Claiming Valeria (19 page)

Her bones softened and she melted against him. Goddess, she loved
his taste: dark, sexy male.

A few yards away, Merry gave a sleepy sigh. Reluctantly, Valeria
moved back to her side of the blanket. He caught her fingers and brought them to
his mouth, his gaze on hers the entire time. Her lips parted and she almost gave
in right then.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you viewed it—he
released her hand and rose to his feet. “How about a swim,
princesa
?”
he called to Merry.

Her eyes popped open. She gave a long, very catlike-stretch—arching
her spine, extending her small spotted paws—and then the air shimmered and sparked
as she changed to girl.

“Last one in’s a rotten egg!” she shouted and dashed for the
water.

The swim developed into a lesson. Valeria floated alongside,
marveling at how easily Rui kept her sometimes-willful daughter on task so that
by the end of an hour Merry was swimming ten yards on her own.

“Look, Mama,” she called proudly and launched herself through
the water, skinny arms and legs churning.

Valeria caught her in a big hug. “You’re doing great.”

Merry’s smile lit up her face. “Here I go,” she said and propelled
herself back to Rui.

He caught her and dipped her beneath the water. She came up
grinning, and the swimming lesson was forgotten as the two of them took turns trying
to dunk each other.

Valeria shook her head at them, but inside things were rearranging
themselves. For the first time, she could see the three of them as a family. Rui
glanced at her and something in her expression made him halt, an arrested look on
his own face, allowing Merry to sneak up on him from behind and wrap her wiry little
arms around his neck.

With much giggling on Merry’s part, he slid beneath the water’s
surface, pretending she’d finally dunked him. After that, the two of them ganged
up on Valeria and they all played in the water for another hour until they returned
to the island, breathless with laughter.

They had just gotten into the dinghy when Valeria’s nape prickled.
She slowly turned her head. What she saw made her mouth Rui’s name.

“Behind us,” she said and jerked her head toward the woods,
where a black jaguar was staring boldly back. Jace Jones.

Merry was on the bench beside her. Her head whipped around
and she made a small, scared noise.

The jaguar remained where he was for a long moment before fading
into the trees.

Rui swore under his breath. “How the hell did he get past the
sentries?” They were still on Rock Run territory, even though they were outside
the protection of the spell.

“I don’t know,” Valeria said between cold lips as she wrapped
her arms around Merry. “But I don’t like it.”

“Mama?” The little girl hid her face in Valeria’s shoulder.
“I don’t wanna go with Uncle Jace.”

Rui had already started the outboard motor. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,”
he told Merry as they moved away from the island at a speed that seemed too slow
to Valeria, although rationally she knew it was faster than a jaguar could swim.
“He won’t follow us into the river. He knows he can’t catch us. And even if he tries,
a sentry will stop him.”

Merry sniffed, and Valeria tightened her grip on her. “He’s right.”

“Look at me,” Rui commanded. When Merry obeyed, he said, “Nobody’s
going to take you anywhere you don’t want to go. You’ve got my word on that—okay?”

She gave him a wobbly smile. “Okay.”

Valeria squeezed her a little tighter. “We’ll be home in a few
minutes, sweetheart.”

Merry nodded against her chest and burrowed closer. But Valeria
could feel Jace’s gaze on her neck. How had he found them? She’d only picnicked
on that island a few times before, and not at all in the past month.

Or had Jace been out there every day, waiting and watching? She’d
never seen even a trace of him before. So had he’d
wanted
them to see him
today?

She suppressed a shiver.

Rui caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile, but the tightness
in her shoulders didn’t ease until they were safely inside the base again.

Rui heaved himself from the river with a grunt.

A month had passed since the midsummer ritual. As his body healed,
he’d begun to push it, spending hours each day swimming in both dolphin and human
form. After the incident with the earth shifters a couple of weeks ago, he’d returned
to training with the warriors as well, knowing he needed to get back into fighting
shape as soon as possible.

