The shrill alarm went off simultaneously on Ravki and Rakkah's gauntlets. They did not spare one another even a glance as they raced at blinding speeds off the ship and into the abandoned city Following the frantic pulsing sensor, Rakkah landed heavily on the palace's terracotta roof tearing easily through with his weight. Dropping effortlessly to the floor, the scent of blood struck him first before his eyes landed on the bloody sight of his mate.

Ravki slid to a sudden halt at the door as the roar pierced the air. Just for a second, he didn't react. For that one second, he took in the scene before him. Laying on the ground in a dark pool of blood, Ahzma lay at Rakkah's feet with an object of some kind protruding from her chest. Dropping to his knees, Rakkah, slid his hands underneath her body visibly flinching at the painful sounds of protest that she made. Knowing what his leader intended, Ravki turned and raced back to the ship jumping over the human buildings and up through the ship's bay doors.

By now the other hunters were in high alert watching as their leader came up behind him at a slower pace. It only took seconds to snatch the confused human doctor from her room forcing her to join their own medical overseers in the medical bay. The human doctor's cry of shock was the only sound from the room when Rakkah burst through the door. Laying Ahzma on the medical table, Rakkah stepped back in almost trancelike steps as the human doctor along with another yautja medics worked to remove the little bit of clothes on her body before placing her into the medical sarcophagus. Ravki watched as his leader said nothing as the human doctor and the medics argued about the course of treatment.

"No! We must not be too aggressive with it, if we put too much ephemoralh12 in it would cause her to miscarry," she shook her head emphatically. "We must pull out the blade carefully and slowly with the surgical drone while the gel solution tries to repair the heart damage and the entry wound. The biggest problem will be the loss of blood…"

Ravki watched as his leader's head shot up at the woman's confession. She wasn't looking at either of them and she didn't see Rakkah's hands tighten into fists. Ravki looked from his leader and back to the female now floating in the tank. Her long black hair was suspended in the gelatinous healing fluid of the medical sarcophagus, the mask over her face hid her eyes as it pumped oxygen into her. Stepping forward, Rakkah stared down through the glass of the medical sarcophagus for a long silent moment before turning and grabbing the small silver gauntlet on the table and leaving the room.

#

The Tani woman was tracked by the Koga's hounds and found running along the beach. Rakkah watched in silence as the large group of Upran humans surrounded the woman. Tears streaked their cheeks as anger warped their once happy faces. Led by the male human who danced with his mate and the female called Lyra they beat and halfway drug the woman back to the city. They told her she would live until her child was born and once delivered, they would find a sharp piece of metal and drive it into the woman's heart just as she did their princess.

#

A week went by and Ahzma's condition was finally stable. There has been two primary concerns: the loss of blood and the life of the fetus. Though Ahzma's blood type was rare there was no shortage of volunteers from her people to offer up their own. The puncture through her heart was at seventy percent healing completion by the sarcophagus's readouts. Sitting by the sarcophagus with their arms hooked to the transfusion machine, both Imani and Lyra stared through the glass as the floating woman and offered up their tear filled prayers.

The biggest obstacle however in Ahzma's recovery was Rakkah. Until now, Esmerelda had always seen Rakkah as a quiet, level-headed leader amongst brash blood thirsty savages. But now she found the lead hunter unrecognizable. When she proposed they keep Ahzma in suspended healing longer to give the fetus a larger chance at survival he had grabbed her by the throat. Frightened and pulled to the tips of her toes, Esmerelda gasped at the powerful pressure around her throat as he brought her closer to his flexing mandibles.

"You will heal her and bring her out to me!" he snarled, his golden eyes glittering with a malice she had never seen before.

Grasping at his thick wrist, Esmerelda tried to pull away from him. "I will not," she struggled against him. "She wants this baby and if we take her out now, she may lose it. I know and you know, lord Rakkah if she can keep the baby by simply staying in longer, she would!"

Pulling her even closer, Esmerelda felt her toes completely leave the ground. "By your own notes," his other clawed hand pointed to the computer screen with her data on Ahzma's condition. "you admit there is a chance she would fall into a coma if she stays longer."

"Yes, but…" His hand tightened around her throat.

Panic seized her as she realized the predatory gleam settling into Rakkah's eyes and she knew in that moment he had every intention on killing her if she stood in his way of getting what he wanted.

Another growl, a lower almost rumbling sound emanated from the other side of the room. Esmerelda's heart lifted as she watched Ravki uncloak himself and step next to Rakkah. He growled something in the yautja language and Esmerelda watched as whatever he said registered with the yautja leader. A flash of resignation passed through the monster's gold gaze before brightening to a simmering fury. Releasing her, he paid no attention to her as she fell roughly to her knees.

