All the fierceness went out of Tiago. “I know,” he admitted lowly. “I didn’t think. It never occurred to me that Adric would bring fae with him.”
Dion squeezed the back of his neck. He’d been alpha for ten years and had long since made his peace with dispensing justice. It was for the good of the clan; he had to be strong or Rock Run would be torn apart by the same infighting that had devastated the Baltimore shifters.
By all rights he should execute Tiago, or barring that, banish him for life. But this was his brother, the kid he’d loved from the day he’d lifted his head from their mother’s breast and given Dion a bright-eyed, milky-mouthed smile.
Tiago held himself proudly upright. Dion admired him for that, at least: he was waiting bravely for his sentence. And he had saved Valeria and Merry. Dion was still furious that Okeanos, a man to whom he’d given the freedom of Rock Run, had tried to steal two of the clan’s most vulnerable members.
Rui shifted, and Dion expelled a breath. “First,” he told Tiago, “I want your oath that it will never happen again.”
“You’ve got it.” Without prompting, his brother put his hand on his heart. “I, Tiago Gallagan do Mar, swear an oath of loyalty to you and the clan. I promise that never again will I act in a way that could harm either you or the clan.”
“All right.” Dion crossed his arms over his chest. “This is how it’s going to be. You can return to the base as part of your cohort, but you’re the lowest man for the next six months. We won’t tell people why, just that you’re being disciplined. Some of them may guess it was you who gave our location away, but I’d like to keep this as quiet as possible.”
Tiago blinked. For a natural dominant, it was a harsh punishment: to be forced to take orders from those lower than him in the hierarchy. “Yes, sir.”
“Any night you’re free, you’ll report to the kitchen to help the cooks. Anything they need—peeling potatoes, shelling oysters—you’re to do it.”
Tiago nodded.
“And finally, you’ll work in the creche for one day each week for the next two months. That isn’t a punishment, by the way. It’s to remind you what you risked by giving our location to the Baltimore alpha.”
Tiago swallowed noisily. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret this.”
Dion gave a curt nod. He hesitated for a long moment and then opened his arms. “Welcome back, irmão.”
Tiago practically jumped the few steps between them. Dion gave him in a hard hug.
“You asshole. I could wring your neck.”
Tiago let out a single sob and hugged him back. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “So sorry. I never even thought about the kids.”
“Well, you’re not the first man to make an ass of yourself over a beautiful woman. And if it hadn’t happened, you probably wouldn’t have been here when Okeanos brought Valeria to the island. Deus knows what he would’ve done to her—and we’d have lost Merry to boot. We’re all in your debt.”
Tiago nodded. For a few seconds they stood there, arms wrapped around each other. Dion didn’t know about his brother, but he was too full to speak.
When they stepped apart, Rui slapped Tiago on the back. “Dion’s right. We owe you, all three of us—Valeria, Merry and me. If you hadn’t come for me right away—” His throat worked. “Anyway, I’m in your debt. Anything, anytime—I’ll be there. And I mean that.”
“Thank you.” Tiago dragged in a breath, clearly feeling better.
Dion jerked his chin at Rui, who even with the benefit of Cleia’s healing Gift, was still sporting some colorful bruises. “Take a long swim,” he advised. “Go out to the bay, give yourself some time to heal. I’ll make sure Valeria knows.”
Rui hesitated, then nodded. “Tell her I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” With a nod to them both, he strode into the Susquehanna and changed to his shark.
Dion turned to his brother. “Let’s join the sweep. I want to be sure it’s safe before I leave.”
It was a subdued young shifter who fell into step beside him. Dion only hoped he’d truly learned his lesson. Because if not, someday his youngest brother was either going to leave or challenge him for alpha—and that could set off the same sort of civil war that had nearly brought down the Baltimore clan.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Valeria had lied.
Well, not exactly. She was feeling better.
But Cleia’s healing energy had only dented the edge of the aphrodisiac. She was so hot, she was surprised her skin wasn’t steaming, and the sight of Rui, naked and sweaty after the mate-duel, had her entire body clenching.
Hades take Petros anyway. Just as he’d predicted, she was like a bitch in heat. But at least with Rui she didn’t feel shame, didn’t need to fight it.
But Merry came first. With a huge effort, Valeria managed to calm herself enough to function normally. By the time they got back to Rock Run, it was afternoon and Merry was whining that she was hungry, which Valeria took as a good sign. The two of them ate lunch in the dining hall along with a few stragglers who shook their heads over Petros, Jorge and the others.
As they ate, Merry kept examining her quartz, fingering it, staring into it, showing it off to everyone at the table. She seemed to have bounced back from her ordeal, but Valeria took her to Branco anyway.
He swung the little girl into his arms. “You’re a ball of energy today, aren’t you?”
“Did you see my new crystal?” Merry held it up for him to see. “Uncle Jace gave it to me. Earth shifters have to wear one.”
The healer duly admired it before setting her down. “I’m no expert on earth shifter metabolism,” he told Valeria as Merry danced away, “but it looks to me like she’s a little high on the energy from the crystal.”
Merry was belting out a song now using her quartz as a mic.
