CHAPTER 14
Still in her cell, Kaelyn struggled, clamoring to free herself from Saar’s grasp. She twined her fingers around his, her long braid caught in their combined grasps. “Let me go!”
“Stop fighting me.” The muscles in his arms tensed, and he drew her tighter against him. She couldn’t mistake the bulge in his pants pressing firm and long across her backside. Against her will her body responded, her pheromones sending the sugared scent of sweet peas into the air.
A low growl eased from his lips.
She continued to strain against his hold, and if she were honest with herself, it wasn’t to escape him, but to revel in his scent, the warmth of his skin, and his overpowering strength. Frustrated, she threw her question at him. “Where are you taking me?”
“Out of your cell.” His deep masculine voice tickled her ear, sending a shiver of delight down her spine.
“Why?” To my death, no doubt. She mentally shook herself. Play along. This could work to your advantage.
“That is all you need to know for now. Unwind your braid. I’ll use,” he rubbed his thumb over the material, the movement gentle, yet possessive, “your golden fabric as a blindfold.”
She stiffened. A tendril of fear snaked along her nerves. “Blindfold me? Why?”
With a speed and grace she could admire, he flipped her around to face him. Hooded and tormented, his eyes flicked back and forth as he studied her. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answered. Now, undo your braid, unless you’d rather I do it.”
The idea of him releasing her hair, his fingers running through her long strands, sent a shiver of desire along her nerves. Enemy be damned, a part of her wanted him so very much. She bit her lip, and his attention riveted there. His eyes dilated, flecks of amber mixing with the blue.
“Fine.” She pushed against him, and he released her.
Kaelyn tugged on the knot at the end of her hair and pulled the strands loose from the braid. The golden cloth, the one Noden had given her long ago, coiled in her palm. Saar’s focused attention never strayed from her task, his gaze appreciative and almost reverent. His tenderness seemed at odds with his scarred looks.
A part of her wanted to understand him better, but the less she knew about him and his past, the better. Sooner or later, she’d have to battle him, and she didn’t want any sort of caring or weakness to get in the way.
Done with her task, she handed him her braiding scarf. “I want this back. My brother gave it to me.”
He studied her for a moment. “Noted. Now, turn around.”
She wanted to shift into her bear, force her way past him, but even if she could, she didn’t know her way around the elaborate tunnels and corridors in this place, this “Keep.” She’d get lost for sure. With a quick exhale, she turned her back to him.
Saar placed her braiding scarf over her eyes and tied the ends behind her head. His touch was gentle, tender, and she steeled her heart, pushing away the pinpricks of want and desire trying to find a way in.
Unable to see, panic grew in her stomach, like a seedling eager for light. She inhaled, the sound harsh through her clenched teeth.
“Is it too tight?” The deep rumble of his voice reverberated in the space between them, causing goosebumps to form on her arms.
“It…it’s fine.” Still bound by the magical rope, she couldn’t hide her trembling fingers, so she fisted them. “I don’t suppose you’ll give me a hint as to where we’re headed.”
“You’ll see once we get there. Well, I guess you won’t see,” he chuckled, the sound one she was getting used to and liking a bit more than she should.
He trailed his fingers down her arm until he slid his palm against hers, clasping her hand. The sensual nature of his touch lit up her skin, and she wanted more. With a quick tug, he drew her forward, beyond her cage and into the hallway.
Her vision gone, her other senses heightened, and she used her natural bear instincts to the fullest. She inhaled, and his scent of pepper and lime, along with the ancient stone and metallic tang of the bars, filtered into her nose. His booted feet scraping against the stone floor, along with hers, resonated down the corridor.
After only a few steps, he stopped. She plowed into him, her body molding to his backside. Strength and power rippled over the muscles in his back, and she had the sudden desire to run her hands over his broad shoulders, feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips.
“Ginnia…”
“Don’t worry, Saar. You’ll make it out before they come.” The female’s words were like a premonition, and a chill settled over Kaelyn’s nerves.
“Be good, Muzzie.” He didn’t linger, but tugged Kaelyn along, his pace rushed.
A restlessness built in her chest. “Where are we going? Are we leaving the Keep?”
