Junior (The Chieftains of the Majuri Book Book 2) Read online

  The Chiefs of the Majuri

  Book 2

  Junior

  By Crystal Dawn

  2017 Copyright by Crystal Dawn

  Edited Eagle Editing

  Cover By Janiel Escueta

  This book is a work of fiction. All contents, including names, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, businesses, locations or events are completely coincidental.

  None of this work may be used, reproduced, exchanged or transmitted by anyone but the person the book was purchased for. Any reproductions of this book in any part or any form must be done with the express written permission of the author or not at all.

  Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  Chieftains of the Majuri

  Book 1

  Chief Radvar

  Sucked through an anomaly that took them far away through time and space, Chief Radvar and his crew are completely lost but not alone. Their ancient enemy, the Dramites, on a ship they’d been chasing were pulled through along with them.

  With no choice but to find a planet to resupply on, they were moving further away from the place the anomaly had spit them out. Trying to figure out where they were, a scientist suggest the area looks like a description of the way to Earth.

  Radvar is annoyed. Now they are trying to feed him fairy tales rather than to just admit they are clueless. The problem is a blue and white marble appears below them and its people call it Earth. Is the name lost in translation or are all the old legends true?

  He will get his people back home or he will build a new life for them. And this Earth? They will supply whatever he needs because he isn’t the Chief without good reason.

  Prologue

  They were living life like a science fiction novel with the ups and downs separated by crazy surprises and new discoveries all the time. Radvar and many of the leadership were gone right now and Junior, his brother in law since their leader had mated Shay, Junior’s sister, was in charge, which was only right since he was second only to the leader. Mike, hoped they would survive until Radvar was back and he intended to help him all he could as family tended to do.

  Radvar and the Majuri leadership made the decision to leave Junior as second in command of their colony as he held this position to accommodate the human population. It was his responsibility to settle any disagreements that interfered with the smooth joining of Majuri and humans.

  Maybe it was a good thing Mike, had stayed behind to help Junior keep things going while the coalition had returned to Earth to pick up more humans and supplies. Majuri warriors were highly sexual and most had been without females for an extended period of time so it was not surprising that there had been some scuffling over the women that were here.

  Some warriors had made unofficial claims, but they were not always honored by the others. Mike feared there would be trouble and no one in their right mind would get between two Majuri warriors fighting over a potential mate.

  It wasn’t only the males that were feeling frisky. Junior had found that out the hard way. A female had thrown herself into his arms and laid a lip lock on him just as his fated mate Talai had walked in. No amount of explanation had gotten him anywhere and it looked like their relationship was down the drain.

  Mike was glad when Christmas was over and Radvar was back. They would be expanding their home base and working on setting up stations that might eventually be colonies on some of the other planets they had considered settling on.

  Only Radvar would be crazy enough to send Junior and Talai light years away from the rest of them with only a handful of others to keep the peace. Either he knew something the rest of them didn’t or he was just plain crazy. This would be a trial by fire both professionally and personally for Talai and Junior. Hopefully, fate would be on their side.

  Chapter 1

  Junior’s View

  Just a day ago he’d been ruling a whole planet, but now he’d given up the mantle of leadership, because Radvar was back. Everyone wanted to know what he thought about handing the power back to his brother in law. He was fucking thrilled! Before Radvar had made him his second and left the planet to him to make a trip to Earth, Junior hadn’t known what being a ruler would be like.

  Now he knew it wasn’t for him. Sure, he knew some of the minor squabbles he’d been forced to address weren’t things that would happen once things were established here. He also knew he’d learned a lot and if he had to step up again, he would be better at it and it would be easier. Still, he wanted nothing to do with it.

  Running a group of warriors was his thing, running what was basically a city, was not. It didn’t help that Radvar’s sister Talai, his chosen mate, was mad at him and wouldn’t speak to him at all. He was innocent of what she blamed on him. He’d been wrongly convicted in the court of unfortunate circumstances. Talai refused to let him explain what had happened. That female had taken it upon herself to offer something he didn’t want and now he was suffering for it. As much as he hated to admit it, Shay was right and he should have taken Talai the day he’d met her.

  If he had, all the females would have known to leave him alone and Talai would be his. Now she might never be. Candy, the girl who had kissed him had tried to talk to Talai, but all Talai had done was told her to take him. At this point, as sad as losing her made him, he was angrier with her attitude than anything.

  Now that everything had been put back into Radvar’s hands, Junior planned to go hunting with Dervac. He met him and the other warriors as well as a couple of the ladies and a few younger boys. Hannah and Lois, with her son Timmie, went on hunting and fishing trips often. He’d heard stories about how good Hannah was at hunting and fishing and he wanted to see if it was true.

