by LW Browning
Destiny frowned before she answered. "It is difficult to explain. When we joined our minds, we sought to avoid death, ours and those of you and your warriors. Claire was going to be killed. She had accepted that. I received from the people in the arena. Their insanity and lust for violence had taken them over. I passed that information to Claire. We joined minds to defend ourselves and your group from the STS and the spectators in the arena. The crowd would have killed us all, even after you stopped the STS."
Koda raised an eyebrow. "Claire ran away from me. She ran to Robare. Do you know why?"
"It was her job.” Destiny replied. “Anna told her."
Koda tilted his head. Was doing her job all that Claire ever thought of. "What do you know of Anna?"
"Anna joined minds with Claire, so I knew what she told her," Destiny said.
Koda was still trying to wrap his mind around the abilities of the empaths. They could all speak to each other without touching. "How did Anna know anything of what was to happen in the arena?" Koda asked.
Destiny mouthed a silent 'oh' before she explained. "Anna has the gift of foresight, she sees the future." Destiny waited for this to sink in to the warlords. She half smiled. "What I received from Claire was that when she and Anna parted, Anna reminded Claire of the first rule of chess. The queen's job."
"The queen's job," Koda repeated.
"Yes, the queen's job is to protect the king," Destiny said.
Destiny looked from Koda to Lodi. "You are the king, Warlord Leader. Claire's job is to protect you. Are you not familiar with the game of chess?"
It was as if a large boulder hit Koda in the chest. He forced himself to breathe to take in oxygen. Could this be true? Was Claire's sole intention to safeguard him? Did she endure everything the STS did to her and not give up any information at all in an effort to protect him?
He had been a fool. He had seen only her frailty, never her strength, and he had hurt her with his assumptions.
Koda returned to sit by Claire while she slept off the effects of the drugs. Drugs that he had ordered given to her. He sat down to watch her sleep and to think what a male might do with such a female. More important, how was he going to convince her to forgive him?
***
Claire’s eyes fluttered and she woke. She sat up and looked straight at Koda. He had waited with her and watched her sleep. She drank deeply, when he handed her a bottle of water. Then raised her chin and held his gaze.
By all the fates, she was beautiful. Her skin was flushed with her anger. Her hair glowed. Even with the bruises and cuts on her, she was the most beautiful female he had ever seen.
Koda had coaxed the truth from Claire after he drugged her. He talked with Destiny and had pieced everything together. They had both suffered from so many misunderstandings. The depth of her love shook him.
"Did the drugs not have the desired effect, Warlord Leader?" She asked.
Koda sat up straight in the chair and leaned forward. He felt as though he had been punched when she pulled back from him in fear. "I am sorry, pita. I had reports that you gave information to the STS. I did not believe that you were able to withstand their interrogation without giving them at least some information. I expected that you did. It would have been alright if you had. All I wanted to know was what they knew of us. I apologize for doubting you." Koda watched her intently.
"It does not matter. If you want to end me, then do so. I will not try to persuade you either of my honesty or my integrity since you are convinced I have neither." Claire stared at him, defiance in her eyes.
Koda frowned. "No, pita, you are wrong, I know that you have a great deal of both. I do not understand why you ran from me in the arena. You ran to Robare. I would know why."
"I am tired of telling you truth when you do not believe me. You should have asked me that when you drugged me."
"I am asking you now." Koda leaned toward her.
***
Claire had a flash of raw fear. By all the fates, had she told him that she loved him? His blue eyes were like diamonds. She remembered that he had been fascinated by her emerald green eyes. She had the thought that diamonds cut emeralds.
Claire stammered, "They - they told me that you were through with me. The penalty for betraying you is... death. And they told me you thought I betrayed you. When I saw you in the arena, I thought you came to help them. Robare said you would." She paused. "You were saving me. I did not understand at first. Robare was coming toward you and I was not able to scream over the noise. I put myself between you and Robare."
Koda stood up and grabbed Claire's upper arms, pulling her to him. She could not stop the squeak that came from her. "You tried to sacrifice yourself for me. Why, pita? You thought I came to kill you." He leaned down to be close to her face.
