Jaren took two heaving breaths and fell to his knees beside Kari’s unconscious form. His body shifted back to his normal appearance as he forced the bloodlust to recede. His eyes surveyed the damage to Kari’s small body, noting the ugly black-and-blue marks on her beautiful face where she had been struck. Seeing her battered body caused his anger to flare again. He had to fight the urge to tear the ship apart. Going on a rampage right now would not help his mate.
He took more deep breaths to steady himself and examined Kari’s arm, knowing it was broken by its odd angle. He found the locking mechanism and removed the restraint around her wrist, and then he cradled her arm carefully as it was freed to keep it from being damaged further. Very gently, the big warrior scooped Kari into his arms and held her close to his chest as he rose to his feet. He made his way past Jaxson and nodded to his brother, knowing he would take care of the mess he had made. Then he carried his
sha-lia
back to his ship, swearing to himself that he would never let her out of his sight again.
Jaren sat in a chair next to the lone medical bed, gently stroking his
sha-lia’s
hair, where he had stayed since he brought Kari back to the ship. The medical room was small, but it was equipped with the latest technology for diagnosing and healing traumas. They had not brought a healer with them on this trip, since they hadn’t expected trouble, but he and Jaxson were trained in basic trauma care. They had managed to heal Kari’s broken arm and eliminate the bruising on her face, but Kari had not yet woken up. The bump on the back of her head had gone down almost completely and there was no internal bleeding. They suspected the shock and pain had been too much for her to process and her mind had retreated until she could handle everything that had taken place.
Jaren shuddered at what would have happened if they had not gotten back to the docking bay in time. She would have been gone. Jaren easily could have gone into an uncontrolled rage and killed everyone within range. Had he and Kari already fully joined, allowing his beast to fully emerge, he was certain that is exactly what would have happened.
Jaxson entered the medical room and went to the small food dispenser in the room. He ordered two cups of caf and handed one to Jaren, then moved to the other side of the bed. He leaned against the wall, sipping his caf as he watched his brother.
After several moments, Jaxson cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “The man who took her—I recognized him. I wanted to be certain before I told you, so I ran a search.”
Jaxson hesitated, and Jaren watched his brother with raised eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. Jaren had been so consumed with bloodlust that he hadn’t really seen the man who did this to Kari. All he could remember was a red haze.
Jaxson looked uncomfortable. “Remember the earl from the coronation? The one the princess was given to? That was the bastard who tried to take Kari.”
Jaren’s eyes narrowed as he considered his brother’s news. He looked to his mate and back to Jaxson. “Why would he come after Kari? It makes no sense.”
“There’s more.” The look on Jaxson’s face as he spoke was ominous. He hesitated again.
“Out with it.” Jaren’s impatiently growled demand left no room for argument.
“Their princess is missing. Princess Karinna.” Jaxson looked at Kari. Jaren followed his gaze.
“She can’t be. Their princess was on the dais when we left the hall. She was wearing white. Kari was wearing red. How could it be her?” Jaren’s mind refused to accept the possibility. It was not possible.
“She matches the description.” Jaxson’s soft pronouncement felt like a dagger to Jaren’s heart, and his beast growled threateningly.
“I will not take her back, Jaxson.” Jaren’s stare bore into his brother with determination. “I cannot.”
“I know, brother. I know.” Jaxson hung his head and left his brother to continue watching over his mate.
Jaren stared at his
sha-lia
. He knew his brother would not have brought him the news if he were not certain of its accuracy. He could not understand how his mate could be the same female that stood on the dais during the coronation. There had only been minutes between the time they left the hall and when they first saw Kari. She could not have had time to leave the dais, change her clothes, and then make her way to the docking bay. There was no possible way she could have been in two places at the same time. Could she?
He hoped she would wake up soon. He needed answers, and the sooner he got them the better. If she really was the Montorean princess, he still could not take her back to Montore. Even if she were not his mate, he had sworn to protect her. He had seen the treatment she could expect to receive at the hands of her father, and he could not return her to that. Even though her father’s chosen mate for her had been eliminated, Jaren was sure he would find another just as abusive.