  The stink bait she made for the warriors to fish with was said to be almost magical and he’d used that as a kid so he believed it. They were truly lucky they had found a world teeming with life. It was an unending smorgasbord to feed them. Hannah was the head of the kitchen and she was an excellent cook. It was just one more sign of the good choices Radvar had made for them.

  Junior had hoped his dad would come along too, but he’d been busy working on building a dream house for his mom and some of the kids they’d adopted. Junior helped him when he had a chance, but today he needed to hunt and kill something. There was nothing else that would make him feel better. Picking out a bike, he stood next to it with all the others that were coming. Hunting and fishing trips were immensely popular with most of the men, both human and Majuri.

  Many went on them after they’d put in a day working in construction or hauling water. There was just so much work that needed done. It would be overwhelming, if he didn’t see the great strides they were making every day. He ran a hand through his shoulder length red hair. Yeah, it was a gesture of nervousness and frustration.

  Talai was coming along too. She was probably gathering samples even though he was sure Hannah planned to get some also. From the look on her face, she hadn’t known he was going either. It might be that no one had thought to warn them that they had both been invited along, but he suspected a set up. If they were trying to get the two of them together, it wouldn’t work. He’d was from a stubborn family, but he’d never seen anyone that held a candle to his mate.

  “How is it going?” Asked Calden. That male had his own challenge in trying to win his mate, but at least he seemed to be gaining ground. They were almost friends now and Calden’s mate, Lois, had a young son who adored him.

  Lois had been in an abusive relationship so
Calden knew he would have to go slow, luckily he seemed the patient type. Once he had understood the problem, he hadn’t taken it as a personal rejection. Majuri males, as a general rule with few exceptions, were devoted to their mates. Nothing was more important to them and they would do anything to make them happy. Once Lois understood that, she would realize what a gift she’d been given.

  Humans weren’t always like that and Junior felt the bad reputation his race had was being used against him. Talai believed the worst of him, because she’d been expecting the worst. Once she’d seen it, there was no way she’d ever let anyone convince her it wasn’t true. It was sad that his past and the fickleness humans were known to sometimes have, had sealed his future. That it would be a lonely one, for if he couldn’t have her, he would have no one, was a certainty.

  Junior jumped on his air bike as the group finally moved out. He felt an awareness of Talai and where she was to ensure her safety. They moved to an area they often hunted at setting up camp. Dervac left two capable warriors with Talai and her assistants so they could gather samples. No one wanted or needed him in camp, so he followed Dervac into the hunt.

  Junior’s duties sometimes made it hard for him to get away on trips like these so he intended to enjoy it. Knowing Hannah, Dervac’s mate and the head cook, liked small game for the variety it provided, he set about to get several for her. Imagining the variety of game, it was much like Earth before hunters had caused some to go extinct and pollution had finished off many more.

  He took care in the prey he selected. Any older or injured animals were always his first choice. Males were chosen before females, since the females might be pregnant or sitting on eggs. Eventually, they would domesticate animals for various purposes, but right now all they had were some young being raised. There was a herd in front of him of goat like creatures with a large single horn centered in their forehead. They’d eaten a few and they were edible, but tough and the meat smelled funny.

  He had no intention of hunting one of those so he moved on and found a herd of beasts resembling hogs. Those were good eating and the hunters often pit roasted them. It was a manly way of cooking and gave Hannah some time to spend with Dervac. Aiming carefully, he took down an old boar. Surveying the group, he found another target who was limping. On this bold new world, those kinds of injuries were often mortal wounds to these animals.

  Radvar had increased their numbers so they needed more food than ever. Hannah was good, using everything to make the food they brought her stretch. Junior wondered if Talai could cook, not that it mattered, but it was a good skill to have.

  He knew in a week or two, Radvar would be choosing who to send to establish outposts on three new worlds. There would be teams of ten to twelve based on experience that would be sent in first to establish the bases. Maybe he should volunteer to put some distance between him and his fated mate. His skills would be invaluable to any team. They’d checked out the worlds before settling on Jaded.

  One of the worlds was called Ice. The whole world was hidden under snow much of the year while some of it was iced over all of the year. There were still animals on it, and fish in the oceans. Scanners had even picked up some of the ores that they needed to build with.

  Another world they had named Hades, because it was so hot. The center of the planet was subtropical, but the rest was all tropical. The temperatures were in the low to high hundreds and in the hottest areas few things could survive out in the open. The last planet was between the temperatures of Jaded and Ice. Its polar regions had spread out and only the center of the planet was habitable. It was not as good as Jaded, but better than the other two.

  Jaded had been the most like Earth and Majuri. It had a range of temperatures, but all of the planet was livable when a few precautions were used. The place was beautiful and Junior had seen it through the window on the spaceship and felt hope. Now it seemed all hope for the life he’d imagined with Talai was gone.

