Amy stumbled to a halt, and reached out for the nearest wall as a wave of dizziness washed over her. What the hell? Now she’d begun to hear voices. Well, one anyway.
Tinkling laughter rippled through her mind. Don’t you know who I am, child?
Closing her eyes, Amy braced herself against the wall and rubbed her forehead. “Should I?” she whispered. She quickly glanced down the hall. Her eyes scanned the corridor in both directions. Thank the Goddess no one stood nearby or they’d hear her talking to herself.
Why would I allow others to witness what passes between us?
“You mean—?”
Just think your thoughts and I shall hear them. And yes, I am Alana, the Mother Goddess of the Chantrean—and others.
Amy hung her head and slid down the wall, unable to continue standing on wobbling legs. Why? Why speak to me now? Do you know how many times I called out to you, begged you to help me, to let me die?
Great sadness poured through her. She could feel the Goddess’s tears as though they were her own. Each time you shed a tear, child, I shed one, too. Each time a male violated you, they violated me. Each time you begged for help, I listened. I answered.
Why? Why couldn’t you save me, save us all before they raped us, defiled us? You’re a goddess.
Even I must follow certain rules, Amy. So, I did what I could. I found the one person who could help you when I could not. I found your life mate, the other half of your soul. I found Hunter.
Why him? Why must I need any man?
My child, you and Hunter were always meant to be together. Only with him by your side will you become the woman you were destined to be.
I’m scared, she confessed. That was the gut-wrenching truth. She was scared—scared to the depths of her soul.
Of course you are, child. Only a fool does not fear the unknown. And you are not a fool. All I ask is that you listen to what Hunter has to say. Listen with your heart not just your mind. It will not lead you astray. Not in this. Now, enough talking. If you continue down this corridor, you’ll find the Manruvian people’s favorite part of this ship. Let your worries go for now, my child, and enjoy the pleasure found in the Manruvian’s home away from home.
Knowing the Goddess spoke true and her worries and fear would still be there later, Amy reluctantly nodded. Pushing herself to her feet, she looked down the hallway to her right. At the very end of the corridor, a single door faced her. A sign hung above it, written in a language she couldn’t read.
Oh well. What did she have to lose but a little time?
Exactly, my child.
Just before she reached for the door release, Amy closed her eyes. She had one last thing she needed to say to the Mother Goddess. Concentrating on the Goddess, Amy initiated contact with her. Thank you for saving me, no matter how you chose to do so.
I only wish I could have protected you from all that you have suffered. As quickly as the connection began, it ended.
Shoving all thoughts and worries from her mind, Amy pressed her palm against the identification pad. She shook her head, still amazed at the technology the Manruvians and Chantrean Lionese had at their disposal. The pad grew warm beneath her hand as it identified her and in seconds the door slid open.
She’d only had one foot in the door when she stopped, too stunned to walk any farther into the room. One minute she stood in a spaceship heading toward a new planet she’d call home, the next she’d been transported to a seaside getaway.
Turquoise water crested in waves as far as the eye could see. Strange creatures she'd originally thought only fodder for children’s bedtime stories sat sunning themselves on huge rocks and boulders. The scent of salt water wafted past her, ruffling her hair. Cream-colored sea foam washed against the white sandy beach as the waves thrust forward and receded. One of the mermen looked her way, smiled and dove into the water only to jump back out, his entire body rising at least twenty feet over the water. With a twist of his rainbow-colored glistening tail, he dove straight back down into a cresting wave.
So real, she thought. “It looks so real.”
“It’s as real as you want it to be.” She whipped her head around, surprised to see Mikel standing behind her.
She looked back toward the ocean, shook her head in wonder. “How?”
“Our technology is very advanced, even more so than the Chantreans. To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure how the scientists are able to do most of what they do.”
“The mermen, mermaids,” she said, pointing out toward the water, “they’re real?”
Behind her, Mikel chuckled. “You could say that. I, too, can shift into what you see out there. Our people love the water, though as you can see, it’s not necessary for us to live in it.”
Amy nodded then turned back toward Mikel too stunned to say anything more about the fantastical reality of mer-people. “I want to thank you for saving me, for saving all the others. Without you, I never would have gotten out of there—not alive, anyway.”
Mikel shook his head. “That’s not true. Hunter would have come for you crawling on his stomach if he had to. Nothing would have stopped him. For five years he hunted for those his sister had abducted, determined to find you all. But once you woke, once he connected to you, nothing mattered but getting to you, rescuing you.”
Amy swallowed, feeling self-conscious. What exactly could she say to that? “Well, thank you for accompanying him. I am just sorry you were harmed in the rescue.”
“I know a way you can make it up to me.”
Though nervous about what favor he’d ask, Amy owed him. “What can I do?”
“When Hunter asks you to wear the mate bonds, agree. If you are not truly his mate, nothing will happen. If you were meant to be with him what more could you want than a male who would do anything for you, including die for you?”
