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 Copyright
© 2020 by Charmaine Ross

Edited in UK/Australian English

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be
reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express
written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.

Published in Australia
First Published 2020

web: www.charmaineross.com
twitter https://twitter.com/CharmaineRossAu
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/charmaine.ross.01

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places,

events and incidents are either the products of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
 The Ozar Triad
A Negari Sci-Fi Alien Abduction Reverse Harem Romance
Book 1

Three Alien Warrior Princes. One human female abducted

by an evil race of Reptiles intent on taking over the universe
by any means possible.

Riley
Riley Sharp can fight her way out of anything. She’s a special ops
soldier. Trained for war and hardened for battle. Nothing surprises
her, but when she finds herself in a battle with Reptile aliens, she
fights for her life as well as her sanity.

Rujali, Setzan and Klaej - The Ozar Triad

The Ozar Triad are on a last-ditch mission of revenge. They are
tracking the stolen crystal that powers all life on their Homeplanet.
Without the crystal, their species is on the brink of disaster.

What they don’t expect to find is their fated mate—the only

female in the universe that can turn their Triad into a Quad. But
when Riley fights them every step of the way, they find themselves
in more trouble than just retrieving their precious crystal and saving
their Homeland. She’s their saviour. Their mate. Their everything.

Only she has no idea.

 Can one human female fend off three sexy-as-sin alien
warrior princes and find the love she never thought she
would find, while fighting nefarious forces, or will she
succeed in returning to her world nobody has heard of
before?

The Ozar Triad is book one is the next series after The Hexonian
Series set in an alternate universe where the Reptiles have
developed into intelligent evil beings intent on bringing the unseen
entity into another universe. You don’t have to read The Hexonian
Series to enjoy The Ozar Triad, but if you like sexy alien warriors and
not-so-helpless plucky human females fighting an enemy too evil to
be true, then you might like to start your journey with Jo’Aquin.

Begin the adventure with:

The Hexonian Series:

Jo’Aquin – Book 1
Striker – Book 2
Alastor – Book 3

The Negari Series:

The Ozar Triad – Book 1
The Arabis Triad – Book 2
The Erion Triad – Book 3
 Chapter One

Riley

The change in pressure made Riley’s ears explode. Black spots spun
across her vision. Her knees gave out and she came down fast on a
hard, cold surface. This was not the gritty sand of wherever the hell
she’d been. Her nose was now intimately acquainted with the
slightly oily surface of wherever the hell she was with no idea how
she got here.
She had been fighting monsters straight from her nightmares
that had turned out to be real. When she’d first regained
consciousness, it was to find herself trapped in a cold, slimy cell
she’d had to tear herself out of, and then she’d stepped into a battle
with lizard people that looked more prehistoric with their long
snouts, rows of razor-sharp teeth, deadly claws and dark-green
scales that sucked the light out of the air. They were more terrifying
Iguanas that walked upright and were killing unarmed women.
Civilians.
A battle, she could understand, and she’d kicked straight into
soldier mode. Maybe it was survival mode. It sure as hell beat the
reality in front of her. So, she’d fought. She managed to kill a couple
of the creatures before people—or not-people, but massive men with
skin the color of gold—charged into wherever they were to fight the
reptilian monsters as well. She’d barely drawn a breath when some
of the golden men had surrounded her. She didn’t trust the reptile
monsters. She sure as hell wasn’t going to trust men that didn’t look
quite right.
She did the thing she did best—fought them—when she was
surrounded by frigid black clouds. Claws grabbed her, she was pulled
into a void of nothingness. Her head exploded and darkness had
descended on her. That was all she knew until she found herself face
down on an oil-stained surface, head pounding, ears ringing, and
stomach churning.
A nightmare. She was still in that nightmare. That had to be
it. She wondered vaguely why she was still trapped in it. Maybe
she’d finally gone insane.
Her ears rang with a low-pitched tone, obscuring all other
sounds. NIHL. Noise Induced Hearing Loss. She’d suffered that
multiple times in training when a grenade had blasted too close
while on duty in the side alleys of Yemen, or she’d forgotten to put
in ear protection at the firing range. But added with the change of
pressure, as though she’d come up too fast from a deep scuba dive,
her brain pounded in protest and her stomach fought to expel its
contents.
She tried lifting her head, but the damned thing was too
heavy and all she could do was stay where she was, sprawled on an
oil-stained ground, dragging in jagged breaths.
A rough hand grabbed her bicep. Only it wasn’t a hand. It
was a claw with vicious, long black talons that sank through her skin
and muscle like it was as substantial as butter. Agony ripped through
her as she was lifted from the ground. Her legs wobbled beneath
her. Only the claw impaling her arm kept her upright. She might
have screamed—she probably did—but she couldn’t tell from the
tinnitus in her ears.
The thing that impaled her moved its maw, only she still
couldn’t hear what it said over the ringing in her head. Her heart
pounded with rapid-fire beats as she came face to face with one of
the reptilian monsters.
Its black, beady eyes were intelligent, and it pierced her with
a hard stare as though she was no more than a hunk of meat. Saliva
dripped from the corner of its jaw, splattering onto the ground. She
shivered. Two more reptiles surrounded her, one on either side. The
monster shook her until her head rattled on her shoulders.
Heat washed over her skin and her vision whitewashed.
Despite after all she’d seen and done, she’d never been so terrified,
and she’d been in some hairy situations in her time. Her experience
ended at dealing with upright iguanas.
Think, soldier. Keep cool. Think and survive.
The claws slid out of the holes they’d made in her arm. Blood
gushed from the open wounds and seeped between her fingers
when she pressed them to her arm to stem the flow. She sagged to
her knees, head swimming, her legs too weak to keep her upright.
The three monsters argued with each other. One of them held
a crystal that glowed with a strange golden light. The creature
tossed it from claw to claw, handling it gingerly as though it was hot.
The monster that had wounded her grabbed the crystal and
pressed it to her arm. The crystal glowed so brightly that it blinded
her, and she had to look away. Heat seared across her skin and pain
ripped through her.
Her senses slowly returned to find she was flat on her back
on the ground and there was no sight of the crystal. The monsters
were fighting a few feet away. One pushed the other. It staggered
backwards, before it leapt forward, slamming its chest to its
opponent. The other joined in and a fight erupted. None looked at
her, their attention on their own fight.
The little voice that had saved her skin more times than she
could count, screamed at her. “Move! Run! Get away!”
She clenched her teeth, summoning everything in her body to
stagger to her feet. Ignoring her screaming muscles and fading
vision, she stepped back a few paces before the rest of the world
materialized through her battered senses and she stumbled to a
stop.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes scuttled around her. Some
were dressed in fatigues, some in gowns, others in clothes she
couldn’t name. Some were so small, they came to her knee, others
so tall she would have to crick her neck to look up. The creatures
had skin of different colors. Some had hair and others did not,
several boasted scales, a few glowed. There were gelatinous blobs
that rolled along and a few stalking furry beasts with spikes down
their back.
While she wasted time gawking, more and more sets of eyes
turned towards her. Some creatures stopped walking to outright
stare at her.
She had a horrible, sinking feeling that this was not a dream,
or even a nightmare, that this might in fact be reality. Her throbbing
arm and pounding head certainly made it real. Besides, her
imagination wasn’t that good. She simply couldn’t make shit like this
up.
She was in some sort of airfield. Crafts of various structures
and sizes scattered about, but they weren’t anything she had seen
before. Some were circular, others square. A few sleek silver ones
rested nearby, and beyond them, some were so black they seemed
to suck the very light out of the air. Creatures scurried between them
and down a central aisle that was as wide as a highway.
There was a blast and a roar as one of the machines rose
from the ground. Hot air and debris scattered everywhere before it
levitated, hanging in mid-air for a moment and then disappearing
from sight—one moment there, the next gone.
No, her imagination definitely wasn’t that good.
A door slid open in the side of the sleek, jet-like contraption
close by and a man the size of a yeti appeared, silhouetted in the
interior light. He wasn’t just huge, he was massive. Just the outline
of his bulging biceps and thick shoulders was enough to make her
look twice. He stood so tall that he ducked his head as he stepped
through the doorway.
Long, black strands of hair ran from his head down his back,
the ends capped with golden beads. His skin was a burnt mocha
color, of which a lot was showing as the only articles of clothing he
wore were tight black pants and knee-high, thick-soled black boots
that she instantly wanted for herself.
His chest was darkened by thick, swirling tattoos that covered
across his shoulders, down his arms that never seemed to end,
across his defined pecs, and trailed over abs she could cut her teeth
on, to disappear into the waistband of his pants. Leather straps that
held various lethal-looking weapons within easy reach were strapped
around his torso. A massive bladed weapon was strung low on his
hip, the tip nearly reaching the ground.
Behind him, two other men appeared. They were just as tall
and muscle-bound. The one on his left was bald, and achingly
handsome—square jaw, thick neck leading to shoulders that could
balance barrels and still have room for more. His skin was a swirl of
emerald green, intertwined with a pattern that looked as though it
was made from golden thread.
The one on the right had black hair that flickered with
electric-blue highlights. Fine strands were brushed off his face, the
ends grazing his shoulders. He wasn’t quite as broad as the others,
but his arms were a work of chiseled art, decorated in swirls of deep
lavender and black ink. He wore a sleeveless flak jacket, in which
silver projectile-type objects were packed into the folds. Two pistols
hung at his hips in a low-slung holster.
Each of the men had horns that twisted from their temples,
sleek and matte black. One set curled upwards, another swept
backwards and into glossy black hair, and the other followed the
curve of his skull to disappear behind his head.
The men stilled in the open doorway of their craft. Their
heads swiveled in unison to pin her. Pierce her. Impale her.
Her heart pounded and she flushed hot from her head to her
toes. Everything around her dimmed, fading to black, except for the
complete and utter focus on these three beings. Her skin pickled
with awareness and her core throbbed with a heavy pulse. What the
hell was wrong with her?
Move! Run! Get away! Survival drummed into her over many
years kicked in. She forced her gaze from the strange men and the
monsters, looking for somewhere to hide. She took a stumbling step
forwards and fire lanced through her shoulder.
Claws sank into her flesh to the bone. She was dragged back
against a scaly chest, her throat gripped by another clawed hand.
Her lungs seized in agony, her airways constricting. She clutched its
wrist, struggling to keep it from tearing her neck clean off.
She was distantly aware of a thundering roar and through
blurred vision, she saw the mountain-men race down the ladder
from their craft and bolt towards her, looks of absolute fury on their
faces. They clutched bladed weapons that could only be described
as brutal.
More reptilian monsters raced towards them across the
highway between aircraft, meeting the trio in a headlong rush. The
first man slashed into one of the reptilian monsters without breaking
stride.
She gasped sweet air as the monster pinning her released her
neck to tug a weapon from its belt. She sagged, but was held
upright by the claws still embedded in her shoulder. A light flashed,
and a crimson streak appeared on the arm of the tallest man. He
didn’t even flinch, simply stepped forward and decapitated another
monster with an almost languid sweep of his hand that held the
lethal sword in his grip. The head tumbled across the ground in a
gush of bright green blood. The body dropped a moment later.
If they could be so brutal to these monsters, then there was a
high probability she would be next. Nobody pinned a person with
stares like that if they didn’t have something on their mind, and by
the size and aggression of them, she didn’t stand a chance.
Inherently she sensed if she didn’t get away now, she never would
once they reached her, and she was no man’s toy.
A glimmer of metal caught the corner of her eye. She glanced
down at the knife lodged in the belt of the monster that had clawed
her arm. Her training kicked in. In one smooth motion, she yanked
the knife free and sliced through the wrist holding her. The claws
ripped through muscle and skin as the creature staggered back. She
stumbled as a fresh wave of agony seared through her. The monster
held up a severed stump, green blood pouring from the wound.
She ripped the severed hand free from her shoulder. Pinning
her arm to her chest in a futile attempt at minimizing the white-hot
agony of her torn arm and shoulder, she used the confusion of the
battle and pushed through creatures that had stopped to watch,
disappearing between the crushing bodies of the crowd. She didn’t
know where she was going to go, or what she was going to do, but
she needed to get away from here.
All she had to do was work out what sort of nightmare she’d
found herself in and try and get the hell back home. Even if it was
the last thing she ever did.
 Chapter Two

