Primal Encounter

by Rebecca Airies

  She heard the sound of wood scraping against stone. All the men poised for a fight. The tension inside her grew and she wished she had some kind of weapon. She’d settle for a piece of wood but didn’t see anything other than the chairs. The moments seemed to stretch into an eternity. Suddenly, she saw the men in front of her relax. She felt the presence of more Zarain and understood why they’d relaxed.

  “What are you doing lounging around playing games here, Rygar?” a deep voice boomed into the large room. The man sounded cheerful, almost laughing.

  “Funny, Logan. What took you so long?” Rygar stepped out of the line of warriors and glided forward.

  “You aren’t supposed to be in this city or even in this area. It took us a while to find out where you’d been taken. Now who’s the female we saw marching through the city?” The voice drew closer but she still couldn’t see anything beyond some of the men still standing in her way.

  She made her way around the group of men, trying to get a better view. Finally she found a gap in the men. Rygar spotted her and waved her over to join them. He held out his hand as she neared them.

  “This is Dari Reshal, my mate. Dari, this is my brother Logan, Achan of Ajiari pack,” Rygar introduced them, a grin curving his lips.

  Dari looked past Rygar as she stepped up beside him. She saw a man almost identical to Rygar standing in front of her. He was a little taller, his body just a little more muscular and his face was a little broader than Rygar. Dressed in black leather, he looked every inch the warrior with a sword at his side but he had an aura of power that was unmistakable. Just from her first look, she could see the attitude, the strength that had made him an Achan.

  “Hello, Achan Verasain,” she said, smiling as she stepped forward to greet him.

  “Hello, Dari. There’s no reason for you to be so formal in your address. I’m happy to meet my new little sister.” He stepped forward and hugged her.

  Dari stiffened in surprise. She’d never expected that open acceptance. She’d thought that he’d be a little more distant at least until he got to know her. He stepped back and released her with a laugh. He looked friendly and totally relaxed.

  “Let’s get out of here. We can talk once we’re away from the city.” Logan looked toward Rygar.

  Rygar’s arm curved around her waist from behind and pulled her back against him. “I’m more than ready to leave. I want to get her out of here.”

  She heard the possessiveness in his voice. It didn’t irritate her as much as she’d once thought it would. Only moments later, everyone in the large cell left through open thick wooden doors. They walked into a tunnel. Dari looked around as they walked up an incline and the corridor narrowed. Torches burned on the dark brown walls. The group came out into a dirt-floored, high-walled arena. The men at the front of the group went to a wall near the tunnel opening where two men waited. The women were lifted out of the arena and into the stands. Rygar lifted Dari and two men pulled her onto the ledge. She moved away from the two men, giving them room to pull some of the others out of the pit.

  “Don’t move any farther, Dari,” Rygar ordered, a distinct growl in his voice.

  She stepped forward to the edge of the arena wall and put her hands on her hips. “If I was going to run, you can bet I’d wait for a better opportunity and you wouldn’t stop me.”

  Is that so? How are you going to run from our bond? His voice burst into her mind.

  She stiffened but tried to control every other sign of her surprise. She’d known that Shadatai mates could speak telepathically but she’d really thought it would take some time before he’d actually be able to speak to her. “You think it would matter if I wanted to leave?”

  He jumped and grabbed the edge of the arena wall, hauling himself up into the stands. She took a step back as he jumped down from the ledge. He glided forward, a wide smile on his lips. That predatory twist of his lips reminded her too much of a hunter about to bag his prey.

  “You have no fear of me at all, do you?” he asked.

  “Why should I fear you? You’re my mate. You wouldn’t hurt me even if I infuriated you and started shouting that you were a coward.” She shook her head. Why would anyone think a Zarain female should ever fear her mate? It made no sense to her.

  One of the women who’d been in the cell stepped forward, drawing Dari’s attention. The woman snorted. Dari turned her head to fully look at her. The woman had sun-browned hair and narrow blue eyes. She ran her eyes over Dari as if she was a little disgusted.

