Forcing himself to release her, he took a step back from temptation. He needed to tell her of the Malrai Hin before it began, to prepare her for what was to come. If Rurik truly was showing an interest in his mate, he needed to claim her quickly before he lost her.
“Kieran,” she began. “Bringing me here will not change my mind. I want to go home.”
For a moment he just stared at her, his dark eyes seemed to be memorizing her face. Then without warning, she watched as his wings unfurled from his back before he took to the sky, disappearing among the towering trees above. Scowling up at the sky her breath huffed out in anger. Did he really just fly off and leave her? Was this his way of avoiding a conversation? Planting her clenching hands on her hips she pressed her lips into a thin line.
“Why am I not surprised?!” she yelled at the sky above. Turning around she began pacing back and forth as her anger over flowed. “Fine, just fly off and leave me. I don’t need you! I’ll find my own way home!” Turning around to walk in the first direction that her feet chose, she was surprised to find him blocking her path. Standing with his arms crossed, his eyes blinked as he simply stared down at her.
“Who are you yelling at?” he asked. While watching her like she’d been talking to an invisible person.
“There you are, you big jerk!” she seethed. “I was yelling at you! Take me back! If you won’t help me get home, I swear I will find my own way. I’m tired of your games and I’m sick of you just picking me up and flying off with me. I hate HEIGHTS! Then you just fly off because you don’t like that I want to return home. Well, too damn bad!”
By the time she finished her tirade she was left panting for air. Never once did his expression ever change with her seething words. He’d simply stared at her and waited for her to finish. Uncrossing his arms, he turned around to lift something off the ground. Turning back to her, he held out a small wrapped bundle. What was he up to?
“I left to get you these,” he explained moving closer to her, holding the bundle for her to take.
Raising a brow at his gift, she hesitantly reached out and took it. Bringing it close to her body, she could see that the bundle was in fact a large leaf that he’d used to wrap her gift in. The bundle wasn’t heavy but it did have some weight to it. While she used one arm to hold the bundle against her stomach, her other hand worked on untying the small knot at the top. Pulling back the edge of the dark leaf, she gazed down at the contents of her gift. Reaching inside she pulled out one of many circular shaped fruits. It looked similar to a peach or nectarine, but its color was a dark blue with bright blue stripes swirling around the top.
“What is this?” she asked softly as she lifted her eyes from the strange fruit to his watchful gaze. Smilingly he moved closer to her. Gently, he reached out and lifted the bundle from her arm. Taking hold of her free hand, he guided her toward a flat space of soft grass. Placing the bundle down, he lowered himself down beside it. With his hand still gripping hers, Kieran looked up as she remained standing, looking unsure.
“Sit down,” he said gently, patting the soft earth beside him.
For a moment she seemed to be about to resist his invitation, but then she surprised him. Lowering herself down beside him, she turned her attention back to the fruit in her hand. Reaching across her, he gently took the fruit from her. Holding it up to the light of the moon, he turned to look at her watching eyes.
“This is called a flur’si, it means sky flower.” Allowing his claws to lengthen, he sliced the fruit open before pulling the two halves apart. Holding out one half, he smiled as she reached out to take it from him.
Pulling the offering closer, she studied the strange fruit. The inside of the fruit was a bright blue color with a soft appearance. Bringing it closer to her face, she inhaled its sweet scent before taking a hesitant bite. The sweet flavor of blueberries and strawberries mixed together exploded on her tongue causing her to groan in delight. Without delay, she took a bigger bite and before she knew it her half was gone. Without needing to ask for another, Kieran was already handing her the other half. Polishing off the other as well, she turned to see Kieran smiling at her.
“I didn’t think you had fruit here. All they were eating back there was that smelly meat.” Her nose curled in disgust at the mention of that meat. Her stomach grumbled for more food causing a blush to wash up her face. Smiling, Kieran reached into the leafy packaging to pull another out. Ripping the fruit in half, he handed both halves over to her eager hands.
“Many of the warriors at the stronghold eat mostly meats. It keeps us strong. Our world possesses many different kinds of vegetation used for consumption, but mostly our females eat that.”
“They don’t like meat?” she asked, taking another bite of her fruit she relaxed as her hunger pains seemed to lessen with each bite.
“They do like it, but they cannot tolerate large quantities of it like the males can. I should have anticipated that you would be the same.”
Swallowing her bite, she softly smiled back at him. “Thank you. But if you want good meat you should try cheeseburgers and steaks in my world. They are the best, if you ask me.”
He watched as instantly her smile fell at the mention of her world. The brightness that her eyes had held within their green depths just seconds earlier turned dark and downcast. Kieran’s heart squeezed tightly in his chest at the sight. What could he do to make it better? Send her home? No! He couldn’t do that. There had to be something he could do.
