"This is the most awesome thing I've ever seen!" I said, looking at the main display in the ship's sensor array. We were still orbiting Earth and I was currently watching the top of a thunderstorm from space in panorama.

Lar'ja and I had stayed in his… our… quarters for several hours becoming reacquainted, during which Luar'ke-de had locked Savanna in "her" room, put the ship into orbit, and went to take a nap. It was quiet without my sister's ranting and raging and I enjoyed the peace, feeling well-used and quite satisfied in spit of the claw marks and the new bite on my shoulder. Lar'ja, looking content and at ease, slouched casually in the navigator's chair. He reached out with a proprietary air and pulled me unresisting onto his lap where I settled into his warmth. I was wearing just the sports bra and matching shorts, not having any other clothing to wear, and he seemed to find my lack of apparel an irresistible invitation to touch and let his hands wander. He really was pretty damned lecherous, wasn't he?

"What do you look at, Baby Jess?"

"Thunderstorm on Earth." I replied, not taking my eyes off of my planet. I had the feeling that I was most likely never going to return and I wanted to remember this.

"Ahh," He held me securely against him, fingers tracing meaningless patterns against my skin.

"You're not gonna go all crazy again with me being this close, are you?" I grinned.

"Crazy" was a good word for it. Every time I thought he'd finally calmed down, I was proved wrong. And once or twice he'd purposely went all beastly, pressing his face against my skin and breathing me in. It was as though whatever I now smelled like was some kind of strange aphrodisiac mixed with some mind-bending drug. I was suddenly the Yautja version of catnip and he couldn't seem to get enough.

I turned my head to look at him and he smirked and purred, pleased the way his little universe was running, "Might. Now that I know what it is that I smell, very hard to ignore. But poor Baby Jess. Have worn her out."

He sounded thoroughly pleased with himself and I rolled my eyes, "You did not."

His mandibles pulled in a wicked grin, the clicks in his throat firing rapidly as though a type of laughter all its own and I somehow got the feeling that I'd just been set up, "No? Truly? Good! Must be able to handle then! Won't hold back anymore. Was gentle because you seemed frightened. Poor you! No more, Baby Jess! And you will love… I promise."

My face was hot. He'd been gentle? He'd held back? Heeey, wait a minute…, "What the hell do you mean, 'frightened'?"

Lar'ja laughed, a sound as wicked as his grin, "We are not on Earth now. Not in your home. You are Blooded. You do not smell like ooman. Makes a difference. Poor Baby Jess. Had no idea what to expect. Not used to true Yautja mating though I was kind. I can tell. Tense. Unsure. Yes, frightened. You have not seen all, either. You have my word. No pathetic ooman male could ever satisfy you now." he gave me a soft version of his purring growl, leaning in and nudging the back of my neck gently with his mandibles, "I promise."

My eyebrows went up and I shivered. I believe he was trying to seduce me…

Heh. Too bad it wasn't gonna work.

"Ok, you. Two things. First; just because I was surprised and unnerved by your sudden and inexplicable intensity doesn't mean I was afraid. And secondly; if human men did it for me to begin with, I wouldn't be here with you, now would I?"

Wrapping his arms around me, he purred, "This is because I am the best. Clever, Baby Jess. You knew before we even met!"

I rolled my eyes while he laughed. What a punk. I grinned then; but he was my punk, "Keep it up, Lar'ja. I'm sure there's something here I can use in place of duct tape to bind your mandibles together with."

"Oooo, cruel Baby Jess. And after I have loved you, too."

"Hey," I grinned, "You're bigger, stronger, more durable, and more skilled than I am. I have to get even somehow."

He chuckled, "Ahh, Baby Jess. Did you not know? You are my mate. My female. Am at your command."

I turned as much as I was able to look at him with a quirked brow and said disbelievingly, "Bullshit."

He shrugged, "Yautja are… mmm… what word? Ah. Matriarchal. Our females rule. You have proven yourself a warrior. You are my hunt sister and my mate and no longer smell ooman. Good enough for me, Baby Jess. Besides," he added, "offending one's mate is a good way to find yourself with no one to mate with."

I rolled my eyes with a smirk, "I told you before; I want to be your partner. I meant it."

His mandibles pulled into a smile and he purred to me. Leaning in, he trilled quietly into my ear, his left hand running through my hair, "Whatever you want."

