Essian let out a purr which made Zerek feel content, but he didn’t know why. Still, he’d talked more about himself than he’d ever done with anyone.
“What was it like growing up the son of a clan leader? The heir?”
This time, Essian’s hiss was decidedly less jovial. “Lonely. My father was quite old when he finally sired me. He’d been trying for decades to continue the line.”
Right, Zerek remembered the uncomfortable discussion about fertility. “Surely you didn’t need siblings to not be lonely.”
“No, but my father kept me quite isolated. He was worried if I played with other children I’d get hurt and die. Or suffer some childhood disease. I even had tutors so I didn’t need to attend school like everyone else. I spent my childhood in the company of my father’s advisors, learning only how to rule a clan.”
“Wow. Even when I was running wild as a kid, I still had time for fun. I’m sorry.”
Essian turned, his lips stretched in a smile wide enough to bare both fangs. “I, too, became something of an escape artist when I was young. Not good enough to be professional, though.”
Zerek laughed. “Well, I guess we have something in common.”
“I guess we do.”
An odd silence enveloped them, and Zerek pulled Essian to a halt, gesturing for him to remain silent. He listened closely, but the normal forest fauna had ceased their normal activity. Pulling his knife out, he brandished it in front of him while he peered into the underbrush surrounding them.
A faint rustle had him facing east, then he heard a distinctive rattle.
“Climb a tree. Now.” He whirled around. East was the only safe direction right now, and he hoped Essian had enough sense to follow his orders.
Seconds later, a quelar burst out of the brush, horned head lowered as it charged. Zerek braced himself. There were only so many places a knife could slip through their roughened reptilian hide. His knife was long enough to extend his reach, and the quelar was fairly small. As long as he could avoid getting gored, he had a chance.
At the very last second, he leapt out of the way while jabbing the knife down, trying to get the base of the creature’s skull. The impact jarred his shoulder painfully, but despite a brief numbness, he managed to hold onto the knife. He turned around to prepare for another charge, when Essian jumped on the back of the beast, bearing it to the ground with his larger bulk. This time, his fangs were longer and more pronounced as he sank them in the shoulder of the quelar. The reptile rattled and grunted, but quickly succumbed to the Kadrussian venom.
Essian stood slowly, wiping his mouth. Too bad they were so far from the crossroads market. Arri would pay a hefty sum for a quelar he didn’t have to hunt himself.
“That was very brave of you.”
Zerek frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I can protect myself. You didn’t need to take the quelar on by yourself. But thank you for your quick thinking.”
Yes, of course. Risk the Serpentes clan leader getting gored by a quelar. That wouldn’t do his reputation any good. Never mind his own personal reasons for ensuring Essian didn’t get hurt.
“Have you hunted quelar before? I thought your father had been over protective.”
“No, I haven’t hunted quelar before. I’ve been instructed in the theory. But make no mistake, I can still fight. My father was over protective of me as a child, but once I matured, I switched my tutors for fight instructors. A clan leader must be able to protect himself.”
“Oh. Thanks for the assistance.”
“I’m sure you didn’t need it.” Essian’s words could have been condescending, but they weren’t. Not at all. “I must admit, when I was told they had the capability to create sounds in a direction different from where they approach, I hadn’t believed it. Quite remarkable.”
“Yeah. My grandfather used to say they “threw their voice”. I don’t know where he came up with that term, because they don’t have a voice, really. The noise you really need to listen for is the rattle.” Zerek nudged the tail, resulting in muted rattle. “That’s what gives away their position, not the false call to herd frightened animals closer to them.”
Actually, the incident turned out well for them. They could leave the carcass to be picked clean by other animals in the area instead of hiding it. If a Hilruda patrol came across the dead quelar, a Kadrussian killing bite wouldn’t be nearly as suspicious as a knife wound.
The adrenaline pumped Zerek up a bit, and for the next hour or so, he felt like his old self as they continued on their journey.
“Essian, I have contacts with the border clans, but I was wondering if, when all this is over, if I could get you to introduce me to some of the interior clans. Or maybe have some of your people do so. I don’t necessarily need to talk to anyone at the clan leader or advisor level.”
The idea had been stewing in his mind since he heard about the tent cities, and he hoped the successful altercation with the quelar would put Essian in an amenable mood.
“Why?”
“There are always more humans who need to escape. The journey would be longer, but entering into agreements with more clans would provide good homes for the most mistreated of my people to settle. It’s not just charity. They can all contribute to daily life.”
Essian hissed, but the soft one that Zerek thought meant approval. “I will arrange it as soon as I return to my clan.”
Zerek breathed out a sigh of relief. Sexy, kind, and capable. A triple threat to his composure. There were four more strongholds and several days hiking through varied ecosystems before this job was done. Somehow, he needed to get through it without revealing how much he admired Essian. Might be the most difficult thing he did, and as much as he felt they’d be able to converse more easily with each other, getting to know Essian better was only going to make this infatuation more awkward.
