Binding Ties (9 page)

So Joseph had been tricked into agreeing to peace?

He couldn't go there. Not now. He was still trying to absorb the impact of the woman standing in front of him. “That's why you wouldn't let any of the men touch you. You knew that if we did, we might figure out what you are.”

She nodded. “I'd heard the stories. I'm not exactly sure how it all works, but I thought it would be safer if none of you pawed at me.”

“Now I understand why you could guarantee your mystery woman's cooperation.” He paused as the consequences of her vow began to sink in. “You have to choose one of our men. Immediately.”

She swallowed hard and lowered her head in acceptance. “I know.”

“And you promised to bind yourself to him irrevocably.”

“I know that, too.” She lifted her head and looked at him. The impact of her golden gaze was nearly enough to drive him to his knees.

“I thought you hated us. Why would you willingly tie yourself to a man you hate?”

“Because I love those children. I love my brother. I'd gladly give up my life for any one of them. So I did.”

He didn't like it that she thought binding herself to one of her own kind was the same thing as giving up her life, but he let it slide. There was too much to do now to worry about how she felt about her promise. She'd made
it. Now all there was left was to ensure that she did as she said she would.

“You're free to go,” he told her, “as soon as you choose your man. I'll summon everyone who is available back home.”

“No need. I've already chosen my mate.”

“Who is he?”

She closed her eyes and tensed up, as if bracing for a hard punch. “You.”

L
yka tried hard not to get sick all over Joseph's boots. She knew that giving up her life to save her people was the right thing to do. She also knew her path was now set in stone, and that it wasn't going to be an easy one. But she hadn't expected her decision to evoke such deep feelings of fear and trapped helplessness.

Her breathing was too hard and fast. Her stomach churned dangerously. She'd backed away from Joseph, putting as much space between them as she could, but all she'd gained was a harsh groan of pain from him. She was still just as trapped and terrified on this side of her suite as she'd been on the other.

“You can't be serious,” said Joseph. “You hate me. Why the hell would you even consider binding your life to mine?”

“I don't hate you.”

“Could have fooled me. Every time I came near you, you backed away like I was a demon.”

“I didn't want you to touch me.”

“And what about the part where you still think of me as your enemy? Your prison guard?”

“Andreas agreed to the peace treaty. I have no choice but to respect it. And once I've fulfilled my vow and let you collar me, I'll be free to come and go as I please. Remember?”

He glowered and stalked toward her. “No Theronai male in his right mind would let his woman run around unprotected.”

“You don't have a choice. You promised.”

“I didn't have all the details.”

“That hardly matters. I don't have them, either. For all I know, I've just thrown my life away to find people who've already been killed. No one said life is fair.”

“Binding yourself to one of us isn't throwing your life away. It's opening doors that you never would have had access to before. It comes with power—vast, nearly inexhaustible power. And, to be honest, I don't think you're ready for that kind of responsibility.”

“Are you saying you won't have me?” she asked.

“I'm saying that you need to stay here long enough for the other single men to come back so you can pick one of them.”

“I don't want to wait. Eric and the kids may not have that kind of time. I want to leave tonight.”

“That's too damn bad.” His face was dark red now, and the muscles and tendons along his neck stood out with fury. “You're not free until you execute your end of the bargain, which means I can damn well keep you here until the other men get home. Maybe that will give you enough time to accept that your life is different now. You can't go running off whenever you want.”

Fury rose in her, bringing with it a rabid growl. How dare he try to go back on his word? How dare he try to trick her into staying until it was too late?

Lyka was many things, but passive wasn't one of them.
There was no way she was going to stay here and twiddle her thumbs while her people were out there in need. She and Joseph had struck a bargain. She got to pick who she wanted. End of story.

She lurched toward him, letting her animal side speed her reflexes. Before he could stop her, she grabbed the iridescent necklace he wore. She tried to back out of his reach, but he grabbed her before she could make her escape.

His fist closed around her wrist, sending a swarm of warm vibrations up her arm. The hot, tingly feeling swirled through her torso, hardening her nipples as it went. All that heat coalesced low inside her until her abdomen clenched against the force of it.

The slippery surface of the luceria dangled from her fingers. She could feel the warmth of his skin clinging to the supple band. It was heavier than she expected, layered with a mix of golds and greens that reminded her of his eyes.

He stared at it in shock and wonder. “What have you done?”

“I've made my decision, just like you promised I could. You can't go back on your word. You're mine now, Theronai.”

His grip eased on her wrist. He took the band from her fingers and stared at her with a look she couldn't translate. It was part surprise, part hunger, part reverence. All she knew was that when he looked at her like that, it did something to her. Softened her.

“Lift your hair, Lyka.”

