HerMatesEmbrace

by Rebecca Airies

  Maybe she’d been afraid that the memories of what had been done to her had tainted the beauty, but it hadn’t. Right now, thinking of that place, all she could remember about it were the lush flowers and reeds lining the bank of the small, clear pool and the slight chill of the water as she waded slowly into it. The blossoms’ heavy scent had perfumed the air. Sometimes even heavier than the scent around her now.

  “I only did it this way to show you that magic was being used. Most of the time, it won’t be obvious. Depending on how much time we have to prepare for the discharge and the conditions, we’ll probably simply discharge the power in a way no one could get hurt by it. Nothing created, nothing destroyed.” Linc released her hand.

  “Thank you. I probably would have wondered if you were trying simply to reassure me or give me a little confidence if I hadn’t seen something,” she admitted with a small smile.

  “We wouldn’t lie to you about this. You have to know we won’t lie to you about this if you’re going to be able to trust us enough to come to us with a problem.” Colm stood. “Now, I’m going to walk over there because the lesson’s over and it’s time for us to leave you to your rest.”

  She didn’t understand why he had to come over here since the lesson was over, but his approach didn’t panic her. He walked over and stood beside Linc and looked at her for a moment. It wasn’t the predatory appraisal of earlier. This was softer. It almost seemed as if he was trying to discover what she was thinking and feeling just by watching her.

  “The lesson tonight has relieved a few of my worries, and in spite of the fact that I really didn’t want to do it, I needed this.” She looked from one to the other expecting one of them to say good night or goodbye.

  “That’s good. You’ve been worrying too much.” Colm brushed his fingers along her jaw. “I’d kiss you, but it would probably send you running. I will do it soon, though. I want you to think about that and try to see past whatever fears are holding you back from what you want, because we know what we want.”

  Cami stared at him wide-eyed. Her skin seemed hypersensitive. That simple touch radiated over her body. Such a light touch shouldn’t have that effect. She licked her lips, unsure of what to say or how to respond. The man was too confident and she felt lost.

  “Good night, Cami. We’ll see you in the morning.” Linc’s fingers touched her hand again and then he turned and went to the door.

  Colm’s eyes ran over her face for a long moment before he followed. She trailed after him and locked the door. She needed to rest, but with everything they’d said tonight, she was fairly sure she wouldn’t get much sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Cami looked around the square outside of the gatehouse on Katori, the homeworld of Tobai Thent. The village here was bigger than she’d actually expected. It was all more than she’d imagined. Santir warriors guarded the gatehouse. Cream-colored buildings trimmed with dark-brown wood surrounded the cobbled area. As far as she could tell, the cobbled streets continued throughout the town.

  A stall selling fruits offered their wares beside another stand selling bread. The heady scent of the fresh bread combined with the luscious sweet smell of fruit made her hungry even though she’d recently eaten. She knew from a few comments that this wasn’t the main market. The booths here offered the wares of a few enterprising people in an effort to take advantage of the hunger of those who came to the gatehouse, but didn’t wander far from it.

  The young, brown-haired woman behind the fruit stall smiled suddenly and ran out from behind it. She sprinted across the square and dashed through the group of Santir. Cami turned in time to see her jump into the arms of one of Linc and Colm’s men. She thought his name was Anton, but she wasn’t sure.

  The woman kissed him soundly and her arms tightened in a fierce hug. One of his large arms banded around her waist, holding her to him, and his free hand cupped the back of her head. Cami looked away, feeling as if she was intruding.

  She moved to the side and stayed out of the way as the men led the mican and michkal from the travel-gate house. She was relieved to have some time relatively alone, although she knew there were those who kept a discreet eye on her.

  Her prediction last night had proved true. She hadn’t gotten much sleep.

  The feeling of being hunted and trapped had kept her on edge. She didn’t have a plan to deal with their pursuit. Until Laed and Kynar had been stopped, she couldn’t leave, although she wanted to run. Cami saw the young woman return to her stall, holding hands with the warrior. She smiled at the gesture. From the way the warrior looked down at her, Cami knew the woman was more than just a willing bed partner.

  Cami would like to wander around the village a little and explore. She was restless and would have liked to stretch her legs after riding to the gate, but Colm and Linc had told her to stay in the square. She wasn’t happy about it, but it wasn’t something she was going to defy them over. Especially not since she was still a little unsure of them. That made her feel a little bit cowardly.

  The thought shot through her. She straightened. She wasn’t a coward. She’d been hurt, but that shouldn’t take away who she was. They weren’t her Ardin. She was here by her own choice. If she wanted to explore, then she’d explore. Aside from that, this was a good time to test them. They were in a public place and there would be others around to help if they did turn out to be the kind of men she shouldn’t trust.

  She didn’t hesitate any longer. The men set to watch her might stop her before she left the square, but being cautious wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She wanted to give it a try before she decided it was impossible. Without glancing around to see who was watching, she simply began walking for one of the exits to the square.

  When she reached it, she fully expected to be stopped and questioned. She held her breath. Her tension grew with each step she took. When she managed to get down the street and around a corner, she exhaled and looked back over her shoulder just to see if they were following her. She didn’t recognize any people along the lane.

