Ha'ven's Song (9 page)

She glared out the windows into the brightly
lit garden in frustration. She was looking forward to nightfall
when she could escape out into it without fear of running into
anyone. Well… anyone but the male who refused to leave her alone
for the past ten days.

I look forward to our time as well,
a
husky voice broke into her thoughts.

I didn’t say I was looking forward to
seeing you! Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be?
Emma
snapped back in exasperation.
Why don’t you just leave me
alone?

Because, like you, I cannot forget the
sweet taste of your lips,
he teased.

Emma pictured rolling her eyes so he would
know she didn’t believe him.
Don’t forget
y
ou promised
you wouldn’t touch me again without my permission,
she reminded
him once again.

A promise I regret making,
he growled
back in frustration.
Why do you fight me?

You… wouldn’t understand,
Emma
whispered back.
Any more than I understand how you can talk to
me this way.

Misha petite,
he started to say
before he broke off with a low growl of annoyance.
I must go.
You will come to me tonight?

Emma folded her arms around her waist and
rolled her eyes again.
I don’t ‘come’ to you. You are the one
who finds me, remember?

A low chuckle echoed briefly through her
mind.
I will find you again tonight in your favorite spot by the
wall, my stubborn little mate. Think of me until then.

Not likely,
Emma snorted before she
threw up the wall in her mind to block him from knowing how his
words affected her.

I will be thinking of you and dreaming of
holding you in my arms,
came his soft reply before he faded
away.

Emma shook her head. One thing she was
learning was when it came to pickup lines, Ha’ven Ha’darra never
seemed to have a shortage of them. He had been slipping in and out
of her mind since the night of the dinner. He also had an unerring
way of always knowing where she was.

She was still surprised by his reluctant
promise not to touch her without her permission. He had given it to
her the same night as the dinner and, so far, he had kept his word.
A soft smile curled her lips as she remembered how he had called
out to her. She still didn’t know why she had stopped. Maybe it had
been the desperation in his voice. She had also heard the confusion
and hesitation in it. It was as if he was as puzzled by her as she
was of him.

*.*.*

The night Sara left was the beginning of
their almost nightly meetings once Emma was allowed to venture out
again. He had found her later that night and each night afterwards
near the low wall looking out over the ocean. Each night, he
brought a basket filled with food and a soft blanket that he would
fold for her to sit on.

Tonight was no different. She sat on the
folded blanket, listening in silence as he shared more of his home
world and his family. She was thankful that he did not ask about
hers. She wasn’t ready to share and she got the feeling that he
understood she needed more time. He spoke of light-hearted moments
as well as some of the darker ones during the Great War. Emma was
shaken when she saw a brief glimpse of him hanging by his arms in a
dark cavern, blood running in thick streaks down his body before a
different image replaced it.

War is never good,
she said silently.
I am glad that Creon did not kill you.

“I am thankful as well,” Ha’ven responded
with a chuckle as he placed several slices of fruit on her already
full plate.

I can’t eat all of this,
she silently
told him in exasperation.
You don’t need to fill my plate like
I’m a child. You keep putting too much on it.

Ha’ven reached out to run his fingers along
her cheek. He paused when she jerked back and turned her head away
from his touch. He dropped his hand to his lap and clenched his
fist in frustration.

“When will you give me permission to touch
you
?
” He growled out in a low voice.

Emma turned to look up at him with dark,
troubled eyes.
Never,
she whispered back.

Ha’ven’s eyes darkened with frustration and
suppressed desire. Every night for the past eight nights he had
fought against the growing hunger deep inside him. The need to
claim her was growing to unbearable levels. Each night, he craved
the feel of her soft skin against his and the sweet taste of her
lips again.

“That is not the answer I want, Emma,” he
growled out, standing to look out over the ocean. “I cannot keep my
promise forever. I have to return to Ceran-Pax for a few days to
take care of several issues,” he said before turning to look at
her. “When I return, you will be mine. I give you these few days to
accept that. My promise will be over.”

Then it is best if you do not return,
Emma responded
,
standing up and looking at
him with a determined tilt to her chin.
I don’t want to see you
again. If you do return, I want you to leave me alone.

I could no more leave you alone as I
could stop breathing,
Ha’ven growled out silently.
I have
claimed you, Emma. You have a week to accept that or not. But I
promise, when I return you will be leaving with me.

Creon has promised me his protection. You
can’t claim me against my will,
she responded passionately
before she turned and bolted for the safety of her rooms.

“I already have,
misha petite
,”
Ha’ven growled out possessively as he watched her flee into the
darkness.
I already have,
he repeated silently, making sure
she heard the resolve in his promise.

A knock on the door pulled her head around.
She frowned as it drew her from her thoughts of her last meeting
with Ha’ven almost a week ago. He said he would return to Valdier
in another two days but Emma was sure that he had forgotten all
about her and his silly claim by now. After all, what could a man
like him possibly want with someone as messed up as her?

I should never have let him inside. I
should know better. It only hurts when I start
to
care about someone else. They will only leave
me,
she thought as she turned to look back out the window.
He will have realized by now that my turning him down was for
the best.

Whoever was at the door would go away when
she didn’t answer it. It wasn’t like she was expecting anyone,
anyway. All the women had already been by to see her. They had made
a habit of visiting with her for a few hours each day since Sara
left.

Trisha was the last one to come see her for
the day. She had stopped by a short time ago with her son, Bálint.
Emma had smiled at the serious expression on the infant’s face as
he stared back at her. He looked like he trying to figure out who
she was.

He was so different from Cara’s two little
ones who were into everything. She couldn’t resist smiling when the
little golden symbiot on his arm changed into a pacifier when he
started fussing as he grew tired. There was just something magical
about it.