  “Men hurt their women all the time. Believe me. He’ll do it just as any other man would and probably sooner than later.” Her words came out in a definite sneer.

  Dari wasn’t worried about the woman’s opinion. All her attention was on Rygar. He stared at her as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

  “Other women fear their mate,” he stated evenly.

  Dari ignored the other woman as one of the men quickly led her away from them. The woman couldn’t know that the men Dari referred to were more than the human men she knew.

  “Maybe women who are new to our people fear their mate. If you’re talking about Zarain women, what you see as fear might be nothing more than not wanting to be mated, a fear of change.” Dari shrugged and watched his expressions. She couldn’t be too concerned about it.

  “No, it was fear of what we’d do to her.” Rygar stepped forward and urged her after some of the other men.

  Dari frowned. She’d known that a Zarain male abusing a woman could happen. Well, mentally she had recognized the possibility. She just couldn’t see it happening. What surprised her was that the males around the attacker hadn’t stopped him permanently after the first time it happened. She hadn’t ever thought she’d actually hear of it happening. There were Zarain who didn’t follow pack law and lusted for power and money but they were a minority and usually roamed alone.

  “You look thoughtful. Going to change your mind?” Rygar’s arm tightened a bit.

  She heard the tension growing in his voice and felt the corded muscles of his arms. Walking up the incline, they headed for a large opening a quarter of the way up the steps. Later, she had to pull a few more details out of him. She wasn’t going to torment either of them by withholding her answer. He needed to know she trusted him, even if he didn’t think about it that way.

  “I’m not going to pretend that all Zarain are good. Some woman may have come to your pack fearing every man who approached her. I’m not her and I know you won’t hurt me.” She reached over, grabbed his hand and squeezed gently as they walked side by side.

  “How can you be sure?” Rygar asked. His expression lightened.

  She shot a look up at him. He didn’t seem to be half as tense as he had. The two of them followed the other men into a wide, arched tunnel leading out of the arena.

  “I trust my instincts,” she said and laughed softly.

  She danced away when he growled low in her throat. That sexy rumble drew a very physical reaction from her. She felt her nipples harden and hoped that her shirt hid the stiff peaks.

  “Tell me the truth.” He caught her and pulled her back into his side. His lips curved into a smile. “And do it quietly. We’re escaping.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s partly my instincts and the way the other women acted toward you in the cell, your behavior. They wouldn’t have been at ease with you if you’d been violent or even verbally aggressive.”

  “And you trust your instincts that much?” Rygar slanted a look down at her.

  “They’ve saved my life before. I don’t see why I should doubt them.” She dropped that bit of information in on purpose. She wanted to see his reaction, to see if he believed her.

  His eyes narrowed and his look sharpened but they were nearing the open gates of the arena’s main public entrance. She couldn’t see a star in the sky overhead and the small sturdy street lamps emitted only faint patches of flickering yellow light on the street. She felt the moisture hanging in the air
. The air practically crackled with the energy of a building storm. A moment later, a flash of brilliant white light slashed across the horizon.

  The men led the way through the deserted streets. The women were kept in the middle and a final group of guards trailed at the back of the group. The silence stretched her nerves taut. The sound of their steps on the cobbled street seemed impossibly loud in the darkness. At any moment she expected to hear the sound of running feet and shouted demands to stop. The steady walk seemed too slow to her. She couldn’t really believe that leaving would be this easy.

  She felt a little relief when they made it out of the city. The last of the buildings disappeared behind them. Almost complete darkness surrounded them now that they’d left the lighted city streets. Dari looked around, wondering where they’d go now. She could see shadow figures moving to one side of the road and caught the scent of mican on the air. When they drew close enough, she sensed their escorts were Zarain. She assumed that these must be more men from the males’ pack. Especially when Logan, Rygar and the other men escorting them acted so calmly.

