by Cyna Kade
“Telling me is enough. If only…”
“If only, what?”
“If only you’d asked to see me. Then I might have been able to do something to free you before it came to this.”
“I didn’t know…how could I have known that?”
“You believed Kytar’s misdirection. You didn’t trust me to keep you safe.”
“No one’s ever kept me safe before, why would I think you would? I want this ritual.”
He grimaced, then stood up and kissed her forehead. “I will tell Kytar of your request. He will not be happy.” And with that parting statement, he turned and left the bedroom.
Marissa knew Davo was right, Kytar wouldn’t be happy. What would he do to her? A writhing mass coiled and tightened deep inside. The situation terrified her. She didn’t know how long she stared at the closed door after her father left. She couldn’t seem to force her mind to think. She’d been so stupid, believing she could visit Darinth and not be snared in the web of male domination. How could she have been such a fool?
Chapter Seven
“She what?” Kytar roared.
“She has requested the challenge ritual.”
“How did she even know about it?” His low voice thrummed with anger.
Davo held up a hand. “She asked me the ritual question three times. I had to answer.”
“She doesn’t even know the ritual questions, much less what they mean!”
“She didn’t understand what she agreed to when she let you bind her either,” Davo retorted.
“Understanding isn’t necessary for the binding to be successful,” Kytar bit back. “You endanger her needlessly. Do you really think she can fight me? You had no right—” His grip shattered the glass in his hand.
He looked down at the blood seeping from his hand. “I let you see her before our consummation because I thought there was nothing you could do. Why would you want your daughter to suffer my training?”
“I don’t. I tried to talk her out of requesting the ritual. Do you think I want my daughter to go through the hell of training for a test she will fail as long as you remain strong? But…” Davo suddenly sagged, like a balloon leaking air.
He reached for a chair. “You didn’t know her mother,” he whispered. “I can’t bear for Marissa to end up like her. I…I think this step is necessary.” Davo bent his head, but continued speaking. “Marissa’s mother refused my collar. In anger, not knowing she was pregnant, I sent her away. I thought she’d soon return. I didn’t think she could resist the binding. I always thought she’d come back to me. I was wrong. She didn’t come back. Marissa told me…” he took a deep breath and straightened. “Marissa told me her mother wed a man who beat her and degraded her.”
Davo ignored Kytar’s exclamation and continued, “Marissa’s mother told her she’d find freedom on Darinth. I can only assume she regretted leaving me.”
Davo paused, seeming to collect himself. “I will not have the same happen to Marissa. She feels for you but she can’t seem to admit her need. She has her mother’s stubbornness. She’ll never admit she needs you. And if she doesn’t, what type of companionship will you have? She doesn’t understand you’re not like her stepfather. The magic worked because you’re destined for each other. Explaining Darinthian customs seems to have no effect on her. Her stepfather frightened her. She thinks Darinthian customs are the same and she is fixated on a freedom I don’t believe she wants. I promised her I’d keep her safe. I believe that your training will bring out her true feelings.”
“So you’ll make me use methods similar to what she witnessed her stepfather use? How is that going to reassure her? You put us both into hell because you failed with her mother?”
“Your training might be harsh,” Davo whispered, “but we both know it will not be like what she witnessed. The bonding will make it different. You know that…” he trailed off as Kytar started pacing.
He stalked around the room as if the movement would dissipate the anger filling him. Davo put him in an untenable position. The ritual was ancient. No one had used it in his lifetime. No Darinthian woman demanded it. They understood its dangers. He frowned. “I will not stint in her training. She will suffer for daring to challenge our bonds.”
“I know,” Davo said softly. “The challenge will fail and she will learn to trust you. She will be yours. You kidnapped her to gain power and I’ve just given you the opportunity for more power than even you expected.”
“It’s not about power, not anymore,” Kytar spit back.
Davo laughed. “Oh yes, yes it is. I have faith in you both, even if you don’t. You will maintain control. Marissa won’t push you over the edge.” He paused, then took a deep breath and said, “What can my family do to help?”
Kytar stopped pacing and stared at Davo, startled by his words. Kytar hadn’t expected the ritual offer of help, not with Marissa’s challenge.
“What can my family do to help?” repeated Davo.
Kytar shrugged. “At this point, there is not much more you can do. I accept your offer and reserve the right to call on you at a later time.”
Davo nodded and left.
Kytar stared down at his bleeding hand. He hadn’t expected this turn of events. Davo’s ritual offer meant that Davo could be trusted, that he really hadn’t meant to undermine Kytar’s position. And if that were so, maybe Davo’s evaluation of his daughter was right. For Marissa’s sake, Kytar hoped so because the idea gave him the strength and hope that it might be possible to win her compliance no matter how distasteful the methods of the challenge were.
How ironic that Kytar might have to use barbaric methods to break through the barriers created by the cruelty of her stepfather. Marissa didn’t realize how dangerous the challenge was, that both of them would be tested, possibly beyond their endurance. Before he took the step that would put him in danger of becoming like her stepfather though, he’d try to convince Marissa that she didn’t want to challenge him.
