by Zena Wynn
So much made sense to him now, but the more Tariq learned, the more he questioned. “Why would they believe this falsehood? No vampyr male would treat a woman in such a manner.”
Jorlan knelt on the tiled floor of the shower, Reyna’s body held protectively between his spread thighs. Reyna looked fragile compared to the male, though he was only a few inches taller than her and not much larger. He adjusted his hold so the water ran through her hair. “They believed it because that’s what Ragnor told them happened. The Felini elders rule our pride, and Ragnor rules the elders. His word is law.
“Turn off the water. I think I rinsed all the blood off or at least enough for the doctor to do his examination. You’ll need me to be present to answer any questions about her unique heritage.”
Jorlan’s comment reminded Tariq his Heart’s Blood was only half-Vampalien. He hadn’t considered that her physiology might be different from any other vampyr. He was more grateful than ever the male had insisted on accompanying them instead of remaining behind to see what happened with his pride.
“Give her to me,” Tariq said, holding the towel out, ready to wrap her in it. “The doctor’s in the other room waiting for us.” He’d heard the man enter a few minutes ago.
With Jorlan’s assistance, Reyna was dried, dressed, and installed in his bed in short order. Dr. Silas had the transfusion equipment ready and waiting. Tariq settled next to Reyna and held out his arm. As the blood was being transfused, he once again called to Reyna on their mental link, trying to wake her. Her color improved and her breathing steadied, but she remained unresponsive. Tariq waited impatiently for the doctor to finish his assessment and render his verdict.
Jorlan stood, his face impassive, but his gaze never left Reyna’s face. “She’s never looked at me that way before,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Whenever she was hurting, whenever she had a need, I’m the one she turned to for comfort. Reyna looked at me as though she didn’t know me.”
Tariq could feel the pain buried in the male’s words. Still, he didn’t like the idea of anyone being closer to Reyna than him. “She has me now.”
The other male didn’t acknowledge him. Tariq realized Jorlan may not have even heard him. His focus on Reyna was that complete.
Dr. Silas straightened and gave one last glance at the readout on the handheld scanner. “She’s exhausted. The blood should help but the best thing for her now is rest. The few injuries she sustained are minor in nature and are already mending. If she wakes, push food and fluids but otherwise let her sleep.”
“What about visitors?” Tariq asked, knowing Alvaro would be rushing to his daughter’s side as soon as he was able.
The doctor frowned as he considered. “As long as you keep them to a bare minimum, it should be all right. However, I prefer you wait twenty-four hours before allowing anyone in to see her. This young lady pushed her reserves to the limit.” Dr. Silas began gathering his equipment. “You know how to reach me if I’m needed.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
When the doctor was gone, Tariq turned to Jorlan. “I’ve asked my second to provide you with a change of clothes. He’s prepared a chamber for the night for you and will have a meal delivered as soon as you’re ready. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone with my blood mate.”
The Felini looked as though he would protest. However, he gave Reyna one last lingering glance and tenderly stroked a strand of hair out of her face. “Call me as soon as she’s awake and receiving guests, please.”
“I will. My second is waiting for you in the living room.”
Still the male lingered. “I delivered her, you know. Ragnor forbade any of the queens to assist in her birthing. I think he hoped both Isabella and the child would die during the process. I was scared out of my mind, little more than a child myself, and there I was delivering a baby. But Isabella and I had always been close. There’s no way I’d let her suffer and die alone if there was something I could do to save her.” He smiled and ran a finger down the bridge of Reyna’s nose to its tip. “Even as a babe she was stubborn. She had a will to live that maintained her through the toughest of circumstances. She stole my heart the first time I laid eyes on her puny, wriggling little body.”
Jorlan suddenly lifted his gaze and nailed Tariq with a serious look. “Don’t hurt her. She’s been through more than anyone should have to and managed to survive. This last blow may have been the final straw. I know you can communicate telepathically with Reyna. If you can reach her, tell her how much I love her. She may not allow me the opportunity to do so.”