Rujali

It couldn’t be.
Rujali could hardly comprehend they’d found their mate, but
he knew it as a certainty as soon as he stepped out of their jet and
into this godsforsaken place, loosely termed a space port in Isildur. It
was a haven for the worst kinds of species, but the one their long
search had brought them to.
The Ozar Crystal was here without a doubt. After a year-long
pursuit without setting foot on their Homeland, they were close
enough to retrieve it. Hope was finally in reach. A blast of ethereal
energy had alerted the central intelligence tracker on board the
cramped jet they’d called home for too long and they’d flown to this
hellshole of a place to follow the signal.
The loss of the Ozar Crystal had been felt by every member
of his Homeland. Without the crystal, no mate-bonds could form.
Without mate-bonds, there were no Quads, and without Quads there
were no children. That, coupled with the infighting between the
Homelands of the Arabis and Erion, the Ozar Homeland’s future was
at stake.
They’d kept the loss of their crystal a secret. The Ozar wasn’t
unique. Each Homeland was powered physically and spiritually by
their respective crystals. Without the crystal, the Ozar Homeland was
weakened. If the Arabis or the Erion Homelands found out, with the
power of their crystals behind them, the Ozar Homeland was
seriously threatened. The three Homelands had been infighting and
bickering on and off for centuries and no love was lost.
Truly, Rujali was sick and tired of it. It was unrelenting and
unproductive, but no matter how anyone had tried to rectify the
situation over the decades, their differences had just been too
difficult to overcome. So, for the protection of his Homeland and for
the future of his people, it was imperative that they find and bring
back their crystal.
They could not return home empty-handed. He’d thought he’d
be able to locate the crystal, and the species who had stolen it, the
moment they landed. Instead, he’d found something even more
precious. Something he’d never dared hoped to find out of their
Homeland, let alone in a place like this.
“Is it…?” Klaej asked with a gasp.
Setzan nodded. “Mate.”
Rujali’s gaze fell to the small female standing at the base of
the jet staring up at them, as though she had been inexplicably
drawn to them, just as they were drawn to her, held together on that
transcendental moment of mate recognition. He couldn’t identify her
species, but he had never laid eyes on one so perfect before.
She was tiny, yet her small body revealed gentle curves he
knew would be soft under his hand, different to their own hardness.
Her skin was pale, lacking the deep colors of their own kind, yet
alluring. Her mop of mid-brown hair flopped over her startled eyes,
the color of his favorite dessert. Her hair was shaved on one side of
her head, while a long lick of a fringe fell to her chin on the other
side.
From this moment forward, she would be his favorite dessert.
One he would eat any time of the day if she would allow it. He could
imagine folding her over his bed and entering her most secret of
places over and over again. His cock twitched with the thought,
something that had not happened in the ten years since the Crystal
of Ozar was stolen. That part of him had remained as dead as his
Homeland.
 Without the crystal, there were no mating Quads in his
Homeland. With no mating Quads, there were no children. His race
was dying. Without the crystal, there was no hope.
Now, not only had they tracked the crystal here, but they’d
also found their mate.
He could hardly believe it was true, but she was here, right in
front of his eyes. Their mate. The female that would save not only
their Homeland, their Triad, but their entire race. She was precious
beyond belief.
If he’d known he might have found her here, of all places, he
would have happily lived in this hellshole for the entire year of the
search both he and his brothers had embarked on, simply to wait for
her and save himself the endless traveling, the endless arriving at
intergalactic pit-holes only to find that they were too late, that the
energy the tracker had detected from the crystal was only residual.
Why it had been stolen, he had no idea, but between the three of
them, they were going to find out, and return it to its rightful place
in the Ozar Tower back in their Homeland.
“She’s beautiful beyond words,” Klaej said, his voice soft.
“Breathtaking,” Setzan said.
Rujali nodded. “She is ours, brothers.”
“What could she possibly be doing in a place like this?” Klaej
asked.
“That is the question. Let us go down and introduce ourselves
to our mate, and then we will take her out of this place and put her
somewhere much more suitable,” Rujali said.
Tossing his long braids behind his shoulders, he stepped
towards his future.
The female seemed to snap out of her trance and staggered
away from the group of scaled creatures close behind her. One of
them hissed and lashed out at her, sinking his talons into the soft
flesh of her shoulder. She screamed as crimson blood poured from
between its imbedded claws. Their mate was wounded! Blinding hot
rage raced through him, her agony his. A roar erupted from him. He
ripped his sword from the sheath at his back, jumping the distance
to the ground, and pounded towards his mate. The ground shook as
his brothers followed him. He wasted no time and slashed the head
from the shoulders of the first scaled creature.
There was a hot flash, and a laser seared his arm, but he
didn’t even feel it. Keeping the momentum of the swing, he changed
the arc and slashed downwards and severed the creature’s head.
Klaej roared behind him, and Rujali spun to face him as several of
the scaled-ones bore down on them.
Where the hells had they come from?
Heated laser fire danced around them. Rujali slashed at the
closest creature, slicing a green strip of welling blood down its front.
Setzan grunted as he impaled another with his short-blade. He sliced
upwards, gutting it before it had a chance to topple dead to the
ground.
He’d not seen these creatures before in any of his long
travels, and he’d been over great distances in the universe. They
seemed almost out of place. Just as out of place as their female.
He glanced around to see where she was, his heart lurching
when there was no trace of her. “Brothers. She is gone!”
Setzan glanced around with a scowl before roaring his warrior
cry and lashing into the fold of scaled-ones that descended on them.
Klaej severed the head of one, while Rujali plunged his long sword
into the soft underbelly of another.
At a loud clack-hissing sound from one of the creatures, the
rest scattered like the cowards they were.
Setzan started to pursue one, but Rujali barked at him,
“Leave them. Our mate is more important.”
Setzan gripped his sword tight in his fist. It went against
every fiber of their being not to end a fight, yet he managed to turn
away, the heat of battle on his face, his features tight and grim.
He lifted his head, scenting the air. “She is bleeding.”
A growl thundered in Rujali’s chest. “And they will pay,
brother—we will make sure of it—but she is our priority.”
“This way.” Klaej pushed through the crowd of onlookers.
Setzan snarled at them, and they scurried away like bugs.
While Rujali and his brothers were bigger than most, nothing
stood between a Negari and their mate. And they were royalty. The
mate-sync was the strongest of them all. Finding her was
imperative. If they had to stomp over every species in this space
port, they would. It was wise that every being stayed out of their
way.
Klaej squatted and swiped his finger on the ground. Rujali
saw the Klaej’s fingertip was coated with crimson. Klaej tasted her
blood. Rujali knew Klaej’s body would merge with her essence. It
would be easier to scent her that way. His brother was known for his
tracking skills.
“She is hurt. I can taste her pain. And her fear.” Tension
radiated from every pore in his body.
The same tension now rippled through Rujali and Setzan.
Triplets were connected that way. What one felt, so did the others,
especially with extreme emotions like this. Urgency to find her
writhed through Rujali’s veins like a living thing. It was untenable to
think that she was hurt and scared in any way.
Rujali pressed his hand to Klaej’s shoulder. “Then lead the
way and we will find her.”
Klaej gave a sharp nod. Now was not the time to delay with
wasted emotions like fear for the safety of their mate. She was in
need, and they would put aside their weaker emotions.
Their mate wouldn’t be lost for long. They would soon have
her where she belonged: in their arms and in their bed. Safe.
Protected. Cherished.
She didn’t know how important she was to them.
But she would understand soon enough, and she would
comply like mates should. It was their duty to protect her, just as it
was her duty to submit.

* * *
Riley

Riley held onto consciousness by a thread. It was only sheer

stubbornness that kept her on her feet. That and the knowledge that
if she showed any weakness at all, she would be at the mercy of the
owners of the many pairs of strange eyes that openly darted her
way.
If those reptile creatures weren’t still after her, those men
who’d put WME wrestlers to shame, would soon follow. She didn’t
have the time, nor the energy, to waste. She staggered to a wall and
leaned heavily on it. Warm wet heat pulsed between her fingers. She
needed to stem the blood from her arm wound, and she needed to
hide.
There was a chittering sound and an alien with the head of a
praying mantis came her way. Its mandibles clicked and translucent
wings rose behind its back.
That thing did not look like good news.
She lurched in the opposite direction and darted into an alley
between two walls of sandstone. It was the same material as the
ground—tan and gritty. Her entire surroundings seemed to be made
of it. It seemed that apart from the space port, the planet was
nothing but sand.
Various creatures strolled past the other end of the alley,
which appeared to be a bustling street. No better place to become
lost in than a sea of… things. There looked to be a range of them.
Hopefully she could blend into the crowd.
She approached the end of the alley and peeked around the
corner. Various stalls lined the street, offering different wares. Food
smells wafted from all directions. Creatures sauntered past the stalls,
pausing, looking, and buying. The creatures screeched, clicked,
barked, and whistled. Vendors yelled at those passing by to
purchase their wares.
She huffed a surprised breath. A market! Either marketplaces
were a common occurrence throughout the universe, or her
imagination was flatlining in creativity. She was just so damned
weary. Every step was such agony, even her brain was having
trouble conjuring up material. It was on the verge of total shutdown.
She needed to find a safe place to bunker down and rest for a
while. Her muscles shook with fatigue and the coating of sweat on
her skin was hot and sticky. Time to rest and then work out what
clusterfuck she was in the middle of.
 She spied a stall offering garments that fluttered in the
breeze. Too many eyes kept coming her way. She needed a
camouflage. She put her head down and as she slid past the stall,
grabbed a garment and threw it around her shoulders and over her
head as though she owned it.
Skin tingling, she forced herself to match the slow pace of the
passing crowd so as not to stand out, all the while expecting
someone to yell for their stolen garment. She passed more stalls,
losing herself between bodies of different heights and shapes—
creatures out of nightmares, dreams, and everything in between.
Her mind wanted to force herself into thinking she was
dreaming, but the solid ground underfoot, the smells, the heat of the
sun—no, make that two suns—beating on the thick, roughly woven
material of the coat were too much to ignore.
She stumbled into a doorway, trying to organize her thoughts.
She shoved the pain of her throbbing shoulder aside, using
everything in her training to compartmentalize so that her mind
cleared enough to work out a plan. A sketchy plan, but a plan,
nonetheless.
How she wound up here, she had no idea, and that was the
most frightening thing of all. The last thing she remembered before
her life went to hell was racing along the Erye Highway along the
Nullarbor on a reconnaissance mission to find missing SAS captain
Vivien Demalzi. Best damn captain in the army, she should never
have been disgraced by top brass, in her opinion. Top brass didn’t
know shit from clay sometimes. Demalzi was a hero given the rough
end of the stick for a mission gone wrong through no fault of her
own, but people needed someone to blame and she’d been singled
out.
The last thing Riley remembered was watching bright lights in
the sky grow even brighter, and then… She shivered, her mind going
back to when she’d first woken confused, disoriented, freezing, the
world in total chaos. Apart from the freezing part, things hadn’t
changed. Only now she hurt like a mother and she still had no
answers in sight.
 A hulking giant of a creature lumbered close. The being
looked more like a lion, with a shaggy mane, flat nose, and rounded
eyes. There was a fine layer of fur on its skin, much like a house cat,
but that was where the similarity ended. It was dressed in a tanned
trench coat and huge boots, and it carried weapons slung over its
torso like clothing. Its massive furred paw gripped an evil-looking
weapon as big as her leg. The creature stood over two heads taller
than her.
She shrank into the doorway, tugged the hood over her face,
and tried to make herself small, hoping that it would pass her by.
Two large boots stopped right in front of her. It took her a
moment to realize that his grunting was actually him speaking to
her. She shook her head, pulling the rim of her hood lower, hoping
he would get the hint and go away.
She peeked from beneath the rim, looking for an out. Up
ahead, the three men from the craft strode through the crowd. The
creatures parted to let them through. Their faces were tight and
focused, and they looked at everything and everyone surrounding
them. The man with deep emerald green skin changed with
splotches of crimson. The designs on his skin shone bright gold in
the sunshine. He was beautiful in a harsh, kick-ass way. All three
were.
“Magnificent,” was the word her brain supplied—along with
the distinct impression that what they looked for so intently was her.
She stifled a shiver. The need to move, to hide, overrode
concern for her immediate safety with the lion creature. She ignored
the shriek of agony from torn muscles and skin, and darted away
before any of them could lay a hand on her.
A large paw brushed past her back. She zigzagged around
groups of people, ducking low, and crossed the street. She
sidestepped into another alley leading away from the main
thoroughfare. The place seemed to be riddled with them.
She wound through a warren of smaller and smaller
alleyways, turning left and right without any discernable pattern,
until she wasn’t even sure if she could make her way back if she
wanted to. Peering over her shoulder intermittently, she verified no
one followed.
As she took another turn, her knees wobbled and she
stumbled.
She leaned against the rough-hewn wall, panting through the
throbbing pain of her shoulder. A trickle of sticky perspiration ran
down her forehead and stung her eye. Burning heat welled up from
inside her, consuming and sucking what energy remained in her
body. She was going to crash, and it was going to be soon.
The top half of her body throbbed in time with each
heartbeat. She hadn’t even looked at the mess those talons had
made. She didn’t have the energy to do that right now, but she
would get to it—right after she passed out.
She’d been injured in Iran, when she’d been on her second
tour, in a bid to stop some infighting in a back alley similar to this,
but she’d received pain inhibiters almost immediately when a team
member had come to her rescue.
This pain was grating, and getting worse. If it kept going like
this, she wasn’t going to be able to even think soon.
She spied a door through watery vision and stumbled over to
it. She cracked the door open, peering inside. The room beyond
seemed to be a living area of some sort, almost homey if she could
ignore the not-quite-rightness of the furniture and metallic material
of the walls.
She crept inside, closing the door behind her. Quickly and
silently, she made her way through the living area and through a
meal prep area until she came to another door leading out into a
much quieter back alley. So quiet, in fact, no one seemed to be in
here with her.
Large, black bins lined the walls, as big as back-alley bins in
her home city. The aroma of garbage seemed to be universal. She
knew bad smells would be a deterrent to anyone looking for her. She
hoped these bins would be a perfect place to hide. She couldn’t risk
being found while she slept, not by the reptile creatures, and not by
the men looking for her. Why they were so persistent, she couldn’t
understand. Not for anything good, if she knew how people worked,
and she’d seen them at their very worst.
A flutter in the pit of her stomach was the only warning that
she might be wrong.
She stumbled to the closest bin. With her remaining strength,
she lifted the lid and, ignoring the waft of rotted food and the
scream of white-hot agony in her shoulder, slid under the lip and
toppled inside. She surrendered to the blackness before the lid
slammed closed.
 Chapter Three

