The civility of his tone and his earnest manner chiseled away at her resolve. Now she felt bad about smashing the presentation cube—until he continued.
“But I must insist that you send me the updated files. I know you have access to all your files and I will not tolerate a delay.”
Aeron cleared his throat as Leilani blinked at Con in surprise. Oooookay, so her guilt dissipated. “You will not tolerate a delay?”
He nodded once, a small smile tugging at his oh-so-kissable mouth. His bottom lip was full and made her want to nibble on it—which was ridiculous. “Correct.”
“Well, I will not tolerate being held hostage.”
His brow furrowed. “It is the law. I cannot break it.”
She lifted a shoulder and was surprised when his gaze strayed there, following the action. A flash of barely concealed hunger sparked inside her before annoyance replaced it. “Until you find a way to send me home, then you’re out of luck.”
He shook his head once. His dark hair was trimmed close to his head. She wondered if it would be soft if she skimmed her fingers over it. “This is not rational. If there is a delay, it also delays the payment to your firm.”
“I’m on salary.”
He watched her for a long moment, his expression dark. It was as if he thought he could will her into doing his bidding. She arched an eyebrow, which seemed to infuriate him.
Con looked at Aeron, who shrugged. “If your males want to mate with a human female, get used to losing arguments. Often. I do not blame her, and you better keep her safe and happy.” The words “or else” hung in the air as the two men stared hard at each other.
Finally Con gave one sharp nod. “You have my word. No harm will come to her. I will die before I allow that to happen. And I will see if I can find a loophole to return her home earlier as she was not aware of our law.”
Leilani almost let out a sigh of relief, but kept her reaction to herself. “Will your mate mind me staying in your home?” Because she did feel a little bad about that. It wasn’t his mate’s fault that because of a stupid law she’d be forced to let an unknown human female reside in her home for an entire moon cycle.
Con didn’t look at her, just pulled out his communicator as he said, “My brother and I have no mate. Females are too much trouble,” he muttered, before turning away from her and placing a call.
She stared after him helplessly. She’d assumed he’d been mated since he’d made the offer to house her. Now she had more to worry about—like being stuck under the roof with tall, dark and surly. It wasn’t like she’d asked to be kidnapped. Stupid tears stung her eyes but she blinked them away. She absolutely wouldn’t break down until she was alone.
Chapter 3
“Quit glaring,” Cyn muttered as he grabbed a water container from their cooler. He shoved one at Con.
Con glanced at the silent hallway entrance. Leilani hadn’t come out of her room since he and his brother had been home. He wasn’t certain if she’d been out of it today, but he had the strangest urge to see her. It was simply because she was beautiful, but that meant nothing. He’d seen more beautiful women. He was certain of it—he just couldn’t remember where.
He’d heard about the beauty of human females but he hadn’t been interested because of how frail they were supposed to be. Meeting Leilani had changed his perception more than he wanted to admit. But…it was more than that. The way she’d taken Aeron’s pulse gun and waved it at them had stunned him. All of them. And though he wouldn’t admit it, he’d been aroused by her show of temper.
“We are facing a huge delay because of her.” He’d tried to convince her architecture firm to send him the newest building plans but as it was all-female they’d shut him down immediately. He knew they felt guilty about her predicament. As well they should. The firm was owned and run by Luminet females and they’d assumed she knew the law here.
Cyn snorted. “What would you do if someone held you hostage?”
“I would kill them and escape.” Or die trying.
“Since it is clear she doesn’t have the capability to do that, can you blame her for fighting us the only way she knows how?”
No he did not, but Con refused to listen to logic. Setting the water container down on the kitchen island, he strode from the room. Energy pulsed through him as he entered the main living room. Their home was on the side of the mountain and overlooked where his people lived among the mountainside. They were too high up to see the mainland below. Two of their moons were visible in the waning sunlight, but even the normally calming sight did nothing for him.
At the sound of a crash, he had one of his short swords in his hand before he’d turned. He sprinted through the living room and skidded to a halt when he spotted Ruari and Brandt standing in the entryway. The heavy door had been broken off its hinges. “What the hell is this?”
“You cannot keep her for yourself,” Ruari snarled. Normally even tempered, the redhead had been surly all day while training at the mountain Samio. Their Samio was slightly different than the mainland in that they only took full-grown warriors.
He felt more than heard Cyn moving up behind him. “No one is keeping anyone from you. She is not like Luminet females. She has refused to come out of her room since yesterday.”
“I do not believe it.” Ruari rushed him, the action expected given the rage on his face.
Bracing for the attack, Con welcomed the pain. As Ruari smashed into him, he was aware of Brandt rushing at Cyn.
Ruari jabbed his fist into Con’s ribs as Con slammed the other male in the jaw. A burst of pain exploded in his side, but he savored it. He needed to burn off steam and this was the way to do it. If these fools thought he was keeping Leilani from them, they deserved a beat down. He had more on his plate to worry about than this bullshit.