Moving closer to her, his hand reached out to tenderly cup the side of her face. Turning her to look at him, he whispered, “Do you remember what I told you about our bond?”
Nodding she shrugged her shoulders helplessly, “Yes, but that doesn’t change that I can’t stay here, Kieran. You’ll find someone else, I’m sure.”
Shaking his head, his fingers move from her face to sink into her soft, red hair. “For a Garmorian male, there is only one. Once we find our mates our soul is chained to theirs and never let’s go. That is how I was able to find you across the thresholds of our worlds.”
“Kieran…” Before she could tell him again that she couldn’t be his soul mate, she found his finger pressing against her lips.
“Just listen to me.” When she nodded, he let his finger slide from her soft lips. “After we find our mates and have them by our side, there is a mating rite that must be completed before we claim our mates, it is called, Malrai Hin. The Malrai Hin ties the male’s fate to the outcome of his worthiness to win his mate.” Kieran inwardly winced at the half truth that poured from his lips.
Though the Malrai Hin was how Garmorian’s claimed and bound their sou’tali to them, he hadn’t told her the whole truth of what would happen if she didn’t accept him as her sou’tali. She wasn’t ready for that yet, he thought grimly. She needed time to adjust to him and this new world that she would have to accept. He still had time.
“What are you saying?”
“I am saying that I will prove that I will be an honorable and worthy mate to care for you and love you as you deserve. I will win the right to become your sou’tali.”
More than anything, her harlequin romantic heart wanted to hold on to his words and keep them close. But deep down her steel wall of stubbornness couldn’t conceive any way that she could let go of her old life for a life in his world. A world that was new and terrifying to her. At least on her world, she knew where she stood.
“Kieran, I don’t know…” her words faltered as she shook her head. She couldn’t allow herself to believe it this was real between them. She knew there was a bond between them; she could feel it as it grew stronger the more she was with him but she had to fight it.
Reaching out he tucked a fallen strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at her with a look of tenderness. Briefly a look of foreboding crossed his face before a heavy sigh escaped from between his lips.
“I will promise you something, Rai Yan; my heart. Allow me a fortnight to complete the Malrai Hin and win y
our heart.” Lowering his eyes, his fist tightened on the ground between them. “If I do not, I give you my word that I will return you to your life and leave you in peace.”
There it was. The words she wanted him to say but after finally hearing them, it made her heart ache with unfamiliar pain. Pushing the pain aside she nodded. “Alright,” she whispered back.
At her response, Kieran felt his entire being both lighten with happiness and tighten with apprehension. He couldn’t lose her — he wouldn’t lose her. He had to win her heart.
“Thank you, Rai Yan.” As the words whispered from between his lips, he leaned closer to her.
Her eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips. Hesitantly, she drew in her bottom lip and wetted it against her tongue. Her heart leapt with excitement as his face drew nearer. His arm slid around her curvy waist, drawing her closer to the heat of his body. She could feel herself tremble.
She’d been kissed before by her past, nervous and fumbling boyfriends. But what she saw in Kieran’s eyes as his face drew closer was different than simple desire — it was a deep need that she couldn’t describe. Burying his free hand into the tendrils of her hair, his lips claimed hers. Elena’s hands gripped his arms as his mouth moved against her. His kiss was hesitant at first, but as she began to respond he became more demanding against her mouth.
At every brush of his mouth, she couldn’t get enough. Her body came alive against him with need that she never had been tempted with before. The connection between them seemed to grow, causing her to crave him like a drug. Was this the bond that he was referring to? Did the bond make her want him? At this point she didn’t care. His hands tightened at her waist and in her hair as his kiss deepened.
Jerking his lips away, suddenly she found her back pressed against the soft grass as Kieran moved over her. His eyes blazed above her as his chest rose and fell with the need to claim her. Her lips were swollen and parted as she gasped for breath as well. She laid against the earth like an offering to him. Her red hair laid spread out in vibrant waves, standing out against the grass beneath her. Her full breasts pressed against her thin covering, begging him to uncover them. He could feel her legs pressing at the sides of his, tempting him to lie against her softness. She was perfect.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered husky as his eyes bore down on her with awe. Feeling uncomfortable, Elena briefly covered her face with her hands before lowering them to her chest.
“You are too,” she murmured shyly. Her words and teasing smile caused him to chuckle.
“I have to be the first Garmorian warrior to be called beautiful, but since you said it I will hold your words close.” Smiling, he forced himself to rise to his feet.
Holding out a hand he offered to help her rise as well. For a moment she didn’t take his hand, instead she blinked up at him with confusion. One moment they were kissing like the world would end if they didn’t and then… nothing. She hadn’t expected him to move away from her. Any other guy would have tried to slip under her shirt at least, but he hadn’t.
