And at least she knew the weapon worked, and worked pretty well at that since it had blown the cay’ik to gooey pieces. Next time she stopped she would check the blaster, see if it had any sort of power setting or something that she could adjust—
A flurry of movement made Summer gasp and sent her fumbling to raise her blaster again. Recognizing the flock of nuaran birds she gave a short relieved laugh and tucked the weapon away.
She might hate this world but it did have its beauty too. For a moment she was transfixed as the nuarans, their scarlet plumage glorious against the deep blue of Hir’s sky, flew over her head, weaving through the trees, their cries echoing through the forest.
Then her smile faded.
Oh my God . . .
Those birds were fleeing something. Something big and loud enough to startle a whole flock into flight.
Like a mounted hunting party of g’hir warriors.
The sound of the blaster shot would have carried and with the g’hir’s sense of smell and the creature’s charred flesh—
Summer broke into a run.
Her breath burned in her throat as she ran, branches scratching her face, pulling at her clothing, as she pushed her way through the trees.
I have to get home! I have to!
Suddenly—so suddenly she was shocked into a clumsy halt—she was out of the woods and in a clearing. It was a lovely spot, the azure sky breathtaking, the ground flat and grassy, the sunlight sparkling on the river beyond.
And she wasn’t alone.
More amazing still, she’d managed to startle him as much as he’d surprised her.
The warrior rose from his crouch beside the simple shelter to regard her in astonishment. He was very tall, like all the g’hir were, with the same alien rippled forehead and heavy brow. His blinking eyes glowed too but unlike the Betari clanbrothers’ amber color this warrior’s eyes were as blue as the sky above, his hair black instead of the Betari’s dark red-brown. His clothes were different too, softer in color and cut.
“By the All Mother—” His glowing gaze was wide. “You are human.”
He was g’hir but he wasn’t one of the Betari clan. He was just as alien as they but—
“Please!” Summer took a few stumbling steps toward the stranger. “Please help me!”
Two
The warrior took quick strides toward her. He was powerfully built, his vivid blue eyes predator sharp, but his hold was gentle as he caught her by the shoulders.
“How are you here, little one?” His rippled alien brow furrowed as he took in Summer’s muddied clothes, her matted hair. His quick sniff at her had his nose wrinkling instantly. “By the All Mother, what has happened to you?”
“I came through the forest, they’re—”
“How are you here?” he asked again, sharper this time. He glanced in the direction she had come. “That way lie the Betari lands.”
“Yes,” she gasped. “I came from their enclosure.”
He released her as if she burned him. “Then you belong to one of their warriors.” His lip curled and he stepped back. “A human female separated from your mate by the forest; simply lost and seeking him.”
“No!” Summer shook her head. “Please! I need your help!”
He gave a short huff. “You are not lost to him forever. If your mate is a warrior worth his name, he will find you swiftly.” The stranger gave her a gentle push toward the woods. “Go back that way. You will soon be reunited with your mate, little human.”
“He kidnapped me!” Summer cried, doggedly following the blue-eyed warrior as he stalked back to his campsite. “He kidnapped me and brought me here from my world!”
“Many of your kind are unsettled when you are first captured,” the warrior rumbled. “Soon you will accustom yourself to him happily.”
“Goddamn it, I don’t have time for this!” Summer’s hands clenched into fists. “Don’t you understand? The bastard’s right behind me!”
The warrior stopped short. “You are fleeing your mate?”
“I escaped the clanhall last night but he’s tracked me. You’ve got to help me get out of here!”
“What do you mean—you escaped?” he demanded. “Why would you need to?” His glance went over her again. “Has your mate mistreated you?”
“You mean other than kidnapping me and taking me to an alien world?”
“To capture a female is our way,” he growled, turning away. “You have nothing to fear from your new mate.”
She grabbed his arm to stop him. “Goddamn it, I need your help! And I need it now!”
“If he has not mistreated you what reason have you to run away from him?”
Summer hesitated. He sighed and his expression softened a little, his hand covering hers where it rested on his arm.