Shoulders slumped as though the weight of the world rested on them, the male turned and left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.
Chapter Ten
Tariq waited until Enrique and Jorlan left his quarters before re-engaging the security. Then with a weary sigh, he undressed, allowing his clothing to litter the floor, and climbed in bed beside his Heart’s Blood.
“So many questions, Mi corazon.” He gathered her into his arms so they lay belly to belly, and chest to chest. “Your past is a riddle wrapped in a mystery and hidden in an enigma. The more layers I uncover, the more I learn there is to discover.”
The right thing to do would be to allow his Heart’s Blood to reveal herself to him in her own time and her own way. However, he was too impatient. So, as always, Tariq did what he wanted to do. He took advantage of Reyna’s unconscious state and eased into her mind. He’d discover for himself what it had been like for his Heart’s Blood, growing up in a pride who believed her father to be a rapist and having a mother who couldn’t be bothered to tell her daughter the truth. The key to understanding his blood mate lay in knowing her past.
He searched until he found her earliest recollections.
You promised not to read her mind without her permission, his conscience reminded him.
This wouldn’t be mind reading in the truest sense, Tariq argued. He wouldn’t betray her trust by reading her memories without her permission, not after he’d promised he wouldn’t. However, each remembrance left an emotional footprint and it was these prints he read.
In the beginning there were long periods of isolation broken by moments of tenderness and comfort. She began to recognize the scent and the voice of the one who showed her kindness. There was another who feed her when she was hungry and dried her when she was wet, but this one had no feelings for her and touched her as little as possible. Only the kind one held her, spoke to her, and rocked her until her cries quieted.
Years of loneliness, rejection, isolation, and abuse passed. Joy was fleeting, as was love, and each memory of it centered around the only person who showed her gentleness and love. She learned pride and confidence in herself even as the one thing she wanted most was denied her—acceptance.
Hours later he returned to himself. His face was drenched in tears and his body shuddered with the effort to hold back his rage. The things she’d suffered. No wonder she’d gone ballistic tonight. After the life she’d lived, Reyna should hate Felini and Vampaliens alike. It was a wonder she’d agreed to give him a chance. After all, he’d taken her without regards to her feelings on the subject.
Don’t pity me. Her voice was weak, but it was there in his mind. She’d used their link.
I don’t pity you. I’m amazed and humbled by you, Tariq assured her. I could not have done what you did, suffered as you’ve suffered, not without becoming a killer the likes of which this world has never seen. How you managed to maintain your goodness in the face of all the cruelty you endured, I’ll never know.
She sighed in his mind. I’m tired.
The weariness he heard in her voice went beyond the physical. It delved all the way to his Heart’s Blood soul. Rest. I’m with you, and I won’t leave you. I promise things will be different now.
Reyna didn’t respond. Tariq sensed exhaustion had once more pulled her under. As he held her closed he made her a silent vow: Never again will you feel unloved and unwanted.
>
Over the next three days, Tariq didn’t allow Reyna to do anything but eat and sleep. When she tired of the bed, he toted her to the couch and lay with her as they watched movies. Or he prepared luxurious bubble baths for her to relax in. He didn’t leave the apartment and no one but the doctor was allowed to enter.
During their seclusion, his Heart’s Blood opened to him like never before. Tariq would have been ecstatic if not for the feeling he was her choice of last resort. As the Felini male had feared, this last incident had been one too many. Reyna distanced herself from everyone who had anything to do with her past.
Jorlan had traveled to his den on the first day of Reyna’s convalescence to pack a suitcase of her clothing. When he returned, he brought the suitcase to Tariq’s apartment. “Here’s a few of her things to tide her over until she decides what she’s going to do. I’d like to see Reyna, if I may.”
“She’s still sleeping,” Tariq said.
