Primal Encounter

by Rebecca Airies

  Two more columns tumbled to the ground. She jumped. He chuckled.

  “Why don’t you go back to camp and get some rest?” He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips.

  Dari looked at the building. She wanted to be here but her nerves were too tight. It would be a relief to get away from the noise of crashing stone.

  * * * * *

  Dari watched the last wall fall. Relief rolled through her. It was finished. The entire building, from underground rooms to the stone walls, had been reduced to a pile of blocks. They might rebuild but it would take them some time.

  Rygar tugged her hand, turning her away from the settling dust. He smiled and led her toward camp. It was time to go home. With as long as it took to destroy that building, Achan Raven and Acine Caidi just might be there by the time they arrived back at Ajiari pack. Dari wouldn’t have gone back to the Taivain even if it was an option. She wanted to see this finished.

  Despite her fears, they arrived two days before Achan Raven and Acine Caidi. Dari had enough time to rest a little and get really nervous before her friend arrived. All the worry disappeared the moment Acine Caidi stepped through the doors of the Taivain.

  Dari looked beyond her golden-haired friend expecting to see Achan Raven behind her but she couldn’t see the big warrior. He usually wasn’t too far behind the Acine. The man liked to stay close.

  “He’s talking to your mate and your new Achan. They sent me inside after the introductions,” Caidi said with a smile. She walked forward and hugged her. “We were worried about you.”

  Dari returned the hug, glad to see her friend again. “It’s good to see you. You wouldn’t believe the trouble I had getting a message to you.”

  “Your note said you were taken to a large prison where people were using Zarain as entertainment. How did that happen? You were with Teril and the other males. No one should have been able to even get you out of the city without them knowing of it.” Caidi’s eyebrow rose.

  Dari smiled but she heard the steel in Caidi’s voice. “I don’t know how I was taken without the men noticing my absence. The last thing I really remember of that day is standing in front of a stall looking down at some blades. I was still in the market but I had wandered a bit away from the men. I was only looking at the goods. I could still feel them. Then nothing more of that day.”

  “What’s the next thing you remember?” Caidi asked, her arms folding across her chest and her foot tapping.

  “Waking up in a cramped cell and then being marched through the city to the large arena they’d housed the men in.” Dari frowned as she tried to remember if there was something else.

  “Did you wake up clearheaded?” Caidi’s head tilted to the side.

  “No, my head hurt and I was a little foggy. I was drugged but I don’t know how.” Dari turned and led her friend into the dining area.

  Her mind still turning her memories of before and after the drugging, she led Caidi to one of the long tables. That worried her. The drug was obviously effective and easily administered.

  “How do you like your new pack? Are you happy here?” Caidi slid onto one of the padded seats at the gleaming golden wood table.

  “It’s taken a little while but it’s home.” Dari strolled over to the table near the wall to get two mugs and a pitcher of wine.

  “From what I’ve heard it wasn’t an easy adjustment,” Caidi offered, sitting totally relaxed, in her chair.

  Dari poured the wine and handed Caidi a glass. Caidi was right. It hadn’t been an easy adjustment. Only recently had she taken that last step to accepting that she belonged here. Dari settled onto a seat before answering, needing the time to get her thoughts in order.

  “No, it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t that these men and their ways are all that different from Oroyai pack’s males but they seemed much more restrictive. Of course I didn’t know about all of the trouble they’d had almost until I arrived here.” Dari took a deep breath.

  “That wasn’t what I was talking about. I meant the trouble you made for yourself.” Caidi’s eyes narrowed and her tone hardened.

  “Yeah, I made some trouble for myself. Rygar’s getting taken sort of focused my feelings and the result wasn’t easy to handle. I wasn’t going to lose him.” Dari grimaced as she turned the cup in her hands.

  “Lose him? Because he was captured by humans?” Caidi frowned. She clearly didn’t understand what Dari meant.

  “It was more than just him disappearing. In my mind, he could die. I’d never see him again,” Dari explained slowly.

  Caidi tilted her head and her eyes widened. “You mean like happened with Jaina. Your sister disappeared from a market in a town where we’d felt the presence of other shifters. You know she probably wasn’t taken by slavers or someone who only wanted to kill her. She’s alive somewhere, Dari. They wouldn’t have hidden her body.”

  “I know she was probably found by a pack and taken with them but she was the last of my family and I lost her. After that, all I had was the pack.” Dari pushed the cup of wine out of reach, untouched. Playing with it wasn’t distracting her and she was too likely to turn it over if she kept messing with it.

  “Then you and Rygar met.” Caidi reached across the table and touched her hand.

