Warrior by Cara Bristol

for dead.” Anika traced the fine scar bisecting her neck. “It allowed Qalin’s guards to hunt Tara and me, to kill Tara’s friend Ramon.”
    “That is not the fault of Protocol, but of the individuals involved,” Urazi said.
    Anika shook her head. “No. It creates the environment that encourages such behavior.”
    “That is incor—”
    “Protocol allows the male offspring of my sire to send me to whomever he wishes without concern for my desires.” Anika cut him off.
    “Ilian is Alpha . He is the best possible choice for you.”
    “Qalin is Alpha, too. Would he not be a best possible choice?”
    “Now you speak rubbish.” Urazi turned away.
    “You know I am right.”
    “I know we all have our duty. In obedience, we achieve honor.”
    “Easy for you to say. You are male. Your duty affords you some choices.”
    “I am beta. Do you not think I wish for more?” Urazi whipped around, his gray eyes ablaze. “But I owe my allegiance to Parseon and to my Alpha! I accept that.”
    “Well, I do not!” If she had a hammer she would not be able to pound understanding into his stony male brain. He would never empathize with her position. No male could. Anika clenched her hands into fists. If she were a male, she would have punched him by now. Old and new resentments ballooned. If she could not calm herself, she would explode. She would punch him. Anika stomped toward the forest.
    “Come back here!”
    She ignored him. He did not get a choice in the matter. Let him see what it was like to have one’s wishes overruled.
    “Anika, I warn you….” Urazi’s voice hardened.
    She faltered, responding to the command, habit and lifelong training overruling self-determination. But only if she let it. I am more than what I have been taught. Anika whirled around, folded all her fingers except for the middle one, and showed him her hand. Tara had called it flipping the coro and explained it was a very rude, dismissive gesture on Terra. It would be more satisfying if Urazi knew what it meant, but, for now, it was enough that she did. She spun around and marched toward the woods.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Headstrong. Disrespectful. Disobedient. Impulsive. Maddening . He didn’t know the exact meaning of the Terran gesture Anika had flipped at him, but from her smug expression, he discerned she intended disrespect.
    A smoldering fury burst into a full flame. Urazi charged, grabbed her around the waist, and hoisted her off her feet. She kicked and shrieked in outrage, but he hauled her across their camp to a large boulder.
    “Do you see how easy it is?” he goaded, as she ineffectually flailed her arms and legs. “Are you so foolish as to believe Qalin is your sole threat? That other males might not avail themselves of the opportunity afforded by a lone female?”
    “You said we were safe here!” She continued to thrash.
    Urazi planted himself on the boulder and Anika over his knees.
    “Let me up! What are you doing?”
    “What I should have done sooner,” he growled, and adjusted her to prevent her body from pressing against his thickening manhood. How her temper and stubbornness could infuriate him and arouse him in equal parts, he did not understand.
    “I said the males from your Resistance would bed down for the night. I also said many others make their camp as well. Perhaps they gather firewood. Not to mention that night draws nocturnal predators.”
    “I did not think about that.”
    “No, you did not,” Urazi agreed, and yanked up her shift.
    Anika slapped at his hands. “Stop it! What are you doing?”
    He grabbed both wrists and secured them against her back. “I am demonstrating who is in charge.” He tugged at her leggings. The double layer proved as stubborn as she was and resisted his effort to lower them.
    Anika bucked and twisted on his lap. “You are not my alpha. Or even my beta. You are not in charge.”
    Her words pierced his bravado to lodge dead center in his insecurity. He yanked her