“It’s best if you don’t know.”
She stopped in her tracks, digging in her heels. “Tell me.”
An exasperated breath eased from him. He tugged her forward, more encouragement then force. “Come. We don’t have time for this.”
She pursed her lips. “I won’t cooperate until you do.”
A low growl burst from him. This time, his tug left no doubt about who was in charge here.
She slammed into him. Her breasts crushed against his chest.
Saar wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her in place.
The stubble on his chin scraped against her cheek, sending a wave of delight over her skin. His lips brushed along her neck until they teased the sensitive skin at her ear. “If you don’t come with me, you’ll die here, right now. Is that what you want?”
She shivered in his embrace because of her need and want of this male and because of his shocking words. “N…no.”
“Then let’s go.” He released her as quickly as he’d drawn her to him.
Confusion, need, and anger burned inside, fueling her inner bear. She gnashed her teeth. The warning clack echoed against the walls.
“Don’t!” His word was a command and that sparked her desire to fight him all the more.
Saar yanked her to him, wrapping his arms around her once again.
Her hands landed on his firm, muscular chest. She pressed into him, her body molding to his. A tingle of excitement travelled between them, and a part of her wanted to nip him for his insolence. “Are you going to kiss me again?”
He cradled her head is his palm as if he had every right. “Do you want me to?”
“No… Yes.”
Before she could take another breath, his lips met hers, devouring her with a possessive, demanding kiss.
She mewled under his onslaught and curled her fingers around his shirt, keeping him there. He deepened the kiss, and her inner bear stirred at his possessiveness, his requirement she comply.
Desire and need warred with her independence, her desire to battle him. Confusion reigned.
His insistent kisses softened, becoming gentler. What this male could do to her given the chance.
He broke the kiss, but still cradled her head in his palms. Their heavy panting reverberated off the stone walls. She hated her reaction, her blatant yearning for him.
“Quit fighting me.” His soft breath teased her cheek, and she cursed the blindfold. If only she could read his expression.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Theron’s words flitted through her mind.
She exhaled, her shoulders loosening the tension she hadn’t realized she’d held. “Fine.”
He released his hold on her. “We should be outside soon. Then I’ll remove your blindfold.” He caressed her fingers. As he closed his grip around her hand, she didn’t resist.
He continued down his chosen path. They turned a corner, then another. Before long, she was lost. Their boots slapping the stone floor and their labored breaths were the only sounds.
She couldn’t take the silence any longer. Besides, maybe she could get some intel out of him. “Tell me something. What is it like for you, here in the Keep?”
He flinched, but didn’t slow. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m curious. From what little I’ve seen, the Keep seems like a remarkable place.”
A sudden rush of heat warmed the air, the source coming from the walls.
“I’ve lived within the Keep’s protected walls for more than five hundred years. It is our safe haven. We live normal lives, as much as can be expected given the war.”
“I can’t even imagine.” As nomads, her kind hadn’t lived in one place for more than a couple of years. “What do you do here when you’re not fighting, when you have free time?”
He slowed, and the material of his jacket creaked as he turned. “If we’re going to play this game, I’d say it’s your turn. Tell me, what do you do with your ‘free time.’” The warmth of his breath teased her cheek.
Cognizant of his closeness, she inhaled. His essence eased into her lungs, filling her with his delicious masculine scent. Heat radiated from her chest to her cheeks. “Um…”
He chuckled. “That’s what I thought. Be careful what kind of games you play, little bear.” Before she could respond, he tugged her forward once again.
A flash of anger flitted along her veins. “Don’t call me that. I’m not little.”
“You are to me.” His rough, gravelly voice draped around her.
Awareness of just how large a male he was heated her cheeks. “I’m not playing you, if that’s what you think. I just want to…I…I can’t stand the silence.”
“Then you do the talking. Tell me whatever you’d like. Perhaps something you enjoy.”
Suddenly tongue-tied, she couldn’t speak. “I…I… When I have time, I love to roll in the ferns. In my bear form.”
He squeezed her hand. “Feisty as you are, I’ll bet you do. What else?”
