Warrior's Devotion (Warriors of Vor Book 2) (4 page)

Braec blew out
a breath. “I’m just glad you didn’t break anything.”

Dracor flexed
his arms, then titled his head from side to side. “I feel fine.”

“I wasn’t
talking about you,” Braec said dryly.

Taitt let out
a groan from where he lay on the ground. “I think I pulled something. You
really are a strong bastard.” He groaned again as he sat up. “You’re lucky I’m
in one piece still, or my mate would be very angry with you.”

Dracor
snorted. “Denaria would thank me for getting you out of her hair.”

A grin flashed
across Taitt’s face. “She probably would. Congratulations on your mating,
Dracor. You deserve to be happy.”

 Dracor
grinned at his friends, then sobered again as he realized the difficult
situation he was in. He felt the mating pull within, that instinctive urge to
shift and claim what belonged to him, but he couldn’t do it now that he knew of
her past and the way her former mate had treated her.

“What do I do
now?”

“Your mate
Abby is an interesting female. She seems to be taking everything well…or at
least better than a few of the others. I’m sure you will be very happy
together,” Braec assured him.

“I don’t think
that’s what he meant,” Taitt interjected.

Dracor nodded.
“How am I supposed to get her to trust me if I am driven by the need to claim
her? One scent was all it took to make me lose my mind.” He paused for a moment
to think, then his head snapped up as he thought of a solution for his
situation. “Taitt, go get me a vial of
bizori
from the healer.”

Dracor’s mind
was set. They used
bizori
on Vor who had committed crimes against others
that weren’t death offenses.
Bizori
was an elixir that dulled the
senses, leaving one unable to smell, taste, or feel much of anything. The
bigger the infraction, the larger the dose was given, but it wasn’t the actual
loss of senses that was punishment.

No, that was
just a beginning.

Once the
elixir wore off, the user was left in terrible agony as the senses returned.
They were left vulnerable to every sound, every touch. The pain lasted as long
as the senses had been blocked. For the Vor that had harmed another, that was
when the real punishment was dealt out. As one who had carried out those
punishments, Dracor knew exactly what to expect from taking the elixir. It
would be difficult for him, but there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his
mate.

Taitt gaped at
him. “Are you mad? You cannot take that!”

Braec nodded
in agreement. “That is too dangerous. We use
bizori
as punishment, why
would you willing take it?”

“Because it
will mask my senses. I won’t be able to scent her, so it will allow me to spend
time with my mate without struggling to fight the urge to bite her. If she has
been abused in the past, I need to be able to speak to her before I claim her.
I don’t want our first interaction together to be violent. I need to explain
first. Taitt, the
bizori
.”

“Hellfire, I
don’t like this.”

“You don’t
have to like it. Just go get it for me. I’m struggling for control just from
the memory of her scent and knowing she’s in there. The door is closed now, but
the second I re-enter the hall, I won’t be able to stop from claiming her if I
don’t take the
bizori
.”

Taitt stood up
and opened his mouth to protest again, but simply shook his head before turning
and hurrying off. Dracor met Braec’s gaze and saw his frown.

“You know what
will happen when the
bizori
wears off. Once you get your senses back,
they’ll be heightened and will drive you mad.”

Dracor nodded
curtly. “Then I will count on you to chain me to my bed and keep me locked in
my chamber until the effects wear off.”

Braec cursed.
“Your brother will kill me when he finds out.”

“No, he won’t.
He has a mate now. He’ll understand my need to make my mate as comfortable as
possible with me before I claim her.”

Braec’s dark
expression changed as his lip curled into a smirk. “You didn’t see him shift
and fly after his mate while she ran screaming from him.”

Some of the
tension eased from Dracor. “Ah, yes. Taitt told me about that. Remind him of
that when he discovers what I’ve done.”

 Braec sobered
again. “The reason doesn’t matter. Kadan is still going to be angry you took
the
bizori
.”

“I need to do
this.”

A sigh escaped
as Braec stood. “I wish I didn’t, but I understand.”