Angry now, Esmerelda coughed and rubbed at her tender throat as she glared up at the beast. She wanted to fling in his face that it was all his fault anyways. She was there the night of the festival, she watched as Rakkah angrily turned his back on his wife after her performance. She wanted to smear that fact like salt into his wound, she wanted to see how the stupid crab faced monster dealt with that guilt flung at him. But she didn't, even as angry as she was, she knew that he would kill her within seconds if she so much uttered the words.

Turning back to the sarcophagus, Esmerelda leaned on the medical pod for a few seconds to gather her breath before looking over the readouts again. Looking down she paused at the brown drowsy blinking eyes in the tank. She heard the door open behind her and for a moment Esmerelda considered keeping the info to herself. Rakkah was being awful, it had been a week of pure misery on the ship that floated above Tani. The poor Uprans below were given no information and treated with cold silent indifference at their attempts to ask about their beloved princess's status. Everyday since her attack, Rakkah had spent nearly every evening taking on new challenges to his thrown in the training bay. Ships from Ojibwe arrived daily with eager hunters using the open call as opportunity to gain the seat of power. Rakkah had gone undefeated. Ember had told her over video call from the safety of her room, in which Akur would not let her leave, that Rakkah had injured dozens of warriors and nearly killed one before Jarak stepped in to drag the hunter away. Rakkah was losing his mind from the loss of his mate. Esmerelda suspected it was most likely the first time the warrior ever even felt such overpowering emotions.

"She is awake," she said aloud.

Stepping aside to the sudden presence next to her, Esmerelda watched as Rakkah leaned forward and stared down into the tank. Ahzma was only partially lucid, blinking a few times as she stared blankly out the viewing window above her. Focusing on the vital readouts on her monitor, Esmerelda could not help but watch from the corner of her eye as Rakkah lifted a hand to the thick glass. Claws clicked softly at the surface as he watched his mate intently for a few minutes before straightening away from the tank and turning to leave.

#

"You have been in stasis for two weeks now," Ember wiped away a tear from her cheek as she gave Ahzma a relieved smile.

Ahzma could feel herself nod her head, the movement felt wobbly and not her own. It felt as if there was a puppeteer above her working the strings to her body. Looking from Ember and to Esmerelda she tried to take a deep breath and stem the wave of dizziness.

As if reading her mind Esmerelda rushed to explain. "Don't worry, the loopy feeling will pass soon. It's caused from the nutrient gel you were placed in for so long."

Looking down at her chest, Ahzma pulled the cover that Esmerelda had wrapped her in away from her breast, just enough to see the faint nearly invisible scar over her heart. She ignored Ravki's presence next to her medical bed, apparently the quiet scarred hunter had been the one to help pull her completely naked body out of the sarcophagus when she first woke. She had been dazed and confused when he sat her on the table. She could only sit, shivering from the cold gel covering her body as Esmerelda and Ember quickly worked to wipe it all off of her. The first thing they told her that the baby was fine and Ahzma was grateful for that. She didn't remember much of anything about her time in the sarcophagus but she did feel a constant state of dread, as if she was waiting for some impending doom.

For the next few minutes, Ember informed her what had been happening. Ahzma felt no pity for the decided fate of her Tani attacker but it did sink at the despair and limbo her people suffered while she was gone. The only thing that helped was the knowledge that the yautja ship was still orbiting above Tani. While both women talked and comforted her, Ahzma could not help but notice the one glaring detail they both avoided—Rakkah.

"And what of Rakkah?" she asked. The last thing she remembered of her mate was his anger after her dance with Mynhil.

Flicking her gaze to Ravki, Ember looked away with nervous energy.

As if taking his cue, Ravki stepped forward and spoke deeply. "I will inform Rakkah you are awake and recovered."

Using the hand that was not holding the cover to her breast, Ahzma caught Ravki's thick forearm in her small grip. The hunter looked down at her hand and back to her with a narrowing questioning gaze.

"Wait," she commanded him gently, before turning to address the other two women. "What are you all not telling me?"

#

Showered and dressed in a blue and green Upran outfit, Ahzma walked unsteadily alongside Ravki down the ship's long hall. Occasionally, she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her and stopped to steady herself. Shaking her head, Ahzma took a deep breath and gritted her teeth forcing herself to move forward. Ember's words kept replaying themselves over and over in her head.