  Shrugging, she turned and began walking down the narrow street again. If they wanted her to stop, they were going to have to come after her. She wasn’t going to go back. This might be the one time she could wander free without too much worry. Laed and Kynar would follow eventually, but she thought she was safe for now. Well, aside from having to deal with Colm and Linc’s anger. That was something she knew she’d have to face soon, but she was going to enjoy herself in the meantime.

  She enjoyed looking at the houses as she tried to find the market. Although the color of the buildings changed, the style and the dark-brown trim remained the same. She wandered through the streets until she finally came to the market.

  Brightly colored awnings hung over the tables and stalls lining the market street. People moved slowly down the street or perused the wares available. A smile curved her lips as she moved into the bustling area. Inhaling, she took in the exotic smells. The scent of spices and flowers filled her senses. She moved from one stall to the other, mainly looking because she really didn’t need anything. A stall of necklaces and bracelets did draw her back more than once. She admired the beautiful jewelry on display.

  “There you are. You’re supposed to be back there in the square. Colm and Linc have definitely noticed you’re missing.” Avan’s hand turned her as he came up beside her.

  “So they’ve noticed I’m missing.” She shrugged and shot Avan a look. She didn’t know why he was worried about it. “I technically don’t have to follow their orders. They aren’t my Ardin.”

  Avan shook his head and she heard him groan. “This isn’t the time for you to start getting your spirit back. And you know they consider you more than some guest who’s free to come and go as she pleases. I’ve seen the way they watch you.”

  “And when is the time for me to get my spirit back?” She smiled because he was right. She was slowly returning to normal and that was something that she hadn’t expected to happen, especially
not while she was with any sort of Thent.

  “Don’t try to ignore the rest of what I said. You’re just lucky I heard them asking about you as I was coming around the corner. They didn’t see me. Let’s go back to the square before someone else finds you.” Avan took her arm and tugged gently.

  “Avan, I don’t need you protecting me from them,” she sighed. Although it was nice of him to try, in a way, she needed to know what they would do if she made them really angry.

  “I don’t think you mean it the way I want you to, do you?” Avan smiled. “You’re a long way from trusting them enough to know that they’d never hurt you as you fear. I know you don’t need me to protect you, but let me make this time easier. You can test them later once you know more about them.”

  “Why shouldn’t I test them now? What’s going to change between now and whenever I know more about them?” She began walking with him, but wasn’t agreeing to let him help her. Whatever that entailed.

  “When you know more of them, you’ll know that you’re not in the same kind of danger you lived through with Laed and Kynar. Colm and Linc aren’t vicious. They can control their tempers.” Avan began leading her back through the narrow streets to the square.

  “I’m supposed to learn all of that without ever seeing them angry and making them that way myself. How will I truly know that they’re not going to suddenly slap me across the room if I don’t push the control you say they have?” She tilted her head and looked over at Avan. He didn’t understand how bad it had been and how hard it was for her to give her trust to someone. She needed proof, not just assurances. “And I’d rather find out what they’ll do in public where I have a real chance of getting some help if I need it.”

  Avan sighed. “You won’t need it, but I’ll let you do it your way.”

  “Thank you.” She kept her lips in straight line and didn’t comment on his letting her do it her way.

  “Hey, if you’d rather feel the sharp edge of their tongue and see just how they react when you test them instead of letting me take the pressure off you, that’s your choice, although it’s not the smartest thing you’ve done.” Avan shrugged. “Let’s get back so we can get this over with.”

  She laughed softly. “You’re acting as if it’s you who’s going to be in trouble.”

  “I just think you should move more cautiously. You’re only now getting to a point where you’re not cringing every time they come near you. I know they won’t hit you as you fear, but they could get too close to you and scare you with their intensity.” Avan didn’t look back at her as they approached the square.

  She wanted to protest the cringing every time Colm and Linc came near her, but she couldn’t do that honestly. She was honest enough to admit that she’d cringed a few times when any man drew close. Maybe he was exaggerating a little, but she knew she was wary around them especially. She hadn’t realized that it had been so obvious to everyone else. She was tempted to ask Avan if he’d seen it because he knew her, but right now, that wasn’t important.

  “This is something I have to know before I find myself trapped within the walls of their Thent. People say so many things. Some are lies, but it’s how they behave when stressed that reveals the proof. I need to know that I’ll be safe with them until we catch Laed and Kynar.” She kept her voice low. She didn’t want anyone close to them to overhear her reasons. It was bad enough admitting to the fear, having everyone know the details would be even worse.

  “You already know it, Cami. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You wouldn’t have even tried to find them if part of you wasn’t absolutely sure that you could trust them with your life.” Avan shook his head, but kept his voice as low as she had.

  She shrugged. Even if that were true, there was part of her that didn’t know it. The doubts floated around in her head and she couldn’t get them to stop. How was she supposed to know who could be trusted?

