Ambushing Ariel (14 page)

Now, he needed to get back to his mate and see if he could calm her down. His heart was heavy as he listened to her pounding on the door begging him not to hurt the little rodents. He shook his head. If that wasn’t enough, his mother had cornered him and explained his mate was a vegetarian! How in the hell was he supposed to care for her if she didn’t eat meat? If he claimed her and she survived the transformation, how in the hell would she react when her dragon wanted to eat the things she considered her ‘babies’? Mandra ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He did not understand this female! She was such a contradiction. One moment she was strong, fierce, and dangerous and the next moment she was delicate, fragile, and caring. She cared for the tiny creatures with her heart shining in her eyes yet could fight like a warrior when threatened. How was he supposed to get her to trust him if he took what she cared about away from her?

With a heavy sigh, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to do it which is why he finally ordered Jarak to take the creatures to his mountain home. He contacted his long-time friend, Asim, who managed his home there and explained the situation. He needed him to care for and protect the tasty little treats, not eat them. Asim had looked at him with amusement as he assured him that he would protect the creatures with his life. Now that was taken care of, Mandra could focus on repairing his living quarters and claiming his mate, not necessarily in that order.

He was walking through the garden area back to the main part of the palace where the living quarters were when his symbiot sent a wave of distress to him. Mandra jerked to a stop looking around him trying to discover what had upset it. His eyes followed it as it suddenly transformed into one of their largest flying birds. It launched itself upwards just as a scream pierced the air.

Mandra looked up and actually felt a brief flash of dizziness even as his dragon roared out in fear and denial. He transformed between one heartbeat and the next, pushing upward as fast as his huge wings could take him. He watched as his symbiot swooped up catching his mate’s falling body around her upper arms in midair. Even though he knew she was safe from falling to her death, he needed to hold her in his arms and feel for himself she was alright.

Give her to me!
Mandra demanded reaching out his front claws to gently take her from his symbiot.

Mandra twisted his head down to stare into the pale, still face of his mate. She was unconscious. Her soft lashes like dark crescents against her pale cheeks. The tiny dots that caressed her across her nose stood out against her white face and her breathing was erratic. Mandra flew back up to the balcony of his living quarters landing on it gently as he transformed back into his two-legged form. He pushed through the opening where the broken doors had been removed. His living quarters had been cleaned of the destruction and all the destroyed furniture had been taken away leaving it bare. He moved toward his sleeping quarters only to stop with a curse when he remembered his destroyed bed which had not been removed yet. He turned moving down the hall to one of the guest bedrooms with his symbiot following closely beside him.

“What am I to do with you, little one?” Mandra asked in a shaky voice. “You have caused me more terror in one day than I have ever felt before.”

Mandra laid Ariel’s limp body down on the bed in his guest room. He ran a shaky hand down along her cheek until it rested over the dragon's mark he had given her just hours before. Sitting down next to her on legs suddenly too weak to support his body, Mandra picked up one of her tiny hands in his larger one and pressed a kiss to her palm.

“What have you done to yourself?” Mandra asked in dismay as he looked at the bloody tips of her fingers. “Am I so repulsive you would rather die than remain with me?”

“No,” a horrified voice said behind him. “No, you are not repulsive and you must never think that!” Morian said moving swiftly into the room.

Mandra turned to look at his mother with unshed tears glittering in his eyes. “She almost died trying to get away from me. How can I believe any different,
Dola
?”

“Mandra, you have to be patient,” Morian said gently touching her son’s cheek as she stood beside him. “She is frightened. This is a strange world to her. She told me so earlier. She does not understand the feelings she has when she is around you.”

Mandra looked into his mother’s eyes. “Did she say this to you as well?” He asked hesitantly.