"Ugh," came a disgusted voice behind us, interrupting our moment, "Smells of mating musk in here. Both of you. You have a room, yes? Paya… ugh."

We both turned to Luar'ke-de whose mandibles were as scrunched together in as much distaste as possible. I grinned, "You could always leave you know."

"My ship! And am the elder male! Go where I please and when!" he glowered balefully at me.

"You may be the elder male, but Lar'ja just told me that the females run the show among your kind soooo, as the only female here don't I outrank you?"

Lar'ja turned his head and snickered, a sort of crickety cough-like sound. Luar'ke-de stared at me incredulously for a moment before frowning imperiously, "Normally true, Mei-jadhi, except for one thing. I am your Master and should you choose to forget such again, will be force to remind you through much pain! Understand?"

"Aye, aye Cap'n." I gave him a loose salute and a grin.

He huffed with a toss of his head and took his place in the pilot's chair, "When among other Yautja, you cannot behave so. They will not understand your language and humor. You will be just an ooman to them. Must be prepared to fight at any moment." Then he turned to look at me sternly, "And am not Cap'n. Am Master. Do not forget this."

Lar'ja's arm tightened possessively at my waist and I brushed my fingertips along the back of his hand, "So, not that I'm complaining, but why are we still in orbit, Master? And how long is my sister going to be trapped in that room?"

"Important to see planet," Luar'ke-de said, "Won't be coming back for many years. Your home. Your planet. You are a Blooded Warrior of the Yautja, but you are ooman. Never forget where you come from, Mei-jadhi. Very important."

I thought that was strangely considerate. He was a sadistic creep much of the time, but he really was like the older brother I'd never had. I wondered for the first time what was in his past that made him so casual about taking on a human student, socializing, and speaking English. He even knew how to read and write English. And not to mention, the incredible patience he had around my sister. I realized that I really hardly knew him, but though I was tempted to ask, I didn't want to be rude. He had helped me immeasurably. I would let him keep his secrets.

He was watching me with a closed expression and I knew he knew where my thoughts were. I was going to be a good student, though, "Thank you. I've been watching the thunderstorm." I grinned then and his shoulders relaxed, "Pretty damned nifty."

His upper mandibles pulled slightly in the barest of smiles and his golden eyes warmed. He chuckled, leaning back in his chair, "To be so young again… Do you remember when every little thing was entertaining, Lar'ja-thwei?"

"Yes." His arm tightened again and I turned my head to see his lecherous grin, "Some still are."

I face palmed and Luar'ke-de rolled his eyes with a huff. He scowled at his brother, "Not what I meant."

Lar'ja shrugged wordlessly. I sighed, "Anyway, I'm not that young…"

Luar'ke-de scoffed, "How old, Mei-jadhi?"

"Thirty…"

"Mei-jadhi, you are like a youngling!" He laughed, "Even the right height to be!"

"I'm a fully grown adult human." I scowled. Lar'ja rumbled a laugh at my back.

"Do not worry, Baby Jess. You are small, but you are adult." he grinned and I sorta felt like Satan must have smiled that way to Eve, "I should know."

"You really are a dirty old man, Lar'ja."

Luar'ke-de cackled.

"Am not old!"

"That's what you take exception to?"

"But am not! Am still a young male! Only a little over one hundred! Not even two hundred yet! I have proven that I am not old! Haven't I? Am I not vigorous enough? You are small! Was trying to be nice!"

I thought Luar'ke-de was going to die from laughter. I had a hand covering my mouth and I was trying really hard not to join him. Lar'ja seemed genuinely upset that I would think him less than what he was and I didn't want him to think that I was laughing at him, "You know you are more than adequate, Lar'ja. Geeze. I meant old as in 'older than myself'."

He gave no indication of having heard me though he hadn't pushed me off his lap. Instead, his arms were now crossed and he was scowling toward his brother who looked at Lar'ja, grinning widely, and said, "Ellos'de pyode!" before erupting into near-violent laughter again. I stared at Luar'ke-de blankly, having no idea what he just said, but knowing it couldn't have been complimentary. It also had the flavor of an inside joke. Lar'ja growled in growing anger.

"What did you just say? Hey! What did that mean?"

"Mei'jadhi!" He grinned, gold eyes sparkling with mischief, "Does this one satisfy you in spite of his… kindness?"

I frowned at him, not liking my question being ignored, but answered anyway, "Of course, not that it's any business of yours. Truth be told he's damned near too much for me to handle as it is."

