by Ramona Gray
“That is true.” Vida wasn’t studying Teagan or Duncan. Instead, his gaze was on Rose who was standing at the table with Randy and helping him cut up fruit.
“Everything okay with you two?” Wallace nudged him.
“Why do you ask me that?” Vida replied.
“Because things seem to be a bit off between you since we all nearly got killed by Patrick and the fucking pinkies.”
Vida didn’t reply. Things were strange between him and his flower. Had been since she told him she loved him. She’d been quiet and withdrawn since they’d gone back to the camp, and although she was eager to make love to him last night, she had fallen asleep almost immediately afterward.
She’d been avoiding him all day and he didn’t know if it was because she regretted telling him that she loved him, or if she was angry that he hadn’t said it back.
“Well? You okay?” Wallace prompted.
“She told me she loved me.”
“Yeah, I was there. You didn’t say it back. Is it because you don’t love her?”
Vida shook his head. “No, I am bonded with my sweet flower. Have been for many days now.”
“Bonded?”
He shrugged. “Bond – love, it means the same thing to my kind.”
“Ah. Maybe you should mention that to her before she decides you’re a real dickweed and goes after someone with a smart mouth and a rock-hard body.” Wallace grinned at him. “That’s me, by the way. I’m referring to myself.”
“You are not to go near my flower. If you do, I will -”
“Relax, big guy. I’m kidding.” Wallace clapped him on the back. “Why didn’t you say it back to her then?”
“I do not know,” Vida admitted. “It surprised me to hear that she loves me even after I told her I would not stay on this world with her.”
“That was a dick move,” Wallace said. “Maybe you’d better go tell her you love her. And say love not bond, ya idiot. Women want to hear the L word.”
Vida stood and stared into the jungle. “The others are coming.”
“Others? Who?” Wallace lapsed into silence as about a dozen locals walked into their camp. They studied them silently before Gormet stepped forward.
“Hello again.”
Teagan, his arm splinted with branches and strips of fabric, stood. “Hello, Gormet.”
“We have come to extend an invitation to join us in living in our home. We know the elida have killed your mad leader, and we know that you have destroyed all of the elida. The invitation is a taken of our thanks.”
“Do you mean token?” Randy asked.
“What does token mean?” Gormet turned to him.
“Uh, like a symbol or reason for your thanks.”
“Then yes, a,” Gormet paused, stumbling a little over the word, “token.”
“Oh sure,” Wallace said, “now that we got nothing to be afraid of, you want us to live with you.”
“There are still the blowcats and brinos,” Randy said.
“Good point.”
“Are we all invited?” Teagan asked as he glanced at Vida.
Gormet nodded. “You are. Regardless of your decision, you will join us tomorrow evening for food and in celebration of the death of the elida.”
He nodded to all of them before he and the other locals left.
“Jesus,” Wallace rolled his eyes, “he’s a pushy little guy, isn’t he?”
“Are we going to live with them?” Brody glanced at Teagan.
Teagan shrugged. “We can take a vote on it.”
Vida stood and walked to Rose and Randy. “Small flower, I must speak with you in private.”
She gave him a wan smile. “We’re just about to eat dinner.”
“It will not take long. Come.” He took her hand and led her to her hut. He had wanted to go back to the cave last night, but Rose had insisted on going with the others back to the camp.
He pulled the fur across the doorway of the hut and studied Rose in the dim light. “Are you all right, flower?”
“I am.” She smiled again at him but took a step back and folded her arms across her torso when he reached for her.
He frowned. “Do you no longer love me?”
Her face turned bright red. “I, uh, what?”
“Yesterday you said you loved me, but today you will not allow me to touch you.”
She licked her lips. “I do still love you.”
Relief flooded through him. “After dinner we will return to the cave.”
She gave him an oddly nervous look. “I, um, I did want to talk to you about that.”
“What is it?” He was aching to touch her, to pull her into his embrace and soothe away the anxiety he could practically smell on her.
“Whatever the group decides – living with the locals or staying here at the camp – I’m going to stay with them.”
“I do not wish to stay with them, flower. I want to stay in the cave.”
“I know,” she said, “and you will. I just – I won’t be with you.”
“You will not stay with me in the cave where you are safest?”
“It’s safer now without the pinkies around and I think it’s best if we, uh, put some distance between us.”
“Why?”
He could see the frustration building on her face. “It’s just best for both of us to not keep doing what we’re doing.”
“Why?”
“Oh my gosh!” She scowled at him. “Are you going to make me say it? Fine. I am in love with you and you are not in love with me. As soon as another orb comes, you’re going to leave me. Maybe that’ll only be a few months or maybe it’ll be a few years. Either way, I can’t – I mean, I love you and knowing that you’re eventually going to leave… it’s breaking my heart. It’s just better if we end things now. Do you understand?”
“No,” he said, “I am not leaving you, small flower.”