The gentle order swept over her senses. She found herself doing as he asked without questioning it first.

He paused in the act of fastening the necklace around her throat. “Be sure, kitten. You can't take this back.”

What choice did she have? She needed his power—both that of his magic and that of his station as leader of the Theronai. There was no time to waste on questioning her choices. All there was left to her now was to follow the path she'd laid out for herself and hope she could keep her regrets to a minimum.

“I'm sure,” she said, gritting her teeth. “Just do it, already.”

He reached behind her to the nape of her neck. The fine hairs there stirred at his nearness. No man had been this close to her in a long time, and the animal side of her perked up in acute awareness.

He touched the ends of the luceria together and they clicked shut, bringing to mind the image of a prison door clanging closed.

A bolt of panic cut through her. Before she could do anything about it, Joseph ripped his shirt over his head and drew his sword.

She'd heard stories of what would happen next—that the male would offer her an unbreakable vow. The woman would offer her own in return, and she would then have access to his power.

Lyka needed that power. She needed to have a kick-ass man like Joseph on her side in order to save her pack mates.

He dropped to one knee, slicing a small cut over his heart. The branches on his lifemark shivered in response, mesmerizing her with the wonder of the magic it represented.

“My life for yours, Lyka.” He set his sword on the ground and took her hands in his. “It's your turn now. Give me your vow, kitten. Bind us together.”

There was such naked want in his hazel eyes that she almost balked. There was no way a woman like her could
contain whatever it was Joseph thought she had to offer him. Only ideas of fantastic power, beauty, wealth or kindness could evoke such raw emotion.

And Lyka had none of these.

“I don't know what to say.”

“It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just know that whatever you promise, you will be bound to me for the rest of our lives.”

“Way to freak a girl out.”

“You're the one who promised an irrevocable bond. I would have let you choose another man, but it's too late for that now.”

Indeed it was.

She opened her mouth to speak three times before the words came to her tongue. “I may be a Slayer at heart, but I promise to try to be the best Theronai I can be.”

As soon as she spoke the words, she knew it wasn't good enough. The promise she'd made to Joseph demanded irrevocability. Forever. She was compelled to uphold that vow now.

She swallowed and tried again. “I promise to try not to let you get under my skin or drive you too crazy, so we can be effective partners.”

Again, it wasn't good enough. The vow she'd made was still unsatisfied, making her skin itch and burn with the need to promise him more.

But what more was there other than everything?

As the crushing weight of reality descended on her, she knew the truth. Everything was the only thing that would satisfy the magic of the vow she'd given him.

Lyka stared into his eyes, wondering how she'd jumped from one prison to another without even knowing it until now. She cleared her throat. “I promise you
all that I have, all that I am, to fight by your side until the last breath leaves my body. Forever.”

The intense sense of satisfaction she felt from appeasing the magic tying her to her vow was short-lived. Within the space of a second, the weight of her new vow fell over her, locking her inside it for all eternity.

She was Joseph's now.

L
yka was his now. Forever.

Joseph was still reeling from the shock of that when the luceria took charge and ripped him out of his own skin.

He'd heard from other men that a newly bonded couple would see a vision—some piece of the other person that the luceria thought was important, something that would help bind them together so that they could be a more effective pair.

But that's not what happened to Joseph. Instead of some kind of vision, he found himself bathed in Lyka's emotions, fears and motivations. For him, finding a woman was a lifelong dream. He'd been taught from the time he was young that he would one day be charged with the greatest gift and responsibility of his life. He would find a partner who would depend on him, who would use his strength to amplify her own. In turn, he would count on her to use his power for good, to open her heart and mind to him, and free him from his pain.

For Lyka, this union was nothing like that. It was a
tool. A means to an end. She wanted his power—both the magic that he stored within his body as well as the power of his station. She didn't want the life he had to offer her. She didn't want
him
.

She wanted freedom—to leave the walls of Dabyr and hunt unfettered. She wanted to live with the Slayers, drawing from him his power whenever she needed it. To her, this was no more than an inconvenient way of earning her freedom from him.

As soon as the luceria let go of him and he was firmly back inside his own body, he rose to his feet. Anger and frustration nipped at his heels, making his voice rough. “I won't be used.”

She stared at him, wide-eyed and shaking. “I saw what you want from me. I can't do it. I'm not like you.”

“What did you see?”

“You want me to be part of you, for there to be no boundaries between us. No space.” She shook her head and backed away from him. “I can't live like that. I'm a Slayer. We need our freedom.”

“You're a Theronai, too. You were meant to be bound to someone in our way.”

“I'll suffocate.”

“You'll adapt.”

“You promised me freedom. You promised that I could leave here whenever I wanted.”