Taitt slowly
walked over to them. In his hand was a small vial of bright green liquid. “The
healer only gave me enough for one day.” He held up a hand to stop Dracor from
interrupting. “He didn’t want to give it to me at all after I told him what it
was for, but I insisted. In return, he would only give you a single dose.”

“I need more.”

“No, you
don’t.” Taitt’s voice was hard. “One day is too much for you to suffer, let
alone any longer.”

“That is my
call to make.”

Taitt shoved
the vial into Dracor’s hand. “Then you try and get more from Juno. He won’t
give you anymore. Neither will his mate.”

Dracor cursed
under his breath, then opened the vial and downed the contents in one swallow.
It burned his throat for a few seconds, then eased into a mild smolder until it
faded away completely. The
bizori
was fast acting, and he could already
feel his other senses dissipating.

It was a
strange sensation.

One he wasn’t
familiar with, and didn’t particularly care for. Still, he would do whatever it
took. Dracor inhaled deeply, and when he scented nothing, he knew he was ready.

It was time
for him to meet his mate.

CHAPTER THREE

Abby wanted to
run, to go and hide in her room, but something made her stay in the great hall
after Braec and the other male Vor had flown out of the doorway.

The way he’d
looked at her had frozen her in place…and not just in fear.

The Vor all had
strange eyes, but it had been easy to see the lust and longing in the male’s who
had shouted out his claim. No, it wasn’t just longing. That was way too tame a
word for what she’d seen. He had looked at her as if she were the culmination
of every wish, every dream he’d ever had.

It was as if
she were the one thing he wanted most in the world.

That idea had
touched something deep inside her that she’d thought was long dead. It was a
hope, a yearning for a love that she’d only read about in books or seen in
movies. She’d always wanted a man to look at her that way. A part of her had
always known Charlie had never really loved her, because he had never looked at
her and made her feel that tingle.

He’d said it
countless times, but she hadn’t
felt
it.

But this
unknown Vor warrior had made her feel his need for her, down to her soul.

Maybe she was just
being fanciful. Perhaps it was all the talk about mating they’d been doing that
made her so curious. She wondered what it would be like to be with someone who
was completely and utterly devoted to her. Someone who would never cause her
pain, and would cherish her as she’d always dreamed.

But did she
really want that with an alien warrior?

After Braec
had launched himself at the other male and they’d left the room, everyone had
been speechless for a few seconds. Abby had remained standing, rooted in place,
but Janelle and Grace had bolted from the room.

“This is
crazy,” Janelle had shouted as she ran for the staircase that would lead her
back to her bedchamber.

“I’m…not ready
for this,” Grace had admitted as she followed in Janelle’s wake.

Rox and Tex
had stayed behind, although they both kept their distance from Abby on the
other side of the table. They stared at Abby with a mixture of sympathy and
alarm that made her nervous as hell.

“Why are you
looking at me like that?”

“That big guy
is obviously your mate. You sure you don’t want to run?” Rox asked.

Abby swallowed
hard. “Would it do me any good?”

“Probably
not,” Tex admitted. “But we could buy you some time to get away. Although, that
might piss him off even more.”

 “Great,” Abby
muttered. “That’s exactly what I need. A giant pissed off mate who wants to
bite me.”

“Look at it this
way, at least it’s confirmed that we were brought here for a reason,” Rox said.
“I’m not exactly happy about all this shit, but if we’re getting a second
chance at life, we might as well make the best of it.”

Abby started
to reply, but the front door opening had her mouth snapping shut. She looked
over at the large male who entered, confused by the controlled way he
approached with slow, measured steps. Braec and another male were a few steps
behind him, but she only had eyes for the male watching her with that same look
of deep need he had the first time he’d been in the room.

She fought the
urge to flee as he drew closer, then blinked as he bowed slightly and smiled at
her. This was so not the reaction she was expecting from him.

What the hell
was going on?

“Greetings,
beautiful one. My name is Dracor Krell.”

“Prince Dracor
Krell,” Braec interjected. Dracor turned to level a glare at his friend, but
Braec just shrugged. “What? I’m trying to help.”