“When you put it that way, but I don’t know —“
He raised his hand, halting the excuse she already had waiting on the tip of her tongue. “I dream of one day finding my mate. I know what it’s like to fantasize about the day I’d finally meet her and know that I’d never be alone again. I know what it’s like to wonder if she’s even out there. But now he knows and though he’d never push you for more than you could give, I don’t think I’d have the willpower to do the same.” His mouth twisted into a sad smile. “Anyway, I am long overdue for a good swim and the water is calling my name.”
Amy nodded and watched as he skirted around her and headed down the beach. Yes, she definitely had a lot to think about and what better place than at the beach.
After toeing off her sneakers and rolling up the pant legs on her jeans as high as they would go, Amy headed toward the shoreline, in the opposite direction she’d seen Mikel take. She imagined a lot of people would want to reassure themselves that Mikel was fine, so being anywhere near him would not be conductive to quiet introspection.
Only when she looked behind her and could barely make out the others in the distance did she stop and look out into the ocean. It amazed her, this technology the Manruvians possessed. She truly felt as though she were walking along a beach on Earth. Seeing no one nearby, Amy sat down in the surf, letting the waves gently wash over her feet, her calves.
She tilted her head back. Resting back on her elbows, she closed her eyes and let the heat of the sun wash over her skin as the water caressed her flesh. It felt so good, so real.
“And what has put such a beautiful smile on your face?”
Amy yelped, unable to stop herself. She hadn’t realized she was no longer alone. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself looking into Hunter’s twinkling green eyes. His long golden-red hair hung past his shoulders in loose waves. The muscles in his thighs and chest flexed as he squatted beside her. As her gaze roamed over his body she gasped. Her eyes grew wide.
Hunter didn’t have a stitch of clothes on. And he was huge. Everywhere huge.
She turned away, her cheeks burning at the fact that she wasn’t afraid o
f him. In fact, her cheeks burned with mortification because, for once, she wondered if a man truly could bring a woman to pleasure as she'd heard.
Reaching out, he tucked a strand of her own red hair behind her ear. “Do you mind if I join you?”
“You want to sit here? With me?” Though why the idea surprised her she had no idea. Unable to think of anything to say, Amy simply nodded. Now what had she gotten herself into?
* * * *
“The Manruvians love this place. Their home world is mostly water. It’s quite a bit like your world, actually.” He leaned back, resting on his elbows in quite the same way as she was. “This is their way of relaxing. They don’t mind if we join them, in fact, they enjoy our company.” He grinned. “Personally, I think they enjoy showing off to other species.” He shrugged. “Who wouldn’t want to be able to launch themselves into the air like that?” He pointed out to another merman who had jumped high into the air, doing a summersault on the way down.
“I suppose you’re right. I would show off if I could do that too, I imagine.”
She kept her gaze out over the water. He figured it was much easier than looking at him and dealing with the strange feelings he invoked in her. He felt her attraction through their bond, if only he could convince her that’s what it was.
He rolled onto his side. Just a small movement would put his most private part in contact with her hand. She didn’t move, she merely stayed stiffly by his side to show she hadn’t even noticed what he’d done. Their connection was strong, he just wondered if it was strong enough.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
She turned, careful to keep her gaze above his neck. “Yes?”
“Don’t think I want to force you into anything. I’m asking and it’s all right for you to say no. It is your right to refuse me.”
“Refuse you what?”
He ran his hands through his hair, nervous. “Before I make my request, there is something you must know.” By the Goddess, he didn’t know how she would take the news he needed to impart.
“What is it, Hunter?”
“When we took to you the medical bay for healing, the doctor’s discovered something.”
Hunter watched as Amy shuddered and her face paled. “What? What did they find?”
“You were with child when we rescued you, but because of the blood loss during the attack afterward they were unable to save the child.”
Amy stilled then slowly sat up. “How far along was I?”
“The healers say that sometime within the last week you ovulated. The embryo was too small to handle your blood loss.”
Amy swallowed then turned her head away. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to think, supposed to feel. This was my child but instead of grief over its loss, I feel relieved that I will not bear my rapist’s child. And I feel guilty that I feel this way.”
“You have no reason to feel guilty. I would think all the things you are feeling are normal under the circumstances.” Amy nodded but he could tell that she didn’t believe him. He could feel the doubt through their connection, yet he had no idea how to comfort her.
“So, what is the favor you’d like to ask?” He knew she’d rather talk about anything other than the child and he wouldn’t push her on this. If she ever wanted to discuss it in the future, he’d be there for her. He understood that she’d have to think on it some more before she’d be really ready to face it. At least, that’s what Eve had said and he was going to take his sister-by-marriage’s word on it.
When he noticed Amy’s patient gaze Hunter realized he’d been silent far too long. It was now or never. “I know you’ve noticed the bond between us. Sometimes…most times, when a couple has such a bond they know they are meant to be together, or at least they hope they are. The Manruvians have a thing called mate bonds. If two people who were meant to be together wear them, they are tied to one another for life and beyond. I would ask you to accompany me to the Chantrean garden aboard this ship and agree to wear the mate bonds. This way we would know if we were meant to be together or not. If you are not my mate I will leave you alone. I will still care for you, but as a sister, not a mate. If you are my mate we shall work things out from there.”