Her jaw dropped. “You – what?”
He couldn’t stand to not be touching her anymore, and he pulled her into his embrace before pressing a kiss against her mouth. “I love you, small flower and I will stay on this world with you for the rest of my life.”
“You love me,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“Since when?” She gave him such a look of confusion that he smiled.
“I have been bonded to you since the first time we mated. I just did not want to admit it to myself. But you are my bondmate, and I will never leave you.”
“But what about your world?” She said. “You’re giving up your chance, no matter how small it is, to find your world again.”
“I do not care.” He bent and kissed her again. “I love you, small flower, and all that matters to me now is you and the children you will someday carry in your belly.”
He rubbed her flat stomach and nuzzled her neck. “Will you accept me as your mate and bond with me for life, Rose?”
She cupped his face and gave him a sweet smile. “Yes, Vida. I will.”
Epilogue
Two years later
“Well, for being blue and having teeny horns and gills, he’s a pretty good looking kid.” Wallace studied the baby he held in his arms. “What’s his name again?”
“Vitali,” Rose said. “It was Vida’s father’s name.”
She smiled at Vida who took the baby from Wallace. He kissed the baby’s cheek before raising him to his shoulder and patting his back gently.
“How did the ritual go last night?” Duncan asked.
“Good, I think.” Rose glanced at Vida. “I mean, I didn’t exactly know what was happening, but Vida assured me that his and Vitali’s takenas have bonded.”
“That’s good.” Duncan smiled at her and she squeezed his arm as a loud clap of thunder made the cave shake a little.
“Before I forget,” Teagan was sitting on the couch next to Wallace, “Doc said to tell you that he and Brody and Amina would be by tomorrow morning as long as the weather has cleared by then. They want to do an
other check on the baby.”
Amina was the islanders’ medical woman and despite the language barrier, she and Doc worked well together.
“All right. Thanks, Teagan,” Rose said.
Wallace suddenly grinned at Rose. “Did you hear the news about Talla?”
Rose shook her head. “No, what news?”
“She’s knocked up.”
“Really? She and Randy are having a baby?”
“Yep. She’ll be popping out a little baby science nerd in six months.”
“That’s awesome. Good for them.” She moved to the couch and sat down on a stool in front of it. She stared at the three men solemnly. “You can still change your mind.”
Teagan smiled at her. “We need to go, Rose.”
She pressed her lips together and glanced at Vida. “You won’t find your world again. You know that.”
“We know.”
“Then why are you leaving? Things are good here. Safe and -”
“We cannot stay,” Duncan said gently.
“We should get going.” Wallace stood up. “Gormet thinks the orb is going to appear in less than two hours.”
“Nothing I can say will change your mind, will it?” Rose said.
“No,” Teagan said.
She sighed and stood as Duncan and Teagan did as well. “I’m going to miss all of you so much.”
“We’ll miss you too, Rosie-girl.” Wallace hugged her hard before grinning at Vida. “Keep her safe, big guy.”
“Why would I not? She is my mate and the mother of my son.”
Wallace laughed as Rose hugged Duncan and then Teagan.
“Be careful,” she whispered into Teagan’s ear. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Teagan smiled at her and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Rosie-girl. Take care of your boy and your man.”
“I will.”
* * *
“You sure you wanna go through with this, Teag?” Wallace had to yell to be heard over the continuous thunder. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the grim lines in Teagan’s face as he nodded.
“I am. You?”
“Fuck, yes,” Wallace shouted. “Duncan, you gonna pussy out on us?”
Duncan shook his head and adjusted the sword around his waist. His hair was plastered to his head from the driving rain. He stared at the cliff as the wind began to pick up and a small round light appeared. “Here we go.”
As the wind howled and thunder and lighting shook the island, the orb grew larger until the glowing ball of energy was as tall as they were. The wind was sucking them toward it now and the three men glanced at each other before walking toward the light. The light grew stronger and it pulsed in a bright flash as the men entered the orb and disappeared.
END
Please enjoy an excerpt from Book Seven of the Other World Series “Elena Unbound”.
ELENA UNBOUND
(Other World Series Book Seven)
Copyright ©2018 Ramona Gray
The screams that echoed through the forest made his horse neigh nervously and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The screams were full of rage and fear and he automatically rode toward them. He’d been travelling for many days and he was weary and ready to be in a bed again, but he couldn’t ignore her screams.
As he grew closer, the woman screamed for a third time and there were louder grunts and growls of men. He dismounted, tied his horse to a tree and crept closer on foot. He peered around a large oak tree, and anger swept through him.
Two men with stained and ripped clothing were pinning a woman to the ground. She was thrashing and kicking furiously at them. Like most of the women from this area, she was tall with full breasts and wide hips. A small grin crossed his face when she suddenly bent her knees and kicked the man leaning over her, directly in the stomach.