Yeah, she was definitely feeling no pain.
“But is that okay?” Valeria asked Branco.
“If it came from her uncle, I’m sure it’s fine. He knows what she needs.”
“Look, Branco,” Merry said. “I can shift really fast now.” She changed to jaguar and then a heartbeat later, was back to her girl.
Valeria blinked. That was fast even for an adult fada.
The healer chuckled. “Don’t worry, she won’t stay this hyped-up for long. She’s just excited, probably because she was craving the energy all along. She’ll calm down, but feel free to bring her back in a day or two if it will make you feel better.”
Reassured, Valeria took Merry outside so she could run off some of that excess energy as her jaguar. Rui still hadn’t returned, but Eliana stopped by to let her know that on Dion’s advice, he’d changed to shark and swum out to the Chesapeake.
Valeria nodded. The needy, edgy part of her wanted Rui now, but he’d heal faster in his animal form.
The younger woman slanted her a knowing smile. “You’re mated, aren’t you?”
Valeria knew, of course, that Rui had had sex with Eliana, but she also knew it hadn’t meant anything. If she were jealous of every woman he’d had, it would poison their mating. Besides, how could you dislike someone who was so clearly thrilled for them both?
So she smiled back. “Yeah. But it’s not official yet.”
“I knew it!” Eliana threw her arms around Valeria. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you both. I can’t wait for the mating ceremony.”
“Remember, it’s not official—”
But Eliana had jogged off. Valeria shook her head ruefully. By sundown, the entire base would know.
Merry-the-jaguar trotted up with a fish in her mouth and dropped it at Valeria’s feet, and Valeria knelt to admire it. They found a bucket in the marina, filled it with water and spent the next hour catching fish and playing in the river with a group of other pups including Trina and Marco who’d come outside with their teachers from the creche.
Trina and Marco took one look at Merry’s quartz and immediately announced they wanted their own. Merry offered to
help them search, one of the teachers went inside for some leather cords, and soon the entire group was sporting various stones—including a few pieces of quartz—as jewelry.
Thank the Goddess. Valeria had been afraid that Merry’s need for a quartz would only emphasize her difference from the other kids.
She was reclining on the river bank watching Merry play in the shallows when a large gray bull shark appeared. She knew it was Rui even before she saw the intelligent green eyes. He glided toward her, an intense, mesmerizing presence.
Valeria stared at him, unable to look away. It was times like this that brought home to her that he was at heart a hunter. Two years ago, she might have been a little frightened, but now she was just grateful that his massive strength would always be there, protecting her and Merry.
He shifted and strode onto the bank, his big body glistening in the sunlight. Valeria’s mouth literally started to water. Her gaze traveled from his feet to his face, lingering on all the hard, lovely places in between. His cuts and bruises had faded until they were barely visible.
She swallowed. “You look better.”
“So do you.” Rui’s lips curved in that knowing way that always sent heat curling through her. She stared back, forgetting everything but the fact that this powerful, gorgeous man was her mate and she needed him.
It was Merry who broke the spell, bounding through the shallow water toward Rui, her tail high and happy.
“Well, hello, princesa,” he said with a smile, swinging her into the air. “How’s my girl?” She gave a joyful yowl and he said, “Excelente,” and planted a kiss on her furry head.
As soon as he set her down, she streaked across the grass to her friends, where she scurried up a tree, lording it over the more earth-bound otter pups until one of the teachers quietly rebuked her.
He glanced at Valeria. “She’s okay?”
“Yes. I took her to Branco and he says she’s fine, that the extra energy is her adjusting to the quartz.”
“Good. And what about you, querida?” His gaze traveled over her body.
She’d donned a light cotton sundress, all she could stand against her skin. She knew he was looking her over out of concern, but that intent scrutiny made her whole body catch fire. Her nipples tightened, pressing against the damp material, and his nostrils flared.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice rough.
Valeria tugged the dress away from her skin. Suddenly even the light material felt too constricting. “I’m fine.” But her gaze settled hungrily on his naked body.
“Deus,” Rui muttered with a glance at the children. “Don’t look at me like that. Not here when I can’t do a damn thing about it.”
A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her face. He frowned and touched a finger to her damp temple. “You’re still feeling it, aren’t you? The drug?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “But I’m better than I was—just edgy.”
“Why don’t you go for a swim? I’ll keep an eye on Merry. If she gets bored, I’ll take her for a ride.”
Merry gave an excited yelp, proving that young shifters—whatever their animal—had an owl’s acute ears. She scrambled down the tree, shifting to girl as she reached the ground.
“Can you take me across the river, Tio? On your shark?”
“Sim, sim.” Rui placed a calming hand on her head. “Now settle down while I talk to your mama.”
She nodded vigorously, then took a step away and clamped her mouth shut.
Valeria pressed her own lips together so that she wouldn’t chuckle.
“So?” Rui said. “You know it will do you good.”
She glanced at the river. It beckoned: cool and silver-green, a siren’s call to her overstimulated system. “If you’re sure it’s all right…”
“Of course. We’ll be fine.” He shifted closer. A hand slipped around her nape and he deliberately rubbed his cheek against hers, marking her with his scent. “Tonight, though,” he husked, “you’re all mine.”