Protecting Valeria and Merry had been all the motivation he needed.
His body was lean and hard again, and the exercise kept the craving for drink to
a manageable level. He suspected the thirst would always be there, but he was learning
to deal with it.

Never again
, he vowed. Never again would he let himself
be reduced to half a man. If that meant he had to imbibe juice for the rest of his
life, so be it.

Meanwhile, Valeria was driving him crazy in slow, tortuous increments.
He’d believed that day of the picnic had been the start of something, but although
she’d let him back into her life, she treated him more like a friend than the man
who was her mate. He sat with her and Merry at meals, took them both swimming now
that he’d discovered that unlike most cats, Merry’s jaguar loved water, and was
spending most of his free time with them.

I need time
, she’d said.

Meanwhile a month had passed with little more than the occasional
hot kiss. But if he pushed for more, she withdrew.

Take it slow
, he told himself for the umpteenth time.
She has to learn to trust you again
.

Sometimes he suspected this was a test—with a dose of punishment
thrown in for good measure. And Lord knew, he deserved it. But now that his body
was fully healed, he was finding it increasingly hard to resist dragging her into
his arms and showing her that both man and animal had only so much patience…

On top of that, the earth shifters were still sniffing around.
Rui had lit a fire under the butts of the sentries responsible for the part of the
Susquehanna where they’d seen Jace Jones, but it wasn’t entirely their fault. The
earth shifters were clever bastards. Since that day on the island, the sentries
had caught sight of Jace a couple of other times, but both times, he’d managed to
slip away without being caught.

Thank
Deus
, Dion was due back from his honeymoon tomorrow.
Rui would gladly turn the business of running the base over to him so that he could
focus on Valeria and Merry.

He pulled on a T-shirt and shorts and headed to the dining hall.
Dinner was being served, the clan taking their seats at the oak plank tables as
the servers set heaping platters of fresh trout and spicy blue crabs before them.

Across the room, Merry was waving for him to join her and Valeria.
He nodded back as Valeria sent him a smile over her shoulder.

“
Olá
,”
she mouthed before turning
back to her friend Sabela.

Rui started across the room but was halted by the sound of his
name. He turned to see little Xavier at his side, arms raised. The boy was completely
healed and back to causing trouble, thank all the gods and goddesses.

“Pick me up,” he ordered.

Rui obediently swung him onto his shoulders and nodded at Luis
and Marina, just entering the dining hall. His cousin was back to his old self—and
from the way he kept disappearing with his mate, Rui suspected Xavier would soon
have a little brother or sister. Luis was a lucky dog.

The small boy screwed up his face. “Mama was kissin’ Papa again.
They’re always doin’ that.” Grasping Rui’s ear to keep his balance, he leaned forward
to scrutinize his big cousin suspiciously. “Can I eat with you, Tio? You don’t do
any of that kissin’ stuff, do you?”

Rui grimaced.
Not nearly enough
.

Luis and Marina reached them in time to hear his question. “Xavier,”
scolded his mother, but Luis just chuckled.

“Of course he does,” he told his son. “And when you’re our age,
you will too.”

The little boy shook his head. “No way.”

All three adults chuckled, then Luis reached for Xavier. “Come
here. Tio Rui has enough to do without keeping an eye on a rascal like you.”

Rui handed the boy over and Luis and Marina moved on to talk
to some friends. A server—one of the teens—appeared with a glass of juice. Rui
thanked him and took a drink.

When he glanced up, Beatriz had planted herself in front of him.
“
Olá
, Rui.”
She cupped his face
and gave him the traditional kiss on each cheek.

“Hello,” he returned warily.
Beatriz didn’t
seem to have gotten the message that he was off-limits.

She placed a hand on his chest and slanted him
a look from under thick black lashes. “I’ve missed you,
querido
. Why don’t you stop by for a drink after dinner?”

Removing her hand, he glanced at Valeria. Fortunately,
her back was to them. “Thank you, but no. I’m sticking to juice these days.” He
indicated the glass he was holding.