She exhaled. “I enjoy campfires, stories, and good company with my friends and fam…” The familiar weight of her whistle against her chest caused a lump to form in the back of her throat. “I…carve wood.”
He stilled, and she bumped into him. With a gentleness she was fast becoming used to, he gripped her arm to steady her. His fingers grazed along her neck following her chain to her bear’s head whistle.
“Did you make this?” His voice was low, reverent.
“Yes.” Her tongue seemed to expand in her mouth, preventing her from saying anything more.
“Then we have something in common. Although I’ve never done anything as elaborate as this,” his fingers brushed her collar bone as he traced the outline of her whistle, “I whittle.”
She swallowed. “What do you make?”
A soft breath eased from him. “Toothpicks. They provide a measure of peace, both in the creation and in the use.”
“I understand.” This male was more than just her enemy, he was real. He had a life of his own here at the Keep. A question burned in her mind. She had to know. “Do you have a family?”
He withdrew his hand, and the sudden lack of his warmth left a cold spot over her heart. Dread filled its place. “Not anymore. My parents and my brother died long ago. Come, we continue.”
She stumbled to keep up with his pace. He never mentioned a mate. Frustration twisted into a knot in her gut. She shouldn’t care one way or the other, but she did. “Do you have a female?”
Swift as a cat, he turned and pinned her against the wall. Her bound hands flattened against his chest, trapped in the space between them. His warm breath cascaded down her throat, sending a thrill of desire straight to her core.
“What are you doing?” She pushed against him, into the hard planes of his chest.
“Perhaps your blindfold has made you forget.” He eased back enough to grip her wrists with one of his large palms. After seizing her fingers, he planted them on the scar at his cheek. “Do you think a female would want me, want this?”
She resisted the urge to pull away. No doubt he expected her to be disgusted by his disfigurement. Tentatively, she stroked her fingers over the scar. “It’s so smooth. How did you—”
A groan of pure anguish eased from his lips, and he pushed away from the wall, away from her. “Craya! No more questions.”
The tremor started in her knees then travelled up her torso and down her arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Her chest ached for this strong, proud warrior who hid his pain behind his rough exterior. He’d unsettled her far more than she cared to admit.
Saar exhaled, long and slow. “I’m sorry. Come, we’re almost there.”
He slid his hand over hers and they continued on their path.
“Tell me one more thing. Ginnia mentioned you don’t shift, that it’s forbidden and no one has been able to transform back. Is that true?”
“Not entirely. We used to shift, before the great scourge occurred over five hundred years ago, wiping out over half of our kind. Ever since then, we haven’t been able to shift and return to human form. Not until…” He exhaled in a loud rush.
“Please, share with me.”
He remained silent for a long stretch. “Two of our males recently bonded to human females. Their mates were able to help them return from their beast forms. No one is certain why.”
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t want to press him any further.
An owl’s hoot, faint and distant, filtered through the tunnel.
“Is it dark outside?” She’d lost track of time and didn’t know if it was day or night.
“Yes, the moon is full. There are still several hours until dawn. Be careful of the blackberry vines.”
“Blackberry vines?”
A thorn’s sharp tip scraped along her arm. The scent of her blood filled the air. Another branch caught a strand of her hair, ripping it from her scalp. That was it, not her hair. She pushed at the vines, trying to keep them from her.
“Here, let me help you.” The branches gave way, and Saar tugged her from the brambles. His thumb rubbed the spot on her arm. “You don’t look too worse for wear.”
She reached for the blindfold, eager to remove the material.
He gripped her hands, stopping her. “Not yet. We need to go a bit farther. You can’t know the location of this entrance.”
“Once you let go, nothing can stop me from removing the blindfold.”
“I know,” he said softly, “but I’m asking you to wait.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
He let her go.
The pads of her fingers twitched in her eagerness to remove the offending cloth. Yet, she didn’t. Heat raced up her throat and into her cheeks. She’d willingly complied with his request. That was something she rarely did and only with a select few. Her heart skipped a beat.
Perhaps the little seer, Ginnia, was right. Maybe he was her mate. No…not possible.
He gripped her hand once again and stepped away. She followed, but the next time they stopped, all bets were off.