My Treasure

The three Nycteromys stiffened when they heard He'dtaalh yell the first time, preparing for battle. However, they didn't want to rush into a fight without knowing what was going on beforehand.

So they waited, wanting to see if their species' top warrior would be able to defeat the monster straight out of their myths.

However, when He'dtaalh screamed no as if his very soul was being ripped out of his body, they knew they couldn't wait any longer.

Ba'dqeel went first, knowing that his nephew, Vi'dta, needed to be protected at all costs. He was expendable; the next Rein of their Empire was not. "Protect your prince," he hissed over his shoulder to Nai'dqa before charging through the foliage.

He slid to a stop, his bare feet sending up a spray of sand, peppering He'dtaalh's back as he hunched over something.

"No," Ba'dqeel heard the other male beg as he started rocking back and forth. "Please don't leave me."

Stunned, Ba'dqeel stepped forward slowly. He didn't know what type of threat was still present, so he couldn't afford to rush forward. If the hirini had managed to weave her spell over He'dtaalh, then the male would be hers to control.

And that was a fight Ba'dqeel couldn't guarantee he could win.

"He'dtaalh," he murmured softly, holding up a hand to Nai'dqa to stay where he was. "What's happening?"

He'dtaalh turned his head around so fast Ba'dqeel was surprised it didn't snap right off. "Save her," grunted the panicked man. Taking another step forward and around the massive body covering the hirini, Ba'dqeel looked down at the exquisite creature.

"What's going on?" he asked, not willing to get any closer. He'dtaalh didn't look like himself, his emotions were on full display, something that their society frowned upon.

He was infected by the hirini.

Carefully, not wanting to show his hand, Ba'dqeel slowly unsnapped his sword from where it hung at his hip. This was his more decorative one, designed for ambassadorial events where he needed to represent his king but not be a threat at the same time.

It wouldn't hold He'dtaalh down for long, but it might give the other male enough time to kill the female in his arms, releasing He'dtaalh from her spell.

His plan set, he briefly glanced at the hirini. The sight of her caused him to take in a deep breath, bringing her essence into his nose and through his being.

"Fuck," he growled low, his eyes flashing as he practically tasted her scent on his tongue. He felt his resolve weakening, the need to take care of her and protect her overwhelming the need to save the other Nycteromys.

The hand holding the hilt of his sword slackened for an instant, and at that moment, the hirini opened her blue eyes and stared directly at him.

He was lost, completely gone. Whatever she had done to He'dtaalh, she had done to him, too. He was hers, and nothing in this universe would change that. Not even death.

"What happened to her?" he quickly asked He'dtaalh, releasing the hilt of his sword and dropping to a knee in the sand. His fingers brushed over her pale skin, feeling the heat inside her. She didn't have the same markings as they did, and he didn't know what that could mean.

His head spinning, it wasn't until he heard Nai'dqa's warning huff that someone was here that he finally snapped out of his thoughts of the hirini.

"What are you doing?" screamed the much smaller Kallutan King as he strolled toward the beach and He'dtaalh's unprotected back. "Put her down! You don't get to touch my Treasure!"

The mad King raised a laser gun at He'dtaalh's head, not realizing that the warrior was the least of his worries.

"You have a being from our planet here," Ba'dqeel murmured, trying to contain his fury. He couldn't have cared less over the fact that He'dtaalh could have been injured but the fact that the hirini could have been hurt made him see red.

"Excuse me?" demanded the King, just as his soldiers raced through the forest to come to a stop behind their leader. The fact that they ran right through the path where Vi'dta and Nai'dqa were standing showed just how strong the spy master's shadows were. "We have nothing from your planet here."

The king wrinkled his nose like the very idea was distasteful.

"The hirini," grunted He'dtaalh, coming to his feet with the creature in his arms. Even in her unconscious state, she naturally rested her head against one of his hearts. Shifting her body so that she was lying in only one of his arms, He'dtaalh took out a long dagger from the hidden pocket of his combat pants.

Ba'dqeel had said that his outfit was inappropriate for the crowning ceremony, that it would give off the wrong impression, but at that moment, Ba'dqeel was glad that he hadn't listened to the ambassador.

He was even more glad that he managed to hide the pocketknife.

"Put her down," hissed the King, his entire being focused on the female and not the actual threat. "She is mine; you are dirtying her with your touch."

He'dtaalh let out a snort of scorn before taking a menacing step forward, his combat boots holding his weight steady on the shifting sands. "She is mine. Call her yours again, and I will cut out your tongue."

Ever the diplomate, Ba'dqeel held out his hand, trying to get the warrior to stop. "She belongs to our planet, and no other species are allowed to have anything from our planet unless you want us to see it as an act of war. Is that it? Are you planning on declaring war on us?"

The Kallutan King turned pale for a second before shaking his head frantically. There was only one species that would stand a chance against the Nycteromys, and that was the Saalistaja. However, the two had an agreement in which neither one would take action against the other.

The Saalistaja were considered to be the greatest predators that the universe had ever created. Still, some wondered if they only held that title because the Nycteromys refused to fight them for it.