HerMatesEmbrace

by Rebecca Airies

  “I don’t like that look in your eyes.” Colm tilted his head and studied her as if he was trying to see inside her head.

  She didn’t respond to that observation. It wouldn’t aid her cause and she really wanted to get out of this room before they thought she was agreeing to it. As if she didn’t already have enough trouble with some of the women in this Thent. She didn’t mind the glares and dirty looks so much. If she sat there while Colm and Linc passed judgment, it would get so much worse. That was a claim more blatant than any they’d made before. They’d only allow the woman they’d chosen to claim to sit there. It was a position meant only for their mate.

  “I’m tired and my magic’s doing strange things. The emotional upheaval because of your demands isn’t helping.” She played on the fact that they always seemed concerned about her magic. It wasn’t honest, but she focused on getting out of this without more direct confrontation. That would only make them more determined to keep her here. Running for the door would do the same, although the urge to do that was strong.

  “You’re handling your magic. Don’t think we haven’t begun to recognize the signs when you’re distressed. Although the way you focused it today is new. We’ll teach you ways to use that soon.” Colm shook his head and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That excuse isn’t going to work. You are going to sit there.”

  “How are you going to make me?” She threw the words out there without thinking because his smirk made her angry. Why hadn’t that worked as it always did?

  “This way.” Colm took three long steps to her, picked her up and started walking back across the room.

  Cami stiffened momentarily when his hands touched her waist, but after that surprised instant, she exploded. Her feet slammed into his legs and she struggled in his hold. She didn’t think. It was all reaction to the panic churning inside her. Colm grunted once as her foot struck his knee, but otherwise gave no indication it affected him. She didn’t have much time to calm down or even tell him to let her go before he put her down so close to the pillows that the heels of her slippers touched the edge of one of fluffy cushions. He didn’t release her, though.

  “You’re going to settle down now.” Colm frowned down at her and held her when she tried to step out of his loosened grip.

  “Let go of me. You know I don’t like feeling trapped.” She wriggled in his grip.

  “I told you we’ve been too easy on her. She thinks that we’ll back off.” Colm looked over at Linc.

  “Well, we have backed off before when the magic was high or she was afraid.” Linc nodded. “So I can understand why she thinks it might work.”

  “Stop talking around me.” She looked from one man to the other. It was fast becoming clear that this wasn’t going to be the same as the other times. They weren’t going to give her any space.

  “Sit down. I know you felt the magic when we brought you into the room. That ensures you stay in here while we complete our duties. Now put your ass on those pillows, because we can and will make you, even if it’s not what we want to do.” Linc narrowed his eyes.

  “And behave as you know you should. This is one fight you’re not going to win. After we finish with the judgment, we’ll give you a few lessons for your magic to teach you how to use that focused magic. Just remember, we will be extremely angry if you use it against us. We’ll consider it more than enough reason to put an end to all the distance and tricks you use to keep us separate.” Colm’s lips tilted up into a smile.

  She knew few things would make him happier than that. Maybe she was simply reacting. She honestly hadn’t thought about closing the distance between them. She’d been more focused on keeping things from changing. There had been nothing in their behavior to worry her. She hadn’t seen any evidence to back up her fears about men in power. They didn’t misuse the trust their people gave them.

  On top of that, Colm, the man who actively hunted for a woman who wasn’t his mate, seemed to be intent on making her admit she belonged with them. The soft, slow approach had come to an end. Now, they were making demands. She didn’t know what to do about it and would have to think about it. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to give in without at least one more protest.

  “No.” She took a step back and lifted her chin. “I don’t want to do it.”

  Linc’s fingers clasped around her arm. Usually the most reasonable of the two men, his eyes burned with stubborn determination.

  He shook his head at her. “Don’t make us force you to sit and then use a spell to keep you in place. You know how being kept there will make you feel. We don’t want to cause you any panic, but you will sit in your rightful spot. We don’t expect you to be happy about it, though.”

  She glared at him as she weighed his words. The thought of being held in place by magic sent chills of fear down her back. No, she couldn’t let that happen. She’d break down in front of them and they’d seen enough of her fear and emotion. That wasn’t happening this time. Especially since they’d forced this situation on her. She might not be able to get out of this, but she could control the way she handled it.

  Baring her fangs at them in a low hiss, she turned and sank down onto the pillows with her back against the padded legs of the two chairs. A wicked idea for revenge floated through her mind. They were making her stay here and they’d pay for that demand. They deserved it.

  Colm gave her an assessing look as if he suspected she was up to something. She didn’t bother to hide her anticipatory expression. There wasn’t anything they could do about it as long as they insisted she stay in the room with them. He walked over and claimed the right chair while Linc went to the door and opened it.

  Someone was obviously waiting out in the hallway because he said a few words and then walked over to take the chair on the left. Cami didn’t do anything yet. She didn’t want to give them any warning. It would be so much better if it was done when there were other people around and they had to keep their focus on the proceedings.

