Ronin's Bondmate: Zarronian Warriors 4 Read online

  She shook her head. “Borg said a warrior has only one female who draws him to her.” The thought of him with another mate hurt her but not as much as leaving him was going to hurt.

  He moved away from the wall and squatted down next to her. “Tell me what the claiming means. What happens now?”

  “You can throw white krystal as a weapon now. I think you’ll be able to throw dark krystal even though we’re not bonded according to your people’s ways.”

  “Can your brother still sustain you?”

  “No. Only you can do that now.”

  “How?”

  “By taking care of me and spending time with me.”

  He grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. “I’ll take care of you but I won’t allow myself to trust you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said, trying to keep the misery and hurt from her voice.

  “Then, the rules remain the same. You walk two meters behind me with Razz by your side. That will give me the room I need to fight. If we’re attacked, you’ll create a shelter around yourself and stay there. I’ll sleep outside with him and you’ll sleep in a shelter. We’ll eat our meals together and speak but definitely no more touching. Will that be enough to sustain you?”

  “So no more carrying me over your shoulder or cuddling me against your chest?”

  “No.”

  “I’m devastated.”

  “You’ll really be devastated if you push me too far and I give you a bare-bottom spanking.”

  She looked up into his eyes. “I don’t know why you think I’d allow that. We’re just traveling together because you refuse to go away, and now you’ve made things worse by letting me claim you.”

  “I swore to protect you with my life and that includes keeping you alive.”

  “I released you from that vow.”

  “Tell me how you contacted your mother.” He stared at her until she looked away. “Not yet, huh? Well then, we’ll let the camp get ahead of us and then we’ll follow. Get rid of the shelter.” He walked away, standing with his back to her while he petted Razz.

  Belle stood, waved her hand, dismantling the shelter, and then pulled up the hood of her cloak. Walking away from him, she chose a tree stump to sit on and made herself comfortable while she observed him without his knowledge.

  He’d spoken the truth when he’d said he had her beat in the looks department. She’d never seen a more handsome man. He was at least six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and long muscled legs. He wore the traditional clothes of a Zarronian warrior—a black open vest with black pants and knee-high boots. Each time his cloak opened she caught a glimpse of his chest and flat belly as well as his heavily muscled arms. His hands were large and they could be deadly but he’d been gentle with her. Most of the time.

  Watching him now, she longed to run her hands over him from his chiseled face to his rippling abs. His dark hair hung down to the middle of his back with two slender braids on either side of his head. They began where his head had been shaved and tattooed and were wrapped around his hair at his nape and secured with a leather tie.

  She ached to trace the marks on his flesh with her fingertips. Even more she wanted to free his hair and run her fingers through it. If given the chance she’d braid it and decorate the ends with beads made of precious metal. They’d be engraved with protective blessings so he’d always be safe.

  While she’d waited for him to recover she’d decided to end her days as herself. No more channeling Arlyn’s unpleasant attitude. She’d die as Belle, the beloved sister of Taryq. The mate to Ronin of the Zarronians.

  He glanced her way and caught her watching him. She smiled and stood up. “Is it time to go?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead he turned and walked away. She waited until he was two meters ahead of her then followed him. Razz ran towards her, whined and bumped her leg.

  She patted his head and took some food out of her bag and fed it to him. He ate it and bumped her again, asking for more. She gave him a few more bites then scratched his ears. “Good boy, Razz.”

  When she looked up Ronin was staring at her and pointing to the distance between them. She ran forward a couple meters, stopped, then took one tiny step forward just to annoy him. He frowned and turned away.

  She patted Razz. “Come on, baby, we better keep up or I’ll get another scolding from the beast.”

  Razz growled again then leapt to the top of a boulder and disappeared.

  Chapter Eight

  Belle followed Ronin until the sun was overhead. He stopped and let her catch up. When she was a meter away he held up his hand. “That’s close enough.”

  “Why are we stopping?”

  “To eat.”

  “Razz was hungry so I fed him and ate at the same time.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Checking our back trail,” she said. “He’ll be back in a few micro-units.”

  “We’ll rest until he returns.” Ronin took a sip of water then unwrapped a package of food and began eating.

  Belle moved a few steps away and sat down on the ground. The sight of him eating made her belly ache and growl with hunger. Opening her pack, she took out her water and sipped it, hoping it would alleviate the pain.

  “Belle?”

  “What?”

  “Tell me why you spy for your mother.”

  “I didn’t mean for her to find out about Soren and Skye. It just happened.”

  “Why would she want to know about it?”

  She wrapped her cloak around her, protectively, while wishing she could curl up beneath it and hide from the future. Instead she answered his question as truthfully as she could. “She wanted Soren for me.”

  “Why?”

  “We’d never met a Zarronian before. Your people are powerful and my mother loves power.”

  “So, she thought by having you bonded to a Zarronian warrior it would increase her status with the Krystalis?”

  The question forced her to think about her past behavior. She realized now that she should have left the village long ago. By staying she’d risked her friends’ lives. That made her responsible for everyone who’d been harmed by her mother over the annuals.

