Raised to Kill

But that was hard to remember. Especially when she climbed into bed with him and the big Kindred called, “Lights out.”

The room went suddenly pitch-black, making Allara gasp and jump.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She felt him reaching for her and shewent willingly into his arms. She had never liked total darkness.

“Are you all right, baby?” He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his chest.

“The darkness…” Allara cleared her throat.

“Does it frighten you?” he asked softly and there was no jeering in his tone.

“It shouldn’t,” she said quickly. “I am a grown woman.”

“Yes, but does it?” he asked again.

“It…reminds me of when I was a child,” Allara admitted reluctantly. “When Aunt would put me in a dark closet for bad thoughts or deeds. She told me there were…monsters in the closet that would find me if I didn’t mend my ways.”

Actually, she had told Allara there were Kindred in the closet. She couldn’t help thinking how strange it was that one of the “monsters” of her childhood was now comforting her in the darkness so many years later.

He made a deep, rumbling noise of disapproval.

“That’s cruel. You must have been so frightened.”

“I was,” Allara admitted, pressing closer to him. His bare chest was warm and firm—the perfect pillow.

“Don’t worry about the dark. Just cuddle up with me, baby—I’ll keep you safe,” he murmured.

It was the second time he had mentioned that word.

“Husband,” she asked. “What is ‘cuddling’?”

“This is—what we’re doing now. Holding each other all warm and comfortable and close.” He pulled her closer and stroked her hair. “Do you like it?”

“It is…very nice,” Allara had to admit. She sighed and relaxed more fully against him. Never in a million cycles would she have dreamed of being so comfortable in the arms of her enemy.

But so many strange things had happened to her that day and she was so emotionally worn out, that nothing quite seemed to matter anymore. She could feel the weight of the skora around her throat, demanding that she do her duty. But how could she when he had not yet taken her?

I will simply have to wait, Allara told herself. For what else could she do?

Still mulling the problem over in her mind, Allara relaxed against the big Kindred’s side and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Fourteen

Gods, she felt good in his arms! Brand held his new bride protectively close, loving the way it felt when she snuggled trustingly against him. He was so glad he’d been able to calm her down and convince her that he wasn’t going to hurt her. So glad that her fear had given way to trust.

Poor little female, he thought, stroking her long, silky hair as she snuggled against his side. What kind of a relative is this aunt of hers anyway? How could she fill Allara’s head with horror stories about the Kindred and then send her off to marry one of us?

To think that during their entire wedding ceremony she was probably thinking, in the back of her mind, about how she expected him to rape her at the end of it! The very thought made Brand angry—furious.

But maybe the aunt had been told the same kinds of stories when she was young, he thought. The Q’ess had considered the Kindred to be their enemy for hundreds of cycles—three and thirty generations, as Allara had said. Maybe all they knew were old stories and lies and misinformation about a race of warriors they didn’t even really know.

I wonder what really happened to Allara’s ancestress? he thought.

Allara had said she was taken away and the Kindred had promised she would be returned in a standard month, but then she never came back.

Probably went through the Claiming Period and decided to stay and bond with the Kindred who took her, Brand thought.

Very few females who went through the Claiming Period ever left the Kindred who had Claimed them. Part of that was a Kindred’s Bonding Scent—the pheromone every warrior’s body made specifically to draw a specific female to him. And part of it was how eager the Kindred were to please their females.

The way I’m going to please Allara, he thought, stroking her hair gently again.

He couldn’t wait to bathe her gently and massage her with scented oils during the Bathing Week…or to spread her thighs and lap her sweet pussy during the Tasting week.

But he would have to take things slowly, he cautioned himself. She was a virgin and clearly had absolutely no experience at all. Everything he did with her would be new and different and possibly frightening to the little Q’ess female.

Which was why it was such a good thing she was sleeping in his arms tonight, Brand thought. The longer his Bonding Scent had to work on her, the more willing and eager she would be to let him touch her.