  The lightning flashed, revealing men holding the mican in readiness. The animals shifted nervously as the thunder rolled over them. Before the bright light faded, another white bolt flashed across the sky. Rygar stepped up beside her and laced his fingers with hers. She knew he still had some concerns that she was going to take off running at any moment. He led her over to one of the large, powerfully muscled beasts. He lifted her into the saddle and mounted behind her.

  One of his arms curved around her waist, while he took the reins with his free hand. She leaned back against him but looked back toward the city. Even now, she couldn’t believe how simple it had been. She expected to hear some kind of call or see soldiers coming to stop them but the road remained empty and silent.

  “We’ll be away from here in only a few moments. Relax. They don’t even know we’ve left yet.” Rygar’s breath fanned across her ear, hot, moist.

  A shiver rippled down her spine but it definitely wasn’t fear. She couldn’t completely relax but she brushed her hand across his thigh, just to let him know she’d heard him.

  Rygar urged the mican away from the city. The animal’s hooves clacked against the paved road as the journey began. Soon the men directed their mounts away from the main road. Dari relaxed against Rygar. She closed her eyes. Since she didn’t have to worry about riding or even guiding the mican, she let sleep take her.

  Rygar pulled Dari closer. She was different from what he’d expected to find in a mate. She seemed so brash and confident. He didn’t know what to do with her sometimes. She seemed accepting but he couldn’t forget that she hadn’t said anything when she’d learned she had a mate. Maybe she’d thought she could deny herself and hide the truth from him until she could flee.

  She slept easily in his arms. He’d like to have the time to stop and make love to her again but they needed to travel farther away from the city before they rested. Her hair tickled his face as a cool wind whipped across the plains.

  She woke periodically. He felt the tension move through her body and looked down to find her glancing up at him. Once, he’d seen her eyes sweeping the area as if to assure herself that there wasn’t any danger. She didn’t talk but he knew she was aware and watchful. That caught his attention. She seemed too aware at times. He wondered if she’d been on her own at some point. From what he knew such awareness wasn’t a natural ability. It was learned.

  After a long ride, they stopped and set up a quick camp away from the well-traveled roads. He held her as she gained her feet. She looked around the area as if she couldn’t understand why they’d stopped moving. Rygar set up a pallet near the center of the group. He wanted to be certain that she was safe and that she couldn’t slip away easily if she chose to try. She walked beside him to it and stretched out on the thin pallet. He lay down beside her and curled an arm around her waist. He expected her complain about the lack of padding, the lack of comforts. She didn’t say a word. Her arm cushioned her head and she wriggled a bit but she seemed to relax.

  “So what do you know about her? Has she told you where they found her? Where her pack is?” Logan asked. He came to sit nearby.

  Rygar sat up and looked down at Dari. She’d seemed to drop into sleep the moment she’d lain down on the pallet. That was yet another thing that confused him and made him wonder about just what kind of life she’d led. Warriors gained the skill of catching sleep almost anywhere, at any time. Where had she picked up the behavior and why?

  “Not much. She said she thinks they took her out of a market. I thought she was a lone female. Maybe she’d gotten separated or run away from her pack. She told me that she has a pack and that they’d made the cloth she wears. When she said it, I didn’t smell any hint of a lie,” Rygar told his brother in a quiet tone.

  “Maybe because I was telling the truth.” Dari turned over onto her side and shot a frown at him. He caught a bit of a growl in her tone.

  Logan laughed. “What is the name of your pack?”

  “The Oroyai pack. And before you make the same mistake your brother made and think that the males of my pack are weak and soft, you should know that they are ShadataiZarain just as you are.” Her eyes narrowed to thin brown slits.

  “I’ve never heard of it. I’m sure you believe you’re Shadatai but…” Rygar reached over and patted her hand. Now he understood a little of why she didn’t seem to be lying. She’d been told things and fully believed them to be the truth.