“That was before I knew what you were. Before you tied yourself to a man who's tied to these walls.”

“You can't break your promise. You won't be able to stop me from leaving.”

As she said the words, he realized it was true. The magic that bound him to his word would compel him to open the gates and let her go. Unfortunately, the magic of his vow to protect her life with his would compel him
to keep her at his side. “I'm the leader of this place. I can't just go off and leave.”

“Then don't,” she said as she went to her closet and pulled out a duffel bag, then headed to her bedroom to fill it.

Joseph was right on her heels. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I'll be fine on my own. You just gave me access to a shit ton of power. If anything comes at me, I'll fry it.”

Like hell. “You don't even know how to access my power yet.”

“I'm sure I'll figure it out. I work well under pressure.”

“You're not leaving.” Even as he issued the edict, his skin started to itch. The blood in his veins burned as it pumped through them. His head started to pound the way it did whenever she was out of his sight. Only worse.

She paused in the act of throwing clothes into the bag. “Oh, really? You're looking a little pale, Theronai. Something wrong?”

He let out a string of curses, venting some of his frustration. “Will you at least consider the possibility that you might not be ready to wield my power without so much as a single lesson?”

“Time is of the essence.”

“Yes, but what good is it for you to find the children when you don't have the power to protect them?”

She cocked one hip and stared at him in contemplation. “I'll give you ten minutes to show me what I need to know. After that, I'm gone.”

“It's not enough,” he told her. “It takes some women years to learn how to wield the kind of power you want.”

“How do you know what I want?”

“The luceria told me. It's how I know you're just using me.”

“I'm not trying to screw you over or anything. I'll be a good partner. Just don't expect me to fawn all over you the way some of the other Theronai women do with their mates. I don't fawn. Ever.”

A few more of his dreams—the ones he kept hidden even from himself—shriveled and died. “Fine. You're all business. I get it. But what you don't know is that if you want to be able to sling magic around like those women do, then you're going to have to open up at least a little. This cold, I-don't-need-anyone attitude is going to get you nowhere.”

“You'd hold out on me like that?”

“It's not me. It's the way the luceria works. The closer two people are, the more magic can flow between them. Those women you see fawning, as you call it, they have that kind of juice because they are as close to their men as any two people can be.” He stepped up to her and gently tapped her forehead. “If you want my magic, you have to let me in here. We have to connect on a level so deep that we always know what the other is thinking—at least when it comes to combat.”

She reeled away in horror. “Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have any idea how many things I know about the Slayers that you're not allowed to know? Letting you in my head would be the same thing as betraying my people.”

“It doesn't matter. If you don't trust me enough to know that I'd never use that knowledge against someone you love, then you'll never be able to do more than light a match with my power.”

“Bullshit.”

He lifted a brow. “Think so? Let's go outside. I'll prove it.”

She opened the sliders. “After you, Theronai.”

He grinned at her. “Thank you,
Theronai.
”

*   *   *

Joseph was bluffing. He had to be. There was no way Lyka could have gone through all of that and not even earned access to his magic.

She knew how it was supposed to work. She'd heard all the stories, even seen a bonded pair of Theronai in action when she was a little girl. Her mother had done her best to warn Lyka of what she might face one day. This was the part where she was supposed to tap into Joseph's power and be able to kick ass.

He must have had some way of blocking her.

As she marched outside, she began forming a plan. She'd call his bluff and rip from him all the power she needed to rescue her people. If he was holding out on her, then she'd take it against his will.

She briefly wondered if doing such a thing would hurt him, but quickly decided she didn't care. If he was playing dirty, so could she.

He led her to the dock stretching out on the small lake behind the main building. There was a forest on the far side, and just inside the tree line, she could see small, rough cabins.

She'd been in one of those before. Naked, wearing only a sheet—an offering of peace from her brother, meant to ensure his good behavior.

For some reason, she felt far more exposed now than she had back then. Her world had been blown apart, her secret revealed and her future tied to a man she barely knew. Sure, he seemed like a decent guy, but for all she knew he was holding back his serial-killing, baby-eating ways.

Then again, if he were a monster, nothing in her vows said she couldn't kill him. He'd promised to protect her, but she'd made no such promise. If she really wanted out of this relationship, all she had to do was gack him in his sleep.

The thought turned her stomach and made her feel about as low as a pile of worm shit.

“What's upset you?” he asked as he stopped at the end of the dock.

“Who says I'm upset?”

He slid his finger along the slippery band around her neck. It buzzed and warmed in response to his touch. “This did. It connects us. It allows me to sense your emotions if they're strong enough. And what you felt a second ago was definitely strong.”

The choker had shrunk to fit her perfectly. It was completely comfortable, but there was no room for her to shove her fingers under it and try to yank it off.