Ignoring him,
Dracor focused back on Abby. “Will you tell me your name, little one?”

“I…umm…I’m
Abigail Denton, but most people call me Abby.”

“It is an
honor to meet you, Abby.”

“Okay, what
gives?” Rox asked suspiciously as she took a step toward Abby, as if to guard
her. “A few minutes ago you were ready to jump her, now you’re being all weird
and formal.”

Dracor frowned
at her. “I am showing my mate respect.”

Rox waved a
hand in the air impatiently. “I get that. I just don’t understand why you
aren’t…changing into a demon and attacking Abby.”

“I would never
attack my mate,” Dracor growled.

Abby had to
give Rox credit for courage. The angry tone of his voice was enough to make her
flinch, even though it wasn’t directed at her. Still, Rox stood her ground.

“You seemed
like you were going to before,” Rox insisted. “And that other male did in the
coliseum.”

“Rox,” Abby
said softly, stopping Dracor from snapping back at the other woman. “I don’t
mean to be rude, but I’d like to know as well. You seem…different than before.”

Dracor
hesitated before nodding. He dismissed the outspoken woman, wanting to look
into his mate’s eyes as he spoke to her again. She was so beautiful he was
barely able to form words. He just wanted to look at her for days, to savor the
fact that she belonged to him. When Braec pushed at his shoulder, Dracor
realized that he’d been staring at her in silence like an idiot.

Hellfire, he
needed to get himself together!

He cleared his
throat. “The mating pull is strong. It drove me to claim you the moment I
scented that you were my mate. I’ve taken an elixir that will allow me to spend
time with you without being able to scent you. It is only temporary, but I
hoped it would put you at ease with me.”

Abby was
touched by his gesture. “Thank you. That was very nice of you.”

“It was damned
dangerous of him,” Taitt muttered.

Abby’s eyes
widened as Dracor scowled at his friend. “What do you mean?”

Dracor growled
in frustration. He didn’t want to tell Abby the details, but he wouldn’t lie to
her. Not ever. Still, it wasn’t something he wanted her to know. “Come take a
walk with me and I’ll explain.”

Abby cast a
quick glance at Rox and Tex. The look in their eyes told her they would come if
she asked, but something made her hold back. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Good luck,
cupcake,” Tex said, making Abby frown at him.

“Later, Abby.”

When Dracor
held out a hand, Abby hesitated before taking it. From the shocked look on his
face, she realized that he’d been gesturing her forward in front of him. Stupid,
she thought with disgust. She tried to pull her hand free, but Dracor held it
tight in his, not allowing her to jerk it away. Holding her hand, he pulled her
gently toward the front door of the hall.

Abby breathed
in the fresh air as soon as they stepped outside. She had to squint a little at
the bright sun, but her eyes quickly adjusted. They walked in silence for a few
minutes, and she turned to look behind them to see Braec and Taitt following
them. Dracor followed her gaze and scowled darkly.

“What are you
two doing?”

“You asked me
to accompany you,” Braec reminded him.

“Yes, but not
so closely.” Dracor shifted his gaze to Taitt, who just smiled.

“I just
thought I’d tag along and, you know, keep Braec company.”

Abby studied
the two males, then glanced back up at Dracor. “Are they bodyguards or
chaperones?”

“Both,” Braec
and Taitt said together.

When Dracor
growled at them, Abby laughed. Seeing the joy on her face helped ease some of
his tension. “Since my senses are dulled, I might not be able to tell if there
is a threat close by. They might be annoying, but Braec and Taitt can help keep
you safe. It is what is most important.”

“What? My
safety?” Abby paused as a thought occurred to her. “Are there some Vor that
don’t like the humans being here?”

Dracor sighed
as he started walking again. “Some…mostly the females. But they are no threat
to you. There are some males that want what doesn’t belong to them. You have
nothing to worry about, though. I will keep you safe. I vow it on my life.”

Abby was slightly
taken aback by the harsh determination in his voice. “Ah…thanks. It’s
comforting to know you’ll keep me safe.”