“I’ll wait.” True to his word, Jorlan camped outside the door to Tariq’s apartment with his laptop and smartphone. The man turned the hallway into his office. Tariq saw him still sitting there every time food was delivered or the doctor dropped by to check on his patient’s progress, and couldn’t help admiring his determination.
Alvaro also remained in constant contact. How’s Reyna? I’d like to see my daughter.
As with Jorlan, Tariq explained his blood mate simply wasn’t up to the task of visiting with him. She’s worn out. Doctor Silas has restricted visitors until she’s regained her strength.
How soon before he lifts the restriction? I’d like the opportunity to tell my side of the story. When Isabella told me what Reyna and the rest of the pride had been led to believe, I was appalled. Tariq could hear the repressed fury in Alvaro’s voice and knew it would take his friend a long time to get over it.
I’ll let you know as soon as he has. Tariq hesitated. Alvaro, a word of warning. It will be up to Reyna if she sees you. I’ve done enough damage by interfering. I’ll encourage her to talk with you, but I won’t push.
I’ll be forever grateful to you. Because of your interference, I now have the family I thought had been denied to me with the supposed death of my Heart’s Blood. I believe Reyna will see me, when she’s ready. I won’t drag you into the middle of it, Alvaro promised.
Now that Reyna’s health wasn’t such a concern, Tariq felt free to ask, Alvaro, what happened with the Felini leader?
In a tone as cold as ice, Alvaro said, Isabella’s father is no longer a problem.
Tariq made a mental note to ask Conall later what had transpired.
Despite Alvaro’s bold words and easy confidence, Reyna continued to refuse to see any of them—Jorlan, Alvaro, or Isabella. Isabella hadn’t yet requested to see her daughter, but Tariq assumed she’d come with Alvaro when he came to visit. Every time he broached the topic of her family with Reyna, her denial was instant. “Tell them to go away. I don’t want to see or talk to them.”
Because she was still regaining her strength, Tariq hadn’t insisted. She’d tried to bury her pain but it was still there beneath the surface like a nagging tooth ache that wouldn’t go away. He could see it in the tears she tried to hide from him. Feel it in her long silences. The weight of depression hung like a cloud in the atmosphere around her.
On the morning of the fourth day, Tariq made a command decision. While his blood mate’s physical condition had improved drastically, her mental and emotional state were deteriorating. He had to do something to stop it. So while Reyna lay sleeping—something she did more and more as her melancholy increased—Tariq went and opened the apartment door. As expected, Jorlan sat working in the hallway. One of his staff members had been kind enough to provide him with a chair and a small desk.
“She still hasn’t asked to see you,” Tariq warned, “but I made you a promise. She’s in the room sleeping. I told her I wouldn’t leave so you’ll have to deal with my presence.”
Jorlan dropped what he was doing and sprang to his feet. “I don’t care. I just need to see for myself she’s all right.”
He brushed past Tariq and strode toward the bedroom’s entrance. Once there, Jorlan simply stood in the doorway gazing at Reyna. From this angle, Tariq couldn’t see his face but noted the way the male’s shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep, stabilizing breath. Then with his posture erect, he sauntered over to the bed and climbed under the covers next to her.
Had Jorlan been any other male, Tariq would have ripped off his head and eviscerated him, but this man had raised Reyna. In a very real sense, Jorlan was Reyna’s father. So he leaned against the door jab and watched the unfolding drama.
Jorlan nuzzled her throat, buried his face in her neck, and purred. The deep rumbling sound vibrated through the room. Reyna mewled, snuggled closer, and tried to burrow into him.
“Kitten, wake up,” the Felini murmured, brushing her hair off her face.
“Jorlan?” His Heart’s Blood voice was thick with sleep and confusion.
“I’m here now. It’s okay,” Jorlan said and hauled her into a bear hug.
Tariq thought she’d fight him, try to resist his hold. Instead Reyna collapsed into his embrace like this is what she’d been waiting for and needed. The tears came then, harsh sobs which racked her entire body. Jorlan rubbed her back, stroked her hair, and murmured tender reassurances in her ear. The male’s eyes were damp.