Setzan

Setzan stalked close behind his brother, gripping and regripping his
sword. If anyone could find a missing person, it was Klaej. After
ingesting her blood, Klaej’s body would assimilate with her essence
and he’d be able to smell her wherever she might be. He’d be able
to detect her when they were close enough, but by the gods, the
agony of not being able to find her in this crowded hellshole set his
teeth on edge.
That she was also injured and frightened was untenable. His
nostril flared as heat seared his bones. His ears twitched with every
sound, the light bright enough to sear the back of his skull. His
whole body was on full alert. Every sight, every touch, every sound
had him twitching with the need to find her. Even the theft of the
Ozar Crystal was nothing compared to every second their mate
wasn’t close by and in their arms.
“Where can one small female possibly have got to?”
“If anyone has taken her…” Rujali’s words dissolved into a
growl.
Species surrounding them scuttled away, their fright clear on
their faces. Even the most hardened amongst the crowd gave them
a wide berth. They had due cause to be scared. Nobody stood
between a Negari and their mate. That was a well-known fact,
galaxywide.
That they had just found her yet were unable to hold her and
touch her made him bare his teeth at anyone unlucky enough to
look at him. From now on, only their mate’s touch could soothe the
slow burn than ran through their veins. He felt his brothers’ burn as
much as his own.
He clenched his teeth, forcibly stemming his aggression. His
baser emotions would do nothing to find their mate.
“If she is taken, they will not get to live a second more from
the moment we find them,” Klaej said.
The gold threads in his skin glowed, his skin turning more
crimson than emerald. He was usually emerald and was the calmest
of all of them. It was his soothing influence that both he and Rujali
relied on when emotions ran high.
Each of them balanced the other. Klaej was placid—normally.
Rujali was level-headed, a clear leader, able to cut through the crap
and find the best path of action to take.
Setzan was—he didn’t actually know. He was hot-headed in
battle, quick to anger, quick to laugh, quick to find fault. He truly
didn’t know how that balanced anything out, but he vowed to make
amends now, to become a better person for their female. Their
mate.
They would protect her with their lives, which brought about
the puzzle of why she’d run. Any female who felt the mate-sync
came to her mates without question. It was never an issue back in
their Homeland.
“Do you think it’s possible she doesn’t know how important
she is?” Setzan said.
That she didn’t know was deeply unsettling. Unacceptable.
“Undoubtedly, judging by her fear. I can taste her confusion.
Her terror,” Klaej said. His skin bristled with more crimson.
“She also isn’t one of our species,” Rujali shoved a slow-
moving Antonine out of the way. The voluminous creature moved
away with a gurgling sound, probably not even aware that Rujali had
pushed at it. The layers of glutinous fat surrounding its muscle made
it slow, but well-protected its innards from projectiles. Its scarred
skin told of its many run ins and was most probably employed as a
guard of some sort. Most of them were employed in similar roles the
universe wide.
“How can our mate be of another species? There has never
been an inter-species mate before,” Setzan said.
“The crystal has ever been stolen before either.” Rujali’s frown
grew deeper
“No. It hasn’t.”
Rujali’s thoughts churned. Somehow, the crystal had been
stolen from its protected position, deep with the Ozar Crystal tower.
They only knew of its disappearance when the tower had lost its
glow.
“Is the Ozar Crystal still here?’ Rujali asked.
Setzan tugged a crystal chip from his pocket. They’d taken a
part of the tower with them, despite it being a travesty to have
damaged its crystal walls. It was the only way they could locate the
Ozar Crystal that powered it, though.
Rujali had cleaved the chip off, the only person capable of
doing something like that. The tower was virtually indestructible and
had existed since the beginning of time, certainly since the inception
of the Negari. It was what allowed their species to live. To love. To
provide generation after generation. The crystal glowed with life
when a new soul was brought into the Homeland, one dependent on
the other.
However, no new births had been welcomed into the world
since the crystal theft and he didn’t know how much longer it would
live without new life energy to sustain it. It had already been a
decade, and lately the signal had become weaker and weaker.
It was a near miracle they’d managed to track it here. If not
for the blast of recent, pure energy, Setzan would have all but given
up hope.
The chip, no bigger than a sliver the size of his thumbnail,
glowed like a tracking beacon whenever the crystal was near. The
blush of light from the crystal lit his hand and warmed his skin, as
brilliant as a ray of sun.
 “I haven’t seen it so bright before,” Rujali said.
“Nor have I.” Setzan stared at the tiny piece of crystal.
“Could have something to do with our mate being so close,”
Klaej said.
Rujali pursed his lips. “You could be right. Still, for it to burn
so bright is nothing short of a miracle.”
“Just like finding our mate.” Klaej said.
“At least we know the crystal is still planet side,” Setzan said.
Relief flooded his system. “We’re close. At last.”
“We find our mate first,” Klaej said. Some emerald broke
through the crimson on his skin.
“That goes without saying, brother,” Rujali said.
“Surely a creature so different couldn’t have gone unnoticed
in this place,” Setzan said. “I’ve never seen anything like her. Not
even heard of a species who looks like her.”
“I never thought to see a female so perfect.” Klaej paused,
nostrils flaring, before he turned into an alley, breaking away from
the main thoroughfare.
“What species do you think she is?” Setzan asked.
“I have no idea. She looks close enough to us, but she’s so
small. Her skin is the color of nothing I’ve seen before. And she
doesn’t have horns either,” Rujali said.
“Do you think she’s…compatible?’ Setzan asked.
“Even if she wasn’t, she is still our mate, but I don’t think the
fates are so cruel. Our Homeland needs children and she has been
chosen for not only us, but our Homeland.” Rujali brought his gaze
to first Setzan and then Klaej.
“I’d like to know how she even came to be in a place like
this.,” Setzan said.
The Helion 6 spaceport was a rough place, known for its high
crime rate and equally lawless state. If there were any law enforcers
here, they either made themselves scarce, or were as corrupt as the
rest of the population. Honesty was not a high commodity here.
“We’ll work everything out once we’ve found her,” Rujali said,
and then turned to Klaej. “What’s going on?”
 Ignoring Rujali, Klaej paused and scented the air. He turned
into yet another alley. Setzan had rarely seen him more focused, but
if finding one’s mate wasn’t a good enough reason, he didn’t know
what was.
They followed him deeper and deeper into a labyrinth of
narrow walkways. There seemed to be no pattern with the twists
and turns she’d taken. Worry dampened his excitement. Their mate
was hurt and, judging by the haphazard twisting and turning
alleyways, might also be hopelessly lost. It was not a good
combination.
Klaej paused at a corner, a deep growl reverberating in his
chest. Setzan stooped at his side. A smear of blood in the shape of a
dainty hand stood out alarmingly on the light tan sandstone. All
emerald disappeared on his skin, the crimson bleeding out the gold.
He was almost the same color as that of her blood. It wasn’t a nice
thought.
“She’s still bleeding.” Klaej’s claws curled into a fist.
The scaled ones had really hurt her. Badly, judging by the
amount of blood she’d leaked by the time she’d come through here.
The first thing he’d do after they’d found her and made sure she was
safe was to seek retribution. What sort of species purposefully
injured innocent females?
The females of their Homeland were fragile. Timid. Easily
upset. They didn’t have the means to fight back. They simply didn’t
know how. That was why it was the males’ duty to love, protect, and
care for them. Without them, there would be no future. To protect a
female was to protect the future.
Not only was she hurt and afraid, she was probably beside
herself, if their own sister and mother were anything to go by. They
would need to be gentle when they found her, no doubt. His heart
was heavy. By the gods, he’d never felt this way before. He didn’t
have an inkling what it might be like to find their mate. It wasn’t
responsibility, as much as feeling completely undone. His life had
changed so much in the space of a few moments, and instead of his
mate being in his arms, sated and content after all three of them
loved her, she was nowhere to be found.
 What had once been a normal thing to find a mate on their
Homeland was vastly different to finding a mate somewhere like
here, especially finding a mate that was not of their species, but life
hadn’t been normal since the day the Ozar Crystal had been stolen
and Rujali had asked both Klaej and himself to find it—no matter
what.
As royalty, it was up to them, but duty or not, they would
have done it: for their parents, their sister who had yet to find her
mates, and everyone in their Homeland. They’d travelled for so long
across such great distances, and privately, Setzan had given up hope
of ever finding a mate.
He could barely come to terms with the fact it had actually
happened.
Klaej stopped at a door. A faint red outline of their mate’s
dainty hand was smeared on the paneling. Rujali’s growl echoed in
the narrow walkway.
Close by, a door slammed shut, someone not wanting to get
caught up in their business.
Wise choice.
“Is she close by, Klaej?” Setzan asked.
Klaej’s shoulders tensed until he was twice as broad as he
normally was. The red tone of his skin told Setzan he was barely
keeping it together. Klaej couldn’t go rushing to their mate like this.
He would likely scare her in this state.
Setzan placed a hand on Klaej’s arm. “Pull yourself together,
brother. You don’t want to frighten her more than she probably
already is.”
Rujali pushed past Klaej, no mean feat, and slammed his
shoulder into the door. The material splintered with a crack. A middle
panel crashed into the inside wall, showering them with door shards.
“Where is our mate!” Rujali bellowed.
Setzan filled his lungs with a tense breath. “I’m glad you’re
being gentle and subtle. That’s the way to do it.”
Klaej slanted a look in his direction before stepping behind
Rujali. Both his brothers filled the small room inside. Setzan pushed
Klaej aside. He needed to be the first male she saw. He, at least,
was calmer—by a thread—than his brothers.
He knew how… intimidating… they could be.
All he saw was a swathe of dirty, rough-hewn material
shaking at Rujali’s feet. No female. No mate. Just a filthy pile of
rags. Definitely not what he wanted to find.
Setzan took a sniff. The stench emanating from this being
was not his mate, and it was so bad it cloyed in the back of his
throat, but underneath the reek of this being came the faint
undertones of their mate’s blood.
The final vestige of calm snapped. He launched himself at the
being, grabbing it by the scruff of its neck, and held it at eye level.
Its feet dangled far off the floor. It couldn’t be worse. A Norvegicus.
Panic took a hold of his heart and choked him with it. A Norvegicus
with their mate’s blood on it didn’t mean anything good.
“You have hurt her! Where is she?” he said with a growl.
The creature flinched. Its nose twitched and its whiskers
danced. Setzan shook the Norvegicus. Even by the species standard,
this one was grimier than most. A state they liked to be in. Not only
were they filthy on the outside, they’d sell their own mothers for
credits without a second thought. They were the vermin of the
universe and didn’t find anything wrong with being that way. More
than a few beings had been sold to slavery—and worse—at the
hands of these beings.
“Are you looking for someone? A female perhaps? If you are
agreeable I can show you a whole roomful of them. Some are even
willing, but if you’re not in the mood for that, I can get some
unwilling if you like a fight. If you prefer them more placid, they
don’t even have to be conscious. It’s entirely up to you and your
tastes.” The creature lifted its top lip to show crooked yellowed teeth
in what Setzan assumed was a smile.
Klaej roared and his chest heaved. “Have you taken our
female?”
The Norvegicus’ whiskers twitched and it rolled its little
clawed paws. “Would you like me to take your female? I can have
her chained and whipped into submission if you don’t want to be
bothered with her screams. Or her blood. Pesky things, females. Not
worth the upset she seems to be causing all of you. Are you sure
you still want her? I’ll make it worth your while if you want to sell
her to me.”
“Where. Is. Our. Mate?” Klaej boomed, his skin flaring with
deep crimson.
The creature’s enormous buck teeth clacked in fright.
Splatters sounded on the ground, and the stench became worse.
Setzan held his arm out at full length and stepped back, trying to
ignore his watering eyes. Norvegicus’ urine was notoriously hard to
wash out, the smell often lasting years.
“If you’ve wrecked my boots, you worthless piece of drumas
crap—” Setzan began.
“Setzan,” Rujali interrupted, placing his hand on Setzan’s
forearm. “We need him to talk.”
Setzan took a deep breath and forced the anger down. There
was a real danger that if the Norvegicus had taken their mate was
lying to them, they might never see her again. They needed
information, which they couldn’t get if he choked the Norvegicus.
These species had no respect for females. Didn’t they see that
females were the lifegivers of the universe and should always be
treated with the utmost care and respect, no matter the species? If
there were no females, there was no life. If it had taken their mate,
there would be no other for them.
Setzan loosened his fingers from around its neck, realizing
just how tightly he had been gripping the creature. The Norvegicus
gasped, its frantic breathing fanning over his arm. Setzan forced
himself not to gag with its fetid breath.
“So she is your mate? I have several products that will help
you train her into the docile mate all males like. She’ll be good for
cleaning and fucking and will do anything you tell her to do.
Overnight she will be transformed,” the Norvegicus said.
“Talk!” He shook the Norvegicus again, but not as roughly.
“She came through here. I can smell her in your domicile. If
you have laid one claw on her, you will be sorry,” Klaej said.
 The Norvegicus’ nose twitched. “I did smell something when I
came home, but I thought it might have been a thief. If I thought it
was a female, I would have looked for her.”
Setzan’s fingers twitched with the pulsing need to find their
mate. Blind rage fueled his blood and he clenched his teeth to
contain himself. Setzan growled, his frustration. The creature
squeaked as its tiny black eyes bulged.
“Where is she?” Setzan yelled.
He heard, and felt, the Norvegicus swallow. “You make it very
hard not to be extremely frightened of you. It makes business
arrangements very uncomfortable.”
“I’m finding it very hard not to pulverize your face.” Setzan’s
jaw ached with the pressure of grinding his teeth.
“Put him down, Setzan. He’ll talk if he’s more comfortable,
won’t you, drumas turd?” Rujali stepped very close to the Norvegicus
and growled.
Setzan knew that particular growl. Rujali was hanging on by a
thread, just like he was.
The creature nodded, its small clawed hands desperately
scratching at Setzan’s fist. Setzan grimaced as he put the Norvegicus
back to its feet. He hoped the scratches didn’t become infected.
Although Norvegicuses were unpleasant, they did also have
an excellent sense of smell. Better than Klaej. The creature would
have to know the direction their mate had taken after she’d come
through by the smell of her blood. That was if it hadn’t stolen her
first.
“If you talk, we’ll let you go.’ The creature knew something it
wasn’t telling them. They always knew something.
Rujali towered over the creature. “Tell us where she is.”
“You know, this is a very poor planet and a person must find
coin where he can…” A pained expression crossed the Norvegicus’
face and its paws twisted over and over. “You don’t find females to
sell just on any corner. Maybe a few coins will jolt my memory—”
Klaej shouldered past Rujali and roared. Something rattled off
the top of a table and crashed onto the floor. The Norvegicus shook
so much, Setzan wondered how its cloak remained on it.
 “I can always tell when a Norvegicus is lying. You argue, and
you evade direct questions, much like you’re doing now, so you have
one more chance. Where. Is. She!” Rujali bellowed.
There was splattering sound and another waft of urine. The
Norvegicus’ long pink tongue darted out of its mouth and licked its
dry lips. “You have to understand. If I knew anything you can be
assured I would sell her back to you. Relatively unharmed, I might
add.”
“Where?” all three of them yelled.
“In… in the dumpster,” it said, pointing to a door to the right.
“Out the back.”
 Chapter Four