“I’ll make coffee then.”

He shook his head. “Look, Beatriz, you should
know
I’m courting Valeria.”

“
Sim
?”
Her scarlet lips curved in an irritating
little smile. “Does Petros Okeanos know?”

He shrugged. “It’s not a secret.” But his jaw tightened. Valeria
said it was over between her and Okeanos, and he trusted her. Besides, he’d scented
the truth in her words. However, Okeanos was still at Rock Run and Rui suspected
that despite his warning, the man still had hopes of changing her mind.

Beatriz just lifted a brow. Her hand was back on his chest. She
scraped her fingernail over his nipple through the T-shirt. His cock twitched; he
was a man after all. But as he gazed down at her, all he could think was how unmoved
he was otherwise.

“I know you haven’t had her yet,” she murmured. “You’re so on
edge—we can all scent it. I’d be happy to help you with that.”

“But Valeria would know.” He gently but firmly removed her hand
from his body. “It’s over, Beatriz.”

As he made to pass her, her fingers clamped on his arm. “Fine,”
she hissed. “But she’s not yours until she accepts the mate claim. And she hasn’t,
has she?”

* * *

Valeria knew the moment Rui entered the cavern. First
her spine tingled and then her entire body came alert. Whether she liked it or not,
the mate bond was rejuvenating.

Sabela was sitting across the table. She shot a fierce look over
Valeria’s shoulder. “You need to do something about that woman.”

Valeria turned enough to see that Beatriz had her hand on Rui’s
chest. An unmated native of Rock Run a decade older than her, Beatriz had been jealous
of Rui’s attentions to Valeria from the start. And this past year, when Rui had
sexed practically anything female and of age, she’d been after him like a bitch
in heat.

Valeria’s teeth clenched but all she said to Sabela was, “It’s
not up to me.”

Her friend made an irritated sound, but Valeria refused to be
drawn. Rui wouldn’t humiliate her like that. Not in front of everyone. But it was
a painful reminder of all those months when he
had
.

Petros paused by their table. He greeted everyone, but his gaze
lingered on Valeria. “Hello, baby.”

That smile made her skin crawl. She nodded shortly without replying.
The man wouldn’t take no for an answer. With Sabela’s help, she’d made sure she
was never alone with him, but she was getting tired of his advances. The only thing
keeping her from telling Rui was her fear that he’d challenge Petros.

Now his gaze went past her, and his smile changed to something
more shark-like—or in his case, moray eel. The back of her neck prickled, and she
knew that Rui was standing behind her.

“Do Mar,” Petros said in a tight voice.

“Okeanos.” Several seconds passed as the two men stared at each
other without moving. The tables around them quieted as people sensed the rising
tension.

Valeria glanced at Rui. He’d drawn himself up to his full height
and clenched his fists. “Rui—”

He placed a hand on her nape and gently squeezed, silencing her.
To Petros, he said, “I believe I told you to stay away from her.”

Petros held his gaze long enough for Rui to release Valeria and
start around the table. Then he nodded curtly and sauntered across the room to another
table.

Rui waited until he was seated before turning back. Merry was
looking up at him, her small brow furrowed.

He gave her a smile and tousled her hair. “How’s my
princesa
?”

“Good.” She relaxed and smiled back.

He took a seat on Valeria’s other side and dropped a kiss on
her lips. “Don’t look so worried—I can handle him. And I’m damn tired of him sniffing
around you.”

“So? Let him sniff. I told you we’re through.”

“
Sim
?
Then you won’t mind staying away from him
from now on.” A growled order, and although she’d already been doing just that,
she wasn’t going to let him get away with it—unless she was accorded the same rights.

“I will when you stop letting Beatriz crawl all over you.”

He had the grace to wince. “Sorry. I told her I’m courting you.
I thought everyone knew.”

“Oh, she knows,” Valeria muttered.

