“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “What is it? What does it mean?”
Nakan sighed and dropped his head forward. “It is a less common form of mating. When a warrior fails to find his kode, he can claim the Right of Ka’Kode to bind a mate. It is most common among older warriors—either those who never found their kode or those whose kode passed to the stars.
“I don’t get it.” She pulled her knees to her chest. “So, what, he wanted to marry me?”
Nakan tilted his head to the side, gaze distant and expression musing. “If that is your word for the binding. He wished to claim you as his mate, but he could not do so. You are mine. My kode.”
“Whoa,” she held up her hands. “Wait a minute. I only said that to get him away from me. I never said I’d actually mate you.”
Nakan whirled to face her, anger and confusion crossing his face. “But… you are my kode. Your presence caused my blood to stir. This cannot be denied.”
Kalinda rose and crossed to the other side of the room to lean against the wall, arms crossed. “Look, I don’t know how you people in alien lizard land do things, but where I come from, you need a woman’s permission to get it on. You know, romance, commitment. You haven’t even asked me out to dinner!”
“You are hungry?” Nakan flashed her a confused frown. “I can send for a meal, if—”
“No.” She threw up her hands. “Not what I meant. I just mean that… you know what? Never mind. Forget it.” She waved a dismissive hand at him, sighing in frustration. She had never gotten use to the TransComm Implant’s inability to translate a person’s words but not their meaning. Some phrases and expressions in one language were often lost in translation, which led to the confusion she found on Nakan’s face.
His shoulders drooped and it was difficult read the expressions on his reptilian face, but it almost looked like he pouted.
“I am uncertain why you are angry, my kode.” His lips tightened. “What can I do for you? How may I make your day more pleasant?”
She hesitated, unsure how to proceed. He looked at her—so eager—almost like a puppy that waited for praise. It was so strange to her. Here he was, a big, strong alien warrior who commanded an entire territory, yet he asked how he could please her.
Part of her was tempted to issue a bunch of extravagant requests. Fine food, jewelry, clothing, servants to feed her while fanning her with palm leaves. Did they have something like palm leaves on Atera? If he was intent on wooing her, she could milk the situation for all it was worth.
She sighed and resigned herself to not having any of the fun stuff. She just wasn’t that kind of person. Or maybe she could be that materialistic person a little bit, but nothing good would come out of acting that way. “Right now, all I want is to be left alone. I need time to think.”
Nakan lowered his gaze. “As you wish. I shall bathe in private.” He gestured to the room. “Everything I have is yours, my kode. Please make yourself comfortable.”
He strode through a nearby door, the panel swinging wide to reveal the room’s interior. It remained slightly ajar and she peeked through the crack to watch him climb into a tub filled with what looked like a mud bath. He rubbed and scrubbed his scales until they shone beneath the dim lighting. She kept watch for a short time, fingers to her lips.
Despite her reservations, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that Nakan was one fine looking creature. She would never have considered the possibility of being attracted to an alien lizard, but he was a true sight to behold. His muscles rippled beneath his gray scales, and dark eyes held a quiet resolve that spoke of hidden strength. He was strong and protective, but now they were alone together. He had shown her a softness and vulnerability that she hadn’t expected.
She shook her head and turned from the door. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in those thoughts. He was, for all intents and purposes, her captor. The human women had all been told they were “guests,” but they felt like prisoners. They hadn’t been given a choice about their destination when leaving the Heart Sands—when they’d been separated from the other survivors of the crashed ship. Beyond that, Nakan seemed to think she was his personal property. He seemed to expect to claim her and make her his mate without even asking her how she felt. In truth, she didn’t know how she felt. She hadn’t had time to process everything that had happened. It was all too much for her to absorb and the situation left her head spinning.
She stared out the windows, looking into the distance at the wide mountain range that spread as far as she could see. No glass panels stood in the frames, allowing a cool breeze to drift in and ward off the worst of the intense heat that had plagued her ever since the crash. The windows were narrow, nothing more than angled niches cut into the wall. They reminded Kalinda of old movies she’d seen with medieval castles and arrow slits to allow defenders to rain arrows down on the masses. She supposed the entire place had been built with defense in mind, especially considering the warlike nature of the aliens. She just hoped they weren’t in danger of being attacked. She’d endured enough peril for the day.
She glanced at the door, wondering if she should return to the quarters she shared with the other women. She didn’t want to resume her explorations. It felt too dangerous to roam the tunnels with Chaze out there waiting to find her alone again. Though, if nothing else, she would be more comfortable with the other humans than alone in the warlord’s private quarters.
Kalinda pushed her attention out the windows once more, staring down, down, down to see what it would be like to try and climb her way to freedom, assuming she could squeeze through the narrow windows. Escaping through the windows was a fool’s dream, as a sheer drop unfolded beneath her. The rough surface of the mountainside appeared to offer plenty of handholds and footholds, but she’d never been very athletic. She’d never survive the climb down.
While she stared at yet another failed escape route, a soft tickle teased her arm. She idly brushed at the caress, annoyed at the random strand of hair that annoyed her. The sensation continued, annoying her even further, and she finally stared at her bare bicep in search of the strand.
Only to let out a piercing scream.
Kalinda flung her arm, throwing off the insect-like creature that had crawled on her skin. In the brief flash, she’d cataloged the bug’s appearance. A mix between a scorpion and a spider, it had far too many legs and a long, dangerous tail. When she flung it away, it landed on the ground in a scramble of legs before scurrying under a piece of furniture.
Not even hesitating a bit, she released another high-pitched scream and ran across the room to get away from the insect. Two guards flung the bedroom door open and rushed into the space, their weapons drawn. Both rushed at her, blades brandished, and she lifted her arms to cover her face.
“My lady, get down!” one shouted and shoved her behind him, her back to the stone wall. He stood in front of her, defensively positioned while he scanned the room for signs of danger. “Where is the enemy? What has happened?”
Kalinda yelped, pain searing her as the guard shoved her back. A hot, piercing agony shot through her side and she pushed away from the wall, hands going to her waist. In his haste, the warrior had shoved her into a stone niche that held a statue of one of Nakan’s ancestors holding a spear. The tip had pierced her and caused a pool of blood to well under her shirt.