The Illegitimate Claim (16 page)

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swimming. I was going to see if any of the merchants were still around so I could ask.

The old Runners seem to retire early.”

“You want to go swimming?” He grinned at the thought of it and then looked at the

hills surrounding them. “I believe there’s a pond good enough for the cause up that hill

over there.”

She turned her back to him to follow the direction of his pointed finger. “Is there an

easy way to get up there?”

“I’ll take you if you like.” He watched to see if she would finally show some fear at

the potential position she was putting herself in.

She clapped her hands together and then placed her tiny hands on his large arm.

“Oh Beel, I’m so glad you found me. That would be so nice of you. Will you go

swimming with me, too?”

Beel couldn’t believe his luck as he helped her climb onto the glider then climbed

up in front of her. Without hesitation, she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist and

rested her cheek against his broad back. She didn’t speak again until they landed

among the trees next to a small creek that dumped into a round pond reflecting the

moon like a mirror.

“Beel, I’m pretty upfront about what I think, you’ll learn that about me quickly

enough if you haven’t already.” She’d climbed off the glider and sat down on the

ground, then slipped off her sandals. “I was hoping I’d run into you this evening.”

For the first time since she’d seen him she felt a rush of nervous anticipation. He

stood behind her and she couldn’t look up at him.

“I know I’m young, but like I said, I didn’t have a papa as generous as yours.” He

sat down next to her, and when she looked up into his face, his eyes were focused on

her feet dangling in the water. “I know something of your, um, reputation and, um, I’m

not used to being alone at night.”

Their gazes met and before he could move in on her, she leaned forward and kissed

him on the lips. She pulled away quickly to see his reaction, but his strong arm went

around her and pulled her down underneath him. He didn’t say anything to her, but

found her mouth with an eager hunger, while his free hand began exploring her

luscious body.

Beel let her up for air after devouring her mouth and passion dripped from sultry

gray eyes as he studied her face. She smiled up at him, and he didn’t see an ounce of

fear in her. Then, to his surprise, she chuckled.

“This River Person I spent some time with warned me not to come to Gothman,”

she began as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

“Why not?” His voice was deep and gravelly.

“Well, I told her I didn’t have an ounce of fighting skills in me and asked if I could

fit into the culture. She told me if I traveled alone I needed to know something about

Gothman men.”

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“Pray tell, what would that be?” He slid his hand easily enough under her shirt and

began teasing one of her nipples to hardness.

“She told me that the best thing I could do if confronted by a Gothman man was to

run like hell or lift my skirt quickly so it wouldn’t be torn from my body.”

She looked up at him quickly as he actually threw his head back and laughed out

loud. She took advantage of the moment and finished unbuttoning his shirt then slid it

off his shoulders. He looked down at her in surprise as her tiny fingers delicately ran

across his broad chest.

Beel devoured the chocolate body that lay underneath him. He didn’t mean to be

rough, but was afraid he might have been. For such a brazen nature, she was as tight as

she was willing. She sent such a fever through him that he’d never quite experienced

before. There was no doubt that she had no fighting skills, she was petite, easy to lift

over him. Her slender legs straddled his thighs. The moon glowed against her dark skin

as she arched into him and rode him. Allowing her control until he thought his blood

would boil in his veins, Beel finally threw her to the ground, spread those slender legs

wide, and drove into her heated warmth until he exploded.

Looking down curiously when he’d finished with her, he was overwhelmed by her

glistening caramel-colored skin. Her black eyes looked up at him and he relaxed when

she smiled at him.

“Why are you here, Neurian?” He narrowed his eyes on her teasingly.

A look of fear crossed over her eyes. It only lasted for a second but he noted it. The

confident look returned, and she dropped her gaze to admire his nakedness before

looking back up at him.

“You better talk to me nicer than that or I’ll tell my papa what you’ve done to me

up here, and he’ll make you claim me.” She offered a taunting smile when his gaze

hardened.

“Oh, and your papa is powerful enough to make me do something like that?” He

grinned down at her and enjoyed the amused look that came across her face.

“My lord, I think he is. He’s pulled it off with your brother.” She licked her lips as

his face literally turned gray.