  “Belle, answer me.”

  She looked up and nodded. “Yes, she thought it would make her more important.”

  “How would that have made her more powerful?”

  She couldn’t admit that Arlyn would’ve controlled Soren by threatening to harm her. It was another reason she couldn’t have Ronin as a mate. “I don’t know.”

  “Look at me when you lie to me.” The demand was spoken in a sharp tone, his anger obvious.

  She fought tears as she looked up at him. “Please stop asking me questions, Ronin.” Her voice broke on his name. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

  He stalked toward her then dropped to the ground, trapping her between his knees. He shoved the hood from her head then gently grasped her head and tipped her face up to his. “You’re my mate. I’ve searched my entire life for you. I’ve yearned for you. Dreamt of you. Only you can save me from the mating fever I carry in my blood.” He laid his cheek next to hers. “But, I can’t accept a liar and a traitor as a bondmate.”

  The last words were spoken softly, his breath warm against her neck. Belle fought the tears that rose to her eyes and forced herself to say, “There might be another female for you.”

  “No. I’ve accepted there is no other. You are my true mate.” He released her and moved back. “I have six moon phases until my death. I won’t bond with you unless you confess, make restitution, and are accepted back into the village.”

  She held her hand out to him then dropped it when he didn’t take it. “There is no way to make restitution.”

  “Then confess, Belle. Confess and accept your punishment.” He waited for her response. When she remained silent he stood and walked away. He stood for a moment with his back to her then without looking at her he signaled it was time to go. />
  She arranged the hood over her head, adjusting it so it hid the tears on her face then grabbed her pack. He was willing to die rather than bond with her. Knowing that hurt more than anything had ever hurt before.

  As she followed him she thought about his decision and refused to accept it. She was doomed but he didn’t have to be. Before she left she would somehow get him to bond with her. When she died he would survive and be free to find another mate.

  She allowed the tears to slide down her cheeks as they followed the warriors and enchantresses. At dusk they reached the top of the final hill and saw the fires of the new encampment below them. Ronin looked around, then moved off the trail and into a small clearing. Thick bushes and large boulders hid them from anyone on the trail. In the far corner a mist of steam rose from a small pool.

  Belle stooped down, touched the water then smiled and shook it from her fingers. “We can bathe.”

  Ronin studied the area then without looking at her he said, “Build a shelter for yourself. While I bathe you will remain inside.”

  Belle did as he commanded then before entering the shelter she said, “Razz will guard you.”

  Ronin turned his back on her and pulled clean clothes and a drying cloth from his pack. He laid them and his sword at the edge of the pool. After undressing he stepped into the water. It only came to his knees.

  Belle sat inside the shelter and watched him. His back was to her but she allowed herself to enjoy the view of his wide shoulders, muscled back and firm buttocks. His thighs and calves were defined by thick muscles. When he moved, she glimpsed his heavy testicles before he dropped down into the water. A few nano-units later, he rose and shook his head. Drops of water flew around him and ran down his back, caressing every ridge and valley of his body.

  He turned and reached for the soap and she got her first look at his cock. It was long, thick and hard. It stood away from his body, tempting her to join him and stroke it. While he lathered his body she memorized every inch of his flesh.

  He glanced around then undid the braids of his hair and lathered the long strands. He didn’t linger. Instead he dunked down, rinsed the lather away then stood again and grabbed the drying cloth. He ran it over his hair and body then dressed and walked to her shelter. At the doorway he stopped, found her in the dim interior then glanced through the clear wall towards the pool. His eyes found hers for a long moment before he said, “You can bathe now.”

  Unable to speak she nodded, pulled a fresh gown from her bag and walked by him. Once at the pool she undressed and entered the water. Unlike him, she sat down and leaned back against the slanted side. A sigh of pleasure left her lips as the heat of the water soothed and warmed her. She watched the darkening sky until the stars appeared then she sat up and washed her hair, rinsed it and washed her body.

  Ronin had left his dirty clothes next to the pool so she grabbed them along with hers and washed them. After wringing them out she tossed them over several nearby bushes to dry. Then, reluctantly, she dried off and dressed again.

  Chapter Nine

  Ronin sat next to a small fire with Razz beside him. Every now and then the wolf bumped him and he fed him a bite of his food. It was done absently as his eyes and his thoughts were on Belle as she bathed.

  Before she’d sat down he’d seen her in all her glory. The sight of all that silky skin made him yearn to wrap his hands around her narrow waist and run them over her rounded hips. Her body was as beautiful as her face. Her breasts rose out of the water every time she moved and he caught a glimpse of dark nipples. When she ran her soapy hands over her leg from ankle to thigh his hands tingled as if it were his hands touching her. Her legs were long and muscled. They’d wrap around his waist and cradle him as he entered her and made them one.

  Just thinking about what he wanted to do to her and with her in bed had his fever rising out of control. A soft blue mist grew on his skin and ran over his hands and along his arms. It warned him that he was courting trouble by watching her but he couldn’t make himself look away. This one chance to see her and memorize her curves was worth the misery of the fever.