“Stop!” Leilani’s worried voice cut through the haze in his mind as he pinned Ruari face down on the stone entryway.
He could have let the fight drag on, but the panic in her voice did something strange to him. He wanted to get up and soothe all her fears. But since he didn’t trust the male, or any male, around her, he kept a firm hold on Ruari as he stared at Leilani.
And it was impossible not to. Her long, dark hair hung in a single braid draped over one shoulder and breast. The females on the mainland dressed differently than the few females who lived in the mountain clans. Her dress-style was no different than the other Luminet mainlanders he’d seen. The bright red shift dress she had on cinched right under her breasts, the V cut dipping low enough that he could see the soft upper swell of her breasts. Her skin tone was a deep bronze and her shoulders, which he’d never thought of as sexy before, were bare except for straps of gauzy material pinned by jewel-studded dragons. He wondered where she’d gotten the pins, if some male had given them to her. The thought made something dark and possessive flare inside him. The possessiveness took him off guard.
That was when he realized Cyn and Brandt were both standing there staring at him, clearly wondering if he was going to let Ruari up. Leilani was watching him as well, but her expression was much harder to read. He thought he might have seen a trace of desire in her gaze yesterday when she looked at him but that was before he’d ordered her to give him her files.
“I will let you up, but do not move toward her,” he growled at Ruari. When he stood he immediately moved between Leilani and the other male.
“What’s going on?” Her voice was soft, soothing, and so damn sexy he felt it wrap around him like a gentle caress.
Con did not want to be affected by her. He knew more than most how selfish females could be. His own mother had proved that by abandoning him and his brother.
“We wanted to make sure you were okay.” Brandt’s gaze darted from Leilani’s to Con’s.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Her voice was wary now.
“They weren’t worried about your well-being. They thought Cyn and I were keeping you to ourselves.” Con raised an eyebrow at Brandt, daring hi
m to correct him. The other male just shrugged.
Her pretty lips pulled into a thin line. “Didn’t you tell them I don’t wish to see anyone?”
He ordered his body under control as he watched her. “Yes.”
“We thought…perhaps you had changed your mind.” Ruari tugged nervously on his tunic, his expression hopeful.
Con thought he was a fool—until Leilani stepped forward. “I am hungry. Would you take me somewhere to eat?”
Con realized that he had neglected to bring in more food for Leilani that morning. The guilt that slammed into him was sharp. He and his brother usually ate at one of the cafeterias, on a job site or at the Samio. He wasn’t even certain they had food here. He wanted to apologize to her, but wasn’t sure how to do so in front of everyone. He was the leader of his clan, he couldn’t appear weak. She wasn’t looking at him anyway. That shouldn’t have bothered him so much.
Ruari nodded. “Anywhere you’d like. We have few options in this sector but I’ll let you choose.”
“Cyn will accompany you.” The words were out of Con’s mouth before she could respond to Ruari.
The male looked at him in annoyance but Con didn’t back down. “She’s my responsibility. My brother will be your escort.” Because he needed to see about getting enough food here for her as well as proper clothing and shoes. He wanted to take her higher into the mountain to show her some of the new sectors she’d helped design—though he figured she wouldn’t want to go anywhere with him unless he started taking better care of her.
As they left—and it was hard not to notice that Leilani wouldn’t even look at him—he was surprised again by a swell of possessiveness that swept through him at seeing her leave with the three males. Apparently Brandt was going too. Con actually trusted Ruari and Brandt. They were good males and trustworthy warriors but…he did not like the way they looked at Leilani. He noticed his brother had not looked at her with a hunger or need and Con found that curious. He’d always assumed that they would take a mate together. Now…he didn’t like the thought of sharing Leilani. Not that he should be thinking about mating with her regardless.
He would not dig deeper to find out why he felt that way. She was leaving in a moon cycle and he would likely never see her again. He doubted she would return to his mountain after this, not even for work. And for some reason, that thought made something sharp twist inside him.
* * *
Leilani let out a sigh of relief as Cyn shut the repaired door behind them. She was curious how they’d managed to repair it so quickly but if Con was leader of this sector then it made sense.
“I really don’t know what to do with this.” Sighing, she held out the long braid of dark hair a male had given her when they’d been walking back to Con and Cyn’s place. The male had cut off his freaking braid and given it to her as a pledge of…she really wasn’t sure. It had been his idea of a gift.
Cyn’s lips twitched ever so slightly as he took it. “The male who gave you this has been talking of cutting his hair off all solar cycle so do not feel bad.”
She didn’t feel bad. It wasn’t as if she’d asked him to do it. But she appreciated Cyn’s words. “Okay, thanks. Uh, is that kind of thing going to keep happening?”
“Maybe not to this degree but you will likely get more gifts.” He motioned to the door in a change of subject. “The front door is secured by a biometric scanner and we will engage the security system tonight. Con or I will stand guard throughout the night.”
