Earth Borne

by Rachael Slate

  Her heart beat in time with her small, panted breaths. Thereus did not guess at her true identity.

  “I don’t doubt it, brother.” Agrius rose and placed his hands on Thereus’s shoulders. “This, well, this is a revelation. I must say, it does shed a lot of light on everything.” He gave Thereus a quick, firm shake. “Even so, lad, I wish you’d come to me. We would have found another solution.”

  Thereus opened his mouth, but Agrius held up a hand to stop him from speaking. “This is in the past. What matters is your family. What are your plans with regard to them?”

  “Damned if I know.” Her centaur shrugged. “I’ll never give up Lucian, ever. I couldn’t be happier to be a father.”

  “What of your wife?”

  His wide grin tugged at her heart. “I can’t say, Agrius, but I want her. My horse chose her. You heard Father. I’ve three weeks remaining. I don’t intend to waste them.” Melita smiled despite the tension seizing her muscles.

  Agrius grunted in approval, lifting one brow. “What of the maiden? I’ve never heard of a male bonding to two females.”

  “True, but before I returned, Persephone warned me that I would meet my mate. Mayhap she has given me this chance to set my past to rights.” Thereus shook his head. “The maiden, I didn’t bond with her, it only started.” He puffed out his breath. “Though she’s haunted my dreams for five years, she isn’t real to me. I do not love her. I regret deeply what I did to her, and my guilt keeps her alive.” He rubbed his left bicep. “Kalliste, she’s here, she’s real. And she haunts me night and day.”

  Agrius nodded. “Aye. Kalliste’s a lovely lass. A fine mother. She and Eione get along splendidly. She’s truly become a part of this family.”

  Thereus shuffled to the cabinet and poured another drink. “Kalliste and I are proof people can change.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” Agrius grinned, raising his glass. He sank onto his chair, waving for Thereus to do the same. “Tell me, brother, how you truly are. I’ve been through the bonding. I’ve experienced the madness of it, even if only briefly. I can’t imagine how you’ve been living with that thing,” he pointed to Thereus’s arm, “for this long.”

  “I’d like to gnaw it off with my teeth.” He scratched at his upper left arm.

  “When are you going to do something about it, lad?”

  Thereus dropped his head into his hands. “I’ll be fine, big brother.”

  Agrius snorted. “Do you not recall nearly beating Petraeus to death? Father will not allow such aggression again.”

  Beating Petraeus? Oh, no, Thereus. Her nymph half shuddered at such violence. Was this the brawl that had landed Thereus in the dungeon?

  Thereus set his glass on the side table and folded his arms. “I’ve been through much worse. So long as I’m making progress with my mate, my horse is tempered. He wants her as badly as I do, and he fathoms the risk if we move too quickly.” He uncrossed his arms, reclaimed his glass and leaned back. “As for that bastard, he got what he deserved.”

  Agrius grunted. “You must be in agony.”

  “Brother, I’ve dealt with it for five years. A few more weeks won’t kill me.” He paused, peering into his glass and swirling the golden liquid. “Losing her would.”

  Her heart sprang into her throat. Bondings and godly schemes aside, did he possess true affection toward her?

  Agrius smiled. “Well, I’ll not keep you from her any longer. Or me from my bride, for that matter.” He chuckled before his tone grew serious once more. “These past few days have been hard on Kalliste.” He rose and the two brothers embraced.

  “I’m happy for you, Agrius. If anyone deserves love, it’s you.”

  “No, my brother,” he murmured. “We all deserve love. What the Fates decide and the gods permit is another question altogether.” He clapped Thereus on the shoulders before striding away.

  Her centaur stood by the fire, staring into the flames for a few minutes, before he too departed.

  Melita let out the deepest breath she’d ever held and wrung her fingers. Better if she hadn’t been a wallflower, though then she might never have learned the truth.

  Thereus wishes to bond with me.

  If he did, no centaur, law or not, would execute her. No matter her crimes. She would be safe.

