Sarazen's Claim, Book One Read Online Free PDF

stepped in and saw that just the other side of the doorway were two stone faced Sarazen warriors, still wearing their armor, glaring narrowly at the man she couldn’t see, but heard him still barking out orders. “Has he ceased his ranting yet?” Tarek asked them in their common tongue, which she understood now that she had been given that translation chip, which was another thing she wanted to ask about later. She’d have to remember.
     
    The warrior grunted in response and flashed a quick sneer, slashing a glance her way and then back to the Commander. “No. He is citing unrest with the others and claiming that if they do not receive answers or communication with our leader soon, they will attempt to overpower one of us and incapacitate the other to get out of this room and find a way off the ship. The ones who arrived with your female were uncertain at first, but her courage gave them peace, this one makes them fearful, and they continue to refuse medical treatment because they are suspicious of our motives.”
     
    She turned scarlet, embarrassed on behalf of her species for the behavior of the new arrivals, and opened her mouth to tell Tarek that she would fix this, but someone in the small crowd shifted, and she saw the one ‘citing unrest’, and the words died on her lips. “The females continue to crowd together, reeking of fear, the smallest of them more so than the others.” The warrior continued to report, but Tarek must have seen the expression on her face and shifted so that his body blocked her view, blocked her from sight really, and he gently took her chin in his hand and made her look up at him. “No matter the bleating of that coward, little one, you are safe here and I have already given my word that so too are your people. Unless the males foolishly try to attempt any such maneuvers to incapacitate my warriors.” She gave a strangled little laugh, her voice not any louder than a hoarse rasp. “Your warriors would only have to look at them, and their heads would probably explode.”
     
    Her words pleased him, she could tell, and it made the other two stone faced males give her approving nods. “Then explain your fear,” She gulped and tried to look around him, but his bulk simply just wouldn’t allow it. “Are all of us going to be staying in this room, together?” His eyes narrowed while he searched her face, his thumb moving gently up and down her jaw. She noticed how the warriors flanking them kept shooting the two of them little looks while still trying to keep an eye on the crowd of humans. “You, will remain in my quarters. But yes, unless my warriors have bonded with one of your females, all are to remain here.” She gulped, feeling like such a coward for the instant burst of relief, knowing she would be safe.
     
    There was an old world saying, about better the Devil you know, than the Devil you don’t. She would in this case go running to the Devil she didn’t know to be out of sight of the one she did. Command Captain Ethan Arianite was standing at the heart of the knot of human survivors, and from the uniform sweep she’d been able to do, he was in fact the senior officer in charge. Which meant his word was now law, and unless the junior officers knew protocol and procedure verbatim, Ethan would twist it to suit his own needs and no one would be the wiser.
     
    She wasn’t afraid for herself, she was smart enough to realize she’d been claimed by a giant alien warrior, and that giant alien warrior who already didn’t like Ethan was not only the commander of his ship, but apparently of the entire alien race’s armada , of ships and could order his men to throw Ethan out the airlock. She was afraid for the other women, who didn’t have a giant alien warrior to protect her right now. “Clary, explain your fear.”
     
    Tarek’s voice deepened to a rumbling growl, and she looked up at him, taking a risk. He had been protective of her, kind to her, he had sequestered her