Primal Encounter
Page 1
Primal Encounter
Rebecca Airies
Book 3 in the Primal Attraction series.
Dari’s a bit surprised, though not scared, when she wakes up in a cell. But finding her mate among the men held in that prison stuns her. She wants to touch and kiss the man, even as his arrogance infuriates her.
When he discovers Dari’s his mate, Rygar can’t get enough of her luscious body and his thoughts never stray far from ways to bring them both pleasure. But after escaping from prison, trouble follows them as they return to Rygar’s home…trouble that could cost Dari her life.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Primal Encounter
ISBN 9781419921865
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Primal Encounter Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Airies
Edited by Helen Woodall
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication October 2009
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Primal Encounter
Rebecca Airies
Dedication
For Deb, for the encouragement, the help and the read-throughs. Now it’s your turn. Go for it, girl!
Chapter One
A cold droplet of water splattered against her arm and pulled her out of the calm, quiet darkness surrounding her. Dari shook as a chill sent shivers rolling through her body. She knew something was wrong. Her mind felt slow and her body felt heavy. For a moment, she lay on the hard floor, stared at the rough-looking surface of the gray ceiling above her and tried to remember what had happened. She turned her head and blinked. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing at first. Thick gray metal bars loomed in front of her. The musty, damp, rotting odor hanging heavily in the air proved she wasn’t having a nightmare. Where am I? The question seemed to echo in her mind without an answer. She tried to sit, wanting to see more of the area around her. Pain spiked behind her eyes. She groaned, falling back to the hard stone. She focused on staying still, hoping that the pain would fade soon.
Her mind wouldn’t stop in spite of the pain. Rioche! Frustration, anger and fear mixed inside her. This kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen now that the pack had males. She had been taken. That one simple glance had been enough. She was in some kind of cell. Why she’d been taken, by whom and for what reason were the only real questions. She didn’t know of any enemies near Deirion where they’d been trading. There shouldn’t have been any trouble on that little trip. She was almost certain her captors didn’t want her dead. If they had, they could have easily done it while she’d been unconscious. Even with her captors killing her pretty much out of her mind, there were still some reasons for her capture that sent chills down her back. She didn’t even want to think of being a sex slave or an exhibit in some exotic zoo.
The stone floor felt cold and almost wet even through the fabric of her shirt and pants. She wondered how they’d taken her. She’d been in the market on Deirion, waiting for Teril and some of the other males to finish trading. A little of the blame for her capture could rest with her. Some things at one of the stalls had caught her attention. She had wandered away from the men escorting her as well as the other women. Even with the small distance between them, she knew that the males would still have been able to sense her presence. The men who’d taken her should never have been able to get her out of the market, much less off the world, without Teril and the other Zarain knowing about it. It didn’t make any sense.
Achan Raven would probably take away her traveling privileges just for wandering. She knew she hadn’t tried to leave or any of the other accusations that would be leveled against her. The fact remained that she couldn’t remember exactly what had happened after she’d moved away from the escort. This was one time she wished she’d followed the rules and requested an escort even though it would have irritated her. It shouldn’t have been necessary, but this time it seemed that the overly cautious males had been right. Although some of the new restrictions did bother her, overall she was happy with the new structure of the pack. There were advantages to having those big males around the Taivain.
Dari slowly levered into a sitting position. Bright spots flashed in front of her eyes and hot pain lanced through her head. It wasn’t as bad as last time. The change in position hurt but she didn’t stop moving. She needed answers. Lying on her back staring up at the dark gray stone ceiling wasn’t going to get them. She had no idea if Teril and some of the men had followed after she’d been taken or if they might have been taken as well. They might have tried to stop it and the only way to know was to get moving and see if she could learn anything useful.
Her extended feet almost touched the opposite cell wall. A quick glance to the sides revealed a narrow space, probably just beyond her fingertips when her arms were spread wide. The bars were thick and looked to be deeply embedded into the stone, forming a slatted wall with a heavy door to one side of it. There wasn’t a bunk or a chair in the small space. Her cell didn’t even have a window. The only light came from outside her cell, farther down the corridor. With only the sound of dripping water, she felt isolated and alone. That flickering light was reassuring in a way. Someone had to have lit it and they would probably be back.
She heard a door open somewhere down the hallway to the right. Even though she had a pretty good angle of view, she couldn’t see anything. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Light bobbed as the footsteps came even closer. She first saw a thin older man in long, blue robes. Four large men followed behind the man. Obvious protection and muscle. Short, yellow-gold hair framed the older man’s pale face. He held the swaying lantern and leaned forward to peer into the cell. The crowd outside the cell made the small space seem even tighter. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. She needed to get out of here. If he’d been alone, she’d have probably tried for a grab at him. The men with him held her back. Well, the sight of the swords hanging at their sides did.
