Authors: Corinne Davies
By the time he reached their rooms, Jag had caught up with them. His sheepish smile melted away when Destiny refused to look at him. Rock thought it was fitting. For all the razzing Jag had given him about frightening her, he wasn’t much better when it came to judging their Atan’s reactions. Even Rock could sense her white-hot jealously. Perhaps because he was carrying her it was more apparent, but she felt like she was burning before it morphed into resignation.
She hadn’t said a word and Rock imagined that she was planning her escape. A plan he was going to have to talk her out of. Trying to leave here couldn’t be more dangerous to her health. They had so much they needed to tell her about, but for the first time in his life he was afraid. Afraid that she would run away if she knew the truth. A low growl escaped his lips at the thought of her falling into the hands of their enemies.
“You sound like that animal when you do that.”
“What do you mean,
Atan
,
what animal?”
“What does
Atan
mean and what language is it?” she volleyed back at him.
Rock wasn’t foolish enough to tell her the truth yet and sent Jag a sharp look over her head. They both had slipped up numerous times referring to her as their wife, and he knew that wasn’t something she was ready to hear or accept.
“It’s a beautiful flower that is only found floating in the most magical ponds.” Jag grinned at her and Rock breathed a sigh of relief at his quick answer.
She snorted at Jag. “Yeah, whatever, Casanova.”
“Destiny, you mentioned an animal?” he reminded her, hoping to distract her from furthering her argument with Jag.
“Oh, it was last night when I was hiding between the boulders. I was so scared, I think I imagined it, but it looked like a black panther coming at me. It must’ve been one of your shadows on the rocks. I even sprayed it with the pepper spray. A poor choice because I ran right into that cloud and that must be why I slipped. I did slip, right?”
Rock was relieved that she didn’t remember seeing him lunging at her again. No good could come from that memory. “Yes, you slipped and banged your head against the rock.”
“That’s why there was so much blood in my hair. Head wounds bleed more than anything else. I can’t even feel anything, so it must’ve been a small cut.”
He and Jag’s eyes met over her head. There was nothing small about the injury she’d sustained. They’d passed through the portal in a panic thinking they’d already lost her. Thank the gods IxChel had felt their terror and met them as soon as they arrived.
“IxChel is our healer and she’s very talented. She made sure you didn’t feel any permanent damage.”
“I owe her huge because I don’t even have a headache. You must have some powerful painkillers here.”
The three of them entered their rooms and Destiny’s mouth opened as she gazed around the room. “Oh, my God, this place is amazing!” She wriggled around in Jag’s arms looking around the room. Since the tiles had been covered with thick coverings, he decided it was warm enough and placed her on her feet and let her explore the room.
There was a heavy knock at the door and Destiny jumped. “Don’t worry, there’s only one man here who knocks like he is about to break the door down.”
Rock opened the door knowing the warrior was on the other side. He’d wondered how long the man would stay in the bath after the women arrived. His friend had struggled with many things since being scarred, but Blade had a habit of punching anyone who brought it up. Rock didn’t want his lip split open by his friend’s heavy fist. He had plans to taste the part of Destiny he missed earlier.
“Blade, what can I do for you?”
“We have a dangerous situation at the portal.” He glanced over Rock’s shoulder and stopped speaking. Rock turned and saw Destiny standing there.
“Sorry, not trying to be rude and eavesdrop. I’ll go look for the bath…” She flushed a deep red. “I mean another one without a bath…you must have one in here somewhere. I’ll find it.”
“I’ll show you what you need.” Jag grinned at her, but she pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders, covering as much skin as possible. “No, you can stay here. I’ll figure it out.” She turned and headed into the other room. The smile disappeared from his lips and Jag looked at him in confusion.
“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one to let a Raxka touch him in front of his
Atan
.”
Jag groaned as it obviously dawned on him what had angered Destiny. Rock turned back to Blade, who looked at Jag like he was insane. “What’s happened?”
“Your
Atan
’s vehicle was discovered, as were her bags. The local law enforcement has taken to searching the area looking for her. They fear she has been killed by wild animals or injured and are combing the area for her body.”
“Dammit. How close are they to discovering the entrance to the portal?”
“At the moment they’re concentrating their search to the perimeter around where her bags were found. We’re safe for the time being, but the portal will be in danger if anyone finds it.”
“Have Eddie do what he needs to continue keeping it hidden.”
Jag stood next to him, but for the first time Rock saw real concern on his friend’s face. “What is it?”
“Rock, she said a panther was there.”
“Isn’t that what they call the felines in that area?”
“I read a book about Earth’s large cats. A panther can be a black jaguar.”
White-hot fury poured over Rock as he stared at Jag. The emotion was reflected back by his friend. Jag was just as furious as him and as frightened at how close they had come to losing her, as they had their own families.
“They must have a portal under their control, or could they’ve been lying in wait all these years?” Rock pinched the bone between his eyes as the implications of how things had changed hit him. There would be more women heading to the portal in the state of New Mexico. They would be heading to their deaths and not know it.