Trisha told Emma about escaping into the
woods outside the palace not long after she came to Valdier. Emma
had listened in fascination as Trisha talked about how she had
hidden from Kelan and the trackers pursuing her for days before she
‘tagged’ them. Emma smiled as she thought about how frustrated
Kelan must have been when he couldn’t capture Trisha.

She sighed in relief when whoever was at the
door didn’t knock again. Her thoughts drifted once again to Ha’ven.
She had done the right thing when she told him to leave her alone.
He had probably found someone else anyway. Someone who was
beautiful and strong.

She had overheard some of the women who came
in to clean her quarters talking about him. Two of them even had
the nerve to brag about how great a lover he was in front of her!
Silent rage built when one of the women complained that he hadn’t
asked for her when he was here last week. The other joked that it
was because he had been with her. Jealousy and hurt burned inside
Emma even when the woman finally admitted that it was Adalard that
she had been with instead.

Emma turned when a movement out of the
corner of her eye drew her attention back to the door. She started
in fear when the form of a man suddenly began forming just inside
of it. Her mouth opened to scream before she snapped it shut as the
form solidified. Fury blazed in her eyes instead as they met the
mocking, yet determined, violet eyes of the male she had just been
thinking about.

*.*.*

Ha’ven stood outside the door to the living
quarters of his mate and waited to see if she would answer the
door. He shifted impatiently as nothing but silence greeted him. He
had left the following day after she ran from him but not before he
had tried several times to talk to her. Frustration ate at him when
she refused to see him. Hell, she even refused to answer his silent
requests! The last time he tried to see her Abby had answered the
door and said it was up to Emma if she wanted Ha’ven to enter. A
locked bedroom door had been his answer.

Out of desperation, he had slipped into her
mind when she finally fell into an exhausted sleep right before he
and Adalard departed. Agony and sorrow burned deep into his soul as
her vivid dreams filled his mind. The pain, fear and overwhelming
grief had been suffocating. Held in the grasp of her memories, he
had done what he could to soothe her but even then, she refused to
let him ease her pain.

He had cursed violently as they lifted off
to return to Ceran-Pax. He hadn’t wanted to leave without Emma but
he had promised her a week to come to terms with his intentions.
Creon had told Kelan and Zoran about his claim on her. They
understood his feelings but their mates had not. Abby, Carmen and
Trisha were concerned about Emma’s continued silence and fragile
mental and physical health. Zoran had reluctantly given his
permission for him to court Emma but he stressed she had to be
willing. He had agreed to the terms before he realized just how
stubborn and uncooperative Emma could be.

If Bahadur hadn’t returned with two rebels
from the hidden base Arrow had discovered he would never have had
to leave. He thought for sure he was on the verge of wearing her
down that last night before she ran from him. Now, he decided both
rebels could have taken a page out of his mate’s book when it came
to being obstinate.

The rebels had been stubborn but Ha’ven had
learned a thing or two about torture during his time on Hell. Both
men had eventually revealed additional names. He had ordered Arrow,
Adalard and Bahadur to work on finding them while he returned to
Valdier for Emma.

Just a few days away from her showed him
that the emptiness inside him grew to irrepressible levels. He was
done with waiting. He was done with making promises that separated
him from his mate. He needed to get her away from Valdier where she
could hide in her living quarters and behind the royal family. He
needed to take her back to Ceran-Pax where she would be under his
control.

“No more hiding,
misha petite
,”
Ha’ven said taking a step toward where Emma was standing glaring at
him. “You have hidden from me for the last time.”

“Get out!” Emma whispered in a rusty, shaky
voice surprised that she could remember how to talk. “Get out!” She
repeated a little stronger this time.

“So you can speak when you want,” Ha’ven
said mockingly. “I thought we would live our lives in blissful
silence.”

Emma’s eyes blazed with uncontrollable fury
as she thought about what the two women said about him and his
‘skills’. She looked wildly around her. Snatching up an empty cup
on the table, she turned and raised her arm.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Ha’ven bit out,
his eyes narrowing on the cup in her hand.

Emma pulled back and threw it as hard as she
could at him. Unfortunately, she was not a very good shot. The cup
shattered a foot from where he was standing. Growling out in rage,
she darted toward the hallway leading to her bedroom. She skidded
to a stop when Ha’ven’s huge frame stepped in front of her.
Twisting, she darted around the couch.

“You are going to be difficult, aren’t you?”
Ha’ven said, releasing a sigh. “You do realize most women would
give anything to be in your position.”

“Go… find one of them then,” Emma forced out
slowly. “I… I’m not interested. I know where… you can find… a
couple who are,” she retorted angrily.

Ha’ven threw his head back and laughed.
Never had he had to chase a female before and to be told one was
not interested in him was… strange. He grunted when a pillow from
the couch hit him in the face.

His eyes widened when he saw she had a
figurine to throw next. He looked warily at her as she pulled back
and let loose, barely ducking out of the way. Her aim was
definitely improving. He dodged when she picked up a large bowl and
threw it next.

Cursing, he went one way trying to catch her
only for her to go the other. She was determined to keep the couch
between them and find anything loose that she could throw at him.
When she raced to the dining area, he jumped over the back of the
couch and chased after her.

“Ouch! That hurt!” He growled when she
tipped a chair in front of him and it landed on his foot. “Will you
stay still?” Emma ignored him and continued pulling the chairs over
as she rounded the table.

“Never!” She said breathlessly when she saw
him heading in the opposite direction. “Not until... you...
disappear back to where you came from… like you did… before.”