felt her scrutiny. She didn’t doubt that he had felt her watching him. The Karri were very sensitive to their surroundings. It was the latent hunting gene from their earliest history; or so she’d been told. She kept eye contact with the males light amber eyes, marveling at how rapidly they changed color. The longer she gazed into them the more intensely amber they became. She continued to stare into his eyes as he moved from the stool. Her heart beat double time when she realized he was heading toward her. She had come to this bar because she decided that for her 29th birthday she was going to be adventurous and have an affair. She licked her suddenly dry lips, when a loud crash caught her attention.

As she turned toward the sound her eyes narrowed. A particularly brutish female Karri slammed one of the female elf beings into the wall. With a quick glance around she saw that no one in the bar moved to assist the seven elves. Even though there were as many warriors as there were Space Corps and Ground Force military. Ana heard the sickening crunch of a breaking bone, when the female warrior slammed her victim into the wall again.

As the sound registered she slipped off her stool determined to offer assistance or demand justification for the warrior’s actions. Before she made it off the bar platform, strong arms wrapped around her and held her in place. A silky, deep voice said softly in her ear, Do not interfere, they are Arraya.

She scowled as she turned her head to face her captor, when green eyes connected with amber ones she shivered as she replied, I don’t understand. Hearing another loud thump her gaze returned to the attacking Karri and her next victim. She is injured, I can help, she said.

No, they are Arraya, without a master, he said in clarification. They are out-clan and out-caste, without a Shte’ik they can neither retaliate nor defend, he replied factually as he breathed in the scent of her.

That is horrible! she exclaimed.

It is caste, he said. He turned her body to face him. His arms surrounded her as he held her near him. He glanced around the bar for a moment before he caught her gaze once more and said, If there were a healer, they could challenge the attacker and end the attack.

Challenge? she whispered.

Indeed, he replied as she turned her head to face the beings under attack. Either a challenge of arms, a fight to the death, he noted as she paled and he bent his head down to brush his cheek against hers. His eyes flashed as she leaned into him. Or tans-dal, he said.

Tans-dal? she asked.

It is a test, he replied in a purr. He nipped her neck. He felt her shudder and heard her soft moan, in response to his actions. A soul test, the Te’ik and kry-an judge the healer who wish to call them Rraya and make them their own, he said as he continued to breath in the pleasing scent of her.

Oh, she replied breathlessly, as his hands brushed over her body.

He could scent her desire and it was affecting him deeply. He’d never had a Terran partner for mating. Several of his tor-in, his personal guards, had indulged themselves and he found himself curious. He held her loosely, afraid of injuring her hairless pelt with his larger and stronger hands. This Terran was one of the shortest he had ever seen.

Ana winced as she watched the fourth elf collapse with something broken. The creature with the ice blue eyes that had caught her gaze before, caught her gaze once more. Her body was very much enjoying the light caressing touch of the Karri male holding her. But her conscious mind was distracted by the injury being inflicted upon the elves. As his hold was gentle, she took the risk and darted forward.

She placed herself between the attacking female and her next potential victim. I claim challenge, she said loudly in trade common.

The Karri female’s eyes narrowed and said, You have no right, only a healer may claim challenge for arraya Te’ik.

By the laws of my people I am a healer, she replied stubbornly.

I demand proof, the female snarled as she moved toward the Terran woman.

Ana gave the woman a narrow look before she returned to where her satchel was laying, on platform near her stool. She carefully avoided looking at the male she’d darted away from. She removed a single sheet of paper and returned to her place between the Karri female and the injured elves. According to the laws of my people, this, she indicated the rolled up paper, gives me the right to claim myself as a healer. It is our custom to name ourselves Doctor.

Any of your kind can verify this? the female snarled.

Yes, Ana replied.

The female snatched the paper from her hand and gave it to a dark pelted Karri male who had moved to her side after Ana had spoken. Ask, all of them, she commanded.

When the dark furred male returned and handed the lead Karri female the paper, he said in Karrish, It is confirmed.

The female snarled and tore the paper into shreds and with a cold wild look snarled, I accept your challenge, for Arraya Koof’na. Her cold gaze flicked over the remaining uninjured Te’ik and she sneered, Pick your challenger.

Ana watched as the only immediate copy of her diploma, was shredded by the warrior across from her. She’d been accepted to study at the language institute here on Bra’ket because it was assumed she would join the Medical Corps. Without the hard copy proof of her osteopathic degree, she would have to return to Terra; she’d have to go home. She took a deep breath and said, Tans-dal.

The entire Karri population of the bar, including the amber eyed male stared at the Terran female in surprise.

The attacking female laughed as she said, Koof’na will bow to Arn-sul as 23rd Rraya, before the sun sets. She turned her back on the Terran healer and returned to her clan.

Ana faced the beings behind her and said, I don’t know what happens next.

To her surprise it was the wolf-lizard creatures that came forward and sat before her. She knelt down and held out her hand, palm up. She winced as three razor sharp tongues cut her flesh. She ‘felt’ their minds and ‘heard’ the other voices in her own head.