  In spite of the mockery Laed and Kynar had made of it, she knew there was supposed to be some ceremony to it. That would offer her the chance to pay them back for doing this. Not that she thought it would teach them anything other than that she wouldn’t let them force her to do this without making them pay.

  She had no idea what they had to do today. She didn’t think it was the men who’d gotten into Thent. She’d heard they were assassins and knew that letting the surviving hired killer leave would be a mistake. He’d come back and try to get to his target again.That man probably wouldn’t be dealt with in this way. Was it simply time for them to handle grievances or something such as that? Had someone come to try to negotiate with them?

  Leaning back against the chairs as she was, she was in perfect position for her plan. Their legs brushed against her shoulders. She kept her smile subdued as a group of men filed into the room. A man at the back of the group shut the doors behind them. These were all Santir men. They looked sober. One of them seemed even more so than the others. One of the men near the back made his way around the others and stood to the side. Cami watched with interest as he took a deep breath.

  The man at the side of the room called out at least eight names and instructed them to step forward. He waited until the men had walked forward leaving one man waiting near the doors. “You’ve been called in to account the details of the night when two humans managed to get over the wall and explain how there came to be a gap in the defenses.”

  She saw the men shift nervously from foot to foot. One man’s hands clasped in front of him tensely. She’d guess that he wanted to rub his hands up and down his pants, but didn’t want to reveal his anxiety that clearly. Considering the trouble he might be in, he had reason to be nervous.

  She straightened as she realized she was getting too caught up in what was happening around her and needed to focus on her plan. Waiting until they began to speak probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. Colm and Linc would be less likely to interrupt if they were
paying attention to the men’s story.

  “Ardin, if I may speak,” one of the older men said as he stepped forward from the group.

  “You may speak.” Colm’s voice sounded deeper and slower than normal.

  The man began talking about the routine of the guard house. She knew he was trying to explain how they hadn’t noticed that someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be for a significant amount of time. After a little while, she tuned his voice out. It was time to give those two men something to think about the next time they wanted to press her into something she didn’t want to do.

  She turned a little and leaned against the chairs behind her. She wanted better access than she had at the moment. The angle would allow her to reach more of Linc, the man on her left. She chanced a glance up at his face and saw that he was focused on the man still trying to gain the sympathy and understanding of his Ardin. He wasn’t even the man in huge trouble, but he seemed ready to explain away everything.

  Cami was determined to use this. They wanted her here. They were going to have to deal with her little change in plans. She ran her hand slowly up his leg, but stopped at the knee. Nothing too expansive yet. She wasn’t going to be too blatant. Well, not unless she got a really good opportunity.

  Linc tried moving his leg a little to the side. As if she’d be that easily discouraged. She’d teach them that plans have a tendency to go awry if there was another person involved. If she was lucky, they’d get tired of trying to ignore or avoid her touch and kick her out of here. Not that she expected that to happen. She couldn’t really interfere with their ability to listen to the people before them. She couldn’t distract both of them at the same time so one of them would always be listening.

  Drawing her fingers in circles up the inside of his calves, she barely noticed when another man stepped up to add to the tale. Her focus was entirely on what she could do to Linc at this moment. She knew she could reach up and cup his cock, but he’d grab her hand and her foray into temptation and distraction would be over.

  She sneaked a glance up at him to see how he was reacting. His eyes locked with hers and his lips pulled back in a silent, warning snarl. She smiled brilliantly at him and glanced pointedly toward the door. If he wanted her to stop, he’d let her out of the room.

  He shook his head and raised a brow. She took that as a challenge that he didn’t think she could do much in her position. Slipping her palm behind his calf, she used her nails as she stroked up and down in a slow, meandering pattern. Following the taut muscles all the way to the back of his knee, she drew her thumb back and forth.

  Cami could probably do much better at distracting him if she tried touching herself. The audience in front of them held her back from doing that. She wasn’t going to provide that much of a show for those trying to give their report. With a little luck, she could show him how it could have been if they had waited to do this until she was ready.

  She leaned her head against his leg and slowly leaned close. Resting her cheek against his outer thigh, she nuzzled back and forth for a few moments in a deliberate mimicry of scent marking. She turned her head catching his eyes before nipping his thigh, hard. He jerked and gasped, automatically reaching for her, but she’d already straightened and swiveled to start on Colm.

  She’d started with Linc because of his temperament. He was the more relaxed and easy-going of the two men. She’d known he most likely wouldn’t cause a scene and stop everything simply because she was baiting him. Now, though, she had to try it on Colm. It required a little more courage. She wasn’t sure what the gruff man would do when she started or if her game would have any effect on him.

  She didn’t glance up at him to see what he was thinking. Not yet. He would have noticed what she was doing to Linc. He was wearing some shorter, sturdy boots today, not the nearly knee-high boots she’d grown accustomed to seeing when they’d been traveling.

  She had room to play. Now she just had to work up the nerve to do it. Taking a deep breath, she put her hand on his calf, but decided if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She began stroking the skin just above his boot.