He thought of his warriors in the bath at the moment and shielded his emotions from them. If they knew that their futures were in danger there would be no stopping them. Blade stood there watching him, the dark flush to his cheeks made the scar stand out sharply. “Rock, you can’t hide this from them.”
“There is nothing we can do at the moment. We need to come up with a way to attract the women to where we want them without giving away the portal’s location or alerting our enemies to our plans.” Jag commented, “Eddie is not going to be able to handle this on his own. We need to blockade the portal on Earth’s side and set guards.”
“
Nohchil
, I’ll stay on the Earth side and prevent anyone from crossing over.”
Blade’s use of his formal title annoyed Rock. He wasn’t the leader of this world yet. There was too much to do and he would never ask anything of his men he wasn’t willing to do himself.
“I can’t have warriors and one old man sitting in the middle of nowhere. I might as well kill them myself. We’re going to have it hidden well enough that no one will find it and they can watch from a safe distance. The next town will have to do.”
“You and Thunder will go. You’re both big enough to intimidate anyone from asking too many questions,” Jag said.
Rock nodded in agreement. He thought about the way Falcon had acted toward their Atan and the obvious way he and Wolfe had chosen to flirt with her. “Falcon and Wolfe can join them.”
Blade reached out and clasped Jag’s and then Rock’s arms. “Till we meet again,
Nohchils
. I’ll let the others know and we’ll prepare immediately.”
“First light is soon enough, Blade. Enjoy the baths and have a good solid rest.”
Blade nodded and then headed down the hallway but turned in the opposite direction of the bathing chambers.
“Falcon and Wolfe will be lucky if we let them come back after the way they acted.” Jag snorted, his feelings obviously the same as his in the matter. Most of the men would want their own Atan to love, but leave it to those two to go after something forbidden. He looked to the bedroom door where Destiny had escaped through. “We’re going to have to tell her.”
“Let’s show her. We can talk all we want, but unless she sees it all for her own eyes she won’t know the truth.”
“Tell me what?” Destiny stepped back out into the room and Rock felt all the blood in his body rush to his cock, leaving him light headed and ready to drop to his knees.
She was dressed in a traditional dress that he was certain IxChel must’ve left in here for her. It was the color of their house, a turquoise that made her skin glow with health and her eyes look vibrant. Her arms and shoulders were bare as the dress delicately hugged her curves, highlighting the gentle swell of her hips and the delicious display of the skin of her breasts where it reached up and hugged her around the neck. Slashes in the front of the material exposed each of her legs as she took a step and the dress flowed around her feet as she walked. The riot of soft brown curls were pulled up on top of her head and pinned, and some fell down to frame her face while a couple others rested on the back of her neck and shoulders.
She looked like a princess and the perfect Noonsa Atan. He couldn’t think of a single reason why he was hesitating to ascend to rule. Destiny had been thrown into a world so different from her own but had managed to keep her wits about her. The coming days would prove if she’d be able to come to terms with the truth. Deep down he knew she would accept what she saw with her own eyes. While her independence would force her to fight them on some areas, he was looking forward to the challenge. With a woman like her between them, he and Jag would be stronger as three and for the first time in his life he felt that leadership was the right choice.
* * * *
“You’re breathtaking.” The words tumbled from his heart and out his mouth. Jag had never seen a woman as perfect as their Destiny. Rock was still trying to catch a breath from his obviously frozen lungs because he’d yet to say a word, but the heat in his gaze was apparent. Destiny refused to look at him, and now that he was paying attention, he felt the anger burning inside her.
He scooped her up into his arms and backed up to the lounge, arranging her in his lap when he sat down. “You’ve had lovers before us,
Atan
. Please do not judge me by mine. I made certain that she understands that both Rock and I are not interested in their services anymore.”
“Services? That’s an interesting way of putting it.” Destiny looked at him this time. The anger still shimmered around her, but at least that destructive feeling of jealously was gone. “What exactly do they do for you both?” She turned her gaze on Rock, who crossed his arms over his chest.
“Did, in the past, never again in the future,” he said and then looked at her as if he dared her to argue.
Jag was learning that Destiny was quick to accept any challenge thrown at her feet. Even if it was one best left alone. “What you do after I leave is none of my business, but I would appreciate a bit of respect for the short time I’m here.”
Rock narrowed his eyes and Jag watched the muscle in his jaw flex. Before Rock could say something and make the situation worse, he wrapped his arms around the woman in his lap and dipped her back, forcing her to look up at him. “You’re more important to me than the unwanted advances of a
Raxka.
I apologize for any hurt I caused you. It was completely unintentional.”
He felt her resistance and then gentle acceptance. “It’s no big deal. It’s not like I’ve any claim—” Jag covered her lips with his own, cutting off whatever she might’ve been about to say. No doubt it was another denial about her place with them.
His heart thudded heavily in his chest as her body curled against his and her hand gripped the back of his neck. Her tongue slid tentatively against his, a sweet exploration that made his cock throb with heat. He slid his hand up the outside of her silky leg, flicking the fabric away with his fingers as he explored. He knew that they had to confess the truth to her and he hoped to make certain she was as pliant and calm as possible.