Klaej

Klaej splintered the door the Norvegicus indicated with his shoulder.
His gaze landed on the standard issue waste container. The smell of
her blood was strong, despite the overpowering stench of waste
which made his gut churn inside out.
A few short strides took him to the container where a
smeared bloody handprint painted the lid. He ripped the lid off its
hinges and threw it, barely hearing it clatter down the alley.
Their mate was there, thrown inside as though she was trash.
He leapt over the edge, careful to land on either side of her
before gathering her limp body up in his arms.
“Is she..?” Setzan’s voice sounded choked.
Klaej glanced in his direction. Both of his brothers looked as
though their still-beating hearts had been ripped from their chests.
He brought her to his chest, her body slumped against his. Lifeless.
Silken strands of her hair brushed his bare skin.
He was inadequate. How could he tell if one of her species
lived?
He cupped the back of her head, supporting her, his insides
twisting in helplessness.
“Brother. Are we too late?” Rajuli’s quiet voice cracked.
 “I… I don’t know.” Klaej had never felt so helpless holding
their mate. He was a fighter. Knew how to work things out with his
blade and his fists, but now, having this precious female in his arms,
made him realize just how vulnerable he truly was. The universe
could really hurt him now.
Her head slid backwards, and glazed large brown orbs stared
at him. His entire body tensed and his chest rumbled. Her small
hands rose to his biceps. Her grip was weak, but there was a sense
of rightness when she touched him.
“My mate?” He tried to speak gently, but his voice deepened
with his concern.
Her fingers firmed on his arms and she said words he didn’t
understand. He glanced at Rujali. He was the linguist of their trio
and naturally spoke many languages without use of the translator.
“Did you understand her?”
Rujali shook his head, his beads swaying. His brows pushed
together. “I have not heard that language before. It sounds so
strange.”
Her body stiffened and her fingers tightened, before she
yelled something and jerked out of his grasp. He would not let her
fall and held her tightly.
“Be still,” he said. “You’ll hurt yourself even more, my mate.”
As he spoke, the smell of fresh blood was foremost in his
senses. He growled. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a gasp of
air.
She reached back, formed a fist, and struck him in the center
of his chest. The resounding sound of flesh against flesh seemed to
be much louder than it actually was. Rujali blanched and Setzan
gasped. Her knee connected with his thigh, and another fist struck
him in the same location. That wasn’t a mistake. There was a fair bit
of force behind her punches, as though she knew what she was
doing. He’d never known a female to be this way.
“Stop her, Klaej. She’ll hurt herself more!” Rujali’s fingers
circled over the lip of the container.
Setzan’s jaw fell, revealing his fangs as his jaw became slack.
It had been few and far between since he’d seen him look so
destroyed. They’d been five annuals old when Setzan had learned
his favorite pet Clavas had found its way into the great beyond. That
was the same look as now.
“I’m trying,” Klaej said. His hands felt big and clumsy as he
tried to be gentle while she thrashed, but he was not going to let her
go. Not when she would fall into garbage.
“Do something, Klaej!” Rujali bellowed.
Klaej hooked one arm beneath her rump and the other
around her waist and brought his lips to hers.
She body went still, and he thought he’d been able to calm
her. Then she pushed against his biceps and kicked his knee. She
tried to shift away from his kiss, and he moved his hand from her
waist to splay around the back of her head. He slid his tongue along
the seam of her closed lips. They were so soft. Pliable. And her taste
—ambrosia.
Her limbs stopped moving, and he was pleased to note that
both Setzan and Rujali had joined him in the container. Rujali was at
her back, cushioning her movements with his chest as well as
holding her arms in a position so as not to hurt her. Setzan knelt and
wrapped his arms around her legs, keeping her still so she couldn’t
kick and hurt herself against his much-harder thighs.
She spoke gibberish, but the quake in her voice told him just
how scared she was. Once they had her back on their jet, they
would give her a translator and then she would understand.
Her eyes darted between Setzan, Rujali, and then back to
Klaej. They were filled with a terrified alarm that tore through him
like a lash. Their mate must never fear them. She would learn that
she would feel nothing but pleasure from them, and she should
learn now. She couldn’t move. She was safe, but her expression told
him she didn’t know this.
“Kiss her again, Klaej. Calm her some more,” Rujali said.
Stabilizing the hand on her head, he placed his lips against
hers once again. She clamped them shut, making an outraged sound
in her mouth, dragging a breath in through her nose. She would
learn to accept the gentleness they gave, but she was a different
species. They would need patience, just like gentling a wild standon.
 She tried moving her head to the side, but he firmed his long
fingers so that she was still. Rujali made a shushing sound, his lips
near her ear, and Setzan rubbed her thigh, a low comforting purring
emanating from his chest. She was surrounded by her mates, as was
her rightful place to be.
He slid his tongue along the seam of her mouth, exploring.
Tasting. He used his lips to massage hers, caressing and teasing.
Slowly, the stiffness went from her body, the tension draining from
her limbs until she was supple and pliant in his arms.
He gently nipped her lips, letting her learn the feel of him,
letting her taste him as much as he tasted her. This was what she
needed, a slow introduction to her mates. Her body, her instincts
would tell her what to do.
She made a small sound, one so quiet he barely heard it, but
then her lips softened and parted. He didn’t waste a second. He
swept his tongue into her mouth and groaned. This was more than
he could ever have anticipated. She was a drug and he was already
hooked.
His heart rate spiked when she made another little noise and
kissed him back, her lips as soft as the most luxurious silks of their
Homeland. Her lips caressed his, tentatively at first, and then firmed
as she melted against him.
Her tongue danced with his, tasting him back. Their kiss grew
deeper, more urgent. His cock hardened in his leathers almost
painfully. He pressed his hips into her belly, letting her know how
much he desired her.
Setzan’s purr grew louder, vibrating around them. Rujali ran
his fingers through her hair and down her shoulders, his own rumble
joining his brothers.
Her mouth fell away from his. He drew back, his eyes
opening, though he hadn’t realized he’d even closed them. She was
a dead weight in his hands. Her breathing was even, her heart a
steady thump against his chest.
“You kissed her unconscious,” Setzan said.
“I didn’t mean to.” A cool slither of worry worked its way
through the haze brought on by her kiss. “Do you think…” He
swallowed. “I didn’t hurt her, did I?”
Rujali brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “No,
brother, but she is injured and was scared. You calmed her. I think
the stress of her situation has taken its toll.”
“At least you calmed yourself,” Setzan said. “Your skin is all
lovely and green. Not a trace of red of to be seen.”
Klaej couldn’t thump his brother as he normally would
because of his precious bundle. Instead, he growled.
“Enough fooling around. Let’s go,” Rujali said.
Setzan jumped over the edge and waited with his arms out.
Klaej handed their mate over, careful not to hurt her. Once she was
secured in his brother’s arms, he leapt off the stinking pile of
rubbish.
Rujali’s face screwed up with distaste. “Why was she in this
refuse container?”
A growl rose in Klaej’s check. “When I find out who put her
there, their days will be numbered.”
Rujali placed a hand on Klaej’s shoulder. “And we will be there
to help you do the job. Now, we’ve found her. Let’s get her back to
the jet. She needs medical attention. There is no more time to
waste.”
Back inside, Rujali brushed passed the Norvegicus, followed
by Setzan carefully holding their mate in his arms. Klaej stopped by
the creature. Its beady eyes dropped to the ground, darting about
but never landing anywhere. It had seen the whole thing. That
wasn’t good.
Klaej tugged its whiskers so that it had no choice but to look
into his face. “You need to forget what you just saw. If you say one
word to anyone, I will come with my brothers and you will lose more
than a mere loose bladder. Do I make myself clear?”
The creature’s pink tongue darted out of his mouth and along
its narrow lower lip.
Klaej suppressed a shudder. He shook its head by its
whiskers. The creature squawked.
Klaej brought his head closer and paused until the beady eyes
locked on his. “Do. You. Understand?”
 It worried its claws together, “Yes, yes. Of course. Not a word.
Or you will come find me. I swear this will go no further. I’ve already
forgotten, yes, I have.”
Klaej paused long enough for the Norvegicus to start to
tremble. He didn’t trust the creature at all, but maybe the fear of
whatever gods it prayed to would work to keep it silent. Not
satisfied, but wanting to join his brothers for the sake of his mate,
he turned his back and stalked back through the domicile.
He resisted the urge to look back at the creature, trying to
ignore the slither of unease that worked its way into the pit of his
stomach. The sooner they got off this godsforsaken rock, the better
as far as he was concerned.
 Chapter Five

