In the Beginning... (41 page)

Aodhan was a warrior first
and foremost, like the
Adrastos family had
been known for over the past centuries, but this was his
Rajni
. His female. The one
woman meant for him of all the females born through the centuries.
What could he do to make her happy, other than send her back to the
life she’d had before him?

He lifted her onto his lap before he even
realized he’d moved. She fought for a moment, then settled
passively against him. That had him frowning. He wanted her
fighting, wanted her feeling secure enough in her safety to protest
what he did that she didn’t like. He slipped his arms behind her
waist and just held her close for a moment.

She trembled against him but didn’t pull
away. He ran his hand up her spine then down; again and again. “It
isn’t fiction, kitten. And I am sorry it happened in the way it
did. Had it been ideal, we would have met, courted even.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Her words were muffled
in his neck, but he heard her.

“People don’t court anymore.”

“So I understand. Pity; they should. Perhaps
that is what you and I should do?” Aodhan ran the idea through his
head for a few moments while she lay against him. “Perhaps we
should court, until you are comfortable with me.”

“I think you’re insane. I don’t want to
court with you. I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to be on
your damned lap in your damned hotel.”

“I know you don’t. But do you really want to
go back to your family now? You will need to feed on blood
regularly. If you do not know what you are doing, you could hurt
someone. Probably likely with your fighting skills. You are best
off right here with me, for now.” It was manipulative of him, but
he knew those were the right cards to play with her. She had tried
so valiantly to protect her sister. She would extend that same
fight and protection to the rest of her family. “I can teach you
and ensure you are safe.”

She pulled back to look at
him straight on. “I would never hurt my family. Would never feed
from them like an insect! The very thought is disgusting!”
He lifted her off his lap and sat her on the
coffee table in front of him. “Very well then. I will simply court
you until you change your mind.”

He was going to court her. That thought kept
running through Mallory’s mind while she sat with Emily, Josey, and
Mickey in the private sitting room for the rest of the afternoon.
He was going to court her, and he sounded absolutely serious about
it. What was she supposed to do?

“Mal, what do you think?”

Think about what? She tuned back in to the
conversation flowing around her. “Oh. I think we have to play
along. For now.”

What other option did she
have? She couldn’t physically fight him. At least, not for long. He
was too damned big and too damned skilled for that. Probably more
skilled in martial arts than her brother, as well. She couldn’t
shoot him
she didn’t have a gun, and wasn’t
sure she’d be able to, anyway. Despite what he’d done to
her.

And with them keeping her and her cousins in
separate parts of the building, they couldn’t orchestrate a viable
escape plan without gathering some seriously more information.
Still, he could do his damned courting and she could follow along.
Maybe lull him into a bit of complacency?

“Play nice. No matter how hard it is. At
least until we find out what is truly going on.”

It left a sour taste in her mouth, but what
other option did Mallory have?

He came for her a few hours later, breezing
into the sitting room and drawing her attention immediately. He
wasn’t alone, but he stood out above the others. And not just
because he was physically larger, stronger. There was something
else about him, that she couldn’t identify. And she didn’t think it
was only his arrogance.

He held out a hand for her to take, and
though it galled her, she did it. Play along. Just play along.

Those words went through her head repeatedly
as she stood. She looked back, her eyes meeting her sister’s
identical ones. Mickey felt the same, she could see in the younger
woman’s eyes. Mallory looked back at the man who held her hand.

How was she going to get through this?

Aodhan knew she was humoring him. How could
he not? He didn’t trust her easy capitulation. How could he? His
woman had a warrior’s heart and she was just strategizing before
making her next attack. He kissed her cheek before he thought the
action out, and then forced himself to ignore the instinctive gasp
and withdrawal she made.

Of course she would pull away from him. He’d
kidnapped and terrified her, and after what she had experienced as
a young woman, she would be nervous of a strong male who was so
obviously physically attracted to her.

“Are you ready to return to our suite,
kitten? I have a present waiting for you.”

“Cab fare back to Denver, perhaps?” Her
words were low enough that only he heard.

“Now why would I send you to Denver when I
would miss you too much? No, a warrior’s woman is best kept close
to his side.”

“I’m not your woman. I’m your kidnappee. Or
hostage. Whatever you want to call it.”

“You’ll adjust in time.” He
led her from the sitting room, holding her warm hand in his. For
such a strong female, she felt so delicate. He must take care of
her. Caring for others
besides his one
sister
was not something he was strong at.
He was a fighter, a warrior. His family had been such for
centuries. No, he was not full of the tenderest of emotions. He
wasn’t sure he was up to the task. “Did you enjoy your time with
your family? Reassure yourself they were safe and well?”

“They aren’t safe and well.
They are hostages. We all want to go home. Are you planning on
keeping us here indefinitely? That may be hard to do. My family
will be searching for us. We will be missed
if we haven’t been already.”

“We’ll deal with that issue
when we come to it.” Aodhan was monitoring the Taniss family.
Security was his job and he took his position seriously. And he had
a man on the inside of the Taniss compound. Matthuin was a cousin
of his, and an
Equa
n
or head
of
the
Lycurgus House. He was also uniquely
gifted in being able to disguise himself as whatever Kind he wanted
to appear as. His chameleon characteristics ensured that no human
would even suspect him of being what he was. Or even see
him.

Matthuin had been sent to
the Taniss vacation compound well over a week ago, and had been
reporting to Aodhan on the comings and goings of the Taniss for
that entire week. The other male had told Aodhan that the
kidnapping had been realized, but that the Taniss men hadn’t yet
reported it to the human authorities. That from what was being
heard on the compound, Rand and Jason Taniss
his female’s twin brother and her youngest uncle
were handling the kidnappings
themselves.