And just like that, her animal turned belly-up, accepting him as the mate. The bond that had flowered into life in the cavern settled deep, weaving into her heart like the roots of a sturdy plant. She turned her face toward his.
“Mm,” she said against his lips.
He gazed at her in wonder. “Valeria—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Tonight.”
She sensed his impatience through the bond. His animal wanted to claim her right here and now. Then he glanced at Merry, hopping impatiently from foot to foot, and blew out a breath. “Tonight,” he agreed.
Valeria bent down to hug Merry. “I’ll be back in an hour. You listen to Tio Rui, all right?”
“Yes, Mama Ria.” She tugged on Rui’s hand. “Come on, Tio.”
Valeria left them to it, confident that Rui could handle her little ball of fire. Walking to a large rock overhanging the river, she dragged off the too-confining dress and took a stance at the edge. She inhaled deeply and then sprang up and out in a long dive that took her to where the current was fast and so cold against her overheated skin that it stole her breath.
It felt wonderful.
She broke the surface long enough to fill her lungs again and then shifted to her dolphin and headed downstream with the river.
* * *
By the time she returned, most of the drug had worked its way out of her system, but the few hours before she was alone with Rui seemed to creep by. At his suggestion, the three of them had a quiet dinner in her apartment. Even though she was feeling better, she wasn’t in the mood to face a crowd, especially when everyone was expecting them to announce their mating.
Her closest friends stopped by anyway—Sabela and her parents, Marina and Luis, Trina and Marco along with their parents, and the old man who had taught her to crab. They alternately hugged her and exclaimed over how Petros had fooled everyone.
Meanwhile, Merry continued to do an excellent imitation of a wind-up toy, bouncing from person to person and giggling with her friends. Rui came in for a few congratulatory backslaps from the men for winning the mate-duel, which he accepted with an easy grin that made Valeria blink. She eyed him wonderingly as she realized he was more relaxed than she’d ever seen him.
Dion stopped by with Luis and his mate, Marina, to check on them both. Marina took one look at Valeria and gently but firmly ushered everyone from the apartment.
With the three of them alone again, Merry flopped onto the couch, gave a big yawn and was asleep within minutes. Rui carried her into her room and laid her on the bed while Valeria drew up the sheet. Together, they stood looking down at her. She’d rolled onto her side, her quartz clutched in one hand, her hair sticking up in wild punctuation marks around her head.
Rui put an arm around Valeria. “Deus, it must have been hard for Jones to give her up.”
She nodded. “I don’t know if I could have done it.”
“You would have,” he said with certainty. “If it was the only way to keep her happy and healthy, you’d have let the earth shifters have her. You love her too much to do anything else.”
“I guess. But I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
“Me too. But she’s safe now. Cleia will keep the night fae away, and I can handle anyone else.”
“I know you can.” She turned into him. “I’m a lucky woman, to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one.” His face was grave.
“Mm.” She nuzzled his cheek. He still smelled of his swim, a mix of fresh river and salty bay. Her heart started to pound, slow and hard. She slid her lips over the strong cord of his neck, flicking her tongue out to taste him.
He shuddered and she smiled against his skin.
With a last look at Merry, he drew Valeria into the hall and backed her up against a wall, his hands on either side of her head. “Now where were we?”
She cupped his face. “Here,” she replied, and set her lips to his.
He caught her hands, entwining his fingers thr
ough hers, and kissed her back, slow and sweet. When he lifted his head, they were both breathing hard. “Come,” he said, and drew her down the hall to her bedroom.
At some point in the evening, he must have slipped into the room. Lit candles glowed on every possible surface, infusing the whole room with a golden haze. On the nightstand next to the bed was a bowl of water which held three floating candles, and a single red rose rested the pillows.
Tears pricked Valeria’s eyes. “Oh, Rui…it’s beautiful.”
“Sim,” he agreed, her gaze on her. “Muito, muito linda.”
He took her into his arms for another deep, sweet kiss. She responded with her whole body. Breathing him in. Wanting him so badly it hurt. She supposed some of it was the drug, but mostly it was Rui. His scent, his presence, him.
His lips moved to her neck, kissing and nipping the delicate skin. She caressed his shoulders, reveling in the hard swell of his muscles. “Rui.” Her voice was a low, taut vibration. “I need. Goddess, I need.”
“I know, querida. I know.” He gave her a last kiss and then released her to remove her dress and panties. He dropped them on the floor without removing his gaze from her. “So beautiful.” His hands smoothed over her naked skin in feather-soft touches.
Something twisted low in her abdomen. Hunger for Rui, yes, but hunger touched by yearning. A soul-deep need that had been simmering in her for not just hours, but years. She swallowed and cut her eyes away from his.
He stroked a finger over her jaw. “Is this too much, love? Tell me what you need. I’ll do whatever you want—”
She felt an upwelling of love for him, knowing how hard it was for him to say that. He wasn’t a man who easily relinquished control. But she didn’t want control, she wanted Rui. Her man. Her mate. Her very skin craved his touch, the need for his hands on her chafing like too-tight clothing.
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