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But so many wanted my downfall. It was selfish of me to keep her and, worse still, to consider having a child with her. I should help Ravena get whatever she came to Braxia for and then send her away. If she ever came to harm because of my enemies, it would destroy me. And yet, I couldn’t let her go. The Ancestors forgive me, but I needed her.
My arms tightened around my mate as I begged the ancient spirits to help me protect her.
Chapter 10
Mercy
In the two days that followed the savage hunt, word of my combat skills, and what I had done to turn the tide in favor of the Braxians, spread like wildfire. The way people stole weird glances at me, you’d think I’d grown a second head. I was growing restless and increasingly fed up with acting reasonable.
I’d fought for so long to be freed of the overprotective cage in which my father had held me captive to hide me from those who would hunt me, only to shove myself right into another one. Not only did the damn prosthetics still hide my Veredian markings, but I’d also remained cooped up in Ravik’s fortress since the hunt. He wanted to make sure all Guldans had departed the planet before he ‘allowed’ me to spend time at my brother’s house.
Allowed…Seriously?
I’d had it and intended to confront him about it. When I’d awakened this morning, Ravik had already left. He always rose early for some secret meetings with his close council or to go spar. As per usual, he would come back and have breakfast with me on the patio before the actual start of his ‘normal’ day.
Ravik walked in to find me dressed, my computer and tech kit ready to go. His smile faded, his eyes narrowing into a speculative stare. “Going somewhere?” he asked.
I lifted my chin. “You know where I’m going, Ravik. The question is: will your men accompany me, or should I call Krygor?”
He grimaced in exasperation and unshouldered his sparring staff before marching to his armory on the opposite side of the bedroom. He tapped on the discreet symbol on the wall which parted to reveal a walk-in sized room containing a variety of staff weapons on a stand, wall-mounted racks of blasters, and display shelves laden with bladed weapons from daggers to broadswords. Ravik put away his staff and started removing his sweaty shirt as he exited the room, en route to the bath.
“I asked you a question,” I snapped, angered to be ignored.
“One to which you already know the answer,” he snarled, balling his shirt before tossing it on the chair by the bath. “You are not going to your brother’s house today.”
My blood heated with the first flames of my mounting rage. “So I’m your prisoner now?”
Ravik exhaled loudly while giving me an exasperated look. “Don’t speak nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” I spat, advancing two menacing steps towards him. “I’m trapped in your fucking fortress, miles away from my brother’s house. You’ve blocked my access to my ship and hoverbike. You’ve gone so far as to forbid anyone from providing me any means of transportation. I can’t even try to leave the compound without your guards herding me back in like a fucking sheep. What doyoucall that if not imprisonment?”
“It’s called protection,” he snapped.
“I didn’t ask for your fucking protection!” I yelled. “Anton had already made arrangements for me with his father and his clan.Youimposed yourself. If I’d known your offer meant putting a fucking leash on me, I’d have told you where to shove it.”
“I’m the fucking Magnar, Ravena!” Ravik shouted, slapping his chest with both hands. “You are my woman. I’m already standing on shaky ground. If anything happens to you, instead of helping me rescue you, my detractors will come at me with everything they’ve got to seize power. If anyone is a prisoner here it’s me, chained to my duty as ruler of Braxia.” He sighed heavily, his gaze taking on a pleading edge. “I need you to stand with me, Ravena, not add to my burden.”
I looked at him, disbelieving. “That’s so unfair. So, it’s not enough that I continue to lie by pretending to be something I’m not with those damn prosthetics to spare you having to deal with potential vultures that might come after me. Now, I’m supposed to remained locked up in here for the rest of my days like a fucking bedroom slave?”
Ravik closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, gripping it in the back. He heaved a sigh, his broad, muscular shoulders drooping. When he reopened his eyes and looked at me, the helplessness I read within clawed at my heart. My anger slightly abated, as a sliver of guilt slipped in.
“Yes, Ravena. Itisunfair to you. The mess on Braxia is not your burden to bear. Whatever you may think, I swear that I’m not trying to control, let alone enslave you. I respect you too much. But, right now, I need you to help me shoulder the weight just for a little while longer.”
Arms crossed over my chest, I pinched my lips and looked away, moved more than I wanted to admit by the raw emotion on his face.
“Two days, Ravena,” Ravik said, in a soft tone. My eyes snapped back to his. “Give me two more days for my men to finish sweeping the land. And then, on my honor, I promise to give you as big of an escort as you wish to go to your brother’s house.”
On his honor… The magic words.
Two more fucking days staring at the walls or being stared at for not fitting the Braxians’ perception of females. I didn’t relish the prospect, but I also couldn’t ignore—nor was I indifferent to—his plight. Ravik was making a huge concession. He clearly wanted to prolong his ‘protection’ by more days than the two he’d requested.
Defeated, I gave him a baleful glare. “Fine. Now what am I supposed to be doing for the next two days?” I grumbled.
Ravik’s expression softened, and a smile stretched his lips. “Actually, before you jumped on me when I arrived—”
He chuckled at my warning look.
“—I’d planned on asking if you wanted to come see the racers. We could even take them out for a ride. They’re smaller than the battle karvelis, so you’d have no problem riding one of your own.”