But she was his mate, the light that would complete his heart and soothe his mind. For him, there would never be another. His fate had been irrevocably entwined with hers.
Jaren knew that refusal to return a princess was a risky and highly dangerous decision. But he also understood the importance of having a
sha-lia
. Jaren sighed, his heart heavy. Finding his true mate was supposed to ensure that the transition from his father was a smooth one. Instead, he very well could be delivering pandemonium to their doorstep.
* * * *
Kari didn’t want to wake up, though she wasn’t really sure why. She felt like something bad had happened—something she would have to face if she opened her eyes. She floated in a half-waking, half-dream state for a while. Images and thoughts came to her while she floated in that in-between world. A face rose in her mind. Jaren. She remembered Jaren. She remembered how it felt to have his skin pressed to hers. His blue eyes rose in her mind, the way they glowed when he looked at her. He made her feel beautiful. She wondered what it would be like to stay with him forever, but something told her that wasn’t possible. She had no claim on him, though she was beginning to suspect that her heart had already committed itself. She wondered where he was now. He had left to go somewhere. A space station? Yes, that was it. He had left the ship to go buy something on the space station. That must have been before the explosion. Before…
“No!” Kari’s eyes flew open, and she bolted upright on the medical bed, her arms flying out in front of her in a defensive position.
Jaren jumped out of his chair and wrapped her in his arms in one fluid motion. “
Sha-lia
, I’m here. Nothing will harm you.”
“Bores…” She looked frantically around the med bay, expecting to find danger.
“He’s gone, love. He’s been dealt with. He can never hurt you again.” Her frantic breathing didn’t slow down.
“What happened?” She looked to Jaren, her fear still crashing through her. “How did he find me? Who else was with him?”
“He was alone. We detected no one else.” Jaren felt her body relax slightly at his assurances.
“Tell me what happened.” Jaren did not reply, and she turned to look at him, noting the hesitancy in his eyes.
“Jaren?”
“There will be time to discuss this later. For now, I need to know how you feel.” Kari didn’t miss the evasiveness of his answer, but decided to let it go for now, so long as he would eventually fill her in later.
She took a few moments to test her arm, happy that it was only slightly sore. She touched her face and realized that there was no pain there at all. She had a slight soreness in the back of her head. Other than that, she felt pretty good.
“I’m okay. Much better than I thought I’d be.”
Without another word, Jaren picked her up off the med table and carried her from the medical room, keeping her cradled tightly to his chest as he made his way back to his quarters.
“I can walk, you know.” Jaren just smirked and continued walking.
Once in his quarters, he deposited her gently on the bed and went to the food dispenser. After pushing some buttons and collecting a bowl full of something steaming hot and a spoon, he returned to the bed and settled himself next to her. Much to Kari’s chagrin, he began spoon-feeding her the tasty stew.
“I can feed myself, you know.”
He smirked again as he lifted another spoonful to her lips. “No talking. Just eating.”
She really was hungry, and the stew really was good, so Kari let him have his way. For now. She wasn’t used to being pampered, even if she was a princess. A former princess, she amended. She was just an anonymous runaway now. She was going to have to do something about finding an alternate identity. She would also need to find some way to support herself, but she had no idea where to start.
Jaren had referred to himself as a warrior. That must mean that he was part of a military, right? And military needed people to cook and clean for them. She had spent plenty of time helping out in the palace kitchens. Maybe Jaren could help her get a job. She could settle in to a normal, low-profile life, and her father would never find her. She thought that sounded like a pretty good plan.
“So…” She looked at him expectantly. Jaren set the empty bowl on the floor and took her hands in his. He twined their fingers together, and he turned so that they faced each other.
“My
sha-lia
.” Jaren’s voice was soft and seemed tinged with something that made Kari’s stomach clench with dread. “You are Karinna, Princess of Montore, are you not?”
Kari felt like the bottom just dropped out of her world. Her mouth went dry, and she began to tremble, her entire body shaking. Jaren held her gaze, and his breath, while he waited for her answer.
