Citun’s Storm Read Online Free Page A

or alive.
    “Not brilliant beings, the Cono were smart enough to know humans and females were the cause of their problems. You see, the Tonan cultivated not only human females, but alien females they thought Castians would mate with. Maybe the Cono thought since other males wanted females of other species dead we were worthless. Who knows? The damage was done. The Cono waged war on females, all alien females, but you could see their hearts weren’t in it. They only wanted to protect their own females and young. They killed other females as mercifully as possible. The Cono are incredibly strong. But the Gorgano came, too late for many but not me, they gave me an edge when I confronted one and killed it. I was so angry after losing so much and so many friends. Some females, human and others, were stolen by aliens. I’m the only human on this planet who has survived as far as I know, but not the only female.”
    “Do you communicate with other females?”
    “We found when we grouped together there was death in numbers, not safety. If a single female had her period, um, a time of month we bleed, it could mean all our deaths if we were together. The Cono hunt a female in heat relentlessly. Females on the rag don’t sleep for days at a time, always on the run. We separated. I see others from time to time. If it’s safe to be together we talk for a few hours or days. Ultimately, we are alone.”
    “The Cono can’t be bright if they didn’t protect females, females of any kind, and take them as their own.”
    “There’s no way. They’re built too different.”
    “Zargonnii and humans are entirely compatible.”
    For a second, her gaze drifted to his cock and she shifted after turning beet red. Citun decided to change the subject. There would be lots of time to discuss mating. Now wasn’t the right place or the right time. He needed to get her to safety, which meant joining with his landing party. Then he realized what she said. If the Cono fought males, his warriors might be in a bit of a bind. As well, the Gorgano might still be overhead.
    Citun rose to his feet. “Do you know where we are? Or where this cavern leads? It’s time we got moving.”
    Storm jumped up. “I know you say you’re a leader, but don’t take the leader tone with me. I can take care of myself.”
    Citun refrained from chuckling at her indignant look. “Obviously. I can’t fight the Gorgano. Zargonnii battle with skill and strength. You know your way around here. I need to get to my ship. My warriors are roaming this planet. Exposed to both the Gorgano, Tonan, and now Cono as well. I was hoping for your help.”
    “Oh.”
    “It’s been a long time since you spoke civilly to a male. I mean in a conversation.”
    “The last was a Cono. He said he wouldn’t hurt me, but we both knew he would kill me. He only meant he wouldn’t pull me apart. They do that, ya know, with males who they think are a danger.”
    “Charming.”
    Storm sized him up. “You might stand a physical chance against one. They fight alone. They keep as many females as possible, normally five per male. It seems aliens who think they’re stronger deserve many mates.”
    Citun gave her a direct gaze. “My kind and our females don’t mate for life. We meet once in the jungle every two years hoping we will be given the coveted offspring. Ours is a solitary life of procreation with our females. We need to keep our ways. Females keep females; males keep males. Warriors band together, our females band together, yet we manage to look out for one another. Female Zargonnii are very protective of their sons at any age, but they care from a distance.” Citun decided to leave it at that. If she thought he was checking her out as mate material, she would be skittish.
    Storm turned in a tight circle. “You see the patterns of color on the cavern walls?”
    Citun hadn’t noticed the subtlety before; he did now. There were all kinds of colors, all an inch wide, each running along