A jolt of shock rolled through Connor.
He flicked a look at the native men with new eyes, his thoughts in chaos while he tried to think what action he could take that wouldn’t precipitate a slaughter of the colonists if it transpired that he was sitting with the people that had destroyed the Huntress.
“They--the Izun--had nothing to do with it,” Noely exclaimed at his expression. “They did … take us in or we wouldn’t have survived when we arrived with absolutely nothing to start the colony we’d expected to build.”
Connor kept his expression neutral with an effort. At least one of them had spoken in English and he thought it wouldn’t be safe to discuss his thoughts in front of them.
“And you have no idea what hit the ship?” he asked finally.
It took an effort to hide her feelings on the subject. “None. I was in stasis. Had just come out, at any rate. If I’d been in general population at the time, I wouldn’t be here. Nobody else made it out.”
“I’m … sorry for your losses.” He hesitated and grimaced. “It’s a loss for us, as well. We’d expected an established colony we could look to for help if needed. But … we’re prepared. Do you know how many survivors there are? I’m sure we could make arrangements …. Things might be tight for a while ….”
Noely blinked at him as she slowly assimilated the offer and finally managed a smile. “That’s … very kind. We actually came toofferhelp.” She turned to Roque. “This is my man, Roque. And my man, Terran. They built us a really nice place. We’re doing quite well … now. We could probably help out a little with food …?”
That news sent a fresh shock through Connor. At first, he was inclined to dismiss it as merely a figure of speech, but there was no doubt in his mind that Noely was pregnant.
And both of ‘her’ men seemed to consider her theirs.
Terran extended his hand. After a brief hesitation while he watched the process, Roque extended his hand, as well, and shook. Then turned to the other two men. “Dis my good friend, Ryne, and hispadur, Torr. Dey come from de river village … near dis place.”
How near, Connor wondered, struggling to tamp his dismay over the wealth of disastrous possibilities that came to mind?
And he was no politician. “Do we have a problem here?” he asked, when he’d shaken their hands.
Not that he hadn’t suspected that as soon as he’d seen them outside the colony walls, but as blunt as the question was, he didn’t see beating around the bush about something with so much potential for disaster with people to whom English was a second language.
Ryne met Roque’s gaze for a long moment. Unfortunately, he had not learned the tongue of the Ert people at all well and could not speak directly to any of them with any facility at all--which did not particularly distress him except as it pertained to Belle. “Do you think he is open to discussing issues? Willing to compromise? Desirous of peace?”
Roque frowned. “He sounds as if he would be willing,”he said slowly and then transferred his attention to the man. “We talk to our people. Den we meet again. Yes? Settle tings?”
Nodding, Connor rose as they all got up and led them from the tent.
The horny alien bastard jolted to a halt almost as soon as they exited, his gaze settling on Belle.“My padur, Torr, and I have a wish to take the woman, Belle, as our hearth woman. Ask the yellow hair if we can speak to her family about this.”
Roque studied him with a touch of surprise, but then mentally shrugged. “Ryne say he want speak to Belle family about court her for be his an’ hispadur’spadra. Dis hearth woman and mate.”
Connor didn’t manage to keep the anger from instantly flooding his face despite his efforts. Turning, he pinned Belle with his gaze, hesitated and then lifted his arm and summoned her with a gesture of his hand. She stared back at him with a frozen look for a moment, and then glanced to either side of her and finally lifted a hand and pointed to herself. “Me?”
His lips tightened. “Come here for a moment.”
She flicked a look at the delegation of aliens and finally surged toward him. He grasped her lower arm when she stopped beside him. Lifting it, he displayed the genetic code on her wrist and then exposed his own so that they could see the codes matched. “My woman,” he said tightly.
Belle gaped at him in shocked dismay, but he’d clearly expected her to snatch her arm back. His hand tightened before the impulse even struck her.
Her face turned so red it madehimuncomfortable. She flicked a look from him to the alien man and then at the others, searching their expressions before she returned her gaze to Ryne.
It totally pissed Connor off--not that he wasn’t well aware that Belle had given him as wide a berth as she could manage or that he had made any real attempt to engage her interest, but he’d god damned well meant to! Planned on it--when the time was right!
When she was old enough and mature enough to consider settling.
And he was ready to settle god damn it!
And it sure as shit wasn’t the right time when they were working like fighting fire to establish a foothold on an alien world.
Ryne was furious, knew immediately that the bastard had no right to claim her, whatever he said to the contrary. “What dis?” he growled. “What mean dis?”
“She was coded at birth,” Noely said tightly, lifting her own arm to display the code imprinted on her wrist and meeting Connor’s gaze with a hard, accusing one of her own before she met Ryne’s.