  Dari smiled wryly. “Yes, the change kind of shocked me and almost before I had time to realize what I felt for him, he’d been taken away from me. I went a little wild.”

  “And you’re not having a problem with the punishment for it, as light as it is?” Caid asked, her head tilted.

  “I’m doing all right now. Toward the end of it, that might be a different story.” Dari laughed lightly and acknowledged that Caidi was right. The punishment was a little light. She wasn’t having much trouble with the restriction to the Taivain. She wasn’t about to tell Achan Logan that though. “How is everything back at Oroyai pack?”

  “Everything is normal. No new trouble except for your disappearance.” Caidi looked at her, her eyes running over Dari’s face. “You said all of the trouble they’d had. There was more than Zarain men being taken to fight for sport?”

  Dari nodded. “They had good reason for their protectiveness even if it did annoy me.”

  “We still do.” Rygar’s voice sounded from across the room.

  Dari turned and smiled at him but she felt a slight unease and she knew it wasn’t hers. Rygar was nervous about something but his movements didn’t show it. He strode across the room and sat down beside Dari. His arm curved around her shoulders in a blatantly possessive gesture.

  She turned her head and looked at him. His eyes were locked on her. What was wrong? He knew she loved him. She’d told him, showed him. He couldn’t be uncertain about that. There wasn’t any threat to their relationship that she could see.

  “My brother Gaden’s mate has been taken and her family continues to attack people from our pack,” Rygar said as Achan Raven sat down across from them.

  “I assume since she’s still missing that you’re sure it wasn’t her family who took her.” Achan Raven nodded to Dari.

  Dari smiled back but gasped as Rygar lifted her onto his lap. She saw a smile cross her former Achan’s face. Her heart pounded at the unexpected shift in position. Her hand pressed to his chest and she leaned back a little. She just stared at him, not understanding what was behind the sudden move.

  “She’s still missing and we know it’s not her immediate family,” Logan explained as he took the seat from which Rygar had just lifted her. “Is there a reason Dari’s not sitting in a chair?”

  “She needs to be held right now.” Rygar’s cheek brushed hers and his arms tightened around her.

  Dari didn’t try to pull out of his arms. It was Rygar who needed the contact. She was more than happy to give him what he needed. She didn’t know what had caused the possessive urgency she felt from him but she intended to find out later.

  “What’s keeping your brother from asking her where she is and going to get her?” Achan Raven leane
d forward, his elbows braced on the table.

  “She doesn’t know Gaden now, doesn’t remember him or her life with her parents.” Logan relaxed in the chair totally at ease. “And she doesn’t know what planet she’s on.”

  “So he has to gain her trust first,” Raven observed. “After that happens, you should be able to find her. If you need any help, just call on us.”

  Later as they sat at the table eating, she still couldn’t understand what was making him so nervous. She could feel his unease and he stayed close to her throughout the night. It was strange. He hadn’t even stayed that close to her when he’d first claimed her. She had no idea what was bothering him but whatever it was hadn’t faded a bit all night. She wanted to soothe him but she didn’t even know where to begin. He wouldn’t tell her what was bothering him, not here.

  “It’s time to go to bed, Dari.” Rygar tugged at her hand.

  Dari had intended to stay and talk to Caidi for a little while longer. Their visits wouldn’t be frequent and both of them knew it. She opened her mouth to tell him just that but caught a determined light in his eyes. She closed her mouth.

  “Acine Caidi, Achan Raven, I’ll talk with both of you tomorrow. Have a good night.” Dari smiled at her friend before turning to Rygar. “I’m ready if you are.” She squeezed his hand just to let him know she wasn’t going anywhere.

  Rygar led her out of the room. His hand stayed clasped to hers all the way to their room. He released her only when he opened the door to their bedroom. She stepped inside, pacing over to the fireplace. No fire blazed in the hearth but its bulk offered a bit of support as she wondered what was wrong with him. The bed was definitely off-limits. She didn’t want to be distracted by sex. Once on that red and black blanket, she knew that both of them might just forget talking about what was wrong. This was too important.

  “What’s wrong, Rygar? You’ve been anxious all night long. Don’t try to tell me it’s nothing, because I didn’t believe that the first time and I still don’t believe it.” She folded her arms across her chest.

  If he tried to ignore her questions now after leading her here, she’d do something drastic. Their room was secure, familiar. He should feel comfortable here, not anxious.

  “Did you enjoy seeing your former Acine and Achan?” Rygar asked calmly as he closed and barred the door.