Coughing and retching, he fell back as the man pinning her arms down roared with anger. The man she had kicked stood up and retched once more, spit flying from his mouth. With an angry snarl he fell on her, pulling at her heavy skirt.
She shrieked, the sound thin and birdlike in the cold air, and reared up, her back arching off the ground. He stepped out from behind the tree as the man on top of her balled his hand into a fist and punched her in the face. She slumped back against the ground, moaning dazedly and the two men grinned at each other.
“She’s a feisty one.”
“Aye. I love ‘em that way too,” the second man said. He reached for her full breasts. Before he could squeeze them, a sword appeared and tapped him lightly on his outstretched arm.
He looked up, his mouth dropping open to reveal black and rotting teeth. Before he could speak, a large fist smashed him directly in the mouth and he sagged to the ground, teeth and blood flying from his mouth.
The other man jumped to his feet, reaching for his own sword.
“I would advise against that.” He held his sword loosely in one large fist.
The man hesitated and then grabbed the handle of his sword. He gave a small gasp of surprise and looked down to see the stranger’s sword buried in his belly.
“What?” He whispered.
Traven yanked the sword out and watched disinterestedly as the smaller man fell to the ground, blood pouring from his stomach. He died quietly, his mouth gaping like a fish.
He put his sword away and turned to the woman. She was still lying on the ground moaning softly. He bent over her and she pushed weakly at him. “Do not touch…”
Her eyes rolled up and her head sagged to the side as he picked her up with a loud grunt. He carried her to through the trees to his horse and steadied her on it before swinging into the saddle behind her. He pulled a short piece of rope from a saddle bag and lashed her wrists to the saddle horn before pushing her back against his wide chest. Her head lolled on his shoulder until with a soft snort, her face fell into the curve of his thick neck. He dug his heels into the sides of his horse and continued on his way.
* * *
Elena buried her face against the warm skin before pressing a soft kiss against it. Her cheek was hurting as was the back of her head and she frowned in thought. Why did it hurt? Had she fallen? She kissed his warm, hard flesh again, sighing happily when his arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer. God, she’d missed a man’s touch. His hand was stroking her ribs just below her breasts and she arched her back encouragingly. How long had it been since she felt a man’s hand cupping her breast? Too long.
A part of her knew this was a dream, knew that she was alone in her cold bed, but she suddenly desperately wanted it to be real. It felt real – the man’s breath washing over her cheek and neck was bringing goosebumps to her skin and his hand was heavy and delightfully warm against her side. The swaying of the bed was a bit strange, but she ignored that part. She wanted to be touched, to be reminded that she was a woman with needs and desires that had been ignored for far too long.
“Please,” she whispered before nipping at his neck.
The man inhaled sharply before squeezing her side. “Wake up, girl.”
She frowned and shook her head before kissing his neck again.
“Girl, open your eyes.”
His rough voice demanded obedience and she reluctantly dragged her eyelids up. She squinted at the light trickling through the trees before she straightened. She could see her breath and the breath of the horse that she was riding on.
Her eyes widened as she remembered where she was and what had happened. She’d been captured by the horrible men in the forest. Her hands were bound to the saddle horn and, panic rushing through her, she turned her head to bite the throat of her captor.
He was quick, she’d give him that. His hand wrapped in her hair and held tight, preventing her from sinking her teeth into his throat.
“Enough, little minx. While I enjoyed your sweet love bites, I don’t believe that’s your intention now, is it?”
She flushed bright red, her grey eyes darkening to slate as he tugged her head
up so he could study her face. It wasn’t one of the men who had captured her in the forest but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in trouble.
“Where are the other men?” She asked.
He shrugged. “One is dead, the other will live if he wakes before the animals of the forest dine on him.”
She yanked at the rope that bound her wrists. His horse neighed nervously, and he put his heavily-muscled arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. “Be still, you’re spooking my horse. Relax, I won’t harm you.”
She looked around and then tugged at her restraint again. “Why am I tied up?”
“I was worried you would think I was one of the men in the woods and would struggle. I didn’t want you tumbling from the horse and breaking your neck.”
“I’m not going to struggle. You can untie me.”
“Aye, I could.”
He made no move to untie the rope and she sighed with frustration. “Please?”
“What’s your name?”
“Elena.”
“Why were you in the woods alone, Elena?”
“I wasn’t alone. I was travelling with two companions. Those men attacked us and killed them.” She cleared her throat. “I ran, but they caught me.”
“These companions – were they your lovers?”
She twisted around to glare at him. “What? No, they were not my lovers.”
“Then why were you with them?”
“We were travelling for supplies for my employer.”
“Whose home do you belong to?”
“The Lord Enderson’s.”
He inhaled sharply, and she glanced at him. “Do you know him?”
“Aye, in a manner of speaking.” He shrugged his cloak from one arm. She stared at the armband that announced his allegiance to the Lord Enderson. The blue and gold was a startling contrast against the drab brown of his shirt.