Elena, the Esteemed E-Book

Nova Edwins

• Herausgeber: Black Umbrella Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Horgerians
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 98

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

I prefer to have my peace and quiet. My cabin is secluded from the others, I'm not exactly talkative, and I prefer to spend my time alone in the forest. A mate and children are pretty much the last thing I want—at least that's what I thought before I met Elena. The human woman fascinates me deeply. Sometimes she even makes me forget that my byname is "the Reticent."  However, Elena makes it clear straight away that she is not interested in a long-term relationship or similar commitments. So why am I somehow... disappointed? Slightly dark sci-fi romance with a happy ending.

Leseprobe

ELENA, THE ESTEEMED

HORGERIANS

BOOK 5

NOVA EDWINS

A DARK SCI-FI ROMANCE

CONTENTS

Free Prequel

Elena, the Esteemed

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About Nova Edwins

FREE PREQUEL

Planet Earth as I knew it no longer exists, and I have no choice but to leave. However, I have only one chance of starting over: convincing someone with a spaceship that it's worth taking me with them.

When I hear the rumor that a Horgerian man will be leaving for his home planet Horgerion fairly soon, I decide to throw myself at him—shamelessly.

There are a few minor obstacles, though:

I'm not the only woman with this idea.

I know nothing about Horgerians or the planet Horgerion.

And when I find out that Horgerians like to eat human flesh, it's already too late ...

This short story contains a touch of the apocalypse, an unexpected savior, and a desperate heroine who is prepared to do (almost) anything.

click here to download for free

ELENA, THE ESTEEMED

I prefer to have my peace and quiet. My cabin is secluded from the others, I'm not exactly talkative, and I prefer to spend my time alone in the forest.

A mate and children are pretty much the last thing I want—at least that's what I thought before I met Elena. The human woman fascinates me deeply. Sometimes she even makes me forget that my byname is "the Reticent."

However, Elena makes it clear straight away that she is not interested in a long-term relationship or similar commitments.

So why am I somehow... disappointed?

Slightly dark sci-fi romance with a happy ending.

1

ELENA

I clenched my fists and jutted my chin, although I had resolved to stay calm this time—but Worah made it really difficult.

"It's just not a good idea, my child." She sighed sadly. "I really wish you'd realize that."

For a moment I was torn between gritting my teeth or baring them right at Worah, despite knowing that I'd never be able to disrespect our High Priestess—regardless of whether I wanted to strangle her or not sometimes. And it wasn't like I'd even have a chance in the first place. After all, I was "only" human. She never let me forget that.

Hiding my clenched fist behind my back, my fingernails digging deep into my palms, I answered, "It would just be sex."

Worah closed her eyes for a moment, and for the first time I had the impression that she was struggling with the desire to slowly and gleefully wring my neck as much as I wanted to go for her throat. Then she took a deep breath—I had only ever seen her like this before when Mariam, the Brave, had teased her to the limit of her patience.

"You're human, Elena." Worah looked at me insistently, trying to stare me into the ground. "Armed or not, you don't stand a chance against a full-grown Horgerian. Even if I disregard the fact that you sometimes make rash decisions and occasionally overestimate yourself, it's simply not a good idea. You are small and easily disarmed. Should the man decide not to let Mariam or Karinka go, they can still rely on their power, their claws, and their fangs. Your teeth are hardly a threat to Orlen tubers, let alone the tough skin on a Horgerian man's throat. He would hold you with one hand and do unspeakable things with the other—without having to try hard."

"I'm not an idiot," I replied. "I'd choose the right man, of course." This discussion was getting tiresome, and we'd definitely had it far too often recently.

Worah just didn't want to understand my point of view. She didn't seem to believe me when I told her how much everything inside me was longing for a baby. I wanted a child—my own child. And that wasn't possible without an ah’tze man.

"The right man." Worah snorted. "As if he even exists. Men are monsters driven by the urges that we only have control over because we never showed weakness. They're in awe of women, and while you're one of us, that's not what a man will see when he looks at you." Ramming her wooden staff against my chest, Worah continued, "It will not matter whether you wear our clothes and the breastplate once the man's cock does the thinking. Then you're just a sweet, defenseless pussy."

I tried not to show how much the spot where she had hit me hurt despite the breastplate—I mustn't, because it proved Worah's point. It hadn't even been a firm push, but I still wanted to sit down for a moment.

Norma, one of the human women from the men's village, had told me that I was "absurdly strong." However, I knew that I was only "absurdly strong" compared to another human woman, and all the other Horgerian women knew it. They were just nice enough not to point it out constantly.

"Ragash worships Norma," I said. "As if I can't find someone like him for a few nights. Maybe even just for one night, if I'm lucky."