“It’s good to see you’re awake and alive,” the man said. A cold smile curved his lips.
She blinked. Okay, why would he doubt she’d be alive? What had they done to her? Her head still felt a little cloudy from some drug but she didn’t feel too bad. She didn’t say anything. If he wanted to talk, she wasn’t going to interrupt. She’d need every bit of information she could get to escape. If it was possible. If not, she’d have to wait for rescue or make an opportunity to escape.
“You don’t even seem as woozy as the other women have been.” One of the man’s hands gripped the bar and his head tipped to the side. His eyes ran over her as if he was trying to work out why she’d fared so
well.
Other women? What was this place? She slowly straightened, her muscles tensed. Had she been taken by slavers? What was she going to do?
“Come to the door. This isn’t where you’ll be staying.” The man’s robes swirled around his sandaled feet as he stepped away from the cell door.
Some choice. Get dragged out or walk docilely with her captors. The only thing that held her back was the fact that she could be hurt if she fought. Risking a later chance to escape wasn’t worth the satisfaction she might feel at slamming her fist into his face. She stood and slowly took the single step forward to the door. Her heart raced. She didn’t want to go with them and every instinct demanded that she fight but experience told her that there might be an advantage in waiting. She was outnumbered and they had weapons. If she could change just one of those factors, it could make the difference between life and death. The only choice at the moment was to cooperate.
The barred door swung open. Two of the warriors stepped back, letting her walk out of the cell. The tips of their swords tracked her movement. She didn’t try any stupid moves. It did cross her mind. She might want to slam one of those men’s heads into the wall but the temporary satisfaction wasn’t worth it.
“Walk. Follow the two men in front of you. There are some people who will be very interested in seeing you.” The older man’s voice sounded too cheerful, as if he was holding back laughter.
A growl rumbled in her throat but she bit it back. Patient, be patient, she silently chanted. There would be a time to take care of him. There was always a way out of any situation. She had the advantage of having people who wouldn’t stop looking for her. If she couldn’t escape, they would find her.
Two of the men led the way down a dimly lit, pale white-gray stone hallway. Descending a dark staircase, she wondered where they were taking her. She grew even more curious when they led her out of a building. Glancing to the left, she saw that they’d just left a large brick building but it didn’t look fortified. She was escorted down the street. The few people on the street moved out of the way as the two men led the procession. The citizens didn’t seem surprised to see the parade. That told her more than their expressions and frightened her down to her toes. This was a fairly common scene for them. A large high-walled structure loomed in front them.
As they neared the curved walls of the light brown stone building, she tensed. She felt the presence of other Zarain to the left. She stole a glance from the corner of her eyes. The street wasn’t crowded but she didn’t see anyone she recognized. Not one single man on the street looked big enough to be a Zarain male.
She knew it wouldn’t be the females of her pack. Not yet. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious and missing but it had probably only been a day, maybe two. Acine Caidi would give the Achan a chance to find her before she stepped in to help.
So who were the Zarain out there and what were they doing here?
The guards led her into the large building with high, curved walls. From what she could see, the building didn’t have a roof. She had no idea what purpose it would serve. The men led her through a small door and into a narrow hallway. She followed them cautiously down a steep staircase. Eventually, the men stopped in front of a thick-barred gate. She shifted uneasily. She couldn’t see anything but darkness beyond it. The tip of a sword prodded her in the back as the two guards in front of her moved to the sides.
Chains rattled and metal screeched as it grated against the stone. She winced and tensed as a rush of energy pulsed through her. She wanted to whirl around and run back up those steps. The metal gate slowly rose. The cold, sharp sword tip pressed against the small of her back. She felt the keen edge even through the sturdy fabric of her red shirt. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. She didn’t take the chance that the man would cut her if she refused.
She stopped instinctively when she reached the doorway and found a sheer edge. She could see a dirt floor far below her. A hand landed between her shoulder blades, shoving hard. Her arms flailing uselessly, she lurched forward. She gasped. Trying to turn in the air, she landed awkwardly on hard-packed dirt. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Turning onto her side, she looked up at that opening and frowned. Almost two full body lengths above her, it was well out of easy reach.
