Claiming Valeria (13 page)

“Ah…you must have some magic in you. I feel all better now.”

Merry giggled and curled up next to him, her head nestled against
his neck, a warm, trusting weight. His chest constricted.
Deus,
he loved
this little girl.

Luis crouched down and asked Valeria what had happened. “Was
that Lord Adric I saw?”

“
Sim
.” She explained about Jace being Merry’s uncle, and
that he and Adric wanted Merry back.

“They have a right to her,” Luis said grimly. “Rui never should’ve
been there in the first place. He—” He glanced at Merry. “You know.”

“I know,” Valeria replied.

Rui waited for Valeria to make her disgust clear. He’d long since
decided he should never have killed the half-blood. Even if it meant Tyrus would
come after him, too. Even if he knew Tyrus would just hire someone else to do his
dirty work.

He’d known there was something funny about the job. And when
he’d found Merry there, he should have left immediately.

Some things a man just didn’t do. Not and remain with a whole
soul. He’d done something unforgivable in depriving Merry of her father. Valeria
had been right to reject him.

But she was defending him. He blinked. Had he misunderstood?

But no, she was saying, “If it hadn’t been Rui, it would’ve been
someone else. And another man might have left Merry in the house, especially when
he found out the night fae were after her. If Rui hadn’t gotten her away from them—”
A fine tremor moved over her body.

He turned his head into her hand. She stroked his face, and for
the first time in a long while he felt a touch of hope, warming him from the inside
out.

“Here comes the healer,” Luis said, rising to his feet. “I’ll
explain to Dion what happened. There’s no reason for Cleia to know.”

Rui’s lips edged up. “What the fae don’t know,” he rasped, “won’t
hurt them.” It was practically a mantra for the fada.

Luis grinned down at him. “Exactly.”

Filipa, the healer summoned by Rodolfo, removed her hands
from Rui and rose to her feet, her dark eyes sober. “You can take him back to the
base now,” she told Valeria and Luis. “But have Branco see him as soon as possible.”
Branco was the base’s oldest and most experienced healer.

“We will,” Valeria promised.

“And don’t let him convince you he doesn’t need a healer,” Filipa
added with a stern look at her patient, who was already struggling to sit up. “What
I did was the equivalent of applying a bandage. That knife nicked his intestines.
Without further healing, he risks infection or internal bleeding.”

“You got it,” Luis said. He helped Rui to his feet, ignoring
his muttered assertion that he didn’t need any help, damn it.

Luis and Rodolfo decided between them that Luis would fill Dion
in on what had happened and then remain at the festival with Marina and Xavier.

That left Rodolfo to drive Rui, Valeria and Merry back to Rock
Run. As the four of them entered the base, the two men on duty took one look at
Rui’s battered face and volunteered to get Branco.

“Send him to my place,” Valeria told them. The guards glanced
between her and Rui, obviously curious, but just nodded.

Valeria took Merry’s hand, sliding her other arm around Rui’s
waist. Meanwhile, Rodolfo stepped forward and tried to put an arm around his shoulder,
but Rui shrugged them both off.

“I’m fine,” he snapped. “Hell, I’ve felt worse after a day of
training.”

Rodolfo was a large bull-like man who looked as if he’d as soon
grind your bones into dust as speak to you. But Valeria had discovered that his
menacing exterior hid a marshmallow-soft core. Now he just said okay and backed
off.

The four of them started down the hall. Merry, who seemed none
the worse for her brief spell of unconsciousness, skipped happily alongside Valeria.
Rui, on the other hand, was fading fast. As they passed the dining hall, he slowed
to a shuffle and pressed a hand to his stomach, his mouth white around the edges.

Valeria glanced Rodolfo, but he was already easing an arm around
Rui’s waist. “Lean on me, you big idiot. And don’t argue—you’d do the same if it
were me.”

“And have done,” Rui muttered. But he put an arm around Rodolfo’s
shoulder, allowing him to take some of his weight.

Valeria had never seen the base so empty. The dining hall, normally
the heart of the clan’s life, held only a few of people. As they headed down the
hall to her apartment, their footsteps echoed eerily. She tightened her grip on
Merry’s hand and glanced around uneasily. Logic told her it was almost impossible
for the earth shifters to enter the base—there were multiple layers of guards as
well as the spell that hid their location from any uninvited visitors—but Adric
had gotten in once. And as far as she was aware, no one knew exactly how.

As they turned the corner, Merry dashed ahead to open the door
to their apartment. “This way, Tio Rui.”

He managed a smile. “Thanks,
princesa
.”

