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  She smiled, “Make sure that you win, Ajaru. I am counting on you to not doom me to my days spent with Regaran.”

  He kissed her wrist again and got to his feet, pressing his lips to her neck and inhaling deeply. “You will not have to spend one moment with him, love.”

  The guards arrived to escort them to their two respective sites. Bex didn’t have a chance to absorb the implications of Ajaru’s last words to her. Arena guards swept her out and escorted to the governor’s box. It was time to watch the fight.

  Chapter Nine

  The governor greeted her with a kiss to each cheek. “You are looking different, Trainer Bex.”

  “It has been a week for transformations, Governor.” She smiled.

  “How are you after that seizure?”

  She blinked. Right, the jury duty. “I am fine. It hasn’t recurred.”

  They had found an alternate when her situation had been explained.

  The governor offered her the seat next to him, and they talked about inconsequential things until the parade of fighters began.

  Both Ajaru and Regaran stopped in front of the governor’s box and blew her kisses. Regaran looked angry; his red eyes were throwing sparks.

  “It seems that the grand champion is a little determined, Trainer Bex.”

  “Apparently. Fortunately, they will have a chance to calm down before they fight.”

  The governor looked at her with amusement. “You don’t know a lot about men, do you, Trainer?”

  “It all depends on the men.”

  The first fights began and Bex watched, picking the performances apart. She wanted to kick the trainers assigned to some of the fighters. The men were using the wrong weapons for their attack style.

  “Why the face, Trainer Bex?”

  He seemed genuinely concerned, so she went through the fighters, one by one, explaining what their trainers had done wrong.

  She continued her commentary during every round, including the champion fights. When the final fight was announced, she went quiet.

  Ajaru looked different. His eyes blazed with the yellow, and his shoulders seemed wider while his height seemed to have increased.

  The governor gasped. “I have heard of it but never seen it before. He is set for a Thudulan mate defense.”

  Regaran didn’t look angry anymore. There was wariness in his attitude.

  Ajaru rotated his blades in his normal beginning to the fight.

  The announcer gave the stakes for the fight—the exchange of Trainer Bex to the winner.

  Bex noticed her face on the screen, but she kept her features composed. She watched the men square off and then the fight was joined.

  Ajaru had listened to her. He matched the dancing pattern of Regaran’s movements and blocked all of his attacks. The grand champion was outmatched. Ajaru had pulled out something that she hadn’t seen before, and he had gone from not caring a jot as to how close the win was, to trying to smash Regaran into the ground.

  The first slice through the charcoal skin made Bex wince, but she kept her reaction inside. In the next hour, Ajaru made dozens of cuts across Regaran’s skin before his opponent fell to the ground.

  Ajaru had one small scratch on his shoulder, and the crowd went wild.

  The governor was on his feet, applauding wildly. “That was one of the greatest fights I have ever seen.”

  Bex’s knees were weak with relief.

  Ajaru walked up to the box and stood under the balcony.

  Bex stepped forward, climbed onto the ledge and leaped into the air, landing softly in Ajaru’s arms.

  His eyes still glowed, but he kissed her in front of the cheering crowd.

  Men and women were screaming with excitement.

  Bex broke the kiss. “Leave now so Regaran can get medical treatment.”

  “He can die for all I care.”

  “He is annoying but not worth killing. Get your butt off the sands, Ajaru, or I will dig my nails into that little scratch you have.” She whispered it into his ear.

  He grinned, “That’s my love. I am going, I am going.”

  He carried her off the sands and everyone else was allowed to get medical teams in place.

  Inside, he continued to hold her as if she weighed nothing. Vids were taken, and the new grand champion was recorded for the archives. It took some negotiating to get him to let her go, but once the area around her was cleared of shoving bodies, he allowed the scans as he slowly reduced to his normal size and shape.

  When he was himself again, she grabbed a med pack and put the sealer on his shoulder.

  The fight master came up to him and shook his free hand. “Well, Grand Champion, you have achieved what you have set out to do.”

  “Is it settled?”

  “It is. Now that she has agreed, you will be bonded in a formal ceremony and you have permission to build outside the arena grounds as long as security levels are maintained for you and yours.” With his horns shining, he bowed. “Are you prepared for the challenges that will ensue?”

  Bex snorted. “He had better be.”

  Ajaru grinned. “Lady Dolax will be official the moment we can get a magistrate to visit.”

  Bex chuckled. “Right. Lady.”

  The fight master cleared his throat. “Actually, Trainer Bex, he is a lord of the Thudulan. They train their fighters from all walks of life. It is considered a socially acceptable occupation even for the wealthy.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Wonderful. I almost wish I hadn’t healed you. I would give you such a poke, Ajaru.”

  “You have also both been invited to the governor’s party this evening, in your honour.” The fight master was nearly giddy at the prospect.

  She finished with the healing unit and checked him over for damage. He was fine.

  Healers carried Regaran past and Bex felt a twinge. Well, he would be back on top in no time. He just needed a clear path to the top. Maybe a woman of his own. It had certainly motivated the hell out of Ajaru.

  Back in his quarters, she rounded on him. “What the hell happened out there?”

  He grinned. “Mate defense. I was stronger, faster and even taller for a few hours. You just didn’t see it until I was fighting.”

  “Are you going to do that often?”

  “I hope not, it is hell on the body.” He shrugged and wrapped his arms around her. “So, do you object to being Lady Dolax?”

  Bex grimaced. “I have no idea what it will entail.”

  “A few visits to the Thudulan colony where I grew up. It is on the other side of the globe. We have to attend some festivals a few times a year.”