Ragash was the healer from the men's village, and at this point there were four human women already living there. Regardless of what Worah claimed, they seemed happy and content. I remembered exactly how Norma had trembled and shaken with fear when she had come to us—and now she was living with a man. I had heard with my own ears how she had snapped at him because he'd done something she said he shouldn't have done. Ragash had crossed his arms and pouted, while Norma had just rolled her eyes. This wasn't how someone behaved who was afraid of their partner. It really shouldn't be too difficult to find a man like that for myself—especially not if it was a temporary arrangement. According to Worah, the men were instinct-driven and completely fixated on sex. As if anyone would resist my offer.

"No." Worah glared at me. "That's my last word, Elena. This discussion is over and we will not resume it." With that, the High Priestess walked away, banging the end of her cane loudly against the stone floor again and again to express her displeasure.

With a pissed-off noise, I turned around, too. So I'd have to return to my chamber. What else could I do?

Although...

I looked around furtively. Since I was alone, no one would probably notice if I snuck away. As long as I took my spear with me, I'd be able to claim that I had gone hunting once I returned, and that luck had evaded me. Yes, it was a little implausible because I was an excellent tracker and outstanding hunter, but more importantly, there was no way anyone could prove me wrong—and I also knew that Mariam had been performing exactly the same ruse for weeks. She kept disappearing, usually in broad daylight, even though it was against the rules. We were only allowed to visit the men's village at night … Well, everyone else was allowed to visit the village at night. Strictly speaking, I didn't have permission to go.

But how was I supposed to find the right man when all I could do here was sit on my ass and wait?

It was an easy decision. I fetched my spear and the sling bag that I always took hunting with me. In case anyone was overly curious, I'd simply say that I had vented my frustrations outside. By now it wasn't a secret that I wanted a baby and was sour because Worah kept telling me no.

However, no one paid any attention to me when I left the mountain. The suns were high in the sky, and for a moment it was strange to make my way down to the village in daylight, but I had walked there with the others often enough to easily find it anyway.

My steps became more lively the farther I moved away from our hidden home deep inside the mountain. I wondered what kind of man I wanted.

Ragash came to mind with his stubbornness. He would probably have been a good choice, but he was taken. Mariam had once said that she wanted someone taller than her because she was tall even by Horgerian standards. That point was negligible for me, because next to humans all Horgerians were huge.

I wanted an experienced warrior, a ruthless and unscrupulous fighter who would emerge victorious from every confrontation. A man with big muscles and scars from his adventures.

On second thought, an unscrupulous man was probably not a good idea. What if he had no scruples about taking me captive either?

Did I need a gentle giant? But I wanted my child to get courage and strength, assertiveness and cunning from his father.

With a sigh, I jumped over a thick branch that was sticking out into my path. I had to have a look at the available men before I chose one, that much was clear. The more I daydreamed without knowing concrete facts, the more likely I was to be disappointed. The better the fantasy, the more sobering the reality usually was. After all, I couldn't knock on men's doors and ask them questions about their nature and their fighting experience.

Instead, I would stick to the shadows, invisible and unheard—as usual. The men didn't know that a human woman lived among the Horgerians, and it was better that way. I was just here to observe and make a preliminary selection. Nothing more.

As I heard a rustling sound not far from me, I instinctively went to my knees, hiding behind a tree trunk.

"We have to go that way," hissed a voice.

The clacking sounds were all too familiar to me. Cophots. Three of them. Poachers who were causing nothing but trouble on Horgerion.

They didn't worry me, though. Cophots were about my size and alway hunted in packs, as they were too weak to kill even a young Sirrel on their own. I was confident that I'd stand my ground if the worst came to the worst, but I had no intention of messing with them. Contrary to what Worah apparently thought, I was smart enough not to provoke a fight.

I would just sit here and wait until they had gone, and later I'd tell Mariam about the Cophots. She'd most definitely take them out.

"No, no, we have to go that way," insisted the other.

"Wait a minute." One of them sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

Now the other two also turned slowly, their pointed noses raised in the air. "That's..."

"A female!" the spokesman exclaimed triumphantly.

They continued sniffing for a moment until they were all staring in the direction where I was hiding. Their eyesight wasn't particularly good, but they would undoubtedly come closer, driven by their curiosity, and discover me sooner or later.

With a sigh, I gripped my spear tighter and stood up. So much for not getting into a fight.

At least I now had a good story as to why I'd come home empty-handed after my supposed hunting trip.

2

WARRIK

Scratching the back of my head, I stopped and lifted the slender stalk in my fingers. These ah'tze herbs all looked the same.

Why had I offered to help Ragash out, saying I was on my way to the forest anyway? That's what I got for being nice.