Raiden, the amber eyed Karri male, watched as the Terran female knelt before the kry-an and offered herself to be judged. He watched as their sharp tongues tasted her blood and initiated the blood bond with the healer and their mind-sibs. One of the uninjured Te’ik, rested her hands on the back of the kry-an. With a nod to the others, two of the injured rested a hand upon the kneeling Terran’s shoulders and were healed of their injuries.

The other patrons of the bar remained silent as they watched the injured Te’ik heal. After all of the injured Te’ik were fully healed, they all touched the Terran and merged their energy with hers. The seven Te’ik released their hold of the Terran and said in one voice as they turned to face the formerly attacking Karri female, Rraya Koof’na accepts the Terran female Anu von Lou as Shte’ik.

The lead Te’ik stood before the warrior that had attacked her and her clan sibs as she said, We are Rraya Koof’na, prime. Give this message to your mistress. Clan Koof’na is no longer unprotected. She retreated as the largest of the kry-an launched itself at the attacking warrior and broke her arm in its massive jaws.

The warrior roared in anger. She raised her uninjured arm up and closed her fist, a sign for her Clan to attack the Te’ik. The Te’ik were easily overcome in hand-to-hand combat. The kry-an were deadly in their protection of the Te’ik and the healer who was still mind bonded with their third.

Ana was startled back to the present when the female kry-an, Maul, warned her of impending injury. Maul bit down on an attacking Darvish’s leg. Her teeth tore the tough hide open and stripped flesh from bone.

Ana ducked under a swing meant for her head, crawled under a table and out the other side as she heard the scream of pain from the Darvish. She wasn’t a fighter. One hit from anyone of the beings that fought and ‘bam!’ she’d be concussed and she knew it. So instead of trying to fight, she moved quickly away from the main congregation of fighting and darted around other patrons of the bar. Her focus was on evading her would be ass-kicker as she moved around the sparsely populated bar.

She’d just glanced behind her to judge the distance between herself and the male Karri that was chasing her, when she ran smack into a hard male and very furry body. She grabbed the male’s arms to steady herself and became distracted by the feeling of the fur under her fingers. She mumbled, Ooh, soft. When she raised her eyes, she was surprised to find herself looking into amused amber ones.

He indicated behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see the warrior that was chasing her, spot her and start toward her. She darted around the male she had internally named Amber Eyes, as she said, I know we haven’t actually met, but I could use a little help.

His voice was tinged with amusement as he replied, My apologies, little golden Terran Shte’ik, I cannot involve my Clan in this.

She peered around him as she sighed, You know, me getting all beat up was definitely not the plan for tonight. She pouted as she met his eyes once more, her tongue darting out and licking her lips as she said, I was very much thinking of something else entirely. She watched as his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Before he could respond she ran away from her attacker and tried to loose herself in the patrons once more.

After evading capture twice, she continued winding her way around now amused patrons. She collided with another body, just as she decided she’d lost the warrior chasing her. This time her victim was a black pelted Karri male. His eyes were so blue they were nearly black. He stared at her questioningly. She offered him a shrug and a smile as she said, Sorry, this whole evading being pounded into a bloody pulp is harder than I expected. She was about to untangle herself from her latest collision, when a brusk female voice stopped her.

Shte’ik of Rraya Koof’na, do you require assistance?

Ana’s green eyes caught dark golden ones, as she heard a yelp. She glanced to her left and saw that one of the kry-an had been injured and that the Te’ik, were getting their asses kicked. She returned her gaze to the female that had spoken and said, Yes.

Golden eyes flecked with dark brown glittered as the others at her table, a mixed group of five males and females, stood. The female warrior said, We are sa-tor-in Arraya Ha-tek and Arraya Fa’dor.

Ana looked blankly at the female as she repeated, ‘sa-tor-in, sa-tor-in,’ to herself as her mind searched for the translation, Oh! she replied once she translated the unfamiliar word in her head. I Ana von Lou claim Rraya Ha-Tek and Fa’dor, she said formally, just as her language instructors taught her.

The price? the female whispered.

Ana stared blankly at the warrior as she tried to translate the unfamiliar Karrish word. She did not understand why she was being asked about the trade cost of something so she ignored the meaning and chose to believe the warrior was asking her what she wanted. She glanced at the Te’ik and kry-an, as she said, Protect them, protect Clan Koof’na.

The warrior bowed after she said, Accord.

The last thing Ana saw was the mixed group of armed males and females form a protective circle around the Te-ik, then her world went black.

Chapter 2 – Repercussions

My Lady, the lone Karri bowed as he addressed his Mistress in her private office within their Hold on Rakki. Varris and the hunters failed to retrieve the kry-an from Bra’ket.

The elegant and formally dressed female Karri’s grey eyes flashed with temper as she replied, Has she been disciplined for her failure? She moved away from her desk and glared down at her holder as she waited for to explain why he had interrupted her.