Riley

Riley rose through layers of unconsciousness quickly, as she’d been

trained to do. Coming to consciousness fast might mean the
difference between life and death in a battle. That was something
her commanding officer had drilled into her time after time. As was
being able to quickly assess a situation under sub-optimal
conditions. The last thing she remembered…
But no, that had to be a dream. She couldn’t have been
kissing a massive red, horned man with skin like velvet and lips that
could sear flesh. As she hovered behind closed lids, she sorted
through her memory. It was one of the men from the place with
those reptile creatures. She’d seen three of them, all built like Mack
trucks with muscles on muscles coming at her. They’d tracked her in
the street. She’d run, found shelter.
Crap, the smell of the rubbish hadn’t been a deterrent,
judging by the predicament she’d found herself in—surrounded by
three men, one kissing her so thoroughly, she’d succumbed and
kissed him back as though it was the most natural thing in the
world. She hadn’t been able to deny the urge for some strange
reason.
That didn’t happen to her
Ever.
 She was a kiss ’em quick and fuck ’em even quicker kind of
gal. No lingering, not ever. Not when her job put her life at risk on a
regular basis like it did. Once her physical need was sated, she
moved on.
She’d never been kissed quite like that. It was as though he’d
kissed her for her pleasure. He’d put effort into it after all three of
them had surrounded her. Three men. Six hands. All on her. If she
hadn’t been semiconscious at the time, her underwear could have
melted right off and she wouldn’t have complained.
Who wouldn’t have responded to that? A girl would have to
be made of wood, and the last time she looked, she was flesh and
bone.
At the thought of flesh and bone, she realized she lay on a
soft bed. Definitely not in the garbage bin then. It didn’t smell either.
The air wasn’t exactly fresh, but filtered. Much better than the
dumpster mixed in with the hot, arid air.
Her arm and shoulder didn’t hurt so much, and a soothing
warmth washed over the injury. She had to be medicated, but she
didn’t feel lightheaded or woozy like she usually did from painkillers.
The docs liked to keep those hurt badly enough sedated to save
them from the worst of the pain.
She cracked open her lids. She was surrounded by silver
walls. The lighting wasn’t bright, saving her a wince at least. The
number of times she’d come awake under a bright surgical light
when she’d been injured in the line of duty, she knew what to
expect.
A panel was fitted to the wall and flashed with strobing lights.
Various machines surrounded her, all medical looking. She couldn’t
identity what they could be used for, though. Beside her hung a
mechanical arm in which a sharp needle was pointed in her
direction. It moved towards her.
Her eyes flew open. She tumbled off the bed. Her knees gave
out beneath her and she stumbled against a wall, sliding away from
the wicked-looking instrument. The room was small. No windows.
No doors. There were rectangular shapes curt into the smooth
surface of the walls with no discernible function. She had no idea
where she could be and she was trapped.
She also realized she was naked. Her skin broke out in
goosebumps in the cool air. She belatedly realized the wounds at her
shoulder were closed, however the punctures were still deep red.
Still, how had she healed so fast? She trembled as adrenaline pulsed
through her system, urging her to run, but she had nowhere to go.
Part of the wall moved, and she stood transfixed as the metal
seemed to dissolve, then horror reared through her when large
figures appeared where the metal once was. The air caught in her
lungs. It was the three men who had been tracking her, and, judging
by the way they stared at her, she was in deep shit.
She held her hand out. It shook, much to her disgust. She
was too well-trained to have a shaking hand, so she opted for
pointing at them.
“Stay right where you are,” she said, voice steady.
To her amazement, they stopped, but the intense way they
looked at her told her it probably wasn’t going to be for long. The
slightly larger one with thick dreads that ran halfway down his back
spoke to her in a deep, growling language.
“I have no idea what the fuck you just said, but let’s just hope
you didn’t ask for sex,” She said, but even in her confused state, she
thought that sex with him might be an agreeable enough
suggestion. For god’s sake, brain. Keep it in your pants.
Her gaze dropped to his package, and then shifted over all
their packages that filled out the front of their leathers. Her eyes
lingered until her brain started working again. Confused at her
reaction, she forced her attention back to their faces. The one with
the fine raven-black hair and close-cropped beard smirked. He
hadn’t missed where she’d looked. Asshat.
Dreads stepped towards her, palms raised in a universal
gesture of “I’m not going to hurt you.” Last time she’d fallen for that,
she’d received twenty stitches on her thigh when she’d come too
close to the hidden knife the teen wielded.
She snatched an object on a close-by tray, waving it in front
of her. The long object was cool to the touch and felt like plastic, but
the material glowed with a blue light like nothing else she’d ever
seen.
Dreads growled again, making the mistake of coming closer
to her. Too close for her comfort.
“Not happening, bud.” She lashed out, catching the end of the
object on his arm. There was a beep and a flash of blue.
He growled as his arm hung limp at his side. He moved back,
but not far enough for her liking.
“That’s interesting,” she said. She waved it at all of them in an
attempt to keep them away. “There’s more where that came from,
so just stay back like good boys or you’ll end up like your friend
here.”
Dreads pinned her with a look from beneath lowered brows.
Her insides quivered, and not just in an I’m-in-deep-shit kind of way,
which she chose to ignore. He uttered a snarl and the two other
behemoths stalked towards her. She tried to swallow, but it was hard
with a mouth that suddenly went as dry as the Sahara. Panic
fluttered like a living thing in her chest.
First lesson being a captive: don’t go down without a fight.
Her body responded automatically. She bent her knees and held the
device towards them, calculating her options.
Kisser was the closest. So be it. She waited until he was close
enough and lunged at him. He leaned back just as quickly, and she
thrust the end of the device harmlessly through the air.
“You’re quick for such a Neanderthal.”
Usually the more muscled a man, the slower they were. In
this case, that wasn’t true.
Beard lunged at her, coming around the end of the narrow
cot. She wasn’t going to be able to beat them in a fight. The only
option she had was to run.
She catapulted over the cot, but Beard was faster than she
anticipated. He caught her ankle. She belly-flopped onto the cot,
lashing out with her other foot. It caught him square in the jaw. She
noted a flash of surprise on his face before both she and the cot
tumbled to the floor.
 Her shoulder throbbed, stealing her breath for a moment, and
she felt the fresh wash of warm blood seeping through the wounds.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but a heavy weight landed on her.
Her breath whooshed out… and stayed out. The damned man was
using his weight to pin her down. Her lungs constricted further,
burning with the need to breathe. Her vision faded at the edges. She
was going to pass out if she didn’t get any oxygen.
She forced her body to relax, despite her heart trying to
pummel its way out of her chest. His weight lifted, and while she
was busy sucking in a deep breath of air, he turned her on her back.
He dropped over her splayed form, although it was just enough to
secure her, not to make it hard to breathe.
She looked up into the face of the man towering down at her.
Even one-armed, Beard looked like a man she would think twice
about fighting. She found her breath caught in her throat, but for an
entirely different reason.
This close, Beard was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes were so
dark—the pupils nearly indiscernible—set beneath brows that slanted
ever so slightly beneath a faintly lined forehead. His lips were set in
a firm line, yet were still pillowed enough for her to wonder what
they’d feel like if he kissed her, like Kisser had done.
She was immobilized with the intensity of his stare when she
realized she just lay there, like an offering. Her breath hitched and
she punched him on his arm. He didn’t even notice and she knew
how to hit.
“I’ll keep on punching the longer you keep on lying on me,”
she said with a growl.
He barked out a short command, and Beard knelt next to her.
He gripped her wrists and pinned her arms above her head with his
one working hand. She struggled even more, realizing her breasts
were right beneath Dread’s face. They could do anything to her and
she wouldn’t stand a chance. She screeched as panic gripped her.
Kisser came the other side of her. He held the device that had
rendered Dread’s arm lifeless. He pointed the end towards her. She
couldn’t move to get away.
 “You don’t have to do that, Kisser. I’ll behave.” Her voice
caught as her breath hitched. She hated showing any weakness, but
three men surrounding her naked butt was cause for her to thrash
as though her life depended on it.
It most probably did.
She didn’t miss the look of concern that passed over Kisser’s
face. However, he still lined up the end of the device with her neck.
She thrashed her head from side to side. If she wasn’t still, he
couldn’t inject her with whatever the fuck that was.
A large hand covered her forehead and then she couldn’t
even move her head. Kisser murmured something that sounded like
regret, and then pressed the cool end of the device to her neck.
There was a beep and a flash of blue.
She closed her eyes, expecting… something, but she felt
normal. Dreads hooked a cautious expression on her before slowly
moving up and away. The air cooled on her skin as his body heat
evaporated with the distance. Her skin broke out with goosebumps
and to her horror, her nipples pebbled.
She wanted to move her arms to cover herself, but her limbs
refused to work. She frowned, definitely sending the command from
her brain to her arms. Nothing. She tried moving her legs, but her
body remained unresponsive. It was strange. She retained total
sensation of her body. There was no heaviness, no tingling, no
residual lethargy of drugs, yet she couldn’t even move a damn toe.
Then she realized she felt no pain. Her shoulder still bled, but at
least the throbbing agony had vanished.
“What the fuck have you done to me?” At least she could still
speak. And breathe. Her heart was still beating. She could still think
—which didn’t do her much good the way her thoughts were turning
at the moment.
Dreads spoke as he moved into a sitting position and Kisser
aimed the device to his arm. Instead of a blue pulse of light, this
time it was red. Dreads waited a moment, and then fisted his hand
and jiggled his arm as though working out pins and needles.
“You think you can do that to me? I promise I’ll behave.” she
said.
 All three sets of eyes turned to her. This time, the panic she
had set at bay lashed through her defenses and overpowered her.
She started to hyperventilate.
She was naked, vulnerable, completely at their mercy and
there wasn’t a damn thing she could do when Dreads reached for
her.
 Chapter Six

Rujali

“Easy, Rujali. You’re scaring her,” Setzan said when their mate
whimpered as he reached for her.
“Scared she might be, but at least she can’t hurt herself
anymore,” Rujali said. His heart pounded at the way in which she’d
reacted, appalled that they’d caused her so much terror.
“She’s never seen our species before, but surely she should
sense her mates,” Klaej said.
Rujali’s blood ran cold at the thought. When frightened, some
species curled into a little compliant ball, while others lashed out to
protect themselves.
“Gods, Rujali. Do you think she doesn’t recognize who we are
to her?” Setzan asked.
Rujali gathered her in his arms, the whimper she made tearing
his heart in half. She was so cold. Freezing. He held her close to his
chest, trying to provide warmth from his own body.
“Right the table,” he said. “Now.”
Klaej set the medical table on its legs and Setzan gathered the
sheet from the floor.
Rujali laid her gently on the bed. “Do you understand me, Little
One?”
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 estoit tenus tout le temps, ensi que vous savés, et à
grans coustages, estudioit nuit et jour comment il
peuist chiaus de Calais le plus constraindre et grever;
20 car bien avoit oy dire que ses adversaires li rois
Phelippes faisoit un grant amas de gens d’armes, et
que il le voloit venir combatre. Et si sentoit la ville
de Calais si forte que, pour assaut ne pour escarmuce
que ilz ne ses gens y feissent, il ne les pooient
25 conquerre: dont il y busioit et imaginoit souvent.
Mais la riens del monde qui plus le reconfortoit,
c’estoit ce que il sentoit la ville de Calais mal pourveue
de vivres: si ques encores, pour yaus clore et
tollir le pas de le mer, il fist faire et carpenter un
30 chastiel hault et grant de lons mairiens, et le fist
faire si fort et si bien breteskiet que on ne le pooit
grever. Et fist le dit chastiel asseoir droit sus le rive
[46] de le mer, et le [fist[265]] bien pourveir d’espringalles,
de bombardes et d’ars à tour et d’autres instrumens.
Et y establi dedens soixante hommes d’armes et
deux cens arciers, qui gardoient le havene et le port
5 de Calais, si priès que riens n’i pooit entrer ne issir
que tout ne fust confondut; ce fu li avis qui plus fist
de contraires à chiaus de Calais, et qui plus tost les
fist affamer.
En ce temps exhorta tant li rois d’Engleterre les
10 Flamens, lesquelz li rois de France, si com ci dessus
est dit, voloit mettre en trettiés, que il issirent hors
de Flandres bien cent mil, et s’en vinrent mettre le
siège devant la bonne ville d’Aire. Et ardirent tout
le pays de là environ, Saint Venant, Menreville, le
15 Gorge, Estelles, le Ventie, et une marce que on dist
Laloe, et jusques ens ès portes de Saint Omer et de
Tieruane. Et s’en vint li rois logier à Arras, et envoia
grans gens d’armes ens ès garnisons d’Artois, et par
especial son connestable monsigneur Charle d’Espagne
20 à Saint Omer, car li contes d’Eu et de Ghines,
qui connestables avoit estet de France, estoit prisonniers
 en Engleterre, ensi que vous savés. Ensi se
porta toute celle saison bien avant, et ensonniièrent
li Flamench grandement les François, ançois que il
25 se retraissent.