* * * * *
Asking for the test was right. Kytar had no claim on her. But much as Marissa repeated the refrain, she wasn’t convinced. She almost felt him in her mind and somehow she knew he was furious about her demand. How did she know that? Was it magic? Is that why the collar was seamless? Her fingers circled around the collar at her throat but she still didn’t find a seam.
She startled out of her tumultuous uncertainty, coming back to her surroundings when her bladder made its presence known. Damn that organ. She’d have never left the arrival center if it hadn’t been for its weakness.
She grimaced as she slowly moved off the bed, every movement a throbbing echo of the binding ritual. At least she made some progress. She’d survive this ritual and gain her freedom.
Once on her feet, she swayed a little. Too many shocks, too fast, she thought as she fought off her weakness and made her way to the bathroom to relieve her most pressing need.
Once finished, she splashed water on her face. Looking up, she stared into the mirror. She didn’t look any different but hysteria threatened to overwhelm her slender resources. A bubble of laughter escaped as she realized she had someone who cared now. She’d longed for family. She’d longed to belong, but not like this. She should have been more cautious in her wishes.
The bedroom door opened, but she didn’t move. Once her nakedness would have sent her scurrying for clothes, but now she didn’t care.
Kytar moved into the doorway. Her breath hitched in her throat as she met his eyes in the mirror. His face was serious, with no hint of a smile curving his sensuous lips. Lips she wanted to feel touching her and driving her insane with need. The strength of her lust startled her, forcing her to remember that she didn’t want to be here. For a long moment, they simply stared at their mirrored images.
“Little one, you do not want to challenge me.”
“Oh yes I do,” Marissa spit out. “I want my freedom.”
“You won’t gain your freedom. Instead, you’ll give me even more
power over you. Is that what you want?”
“That’s only if I fail.”
“You will fail, little one. I have two weeks to train you. Do you really think you can hold out against me for that long? Especially when you don’t want to hold out?” He leaned back against the doorjamb and crossed his arms.
Marissa eyed his strong muscular forearms, remembering Kytar’s strength. Wanting to feel it again, she almost gave in before mentally shaking herself. What was she thinking? She stiffened and said, “I want my freedom.”
“Not only will you not gain your freedom, you will hand me total control over your very thoughts. Do you realize what that means?”
Marissa glared at him.
“It means I would no longer have to physically touch you to send you into a mind-shattering orgasm. Simply touching a strand in your mind will cause your body to do everything I command. You really don’t want that, do you?”
“That won’t happen. I’ll be free.”
“The ritual is a very public demonstration of my control over you. How will you like submitting to me in front of an audience?”
“I won’t submit to you.”
“Oh yes. Yes, you will.”
His eyes darkened and he moved closer. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he never released her gaze.
Frozen, she watched him use a hand to move her hair away from her neck. Then he lowered his head and gave her a gentle kiss above her collar, sending ripples down her back. “That’s two,” he whispered into her ear and she couldn’t prevent a sharp stab of disappointment. Despite everything, she’d hoped the second kiss would be elsewhere.
He chuckled, as if reading her mind. “You’ll not win that easily. Do you have any idea of what I’m going to do to you? I will not fail, little one.” His hand moved from her shoulder, down her arm until he could grasp her hand.
“Come along.”
“Where?”
Kytar watched the play of emotions across Marissa’s face. Anger, fear and desire warred within her. The fear lay just beneath the surface and called to him. He fought off a surge of protectiveness. He longed to pull her into his arms and to comfort her, even as he longed to satisfy them both and consummate their binding. But she’d made that impossible by calling for the challenge ritual.
How could she deny their binding when he could feel her intense arousal every time he came close? She was close to the edge and her awakening called to him, nearly overwhelming him. He exercised every bit of his control to resist her allure. He didn’t know how he was going to survive the next two weeks, but he had to. He couldn’t afford to fail now.
Davo was right. The fact she could demand the challenge meant she still wasn’t his, not totally. Successfully meeting this trial would strengthen their bonds. He’d only seen vids of the challenge rituals. Darinthian woman were rarely assertive enough to call for one. In one vid, the man’s power over his companion had been absolute. Her willing acceptance and compliance with his demands had aroused a deep desire within Kytar. He admitted, he wasn’t entirely sorry Marissa had challenged him.
If he succeeded—no, when he succeeded—she’d belong to him in unimaginable ways. He wanted to bind her with those unbreakable velvet ties. He ruthlessly shoved aside the memories of the unsuccessful rituals he’d seen, the ones where the women had broken, the ones where the man’s control had slipped, lives destroyed before the power of Darinthian magic. The ritual was not for the faint of heart. It carried its own magic, even more powerful than the binding ritual and far more dangerous. He shoved aside the possibility of failure. He needed her too much to fail. Tightening his grip on her hand, he said, “Come.”
“Where?”
“Wherever I say.” He hardened his voice into a slashing whip of words. “You are in training now. You do as I say, Marissa. You have no right to question me.” All the brown in his eyes fled from his words.