  They picked up all the kills and everyone went back to the camp for lunch. Some of the younger warriors were dressing out the kills to roast on a spit over the campfire. It made him realize how hungry he was. His stomach growled like a monster when one of the younger warriors handed him a plate of cooked meat. He wolfed it down and looked for more. Luckily, they’d fixed plenty for big hungry warriors. Talai and helper, he didn’t know her name, was sitting across the fire from him. Talai ate slowly, her mind clearly on other things. Probably the samples they had collected while the warriors had been hunting.

  Since this was a two day hunt that included fishing, now that everyone had eaten lunch, they would fish on the shores of the lake. Fishing tended to be more relaxing than hunting unless they were biting like crazy. That was the case once he settled down into his spot and he caught a dozen in twenty minutes. This was turning into work, but it was exhilarating work and he was catching more than anyone else. He wasn’t using the stink bait either. He was using a homemade lure that spun giving it the appearance of a floundering minnow.

  All the warriors were shooting him looks. They either thought he knew a secret he hadn’t shared or they thought he was the fish whisperer. Majuri warriors it seemed, had only fished with nets before. This was a new experience for them since they’d come to Jaded. As with all things, they wanted to be the best and not being competitive, didn’t sit well with any of them.

  He felt bad for his friends, but not that bad. His competitive streak had him feeling very pleased. They quit after only a couple of hours because they had enough to fill the transports that they had available. They would take the fish back and empty them for the younger males to filet and prepare for cooking. Everyone loved the big fish fry’s that Hannah prepared. She had found substitutes for the ingredients in coleslaw and hushpuppies. Her skills in the kitchen were amazing.

  Now we were all back in camp early. Hunting wasn’t an option either without a transport to fill. “This is all your fault, Junior.” Dervac accused.

  “How so?”

  “You filled a transport with fish all by yourself. Have you never heard of pacing yourself?”

  “A male has to catch them when he can. You never know when the fish will stop biting.”

  “The same can be said of many things.” Dervac counseled. Yeah, Junior knew he meant mates and he was aware he’d messed up. He who hesitates and all that.

  Rather than be chided, he wanted some good advice on how to turn things around. He would do almost anything to get his woman to turn back to him. Neither Shay nor even Radvar had any useful advice. They just said hang in there and don’t give up. What kind of advice was that?”

  Junior caught sight of Talai on the other side of camp. She was speaking to a warrior, probably about her samples. At least she’d not shown a romantic interest in another male. That would kill him. He’d stayed away from the females and it seemed the word had finally spread that he was unavailable. It was a shame it hadn’t happened sooner.

  They ate an early supper of fish roasted in the coals. Meals at hunting camp were mostly or completely meat or fish. There was no way to fix anything complicated so unless they brought food along, what they found, hunted, or caught was what they ate. This encouraged them to make sure they wasted no time and gave hunting or fishing their full effort.

  He watched Talai and he felt the need and desire she’d brought out in him since the day he’d met her. How could she fight such a powerful feeling? According to Radvar, what she felt would be even stronger. If that was true, she should be on her knees from the pain of it. All she had to do is be willing to listen. The truth was on his side, if she would only let him explain.

  She looked up and caught his wistful look and she looked away quickly. One thing was clear, she wasn’t ready to listen yet. It made him burn with righteous indignation. He’d done nothing wrong. Why wouldn’t she let him convince her of that? It was sad after months of being friends and working toward more, she had thrown it all away in a moment. There had been no trust, not on her part.

>   It may have been best that they hadn’t progressed with their relationship since it lacked the basic things needed to work properly. The attraction between fated mates was important, but when he was around Shay and Radvar, their love pulsed filling the air around them. They both had a single minded devotion to the other and trust was a given. They had learned to compromise and their relationship just worked. That’s what he wanted and demanded for a relationship that would define his life and last forever.

  After the warrior’s finished telling their wonderful tales of battle and the hunt, they all settled down in their sleeping bags to sleep. He ached with unfulfilled longing, but he would survive. Any day now, Shay would deliver her babies and he would be an uncle. Even if he never had a child of his own, their line would continue and he would have children to love and mentor. It might not be the future he’d dreamed about, but he would embrace whatever joys life bestowed upon him.

  Surprisingly, sleep found him easily and he woke in the predawn hour feeling alright. A noise had woken him and he was up in an instant and armed with one of the stun guns the Majuri had provided. A horrible shrill yell shattered the night and he began to shoot as the ape men that had abducted Dervac’s mate not long ago rushed the camp. Junior accounted for himself well taking down a dozen or more. The other men began to help and soon they were routed and on the run.

  “Take a roll call of everyone with us especially the females and children.”

  Dervac came back a few minutes later. They are all accounted for. We were lucky you were awake. You took out half of them by yourself. Those you hit are still stunned and lying on the ground. What do you wish to do with them?”

  “Pick a couple that look like leaders and let the rest go. Radvar will want to talk to them. We can’t let them keep attacking us like this.”