Panic surged through her at the extreme precautions. “Do you think that’s necessary?” They’d made it sound as if she had nothing to fear here, and she knew other females lived in the sector. Brandt and Ruari had broken in because they’d been worried she wasn’t being allowed out. Or so they’d said.
“No, not after you were seen by so many this evening. Now everyone knows you are okay and are open to courting. Our males can get overzealous, but not in the way I think you likely imagined earlier.”
She wasn’t exactly open to courting but didn’t respond to that. “You don’t have to stand guard,” she said, falling in step with him as they headed toward the main living area.
While Con and Cyn had been at work she’d explored their home and couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. Not all homes had this view, she knew. It had been built right into the mountain and half of it was walls of windows. There were huge stone fireplaces in each bedroom and in some places the walls were part of the mountain itself, not fabricated material. There weren’t many decorations but the sparseness of the décor fit the two warrior males.
He frowned, the action making him look similar to Con. But she didn’t feel a spark of attraction to Cyn despite their similarities. She guessed the brothers were maybe a solar cycle apart and probably about ten solar cycles older than her. “We will not risk your safety.”
“My brother is correct.” Con’s deep voice nearly made her jump as he entered the living area. The cubed seating was spacious and comfortable and big enough for these two warriors.
For one insane moment she wondered if the sectionals were big enough to do things other than sit and watch the vid screen. She couldn’t stop fantasizing what it would feel like to have Con’s mouth and hands stroking over her. Her body didn’t seem to care that the male was infuriating. As her thoughts continued down that path, she felt her cheeks warm and cursed her libido, which had decided to flare to life because of one infuriating warrior who saw her as nothing more than a responsibility—since she was a prisoner.
“We will stand guard tonight regardless as we value your presence here.” Con rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, looking suddenly nervous. “I…owe you an apology. I did not think to make sure you had enough food today. It won’t happen again. We are now stocked for a while and I also provided you with enough clothing to last a moon cycle.”
Her eyes widened at the last part, even as she felt her walls of hostility starting to crumble. She was back to thinking his formal way of speech was adorable. Which told her she was in trouble. “Thank you. And it’s okay. I know you weren’t expecting a guest.” Well, a prisoner, but she wasn’t going to get technical since he was being nice.
He blinked once, watching her as if he thought she might take the words back. “I would like you to have a peaceful moon cycle here. I—we—want you to feel welcome.”
Okay, that pretty much broke down the last of her anger wall. “Thank you. I know it’s not your fault I’m stuck here and I really do appreciate you letting me stay. And thank you for the clothing.” She hoped he got her size right but at this point she just wanted something warm and new. “And…I will send you all the updated plans. If I’m here for a moon cycle I might as well work.” Her supervisors had been surprisingly understanding. She thought it was because they felt so guilty about her being stuck here—which they should since someone should have told her about the crazy law here. But she didn’t plan to simply not work. The concept was too foreign and she didn’t want a delay with the project either.
Con blinked those beautiful blue eyes. “I did not buy you clothing and food so you would do that.”
“I know. That’s why I’m sending the plans to you.”
“I understand.” His expression said the opposite.
“Human females are…” Cyn trailed off, drawing her attention to him.
She cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“Fascinating.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. Good answer. “I know that too. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go check out my new clothes.” Under normal circumstances she would have offered to pay for them, but this was far from normal.
“Ah, a few warriors stopped by while you were out. One of them dropped off a fur throw as a gift. It is also in your room. If you would like his contact information—”
She shook her head. “That’s okay, I’m good. Actually, if you could maybe give it back I’d appreciate it.” It would save her the hassle. She flicked a gl
ance at Cyn. “As well as the braid.” Though she really wasn’t sure what that warrior was going to do with his cut off hair.
Con nodded once, relief flaring in his eyes. She wasn’t certain what that meant. As she headed to her room, her shift rustled softly.
“I started a fire in your room,” Con said as she reached the entry to the hallway. “If you need help with the controls, let me—one of us—know.”
Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Smiling around him was becoming easier. “Thanks.”
He nodded once, seemingly uncomfortable again. And something that looked a lot like hunger flared in his gaze. Definitely for her.
Her entire body flooded with heat so she turned and made a quick escape before he could see her reaction. Because she had one goal. To return home in one moon cycle.
Unless…well, she wasn’t attracted to Cyn and she was fairly certain he wasn’t attracted to her. So maybe she could indulge in a little affair with Con. He clearly wasn’t looking for a mate. Or she didn’t think he was. She’d only been with one human male before their rescue and she couldn’t deny that she was curious about Luminet warriors.
Maybe if she made it clear she didn’t want to mate, but just have fun while she was here, he would be open to it. Gnawing on her bottom lip she stepped into the guestroom and shut the door behind her. When she saw the pile of clothes on the bed a smile lit her face. He hadn’t been kidding about providing enough clothes for the moon cycle.
The sight warmed her from the inside out. Even if he’d done it because he felt responsible for her, it was still sweet.
Claimed by the Warrior Page 3