Chapter Eight
Kytar led her downstairs. At the door, he paused at a row of leashes. Marissa hadn’t noticed them when she’d entered his house, but then she’d been a little distracted. Her heart nearly stopped as she realized he meant to take her out—naked and leashed. She couldn’t go out like that! She tried to pull back, but his grip on her hand tightened. Struggling to breathe, Marissa’s vision narrowed until she looked down a long tunnel with him at the end.
He slanted a glance down at her.
Eyes wide and wild, she trembled, breasts quivering. He longed to capture them and lick her nipples to full arousal. Lust gripped him and he briefly closed his eyes to shut out the sight of her while he fought for control.
He cursed the bonds between them as he recognized that the magic had trapped him into an untenable situation. All he wanted was to slake their mutual needs, but her challenge meant they’d both have to suffer through the training. Why was she so stubborn? If he gave her an opportunity to escape training, would she take it?
Touching her shimmering curls, he asked, “Why do you deny our binding? Why do you fight the pull between us? I want nothing more than to satisfy our needs. Do you think I want to train you? The ritual is unforgiving and training means I’ll do things to you that I’d normally never consider. Don’t force me to train you because if you do, I’ll hurt you until you comply without question or hesitation. Is that really what you want?”
Marissa’s spine stiffened. “Of course not. And if you don’t want to do this, why don’t you just let me go?”
“I am bound by the magic as are you. Can you honestly tell me you don’t feel the link between us?”
He watched Marissa’s hips squirm and her thighs tighten. How could she continue to deny her need? “We are fated to be together. Call off the unbinding,” he said, voice husky.
“No. No. No. I won’t give in to this barbaric custom,” she shouted.
Their gazes locked for a long moment until Kytar moved a step closer. “Then you’ll do what I say, when I say and how I say,” he said as he hooked a finger into her collar. He frowned and pressed his fingers together. A flash of light released a ring and he attached the leash.
She stumbled as he pulled her tight and he hesitated again. She wasn’t ready. He pushed her too hard and too fast. He wanted to reassure her and tell her everything would be okay, but he knew it wouldn’t be okay as long as she demanded the ritual.
Gritting his teeth, he shoved aside his uncertainty. He only had two weeks. He had to be strong for both of them. But maybe he could give her a little comfort. He stroked a finger down her flaming face until it was under her chin and tilted her head up.
“You have no reason to be embarrassed,” he said, using his other hand to pull her even closer, crushing her breasts against his chest. “Public nudity is accepted on Darinth. No one will think it strange that you’re naked.”
“And leashed? Like a dog?”
“Your collar proves you’re mine. The leash is a common custom.”
“Not on my world,” Marissa spit out.
His eyes hardened to black, frustrated by her continued resistance. “You’re not on your world. You’re on Darinth now and you’ve accepted my collar. We are bound, whether you choose to accept that fact or not,” he said, pulling on the leash and leading her toward the door.
Marissa reared back.
Kytar stopped and slanted a glance down at her. “Your choice. We go out now or…” he paused until she looked at him, “withdraw your challenge and I won’t take you out.”
“No. I want to be free.”
“You won’t gain your freedom,” Kytar bit out in exasperation. “You’ll learn to accept your place. Maybe seeing other women gracefully submitting to their masters will teach you that women on Darinth don’t struggle against their nature.”
She clenched her jaw but remained silent.
“You’ll see some women walking and other women on their knees. You have a choice of how to accompany me—on your feet or on your knees. Do you understand?”
“Don’t do this—”
Marissa tried to pull free, but Kytar tugged on the leash and her neck bowed, causing her to stumble forward. Kytar walked out the door, past the lilacs and into the street, towing her behind. Flashing on the walk from the arrival center, when he’d ruthlessly dragged her home, Marissa knew he wouldn’t wait for her. With the leash, he controlled her direction. She had no choice but to go where he went. Marissa frowned. But if she had to be leashed, she didn’t have to walk behind him. She hurried a little until she was beside Kytar. He glanced down at her. His lips curled a little, but he didn’t comment as she kept pace at his side.
Kytar walked slowly, as if he knew how hard it was for her to stand straight under the weighted gaze of every male Darinthian they met. The looks cast her way were admiring though and as she walked down one street and onto another Marissa fractionally relaxed. No one was going to jump on her and attack her. Even Kytar couldn’t do much in public. The air caressed her breasts, making her realize that she didn’t mind her nudity as much as she thought she would, especially when every other woman was naked too.
Marissa saw women walking and women crawling. She couldn’t quite understand their expressions of bliss—she wasn’t that happy about Kytar leading her around. They seemed happy though, even the ones with lash marks across their buttocks.
She was looking across the street when she heard a male say, “Her gaze is too bold.”
Her head flew toward the sound, meeting the harsh stare of a man even taller than Kytar.
Kytar used the leash to stop her forward motion. A quick downward pull put her on her knees.
“Greetings, Talcor.”
“Kytar.” The man nodded in greeting but never removed his eyes from Marissa.
She quickly looked at the ground. She didn’t like the expression she’d seen in Talcor’s eyes. He made her feel like an object, not a woman.
Talcor circled them. “Newly collared,” Talcor laughed. “I didn’t think you’d ever take that step, not after resisting for so long.”