Morian smiled and nodded. “Yes. This is what frightens her the most, I think. She does not understand how strong the feelings are between true mates. She will need to be reassured. I have talked to your brother Zoran. He has told me much about what he has learned from his mate and he is still learning. The females do not understand what it means when you claim them. Their males do not do this,” Morian explained as she looked down at Ariel’s pale, relaxed features.

“I think she is afraid to trust me,
Dola
. I did not handle her as I should have. She cared for the little creatures she had and I took them from her when she begged me not to,” Mandra said brushing a strand of pale golden hair away from Ariel’s face with tender fingers. “I sent them to my home in the mountains. They will be cared for and protected there. I was on my way back to tell her that,” Mandra whispered.

Morian smiled down at her son and nodded. “Then, she will forgive you. Just accept her and guide her. She is like the wild creatures she cares about. It will not be easy,” Morian said with a glimmer of humor lacing her voice. “I think you have already discovered that.”

Mandra felt a sharp bark of laughter escape at that understatement. “Yes. I just hope it does not get too difficult. I am not sure I can survive any more frights such as I have had today,” Mandra said.

“You have survived the first day and so has she. Tomorrow will be better,” Morian said kissing Mandra on his forehead before moving away. “Though, if I were you I think I would not leave her alone.”

Mandra nodded absently. “I won't. Thank you,
Dola
,” Mandra murmured as his mother left the room.

Come heal our mate,
Mandra whispered to his symbiot who was curled up next to him on the floor.
I fear it will take all three of us to protect this one, my friends.

.
.*

Ariel moaned softly as she slowly came awake. She looked around in confusion trying to remember where she was and how she had gotten here. Her head jerked around when she felt a pair of strong arms pulling her close to a hard, warm body. Ariel frowned as she tried to remember how she could have ended up in Mandra’s bed and in his arms but her mind seemed to be filled with cotton.

“Where am I?” Ariel asked confused. “What happened?”

“You fell off the ledge outside my living quarters,” Mandra replied gruffly as he ran his hand over her hair tenderly.

She bit back a terrified cry as she remembered the awful feeling of weightlessness and terror as she lost her balance. Her heart sped up and felt like it was about to explode out of her chest as she fought the memory. Ariel struggled to sit up but Mandra just pulled her tighter against his hard length.

“Let me go!” Ariel whispered fiercely as she also remembered why she had been on the ledge. She had been trying to get away from him.

“I cannot,” Mandra whispered back sadly. “I cannot let you go, Ariel. You are my true mate. You belong with me.”

Ariel turned her head until she was looking into Mandra’s sad, dark gold eyes. “What does that mean? Why do you think I belong to you?” Ariel asked confused.

“It means I would give my life for you. Without you, I will die and possibly you will too. A Valdier warrior can only find his true mate when the three parts of who he is accepts the female making them whole. You do that for us, Ariel. My symbiot, my dragon, and I all want you, accept you.”

“No you don’t. Not really,” Ariel whispered with a slight catch in her voice. “You don’t understand,” she said as she turned her head away from him

Mandra reached up and gently turned Ariel’s head back toward him. “I had your pets taken to my mountain home where they will be cared for and protected until I can take you to them. I know they mean a lot to you. My dragon feels bad for upsetting you when he tried to eat them. He promises to behave around the creatures that are in your care for now on,” Mandra promised quietly.

Ariel looked into the solemn eyes gazing at her and saw only reassurance that he was speaking the truth. At that moment, Ariel knew that Mandra was slipping under all the defenses she had set up to protect her heart.

How could I not love…,
Ariel stopped the sudden thought floating through her head and frowned before chastising herself.
Just stop right there, Ariel!
You don’t even know the guy! Why on Earth, or wherever in the hell you are, makes you think you could fall in love with him? He isn’t even human! No,
her heart argued back,
he is an alien who can turn into one sexy ass dragon.
Ariel groaned in frustration as her brain and her heart argued back and forth.
Shit, now she was pissed off with herself!

