Nuworld: Claiming Tara

by Fitzgerald, Laurie

  Darius understood the mixture was self-destructive. Before he had rid himself of regret, and overcome the anger, Tara’s niece and the twins had been returned to him. The cycles that followed would always remain a dark, torrential blur of unwanted emotions for him. Every morning he had awakened with knowledge that Tara was not with him. That knowledge had festered his ability to think or make command decisions.

  Throughout those cycles he had been unable to accept Tara’s death. Now he knew why. He ripped the headscarf off the Runner. Tara’s light brown hair fell past her shoulders and over her face.

  She reached up and shoved the hair from her eyes.

  That festering disease of regret and pain vanished the second he saw her. “Yes, I have them.” His voice cracked with emotion, and he touched her cold cheek with his fingertips.

  “I need to see them,” she whispered.

  He pulled his mouthpiece out of his pocket and wrapped it around his ear. Sliding his hand down it, he reached for the switch to activate it.

  “No, don’t.” She grabbed his hand. “You can’t.”

  “What do you mean, I can’t?” He took her hand in his before she could pull away, put her fingers up to his mouth, and kissed them. “I am telling Patha.”

  Tara pulled away her hand. “You can’t. It will ruin everything. If I announce I’m back, the Test of Wills will be cancelled. That would cause an up rise among the clans that can’t be allowed to happen right now.”

  “There is no longer a need for it. You’re Patha’s heir. It’s your right to lead, my lady. You’re not giving that up.”

  “I have no intention of giving up my right to rule the clans.” Defiance put color in her cheeks. “I’ve entered the contest and shall win.”

  Darius never thought he’d be so happy to see her insubordinate nature. His Tara had returned to him.

  In spite of her intention to remain aloof, Darius’ presence in front of Tara was too overwhelming, and arousing. She didn’t have the strength to stop him when he lifted her off her feet and into his arms. Darius held her with one powerful arm and lifted her face to his with his other hand. Without hesitation, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her. His overwhelming power and aggressive masculinity softened her defenses and she melted.

  Passion that had been dormant for too many cycles soared to life. Tara was instantly intoxicated from need that surpassed her rational thought. She wanted to rip this man’s clothes from his body and make love to him, forgetting the rest of the world existed. She wanted him to hold her, and talk to her for hours and hours, until they both knew each other’s hearts again. But Tara also wanted to hear Darius swear unconditional loyalty and love—to her and their family. He needed to prove his love through his actions, and not his words. Although her heart wanted the words, too.

  It was harder than she thought it would be to put her desire for him to the side. Her arms didn’t possess the strength to push him away. Already his hands were underneath her shirt, searing her flesh. His mouth had left hers and his lips pressed sexual promises down her neck.

  “No,” she gasped before she was able to raise her head. Already, it had fallen back to give him free reign again.

  She wanted him inside her now. But it would have to wait. A political agenda existed, and it must be handled first.

  “My lady, you think you can defeat all the other warriors?”

  She fought against his grasp now. Darius held her with one strong arm, and struggle as she would, she couldn’t release herself until he let her go. She backed up and faced him as if he’d just challenged her.

  “My lady, do you know how strong some of the entries are?” Darius’ gaze dropped as he looked her over.

  “I will be triumphant. There’s no doubt about that. Now, what you need to do is tell Rolko that I am Leetha, and you’ve agreed to let me take my argument to Patha when we reach the Blood Circle clan.”

  “Why would I tell this lie?” Darius grabbed the side of her head, wrapping her hair around his fingers, and pulled her to him.

  Tara pushed against Darius’ chest but felt his breath when she looked up at him. “You can’t create more of a scene than you already have. These people are primed for the Test of Wills. I’ve heard the stories around the fires of their predictions of victory. If I announce my presence, there will be so much adrenaline, and nothing to do with it. It will cause a stir and create unrest among the Runners. A true warrior prepares for battle and then wants to fight. The Test of Wills can’t be reversed once the process has started.”

  Something cold and brutal melted in those gray eyes. Darius’ expression softened considerably. “So you’ll put your life on the line to keep peace, will you?”

  “I will live through this, Darius,” she whispered, as she searched his face, and her hands went from his chest up to his shoulders.

  “You’ll be an outstanding leader, Tara. Your point is taken, and I’ll inform Rolko.”

  “You should do that now,” Tara said, but any strength to leave his arms was gone.

  “I’ll not lose you again,” he whispered. There was a snarl in his voice, almost animalistic, definitely possessive.

  “That means you’ve learned how to behave.” Her whisper was just as harsh, and she hoped the fire in her eyes brought his blood to a boil.

  “We will discuss that later.”

  Tara found her strength and tore away. “There are cold Runners out there.” She ripped her headscarf out of his hand and put it on her head. Then she opened the door and walked out into the cold.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THE BLOOD Circle clan was alive with festivities. The

  snow had stopped, and along with low hanging gray clouds created an insulation that made the night air crisp but tolerable.