Claire’s heart was about to beat out of her chest. "Anna told me... It was my job to protect you."
"It seems a heroic thing. To offer your life to protect one who is going to end you because you think it is your job." Koda waited, held her, and searched her eyes. "Are you sure that is the reason, pita? Is keeping me safe and mating with me just a job?"
Claire wanted to say that she loved him, but MX did not do that. And Koda had sent her away when he was finished with her. Hot tears burned her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She cried as if her soul was torn open.
Koda pulled her close and held her while sobs wracked her body. He stroked her hair and whispered to her. "Shh... easy... it is alright. Everything is alright, pita. I will take care of you and I apologize if I have added to your distress throughout this ordeal. I will always take care of you even as I will care for you. Always."
"Y-you sent me awayyyy," she wailed like a child.
"Pita, the situation at the Trade Center was turning into a battle, I sent you away for your safety. You are my weakness. I wanted my weakness out of reach from my enemies when the battle began. I will not lose you, pita."
His hands rubbed her back and smoothed her hair as she cried. "All I can offer you is my heart, pita, and my love. I will learn to talk with you and share with you. I have never done that, but I will learn. I will not let you go. It hurts me to see you so distressed. I will do my best to make you happy. I will keep you and teach you to love me. Do you think you can learn to love me? Will you try?"
"I have been a burden to you. I do everything wrong. You get angry with me." Claire sobbed. Did she dare let herself hope?
"No, pita. You are my heart. You are my claimed and mated. When I call you 'pita', do you not know what that means? 'Pita' means, 'my heart'. You are my heart. Can you tell me you love me? Will you say it, pita, and mean it now, after everything that has happened, I would hear that from your lips. No drugs, just you. Say it."
"Yes," Claire sobbed and laughed at the same time. "Yes, I do, love you. I love you and I need you. I want to stay with you always, Warlord Leader."
"Claire, pita, I want to hear you say my name,"
"I love you," Claire said. She rejoiced at the relief in his eyes.
Koda hugged her even closer to his chest, breathing in the scent of her. "That is good, pita. Call me Koda. And tell me you love me. That is what a warlord needs to hear from his mate. I will love you, always."
"I love you, Koda," she said as she snuggled safe and warm in his arms.
Koda kissed the top of her head and held her close.
Claire was sketching in the garden. Her brow knit in concentration as her colored pencils brought flowers to life on her paper. She stopped drawing and reached out with her mind.
Koda was creeping up on her. He made no sound, the sneaky warlord; she smiled. Slowly, she put her pencils and paper down beside her, then jumped and ran. Koda chased her. He would always come after her. She cherished that promise in her heart. She whirled to face him with a small tree between them. He crouched low, stalking her.
She moved first to one side, then the other. He mirrored her movements.
"You know, pita, I will always catch you."
He smiled.
"And you know, Koda, I will always give you a good chase." She giggled.
She turned to run again. He caught her at the edge of a thicket of trees. His strong arm went around her waist. When he lifted her up, she squealed and giggled. He pulled her against him and walked to a tree while holding her off the ground. With her back to the tree, he pressed against her and lowered his mouth to claim hers.
He kissed her intensely while she writhed in his arms.
"I do enjoy the chase, pita, I really do, but the best part is when I catch you and see the trust and desire in your eyes," Koda breathed. He put his hand in her hair to pull her face to his.
Claire smiled at the ice blue of his eyes, "The best part is when I let you think you have caught me. And knowing I can trust my Warlord will always come after me."
He cut off her giggle when he claimed her mouth again. She was not able to talk for a while. Koda kept her mouth very busy.
Sometime later, Koda and Claire walked arm in arm back to the castle. "Ah," she said, "Var has returned and he has an MX with him. Another one is safe," she laughed with joy.
Koda smiled at his mate, the love of his life. "Then let us go and greet them, pita," he said.
Claire laughed, "Yes, Warlord Koda, let us do that."
OTHER BOOKS BY L.W. BROWNING
Look for Warlord's Trust,
the next novel in the Krystile Warriors series.
Adventures of a Southern Girl
under L. Walker
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