* * * *
THEY'D BEEN ON THE road for just under a month now, and were nearing the final stronghold on Essian’s list. A couple of close calls from both Hilruda and wild animals, but it had been a surprisingly smooth journey, for which Essian thanked him regularly. Just one of many things that had changed over their close association. No sex, to the chagrin of his cock, but they'd grown more comfortable with each other. Took care of each other. Shared stories of growing up, compared life experiences.
There had been times Zerek had even seen Essian's humor. It was well hidden, but there, and Zerek loved getting that intimate glimpse of the man underneath the clan leader.
By mutual, unspoken consent, their conversation never veered to their recent history, the details of the true mate quest ceremonies, or anything sexual. Zerek didn't want to pressure Essian, and likely Essian didn't want to hurt Zerek with his disinterest. The fact that Essian seemed to care at all for his feelings was symptomatic of another problem.
It wasn't just his fascinating looks or the strong, visceral reaction his scent provoked. Essian exuded confidence, self-possession, and determination, all traits sorely lacking in most of the human men he came across. Hardly their fault—thanks to those pus gargling vampires—but it meant a man like Essian, human or not, entranced him. And over time, Zerek's feelings had deepened. The end of their quest was in sight. The last stronghold had become visible, this clan having built a large multi-story building. In an hour's time or less, they'd be at the gates. One day, maybe two, and then he'd be escorting Essian home, and he'd have to go back to a life that now seemed lacking.
"What about the other six clans? Don't you have to talk to them as well?" Surely Zerek could convince him they could talk to the interior clans together, whether it was about uniting the clans or trying to find homes where mistreated humans could settle.
"I spoke to them first. They aren't suffering incursions yet, but fortunately they were well aware of the issue."
"And they're willing to work with you?" Didn't take a genius to see that the border clans would be more likely to agree with Essian's plan.
"
Grudgingly, but yes. There are a number of interpretations of that particular prophecy."
"What does your wife think of this plan? Interviewing people as though they have a chance at being your true mate." Zerek couldn't keep the snippishness out of his tone. It had been easy to put Essian’s wife out of his mind while it was just the two of them, but soon, Essian would be returning to her, and Zerek hated her, just a bit, for that.
"My wife?"
"Your wife. Whoever is the mother of your children."
"None of them are my wife. Or my true mate."
Of course there was more than one. "Then how come so many children? Is that normal for your clan?"
"No. But this was a compromise I had with my father. As long as I secured heirs for the clan, he allowed me the freedom to seek a true mate rather than marry or bind with someone for dynastic reasons."
The lack of significant relationship in Essian's life shouldn't have any bearing on Zerek's moods, because he had no chance. However, hope was an insidious worm.
"What if you find your true mate on this quest of yours?" Zerek didn't want to think about it, but if a true mate was out there for Essian, it seemed likely he'd find her. Each stronghold filled Zerek with dread for that single reason.
"Then I will bind with whoever that is when the time is right. There are some who think the prophecy refers to a personal union for the leader of my clan."
Devious bastard, hedging his bets. Only made Zerek admire him even more. He was going to make a great warrior general when the time came.
Chapter 6
ZEREK FLOPPED DOWN ON the bed, in a room that looked just like the others at all the other strongholds, although this was the most sumptuous so far. Someone besides the clan leader must know who Essian was. They'd arrived at the Tilia stronghold in the afternoon, and it was still early. Despite the long journey to get here, this was the first time Zerek had felt like his normal energetic self since being captured.
Bored. So fucking bored.
He'd been almost desperate to have some time to himself in the bathroom after Essian had been escorted away. Meant he had some time to pleasure himself while imagining Essian was there with him, touching him. The more time they spent together, the more often Essian let his tongue out to do whatever Kadrussian thing it did. He must have been demonstrating reserve in the early days, keeping the tongue inside his mouth. Only problem was that every appearance taunted Zerek, helpless to do anything but imagine what kind of oral skills Essian had.
His imagination had been quite vivid, but after each climax, an emptiness yawned inside him. He'd never know Essian's touch for real. He also tried to tell himself he'd get over this infatuation as soon as returned Essian to his clan territory, but he lied. His feelings ran deeper than infatuation and recovery would be longer than recuperating from a pit fight.
Zerek spent some time inspecting the walls for spy holes, but found none. They were either too well concealed or not all clans were as suspicious as Essian's people were. Then again, Essian was the one trying to change the way the clans dealt with each other. A dose of paranoia was probably healthy.
Fuck it. One of his major vices was curiosity, and if the boredom didn't kill him, wondering what sort of ceremony Essian was taking part in might. This would be his last chance to see it.
If there was a guard outside the suite, there was always the window. Perhaps there was no reason to guard him. After all, he was one measly human, and this clan had no reason to suspect Essian was here for any other purpose than to find a true mate.
The knob failed to turn in his hand, so Zerek tried again, hard enough that the door rattled, but didn't open. Just like the other strongholds, someone had fucking locked him in, with a giant platter of sumptuous foods.
He laughed without humor. Telling him he couldn't do something usually made him more determined to do just that. The Hilruda could vouch for that. Evil, soul-sucking garbage lovers. And now, he was feeling well enough that dinner and an orgasm wasn’t going to make him pass out. If anyone managed to catch him—which they wouldn’t—he hoped Essian’s successful mission meant he’d be forgiving of such a minor transgression.