  Tara heard music and singing as she rode into the camp. Nostalgia crept through her. Several huge bonfires sent streaks of fire shooting up into the thick gray sky. She heard loud drunken yelling and laughter coming from the fires as mugs were passed and ale poured. There were so many familiar faces, unaware of her presence. There were also many newcomers who had arrived at the clan. But no one bothered to look up as she drove by.

  She knew there was no way she ’d be able to slip into one of the circles around the fires this evening. She’d be recognized the second she spoke. Tonight wasn’t a night to hear stories around the fires.

  There were two people she had to see immediately, her children. Darius said he had them, so she knew they would be in their bedroom, probably asleep. She wouldn’t wake them but she had to see them, to touch their soft skin. Her heart ached as she slipped away from the clan and slowly drove through the thick trees around Bryton and toward the large house on the hill.

  It would take a skilful eye to track Tara as she moved through the woods. She knew how to stay invisible. However, it was just that skilful eye that watched her now.

  Darius sat motionless on the side of the road and observed her every move, following her as she passed among the trees and the large rocks jacked up out of the earth. He had known it was Tara the moment she rode away from the clan. His landlink picked up the code from the monitoring device that had been installed on her bike. Not that he needed confirmation.

  Now she was moving at almost a dangerous speed, considering the limited visibility from the night and the snow. It suddenly occurred to him where she was going. He left the roadside and tore through town to his house. More than one head turned and more than one body jumped out of the way. Darius slid to a stop in front of the house and ordered the guard to take care of his bike as he ran inside.

  Reena and Hilda looked up astonished as he bolted in the front door.

  “Do not come upstairs.” He barked the order and leapt up the staircase, taking three at a time.

  The excitement in the community had proven to be an excellent distraction. Tara found herself behind the old familiar house without drawing any attention. She parked the bike in the seclusion of the trees and bushes and slowly
moved into the shadows of the large home.

  The best place to enter, she decided, was through her old upstairs bedroom. She easily climbed the trellis, free of ivy right before the new winter. Tara hoisted herself onto the walls of the balcony and hopped nimbly onto the floor outside the closed door.

  The room was vacant and dark, and the warmth from the house created moisture on the windows. As she opened the door an inch to peek into the room, she heard voices coming from downstairs. The upstairs appeared to be quiet, and she entered her old room, then started down the hallway to the nursery at the other end.

  She was surprised to hear a low, quiet voice coming from behind the partially closed nursery door. It was Darius, and she was very much surprised to hear him softly singing a Gothman folk song. He wasn’t visible through the half-closed door, but from where she stood, she spotted Andru sitting in his crib watching his papa.

  Tara froze at the sight of her son. He was so big! So grown up! Had she only been gone six cycles? He didn’t look like a baby. His blond curls fell loosely around his head, and his eyes were large and a deep gray. She watched him move his small hands and wiggle the toes that were sticking out from under his blanket. He was pudgy but not fat, very cuddly looking.

  Tears welled in her eyes. Her vision blurred. She swatted the tears away, now wanting anything to stop her from seeing Andru. There was nothing to stop the pain building inside her. Part of her son’s life was lost to her. She’s never get that back. It was a physical effort not to run into the room and scoop the small child up into her arms. She wanted to bury her face next to his and whisper how sorry she was. She wondered what kind of adjustment he and his sister must have gone through. How traumatized had losing her been for them?

  After several minutes of staring at her son in the dark hallway, laughter from downstairs brought her back to the reality of her situation. She stepped away and entered the bedroom she’d shared with Darius. The door adjoining the room to the nursery was closed, and all Tara could do was stand and listen to the song Darius was singing. He ended the song. Long moments of dark silence followed. She pressed her ear to the closed door and listened, trying to determine what Darius was doing. She heard nothing.

  Suddenly, the door to the nursery flung open, causing her to jump backwards. She struggled to regain her balance in the dark room and not trip over furniture. Before she had her bearings, a large hand wrapped around her neck. Instantly she was lifted off the ground.

  “What is it that you plan to do, my lady?” Darius’ whisper was more like a snarl.

  She wrapped her fingers around his hand and struggled to no avail.

  He threw her back.

  She slid across the floor, skidding to a stop before she hit the wall. Tara flipped her legs around and looked like a cat ready to pounce as he came at her again.

  “You are not taking these children anywhere!” This time his snarl was more apparent than the whisper. He lunged toward her.

  She rolled out of his way and sprang to her feet. “Darius, all I wanted to do was see them.” She stood there ready for him this time. “If I wanted my children to leave this house, I wouldn’t have crept down the hallway while you sat in the nursery obviously waiting for me.”

  “Why should I believe you?” He reached out to grab her.

  Tara dodged his hand and punched him squarely in the stomach.

  He didn’t flinch but instead, leapt at her.

  She tried to turn away, but he locked her in his arms with her back smashed against his body.

  “I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” she said, relaxing her body in his arms. With that comment, he released her. She looked toward the nursery door and then back at Darius. His expression remained wary, and the anger was still there. His gray eyes appeared almost black.

  “Please, Darius, my children…our children…I need to see them.” Her voice cracked but her desperation for her children didn’t sway her. Tara took off her headscarf and draped it over a chair. “Please, I need to hold them. I need to see if they remember me.”