Watching the two of them, Tariq acknowledged he’d never replace this male in Reyna’s life or her affections. Their bond went deeper than blood. It was as it should be, he thought. A father’s love had no equal. Suddenly, he felt sorry for Alvaro. His friend wanted to be a father to his daughter and the position was already taken.
Feeling like an intruder, Tariq retreated to the living room and gave the two the privacy they needed.
When she could finally control herself, Reyna shoved out of Jorlan’s arms and glared at him accusingly. She asked the one question that had been burning on her mind for the last three days. “Why?”
“My silence was the price required for me to tend to you. Otherwise you would have been taken from me,” he said simply.
Of all the reasons Jorlan could have given, she hadn’t expected this. “I don’t understand.”
He sighed. “I know, Kitten.” Jorlan sat up and lifted her onto his lap like he’d done many times when she was a child. Since she felt like one, it was appropriate. “Part of what I’m about to tell you isn’t my story to reveal.”
“This has to do with Isabella and my father, doesn’t it?” she asked slowly, trying to put the puzzle pieces together.
“Some. The portion concerning you does, but to understand all the nuances, I need to start much earlier, with Felini.”
“The home world?” she asked curiously.
“Yes.” He stared off into space as his mind traveled back. “I remember what it was like before we fled the planet. Pride fought against pride. They fought over land, resources, women—you name it. The planet was one big war zone. Isabella’s mother was stolen in a raid. Isabella barely escaped being taken herself, though she was too young to be bred. My mother brought her into our den to live.
“Ragnor tried to bring about peace, but no one was interested. The violence had gone on for so long, most of the males had gone feral. When he saw they couldn’t be reasoned with, Ragnor managed to convince a few like-minded prides to join together under his leadership and flee the planet. It was a risky undertaking. We had no idea where we were going or what we’d do when we arrived—if we arrived—but it was stay and die or take our chances in the stars.”
Jorlan glanced down at her. “You know part of this. We barely made it to earth. By the time we hit earth’s atmosphere, we were running low on fuel and supplies. Two of the ships didn’t make it. One crashed into the ocean. The vessel Ragnor, Isabella, and I were on crashed in the desert of New Mexico. It was the Vampaliens who rescued us.”
Though she’d heard bits and pieces of their history before, Reyna listened intently.
“Alvaro saved my life. We’d launched the escape pods as the ship began to break up. The one I was in malfunctioned. I and the others with me would have burned alive if he hadn’t gotten us out of it. It was fortunate we’d landed in his territory, and that he’d discovered us before the humans did. Alvaro, as the leader of the local vampyr clutch, eased our transition to this planet. He gave us a part of his territory to build on and helped us gather our scattered pride.”
Remembering all the horrible stories she’d heard about her father, when someone dared to mention him, she asked, “So he wasn’t the villain he’d been made out to be?”
Jorlan shook his head. “Quite the contrary. We had much to be grateful to him for and at the time, everyone knew it.”
“What happened? How did my father go from being a hero to the worst villain alive?”
“Alvaro and Isabella happened. She was his blood mate.”
“He took her?” Reyna asked, remembering the way Tariq had claimed her without her permission.
“No, because of her age, Alvaro tried to resist claiming her, wanting to give her more time to mature. Isabella hadn’t had her first estrous. The few queens who survived the trip believed the stasis we’d been placed in during space travel hindered it as Isabella wasn’t the only female whose sexual maturity had been delayed. I believed Ragnor noticed Alvaro’s attraction to Isabella and used it to push the vampyr to greater generosity—”
“Why do you say that?”
“Ragnor made sure Isabella was around whenever the Vampalien came calling. Practically pushed the two of them together. As you know, our females don’t concern themselves with business. The protection and safety of the pride is up to the males,” he reminded her.