  “I didn’t say I was Shadatai. I’m just a normal Zarain. The males and now a few females of my pack are Shadatai.” Dari shook her head and scowled at him. “Until you’re willing to listen, I’m not going to waste my breath. But don’t blame me if you find yourself confronted by a few irate members of my pack.”

  “Your old pack. This is your pack now. You’ll see the truth. I’ll show you the physical diff…” Rygar began to unfasten his shirt. He’d show her the differences between normal Zarain and ShadataiZarain.

  “Don’t bother. Those two sets of stripes on your back aren’t going to surprise me. Your ability to speak to me in my mind didn’t surprise me too much either.” She bared her teeth at him and turned her back to him. “You think you know everything. You lecture me when you believe your mate should fear you.”

  He just stared at her. The derision in her voice startled him. She lay stiffly at the very edge of the pallet. She was angry and not at all reticent about showing it. He had no idea what to say to calm her.

  “I like her spirit, Rygar. She’s different from the women we’ve brought into the pack.” Logan smiled.

  Rygar knew the situation was giving his brother more than a little amusement. Rioche. Logan was almost laughing. Rygar would probably find it funny if he wasn’t trying to figure out what to believe and how to treat her. His every instinct screamed at him to protect her. The recent trouble and her being thrown into the cell with him pushed at him to keep her near him and safe. He couldn’t deny that part of him but she hadn’t once behaved as he’d expected her to do.

  “That spirit’s going to give me a bit of trouble I’d bet.” Rygar slanted a glance over at her. By the stiffness of her body, he knew she was still awake and listening.

  “Probably. See if you can find out where her pack is so we can get a message to them. I’d like to avoid the trouble she was predicting,” Logan ordered. “If they really are Shadatai, they won’t stop looking for her.”

  Rygar nodded. Logan moved away and Rygar turned back to Dari. He lay down and tugged her over next to him. She stiffened immediately, trying to pull away from him. It took only few moments for her to relax in his arms. He closed his eyes, certain they were safe. The posted guards would see or smell trouble before it neared.

  * * * * *

  Dari rose from the pallet, managing to leave it without waking Rygar. Over the last few days, she’d learned that that wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be at first. She stood and made her
way quietly through the other sleeping men. Meeting the sentry’s eyes, she nodded and headed for the shelter of the forest. So far she hadn’t had as much interference as she’d thought she would. She’d been able to see to her needs without explanations. The real tests would come later. How closely did they actually watch their females? After what Rygar said, she’d expected a bit more trouble than she’d had.

  Walking back toward the camp, she headed to a small stream near the spot where they’d set up camp. She knelt, washing her hands and face in the cool water. She’d have liked a full bath but the river wasn’t nearly deep enough. Maybe when they reached the travel-gate they’d stop in a city and she could have one there.

  She stood and looked across the shallow stream. A group of bushes caught her eyes just as she heard the men begin moving in the camp behind her. Plump purple berries bent the limbs of the bushes. Her mouth began watering and she wanted some of the ripe fruit from those alden berry bushes.

  She crossed the stream almost before she knew what she was doing. Her booted feet barely touched dry ground before a hand landed on her shoulder. She stopped and spun. The Achan, Logan, stood in front of her, a frown on his face. His booted feet were braced apart as if he was preparing for some brazen act of defiance.

  “Going to see if any of those alden berries are ripe,” she explained easily. She pointed to the large bushes near a group of trees.

  His eyes went to the bushes. She watched the suspicion on his face. It didn’t change a bit. He knew she was telling the truth but he clearly had doubts about her motives. He didn’t leave her waiting long for his decision.

  “Go on over. I’ll have a man standing nearby.” Logan nodded and started to turn away from her.

  Dari knew she should probably just let the remark pass. Maybe take up the matter at a later date, after they saw that she wouldn’t be trying to leave them. She just couldn’t do it.

  “I don’t need a guard to pick berries. Never have, never will. If this is the way you treat your women, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them left.” She folded her arms across her chest.