Lar'ja's arm went back around my waist and he tugged me close again, but kept his glare aimed at his brother. Luar'ke-de kept grinning though, "Ah, then you speak of age in chronological terms."

As if he hadn't known. The sadistic creep.

I quirked a brow at him, "Are you done now?"

He tilted his head, a roll of clicks in his throat, and crossed his arms while tapping one of his upper mandibles against a scythe-like fang for a moment before looking at me with a dark grin, "Believe so. For now."

"Good. Now you can answer my other question, please."

"Which?"

Lar'ja huffed, "Her sister."

"Ah. Yes. Have a possible solution, but do not think you will like."

I frowned, "Does it involve death or dismemberment?"

His grin widened, "Hmm! Like that! 'Death or dismemberment'. Will have to use. But no. Does not involve. Nor does it involve sending her back. Not an option. And will not train her like you."

"What's left, then?"

He watched me carefully, closely, all humor gone from his expression, "Have I your trust in this, Mei-jadhi?"

Lar'ja tilted his head, face curious, but I saw something like realization dawn and all clicking in his throat stopped. I looked back to Luar'ke-de, "I need to know what you have in mind. She's a pain in the ass, but she's my only living blood relative. Humans aren't like the Yautja that way."

He shook his head, a slow rolling motion, "I understand, Mei-jadhi. But is either this or death. Your options."

I knew, looking into his eyes, that I was going to find out at the same time as my sister. Lar'ja's hold on me tightened as though worried I would run off and warn Savanna, but I wasn't going to. The number of solutions to the problem of my sister was limited. I sighed and looked away, "Just… I know it's probably a waste of time, but give her one last chance. If she's blows it… So be it."

He looked at me a moment longer, then I saw him give a nod, get up, and leave to let my sister out of her room, all out of the corner of my eye. Lar'ja petted my hair, purring quietly. I was not happy with this situation. Not at all. I knew he was trying to help, but the petting was just working to get on my nerves. I couldn't sit any more but when I tried to stand, Lar'ja's hold tightened. I huffed, "C'mon, I wanna stand. I'm not gonna do anything, but I just can't sit right this second, ok?"

"Baby Jess…"

"You're not my keeper, Lar'ja. Let me fucking stand."

It was his turn to huff but he complied. I had a moment of pacing, worried about what Luar'ke-de had in mind, when Savanna turned a corner and became visible. She saw me at the same moment and I knew by the look in her eyes that she was gonna blow it. I felt myself flinch and was grateful that Luar'ke-de hadn't yet looked at me or he'd have seen it. Savanna stormed up to me and I thought she was going to start yelling. Instead, she slapped me hard enough to turn my head. There was a moment of silence before Lar'ja started to growl, his eyebrow ridge lowered in an angry scowl. Savanna ignored it, however.

"How dare you, Jessie! How dare you leave me alone with that bastard! Do you have any idea what I've been through? No! Of course you don't! You were too busy being fucked by E.T. to have any clue what's been going on with your sister. God, Jessie! You selfish bitch!"

"You know what, Savanna…? Do yourself a really huge favor and shut the hell up. Seriously. You have no idea… Just. Be quiet. I mean it." I couldn't look at her. I just couldn't.

"Should listen to her, little ooman. Wise advice." Luar'ke-de's intense gaze never left her.

She turned on him, eyes flashing angrily, "Go to Hell, you fucking prick! Don't tell me what to do!"

I closed my eyes slowly with sigh, then turned to look at the thunderstorm. Luar'ke-de took that as his cue. I heard him start forward; heard a blade leave its sheath at the same time that Savanna gasped and I turned back, alarmed. If anyone was going to kill her, it should be me! But he had given his word and his given word was, as he'd pointed out, always good.

He stalked forward and she gave ground, eyes wide and frightened, "Jessie! Call him off!"

He shook his head, dreads swinging, "She cannot help you, little ooman. Secured for you a final chance and you wasted. You are mine now."

She turned to run, but he lunged at the same time and snagged her around the waist. She screamed and started struggling. There had been a day, once upon a time, that I'd had the opportunity to watch him wrangle Lar'ja to the ground; Savanna didn't stand a chance. He effectively pinned her with his body and held her head still with his left hand. All the while, Lar'ja sat and smirked slightly, enjoying the sound of her screaming. I didn't know what bothered me more; my sister's shrieks as Luar'ke-de started carving into the side of her face or Lar'ja enjoying it like fine wine.