  Cami didn’t have time to think of a reply. They walked into the square and Cami felt her breath lock in her throat at what she saw across the market. It wasn’t the Ardin. She hadn’t spotted them yet. It was a man in a long white and black robe.

  She hadn’t seen one of them for years, but fear surged through her. That robe had haunted her nightmares after her brief brush with one of the monks. He’d only grabbed her arm. No lasting damage. Even now she could hear her mother’s voice telling her what would happen if they ever succeeded in taking her.

  She hoped they didn’t have a monastery on this planet. After the initial surge of fear faded, she realized they couldn’t be after her, but they were talking to an older woman as well as the young woman she’d seen hug Anton earlier. That concerned her.

  “Cami, there you are. Where were you?” Colm strode across the square and met them as they entered it.

  “I went for a walk. I was restless.” She shrugged as if it should have been fairly obvious. It was her first tactic in dealing with them. If feigning confident unconcern didn’t work, she’d try something else.

  “You were told to stay in the square. Was something about that unclear?” Linc’s brows drew down over his green eyes.

  She drew in slow breath before answering. “No, I understood that you wanted me here. I wanted to explore a little.”

  She kept her eyes on both of them. Laed and Kynar had taught her that she couldn’t focus only on the man who was talking. When it came to men who ruled together, a woman also had to be aware of the silent one. Sometimes, the one who was just standing there glaring needed watching even more than the one who was raging.

  Colm’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say a word. His muscles tensed and his arms hung at his sides, but at least his hands weren’t clenched. In a way, that worried her more than the clear anger she could hear in Linc’s voice. She wished he would say something so she could get a gauge on exactly what he was feeling and what he’d do.

  “You wanted to explore. And our order to you meant nothing to you?” Linc took a step forward.

  “I’m here to help stop Laed and Kynar, not join a Thent. When it comes to that, I’ll heed your word, and if there was some danger, I’d probably follow it there too, but a walk through the streets here isn’t in any way dangerous.” She shot Linc a tight smile and shifted her feet a little. She wanted to be able to move as fast as possible if Linc came any closer.

  She saw Colm’s eyes narrow and then he relaxed suddenly. He shook his head.

  “You’re pushing. Are you afraid that we’ll get too close? That you won’t want to keep us at a distance?” One of Linc’s hands braced on his hip as he leaned even closer.

  “She’s testing us and you’re making her nervous.” Colm put his hand on Linc’s shoulder.

  Linc’s eyes widened and he stared at her, but he did step back. “What were you hoping to accomplish by that? We told you we wouldn’t hurt you.”

  “People say things and mean them at the time, but I couldn’t really know without proof. I still don’t know.” She frowned and shook her head. She really hadn’t expected them to figure it out that quickly. It had been a failure. She’d wanted to see their reactions and wouldn’t know now. At least, not until it was too late.

  Linc’s hand thrust through his hair. “Argh, you’re going to have to trust us sometime, Cami. I know your past makes you wary of men.”

  “Yet she pushed and tested.” Colm’s voice held a little satisfaction.

  Cami couldn’t work out what about that would make him happy. They’d both been angry that she hadn’t followed their orders until he’d worked out that she was trying to get a reaction. She’d thought he’d be angry simply because she’d done it and see it as another sign of distrust.

  Linc blinked and he slowly relaxed. “Yes, she did. You pushed when you knew that it would make us angry.”

  She had no idea which way their minds were going, but it apparently didn’t follow the line of her thinking or reality. “I wanted to do it when there were people around in case I needed help.”

&
nbsp; “That was probably part of your thinking. But would you have done it when you first met us?” Colm’s head tilted and his hair fell over his shoulder.

  Her lips tightened as she began to see where their thinking had led them. No, she wouldn’t have taken the chance of making them angry, even surrounded by a group of people. She’d have done what they asked and kept as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. There wasn’t anything that would induce her to tell them that, though. They were already too confident.

  “We will argue and probably loudly as you get your spirit back. I’ll admit I’ll probably lean in and get into your space. It’s just one of the things I do. Add to that that I like being close to you even when we’re both angry. I’m going to be nearby.” Linc reached out and brushed his hand lightly over her arm.

  She could barely feel the touch through the fabric of her shirt, but a shiver ran up her spine. It wasn’t fear. It was hot lust and she couldn’t understand how she could feel that way when she was still unsure of them.

  “I’ve already told you I don’t like being cornered.” She picked the one thing that irritated her most about his statement just to make a point that she was not going to fall in so easily with their plans.

  “And we’ll try to work around your fears until they gradually fade away.” Linc’s voice was soft and as soothing as his voice could get.

  A shout ripped through the square. Linc turned and Cami caught sight of the priest’s robe again. She saw the older woman tugging on the younger woman’s arm and the younger woman pulling back, resisting. Damn, she couldn’t believe she’d entirely forgotten about that.

  “If that woman is important to your man, you’d better stop her mother and that priest from taking her from the square. He’s not likely to see her again if they get out of sight.” Cami’s voice was firm and drew Linc and Colm’s attention back to her.

  “What?” Linc’s body immediately tensed. “What do you mean and how would that happen?”