  She poked his ribs. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

  “I didn’t want to scare you.”

  She giggled and pressed her forehead to his chest. “Out of all the things I have seen since leaving home, you thought that that would scare me? Men.”

  He gave her a quick squeeze and lifted her off her feet, walking to the bedroom with her. “We will have to attend the party this evening, but we do have a few hours. I want to get a little more familiar with your body in the meantime. Any objections?”

  Bex sighed. “Not at all.”

  When he said familiar, he meant taste every inch of her. She shivered, she shuddered and just as she was about to cum, he pulled back.

  “And now, we will get dressed for the governor’s party.”

  “Bastard!” She hissed and got to her knees.

  He scampered out of her reach and tossed a gown toward her. It was navy opaque silk in a roman style. A golden rope wrapped around her midsection and acted as a corset.

  “I have never seen it done in that style before. I like it.”

  “I hate binding my breasts down.”

  He put on tight leather pants with matching boots and a silk shirt that matched hers. Matching mate clothing was fairly common in the arena situations. That way you always knew who belonged to whom.

  He urged her to sit, and he put on
her sandals, lacing them up her calves.

  “Do you have a thing for ladies’ footwear?”

  “No, we just practice for the days when our mates are large with child. If we make it a habit, we never have to remember. We just do it.”

  The idea of having a child made her freeze. “When they flushed my system, what intervention did they remove?”

  “Everything. Your own systems are all back online, so to speak.”

  “Damn.”

  He patted her knee. “It is all right. You are not receptive yet. Do you want me to warn you when you are?”

  “You can tell?”

  “Of course. If you think my mate defense was impressive, you should see what happens when I have a child to protect.”

  She groaned. “Why do I think that we are going to have our ups and downs?”

  He grinned, “Because we are not idiots. Your ways are strange to me, mine are strange to you, but we both like to talk, so as long as we hash it out, things should shake out just fine.”

  She pulled at his hair and kissed him. “If it doesn’t, I will kick your ass and drop you to the floor.”

  “Words that warm my heart, love. Now, shall we proceed to the governor’s home?”

  “Fine, but no funny business.”

  He winked and gave her a serious nod.

  Two hours later, her skirts were around her waist and he was thrusting into her against a shadowed part of the garden wall. She kept her lips together, but her hands clawed at his back as he pounded into her.

  When she came, a high squeak was her only audible clue. He gritted his teeth and his groan was felt more than heard.

  He slumped against her, and she was limp in his arms. “I couldn’t wait.”

  “I thought I said no funny business.”

  “Oh, love. That was dead serious.” He raised his head and the twinkle in his eye belied his words.

  She sighed and nipped at his ear until he let her down.

  They were rumpled and reeked of sex when they returned to the party, but if anyone noticed, no one mentioned it. Ajaru was back in his mate defense form and that was good enough for Bex. She had a mate, fighter and champion, and only had to have sex with one of them. It was a better deal than she had ever imagined.

  Epilogue

  Bex rubbed her forehead and then her lower back. Jury duty was back on her schedule now that she couldn’t run around the training field with Ajaru anymore.

  The governor had also offered her another income stream. She was the handicapper for the fights now. Occasionally, she was allowed to announce the fights as they happened, but with her pregnancy and the jury duty, she was only available one weekend out of four.

  Regaran poured the herbal tea he had concocted to get her through her nausea. “Why do you insist on doing so much? It drives Ajaru crazy.”

  “I was raised to keep busy, and it keeps me from focusing on my aches and pains. Now that I am so close to delivery, it is driving me crazy. If I am going nuts, I am taking him with me.” She narrowed her eyes at what had become their best family friend.

  “Have you gotten any word?” He was eager.

  “On the Terran midwife? She is on her way. Hopefully, she gets here before the baby does. This will be the first alien world for her, so don’t try and jump her. I don’t know what she has been told about our races, but I am guessing we will find out.”

  He let out a blast of exasperation. “How long does this take?”

  “To requisition a human into the Nyal Imperium? It takes about six months.” She was laughing and the baby kicked.

  “Well, the fighters are going to have a baby party the moment that the little one arrives. It is the proof that a normal life is possible.”

  Bex reached for the tea, but Regaran handed it to her. “Did Ajaru tell you about his training centre?”

  “That he is going to open one outside the arena for supplemental training?”

  “Yes. I am guessing that he didn’t mention that I will be one of the instructors. We are going to work on a few of the neglected techniques, like matching the fighter to the skills.”

  “If anyone can do it, you can. I have never met a more stubborn woman. I am very glad that Ajaru kicked my ass that day. I would never have been able to stand you.” He winked.

  From the doorway, her sweaty champion said, “I like the stubbornness. It only kicks in when she is passionate about something, so with me, it kicks in all the time. It makes me feel loved.”

  Bex extended her hand to her mate, and he pressed a kiss to her wrist before sitting down.

  It was a small community of fighters and friends that her child was coming into, but with the affection that they had directed toward her after the official mating, she had high hopes for bringing her little half-breed into an alien world that was going to pass for home. She hoped her daughter would like it here.

  Author’s Note

  Jury is the last of the Terran Times Tales. The next book will be the second of the Terran Times – Second Wave. The first was Avenging Enjel (but it was not in chronological order).

  More Terrans, but these all begin on earth where they study for the jobs they want in the stars. With Terrans so popular, the Alliance is now running a list of jobs that are available and volunteer positions that are highly desirable. Full disclosure will be key, and these women won’t be surprised by what they find, until things go ever so slightly wrong.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  [email protected]

  http://www.violagrace.com

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  About the Author