Free C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) by C.L. Scholey

incinerate an opponent.”
    The wet towel she was in dried. He left the room and Zuri heard the shower running again. When Kobe returned he held out her washed and dried t-shirt and panties to her. He went to a wall where a dresser drawer opened. Turning his back to her he stripped off his wet pants and boots.
    His ass was chiseled rock, almost hairless. The backs of his legs were covered in the same white fur of his chest. His feet were large with ten toes, five on each foot; they resembled human feet except for their size and the fine layer of fur covering them. Scary he might be, but kind and powerful he was; the gentle giant was back. Zuri struggled into her clothes while hiding under the towel. She stood up and wrapped the long fabric he had originally given her around her waist.
    “How long will it take to get to your planet?” Zuri asked. She substituted as many of his Zargonnii words as she could hoping he would understand.
    “About a week and a half, barring any unforeseen problems.”
    “I can’t shower in your stall.”
    “Yes you can. I have seen you unclothed, you have seen me unclothed. We can shower together. I can shield you.”
    “That’s not really appropriate.”
    “Neither is being smelly. I have mentioned about our Holiday, does your species have a set time to Holiday?”
    “We call it sex. A Holiday is different for us. We celebrate many different things at different times of the year.”
    Kobe sat on a large overstuffed piece of furniture. He patted the place beside him. “We have lots of time to get to know each other. Let me tell you about my planet. I want to know all about yours. I want to know how you can be with a male and not feel the need to battle. You say you are friends with those human males. I’ve never had a female for a friend. Be mine. Share your story with me.”
    He sounded so sincere. Zuri could use a friend. Lonely wasn’t something she did well.

Chapter 5
    With hesitance, Zuri approached Kobe. She perched much like a timid animal waiting for a creature to eat her. He wondered what to say, how not to frighten someone so small. Kobe and Zargonnii warriors were used to protecting their male offspring; it was natural. Never once in his life had he protected a female; never once in his life did he ever expect to. It was almost unheard of in his culture. He thought for a moment he had done Zuri a disservice by not allowing Citun to watch over her. Citun had been dominant during the Holiday; he was older and stronger than his warriors. That meant the female he had challenged and won was under his care for the duration of the Holiday. Kobe wasn’t certain what it entailed, but could guess the battle had been impressive.
    For some odd reason, the idea of handing her over to his leader bothered Kobe. Citun wasn’t cruel, just arrogant. He had reason to be, but not with a tiny human female. Zuri had enough to deal with without fending off verbal insinuations. And Kobe had no idea how Citun would react to a physical assault. Kobe was a fierce warrior, though he seemed to have more patience than most warriors. He had to admit holding a baby was high on his like list. Now, sitting with Zuri was approaching the same like list. He never expressed his feelings with anyone but his dearest friend. He could tell Atin all about Zuri when he got home—Atin would understand. Not once had he made fun of Kobe’s gentle side. Hopefully Zuri wouldn’t.
    “My planet is very beautiful; you will love all the colors. No planet smells sweeter. I’m certain it is far different from yours,” he began. “Citun told his warriors your planet was destroyed by bad weather. Our weather is stable; you needn’t fear storms destroying the human area set up. I am afraid we do have some large animals you will need to be protected from. I’m sure your Earth must have been void of animal dangers.”
    “Oh no, we had bears, sharks, poisonous snakes.”
    Kobe listened to her strange words and shrugged not