As they entered Valeria’s
sala
, the fae lights floating
near the ceiling were activated. Like the rest of the base, her apartment had been
carved out of a system of underground caverns that ran alongside Rock Run Creek,
with clever touches like shelves chiseled into the stone walls and countertops of
local granite. Now the illumination cast a soft green glow over the rough stone
walls, imparting the soothing effect of an underwater grotto.

Rui removed his arm from Rodolfo’s shoulder. “Thanks,” he said
gruffly. “I’ll be all right now—go back to the party.”

Rodolfo snorted. “I’ve had a bellyful of the fae, thank you.”
He glanced at Valeria. “Are you sure you can handle things from here?” She nodded.
“Well, send for me if you need help with this fool—or with anything, for that matter.”

“I will.” She lifted up on her toes to kiss his big, square face.
“And thank you.”

He colored and with a muttered, “
De nada
,” strode out
the door.

Valeria turned around to find Rui eyeing her. “He likes you.
All the men do.”

“I don’t know about all the men, but Rodolfo’s a sweetheart.
I don’t know what I’d have done without him these past couple of—”

Rui expelled a breath. “I’m sorry, Valeria. It should’ve been
me. Your mate. You needed me and I wasn’t there for you.”

She shook her head. She was so confused. Even a few days ago
she would’ve coldly told him to go to hell. He’d rejected her for Cleia. Humiliated
her with women like Beatriz, over and over. But there had been that rush of love
she’d felt from him in the clearing—and he’d been willing to die for her and Merry.

What did he want from her?

She drew a serrated breath, conscious of Merry listening to them
with great interest. “You’re not my mate,” she said flatly. “And I am
not
your responsibility.”

“Valeria—” He took a step toward her, then halted and brought
his hand back to his stomach.

“Here,” she said a little gruffly, helping him to the couch.
“Sit down already.”

He sank down with a sigh and rested his head on the couch back.
His face was sallow beneath the bruises and one of his eyes was swollen shut. She
scrutinized him worriedly as he closed the other eye.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

“Yes, please,” he said without opening his eyes. “Water.”

“I’ll get it,” Merry volunteered. She scurried into the small
kitchen that adjoined the
sala
, returning with a glass held carefully in
both hands, then hovered over him while he drained it.

“That was just what I needed,” he said, handing it back to her,
and her whole face lit up.

Meanwhile, Valeria had gone into the kitchen for a wet cloth
and an icepack. Taking a seat on the couch, she bathed the blood from Rui’s face
and then handed him the icepack.

He hissed as he brought the pack to his swollen eye, but kept
it there.

She eyed him doubtfully. “Maybe you should get into bed.”

His mouth quirked. “If that’s an invitation,
querida
,
you picked a helluva time.”

She pressed her lips together. “It’s not. And you’re in no condition
even if it was.”

He drew in a breath and then immediately pressed a hand to his
belly. “I’m afraid…you’re right,” he said with a rueful expression.

“Just sit still. Branco should be here soon.”

Valeria took the bloody cloth to the bathroom to rinse out. She
was setting it on a rack to dry when she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
She sucked in a breath. Her eyes were wide dark pools, her hair a tangled mass around
her shoulders, and at some point she’d torn the skirt of her new dress. For some
reason that was the final straw. She poked a finger through the jagged hole and
blinked back tears.

In the
sala
Merry was chattering to Rui. “Mm,” he said.
“Why don’t you sit next to me, sweetheart?”

Valeria drew a shuddering breath and placed her hands on the
sink. She couldn’t let herself cry. Not now. Merry needed her to be strong. Rui
did, too.

For a long minute, she hung over the sink, tears dripping down
her cheeks, her fingers digging into the edge of the carved stone basin as she fought
to regain control of herself. Then she took another breath and splashed some water
on her face before returning to the
sala
.

As she entered the room, she paused in the doorway. Merry was
snuggled up on the couch next to Rui. He’d gamely put an arm around her. He was
holding the icepack to the back of his head now; he must’ve taken a blow there,
too. If anything, they looked worse than her: Rui with his bruised and swollen face;
Merry streaked with dirt and her braid coming undone, her blue bow left behind somewhere
in the cherry grove. But all Valeria could think about was how she’d almost lost
them both.

Merry turned her head to look into Rui’s face. “Tio Rui?”

“
Sim
?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” His voice was rough with emotion.

“You won’t let Uncle Jace steal me, will you?”

“No way. You’re safe,
princesa
. I promise.”

“Good.” Merry let out a relieved sigh.

Valeria’s lungs seized. It felt as if her chest was being cracked
open, exposing her heart. She pressed a hand to her sternum, trying to massage away
the ache.

Rui turned his head to look at her. “There you are. Come and
sit down.” When she hesitated, he set the icepack on the coffee table and held out
his hand. “
Por favor
?
I…need to hold you right now.”