I didn't turn away. I refused. Silly me for not mentioning disfigurement.

It didn't take long before I realized that Luar'ke-de was etching his personal glyph into her cheek and she started sobbing halfway though. And still I watched, wondering what the point was to what he was doing. It seemed to take a long time, but finally he pulled his ceremonial knife away and released her face. Moving to kneel next to her, he watched dispassionately as she curled up on her side, hands on her bleeding cheek, and sobbed harder than I'd ever heard her cry. He let her cry a few moments before reaching out and petting her ginger hair as though to comfort her and something unpleasant swept through me, freezing my insides.

"You are mine now, little ooman. Do you understand? When I say 'go', you go. When I say 'come', so you must. I rename you Yin'tekai-di to remind you how we must behave. Yes?"

Savanna just lay there and kept crying. Luar'ke-de put an arm under her knees and the other at her back and stood, effortlessly lifting her. Wordlessly, her carried her further into the ship, leaving Lar'ja and I in silence. I was horrified. He renamed her? She was his? He'd been petting her much in the way that Lar'ja tended to with me. I had always thought it was meant to be a soothing, caring gesture… But this had been a gesture of ownership. I couldn't have been more stunned and my eyes moved to Lar'ja. His head was tilted and aimed in my basic direction, face curious.

"Baby Jess?"

I tried twice to speak before finally getting it right, "What was that?"

He blinked his sightless eyes, "Has claimed her as a pet. Now she is his to punish or reward. End of problem."

Anger was beginning to worm its way through the absolute horror I felt, "But she's a person!"

"Was." He said, standing, "No more. Not your sister. Not Savanna. She is Yin'tekai-di, pet to Luar'ke-de. He is honor bound to guard and protect her, but now she must obey him. No choice."

I shook and the growing anger filled me with heat, "And you approve of this? Did you enjoy her screaming? Her crying as her freedom was taken from her?"

I was angry with her, yes, but this?

He looked at me with polite confusion, "She was unpleasant. Hit you. Insulted all of us. We are Blooded. She is not. Had no right and now has less. Good solution and no death. She deserved. Yes, I enjoyed."

I was seeing red. A lot of things made more sense to me now. I knew that before, he and I had discussed ownership and the fact that I didn't belong to him, and I dimly remember Luar'ke-de refer to me as an "almost-pet" once. I remembered his over protection of me, his attempts to keep me out of danger, hanging me from a tree in retaliation for calling him Edward, throwing me in twenty degree water, petting me. My voice, when it came, was squeezed down by my anger, "Tell me, Lar'ja-thwei; had you repaid the debt you said you owed me and I hadn't been Blooded and hadn't become your mate… would you have done that to me? Would you have taken my freedom from me? Branded me? Enjoyed my screaming, my crying, my begging you to stop? Would that have been fun for you?"

His face was clean of all emotion and he regarded me for a moment, "Would not have been fun, would not have enjoyed screams and crying… But yes. Would have. But said before, would not have been pet. Living Honor, yes. Not pet. Would have been treated well."

I wanted to throw something sharp and pointy at him. Instead I snarled, shaking with rage, "You stay the hell away from me, Lar'ja-thwei. Do you understand me? I want nothing to do with you. Ever."

I stalked off, missing the look of intense pain on his face.

Wandering for a little while, I found an empty room and felt that that suited me just fine at the moment. I wanted to cry, rant, and rage. Instead I sat in the far corner with my back to the wall and my head in my hands. I had come so close to being simply a belonging; an object to be owned. It was appalling. Individuality wiped clean and a new identity given all in the span of mere moments. My stomach twisted. How cold did someone have to be to do that to another person? To hell with the difference of race; we were all people. Capable of compassion, love, creativity, ingenuity, complex emotions, reason. My heart clenched and my throat tightened.

I loved Lar'ja, but he would have turned me into a pet, no matter what he chose to call it, and forced me to endure his dominance. I tasted bile and shook with mounting emotion. Finally the tears came and I cried, mourning, heart breaking. I was alone so I allowed the tears; welcomed them in the hopes that I would be numb after. No one would see the Blooded Warrior crying for what might have been. It felt as though everything up until now had been a lie. He was intense and passionate, caring and gentle… but he was also ruthless and now I knew that he was cold and merciless. It seemed as though all the love and friendship he had shown me was a lie; just a ruse to lure me in. And I had fallen for it. I had fallen damned hard.