  Darius walked over to her and wiped a tear from her eye. “Don’t let them see you crying. Andru and Ana have heard many great stories of their warrior mama.” He took her by the hand and led her into the nursery.

  The two children lay in their matching beds. Tara couldn’t stop the tears as she stroked their hair and squeezed their tiny hands. Ana pulled Tara’s hand up to her face, and Tara felt the small child breathing gently against her skin. She knelt down and stared, stroking her beautiful baby girl’s hair with her free hand.

  Darius was behind her when she stood, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “They’re absolutely beautiful children, my lady,” he whispered into her ear. Then he gently kissed her neck. “You’ll be amazed at how smart they are and how they chatter all day long.”

  His grip around her waist tightened, and she placed her hand on his and squeezed back. “When I found out how long I’d been gone, all I could think about was getting back to my children.” She turned around in Darius’ arms and looked up. “I thought about you, too. I wondered if you believed I was dead.” She wanted to add, and I wondered how you felt after I left you, but didn’t voice the thought.”

  With his hand on her back, he led her out of the nursery and back to the bedroom. “The Neurians escorted Syra and the children back here and offered their regret that you were killed in a fire. They said you died a warrior’s death, that you saved one of their best scientists from burning alive.” He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed, then squeezed her arms and finally her waist. “You are so thin.” His large hand held her face up to his. “And, my lady, you are out of shape. What did they do to you?”

  Darius didn’t share his feelings with her. She would allow him this much. If he wanted to discuss the facts first, that would be fine. But she would hear his formal apology and his desire to keep her in his life, without any other women.

  Tara stood in Darius’ arms and told him everything.

  His arms tightened in anger as she spoke, and he pulled her very close to him when she’d finished. “I wouldn’t accept the fact that you were dead. My mama kept saying I was denying your death and that I would be happier when I accepted it.” He pulled her so close to him she could hardly breathe. “I had the strangest dreams, though. They kept repeating themselves. I was assured you were alive, and you would come home.”

  Tara whispered, “Was it an old lady who turned into a dog?”

  He stood there, shocked. His whole body went numb. “How did you know?”

  “I met her. She helped me escape. She told me my work here wasn’t done. I know my muscles have atrophied, but I will be triumphant in the Test of Wills. Crator is behind me. I don’t understand Him yet, but he wants me here.”

  “Crator is an old woman who can turn into a large dog?” Darius asked, frowning his confusion.

  “No. The old woman isn’t Crator. I don’t know who Crator is. The old woman seems to know Him though. She has told me more than once what Crator wants me to do, or not to do. When I listened, things worked out the way they were supposed to.”

  “You will ask her to take us to see Crator.” Darius decided. “Yes. That will work well. We will negotiate with him to help us further when we need it.”

  Tara laughed and touched Darius’ cheek. “My lord, I don’t think it works that way. All you have to do is believe in Him.”

  “Believe in his what?” Darius frowned.

  “Believe he exists,” Tara said.

  “Easy enough.”

  Apparently Darius decided their conversation about Crator was finished. He picked Tara up and carried her to the bed, and was on top of her immediately. “I’m afraid your work here will never be done,” he whispered, and kissed her.

  She returned his kiss, but was the first to break it off. As desperately as she wanted him, she wanted his apology. If he was going to take his time, she would continue their conversation.

  “What were your
dreams about?”

  Darius propped up onto one elbow and looked so damn hungry. Lust made his gray eyes more intense. Her insides burned for him but her mind knew how it had to be. She did her best to look calm as she waited for him to answer. “Ever since you left, I’ve had this one dream that comes again and again. It’s not like that usually. My dreams are of war, victory, making love to you.” He kissed her again.

  She felt him harden. His arousal ignited the fire smoldering deep inside her, an ache growing painfully. More than anything at this moment, she wanted to make love to him and hear him cry out his unending devotion.

  “In this dream I was a child,” he continued, but began nibbling on her on the neck as he spoke. “I’m walking with a large dog—it’s protecting me. Then I’m walking with an old woman, and she’s teaching me. It’s very important that I learn everything she says, I know.” He slid down on the bed and unzipped her coat. “I wrote down some of the things she’s said.” His hands now worked on her black leather pants. “Remind me to show them to you some time.”

  “Why can’t you show me now?” Tara ran her fingers through Darius’ curls and held his head as he kissed from her belly button to her hip bone. He slid open her pants and tugged.

  “I have something else to show you now.” Darius’ breath tickled her when he spoke. He continued to pull her pants.

  She arched her hips, making it easier to remove them. “Do you?” Tara pushed herself to her elbows, kicking her pants to the floor when Darius had them to her ankles. She grabbed his shirt when he turned to crawl toward her and pulled it. “What do you have to show me?”

  Darius crawled until his face was inches from her, and on hands and knees, he covered her body with his own. “It will take a lifetime, my lady.”

  Tara moved her mouth to say the word, “oh”. But nothing came out other than a mere whisper of the word. The man had rendered her speechless, and although her thoughts leapt at what might take a lifetime to be shown, she wanted – no - needed to hear it.