"Rakkah has changed. He is like a madman running around the ship," she whispered. "He has been accepting challenges to his thrown, going out on dangerous hunts. He just got back yesterday with a trophy of something's head that was so large and ugly it made all the other hunters celebrate at his victory while at the same time jealous. Akur told me over forty hunters went out this morning seeking to claim equivalent or better trophies."

"Your attack has brought upon Rakkah's bloodlust," Ravki had interjected calmly, turning all three women's wide eyes to him. Standing like a silent stone tower, he continued. "Most hunters see no issue with his change in mood. However there are some, those of us who have known Rakkah longer, who find this shift unusual."

Ahzma's heart raced with worry as they approached a new set of doors. Everything they told her about Rakkah's behavior sounded so foreign and out of character for her mate. She needed to see him.

The doors opened at Ravki's command and the sounds of grunts, snarls, and bellowing growls struck her instantly. Walking forward with Ravki, Ahzma noticed a few hunters stare at her with interest before moving to the side. Approaching what looked to be a giant black railing that curved around into a giant circle, Ahzma looked down from her level to the level below to see a circular training ring surrounded by yautja all watching the two hunters in the middle.

Ahzma gasped as she watched Rakkah, who wore none of his traditional armor just a leather skirt similar to Ravki's, circle the other hunter who was dressed similarly. With nearly white greenish skin that reminded her of a toad, speckled in dark green spots along his flanks and back, the other hunter held both arms out with claws flexed and ready snarling at his leader. Rakkah made no similar gestures, circling the other hunter he simply gave him a bored stare. Incensed, the other hunter lunged out with his claws so fast Ahzma barely had time to register the movement. Sidestepping the move with inhuman speed, Rakkah grabbed the toad hunter's arm and bent it back until there was a sickening crack. The toad hunter roared, but his sound of pain was drowned out by the sound of ebullient glee from the bloodthirsty crowd. Stepping in front of the downed hunter, Rakkah kneed him in the face sending him sprawling backwards onto his back. Ahzma felt her breath stop as she watched her mate stand over the hunter, straddling the hunter's head and bent down to grab one of the hunter's tusk. He was going to break it, somehow, she knew it instinctively. The beautiful gold eyes that had always looked at her with warmth were cold and empty as he prepared to break the fallen hunter's tusk.

She spoke before she could even think. "RAKKAH!" his name was flung like a whip of reprimand, cracking in the open air, stilling everyone.

Dreads sliced through the air as his head jerked up and his gold predatory eyes found hers immediately. Stepping away from the heavy breathing hunter, Rakkah's eyes never left hers as he let out a roar. Lunging with one and then two steps he leapt into the air with a power she honestly had no clue yautja's possessed, launching himself high into the air towards them. Landing silently with a small slide on the viewing balcony where he stood, Rakkah straightened with slow menacing grace. His claws splayed at his sides as he examined her from head to toe, taking her in.

She was about to open her mouth to speak when he lunged for her. Her yelp of alarm went ignored by everyone as Rakkah grabbed her against his chest and sped down the long halls. Closing her eyes to the dizzying speed she wrapped her arms around his thick neck and waited for him to stop.

Opening her eyes, she finally felt him gently pull her away from him and realized with a few blinks they were now in their room. Stepping back away from her, Rakkah stared at her silently for a few moments before speaking.

"Why was I not informed of your recovery?" the depth of his loud growl made her flinch.

Her body was still stiff and a bit sore and she was beyond tired. All she wanted was to let herself fall into Rakkah's arms and sleep, but she knew she could not. Things between them needed to be straightened first.

Lifting her chin, she stared back at him boldly. "I told them not to. I wanted to hear what has been happening while I have been healing."

Turning with a whip of his long dreads, Rakkah began pacing back and forth like a jungle cat considering its plan of attack, and she knew her confession bothered him. It meant he was well aware that his actions while she recovered were not actions he was proud of, and that realization comforted her. He wasn't a madman, like the way Esmerelda and Ember painted him, he wasn't too far gone.

"Why did you not tell me about the pregnancy?" He demanded, changing the topic.

Crossing her arms, she refused to be derailed. "First, I want to know why you turned your back on me the night of the dance? Why were you so angry that I could dance?"

Stalking close to her, Rakkah crowded her close and stared down at her with furious eyes. "You lied to me."

Never in a million lightyears would she have expected that response. Stunned she stepped back to look at him, but his large hands spanned her waist keeping her pressed close against him. Ahzma nearly sighed at the familiar warmth of him.

"What are you talking about?" she breathed, trying to pull her gaze from his massive chest. "I never once lied to you."

"You omitted the fact that you were trained to fight."