“Well, you’re the only one I want,” he said and took her mouth
for another kiss, this one deep and unabashedly possessive.

She knew it was for Petros’s benefit—a dominant staking his claim—but
heat curled through her, slow and delicious. When he lifted his head, she
blinked at him, dazed.

He brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “You have
stars in your eyes,” he murmured before releasing her and turning to greet the others
at the table.

Meanwhile, Beatriz had paused nearby and was regarding Valeria
with narrowed eyes. Then, with a toss of her head, she took the empty seat next
to Sabela, which happened to be directly across from Rui.

Valeria’s mouth flattened. She wasn’t a jealous person, but
it wasn’t easy knowing that Beatriz—and half the unmated females in the dining hall—had
had Rui too.

Rui squeezed her thigh. When she glanced at him, his smile
was rueful. The fact that he’d noticed she was upset and was offering reassurance
went a long way to soothing her. She brushed her lips over his—staking her own claim—and
turned her attention to her food.

The talk turned to Dion and Cleia. The two rulers had announced
their intention to split their time between the Rock Run base and the sun fae. Now
the women speculated as to how that would work, the discussion taking place
across several tables.

“Lord Dion said they would spend half their time here and half
there,” Sabela pointed out. “He won’t let her sleep alone, that’s for sure.”

A passing male overheard her and said, “The queen will follow
the alpha’s lead. Now that they’re mated, he’s in charge.”

The women hooted him down—Cleia might be crazy in love with Dion
but everyone knew she obeyed him only when it suited her. Dion might not like it,
but he clearly was just as much in love with her. It promised for an interesting
life together.

And by the Goddess, Valeria envied them.

Beatriz shot her a sly look. “When Lord Dion is with the sun
fae,” she said, “someone has to lead in his place. That would be Rui. He’s more
than ready. In fact, he looks ready for anything…” She trailed off suggestively.

Every head at the table swiveled in Valeria’s direction. She
remained stubbornly silent, her gaze on her plate. But beneath the table, her fingers
sprouted claws.

“
Obrigado
,” Rui said coolly. “I’ll do my best to serve
the clan and my alpha. As I’m sure we all will.”

At his hard stare, Beatriz colored and dropped her gaze. “Yes,
of course.”

The other fada murmured agreement. Sabela steered the talk to
what they could do to welcome the queen into the clan. “It’s our turn to throw a
party,” she said.

The idea spread across the dining hall and soon the whole clan
was throwing out suggestions. Valeria forced herself to join in the planning. She
was damned if she’d let Beatriz get under her skin.

After dinner, Rui escorted Merry and her back to their apartment.
For once, he didn’t ask to be invited in, and she was surprised at her
disappointment.

But he explained that Luis was expecting him. “We’re meeting
to go over things so we’re ready for Dion’s return. Thank
Deus
he’s due back
tomorrow.”

Merry tugged at his shirt. “Would you read to me, Tio? I have
a new book.”

He crouched down so he was at her level. “Not tonight,
princesa
—I
have some business to take care of. But I promise I will tomorrow. Okay?”

Her lips pressed into a pout. “Okay. But don’t forget.”

“I won’t. Now kiss me good night and then go inside so I can
talk to your mama.”

“’Night, Tio Rui.” She twined her thin arms around his neck and
planted a smacking kiss on his cheek before obediently trotting into the apartment.

Rui rose back up, shut the door and drew Valeria toward him.
She went willingly. He set his big shoulders against the wall and pulled her between
his legs, tipping her toward him so that she had to set her hands on his chest to
keep her balance. His breath whispered over her lips and then he was kissing her,
light and sweet.

Her head spun, and she melted against him.

He drew a breath and enclosed her in his arms, deepening the
kiss until the only thing she knew was him: the hard wall of muscles beneath her
hands, his cock hard against her stomach, his spicy scent and the way his heart
was pounding as hard as hers beneath her palms.

When he lifted his head, his eyes were heavy-lidded with arousal.
“I can come back later, after Merry’s in bed.”