MatingRitual (9 page)

“Jaggar!” she laughed out and clutched at his neck.

The tinkling sound of her laughter made his stomach flip and
he knew this woman would always bring him joy.

“Time to wake. Crete and Marte await.” But instead of
setting her on her feet, he tightened his hold and kissed her upturned lips,
thrilled it seemed a natural thing to do. The bond strengthened. As hard as it
was, he set her down. “Get dressed.”

He relished the smile she sent his way as she slipped on her
sarong.

“Why are Crete and Marte waiting for us?”

“Because it has been decided between the two of us that you
and Marte will be allowed to search for your medicinal herbs.”

“You will spend the day with me?” Kella asked brightly.

“No, Kella. I have much to do. There will be two strong warriors
assigned your safety today and will escort you outside the fortress.” As much
as he wanted to, Jaggar still did not trust her one hundred percent. Having an
escort would assure Kella and her friend returned.

Soon they left the warrior’s den for the bright sun of the
day.

* * * * *

Marte held Kella’s hand as they strolled along a meandering
path, their heads close as they spoke in hushed tones. To the two Stonemen
warriors assigned guardianship for the afternoon, the women looked as if they
were simply enjoying the warm sunshine and cool mountain breeze that lifted
their long tresses.

Such was not the case. Marte listened as Kella told her of
the past evening’s events and Jaggar’s earlier declaration, finding it hard to
understand.

“How can a man find love for a woman such as a mother does
for a child?”

“I know,” Kella said with her head tipped close. “He was
gentle, Marte. He stroked my arm, spoke softly and told me I would never want
or fear for anything in the whole of my life. He said it is the way of the
Stonemen to take a woman to his heart and cherish her always. He has decreed I
will meet with him before the holy man. I have no choice, Marte. Jaggar has
declared I will be his chosen one. After the Rite, I will be free to walk
wherever I want and he will always put me first before his clansmen.”

Marte snorted. “I could shake you, Kella, for falling under
his spell. But to do that will bring those two warriors who trail on our heels
nearer. If they were not so close, I would grab your arm and we would run from
here!”

Kella looked to the sky, battling the urge to defend Jaggar
and hating the warring confusion in her mind. She, Marte and the other women of
her tribe had been abducted and brought to the Stonemen’s fortress as
prisoners. Things might have changed for Kella, but what of the others?

“Have you seen any of our sister clan, Marte?”

The woman shook her head. “I have searched for them each
time I follow Crete about the market, but no one.”

“I saw the girl, Allat. She was one of the Seven. She was not
frightened and seemed happy with her warrior. Maybe Crete has not decided if
you are to be mated forever.”

Marte stopped and spun in her direction. Kella saw the two
escorts out of the corner of her eye. Both men tensed as they observed their
charges.

“I will never be Crete’s mate,” Marte hissed.

“You will have no choice, Marte. Just as I have no choice.”

How could she explain being with Jaggar was more difficult
as each day passed? He toyed with her and she easily succumbed to his every
wish. Mating with the big man was not an act of deception anymore, but more of
conceding to her body’s demands. When Jaggar looked at her, touched her, she
lost her strength of will.

She stared at her friend now and realized though somehow
Marte gave it back to her. Marte reminded her constantly who she was and what
they needed to do. They were chosen and there was no recourse but to find haven
with their own kind as soon as possible.

Suddenly a grunt and a thud met their ears.

The women spun on the trail and Kella clutched Marte’s hand,
her mind comprehending what had just happened but unable to totally digest the
scene as the second man assigned to them fell silently to the ground.

The two Stonemen warriors both lay on their backs with
sightless stares. Each had a spear driven through his heart and their life
blood trickled to the forest floor. She shook her head to clear it, grabbed
Marte’s hand and screamed. “Run, Marte! To the fortress!”

She began to pull Marte along with her but suddenly their
path was blocked when two painted men stepped from the thick underbrush.

Magya warriors!

Marte shouted with glee and raced in their direction,
calling out they were Magya females. One of the men rushed forward, raised his
arm and backhanded Marte, who gasped and fell to the ground, cupping her cheek.
Kella sank to her knees to gather the frightened woman to her breast, trying to
fathom what had just happened.