“It's not going anywhere,” said Joseph. “Your vow to me made sure of that. You might as well get used to it. Besides, you look lovely in my luceria.”

The way his gaze warmed sent a shiver through her. She shouldn't have cared about how he thought she looked, but the little thrill his compliment gave her was proof that she did. “Just show me what I need to know so I can get out of here.”

He turned her body toward the lake as he stepped behind her. She could feel the hard contours of his muscles along her back as he pulled her against him. One of his thick arms wrapped around her middle, and he nestled his chin next to her ear. “See that post out there?”

All the air in her body had fled at his touch, leaving her none for speaking. Her concentration was shattered by his nearness. After so many weeks of keeping her
distance and dodging his attempts to get closer, it was strange letting him touch her.

She tried to shove all thoughts of him aside and focus on her task. The water rippled under the light. A wooden pole several yards out rose from the surface about six feet. The top of it was charred black and splintered.

“See if you can hit it,” he said.

“With what?”

“Fire. Force. Air. Electricity.” She felt him shrug, and the power of that move rocked her body. “Whatever floats your boat.”

She narrowed her gaze at the post, concentrating on it. She imagined it exploding into a million splinters. She held her breath and tried to make her vision a reality, but the post didn't so much as vibrate.

“What's wrong?” he asked. There was a smug satisfaction in his tone—a kind of
I told you so
vibe.

“Nothing's happening.”

“Do you even know how to access my power?” he asked.

“I've seen the other women do it. How hard can it be?”

“Apparently too hard for you to accomplish.”

She whirled on him, irritation spurring her movement. “Look, Theronai. If you're doing some kind of magical cock blocking, we've got a problem.” There was something else she'd meant to say, but as she realized that she was inside his arms, practically in his embrace, all the words fell from her head.

He stared down at her—no small feat considering her height. His eyes were darker than usual, his focus gliding over her face in equal parts wonder and need. “I still can't believe you're mine.”

His thumb caressed her cheek with such tenderness,
she felt her body relaxing. She may not know much about this man, but she'd seen him with the human children he protected. He was gentle, loving, even playful.

His kind had been her enemy for so long, she hadn't stopped to question whether all Theronai were the monsters her stepfather claimed them to be.

She swallowed to dislodge the lump of unwanted emotion wedged in her throat. “Don't go getting any crazy ideas, Theronai. This is a business relationship. You get to live, and I get access to your magic. Your pain ends and so does my imprisonment. Nothing more.”

“You say that only because you don't know how our kind works. It's going to be my pleasure to teach you, kitten.” He took her shoulders in his hands and turned her back around to face the lake. “Lesson one: tap into my power.”

She was far too close to him. Her back was plastered against his chest. One of his thick arms wrapped around her waist to hold her in place. He wasn't squeezing her too tight, but she still had trouble drawing a full breath.

His mouth was right beside her ear, his voice a dark whisper of sound. “Close your eyes, Lyka.”

She didn't want to. She knew that if she did, it was going to heighten her other senses. She would feel him more keenly, smell his skin and hear his voice, his breathing.

“You have to learn to trust me if you want this to work,” he said.

How could she trust him? He'd been her enemy until recently.

Hadn't he?

“I'll give you what you want: power, freedom. All you have to do is trust me.”

What choice did she have? Eric and the young were
in danger. They needed her to dig deep and find a way to do the impossible.

“Just close your eyes. Let yourself feel the connection running between us.”

Her eyelids fell shut, and instantly she could smell him. Delicious. Intoxicating. Lickable.

A soft groan rose from her, surprising her.

“That's it,” he whispered. “Just like that.”

Tension ran through his limbs, as if he was struggling not to hold her tighter. Hard muscles bunched in his chest, teasing her back with a tactile treat. She'd seen him without his shirt before, but she wished now that she could feel that bare skin under her fingertips. And her lips.

No.
She was not going to let herself get sucked in by hormonal urges, no matter how close it was to a full moon. This was a business arrangement. Nothing more.

“Do you feel the luceria round your throat?” he asked.

“Yes.” How could she not? It vibrated against her skin, humming with the promise of power.

“The ring on my finger was once a part of that band. They're inextricably bound, just as we now are.”

She wanted to disagree with that claim, but knew it was a waste of words. She'd put herself in this position. She'd agreed to the terms of their arrangement. She now had to live with her decision.

“The energy stored inside me will flow from my ring into your necklace. It will gather in you for whatever purpose you demand of it. You must give it shape, define it. Force it to do your will.”

That she could do.

She focused on the luceria, trying to sense the connection he spoke of. While she could feel the warm metal
and its pleasant hum, there was nothing else there. “Are you trying to stop me so I won't leave?” she asked.