“What’s wrong?” Sitting up, she gave him a worried look. “I thought…?”
Crouching down before her, his face softened, “I must get us back, so that I may speak to the Gu’an. I would stay here with you forever if I could.” Rising back to his full height, he held out his hand again.
Slipping her hand into his, she allowed him to pull her onto her feet. Feeling confused and a little embarrassed, she tried to distract herself by picking up the bundle of fruit. Despite his words, she couldn’t help but think that maybe he didn’t find her attractive. Could that be the reason that he hadn’t tried anything more than kissing her? She was pale, unlike his kind and she was built much bigger than what she’d seen of his friend Sera. Flashes of past memories began haunting her worried thoughts. Shaking her head, she rid herself of memories of her first love and biggest mistake. It was the same then as it was now. It was her own fault for getting her hopes up.
Seeing Kieran look at her with concern at her withdrawn expression, she flashed him a soft smile. She was grateful when he accepted it and didn’t say anything. She went willingly into his arms this time as his wings materialized behind him. As he lunged through the air, she squeezed her eyes shut as he carried them higher and back toward the stronghold. She would give him time to do as he’d asked before she went back to her old life.
She finally had a way back home, so why didn’t she feel happy?
Chapter Eight
Leaning into the archway of the balcony, Elena stared out at the night sky. Folding her arms under her breasts, she sighed. It had been barely a half an hour since Kieran and her had returned to the stronghold. After taking her to his chambers, he asked her to remain inside as he went to speak to Cian.
Hissing out in frustration, her head fell back against the stone wall behind her. Her earlier conversation with Kieran kept replaying over and over in her mind until she thought she’d go crazy. What had she been thinking? How could she agree to let Kieran keep her here so he could court her or whatever? What would it really matter anyway? After the allotted time, she’d be returning home anyway. A heavy weight settled in her stomach at the thought of going home. It was what she wanted… wasn’t it?
“Don’t be ridiculous.” she scolded herself. “In a few days, I’ll go home, back to my normal life and forget all about… him.”
She didn’t understand it. Why did she feel like she was denying something that she should be accepting? What if after remaining close to him that she couldn’t go back? What if she didn’t want to? Shaking her head, she stabbed her fingers through her loose hair. She’d made a mistake. It was ludicrous to agree to his terms. She should have demanded that he send her home or ask another to do so.
Dropping her hands to her sides, she walked around the bed to the door. She needed some air, promise or no promise. Kieran didn’t own her and she should be safe inside the castle walls from the Kelithians, she reasoned. What harm could there be in taking a simple walk to clear her mind?
Easing the heavy door open, she stepped out into the corridor. With the exception of a few lit torches that hung on the walls, she was surrounded by dark shadows. A chill rushed over her bare arms as she turned left to pause before turning right. Which way should she go? Shaking off her anxiety, she moved forward. Walking for several minutes, only the sound of her own footsteps echoed around her. Passing several closed doors, she felt her curiosity pricked, urging her to explore them but she kept moving.
The sound of male laughter echoed in the shadows in front of her, drawing her to a stop. Stepping into the light, the laughter died quickly as two Garmorian’s eyes fell upon her. Dressed like all the other Garmorian’s she’d seen so far, the only differences she could see with these two was their hair. While one was nearly bald, the other had long hair that was braided down his back.
The long haired one’s eyes poured heavily over her before he spoke. “You are Kieran’s human,” he prodded. Shaking her head, she moved to walk around them. At her silence the second one held an arm out in front of her, blocking her path.
“Does your mate know where you are? Where are you going?”
Jerking towards him, her fists clenched at her sides as her gaze seared into him with outrage. “I am not Kieran’s anything. Besides, it is none of his business or yours where I go,” she snapped, ducking under his arm she moved past them only to hear two sets of footsteps echoing behind her. Spinning around, she fixed her gaze on the two that had begun to follow her. “I don’t need a babysitter, so move on,” she bit out, waving her hands at them in a shooing motion. Both regarded her with tense expressions.
“It is not wise for you to wonder the stronghold alone. We will take you to where you wish to go,” the bald one said firmly.
Resting her hands on her hips, she stubbornly tilted her chin at them. “I can take care of myself.” Stepping forward, the long haired one firmly gripped her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed at him a
s he begun tugging her back the way she’d come. Clawing at his hand, she struggled to dig her feet in as the brute continued to drag her along. “Let go of me! You’re not my boss!”
Scoffing at her, he shook his head. “No, I am not; however, Kieran most certainly is and I am willing to bet that he doesn’t even know you out wondering around.”
Dream of Me Page 11