  She should have been elated, but the guilt of her secrets sank deeper, a bitter weight in the bottom of her stomach. He’d begun bonding with her five years ago. With me. Yet he’d left because he hadn’t cared for her. What if he never would?

  He’d known, damn him. He’d grasped what he could have been to her and he’d abandoned that future. No, he left for Kalliste. Because he’d dishonored her.

  Because he’d fallen victim to Melita’s charades.

  He craved her, but was it Melita he desired? Or Kalliste? A mix of both?

  If his urge to bond arose because of Lucian, the truth was, she hadn’t birthed his heir.

  He’d stated he didn’t seek the woman from his past. Would he despise her, when he learned the truth?

  The castle’s cold stone walls suffocated her strained breaths. The confinement of the past few days, and the weight of Thereus’s confession, strangled her. The urge to break free from this prison of deception clenched her chest. She sank to her knees, gasping, as her lungs required purer air than what they found in this false sanctuary. The impulse to retreat to the woods ground through her.

  Only with a clear mind would she determine what, if anything, the real Melita meant to Thereus.

  ***

  “It’s awful cold out this eve, milady.” One of the two centaur night guards did his best to dissuade her.

  She held up a hand to silence his comrade’s protests. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

  “All right, milady. Make sure to stay within the castle grounds,” the first guard warned. “A pack of wolves has been preying on the local farms.”

  “Yes, I will, thank you.” She waved off his instructions. Her body seized control from her mind. The night air called to her. The moon lit the forest, promising its comforting embrace.

  Trees, yes, she longed for trees. Surrounded by plants, she’d be able to compose herself. With as much ease as she did in Thereus’s arms.

  Melita grimaced. Fool, you’ve come to clear your head of him. Yet her every thought strayed to Thereus. Rather than fight, she replayed the conversation in her mind. She haunts me night and day. Her lips tugged into a smile, a warmth curling into her chest. Was he rendered as weak as she by the passion blazing between them? Did he truly wish to bond with her?

  The evening air soothed her, the forest beckoned, and she treaded deeper into the woods. The castle faded from her view, the flicker of its torches dimming in contrast to the twinkle of the stars above.

  By not bonding with her, was Thereus in pain?

  She scoffed at the idea, having never placed any faith in this bonding process. What of Eione and Agrius, Oreius, even Delia and Hector? To them it was real. If so, how could she cause Thereus any suffering?

  However he regarded her, she would always care for him. She’d accepted that long ago. At the notion of hurting him, well, she might as well thrust a dagger into her heart.

  A low growl cut through the crisp night air to her left, slicing into her mind. The threat of violence was mirrored on her right and behind her. Too late she absorbed the words of the night guard. Wolves.

  She dared a glance to the left and feral yellow orbs glowered at her. Time slowed; her heart raced. She swallowed the gasp in her throat and lowered her hands to her pockets, careful to make no sudden movements. No. Her pockets were empty. Panic lodged into her throat. No dagger. No weapon. Only her and the wolves.

  She traced the path she’d followed. The castle lay far from view. No one would hear her screams.

  Her breath fogged into the cool air. Sinister stares tracked her as though she was their prey.

  She peered into the forest. Dozens of gleaming eyes glared back, waiting to strike. He
r hands grew clammy and she rubbed her moist palms on her skirts. The nymph inside her begged to submit.

  Nymphs always submitted.

  No. Melita embraced her fear and stamped down her nymph nature. The sole weapon she possessed, she’d never used in violence. Only to heal. She’d never fought. Her nymph side ruled her.

  If she succumbed tonight, she would lose far more than her life.

  She’d lose the chance to live her true one.

  One, two, three… Melita counted to ten, letting the panic rush through her and hopefully, out of her. If being a mother taught her nothing else, she at least could clear her mind. The mischief her son caused never failed to make her explode, but she had learned to cage her anger and she did the same with her panic.

  Thinking about Lucian lent her strength. She might be outnumbered, but she’d fight with everything she had. A whispered prayer to Demeter passed through her trembling lips. Her hands closed into tight fists as they glowed an ethereal verdant.