My eyes burned and I cried so hard I started to hiccup. Why had Savanna felt the need to be so bitchy? If she had just stopped I would have never found out that my mate… No, I couldn't think like that. I would have found out no matter what. No one can keep that kind of thing under wraps for long. I had seen him be ruthless before in response to a threat, but this calm, even cheerful, acceptance of something so horrible… It stunned me. My sweetie was a monster.

I could only cry for so long, though. Leaning my head against the wall, I slowly calmed and brushed my tears away, holding myself with my knees drawn up, sniffling and wishing for a tissue. I became aware, slowly, of another presence. Lifting my head, emotionally exhausted, I saw Lar'ja standing in the doorway looking crestfallen.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, "Baby Jess… Please. Hear me. Please. Cannot go on without you. Please?"

I glared but my heart wasn't in it. I was too sad, "You won't fool me again. I'm not your pet!"

He shook his head with a low growl, dreads flying, "No! Not pet! You are mate. The only anywhere that I would tie myself to."

"You said yourself that you would have-"

"Baby Jess!" He crossed the room swiftly and went to his knees in front of me, "Would not have had a choice, Baby Jess! Yautja live in secret and you are a story teller! Could not end you. Don't you understand? Not like Yin'tekai-di and Luar'ke-de. Would have claimed you because I could not be without! You are worthy, Baby Jess! I would have claimed you because you would be in danger otherwise! You would tell your story and others would hear. You saw what happened! Three years, Baby Jess! Would have taken you as mine because you own my spirit. My heart. Could not see you hurt. But you are not pet. Not Living Honor. You are mate. My female. I give you everything! Can you say that you have not given the same to me? Do I not own you as much as you own me?"

"To take someone and force them into the role that Luar'ke-de forced Savanna into… That's evil, Lar'ja-thwei. Evil and wrong."

"Not evil. Practical. Not nice, true, but not evil. Will be treated well, but she must learn respect and how to obey. But will you keep calling me Lar'ja-thwei? Do you truly hate? Am I now unworthy of you? Had thought you loved."

"Yeah well, that was before I found out what you really were. I wish I'd known sooner." I looked away from him and toward the wall, holding myself tighter.

His brow ridge came down and he clicked, "And what am I, Baby Jess? Tell me. Had you asked me, would have told you all. Keep no secrets from you, Baby Jess. Am not ooman. Could never be. In your home, behaved by your rules. You are on a Yautja ship now. Different rules. You and Yin'tekai-di must obey as I do. As Luar'ke-de does. Important. Very. But never lied to you. Never. I care. You own all I am. Would hope that you would give me all in return. Not as pet, never that, but as she that owns my soul. Do I not own yours?"

He reached up and brushed his fingertips over my cheek. I closed my eyes and wanted to be angry with him, but he was right. He wasn't human and had never been. I hadn't really expected him to be, but there were just certain things that I had thought to be…well, universal. But even humans enslaved other humans so I couldn't even say this was an alien thing. I realized with something of a shock that I didn't want to be angry with him. I wanted things to be as they'd always been.

"She really had been a pain in the ass, hadn't she?"

His upper mandibles twitched, "Yes, Baby Jess."

"I'm not a pet."

He shook his head slowly with a slight smile, "Never. No need. Too strong. You are Blooded. I prefer this."

"I still think it's evil. She should at least get to keep her own name."

"I know. Will remain Savanna to you. Luar'ke-de will not mind."

"If he does?"

"Will speak to him."

He moved to sit next to me, back against the wall. I hesitated a moment, then leaned into him. Wrapping his arm around me with a purr, he pulled me in tight against him, "You really are a big, green idiot, you know."

"Don't care. Have you near again."

"It really was shitty what he did to Savanna."

"Left little choice."

We were silent for a moment before I looked up at him, "What does 'ellos'de pyode' mean?"

He fidgeted with a rumble of disgruntlement, "Ahh, do not know what you mean, Baby Jess..."


Ellos'de Pyode- You soft

Yin'tekai- Honor (add 'di' to make a female name)

Anyway, I won't say much other than please review. Whether positive or negative, doesn't matter. I am clay in your hands; yours to shape. Just don't spin me around too much 'cause I get motion sick and that would be bad (clay flying everywhere).

I own nothing ^.^

Happy Reading!