“Who is your papa?” The seriousness in his face told her he’d figured the truth.

“Dorn Gowsky.”

Beel rolled off her onto the ground, and his arm went over his eyes. “Tell me you’re

lying.”

She laughed and climbed on top of him. “And they said Gothman were fearless.”

“You said you didn’t know how to fight,” he growled.

Paleah laughed again, and lay down on top of him, then started kissing his throat.

“Come swimming with me, my fearless Gothman.”

He moved quickly, throwing her into the pool before jumping in after her, but his

mind went back to the moment of fear he’d seen in her face when he’d asked her why

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she was here. He’d find out the source of that fear, by Crator. And as she let him catch

her and dunk her under the water, he thought he just might enjoy doing it.

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Chapter Nine

Meah flew around the outskirts of Taratown, and headed north. She hoped the

ghost signal Paleah had placed on her transmission would work. The young Neurian

seemed to be a landlink magician and Meah would simply have to have faith in her

abilities. She’d been in Taratown for over a week now and decided it was time to start

testing fate, and try getting a little bit closer to the people she’d traveled so far to see.

Things were too quiet, and it was time to stir things up a bit. She didn’t return home so

that she could hide the rest of her days. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and she hoped

she could do a little investigating before it started to rain. Paleah warned her that the

blonde coloring in her hair wasn’t waterproof, and she didn’t want to explain to anyone

why her hair changed colors according to the weather.

Meah had just hit open land, west of Taratown, when her landlink told her a small

army lay just out of her vision. She mulled over whether she should investigate or

continue her journey to the clan site.

Jog and Scura had left before sunrise to go visit the Four Circle clan, since it was

passing nearby. Paleah had taken to going out every night to spend time with some guy

she’d met. Meah had waited until Paleah woke up, then told her she would be gone

most of the day and to watch the children.

Now she debated on whether or not to investigate the little beep on her landlink

screen. She had enough problems she decided, and would leave the small army for the

Gothman to worry about. That thought made her realize that Gothman would probably

investigate, and she didn’t need to be anywhere in the area when they did. She was

grateful for the Runner clothing she’d “borrowed” from Scura. The woman was a lot

taller than she was, but Meah had hemmed a pair of pants many times in her day. One

of the advantages of being so short—she was forced to learn to sew. The material felt so

good next to her skin, and she knew they helped her not to stand out as much.

“Runner, identify yourself.”

Meah’s heart slammed against her rib cage. Paleah had altered her signal. There

was no way that army could visually see her from this distance. How did they know

she was here? And how did they know she was a Runner? She was armed well, but she

was only one person. With a silent prayer to Crator, she decided to rely on her instincts.

“Looks can be deceiving. Identify yourself.” As she spoke into her comm, she

punched at the keys on her landlink, and navigated with one hand. She located the

exact source of the transmission, and saw that they were less than a mile from her now.

“By Crator, I’d know that voice anywhere.” The baritone voice broke into laughter,

and Meah’s eyes grew wide. “Meah, it’s Rog.”

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“What are you doing here?” she asked in disbelief. If this was a ruse than someone

impersonated her friend’s voice very well.

“I’ve come to get my mate, damn it. I won’t let Gowsky put Sharay through a life of

hell, without giving her a second thought.” There was anger in his voice. “He thinks so

little of me that he would send his bastard thinking that whore would appease me. I

won’t take the insult.”

“What are you talking about?” Meah adjusted her comm, certain she wasn’t hearing

him clearly.

“Meah, this is your old friend you’re talking to. You don’t need to play dumb with

me. Lord Andru won’t get away with claiming my mate.”

“What?” she hissed into her comm. “Rog, Lord Andru already has a claim.

Gothman don’t take two claims.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know anything about this?” There was disbelief in his

tone.

“Rog, I swear by Crator, this is news to me. Are you sure Sharay is here?”

“She’s been in Gothman for over a week.”

Meah could hear the fury in Rog’s voice, and could tell now that his army was less

than fifty men.

“Rog, let me help you. There is something amiss here, but I can figure out what it is.

If you go into Gothman with an army as small as yours, you’ll be on a suicide mission.”

Meah hoped he would listen to reason. She knew how hardheaded her friend could be.