Page 159 of Taming the Kraken

“Yes, you will,” Noah said as he stepped forward. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. He held her struggling body flush against his and leaned his head down. “Easy. Save this fight for when we are sealed together … Ooooffffff.”

Brandy had lifted her knee and hit him right in his family jewels. “Make sure they pack plenty of ice for that.” She pushed away from him and headed for the opening. The two men standing there immediately stopped her.

“Let me pass!”

“Sorry, Brandy. The elders have ordered us not to let you leave,” one of the guards said with a small frown.

Brandy felt fingers bite into her wrist, whipping her backward. She looked up into a set of angry brown eyes, his nostrils flaring as he glared at her.

“I am your mate,” Noah growled. “You will do as I say.”

“I am not your anything.” She tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too strong.

Noah’s upper lip pulled back in a snarl that revealed his fangs. He reached around her and grabbed the front of her dress, sending buttons flying in all directions.

“You will be mine,” he said as he reached up and cupped her breast roughly. “Or I will take you against your will.”

Brandy closed her eyes when she felt his teeth scrape against her neck, his grip on her breast tightening painfully. She jerked her head away so she could face him. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked back at him in defiance.

“You can force yourself on this body, but I will never be yours.”

He snarled at her.

“You will do as the elders command,” Noah hissed through clenched teeth. He reached down and adjusted the top of her white gown. He managed to find a button that hadn’t been ripped off to hold the front closed. Then he abruptly turned, pulling her with him, and started out of the tent. He pulled her along a stone walkway and then down a path that led to a large cliff.

The Salt Stone Altar was at the end of the path. It was a large, circular area carved into the cliff with a sizeable stone stand in the middle. There were rows of people seated to witness the event.

Noah tugged on Brandy’s wrist forcefully as she continued to struggle against him. Brandy eyed the cliff to the side, where she could hear the ocean beating against the rocks. If she could just manage to break free for a moment … she just needed enough time to jump. She looked over at the people seated as she was being dragged past them.

“This is wrong. I won’t accept you. I don’t want you. I want—” Brandy stopped abruptly, and Noah tightened his grip on her as he turned to glare at her. She looked up at his crazy eyes, eyes that dared her to finish that sentence. When the elders first ordered her to take a mate, she’d refused. She wanted to talk to Mikah first. She at least wanted to know how he felt before she was forced to take a mate. She wondered how he was doing and if everything was okay. He said he would be back in a couple of days, but he’d never returned.

Then everything went wrong during her fertility check. Brandy tried to talk with the elders, but they refused. They thought they’d missed an important window of opportunity, and that they needed to try now before it was too late. The thing was … Brandy knew there was no way she could get pregnant by Noah or anyone else. She was already pregnant.

At first, she’d planned to tell the elders she was with child, but then she noticed how crazy they were acting. They weren’t listening to her. Instead, they were forcing her to take Noah as a mate. She was afraid that if they knew, they would force her to have an abortion.

Things had changed so much among the druids. It was never like this before. Elders always treasured their females and allowed them to have their choice of men. But somewhere along the way, they became corrupt. And now a male druid with influence and power was able to buy his mate.

Brandy sighed as she looked at Noah. She couldn’t be his mate. What would he do with her child? He would know it wasn’t his. She didn’t expect anything from Mikah. They’d made their relationship very clear from the beginning. It was only fair to let him know she was pregnant, though. As the father, he would have the right to see the child if he wanted. She wasn’t asking for anything … she didn’t dare hope for more.

Mikah’s light blue eyes captivated her. His smile made her knees weak. Sure, he frustrated the hell out of her, but she secretly loved it. She loved the way he was with her and how they seemed to fit together perfectly. It was crazy, but she felt like Mikah was her person. On a level she didn't understand, she needed him. She was stupid. Of course she would be the one to end up falling in love with the one person who didn’t want a mate.

A low growl snapped Brandy from her thoughts. She watched as Noah’s lips curled up in a snarl.

“Don’t say anything else.” Noah glared at her with a harsh look. “You will only make this worse for yourself.” He released her wrist and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. He didn’t want her to get the chance to speak to anyone. The druids were already torn and agitated. They didn’t need her rallying the others against them. They needed to hurry up and get the mating ceremony over with.

In just a few more steps, they reached the altar. A druid came forward, also dressed in a white robe with a purple sash. He handed Noah a long-bladed knife that was used to bind their blood together. A blood bond that she wouldn’t be able to break or refuse, no matter how badly she wanted to.

Noah sliced his hand, allowing his blood to drip into a stone dish for the ritual. He then turned to Brandy, “Your turn.”

Brandy stared at the knife and slowly shook her head. She watched as a proud, knowing smirk spread across his lips.

“Don’t worry, my love. I’ll do it for you.” Noah reached out for her hand as she jerked it away from him. She began to move away, but a guard stepped forward and gripped her shoulders.

“NO! I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS MAN AS MY MATE!” Brandy screamed out angrily as she tried to shrug the guard off of her.

“That’s good.” A voice boomed from the side. “I don’t accept him as your mate either.”

Brandy gasped as she turned her head, looking for the familiar voice. She found his blue eyes and felt her heart begin to race.