It wasn’t that he said please, it was the vulnerable look on
his hard face as he said it. The crack in her chest widened and she found herself
obeying.

“That’s better,” he said as she sat down beside him. His big
arm settled tentatively around her shoulders. Then it tightened. “Hey,
querida
.
Calm down—it’s okay. Adrenaline’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

It was only then that she realized she was trembling. She drew
in a shaky breath. “
Sim
.”

He stroked her hair. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “You’re all right.
Everything’s fine.”

Her breath sighed out. When she’d first come to Rock Run, she’d
gone straight from her family’s close embrace to living with Rui. With him gone,
she’d been forced to be the strong one. Oh, she’d been welcomed and supported by
everyone at Rock Run from Dion on down, but for the first time she’d been responsible
for her own decisions—and not only for herself, but for Merry.

She was proud of how she’d handled things, but even with the
friends she’d made, she was still lonely. She yearned for someone to talk to about
Merry, someone with whom she could share her worries and triumphs. Someone who loved
Merry as much as she did.

Now sensations poured into her: strength…concern…protectiveness.
Even injured, Rui’s large frame radiated heat, power. Safety. She reminded herself
this was the man who’d pushed her away again and again until he broke her heart.

But he’d also been willing to die for her—and Merry.

He pulled her closer and she stopped fighting it.

His thumb moved over her neck in slow, hypnotic strokes. She
bowed her head and allowed herself to enjoy it. Even Merry had quieted, her head
on Rui’s thigh.

He shifted and she tried to pull away. “You’re hurt—”

“I’m fine.” His fingers closed on her nape, keeping her where
she was. “Let me do something for you for a change,” he added, seemingly reading
her mind. “You’re safe now, sweetheart.”

She flashed on Adric’s flat bronze gaze and shuddered. “I know
we’re safe enough here. But—” She shook her head, conscious of Merry hanging on
their every word.

He squeezed a little harder. “I know you haven’t had much cause
to trust me these past two years, but I meant what I said back there in the cherry
grove. You’re mine, Valeria. Both of you. And I protect what’s mine. I promise you,
Adric’s not going to win this one. He’ll have to go through me to get to you—either
of you.”

She glanced away. She wanted so badly to believe him.

But there was so much hurt, so much darkness still between them.
Maybe he really did love her. Maybe he truly wanted her as his mate. But she couldn’t
forget that he’d promised to meet her in a mating ceremony—and then left her for
another woman.

She glanced at Merry. “Why don’t you go see if Branco is in the
hall?”

“Okay.” The little girl hopped up and ran out the door.

Valeria turned to Rui. “Stop it,” she said in low, angry tones.
“You’ve spent the past two years showing me how little I mean to you. Why the hell
should I trust you now?”

The words hung in the air like thick gray smog, sad and bitter
at the same time.

Rui met her eyes. “You shouldn’t.”

She swallowed and looked away. He was agreeing with her. So why
did she feel so miserable?

She started to come to her feet, but he caught her arm, staying
her. “Because you’re right, I don’t deserve it. But I will. I’m going to earn your
trust, Valeria. I’m going to open that bond between us again. And—”

In the hall, Merry sang out, “
Olá
, Senhor Branco.”

Rui hung on to Valeria’s arm. “This isn’t over, Valeria. We need
to talk, you and me.” He waited until she nodded before releasing her.

Branco entered, Merry on his hip. The healer had seen more than
three hundred turns of the sun, but he was still strong, dynamic, his only sign
of age his silver ponytail. He pulled Valeria into a one-armed hug before setting
Merry down and turning to Rui.

He raised a brow at his patient’s battered condition. “Tell me
you didn’t get into a brawl with a sun fae.”

“I’m not that stupid. It was the new Baltimore alpha—Adric.”

“They attacked us,” Valeria added, even as she wondered why she
felt compelled to defend him. “Four of them. Rui was protecting me and Merry.”

“I see.” Branco gave her a quick but thorough once-over. “You
and the little one are all right?”

“We’re fine. It’s Rui who’s hurt.”

“Even so.” Branco took her hands. Energy flowed from him to her,
warm, peaceful, soothing away the worry and agitation. She started to protest that
he should see to Rui, but he hushed her. “This will only take a minute. And I’ve
got energy to spare today.”

“It does feel good,” she admitted.

He smiled and released her, then lifted Merry into his arms and
did the same for her before setting her back down. He gave her a pat on the rear
end. “You look like you need a snack.”

She cast Valeria a look. “Mama said I could have ice cream when
we came home.”

Valeria smothered a smile. She should’ve known Merry wouldn’t
let a little thing like a near-kidnapping to allow her to forget. “You know where
it is. Just one bowl, mind.”

“And a chocolate, too.”