  By the gods above, she’d fight.

  ***

  Thereus leaned out the window and sniffed the night air. Something was wrong. An unwelcome burn of acid poked into his gut. Lucian was gone to bed. He’d checked on the lad, but he’d yet to locate Kalliste. Her chamber was empty.

  He quickened his pace, until his horse legs rushed into a gallop. Rushing down the stairs, his hooves skidded to an abrupt halt at the base. The Portal shimmered as though recently used.

  He strode to the two night guards. “Who passed through the Portal?”

  “Lady Kalliste, milord,” the guard on the right answered. “She wished to stroll the castle grounds. Is something amiss, milord?”

  Thereus cursed and shoved past them to command the Portal to transport him below. His wife had departed the castle. ’Twas his fault. He’d perceived the hurt in her eyes and ignored it, deeming he’d visit her later. Feisty lass. She was too strong-willed to be dismissed.

  His hearts, centaur and human, pounded in time with one another. Where did she go? He spun as he sniffed the night air, searching for her scent. There. Bloody hell. He shook out his exasperation and galloped, following her path away from the castle grounds.

  At the edge of the forest, he let his nose do the work. Tracking Kalliste’s scent came as naturally to him as a bee to a flower. Sweet gods, how he’d love to pollinate her. He was about to laugh at his joke, but another, darker scent overpowered Kalliste’s.

  Panic and rage both iced and burned through his muscles while he sped through the forest, hooves pounding the soft earth. That musky odor… Terror lumped into his stomach. Wolves.

  He broke through a thick bundle of bushes, thorns tearing through his lower legs. Ignoring the stinging gashes, he searched for Kalliste.

  A hundred feet ahead, her glowing green hands swiped through the air, cleverly commanding the roots of trees to trap the wolves, the branches to beat them back.

  Bloody hell. Too many. His sweet, gentle nymph fought for her life with every ounce of strength she possessed. Amongst the other scents he distinguished the one scent driving the beast within him to madness.

  Her blood.

  His horse reared and overcame his human will. The predator scanned the forest, assessing his prey.

  Unsheathing a handful of daggers, he tossed them into the wolves. His aim lethal, he cut through them. A path of blood and carnage toward his mate.

  The wolves drove to attack him. One lunged at him and he took great pleasure in catching the fiend and snapping its neck.

  Three charged his flank, fangs gnashing at his hide. He snarled, baring his teeth and daring them to draw blood.

  One leapt in attack. Thereus snared its jaws and snapped open its skull. The other two yelped and whimpering, scampered backward.

  These wolves had never fought a centaur before, and they were horribly unprepared for both his agility and his strength. Add in his urge to protect and avenge his mate.

  These wolves would fall to his slaughter.

  He roared at the cowering beasts. They mustered their courage and responded with ominous growls. Together, they renewed their attack. One nipped at his hooves. The other sprang onto his back. Their teeth sank into his shoulder; their claws ripped at his hide.

  Thereus brandished his talons—steel blades gripped in his hands—and slashed at the beast on his back. He sliced through fur and flesh. The wolf howled, lessening his bite. Thereus wrenched his arms backward and, snatching the beast, tossed it to the forest floor. To the one at his feet, he sent a swift kick with his hind leg, bashing it against a tree.

  He grimaced as the slick ooze of blood trickled down his flesh. How deep had the wolf’s bite sunk?

  The three wolves lay dead around him, yet others in the forest snarled in offense. Most of the creatures prowled toward him, but one of those bastards crept toward her.

  “Kalliste!” he shouted above the thunder of the wolves. In this moment, he longed for nothing more than to gather her in his arms and rock her until her fears were no more.

  The wolf had other ideas as it growled deep in its throat and lunged for her. “Behind you!”

  She twisted aside, but her foot snagged on a root and she tumbled to the ground. The wolf grabbed hold of her boot.

  Her scream tore his soul apart. He would not lose her.