  Sitting here sucked. It didn’t take her long to come to that conclusion. She was on display. She’d definitely hold a grudge about that for a long time. There had to be easier ways they could have found to proclaim her status in their life other than this. She knew most of them probably would make her just as furious as this one did, but still, it should have been her choice.

  On top of that, the position was limiting and irritating. Maybe part of that was her attitude right now. She knew it was supposed to be an honor to sit there, and traditionally, the Ardin’s Lady had her own power in times of judgment.

  She felt fingers tangle in her hair and tug her head back gently. She lifted her eyes and met gold eyes burning with intensity. His mouth had firmed into a straight slash. He didn’t say a word, merely shook his head slowly back and forth. She’d have to be an idiot to miss the meaning of the gesture. It was a clear warning. Don’t push anymore.

  She wasn’t about to heed it, even if her stomach did tighten a little as she wondered just what he’d do. She wouldn’t back down. It was time they saw that she didn’t fear them, even if she did still have a few doubts about the wisdom of being with them even temporarily. She gave a small smile and let her hand slip up his pants a little. She felt the muscle of his calf flex and tighten. Touching his leg instead of his pants felt a lot better than caressing through cloth.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Colm gritted his teeth as he felt her warm fingers on his calf. It shouldn’t have had much of an effect. After all, those soft fingers were far away from his cock. He should have known, though. Sometimes, her smile could send a strong surge of lust slamming through him.

  The simple feel of her hands on him seemed to send an amazing wave of heat through him. Even though he knew she was doing this to get revenge, his body reacted. Maybe it was because she was initiating the contact. It was one of the few times she’d chosen to touch him, even if it wasn’t in passion.

  He tried his best to ignore the effect she was having on his body. He didn’t have much success. His cock pushed against his suddenly too-tight pants and his mind focused on her touch. Paying attention during judgment had never been a problem before, but now she made it near impossible.

  A little help here. Losing the thread of the excuses. Colm sent the thought to Linc, but kept his eyes on the men in front of them.

  What was it you said when I needed a little distraction from her touch? Oh, yes, “It’s not as if she’s stroking your cock. Just ignore it.” Does that help? Linc sounded too amused, even through the mind link.

  Okay, I was wrong, but what could I do? We can’t pick her up and put her over a knee without disrupting the proceedings. There is a ceremony to these things. Much as I’d like to haul her into my lap and wrap her up so she can’t play anymore, we have to do this as it normally is. Colm shot a frustrated glare at the head of the woman currently leaning into his leg. Letting her out of this would only make her think she can wriggle out of completing the mating with us.

  Catch her hand if she strays too high. That’s what I was going to do, Linc offered. I’ll pay attention to the explanations now. If she turns back to me, you’ll be back on duty.

  She’s definitely going to hear about this one when we get finished with this. And then I’m going to do some touching of my own. Colm stifled the low growl that was building.

  I’ll be right there helping and participating, my friend. Want to wrestle to see who goes first? Linc’s suggestion was delivered with a hint of humor.

  Colm smiled a little in spite of the fact that he couldn’t do anything to stop her at the moment. He knew that they wouldn’t be doing anything but focusing on their stubborn Lady when this ceremony finished. If she strayed above his knee, that hand was his. He wasn’t letting go until the judgment was over and everyone had left. It was good that they already knew most of what would
be said.

  She kept her touches confined to his lower leg mostly. Her fingers would tease as she scraped her nails across his skin and then she would retreat and almost pet him through the cloth of his pants. It was driving him insane.

  He wanted more than those innocent touches. What really sent desire spiking through him was when she rested her head against his thigh. She’d nuzzle against him as if she’d found a really comfortable place to rest. He knew it wasn’t because she was tired. She’d occasionally glance at him from the corner of her eyes. He saw sheer determination and wicked intent in those beautiful gold eyes. Her plan was to provoke.

  She’d definitely drawn a reaction and his teasing wasn’t going to be as subtle as hers. He took heart in the fact that she was pushing them when they were in such close quarters. She knew they could order everyone out at a moment’s notice even if she thought they probably wouldn’t. Her trust in them had grown. She wouldn’t have done this before. She’d have fumed and waited until they were in public again before chancing angering them.

  At one point, her palm slipped up to his knee. Her fingers traced the seam of his pants. He didn’t take the time to wonder if she’d decide to get bolder. He took the opportunity to snag her wrist. He pulled her arm, forcing her to straighten.

  Once she did sit up against the chairs again, he didn’t take the chance of even loosening his hold. She leaned over and nipped at him, obviously trying to startle him into releasing her hand, but the thick cloth of his pants blunted the sting. He gave a soft growl just to let her know he’d felt it and that he didn’t want it happening again.

  She turned her head and met his eyes. Her lips pulled back in a snarl. He bit back a smile. She showed her anger openly. She was definitely moving past the fear that had ruled her at first. That thrilled and aroused him. She’d never be able to accept them if she feared them.