The male maintained his bow as he replied, She was injured by tor-in, she is not expected to recover from her injuries.

Lady Astre Anlon, head of the Caste of Healers, caressed the head of the Te’ik that rested on his knees beside her. Inform Healer Wraith at once, she commanded. Varris’ tor-in now belongs to him. Release the clan hunters. The first one to bring me the kry-an, may assume their place as first Hunter of the Clan.

As you command My Lady, the male replied.

Astre waited until her holder was almost out the doors, Maltic, she said as she stared down at Brin, her favorite of all her Te’ik.

Maltic houred and bowed, My Lady?

Your body heir has failed me, she said, her voice devoid of emotion. Breed another and a spare. She turned her back upon her faithful Holder a devious smile playing in her eyes as she caught her pet’s hair.

Maltic backed through the doors Lady Anlon’s private office and closed them softly before him. When he straitened his eyes glittered in anticipation of being allowed to choose another mate to breed body heirs with.

Brin’s lavender and gold eyes raised up to find those of his Mistress and he said into her mind, ‘You are addictive my Qattan, to take with one hand and give with the other.’

Lady Astre Anlon pulled her pet to his feet and dominated his mouth. She pulled his hair sharply with her other hand as she demanded into his mind, ‘Scream for me my pet,’ as her claws raked open the skin of his chest.

*

The first thing Ana noticed was the amazing pounding in her head as she slowly returned to consciousness. The next thing she noted was the soft and silky hair that tickled her nose, and the third was the feeling of being carried. Confused she moved her hands and flexed her fingers causing a moan to be elicited from the hard male body that held her. The sound shot strait to her hormones and she opened her eyes to find herself in Amber Eyes arms as he walked through a hallway. What happened? she asked in common, as she tried to ignore the pounding in her head.

You were struck, after you claimed tor-in, he replied as he continued walking.

Ana’s eyes closed and she let her head fall against his chest as she said, I have no idea what you are talking about. She lost consciousness after her single statement.

The next time she woke, she was pleased to find that her headache was easily ignored and that she was lying down. Her fingers flexed against the soft pelt beside her and she sighed as she caught Amber Eyes staring at her.

Raiden watched as the Terran Shte’ik slowly returned to consciousness and when she made that soft welcoming sound, his blood pulsed.

Ana smiled as her mind cleared and she found herself just where she wanted to be. She caressed the males face and shifted her hips. Her eyes widened when she realized that she could feel his pelt all the way down to her toes. A quick glance revealed that she was naked, as was he. She blushed as she noticed that he was as interested in her as she was in him. She quickly moved her gaze back up to his face and shifted herself to slide her leg between his as she raised up on one arm and wrapped the other around his neck, bringing him closer. Her actions caused his eyes to widen and his pupils to dilate. Ana smiled, as she purred, Amber Eyes.

The timber of her voice, the feel of her hairless leg between his own and the intoxicating scent of her caused him to cover her body with his. When she smiled as she caught his face and wrapped her legs around his hips, he knew exactly what his tor-in meant when they said that Terran females were welcoming and eager for mating.

*

Te’ik Kia was following her clan sibs back to their cruiser after escaping the port bar. They were all injured, though none severely. They had acquired not only a new Shte’ik, but seven clan tor-in as well. Meena was speaking with the tor-in leader at the front of the column of the now Clan Koof’na. She was watching her clan sib interact with the dark brown pelted tor-in, when she tripped. Strong arms caught her and set her on her feet without saying a word. She glanced at the black pelted tor-in as he fell back behind her, as soon as she was steady on her feet. The moment the newly created clan boarded the cruiser, all the Te’ik stumbled. Once again the black pelted male caught her, keeping her from injury. Before he let go of her, she fisted his tunic and wrapped herself around him.

Surprised, the warrior wrapped arms around the Te’ik’s body to support her.

When Kia felt the embrace, she bit his neck as hard as she could.

Sorrell roared when the Te’ik bit him. He felt fire pulse through his veins and explode into his chest. He growled from deep within as she resisted his efforts to untangle her from him.

Kia heard the feral sound and shivered in delight. She knew exactly what she wanted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Her lavender gaze smoldered at him as she said, I claim you as bond-mate. A moment after the words escaped her lips, her mouth covered his.

Sorrell’s resistance came unbound when the female claimed him and filled all his senses. He didn’t return to his own mind until he realized that the Te’ik’s body was covering his. He blinked several times and stared at her in surprise.

Kia woke with a smile, I am Kia, she told him.

His blue-black eyes danced as he replied, I am Sorrell.

She kissed him once more before she bounced out of bed and toward the cabin’s bath.

Sorrell watched his newly declared mate move and a slow grin spread across his lips as he moved quietly to join her in the bath.

*

Healer Nor’dan bowed before the Shte’ik of Clan Arn’sul, "Lady Anlon, Healer Wraith reported from the clinic on Bra’ket that a Terran has claimed Shte’ik status