“How did you know?” The words were barely a whisper.
Jaren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then looked again into Kari’s eyes. “The man who attacked you—you were pledged to be his wife.” It wasn’t a question, but Kari nodded anyway. She searched for the accusatory glare from him that she expected, but all she saw was sorrow reflected back at her.
“I’m sorry I had to lie to you,” Kari rushed. “I don’t want you to get hurt for helping me. Just please don’t take me back. I’m begging you, if you will just–just—” Tears sprang to her eyes and she choked the words out. “Just drop me off somewhere. I’ll–I’ll be…” The words were coming in gasps, as the tears finally fell from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
Jaren dragged her onto his lap and wrapped her in his strong arms while rocking her like a child. “Hush, silly little female. I am not taking you back to Montore, and I will certainly not drop you off anywhere. You are coming home with me.” He kissed her hair as he rocked her and waited for her sobs to subside.
It took a few moments for Jaren’s words to register.
“You’re–you’re—taking me—home with you?” Her words were halting as she hiccupped them out.
Jaren chuckled softly against her hair. “That is usually the customary course of action when a male takes a mate.”
“M–m–mate?” Kari’s voice came out as a squeak.
“Yes, Karinna.” Jaren kissed her forehead and sighed. “Mmmm, my Karinna. Your name is beautiful, you know.” He pulled back to look at her. “You are my
sha-lia
, Karinna. I knew the moment I first looked into your eyes. You are mine, and I will never let you go.”
“What does that mean?
Sha-lia
?”
Jaren cocked his head as he studied her. “It is an ancient word from my homeworld. It means light of my heart. You are my shining light now, Karinna.”
Kari’s heart swelled at his words. Never in her life had she felt so wanted. Whether she really could spend her life with this man was something she would have to figure out later, but for now she just wanted to forget about everything else.
She looked up at him shyly, not quite certain how to ask him for what she wanted. “Um…Can you…you know…make me feel like you did before?”
Jaren’s mouth turned up in the sexiest grin Kari had ever seen. “Oh, I think we can do better than that.”
Jaren lowered his head, and his lips brushed hers, gently at first, but with a growing urgency. She didn’t hesitate to part her lips and allow him entrance. Kari ran her hands over his broad chest and down to his waist, where she grabbed the hem of his shirt to tug it upward impatiently.
Jaren laughed quietly as he pulled her hands back and raised himself up to stand beside the bed. “Patience, love,” he reminded her.
Kari watched as Jaren pulled the shirt over his head with one motion, revealing the hard flesh beneath. Her eyes drank in the contours of his chest and the chiseled ripples of his abdomen. His skin was tanned and smooth, with no hair on his chest. He kicked off his boots and shoved them aside. She watched with fascination and anticipation as his hands unfastened his pants and pushed them over his hips.
Kari’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open in shock as she saw the size of his rigid cock. A nervous giggle escaped her. She knew where that thing was supposed to go, and there was no way it was ever going to fit! She swallowed her apprehension and watched as the rest of his lean, muscular legs were revealed. He was gorgeous. Every perfect inch of him was gorgeous.
Jaren took her by the hands and slowly pulled her to her feet. He kept his eyes focused on hers as he reached down and pulled her shirt over her head. His hands went to her waist and pushed her pants down to her ankles, using his foot to move them away when she stepped out of them. His glowing eyes were mesmerizing. She felt like she could sink into their depths and be lost forever. He was looking back at her with an intensity she had never seen before.
His gaze hungrily roamed her body, his breath becoming shallow. No one had ever looked at Kari like this. The thought flickered through her mind that she should feel embarrassed. Even though he had already seen her nude body when he had pleasured her, this time was different. He had been fully clothed then. This was so much…more. They were bared completely to each other, and she had no desire to cover herself or hide her body from his ravenous gaze. The raw desire on Jaren’s face and the burning passion in his eyes made her feel more needed than she had ever felt. The knowledge that he wanted her so desperately, that the sight of her body was so appealing to him, caused every insult that her father had ever made about her being worthless to melt away into nothingness.