  As if sensing his interest, she rose and the water ran down her body with the last of the light. It glistened over her curves as she gathered her hair, wrung out the water and let it fall down her back. Wave after wave of long, silky strands ended at the curve where her back met her plump bottom.

  Thinking she was done bathing he looked away but was surprised when she reached for his clothes. A nano-unit later she pulled them into the water along with her gown and washed them. She moved gracefully as she stepped from the pool and draped them over a bush then dried herself and dressed.

  Without looking at him she joined him by the fire. Sitting across from him, she searched her bag, withdrew a brush, then smiled as she ran it through her hair. When it was smooth she braided it, tied off the end with a piece of leather and let it fall over one shoulder to her lap. Looking around, she smiled again. “It’s so peaceful here. I wish I could stay forever.”

  He stared at her hair for a moment then met her eyes. He should put some distance between them by ordering her to go to bed, but something held him back. “I’ve seen more beautiful places.”

  She shrugged and looked in her bag again then set it aside. “Well, I like this one.”

  “What do you need,” he asked. “You looked in your backpack but didn’t get anything out of it.”

  “Water, but I can get some from the seep,” she said and began to stand up.

  “No, I have some.” He pulled water from his pack and tossed it to her. She surprised him by catching it without fumbling it.

  She took a sip then grinned and said, “You looked surprised when I caught it.”

  “I’m fast but your hand moved so quickly it was a blur.”

  Belle’s laugh was a soft tinkling set of notes that struck a matching chord in him. The sound sent another spark of heat through his body.

  She reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out six small balls. With a smile she tossed them into the air, caught them and tossed them again. As she juggled them they went faster and faster until they were a blur of motion. Slowly, she stood and moved around the clearing. Each step and twirl was graceful as she threw them into the air and caught them.

  Finally, she caught all six balls and laughed as she looked at him. “We can’t use our powers to defend ourselves so we’ve had to learn other means of protection.”

  “How can a small ball protect you?” he asked.

  “Choose six targets.” She began to juggle the balls again.

  He pointed to the large boulders on the other side of the clearing. “Those.”

  She laughed. “The big ones? Too easy.”

  Ronin pulled a burning branch from the fire and walked over to the boulders. Once there he used the burnt end to draw a small circle on each one. “How’s that?” he asked as he backed away.

  “Good,” she said and threw the first ball. It hit the center of a circle with a sharp crack and bounced away into the darkness. Five more followed, one after the other, each one hitting the center of a circle and bouncing away. The last one ricocheted towards Ronin and he was forced to duck out of its way.

  When he recovered his balance he asked, “How far can you throw and how accurate are you at a distance?”

  “I’m can throw them about three times as far as those boulders and knock a person out. After that distance, both my strength and accuracy suffer.” She smiled and added, “But, I’m a fast runner.”

  “You can also get far enough away that you can hide in a shelter.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” she said as they sat down again. “What about you? Here on the peninsula of Krystali you can’t use your laser weapons and you’ve had to change to swords and daggers. Your people seem to be very familiar with primitive weapons.”

  He nodded and his loose hair fell over his shoulders. He pushed it away before he answered her. “My people are explorers and the guardians of
the Xenti galaxy. Our warriors train on all known weapons.” He shrugged. “We enjoy fighting.”

  “What will your people do when the Crimerryns have been removed from the peninsula? Will they return to their starships and seek another war? Do you ever return to your own home?”

  Her questions sparked his suspicions. “Why do you want to know?”

  She shrugged. “I just wonder what your world is like. Do you have family there?”

  He avoided answering by gathering his hair with one hand. With the other he searched his pack for something to tie it.

  Belle watched him for a moment then moved around the fire and sat down behind him.

  He turned and pushed her away. “What are you doing?”

  She rested her weight on her heels and laid her hands in her lap. Looking down she said, “I was going to braid your hair for you.”

  Ronin stared at her as one thought after another flooded through his mind. On Zarronia only a bondmate braided a warrior’s hair. It was part of a ritual done before a warrior went into battle. A blessing and a reminder to him to fight hard enough that he would return to her. It was intimate and not meant to be arousing although it usually ended with the couple making love.

  Knowing the risks, he still turned his back to her indicating she had his permission to touch him. He waited and then finally felt her hand slide down his hair followed by the brush. Stroke after stroke followed as he enjoyed this one service he allowed her to perform for him.

  She separated a section of hair at his right temple and began braiding it. Her fingers were nimble and quick. The backs of them brushed the sensitive sides of his head and the top of his ear. Little by little she continued the braid until her hands brushed against his bare back. They lingered there for a moment before she released it and moved to his left side.

  He let her take as long as he dared even though his fever was growing. Finally, when a thin blue mist began to glow on his body she finished the second braid. Gathering both, she wrapped them around his hair at his nape and secured them. With her hand on his shoulder she stood and moved back to her side of the fire.