The feeling of other Zarain approaching drew her gaze away from the gate lowering over the doorway. Grimacing, she rolled to her feet and faced the approaching men. Years of habit had her looking for a way out of the large room. She grabbed hold of the impulse to run and kept her feet planted on the ground. This wasn’t the past and she had nothing to fear from these men. She had a pack. In a way, the feeling of the other Zarain was a little relieving. She wasn’t alone here. She supposed there was some good in that but it complicated things.
As she waited for them to get closer, she took a better look around the area. Lanterns and torches lit the large room. It seemed to be a mostly open room with walls of the same light brown stone she’d seen outside. Large columns were spaced throughout the huge room but they weren’t decorative. She could make out some furniture in the light behind them but didn’t see any bedding.
She still wondered why she’d been taken but pushed the concern aside as the men drew a little closer. At first, they seemed like faceless shadows with all the light behind them. Large shadow figures at that but they must have realized she’d have a bit of difficulty seeing them. One of the men grabbed a lantern and brought it forward.
All the men she could see had blond hair. Most of them very light blond hair. They seemed at ease with each other. A couple of them even looked alike. She bit her lip. Maybe they were all from the same pack. Although how they’d caught that many Zarain at once, she couldn’t guess. Their clothing had seen better days. Ripped, torn and in some places mended, the cloth and leather showed obvious signs of wear. It was clear they’d been here for a while. The Zarain she’d felt out on the street could very well be here after these men.
“Where’d they get you from?” A man with golden hair took a step forward, a smile on his face. His eyes traced over her body from head to toe and back up again.
She licked her lips. “A market, I think. I don’t really remember much.”
“How’d they get you? Where were the men of your…group?” The blond shot a significant glance up at the gate.
Dari frowned and opened her mouth to answer. She didn’t have time. A man with silver hair stepped out of the shadows. She drew in a breath. He looked almost as if he didn’t belong on this world with that long straight silver hair and silver eyes. His light golden tan only emphasized the impression. He seemed almost too perfect. Only his muscular, broad-shouldered build and the tattoos on his arms made him seem a bit more real.
“They captured her. She doesn’t have a…group. If she did, they wouldn’t have succeeded.” He crossed his arms over a chest covered by a dark blue sleeveless tunic. From the look of it, it hadn’t started out sleeveless. She could also see smudges of dirt on the shirt as well as a ragged edge where it had been snagged.
“You’re wrong. I have a group. I’m not sure exactly what happened but my group doesn’t treat me like a prisoner,” she said from between teeth clenched so tight her jaw ached. Her hands fisted at her side.
The silver-haired man shook his head slowly. “You know better. We don’t leave our women unprotected.”
Arrogant, know-it-all man. How she’d enjoy proving him wrong but she didn’t plan to be here long enough for that to happen. In fact, those Zarain she sensed should free them within a few days. These men might or might not be of their pack but the Zarain would at least try a rescue. The man did have part of his assumption right even though his implication that she should behave like a meek obedient cub was wrong. Zarain males were annoyingly overprotective about female Zarain. Those men had sensed her, probably even saw her. They wouldn’t just walk away.
“You’ve landed in a bit of trouble but we’ll take care of you. There are chairs and tables ove
r here. We can talk.” The silver-haired man gestured over his shoulder toward the area where she’d seen the furniture.
“Why did they take you? What are they doing here?” Dari asked.
“We’ll talk over there.” He turned and walked away without another word.
The other men followed him. Arrogant ass. He hadn’t introduced himself as an Achan but she knew he held some power. The attitude was unmistakable. She glared at his back. She was certain she was dealing with an alpha even if he wasn’t an Achan. The man was too used to having his orders followed. Dari sighed and walked slowly after them. As she trailed behind them, a scent teased her nostrils. She felt arousal slowly building and heat began boiling inside her.
She closed her eyes. Goddess, she didn’t need this. Not now. Finding a mate wasn’t a bad thing but the timing was impossible. She couldn’t just go off with him, whichever one of those men he was. She had a responsibility to let her pack know that she was safe. The silver-haired man had already made it clear he didn’t believe she had a pack. She didn’t think he’d suddenly decide to believe her or let her get in touch with a group he considered mythical. Somehow she had to find a way to let Achan Raven and Acine Caidi know she was safe. Even if it did interfere with her future life.
A rough wood plank table had been placed almost as far away from the opening she’d been shoved through as it could be. A few of the men sat at the table but most of the twenty or so men sat in chairs or stood in groups talking to each other. They didn’t seem to see anything strange about a woman being thrown into this room. Maybe it was something routine that happened here. She wasn’t the only woman in the room. A few other women sat in various places around the room. So it probably had happened before.