“Quiet!” the warrior hissed. “You will give us away and we
will all die at the hands of the Stonemen. Rise, woman, and follow quickly.”

“Yes! Yes!” Marte said as she scrambled to her feet, her
reddened cheek swelling before their eyes. “I am sorry I raised my voice. Yes,
we will follow. We have waited for an escape and it has finally come.”

The other warrior towered over Kella with a glare. “You are
the woman Kella. You were my chosen one before the Stonemen took what was to be
mine.”

Kella recognized him instantly. He was called Biligan, named
so because of the anger he always carried within. Of all the men in her clan,
he was the most odious. Instantly she compared him to Jaggar and in that
moment, Kella knew her Stoneman warrior was her choice. The thought of mating
with this Magya clansman sickened her, but she had no choice when Biligan’s
fingers gripped her arm and she was shoved forward on the trail.

* * * * *

The dark jungle surrounded them. The only light filtering
through the thick overhead foliage was a sliver of moonlight. Kella’s muscles
screamed with fatigue as she trudged after Biligan. Marte’s footsteps could be
heard behind her, but Kella dared not stop to check on how she fared. Marte’s
warrior, Tao, who brought up the rear would not allow it.

Finally Biligan halted in a moonlit clearing. The women were
ordered to sit beside a tree as the men handily set about building a small
fire. Once small puffs of smoke turned to flames, Tao urged them closer to the
light.

“We have waited. We have watched,” he told them. “We did not
know what happened to the ten women preparing themselves for the Purification
Rite. No one returned from the pond that day. We searched and found nothing but
tracks leading to the mountain. We knew then what your fate was. We have
watched from afar and when you two women who are called Kella and Marte were
allowed outside the fortress, it was only a matter of time to claim what is
rightfully ours.”

He stepped closer, his gaze pinned on Marte. He pointed to
the ground. “Get down.”

Kella’s harried gaze darted from Marte to Tao, knowing Marte
would submit passively. The strong, passionate woman of the past weeks
disappeared on the trail. Her friend was a Magya woman again in the presence of
the warrior, one who now sank to her knees, one who unfaltering obeyed.

Marte laid her forehead on the forest floor. The warrior
moved closer, using his foot to guide Marte’s knees farther apart as he lifted
his shirt. Once his hard cock was in his hand, he dropped to his knees, shoved
aside the woman’s sarong and worked the rigid flesh inside her friend. His
buttocks clenched with each stroke he took. Marte groaned quietly as he slammed
into her.

“Stop!” Kella yelled. “She is a chosen one! I am a chosen
one. It is not right for you to mate this way without a ceremony!”

Biligan was beside her in an instant. “Silence!” A loathing
glare hardened his eyes. “You
were
among the chosen ones at one time. No
longer. You are nothing, not after the Stonemen enjoyed mating with you.” He
pointed to the ground. “But you will make your life with the outcasts now and
serve only one purpose. It is that reason we have secreted you back.”

Kella did something she would never have done in her entire
life. She refused to assume the position and held her ground. She was worth
more. Jaggar had shown her the connection. “I will never be an outcast!” she
flung back. “I will not obey you!”

Images of her past life raced quickly through her brain. The
many times she assumed the position because it was the way of the Magya. The
many times she ate the ragweed, hoping upon hope to be a chosen one and not
have to fear for her life as an outcast. Those thoughts quickly turned to
Jaggar. Never was he hurtful or had he scorned her. He pledged himself to Kella
by joining the other couples for Seven Nights. Her eyes and mind were now open
to a far better culture.

He’d told her about love and Kella instantly realized her
senses filled with the emotion. She craved his warm touch, she yearned for the
feel of his gentle hands on her body, coaxing her to the heat. Her biggest
desire was to gently gaze at him across the room and know she would always be
safe.

“Down!” Biligan shouted. He snatched her arm, bent it behind
her back and forced her to her knees.