Vaguely she remembered Iko stating something like similar that night. Smiling softly, she shook her head, placing both of her hands against the rise of sculpted muscles on his chest. "Rakkah, that was not fighting, it was only a dance that appears that way."

Rakkah gave a grunt. "I have witnessed you take a blade from one of my warriors, I have watched you move faster than expected, and I and others watched you move with martial training alongside that human male." The last part was said with such a vile snarl Ahzma had to wonder if he was actually upset about her dancing or was he just jealous.

"Rakkah, I am obviously not trained to fight or I would have been able to avoid getting stabbed in the chest by a very pregnant insane woman."

The flash of pain in his gold eyes made the room feel quieter, and Ahzma suddenly felt as if she understood everything. He was in pain.

"Ravki told me you were the one who found me," she whispered, running her hands in small soothing patterns against his chest.

Beneath her hands his chest rumbled with an acknowledging growl, but he said nothing. His mandibles did not flex, his hands along her waist stayed perfectly still, and his eyes remained fixed. It was as if he was reinforcing all of his self-control.

"Did you miss me?" she urged.

One hand shifted against her and she could feel the slight press of his claws push against her bare waist. Reaching for his hand, she pulled it around and laid it flat on her exposed stomach. Tracing the long fingers to the tips of his black claws she smoothed her smaller hand to lay flat on top f his much longer one.

"Are you happy that I am pregnant?" she pressed, this time seeing the flash of raw emotion pass through his beady eyes.

His hand tightened protectively against her stomach while the other pressed her even closer. But he was still holding himself in check, she noted, she wanted to break through his defenses.

"That night when I laying on the floor, all I kept thinking was how much I wanted you. I have never been happy before Rakkah," she ignored the warning growl he emitted, knowing he wanted her to stop. "I have never felt happiness like I feel it with you. I love you and I prayed and prayed to somehow live and stay by your side."

Ahzma flinched has one hand suddenly wrapped around her neck. With wide eyes she stared at Rakkah's now glowing furious eyes. Pulling her closer her wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground against him.

"I considered letting you die," he began in a low snarling voice. "just to make this madness within me cease."

She should have been scared by what he was saying and doing, but Ahzma refused to give him that. She refused to be intimidated by him.

His hand moved from around her neck and gently pushed back some of her long black hair that hung partially in her face. "But I realized it would only grow worse once you are gone. You are infectious, you have weakened me with your affection in a way I cannot recover from." Ahzma couldn't stop the tears from rolling from her eyes as he spoke. "I felt no purpose of life without you and I watched my sanity slip knowing I failed you and our child. You will stay by my side forever Ahzma. You will never leave me again."

Crying fully now she framed his face with both of her hands. "Say it," she demanded.

Letting out a stubborn grunt he turned his head away and stared at the far wall. "You wish to see me further weakened, mate?"

She kissed the concaved skin on his mandible and looked at him again. "I need to hear you say it."

Hoisting her higher against him, Rakkah walked her over to the bed and sat her down. With quick practiced hands he pulled the clothing from her body and pointed silently in command for her to lay back against the bed. Obediently, she complied. Taking off his own leather skirt he joined her on the bed and pressed their bodies against one another. One hand of his slid down and over her breast, pausing to tease her nipple before continuing to stop at her soft stomach. In this position his dreads formed a curtain around her.

"If it is my weakness you want my mate, know that you have it. I can no longer live my life without you or your love." Bending his head close to her shoulder, Ahzma let out a hitched breath as she felt him enter her slowly and she heard him growl low in her ear. "I will never stop loving you my mate."

Fin

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And thank you for reading. I love all of your comments/reviews and I have read and enjoyed every single one of them. Remember I write real books too. Also keep and eyes out for more stories for Jarak, Baal, Koga, Tyrn, and more.

Also make sure you check out my real book "A King's Karma" on A..M..A..Z..O..N

Longing to escape her mundane life of prayer and chores, Ishtar dreamed of adventure far from the stone walls of the remote monastery. Different from the rest of the aging nuns, she spent her life pretending not to be affected by curious stares caused by her unique looks, but when a demon king saves her from an attack, she found herself captivated by his piercing gaze.

A demonic king with unmistakable power, Suros commanded an elite army of trained warriors dedicated to their king and his every command. After years of searching for her, Suros was prepared to do whatever it takes to have her, even if that meant taking her by force.

With a shocking secret forcing Ishtar to flee from the only place she called home, can she outrun the demon with crimson eyes determined to have her at no matter the cost?

A note from the author: This is a short stand-alone story about a young woman captured by a powerful demon lord and her will to fight back or allow herself to be conquered by the demon with the crimson gaze.