An odd reaction for a human family, in
Aodhan’s experience. Curious. “Yet why have they not reported you
missing to the police? They have noticed you are missing. Do they
not care?”

She stopped, jerking on his hand. “They
care. What that means is that the family is letting my brother and
uncle look for us. And when they find you, they will most likely
kill you for what you and your friends have done. They probably
didn’t report it to the police because they don’t want any
questions when you disappear!”

Aodhan threw his head back and laughed. Then
laughed again. “Kitten, there is no way a set of puny human men
could ever make me disappear! I am the best warrior my people have
ever seen! Just ask the historians of my people! Read the stories
and legends of what I have done!” He pulled her into his arms as he
stopped laughing and spun her around quickly. “Yes! The goddess has
chosen me a mate with a sense of humor! Human men, indeed! Your
brother would be so foolish to try to take you from me!”

“He’ll kill you. And I will watch!” She
hissed the words at him and he wondered if she realized how the
tiny fangs she now possessed changed her speech. So pretty, those
little fangs. She pounded on his back with a fist. “Let me
down!”

“Not yet. I’m enjoying holding you close.
I’ve waited centuries to do just that, after all.” Her chest was
pressed to his and at the angle he held her he could look directly
into her green eyes. What he wanted was for her to wrap those long
legs of hers around his hips and then let him taste her. His hand
dropped to the globe of her ass and he squeezed. “You are
beautiful. Perfect in every way. I want to hold you forever.”

She didn’t want to believe him. If she
believed him, what was next? Mal tried to ignore the hot male hand
on her butt and the feel of his heart beating against hers. His
neck was so close, and she could see the pulse beating just beneath
the skin. Could smell the blood beneath his skin.

Could smell it and want it. Had he been
right? Would this all-consuming need for blood cause her to hurt
her family? She was strong and determined and if she turned on one
of her cousins or her little sister Rebecca, would they be able to
fight her off? Probably not. Especially with the martial arts she
knew. She really was going to be a danger to them, wasn’t she?

She closed her eyes as the smell of him
flooded her lungs. She pressed closer. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what, kitten?” His tone was sly, but she
refused to look at him.

“Suck your blood. It’s gross. It’s
wrong.”

“It’s who you are now.” His hand tightened
on her butt, and the other skimmed up her spine and wrapped around
the back of her neck. “Are you trying to tell your mate that you
need to feed, kitten?”

She shook her head, but they
both knew she was lying. She needed
something
from him. “No! Let me
go!”

“Is that what you really want me to do? What
your body is crying out for is perfectly natural between mates, my
love.” How was she supposed to ignore the satisfaction in his tone?
His hand was firm on her neck, guiding her closer to his throat.
She didn’t need any more encouragement than that. She nipped him,
then sank her fangs deep into his skin.

Tears ran down her cheeks, but she kept her
grip on him firm. Why had he done this to her, and what did it mean
for the rest of her life?

Mallory closed her eyes as she continued to
drink from him.

Aodhan felt her tears and knew she hated
what she was doing, what he had done to her, but he still thrilled
that his female was in his arms where she belonged. His hands were
gentle as they stroked her back, her hair. He gradually lowered her
until her feet once again rested on the floor, but he was careful
not to dislodge her where she fed. “Take what you need from me,
kitten. It is mine to gladly give.”

She sighed as she pulled her mouth away from
his neck. “I hate you.”

“I know. But that will change in time.” He
smiled, then dropped a kiss on her mouth, taking the small drop of
blood that hung in the corner of her lips for himself. “Did you get
your fill?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Ever.” Her
words were fierce and her nails sank deeply into the skin on his
arm. “You’ve made me a monster. I’ll never forgive that.”

“You are not a monster, kitten. Not at
all.”

“Prove it, then. If you can.”

“So how do I court her?” Aodhan asked the
question of the one female he trusted to be completely honest with
him.

“She thinks we’re the monsters? What about
her grandfather, then?” his little sister Aureliana asked. Temper
was evident in the eyes that were similar to Aodhan’s. She had no
love for any of the Taniss family, and she hadn’t been happy to
learn her new sister-in-law was Taniss’s granddaughter. He hadn’t
dared introduce the two females yet. It would take Auri a while to
accept his Mallory’s heritage. He and his sister sat in the private
sitting room reserved for members of their family.

“I sense she has no love for him, either.
She is so frightened, Auri. Terrified of me, but more so of
herself. How do I help her? How do I make her...”

“Love you?” Auri asked,
kicking her foot against the leg of his chair. “She’d be stupid not
to. And she’s your
Rajni
unless you’re mistaken there
so shouldn’t it be done by now? Isn’t that the way it
works?”

Auri was younger than him, having just
turned 400 in the last decade, and had yet to find her own mate.
Aodhan just hoped his future brother-in-law was strong enough to
recognize Auri’s strength and perceptive enough to recognize the
tenderness she often hid beneath a tough exterior.

“It is not working that way.
She has been hurt so deeply, and fears men. And I took her from her
home, hurt her, terrified her. Changed her into…
”

“What she sees as a monster. I get it,
brother. I think you need to teach her that none of us are truly
monsters. Let her see the softer side of you, and of our people in
general. Familiarity might soften her view toward us. Unless she’s
completely stupid, she’ll eventually see we aren’t really all that
different.”

“I am a warrior, Auri. How am I supposed to
show tenderness?”

“Oh, I think you’ll manage, somehow,” Auri
said. “In the meantime, what are you doing about her family?”

“Watching them for now. Investigating her
father and uncles, still. She is adamant that they wouldn’t have
anything to do with harming our people. Seems to really admire and
respect them. She does not speak the same of her grandfather.
According to Rydere and the others, the same is said for her sister
and cousins. All insist their fathers and uncles would not hurt
anyone.”