§ 307. Quant li Flamench furent retrait et il eurent

courut les basses marces en Laloe, donc s’avisa
li rois de France qu’il s’en iroit à toute son grant host
[47] devers Calais pour lever le siège, se il pooit aucunement,
et combatre le roy d’Engleterre et toute se
poissance qui si longhement avoient là sejourné; car
il sentoit monsigneur Jehan de Viane et ses compagnons
5 et les bonnes gens de Calais durement astrains,
et avoit bien oy dire et recorder comment on leur
avoit clos le pas de le mer, pour laquèle cause la ville
estoit en peril de perdre. Si s’esmut li dis rois et se
parti de le cité d’Arras et prist le chemin de Hedin,
10 et tant fist qu’il y parvint; et tenoit bien son host
parmi le charoy trois grans liewes de pays. Quant
li rois se fu reposés un jour à Hedin, il vint l’autre à
Blangis, et là s’arresta pour savoir quel chemin il
feroit. Si eut conseil d’aler tout le pays que on dist
15 l’Alekine; dont se mist il à voie, et toutes gens apriès,
où bien avoit deux cens mil hommes, uns c’autres.
Et passèrent li rois et ses gens parmi le conté de
Faukemberghe, et se vinrent droitement sus le mont de
Sangates, entre Calais et Wissant. Et chevauçoient
20 cil François tout armé au cler, ensi que pour tantost
combatre, banières desploiies; et estoit grans biautés
au veoir et considerer leur poissant arroy. Quant
cil de Calais, qui s’apooient à leurs murs, les veirent
premierement poindre et apparoir sus le mont de
25 Sangates, et leurs banières et pennons venteler, il
eurent moult grant joie, et cuidièrent certainnement
estre tantost dessegiet et delivret. Mais quant il veirent
que on se logoit, si furent plus courouciet que
devant, et leur sambla uns petis signes.
 30 § 308. Or vous dirai que li rois d’Engleterre fist
et avoit jà fait, quant il sceut que li rois de France
[48] venoit à si grant host pour lui combatre et pour
dessieger la ville de Calais, qui tant li avoit cousté
d’avoir, de gens et de painne de son corps; et si savoit
bien que il avoit la ditte ville si menée et si
5 astrainte que elle ne se pooit longement tenir: se li
venroit à grant contraire, se il l’en couvenoit ensi
partir. Si avisa et imagina li dis rois que li François
ne pooient venir à lui ne approcier son host ne le
ville de Calais, fors que par l’un des deux pas, ou par
10 les dunes sus le rivage de le mer, ou par dessus là où
il avoit grant fuison de fossés, de croleis et de marès.
Et n’i avoit sur che chemin que un seul pont
par où on peuist passer; si l’appelloit on le pont de
Nulais. Si fist li dis rois traire toutes ses naves et
15 ses vaissiaus par devers les dunes, et bien garnir et
furnir de bombardes, d’arbalestres, d’arciers et
d’espringalles, et de telz coses par quoi li hos de François
ne peuist ne osast par là passer. Et fist le conte
Derbi son cousin aler logier sus le dit pont de Nulais,
20 à grant fuison de gens d’armes et d’arciers, par
quoi li François n’i peuissent passer, se ilz ne passoient
parmi les marès, liquel sont impossible à
passer.
Entre le mont de Sangates et le mer, à l’autre lés
25 devers Calais, avoit une haute tour que trente deux
arcier englès gardoient, et tenoient là endroit le passage
des dunes pour les François; et l’avoient à leur
avis durement fortefiiet de grans doubles fossés.
Quant li François furent logiet sur le mont de Sangate,
30 ensi que vous avés oy, les gens des communautés
perchurent celle tour. Si s’avancièrent cil de Tournay,
qui bien estoient là quinze cens combatant, et
[49] alèrent de grant volentet celle part. Quant cil qui
dedens estoient les veirent approcier, il traisent à
yaus, et en navrèrent aucuns. Quant cil de Tournay
 veirent ce, si furent moult courouciet, et se misent
5 de grant volenté à assallir celle tour et ces Englès;
et passèrent de force oultre les fossés, et vinrent jusques
à le mote de terre et au piet de le tour à pik
et à hauiaus. Là eut grant assaut et dur, et moult de
chiaus de Tournay bleciés; mais pour ce ne se refraindirent
10 il mies à assallir, et fisent tant que, de
force et par grant apertise de corps, il conquisent
celle tour. Et furent mort tout cil qui dedens estoient,
et la tour abatue et reversée: de quoi li François
tinrent ce fait à grant proèce.

15 § 309. Quant li hos des François se fu logie sus

le mont de Sangates, li rois envoia ses mareschaus,
le signeur de Biaugeu et le signeur de Saint Venant,
pour regarder et aviser comment et par où son host
plus aisiement poroit passer, pour approcier les Englès
20 et yaus combatre. Cil doy signeur, mareschal de
France pour le temps, alèrent partout regarder et
considerer les passages et les destrois, et puis s’en
retournèrent au roy et li disent à brief parole qu’il
ne pooient aviser que il peuist nullement approcier
25 les Englès que il ne perdesist ses gens davantage. Si
demora ensi la cose cesti jour et la nuit ensiewant.
A l’endemain apriès messe, li rois Phelippes envoia
grans messages, par le conseil de ses hommes, au roy
d’Engleterre. Et passèrent li message [par congiet[266]]
[50] dou conte Derbi au pont de Nulais: ce furent messires
Joffrois de Chargni, messires Eustasses de Ribeumont,
messires Guis de Neelle et li sires de Biaugeu.
En passant et en chevauçant celle forte voie, cil quatre
5 signeur avisèrent bien et considerèrent le fort passage,
et comment li pons estoit bien gardés. On les
laissa paisieuvlement passer tout oultre, car li rois
d’Engleterre l’avoit ensi ordonné. Et durement en
passant prisièrent l’arroy et l’ordenance dou conte
 10 Derbi et de ses gens, qui gardoient ce pont parmi
lequel il passèrent. Et tant chevaucièrent que il
vinrent jusques à l’ostel dou roy, qui bien estoit pourveus
de grant baronnie dalés lui. Tantost tout quatre
il misent piet à terre, et passèrent avant et vinrent
15 jusques au roy: il l’enclinèrent; et li rois les recueilli,
ensi comme il apertenoit à faire. Là s’avança messires
Ustasses de Ribeumont à parler pour tous; et disent:
«Sire, li rois de France nous envoie par devers vous
et vous segnefie que il est ci venus et arrestés sus le
20 mont de Sangates pour vous combatre; mais il ne
poet veoir ne trouver voie comment il puist venir
jusc’à vous: si en a il grant desir, pour dessegier sa
bonne ville de Calais. Si a il fait aviser et regarder
par ses gens comment il poront venir jusc’à vous,
25 mès c’est cose impossible. Si veroit volentiers que
vous volsissiés mettre de vostre conseil ensamble, et
il metteroit dou sien, et par l’avis de chiaus, aviser
place là où on se peuist combatre, et de ce sommes
nous cargié de vous dire et requerre.»
30 Li rois d’Engleterre, qui bien entendi ceste parolle,
fu tantost consilliés et avisés de respondre, et
respondi et dist: «Signeur, j’ay bien entendu tout
[51] ce que vous me requerés de par mon adversaire, qui
tient mon droit hiretage à tort, dont il me poise. Se
li dirés de par mi, se il vous plaist, que je sui ci endroit,
et y ay demoret, depuis que je y vinc, priès
5 d’un an. Tout ce a il bien sceu; et y fust bien venus
plus tost, se il volsist. Mais il m’a ci laissiet demorer
si longement que jou ay grossement despendu dou
mien. Et y pense avoir tant fait que assés temprement
je serai sires de le ville et dou chastiel de Calais.
10 Si ne sui mies consilliés dou tout faire à sa devise
et se aise, ne d’eslongier ce que je pense à avoir
conquis et que j’ay tant desiret et comparet. Se li
disés, se ilz ne ses gens ne poeent par là passer, si
voisent autour pour querir la voie.» Li baron et
 15 message dou roy de France veirent bien que il n’en
porteroient aultre response; si prisent congiet.
Li rois leur donna qui les fist convoiier jusques
oultre le dit pont de Nulais. Et s’en revinrent en
leur host, et recordèrent au roy de France tout ensi
20 et les propres paroles que li rois d’Engleterre avoit
dittes. De laquèle response li rois de France fu tous
courouciés, car il vei bien que perdre li couvenoit la
forte [ville[267]] de Calais, et se n’i pooit remediier par
nulle voie.

25 § 310. Entrues que li rois de France estoit sus le

mont de Sangate, et qu’il estudioit comment et par
quel tour il poroit combatre les Englès qui si s’estoient
fortefiiet, vinrent doy cardinal en son host,
envoiiés en legation de par le pape Clement qui
[52] regnoit pour ce temps. Cil doi cardinal se misent tantost
en grant painne d’aler de l’une host à l’autre, et
volentiers euissent veu que li rois d’Engleterre euist
brisiet son siège, ce que il n’euist jamais fait. Toutes
5 fois, sus certains articles et trettiés d’acort et de pais,
il procurèrent tant que uns respis fu pris entre ces
deux rois et leurs gens, là estans au siège et sus les
camps seulement. Et misent par leurs promotions, de
toutes parties, quatre signeurs ensamble qui devoient
10 parlementer de le pais. De le partie dou roy de
France y furent li dus de Bourgongne, li dus de
Bourbon, messires Loeis de Savoie et messires Jehans
de Haynau; et dou costé des Englès, li contes Derbi, li
contes de Norhantonne, messires Renaulz de Gobehem
15 et messires Gautiers [de Mauni[268]]. Et li doi
cardinal estoient trettieur et moiien, alant de l’un
lés à l’autre. Si furent tout cil signeur les trois jours
la grigneur partie dou jour ensamble; et misent pluiseurs
devises et pareçons avant, desquèles nulles ne
20 vinrent à effect.
 Entrues que on parlementoit et ces triewes durant,
li rois d’Engleterre faisoit toutdis efforcier son host
et faire grans fossés sus les dunes, par quoi li François
ne les peuissent sousprendre. Et saciés que cilz
25 parlemens et detriemens anoioit durement à chiaus
de Calais qui volentiers euissent veu plus tost leur
delivrance, car on les faisoit trop juner. Cil troi jour
se passèrent sans pais et sans acort, car li rois
d’Engleterre tenoit toutdis sen oppinion que il seroit
30 sires de Calais, et li rois de France voloit que
[53] elle li demorast. En cel estri se departirent les parties,
ne on ne les peut rassambler depuis; si s’en retournèrent
li cardinal à Saint Omer.
Quant li rois Phelippes vei ce que perdre li couvenoit
5 Calais, si fu durement courouciés; à envis
s’en partoit sans aucune cose faire. Et si ne pooit
traire avant ne combatre les Englès qu’il ne fuissent
tout perdu davantage: si ques, tout consideré, li sejourners
là ne li estoit point pourfitable; si ordonna
10 au partir et à deslogier. Si fist, à l’endemain au matin
que li parlemens fu finés, recueillier en grant
haste tentes et trés et tourser, et se mist au chemin
par devers la cité d’Amiens, et donna congiet toutes
manières de gens d’armes et de commugnes. Quant
15 cil de Calais veirent le deslogement de leurs gens, si
furent tout pardesconfi et desbareté. Et n’a si dur
coer ou monde que, qui les veist demener et dolouser,
qui n’en ewist pité. A ce deslogement ne perdirent
point aucun Englès qui s’aventurèrent et qui se ferirent
20 en la kewe des François, mès gaegnièrent des
kars, des sommiers et des chevaus, des vins et des
pourveances et des prisonniers qu’il ramenèrent en
l’ost devant Calais.

