A Warrior's Quest (14 page)

While he admired her fighting abilities, she was but a Dardaptoan and not a
true
Warrior. She never would be. That was just a given. And a Warrior Demon could only be attracted to a
true
warrior female.

But this situation was different; he had no real choice in the matter. She had to be controlled and contained, kept safe. And with a female like her, the only true option was
gamata
with a strong male. One who could control her.

One worthy of a woman chosen like she had been. The man had to be her equal. That left few options.

No. He truly had no choice. He was the only male capable of the task.

“She is
mine
.”

Ren watched every move she made for days following their altercation in her room. What was it going through her mind? Was she thinking he
was
her
Rajni
? If so, why hadn’t she acted on it before? It had been almost nine months since he’d run her through with his sword. Nine months since they had met. Wouldn’t she have known before now if her Goddess had somehow fated the two of them to be together? Was it even possible for the girl goddess to do such? He was a being just as strong as the girl goddess, and lived in an entirely different realm. How could her magics or abilities or whatever they were called have even spanned the barrier between realms? And why him?

He needed information. Every good
Warrior knew that before a strategy could be devised all the information must be gathered. But who? Who would be willing to explain the
Rajni
process to him?

There were plenty of Dardaptoans in his brother
’s castle for him to ask, if he so chose. He just had to pick one and ask his questions.

It would have to be a male. One who would understand what Ren was asking. One who was a
Warrior. One old enough to know the ways of their deities.

Other Dardaptoans had arrived for the Summit,
including the dark
Predatoi
who was Kindara’s only living brother. He would answer Ren’s questions, but Ren couldn’t be certain what the bastard would do with the information that Ren was asking. He did not trust
that
Dardaptoan in the slightest.

There were others, but none he knew well enough to question.

“Perhaps I can answer your questions?” The voice was smooth, calm, quiet. The male who’d spoken stood to Ren’s side. Ren was in the courtyard, watching the warrior girl and his daughter. And the spawn Thas. He had not heard the prognosticator approach. Was the male that good at stealth, despite his near blindness? Theodoric and his quiet mate had been in the castle for over two weeks now, and Ren had spent little time with the male. He would admit, he did not understand the quieter male.

“How do you know I have questions?” He
’d heard before that the man had a bit of a talent for reading stray thoughts. Nothing well developed, but still there.

“Mmm. It is my way. When someone needs me.” Theo sat on the nearest stone bench. Ren continued to stand, though he moved closer. “You have questions about Aureliana, do you not? A good woman. I have known her since she was but a child, so lost and abandoned.”

“How so?” What did he really know of the female other than that she was connected to Kindara through bonds of loyalty and friendship? Did he even know the girl’s approximate age?

“She was brought to us by her parents at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Not quite grown in our Kind. She
’d been raised in the wilds of South America, and her parents felt that she needed to be in a more civilized place. Truth be told, they were used to males, and had no use for a female. Especially her father. He was—is—an extremely renowned warrior among our Kind. None holds comparison to him, except for his oldest three sons. They’ve had three more since leaving Aureliana with Aodhan to raise.”

“They abandoned one child, then went on to have more?” No wonder she was drawn to lost and forgotten children. The motherless, the ones without family. Did she still feel the pain of her parents
’ abandonment? His sister Danae had followed a similar path, being brought to him and Rathan at about the same age. He knew she still hurt at her mother’s callous treatment.

“Yes.
  But they did end up making the right decision for Aureliana. She was—is—loved with Aodhan and our tribe. I know that hurts her, to be away from her home. And Dardanos is more home to her than anyone else I know. She struggles with the homesickness, still. Despite having Kindara and Bronwen and the others here. Despite the wee babe Thas to care for. Aureliana wants to go
home
. She needs it.”

“And the Beansidhe prevents that. Can it be killed for her?” He did not want her to leave, that would be far too dangerous. Especially if the Beansidhe still hunted for her. “She will not be returning to Gaia.” Not if he could help it. She would adjust; in time, Relaklonos and
he
would become her home. Perhaps it
was
best if she was under the mistaken impression that he was her
Rajni?

“She is
not
mistaken. You are her
Rajni.
”

“Do not read my thoughts. It is an intrusion.” And one he had used against the
warrior girl. Should he feel guilt for that? “And how do you know?”

“I have been gifted with Sight from the very Goddess that you question. Your path and Aureliana
’s are intricately woven together. You are indeed her mate, though you do not like the idea of someone else—someone who you see as inferior, both because of gender and abilities—fating you to be with someone not of your original choosing.
Aureliana
understands that, you know.”

“What?”

“That you want her not because of true feelings but because of some other purpose.”

“There are true feelings.”

“Lust. Control. Power. Admiration. But not true attraction. Or at least, that’s what she has convinced herself of. And that you will never
love
her as she needs to be.”

“So if I am her mate, why has she denied such for the past nine months?”

“To protect. Aureliana wholeheartedly believes that she is fated to die soon. She would not wish you—or your daughter—to develop too strong of feelings for her, just to have her die within a short time.” Theo tilted his head, listening with a half-smile on his face to the sounds of the warrior girl and Ren’s daughter giggling together. “And because she doubts that you would want
her
for who she is. You’ve apparently made it clear to her that you do not.”