“I will not! I—”

Kella’s reply was cut short as a bloodcurdling scream filled
the dark night. The hair rose on arms. She scrabbled to her feet as Biligan
held her firmly. She fought to run, but he yanked her close, his fearful gaze
darting at the dark edges outside the fire.

A twig snapped and his hold on Kella tightened. Marte was
yanked to her feet. Both warriors pulled the women along with them as they
quickly retrieved their spears.

Another hair-raising screech echoed from the forest.

A knowing smile curved Kella’s mouth.

Jaggar. She had heard his war cry before. A singular tone
that had sent shivers racing across her skin when she’d been trapped in the
cave on the day of her capture. She pictured his dark features, his muscles
bunching in preparation to attack. Yes, he was out there and suddenly she
needed to see him, to know she would get another chance at the thing Jaggar
called love.

Her brain shifted into motion. She kicked back, her heel
landing squarely against Biligan’s shin, but the meager attempt to shake him
off only enraged the man farther. He spun her around to face him, lifted his
arm and backhanded her to the ground.

His mistake because the action brought Biligan’s devil into
the light.

“No one touches my woman!”
Jaggar bellowed as broke from the forest’s thick cover. Crete followed closely
on his heels.

Jaggar raced forward, ramming
Biligan in the abdomen with his shoulder. The force of his rage sent both men
tumbling to the ground.

Kella scrambled to get out of
the way. The two men were now in a deadly hand-to-hand contest and there would
only be one victor, one man left alive when it was over. A feminine scream
grabbed Kella’s attention away and she swung about just in time to see Tao pitch
backward with a spear embedded in his chest. Crete had wasted no time. Pulling
Marte close to him, he watched Jaggar’s battle.

The two warriors were back on
their feet, circling one another. Blood streamed from both their noses. Their
harsh breaths could be heard.

Kella blinked and missed who
made the next move. Both warriors now held each other by the necks, each
exerting as much force as they could muster to knock the other one to his
knees. They moved forward as one, then moved back, at a stalemate. Muscles
rippled and flexed in the firelight, and it seemed no one man made headway
against the other.

Jaggar worked hard to find a
better grip on his opponent. Finally, he was able to force Biligan down inch by
inch until the man tumbled onto his back. Jaggar was quick with a punch to
Biligan’s jaw. The crushing blow stunned the man and he lay sprawled out, his
limbs spread wide and unable to protect himself. Time after time Jaggar
continued to pummel the man’s face, his rage uncontrollable and unstoppable.

“Jaggar!” Crete hollered across
the short space. “Finish it.”

When Jaggar looked up, it was to
see Kella leaning limply against a tree. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He was
done. He would waste no more time. He pulled Biligan upright for the last time
and drew his fist back for the deathblow.

One painful gasp was uttered and
Biligan stared unseeingly to the heavens. Jaggar’s chest rose and fell with
labored breaths as he towered over the dead body, then turned and held out his
arms.

Kella raced across the grass and flung herself into Jaggar’s
embrace.

* * * * *

Candles flickered, casting warm shadows across the room.
Kella perched in the middle of the bed, her trim calves curled beneath her as
she brushed her long, damp tresses. Her eyes constantly watched the big wooden
door, a door she knew was not locked from the outer side.

Warmth settled in her chest as a smile turned up the corners
of her mouth. Soon she would hear his footfalls, and then the night would
begin. Yes, eventually they would take their turn on the Seven Nights of
Joining. But not tonight.

Whether it happened or not, Kella did not care.

She understood now what the true mating ritual was,
according to her Stoneman. It was a bonding like no other, an emotion that
joined two hearts and made them one. It was knowing she had nothing to fear
because a man claimed her, not in the brazen and uncaring way of the Magya, but
in the slow, sensual manner her Jaggar happily revealed to her. Kella still
found it hard to believe she might have lived her life without ever knowing.

The door opened.

Her heart beat harder as she pushed herself from the furs,
slipped from the bed and stood waiting for her warrior.

Jaggar stepped into the room and as he closed the door
behind him, his hot gaze raked Kella’s slender body from head to toe. He took a
step, then halted, holding out a steady hand, waiting for her to come to him.