§ 311. Apriès le departement dou roy de France

25 et de son host dou mont de Sangates, chil de Calais
 veirent bien que li secours en quoi il avoient fiance
leur estoit fallis; et si estoient à si très grant destrèce
de famine que li plus poissans et plus fors se
pooit à grant malaise soustenir. Si eurent conseil; et
30 leur sambla qu’il valoit mieulz yaus mettre en le volenté
dou roy d’Engleterre, se plus grant merci n’i
[54] pooient trouver, que yaus laissier morir l’un apriès
l’autre par destrèce de famine, car li pluiseur en
poroient perdre corps et ame par rage de faim. Si priièrent
tant à monsigneur Jehan de Viane que il en
5 volsist trettier et parler, que il s’i acorda; et monta
as crestiaus des murs de le ville, et fist signe à chiaus
de dehors que il voloit parler.
Quant li rois d’Engleterre entendi ces nouvelles,
il envoia là tantos monsigneur Gautier de Mauni et
10 le signeur de Basset. Quant il furent là venu, li dis
messires Jehans de Viane lor dist: «Chier signeur,
vous estes moult vaillant chevalier et usé d’armes,
et savés que li rois de France, que nous tenons à signeur,
nous a ceens envoiiet et commandé que nous
15 gardissions ceste ville et ce chastiel, si que blasme
n’en euissions, ne ilz point de damage: nous en
avons fait nostre pooir. Or est nos secours fallis. Et
vous nous avés si astrains que nous n’avons de quoi
vivre: si nous couvenra tous morir ou esragier par
20 famine, se li gentilz rois qui est vos sires n’a pité de
nous. Chier signeur, se li voelliés priier en pité qu’il
voelle avoir merci de nous, et nous en voelle laissier
aler tout ensi que nous sommes, et voelle prendre
le ville et le chastiel et tout l’avoir qui est dedens:
25 si en trouvera assés.»
Adonc respondi messires Gautiers de Mauni et
dist: «Messire Jehan, messire Jehan, nous savons
partie de l’intention nostre signeur le roy d’Engleterre,
car il le nous a dit. Saciés que ce n’est mies
30 se entente que vous en peuissiés aler ensi que vous
 avés ci dit; ains est sa volenté que vous vos metés
tous en se pure volenté, ou pour rançonner chiaus
[55] qu’il li plaira, ou pour faire morir; car cil de Calais li
ont tant fait de contraires et de despis, le sien fait
despendre et grant fuison de ses gens [fait[269]] morir:
dont, se il l’en poise, ce n’est mies merveilles.»
5 Adonc respondi messires Jehans de Viane et dist:
«Ce seroit trop dure cose pour nous, se nous consentions
ce que vous dittes. Nous sommes un petit
de chevaliers et d’escuiers qui loyaument à nostre
pooir avons servi nostre signeur, ensi comme vous
10 feriés le vostre, en samblant cas; et en avons enduré
mainte painne et tamainte mesaise. Mais ançois en
soufferions nous tèle mesaise que onques gens
n’endurèrent
ne souffrirent la parelle, que nous consentissions
que li plus petis garçons ou varlés de le ville
15 euist aultre mal que li plus grans de nous. Mais nous
vous prions que vous voelliés aler par vostre humilité
devers le roy d’Engleterre, et li priiés que il ait
pité de nous: si ferés courtoisie, car nous esperons
en lui tant de gentillèce que il ara merci de nous.»
20 —«Par ma foy, respondi messires Gautiers, messire
Jehan, je le ferai volentiers. Et vorroie, se Diex
me vaille, qu’il m’en vosist croire mès: vous en
vaurriés tout mieulz.»
Lors se departirent li sires de Mauni et li sires de
25 Basset, et laissièrent monsigneur Jehan de Viane
apoiant as murs, car tantost devoient retourner; et
s’en vinrent devers le roy d’Engleterre qui les attendoit
à l’entrée de son hostel et avoit grant desir d’oïr
nouvelles de chiaus de Calais. Dalés lui estoient li
[56] contes Derbi, li contes de Norhantonne, li contes
d’Arondiel et pluiseur hault baron d’Engleterre. Messires
Gautiers de Mauni et li sires de Basset enclinèrent
le roy, et puis se traisent devers lui. Li sires de
 5 Mauni, qui sagement estoit enlangagiés, commença à
parler, car li rois souverainnement le volt oïr, et dist:
«Mon signeur, nous venons de Calais et avons trouvé
le chapitainne, monsigneur Jehan de Viane, qui longement
a parlé à nous. Et me samble que ilz et si
10 compagnon et li communaultés de Calais sont en
grant volenté de vous rendre la ville et le chastiel de
Calais et tout ce qui dedens est, mès que leurs corps
singulerement il en peuissent mettre hors.»
Dont respondi li rois: «Messire Gautier, vous savés
15 la grigneur partie en ce cas de nostre entente:
quel cose en avés vous respondu?»—«En nom
Dieu, monsigneur, dist messires Gautiers, que vous
n’en feriés riens, se il ne se rendoient simplement à
vostre volenté, pour vivre et pour morir, se il vous
20 plaist. Et quant je leur ay ce remoustré, messires
Jehans de Viane me respondi et cogneut bien qu’il
sont moult constraint et astraint de famine; mais,
ançois que il entrassent en ce parti, il se venderoient
si chier que onques gens fisent.» Dont respondi li
25 rois et dist: «Messire Gautier, je n’ai mies espoir
ne volenté endont que j’en face aultre cose.» Lors
se retrest avant li gentilz sires de Mauni et parla
moult sagement au roy, et dist pour aidier chiaus de
Calais: «Monsigneur, vous poriés bien avoir tort,
30 car vous nous donnés mauvais exemple. Se vous nous
voliiés envoiier en aucunes de vos forterèces, nous
n’irions mies si volentiers, se vous faites ces gens
[57] mettre à mort, ensi que vous dittes, car ensi feroit
on de nous en samblant cas.»
Cilz exemples amolia grandement le corage dou
roy d’Engleterre, car li plus des barons qui là estoient
5 l’aidièrent à soustenir. Dont dist li rois: «Signeur, je
ne voeil mies estre tous seulz contre vous tous. Gautier,
vous en irés à chiaus de Calais, et dirés au chapitainne,
monsigneur Jehan de Viane, que vous avés
 tant travilliet pour yaus, et ossi ont tout mi baron,
10 que je me sui acordés à grant dur à ce que la plus
grant grasce qu’il poront trouver ne avoir en moy,
c’est que il se partent de le ville de Calais six des
plus notables bourgois, en purs les chiés et tous deschaus,
les hars ou col, les clés de le ville et dou
15 chastiel en leurs mains. Et de chiaus je ferai ma
volenté, et le demorant je prenderai à merci.»
—«Monsigneur, respondi messires Gautiers, je le ferai
volentiers.»

§ 312. A ces parlers se departi li gentilz sires de

20 Mauni, et retourna jusques à Calais là où messires
Jehans de Viane l’attendoit; se li recorda toutes les
paroles devant dittes, ensi que vous les avés oyes.
Et dist bien que c’estoit tout ce que il en avoit
pout impetrer. «Messire Gautier, dist messires Jehans,
25 je vous en croi bien. Or vous prie je que vous
voelliés ci tant demorer que j’aie remoustré tout cel
afaire à le communaulté de le ville, car il m’ont chi
envoiiet, et à yaus en tient, ce m’est avis, dou respondre.»
Respondi li sires de Mauni: «Je le ferai
30 volentiers.»
Lors se parti des crestiaus messires Jehans de Viane,
[58] et vint ou marchié, et fist sonner la cloche pour assambler
toutes manières de gens en le hale. Au son
de le cloche vinrent il tout, hommes et femmes,
car moult desiroient à oïr nouvelles, ensi que gens
5 si astrains de famine que plus n’en pooient porter.
Quant il furent tout venu et assamblé en le place,
hommes et femmes, messires Jehans de Viane leur
remoustra moult doucement les paroles toutes tèles
que chi devant sont recitées, et leur dist bien que
10 aultrement ne pooit estre, et euissent sur ce avis et
brief response. Quant il oïrent ce raport, il commencièrent
tout à criier et à plorer telement et si
 amerement qu’il ne fust nulz si durs coers ou
monde, se il les veist et oïst yaus demener, qui
15 n’en euist pité, et n’eurent en l’eure pooir de respondre
ne de parler. Et mesmement messires Jehans
de Viane en avoit tel pité que il en larmioit moult
tenrement.
Une espasse apriès, se leva en piés li plus riches
20 bourgois de le ville, que on clamoit sire Ustasse de
Saint Pière, et dist devant tous ensi: «Signeur, grans
pités et grans meschiés seroit de laissier morir un
tel peuple que ci a, par famine ou autrement, quant
on y poet trouver aucun moiien. Et si seroit grant
25 aumosne et grant grasce à Nostre Signeur qui de tel
meschief les poroit garder. Je, endroit de moy, ay si
grant esperance d’avoir grasce et pardon envers
Nostre Signeur, se je muir pour ce peuple sauver,
que je voeil estre li premiers. Et me metterai volentiers
30 en pur ma chemise, à nu chief et à nus piés,
le hart ou col, en le merci dou gentil roy d’Engleterre.»
[59] Quant sires Ustasses de Saint Pière eut dit ceste
parole, cescuns l’ala aourer de pité, et pluiseurs
hommes et femmes se jettoient à ses piés tenrement
plorant: c’estoit grans pités dou là estre, yaus oïr et
5 regarder.
Secondement, uns aultres très honnestes bourgois
et de grant afaire, et qui avoit deux belles damoiselles
à filles, se leva et dist tout ensi, et qu’il feroit
compagnie à son compère sire Ustasse de Saint Pière;
10 on appelloit cesti, sire Jehan d’Aire.
Apriès se leva li tiers, qui s’appelloit sire Jakemes
de Wissant, qui estoit riches homs de meuble et
d’iretage, et dist que il feroit à ses deux cousins
compagnie. Ensi fist sire Pières de Wissant ses frères, et
15 puis li cinquimez et li siximez. Et se desvestirent là
cil six bourgois tout nu, en pur leur braies et leurs
 chemises, en le hale de Calais, et misent hars en leurs
colz, ensi que ordenance se portoit. Et prisent les clés
de le ville de Calais et dou chastiel; cescuns des six
20 en tenoit une puignie.
Quant il furent ensi apparilliet, messires Jehans de
Viane, montés sus une petite haghenée, car à grant
malaise pooit il aler à piet, se mist devant et prist le
chemin de le porte. Qui donc veist hommes, les
25 femmes et enfans de chiaus plorer et tordre leurs
mains et criier à haulte vois très amerement, il n’est
si durs coers ou monde qui n’en euist pité. Ensi
vinrent il jusques à le porte, convoiiet en plains, en
cris et en plours. Messires Jehans de Viane fist ouvrir
30 le porte toute arrière, et se fist enclore dehors
avoecques les six bourgois, entre le porte et les barrières;
et vint à monsigneur Gautier qui là l’attendoit,
[60] et li dist: «Messire Gautier, je vous delivre,
comme chapitains de Calais, par le consentement
dou povre peuple de celi ville, ces six bourgois. Et
vous jur que ce sont au jour d’ui et estoient li plus
5 honnourable et notable de corps, de chevance et
d’ancisserie de le ville de Calais; et portent avoech
yaus toutes les clés de le ditte ville et dou chastiel.
Si vous pri, gentilz sires, que vous voelliés priier
pour yaus au gentil roy d’Engleterre pour ces bonnes
10 gens qu’il ne soient mies mort.»—«Je ne sçai,
respondi li sires de Mauni, que messires li rois en
vorra faire, mais je vous ay en couvent que j’en ferai
mon devoir.»
Adonc fu la barrière ouverte. Si s’en alèrent li six
15 bourgois, en cel estat que je vous di, avoech monsigneur
Gautier de Mauni qui les amena tout bellement
devers le palais dou roy, et messires Jehans de Viane
rentra en le ville de Calais.
Li rois estoit à celle heure en sa cambre, à grant
20 compagnie de contes, de barons et de chevaliers. Si
 entendi que cil de Calais venoient en l’arroy que il
avoit deviset et ordonnet; si se mist hors et s’en
vint en la place devant son hostel, et tout cil signeur
après lui et encores grant fuison qui y sourvinrent,
25 pour veoir chiaus de Calais ne comment il fineroient.
Et meismement la royne d’Engleterre, qui moult
enchainte estoit, sievi le roy son signeur. Evous venu
monsigneur Gautier de Mauni et les bourgois dalés
lui qui le sievoient, et descendi en la place, et puis
30 s’en vint devers le roy et li dist: «Monsigneur, veci
le representation de le ville de Calais, à vostre ordenance.»
Li rois se taisi tous quois et regarda moult
[61] fellement sur chiaus; car moult haoit les habitans de
Calais, pour les grans damages et contraires que dou
temps passet sus mer li avoient fais.
Cil six bourgois se misent tantost en genoulz par
5 devant le roy, et disent ensi en joindant leurs mains:
«Gentilz sires et gentilz rois, ves nous chi six, qui
avons esté d’ancisserie bourgois de Calais et grans
marceans. Si vous aportons les clés de le ville et dou
chastiel de Calais, et les vous rendons à vostre plaisir,
10 et nous mettons en tel point que vous nous veés,
en vostre pure volenté, pour sauver le demorant dou
peuple de Calais; si voelliés avoir de nous pité et
merci par vostre très haute noblèce.» Certes il n’i
eut adonc en le place signeur, chevalier ne vaillant
15 homme, qui se peuist abstenir de plorer de droite
pité, ne qui peuist en grant pièce parler. Li rois regarda
sus yaus très ireusement, car il avoit le coer si
dur et si espris de grant courous que il ne peut parler;
et quant il parla, il commanda que on leur copast
20 les tiestes tantost. Tout li baron et li chevalier
qui là estoient, en plorant prioient si acertes que faire
le pooient au roy qu’il en vosist avoir pité, merci;
mais il n’i voloit entendre.
Adonc parla messires Gautiers de Mauni et dist:
 25 «Ha! gentilz sires, voelliés rafrener vostre corage.
Vous avés le nom et le renommée de souverainne
gentillèce et noblèce. Or ne voelliés donc faire cose
par quoi elle soit noient amenrie, ne que on puist
parler sur vous en nulle manière villainne. Se vous
30 n’avés pité de ces gens, toutes aultres gens diront
que ce sera grant cruaultés, se vous faites morir ces
honnestes bourgois, qui de lor propre volenté se
[62] sont mis en vostre merci pour les aultres sauver.»
A ce point se grigna li rois et dist: «Messire Gautier,
souffrés vous, il ne sera aultrement, mès on
face venir le cope teste. Chil de Calais ont fait morir
5 tant de mes hommes, que il couvient chiaus morir
ossi.»
Adonc fist la noble royne d’Engleterre grant humilité,
qui estoit durement enchainte, et ploroit si tenrement
de pité que on ne le pooit soustenir. Elle se
10 jetta en jenoulz par devant le roy son signeur et dist
ensi: «Ha! gentilz sires, puis que je apassai le mer
par deçà en grant peril, si com vous savés, je ne
vous ay riens rouvet ne don demandet. Or vous pri
jou humlement et requier en propre don que, pour
15 le fil sainte Marie et pour l’amour de mi, vous voelliés
avoir de ces six hommes merci.»
Li rois attendi un petit de parler et regarda la
bonne dame sa femme, qui moult estoit enchainte et
ploroit devant lui en jenoulz moult tenrement. Se li
20 amolia li coers, car envis l’euist couroucie ens ou
point là où elle estoit; si dist: «Ha! dame, je amaisse
mieulz que vous fuissiés d’autre part que ci. Vous me
priiés si acertes que je ne le vous ose escondire; et
comment que je le face envis, tenés, je les vous
25 donne: si en faites vostre plaisir.» La bonne dame
dist: «Monsigneur, très grans mercis.»
Lors se leva la royne et fist lever les six bourgois,
et leur fist oster les chevestres d’entours les colz, et
 les amena avoecques lui en sa cambre, et les fist revestir
30 et donner à disner tout aise; et puis donna à
çascun six nobles, et les fist conduire hors de l’ost à
sauveté.

