Warlord’s Bounty, the second story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, will be releasing on May 14th.
I’m sharing the first chapter while we wait.
You can read the first scene here: http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6815
Today, I’m sharing the fourth and final scene of the first chapter.
***
“Murad will be used as bait.” Berke disagreed with Khan’s participation in the plan. “The bounty hunter will try to limit our access to her ship’s systems. Countering that requires Murad’s skills. He can intercept communications, track Tolui’s approach, take over control of the vessel before that rogue male boards it.”
“I will be the warrior to do that.” Khan wouldn’t move on his position. “The bounty hunter will land on Chamele 4. While she’s tracking her original target, Murad will enter her ship and give me access.” He looked at his younger brother, seeking his agreement.
Murad shrugged. “Either way works for me.”
“It doesn’t work for me.” Berke was determined to be a hard-ass. “The warrior also has to be skilled in deception. He must lie to the bounty hunter, act as though he doesn’t want to be caught.”
“I can do that.” Khan heard the doubt in his own voice.
Berke’s expression said he didn’t believe him.
“I can do that as well as Murad can.” He amended his statement.
Subterfuge wasn’t a Chamele strength. Conversations were blunt, without artifice. Lies were abhorred. Enemies were confronted face-to-face, no tricks, no dishonesty.
Deceiving another being, especially his gerel, didn’t appeal to Khan. But if it was necessary in order to defeat Tolui, he’d swallow his qualms.
“I’m the best warrior in the Chamele sector.” He presented the case for being chosen. “Tolui tried to kill my second-in-command.” That had been a strike right at his soul. “He’s abducted some of the females and children under my protection, stolen my ships, taunted me again and again.” Fury flowed through him. “He caused the deaths of three of my warriors and two mates this planet rotation alone.” Those deaths continued to anger him. “I’ve earned the right to face the warrior, to be the one to end his lifespan.”
“He’s abducted females and children from all of our planets.” Berke leaned forward.
Khan did that same. “I’m our best warrior.” He repeated that undeniable fact.
“Khan is our best warrior.” Murad didn’t challenge him for that title. “I’ll give myself as much remote access to the ship as possible. Though I suspect Khan can merely overpower the bounty hunter if that is required…providing she’s humanoid.”
“She’s humanoid.” She was genetically compatible with him. She had to be humanoid. “I can deal with the bounty hunter.” That prospect excited him. “Leave her and Tolui to me.”
Berke held his gaze.
Moments passed, moments that could have been utilized to implement the strategy, stop the enemy.
“You have to stick to the plan.” His older brother warned him. “I’ve detailed every step of it. There’s no space for rash action, for charging into battle with your claws extended.”
Charging into battle with his claws extended was what had won the Succession Wars for them. Khan kept his countenance as blank as possible. “Why would I deviate from your plan?”
“I don’t know.” Murad’s eyes danced with humor. “Maybe because you’ve never stuck to a plan in your entire lifespan?”
Khan scowled at his younger brother before returning his gaze to Berke. “If my reward is killing Tolui, I’ll do anything you ask me to do.
There was another frustrating pause.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this.” His brother exhaled noisily. “But yes, you can be bait.”
Khan smothered a triumphant grin. He would be the warrior meeting with his bounty hunter.
“Murad, you’ll enter the bounty hunter’s ship, commandeer her systems.” Berke assigned their younger brother that role. “I’ll coordinate everything from Chamele 1.”
Berke’s planet was the farthest from the sun, closest to the edge of Chamele territory. His priority was ensuring the entire sector was protected from invasion.
“Do what you need to do to prepare.” Berke gave them those instructions. “We’ll go over the plan in detail at sunrise.” He ended the transmission.
The images of his brothers disappeared from the viewscreen, as did the footage of the ship. Khan brought that footage back, gazed at the vessel.
His gerel was inside it.
During the Succession Wars, he’d traveled to all of the planets, had interacted with almost every being in the Chamele sector. None of them had affected him.
He’d accepted he wouldn’t have a gerel, had focused on fighting, on protecting others. And he’d enjoyed that. Greatly. A born warrior, he belonged on the battlefield, had relished defeating enemies, wielding swords and axes, and utilizing his claws.
That part of his lifespan would soon end. After they’d killed Tolui, the sector would be peaceful.
Boring.
Bonding with his gerel might ease the ennui…if they survived the less-than-optimal start to their relationship.
For Berke’s plan to work, he had to deceive his gerel. And she would eventually have to betray him.
Zondoo. Khan raked his fingers through his hair. He had killed beings for doing less.
Their bond would physically last a lifespan. Emotionally, it might be severed before it could fully form.
But there were no other honorable choices. His role as Warlord meant he had a responsibility to his loyal warriors and their families.
He had to risk his one chance at companionship, at having a mate, children, to stop Tolui, to end the threats against the beings he protected.
Khan tapped on the viewscreen. “Second.”
“My lord.” Oghul’s scarred face appeared on the surface.
“There’s a ship entering the Chamele sector.” He sent his gerel’s coordinates to the male. “I want two of our best ships to escort it to Chamele 4. They are to stay as far away from the vessel as possible while still protecting it. They aren’t to communicate with its captain unless I approve that communication. Understand?”
“I understand, my lord.” Oghul’s head dipped. “One of those ships will be mine.”
“Assign the task to two other crews.” Khan needed his best warrior elsewhere. “I will be going off-planet for a while and will have limited access to communications. I need you to guard Chamele 2.”
“Yes, my lord.” Oghul stood taller, his second-in-command recognizing his assignment as the honor it was.
“If there is an incident you can’t handle, contact Warlord Berke on Chamele 1.” His brother would protect Khan’s planet and his beings also. “I’m counting on you, Second.”
“I won’t let you down, my lord.” The warrior’s chin lifted.
“I know you won’t.” The male had earned Khan’s trust. Oghul had never betrayed him, had never deceived him.
Khan ended the communication and gazed at his gerel’s ship.
Would he be able to forgive Zeta after she delivered him to the enemy, after she traded his lifespan for a handful of credits?
Would she ever view him as honorable once his lies were exposed?
Allies or enemies, there was no middle ground. Not for him. Not for them.
He hoped for the former.
Their dubious beginning pointed to the latter.
***
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Warlord’s Bounty
Wanted: One Barbarian Warrior.
The bigger the bounty, the more dangerous the target.
Khan, a Chamele Warlord, has a huge bounty on his head. His enemy wants him captured and is offering any being in the universe an outrageous number of credits to accomplish that.
Khan wants to be captured, but only if the being apprehending him is a tiny, brown-eyed female with wickedly sharp daggers and an even sharper tongue. His passion for the feisty human can’t be inhibited by restraints. He’ll allow her to subdue him…in a variety of enticing ways.
When she finally collects her credits, he’ll collect his revenge, killing his enemy and claiming his little bounty hunter forever.
Zeta doesn’t do forever. After a lifespan of chasing dangerous beings across galaxies, apprehending and trading them for credits, she doesn’t get involved emotionally…with anyone.
Khan might be fierce and sexy and the most dominant male she has ever encountered, but the barbarian is also her target, and once she sates herself with his body, she’ll betray him.
That’s her job.
* * *
Warlord’s Bounty is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
(If you already have the shorter story, please contact me.)
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes violent universe.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PN8ZKK1
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PN8ZKK1
Apple/iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/warlords-bounty/id1456156354
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1113984150
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-s-bounty-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928431