  Dari blinked but she knew that question was far from innocent. “What does that have to do with anything, Rygar? What’s been bothering you all night long?”

  “I need to know a few things and until I know them it’s going to make me a little uneasy.” He shrugged and walked over to her. His fingers curled around her hips pulling her closer to him.

  Dari felt the ridge of his shaft press against her lower stomach but he made no move to kiss her or bring her any closer to him. The intensity burned in his silver eyes, proof even without the connection between them. She looked at him, her head tilted. Whatever was bothering him must be very serious. She wanted to tell him everything would be all right but knew that wouldn’t work. Her silver-haired chalon was stubborn.

  “What do you need to know?” she asked, unwilling to draw this out and cause him more worry.

  “Did you enjoy seeing Achan Raven and Acine Caidi?” His eyes locked on her face and didn’t waver.

  “Of course I enjoyed seeing them. I’ve known Caidi my entire life and I respect Achan Raven.” She frowned. She didn’t understand his question or why it was so important to him. But it was important. She could feel the tension radiating from him.

  “You seemed very close to the Acine.” He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek.

  “We had a lot of experiences together while the pack didn’t have any males. I told you that. We became close like you do with other warriors.” She shrugged.

  “Are you going to miss it?” He curved an arm around her shoulders.

  “Well, I’m going to miss Caidi and my friends and being able to talk to them at a moment’s notice. Wait… That’s what this is about?” Her eyes widened. “Are you jealous of my relationship with Acine Caidi?”

  “Well, not jealous really, a little concerned, a little envious. I want you to be happy. From the way you talk about your Acine Caidi, she sometimes seemed larger than life. Your closeness to her was obvious.” He smiled and his thumb brushed across the base of her neck.

  “I am happy with you. I’ll miss my friends but I have a new home now. I’m pretty sure I can convince you to take me to see them at some point.” She feathered her lips over his, her teeth closing over his full lower lip briefly. After a deliberate pause and fighting the smile pulling at her lips, she added, “When you get over your jealousy.”

  His eyes narrowed but she saw his lips twitch. “Not jealous.”

  “No? Looked like it to me,” she teased, laughing lightly. Her arms slipped around his waist, holding him tightly.

  “No. I thought that for the same reasons I told you and because I wondered if you’d miss the excitement and familiarity.” He gave her an arrogant frown.

  “Yes, I’ll miss my friends but excitement… Rygar, have you been paying attention to what’s been happening for the last few months?” She leaned back and just stared at him.

  How could he ask if she’d miss the excitement? There had hardly been a moment of peace for them and danger still hovered over the pack. If she wanted excitement, all that she could handle was right here.

  “I know that we’ve been through a rough period and there will be more trouble to come when we found out who took Gaden’s mate but for the most part our life will be routine.” He smiled and pulled her close again.

  “Do you think I didn’t have a routine life before I met you? My life isn’t much different now than it was in Oroyai pack.” Dari shook her head, her voice light. Getting taken from that market had been the most exciting thing that had happened in ronas.

  “Dari, your happiness means so much to me.” He tipped her head back so that he could see her eyes. “For you…”

  She stopped him, putting her fingers over his lips. What did she have to do to prove that she didn’t need any more than what she had with him? They had so much together. Sometimes, she wondered if she’d wake up and find it was all a dream.

  “Rygar, I’m happy with you. I’m going to miss my friends but life’s far more exciting with you and I’m not talking about the attacks and missing mates.” She rose on her tiptoes.

  “Gods, woman, if you wanted, I’d go make a home with Oroyai pack.” He hugged her fiercely.

  “Our home and family is here. Oroyai pack was my home but I’ve found the man I love, a family, and am making a place for myself. That you’d offer makes me so happy I want to cry but this is where we both belong.” She rose and kissed him hungrily.

  About the Author

  Rebecca Airies has always loved to read. Futuristic, the classics, mystery or horror, the genre doesn’t matter as long as the stories capture her interest and take her on an adventure. She soon discovered a love for writing and characters just waiting to tell their stories. Since that time, writing has become an obsession.

  Rebecca lives in the heart of Texas. She loves the outdoors, growing things and working on crafts when she’s not lost in the worlds of her characters. Please feel free to write and tell her what you think; she’d love to hear from you.

  Rebecca welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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  Also by Rebecca Airies

  Between Two Tiron

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II anthology

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction II anthology

  Fire Princes’ Bride

  Guarded Beginnings

  In Sorcery’s Hold

  Lost Memories

  Primal Attraction 1: Primal Quest


  Primal Attraction 2: Primal Pursuit

  Second Chance

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