“What if I’m not your mate? What of my people?”
“I shall still help your people, moya. No one deserves the treatment the Black Rose dishes out.”
“And if I agree to wear these bonds? What then?”
“Then we will go on as we have. Only when you are ready to consummate our mating will we do so. I respect you and care for you far too much to ever force myself on you.”
Amy sighed then turned her gaze toward the water. They sat that way for several minutes as they silently watched the water, each lost in thoughts of their own. What would he do if she refused? Did he have the strength to let her go if that’s what she wanted? Yes, it may kill him to see her leave, but if it helped in Amy’s healing, he’d see her on a ship to Earth himself. He loved her too much already to ever cause her misery by keeping her with him when she’d rather be elsewhere.
When Amy finally broke the silence growing between them, he thought he must have misheard her. “What was that?”
“I said okay. I’ll let you use the mate bonds, but for right now that’s all I’m agreeing to.”
Hunter nodded. He could hear the fear in her voice; see the fright in her eyes. Did she fear him or what lay ahead? He just didn’t know.
Reaching behind him, Hunter grabbed the uniform he’d been carrying when he spotted her. As he dressed, he watched Amy’s reaction to his nakedness. She seemed both enthralled with his body and terrified of it. Until he proved to her he’d never harm her, he had to expect this reaction. He just had to remember not to push her for more than she could give and to step away immediately if she asked it of him.
By the time he’d dressed, Amy had already dusted the sand from her pants, rolled her pant legs down and donned her shoes. He could feel Amy’s tension, her nervousness as though it were a living thing, choking her.
“If you don’t want to do this, I understand.’
Amy shook her head, “No. We both need to know.”
The fact that his mate would use the Mate Bonds even though her fear nearly consumed her showed him just how courageous and strong she was—a fitting mate for the next ruler of Chantrea.
Reaching down for her hand, Hunter gave it a quick squeeze. “Remember, all you have to say is stop, and I’ll walk away.”
Knowing only once they used the Mate Bonds would she truly understand what he was asking of her, he wasn’t about to waste time. With her hand in his, Hunter led her out of the recreation deck. Within minutes, they’d traveled the length of the ship and reached their destination. Before entering his security code, Hunter needed to be sure this is what she wanted. “Are you sure, moya? There is still time to say no.”
“Have you changed your mind about bonding with me? I’m not whole. I may never be what you want or need.”
Hunter shook his head. “That isn’t possible, moya. After we bond, you’ll understand. I promise.”
He watched her nervously. What would she do?
“All right. I’m ready if you are.”
“I’ve been ready my entire life, Amy.” Knowing that only showing her the truth of his words would convince her, Hunter entered his security code and led her into the Chantrean Mating Garden.
“Sit here, moya. There is something I must retrieve first.” With nervous apprehension, Hunter went to the base of one of the nearby statues where a secret compartment was located. Earlier today, he’d placed what he’d need there for the bonding, hoping, praying he’d have use for them. Nestled within several layers of Chantrean silk for protection, were the Manruvian Mate Bonds. The use of the mate bonds ensured the person you wanted to make your mate was indeed the one destined to complete your soul. The men of Chantrea traveled with them in hopes that one day they might come across their mate and have the opportunity to use them.
He quickly made his way back to the stone bench where Amy waited for him. Hunter paused before attaching the bond to her wrist. He refused to do anything she didn’t want. Even this. When she gave him a slow nod, he took her hands in his and bound her wrists together with the ritual binding straps, hoping that she was truly the one, the one who could complete him.
When the other end began to seek his own wrist and wrapped itself around him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Several seconds later, it suddenly became thinner. It flattened against their skin, burrowing beneath the layers of flesh until it became one with them. Its DNA now blended with theirs, forming an invisible tether between them. Nothing could separate them now, in heart, mind or body. If they were ever separated again, for whatever reason, she’d not be alone. Never again would either of them be alone.
Chapter Seven
“What just happened to me, Hunter?” Amy asked, her eyes widening with fear. She felt something new inside her. Something crawling through her system, locking her to this man. She turned away, rubbing her wrists, trying to remove the thing that had just burrowed into her flesh.
“I feel different.” She looked at him, nervously licked her lips. “Why do I feel so different?” She fought the urge to try to dig the bonds from under her skin. The way they burrowed beneath her flesh like a living thing was the most remarkable and frightening thing she’d ever seen—ever felt—in her life.
Amy couldn’t blame him for the results. He’d warned her. She turned, ready to bolt from the room. He’d told her, yet a part of her hadn’t believed him. That they could be permanently bound, by living cords, was unbelievable, preposterous, yet it seemed as though what he said was true.
She felt him within her. She felt his fear of her rejection, his desire to be what she wanted, his determination to help her overcome her fears and the overwhelming love he already felt for her. Could she trust what she felt through the bond? Should she trust it?
Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge Page 6