Zerek pulled out the handy lock pick pouch that was never far from his fingers and made short work of the lock.
Before he opened the door, he donned his hooded cloak, then stepped stealthily out into the hall. He didn't see or sense anyone nearby. Essian hadn't lied about the interest this quest thing generated. If Zerek didn't know better, he'd say the place was deserted.
Dusk approached, and shadows lengthened. Zerek took advantage of that and crept noiselessly in the dark, but for all the clanspeople he encountered, he could have danced through the halls.
It didn't take long to figure out where the crowd was; large gatherings of people made a distinct roar, even from a distance. The trick was to figure out a way to observe without being seen. Fortunately, Zerek had an almost preternatural skill for finding secrets.
Before night fell, he found his way into the rafters above a large open oval area covered by sand. At one end was a dais with a row of unoccupied chairs. The crowd of Kadrussians surrounding the sandy area had a collective air of anticipation, which meant Zerek hadn't missed the festivities.
They didn't wait long. Determining the age of Kadrussians wasn't easy unless they were very old or very young, but the men and women who stepped up onto the dais and filled the empty seats were likely the elder council, based on the fact that they were older than Essian, probably by twenty years or more. The noise of the crowd swelled and became thunderous when Essian and another Kadrussian appeared on the sand before the dais. Both men were shirtless. The stranger's coloration leaned to shades of blue and lavender with hints of gray or silver. He also was older than Essian.
The older man said something to the crowd, which, due to the acoustics of Zerek's position, he couldn't hear but the cheering crowd clearly could. Zerek was going to assume this was Prosst, the Tilia clan leader, unless he was told otherwise.
Essian took up a position facing Prosst. They circled each other before lunging, grappling each other and falling to the sand.
Chills swept over Zerek's body, blood pounding in his ears. The two below him continued to fight while Zerek gripped the rafter harder and harder, knuckles whitening under the strain, until he could no longer feel his fingers. If he could, he'd have run away, but he was shaking so badly any additional movement would likely send him plunging to his death.
The remembered scent of blood filled his nose, as he recalled with sickening clarity the feel of flesh splitting under his fists.
Essian looked up, as though he'd heard someone call his name. Couldn't have been Zerek. If he were capable of making sounds, they wouldn't be as coherent as a name. The distraction cost Essian, but he recovered his ground quickly.
And still they fought–hard and vicious, although there was very little blood Zerek could see. The sound of the blows, though, made their way to his perch strangely magnified.
When Zerek thought he might pass out from this unexpected welter of emotions, Essian finally toppled his opponent to the ground and raised his arms in victory.
The crowd cheered, and Zerek concentrated on keeping his dinner in his belly. Prosst leapt to his feet and patted Essian on the back. A small bunch of young women, very well dressed, walked out on the sands, tongues flickering as they surrounded Essian.
Essian took one of the women's hand in his so her wrist faced up, then leaned over and licked her wrist. There was no mistaking the pleasure in her expression, and when Essian stopped, it was to take the wrist of another woman and perform the same procedure. The group of women pressed in closer, touching Essian's skin, and finally anger burned through Zerek's fear. He hadn't realized the memory of his pit fight and feeding of the Hilruda could be so devastating.
He used the anger to keep fear at bay as he escaped to the suite, his movements jerky and stiff. He paced around the room, fingers still trembling, as he decided wheth
er or not he should just leave. He didn't think he could stay, though. The "ceremony" was too close to the pit fighting. Had Essian fed the crowd or had the crowd fed him? Or was it simply a way to boost the libido? Essian had locked him in a room while he went off and whored himself out for his cause, assuming he hadn't lied about that. Zerek was so desperate for revenge on the Hilruda, maybe he'd made himself an easy mark for Essian's lies.
A guttural shout ripped from his throat, and he swept the remaining food dishes to the floor. If he left, would they chase him?
He hadn't seen the locked door as a prison, not until he'd seen that fight. His situation hadn't improved, it had only been varnished to look pretty. Leave. He had to leave. His job was essentially over. Essian had said as much when they'd arrived at the final clan stronghold on the list. But the thought of leaving Essian behind, and never seeing him again was acutely painful. Then he realized it didn't matter. Whether he stayed or not, Essian didn't need him any longer. With shaking fingers, he gathered his things. Leaving during the distraction of the ceremony almost guaranteed he could leave unobserved.
* * * *
THE DOOR BURST OPEN, and Essian, still half dressed, strode through. Zerek's knees wobbled and the tremors shaking his body got worse, but he stood his ground.
Essian wrapped his arms around him, and Zerek struggled until he realized Essian was attempting to soothe him. At the beginning of their journey, Essian wouldn't have tried such a thing, but they'd grown closer. Friends maybe. Or so Zerek had thought. A betrayal like this wasn't possible between friends.
"What's wrong?"
Zerek inhaled deeply, Essian's now familiar scent calming him. Not enough to let go of his concerns, but enough that he could at least function as a self-sufficient adult instead of a frightened child.
Come Undone: Romance Stories Inspired by the Music of Duran Duran Page 47