Mandra, seeing Ariel’s dark frown, reluctantly released her. She had not forgiven him. She did not want to be with him. His mother must have been wrong about the human female feeling anything toward him. Mandra quickly got up off the bed and moved toward the door leading out into the hallway.

He paused at the door not turning around. “There is a dinner tonight to welcome you and your friends to our world. My mother has made arrangements to have the dressmaker come. I will leave you until later,” Mandra said quietly before he walked out the door.

It had been over a week since she fell off the ledge and woken in Mandra's arms. So much had happened since then. Ariel was still having a hard time understanding everything that was going on both around her and inside her. Ariel’s mind floated as she remembered what her stubbornness almost cost her. She flushed as she thought about the consequences of that incident. Since waking up in Mandra’s arms amazed at still being alive, she had shared a bed with him each night at his insistence. She had protested but Mandra was adamant. He would not do anything she did not wish but she would be at his side.

Ariel sighed as she looked out over the mountains where Mandra had brought her the morning after the dinner. His home was only about an hour from the palace but it seemed like another world. It was so beautiful here she never wanted to leave.

Mandra's mountain home was breathtaking both inside and out,
Ariel thought as she moved to sit down on the terrace,
just like him.

It was small in comparison to his living quarters at the palace but still huge compared to what Ariel was used to. Massive mountains with snow on the peaks surrounded the home which was located on the higher end of a long meadow. At the end of the meadow was a large lake with a small island in the center of it. Several natural waterfalls fed into the lake on one side while a small river cut through the mountains to the west. Enormous, dark red trees covered the south side of the lake and up each mountain until they couldn’t go any further because of the steep rock face. The meadow itself had an ocean of knee-high purple grass that seemed to change color as it rocked back and forth with the gentle breeze cutting through the mountain pass.

Mandra’s home was made from the thick trees and rocks surrounding them. It reminded Ariel of Mandra, strong and solid. It was a single story structure with an open floor plan that revolved around a large living area. There were huge windows from floor to ceiling that let in an abundance of light while giving a view of the mountains, lake, and forest surrounding it. The floors were a polished wood and there was a large stone fireplace in each of the eight main rooms, including the large, airy kitchen.

Ariel turned her head toward the sun and closed her eyes enjoying the warmth. She had stolen the long-sleeve shirt Mandra had draped over the railing of the terrace as he worked and put it on when she first came out earlier. While she had been slightly chilled, the real reason was she liked the way his scent clung to the soft material.

She opened her eyes and sought out the man that was causing all the confusion inside her. He was building an enclosure for her so she would have a place to care for all the animals that somehow seemed to be showing up every day since she arrived.

Some of the animals had minor injuries, some more severe. For those with severe wounds, Mandra brought in one of the healers from the palace. The healer looked at Ariel's wide, pleading eyes and shook his head with a sympathetic glance at Mandra who stood glaring at him with his arms crossed daring him to deny his help. The healer showed Ariel how to care for the wounded deer-like creature. The problem was where to keep it until it could be returned to the wild. Asim suggested building a small fenced in area and shelter for it not far from the house. Ariel's cry of delight and the huge kiss she gave Asim was enough of an incentive for Mandra. When he agreed with Asim, Ariel turned a shy smile on him before giving him a kiss too. The kiss she gave him still sent shivers through her. It wasn't a deep, passionate one. In fact, she barely brushed her lips against his but it was enough that she hungered for more.

Ariel bent down to pick up one of the little Maratts who was still with them. Most of them had been released back into the wild. Ariel found out the Maratts and Grombots that she had confiscated on the warship were considered a delicacy to Valdier dragons. Because of this, over time they had become almost extinct. They were usually found on the Earth's equivalent of the black market where they were sold illegally. Mandra assured Ariel that the region to the north where they transported them three days ago was remote enough they should be safe. It was also filled with their natural food source, a type of flowering plant, so they would do well. He and Ariel were the only ones to know where the location was since he did not want to take a chance of them being captured again.