  His nymph was too gentle. Incapable of violence, she merely stared at the creature with wide, terrified eyes. Its hot breath misted as the beast slunk over her, preparing to sink its teeth into her neck.

  “Fight back, damn you!” he cursed as he slashed through the pack of wolves swarming him. Their claws lacerated his forearms; their fangs punctured his hide. He swiped the sweat from his face and blinked through the blur caused by the loss of his blood.

  Like his worst nightmare, his body refused to obey the commands of his mind. No, no. This wasn’t happening. Even so, his legs collapsed under him and he crashed into the earth with a dull thud. His will floundered as the darkness threatened to drag him under.

  Your love makes her strong. The feminine cadence lured him toward consciousness. Yes, Thereus. Make her strong.

  A shrill cry pierced through the melodic waves. His eyes flew open.

  Desperation crawled into his skin and dread flushed through his veins. The scream was his mate’s. No. He roared to life, kicking at the wolves with his hooves. His hands gripped his knives and he slashed at the wolves covering his body. He severed them from their deathly embrace and rent them from his flesh, not caring how much of it they took with them. Sweet, sticky warmth flowed down the length of his body. Some of the blood his own.

  His enemies lay unmoving, so he crept toward Kalliste. Using his upper body to crawl forward, he rallied every last ounce of strength. He would not lose her.

  Relief shattered his terror as he hefted himself up the small bank and spotted Kalliste. She was alive. He wasn’t too late.

  The wolf. Where was the wolf?

  He whistled low. The animal slumped, dead at her feet. A bloodied stake protruded from its chest. Kalliste had sunk to her knees, staring at her hands as she twisted them over, a mixture of horror and wonder in her eyes.

  Strong. He pinched the bridge of his nose, certain he was missing a connection. Something he ought to recall, but the memory evaded him.

  Scarlet coated her hands, offsetting the cream of her skin. Kalliste swayed back and forth, and her soft panting reached his ears.

  What remained of the pack likely decided the fight was lost, and they retreated, low snarls billowing in their wake. He growled back, more than ready to continue if they wished to reclaim their honor.

  His wife’s hands stopped glowing as she released the wolves she’d trapped with tree roots. Those ones whimpered and scampered off.

  Thereus switched to human form and limped to Kalliste. It was too dark to tell which blood was hers, so he prodded her body with his hands, determined to check her injuries. Her shaking increased, and he sank into the ground with her, cradling her in
his arms.

  “Melita, Melita, my love, my sweet.” The words flowed out of his mouth as he pressed his lips against her hair.

  She gasped as his fingers brushed her arm. A wound. It must be cleaned. He sniffed. A stream flowed not far from here. Gathering her in his arms, he tucked her face into his chest so she wouldn’t catch even a glimpse of the violence he’d unleashed.

  He avoided the dead wolves as he wound toward the stream. After tearing a piece of cloth from the bottom of her skirt, he dipped it in the stream and dabbed at her injury. Not a whisper of complaint passed through her lips. He finished and tore another strip, winding it around her arm.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he clutched her to his chest. Sobs she’d held in broke through her shock. He smoothed his fingers to brush away her tears.

  “You’re safe,” he whispered against her cheek. “I’d never let anything hurt you.” Thereus swallowed back the awkwardness of his movements. He was unused to comforting anyone, yet satisfaction rose in his chest at how she clung to him. Her cries lessened as he murmured reassurances to her. His mate’s trust made him invincible.

  He lifted his head and surveyed the carnage he’d left behind. As a pyrate, he’d fought many battles. Never had he done anything like this. Defended his woman. His chest puffed and his horse reared.

  Despite the blood loss, he wasn’t spent in the least. In fact, he’d love a rematch. Switching to human form was a quick way to heal his injuries, and already he was invigorated. He’d do it again a hundred times, to be able to hold Kalliste like this.

  At last, she lifted those dark, shining eyes to gaze upon him and the forest fell away. He couldn’t resist pressing his lips against hers and he daren’t try.