C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) by C.L. Scholey

warrior who kept his word.
    “The males of your species have not been harmed,” he told her for the tenth time. “This is our first encounter with male humans as well. We were told the female of your species is harmless. You must understand if your females are harmless then your males must be harmful.”
    She turned to gaze questioningly at him. For a moment, she hesitated then approached him. With her hands she measured the expanse of his chest and gestured large. Kobe nodded. Even if he wasn’t still in battle mode he towered over her—and the human males. He had been surprised at how soft and flimsy their necks were, he had then remembered how easily Zuri was knocked to the ground, and he gentled his grip on the males not wanting to kill them. As it was, when he saw them last, providing food for them as he had Zuri, he had left strange marks on their skin, and they cowered in terror at the sight of him.
    “I realize we are larger than your males, but not all battles are fought with size.”
    She pointed at her head and him and said Gorgano. Yes, he understood it was she who understood his language because of the Gorgano, she had defeated the creature, not the human males. Kobe had felt the sensation of being uncomfortable for a brief moment when she was hiding from him. She had tried some form of attack—it was laughable. Her threat was nonexistent. The sickly spew from her mouth was worse, though she claimed she had no control over the occurrence.
    “If the Gorgano have given you the ability to understand my people, that’s good. You tried your power on me once.” She looked stunned and he stopped and chuckled. “I felt for a moment a piece of food was stuck in my chest, nothing more. An uncomfortable sensation, not painful. Look at you; you’re just so small and weak.”
    She looked insulted. Her little hands curled into fists ready to do battle, until the door to his chambers opened and Citun strolled in. Zuri took a step back. Citun was the largest warrior Kobe knew. When his time came, Kobe wasn’t certain there was a cyron beast that could best their leader. Out of battle mode, Citun sauntered right up to Zuri who was now pressed against a wall.
    “ This is what all the fuss is about?” Citun asked. He looked skeptical. “I heard she cleared an entire hanger. My warriors are soft. This is the female?”
    “Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard the other two are male humans,” Kobe replied.
    “Unfortunate, but we got what we came for.” Citun sized her up. “Small little creature. She doesn’t look like the images, she’s clothed; I’ve never seen a clothed female. No war paint, no defiance. Timid. I can smell fear. I can’t see any usefulness to it.”
    Zuri spouted off a string of words including the dumb—ass—moron, so it didn’t take long for Kobe to realize she was pissed. Her eyes might not change to match her mood, but her tone certainly did. The scowl on her face was cute. When Citun reached for her she smacked his hands away and Kobe stepped forward with some concern.
    “What are you doing?” Kobe asked.
    “Putting her somewhere safe.”
    “You’re taking her from me? But I captured her,” Kobe spluttered. “This isn’t protocol.”
    Citun looked condescending. “We were all looking, and since she can’t belong to us all, and I am leader, and this is my ship, she is my responsibility. Castians are very interested in human females because they lost all their women to poisoned water. Tonans want females to trade with the Castians or others, perhaps even the Gorgano if the price is right.
    “There must be some value to this human female to cause such a fuss. Although, looking at this little slip of flesh I’m not so sure. But since we did go out of our way to capture the humans they are still my responsibility.”
    “Citun, she understands you,” Kobe said, as Zuri was staring daggers at Citun.
    Citun only looked amused. “I have to admit the small female is a