“Can the bond be broken?” Was that what he was wanting?

“Not easily. Kindara nearly died along with her
Rajni
when he was lost thirty years ago. My father simply walked away and most likely died after my mother was lost. Our
Rajni
bonds are the strongest mating that exists, and that is saying something. If she chooses to acknowledge your bond, she will give herself to you fully. Do not act on it unless you are willing to do the same for her. To do otherwise would harm her in ways unimaginable. I’m not sure she would recover. Aureliana is more fragile than most, though she would deny it if you were to ask her that. As it is she is hurting immensely.”

Ren jerked his head in her direction, studying the way she moved. She was dancing with his daughter, the spawn-of-whatever once more strapped to her chest. “How?”

“She has denied her
Rajni
for
nine
months. That is not an easy thing to do. The longest I’ve ever seen such a denial was three months. It is taking its toll on her physically, and mentally. A Dardaptoan is not meant to deny the one the Goddess has chosen for them. It affects them. Their health. Their heart. And not in good ways. Remember that, while you are deciding what you will do next.”

The prognosticator left Ren staring at the girl warrior.
She
was suffering? Because of
him
? Because she was
denying
a goddess-given bond between them? She was denying
him. Him,
prince of all Demonkin. Why did that anger him so?

She should have made it clear to him the moment she opened her eyes and looked at him nine months ago. He had sat at her bedside himself after they
’d first met. He’d been there when she wakened. She should have told him. He might have been angry at the time, but he would have adjusted. Would have taken her to
gamata
rather quickly. Would have kept his female safe during that time. She would not—had not had to—suffer all of this time. Suffering, because of pure stubbornness on her part. Unnecessarily suffering.

Was the prognosticator right? Had she done it to protect him and Cerridwen, or was it to protect
herself
?

She whirled Cerridwen in her arms, her pretty dark hair spinning around them both. She was a beautiful female. He would deny that no longer. His female.

Her
goddess said so. And he had agreed.

His
. He would not ever stop until she understood that.

He stalked across the courtyard, waving a hand at Cerridwen
’s nurse, who sat under a shading tree. He stopped at the warrior girl’s side. “Give me the spawn. Cerridwen, go to Isolde. She will take you inside now. And the spawn.”

His female stared up at him, her hands tight on her spawn-of-whatever. “Excuse me?”

“I said, Isolde will be taking our spawns inside. You and I have something to discuss. Unless you wish to discuss it out here, for anyone to overhear,
Rajni
?” He growled the words in her ear. She stiffened and tried to pull away from him. Was she going to actually
run
? Oh how he almost wished she would. “Do not run from me; I will only chase you down. And we both know that will excite me.”

She was trembling, half in his arms. That had his body tightening with anticipation. “Ren…please, don
’t…”

“Give the boy to Isolde. You and I will be going inside.” His hand tangled in her hair. “Unless you want someone to see what I am about to do to you.”

Aureliana slipped Thas, wide awake and cooing, from his sling. The nurse took him, quietly following her employer’s orders. Aureliana knew the babe would be safe with the other woman. Isolde took excellent care of Cerridwen.

But without the children between them, Ren seemed even larger. Even more imposing and threatening.

And that had her jerking away once the babe and Cerridwen were safely inside. “Leave me alone, Renakletos. I want nothing to do with you. I thought I made that perfectly clear earlier.”

Aureliana knew her protests mattered little to the big demon bastard. He had his hand wrapped so tightly around her arm she was certain there would be bruises tomorrow. He dragged her into the back entrance to the wing they shared with his child and his brother and Kindara. He hustled her toward
his
room and pulled her inside the dark green and brown suite. She was familiar with it; she’d been brought to
his
room months ago when he’d first hurt her with his sword. She’d never forget waking with the scent of her
Rajni
surrounding her, despite the pain filled haze that had encompassed her for so many days back then.

“What are you doing?”

“Claiming my
Rajni. Gamata.
Isn’t that what your Kind does when you find your mates? And do not deny that your goddess has decreed us together. I know it is truth.”

“So? I still have a choice. And I choose
not
to be with you.” He closed the door and slid the bolt lock in place. Aureliana wanted to run, to get out of the room and away from him as fast as she could. But dammit, she was not a coward. She lifted her chin. “Unlock the door.”

He smiled, eyes flame red. “No.”

“I’ll scream.” She wouldn’t. Couldn’t face that kind of embarrassment. And if he told the others that they were
Rajnis
, what would she do then? “I don’t want this.”

“You do. We are mated, are we not? Fated by your girl goddess to be together for the rest of our lives. Shouldn
’t we take this time to enjoy one another?” He stalked her around the room. Aureliana wanted to stand her ground, but if he got his hands on her…

She couldn
’t know for certain what she would do.

“Don
’t touch me. I mean it, Ren. I don’t know what you’re planning, but this is not something I want.”

“But we are
Rajnis.
Meant for one another for all time. Can you deny it?” His tone told her that he knew she couldn’t. “So tell me,
kitten.
Why have you waited so long to claim your mate? Are you frightened?”