[63] § 313. Ensi fu la forte ville de Calais assise par le

roy Edowart d’Engleterre, l’an de grasce mil trois
cens quarante six, environ le Saint Jehan decolasse,
ou mois d’aoust, et fu conquise l’an de grasce mil
5 trois cens quarante sept, en ce meismes mois.
Quant li rois d’Engleterre eut fait sa volenté des six
bourgois de Calais, et il les eut donnés à la royne sa
femme, il appella monsigneur Gautier de Mauni et ses
deux mareschaus, le conte de Warvich et le baron de
10 Stanfort, et leur dist: «Signeur, prendés ces clés de
le ville et dou chastiel de Calais: si en alés prendre le
saisine et le possession. Et prendés tous les chevaliers
qui laiens sont et les metés en prison, ou faites
leur jurer et fiancier prison; ils sont gentil homme:
15 je les recrerai bien sus leurs fois. Et tous aultres
saudoiiers, qui sont là venu pour gaegnier leur argent,
faites les partir simplement, et tout le demorant de
le ville, hommes et femmes et enfans, car je voeil la
ville repeupler de purs Englès.»
20 Tout ensi [fu fait[270]] que li rois commanda et que
vous poés oïr. Li doi mareschal d’Engleterre et li sires
de Mauni, à cent hommes tant seulement, s’en vinrent
prendre le saisine de Calais; et fisent aler ens
ès portes tenir prison monsigneur Jehan de Viane,
25 monsigneur Ernoul d’Audrehen, monsigneur Jehan
de Surie, monsigneur Bauduin de Bellebourne et les
aultres. Et fisent li mareschal d’Engleterre aporter les
saudoiiers toutes armeures et jetter en un mont en
le halle de Calais. Et puis fisent toutes manières de
30 gens, petis et grans, partir; et ne retinrent que trois
[64] hommes, un prestre et deux aultres anciiens hommes,
 bons coustumiers des lois et ordenances de Calais,
et fu pour rensegnier les hiretages. Quant il eurent
tout ce fait et le chastiel ordonné pour logier le roy
5 et la royne, et tout li aultre hostel furent widié et
appareillié pour rechevoir les gens dou roy, on le
segnefia au roy. Adonc monta il à cheval, et fist monter
la royne et les barons et chevaliers, et chevaucièrent
à grant glore devers Calais; et entrèrent en
10 le ville à si grant fuison de menestraudies, de trompes,
de tabours et de muses, que ce seroit merveilles à
recorder. Et chevauça ensi li rois jusques au chastiel,
et le trouva bien paré et bien ordonné pour lui recevoir
et le disner tout prest. Si donna li dis [rois[271]], ce
15 premier jour que il entra en Calais, à disner ens ou
chastiel les contes, les barons et les chevaliers qui là
estoient, et la royne, les dames et les damoiselles,
qui au siège estoient et qui le mer avoient passet
avoecques li; et y furent en grant solas, ce poet on
20 bien croire.
Ensi se porta li ordenance de Calais. Et se tint li
rois ou chastiel et en le ville tant que la royne fu relevée
d’une fille, qui eut nom Margherite; et donna à
aucuns de ses chevaliers, ce terme pendant, biaus
25 hostelz en le ville de Calais, au signeur de Mauni, au
baron de Stanfort, au signeur de Gobehen, à monsigneur
Bietremieu de Brues, et ensi à tous les aultres,
pour mieulz repeupler la ville. Et estoit se intention,
lui retourné en Engleterre, que il envoieroit là
30 trente six riches bourgois, leurs femmes et leurs
[65] enfans, demorer de tous poins en le ville de Calais. Et
par especial il y aroit douze bourgois, riches hommes
et notables de Londres; et feroit tant que la ditte ville
seroit toute repeuplée de purs Englès: laquèle intention
5 il accompli. Si fu la noeve ville et la bastide,
qui devant Calais estoit faite pour tenir le siège, toute
deffaite, et li chastiaus qui estoit sur le havene abatus,
et li gros mairiens amenés à Calais. Si ordena
 li rois gens pour entendre as portes, as murs, as tours
10 et as barrières de le ville. Et tout ce qui estoit brisiet
et romput, on le fist rappareillier: si ne fu mies si
tost fait. Et furent envoiiet en Engleterre, ains le
departement dou roy, messires Jehans de Viane et si
compagnon; et furent environ demi an à Londres, et
15 puis mis à raençon.
 § 314. Or me samble que c’est grans a[n]uis[272] de
piteusement penser et ossi considerer que cil grant
bourgois et ces nobles bourgoises et leurs biaus enfans,
qui d’estoch et d’estration avoient demoret, et
20 leur ancisseur, en le ville de Calais, devinrent: des
quelz il y avoit grant fuison au jour que elle fu conquise.
Ce fu grans pités, quant il leur couvint guerpir
leurs biaus hostelz et leurs avoirs, car riens n’en portèrent;
et si n’en eurent oncques restorier ne recouvrier
25 dou roy de France, pour qui il avoient tout
perdu. Je me passerai d’yaus briefment: il fisent au
mieulz qu’il peurent; mès la grignour partie se traisent
en le bonne ville de Saint Omer.
[66] Encores se tenoit li rois d’Engleterre à Calais pour
entendre le plus parfaitement as besongnes de le
ville, et li rois Phelippes en le cité d’Amiens. Si estoit
dalés lui li cardinaulz Guis de Boulongne, qui venus
5 estoit en France en legation: par laquel promotion
il pourcaça une triewe à durer deus ans. Et fu ceste
triewe acordée de toutes parties; mais on excepta
hors la terre et ducé de Bretagne, car là tenoient et
tinrent toutdis les deus dames guerre l’une contre
10 l’autre.
Si s’en retournèrent li rois d’Engleterre, la royne
et leur enfant en Engleterre. Et laissa li dis rois, à
son departement de Calais, à chapitainne un Lombart
que moult amoit et lequel il avoit avanciet, qui s’appelloit
15 Aymeri de Pavie; et li recarga en garde toute
la ville et le chastiel, dont il l’en deubt estre priès
mescheu, ensi que vous orés recorder temprement.
Quant li rois d’Engleterre fu retournés à Londres,
il mist grant entente de repeupler le ville de Calais
20 et y envoia trente six riches bourgois et sages hommes,
leurs femmes et leurs enfans, et plus de quatre
 cens aultres hommes de mendre estat. Et toutdis
croissoit li nombres, car li rois y donna et seela libertés
et franchises si grandes que cescuns y vint
25 volentiers.
En ce temps fu amenés en Engleterre messires
Charles de Blois, qui s’appelloit dus de Bretagne, qui
avoit esté pris devant le Roce Deurient, ensi que chi
dessus est contenu; si fu mis en courtoise prison
30 ens ou chastiel de Londres, avoecques le roy David
d’Escoce et le conte de Mouret. Mès il n’i eut point
esté longement quant, à la priière madame la royne
[67] d’Engleterre, qui estoit sa cousine germainne, il fu
recreus sus sa foy. Et chevauçoit à sa volenté au tour
de Londres; mès il ne pooit jesir que une nuit dehors,
se il n’estoit en le compagnie dou roy d’Engleterre
5 et de la royne.
En ce temps estoit prisonniers en Engleterre li
contes d’Eu et de Ghines, mès il estoit si friches et
si joli chevaliers, et si bien li avenoit à faire quanqu’il
faisoit, que il estoit partout li bien venus dou
10 roy, de la royne, des dames et des damoiselles
d’Engleterre.

§ 315. Toute celle anée que celle triewe fu acordée

que vous avés oy, se tinrent li doy roy à pais li
uns contre l’autre. Mès pour ce ne demora mies que
15 messires Guillaumes Douglas, cilz vaillans chevaliers
d’Escoce, et li Escoçois qui se tenoient en le forest
de Gedours, ne guerriassent toutdis les Englès par
tout là où il les pooient trouver, quoique li rois d’Escoce
leurs sires fust pris. Et ne tinrent onques
20 triewes que li rois d’Engleterre et li rois de France
euissent ensamble.
D’autre part ossi, cil qui estoient en Gascongne,
en Poito et en Saintonge, tant des François comme