“I will,” he
said again. “Usually, I would be able to protect you myself, but I won’t risk
it while I’m on the
bizori
.”

“Is that the
drug you took?”

“Drug? Ah, the
elixir, yes.”

Before she
could ask about the
bizori
, he changed the subject.

“What is
cupcake?”

Startled, Abby
blinked up at him. “What? Oh, it’s something from Earth. A sort of sweet.”

Dracor let out
a low growl. “Then why is that human male calling you that?”

“It’s because
I was a pastry chef back home. That means I made sweet things to eat for a
living. Tex didn’t mean anything by it. He simply said it to be friendly.”

“I’m not sure
I’m comfortable with you being so friendly with him,” Dracor muttered.

Abby tried not
to smile at the irritation in his voice. “Tex is…sort of like a brother or
something. Maybe more of an annoying cousin,” she amended with a laugh. She
sobered as she added, “In a world where everything is new, it’s nice to have
friends who know and understand what we’re going through.”

Dracor nodded.
“I can accept that.”

He led her to
the end of the courtyard, stopping before they got to the gate that was manned
by two warriors who bowed to them.

“Outside of
those gates is the metropolis. Would you like to see it or would you rather go
to the shore where we can talk in private?”

Abby thought
about that for a few seconds. She did want to see what the metropolis looked
like beyond the fortress gate, but she didn’t know if she could handle having
all those Vor staring at her, judging her. Besides, she wanted time with
Dracor, without interruption.

“I don’t think
I’m ready to see the metropolis just yet.”

Dracor nodded.
“Then we’ll go to the shore.” He turned away from the front gate and moved
toward a side entrance that was guarded by another warrior who moved aside to
let them pass after bowing to them.

He led them
out into the open, and Abby was surprised to see the ocean was so close to the
castle. The ocean sparkled in the sunlight like liquid emerald, and it was
strange to see the crystal clear green water under the clear lavender sky. It
all looked so…wrong, and yet she knew it was normal to the Vor.

“Our sky is
blue back home, and the sun is yellow. And our water…well, some of it is green,
but not that kind of green. It’s mostly blue. A dark blue.”

“Strange,” he
said.

She laughed.
“All of this—” she waved a hand out to encompass what was around them, “—is
strange to me.”

“I guess it
is.”

“What is
bizori,
and why did they say it was dangerous?”

With a sigh,
Dracor explained what the elixir was and how it dulled his senses. He didn’t
consider leaving out the side effects and what would happen to him after the
elixir wore off lying…exactly. He just wanted her to know she was safe with
him, and that he wouldn’t harm her. When he was done, she was quiet for several
heartbeats before she finally spoke.

“So, you can’t
smell anything now?”

“No, I can’t.”

She raised
their clasped hands. “And you can’t feel this?”

“My sense of
touch is gone, but I can still feel the pleasure of holding you. Is this
something you do on your world? Clutch hands?”

Abby could
feel herself blushing. “Yeah, it’s…a sort of…sign of affection back on Earth.”

A slow smile
spread across Dracor’s face. “Then I like it.”

“The Vor don’t
ever hold their mate’s hand?”

He shook his
head. “Most warriors require their hands to be free in order to get to their
weapons.” He tightened his grip as she tried to pull her hand away from his
again. “Remember, we have guards right now. I don’t need my hands free.”

They’d made
their way down the bluff and reached the water’s edge. The sand was like black
stardust, glittering in the sunlight like a thousand gems. Abby felt like she
was walking around in some sort of fairyland, but the male standing beside her
was definitely not a fairy prince.

A demon prince
was more like it.

Just thinking
about that made her head hurt. Pulling on his hand, she sat down on the sand,
then waited for him to settle down next to her before she asked, “Are you
really a prince?”

Dracor winced.
“Yes, although my role is Captain of the Guard. I mostly see to my brother’s
protection so he can lead our people.”

“Your brother
mated one of the women who was brought here with me. I have to admit, he scared
the crap out of me when he went after Jordan in the coliseum.”