at his
persistence and invited him to sit with her. Once Eran took the space on the
bench next to her, Vaan returned to his orders and plans. His men followed
suit, Miki no longer of interest to them if she was of no interest to their
Overlord. Her lips curled downward. The Warlords made it very clear that they
did not hold women in high regard. Or perhaps it was just her they hated as a
Raasa and not the Kaban woman they expected him to join with.
“Think carefully,
my little Mikayla.” Eran patted her on the shoulder. “Guard your tongue with
this one.”
She turned to the
only parent she’d ever known. “Do you think I made a mistake?”
His fangs popped
out with his broad smile and he switched to their language for privacy. “Are
you giving up at the first sign of challenge?”
Miki snorted and
reached for her warm cider. She needed the potent drink to relax her nerves.
“Ashaya made them seem…“ She tried to think of the right words. “Bigger than
life. Warriors betrayed by those they trusted. Honorable men with no chance to
prove their innocence.” The thought of spending her life with such a male
enticed her.
Eran leaned back
as a servant came over to place a steaming plate of vegetables and a mug of
cider in front of him. When the female chanced a glance at the Warlords seated
just a few feet away, she scurried off in fear. “Has something happened to
change your thoughts?”
“Yes,” she snapped
and then regretted her instant answer. “No.”
Eran chuckled and
scooped up his food with the wooden utensil. “How will you know the kind of men
they are if you judge them as harshly as others have? Look at them.” He nodded
his bald head to the right. Someone provided the Warlords with maps and some of
the original drawings of the lay-out of Miki’s home. They studied them
intensely and made markings on them. “They focus on a way to make your home
defensible when their thoughts must be on the friends and family they’ve lost.
They will never regain the years stolen from them. How many males do you know
who would not still rage hours later after such a discovery?”
Her noan was right
as always. She wrinkled her nose at him. The bond among the Warlords was not
hard to miss. They deferred to their Overlord but it was more. Mutual respect
resided between them. Her gaze strayed to him . Vaan Galip would soon be
hers until death severed the connection.
The Overlord wore
his long black hair back in a single tail. The other Warlords left their hair
to fall about their shoulders. Miki admitted to a fascination with the wavy
lengths. It was unusual to see a mature male with hair. It should have appeared
feminine but it added to their savage image. She liked it and wanted to touch
it again. Her brief touches in the cavern hinted at the softness amidst their
hardness.
“I have misjudged
them.” Miki hated to feel this way. She considered herself fair in her dealings
but her actions with the Warlords at this point reflected the ways of a blinded
female.
“Possibly.” Eran
finished his meal and raised his eyes to hers. “Or possibly you wish to force
them to act as Raasa when they are Kabanian no matter where they choose to
reside.”
“You speak truth
and your words are full of wisdom. I shall treat him as my most honored mate
and gently guide him in the way our True Union should be.”
His eyes crinkled
in merriment. “Let’s not ask for amazing feats in such a short frame of time.”
Miki slapped his
arm playfully. “You jest, noan.”
“I believe the
Overlord has met his match.”
Indeed he has,
Miki thought, once again allowing her eyes to rest on the man she’d chosen. His
head bent as he described what he wanted and tapped the papers before him. Her
servants had offered serviceable tunics to them but the frowned responses conveyed
the Warlords thoughts on that article of clothing clearly.
Not that Miki
minded. The lack of a shirt gave her the opportunity to enjoy the
persistence and invited him to sit with her. Once Eran took the space on the
bench next to her, Vaan returned to his orders and plans. His men followed
suit, Miki no longer of interest to them if she was of no interest to their
Overlord. Her lips curled downward. The Warlords made it very clear that they
did not hold women in high regard. Or perhaps it was just her they hated as a
Raasa and not the Kaban woman they expected him to join with.
“Think carefully,
my little Mikayla.” Eran patted her on the shoulder. “Guard your tongue with
this one.”
She turned to the
only parent she’d ever known. “Do you think I made a mistake?”
His fangs popped
out with his broad smile and he switched to their language for privacy. “Are
you giving up at the first sign of challenge?”
Miki snorted and
reached for her warm cider. She needed the potent drink to relax her nerves.
“Ashaya made them seem…“ She tried to think of the right words. “Bigger than
life. Warriors betrayed by those they trusted. Honorable men with no chance to
prove their innocence.” The thought of spending her life with such a male
enticed her.
Eran leaned back
as a servant came over to place a steaming plate of vegetables and a mug of
cider in front of him. When the female chanced a glance at the Warlords seated
just a few feet away, she scurried off in fear. “Has something happened to
change your thoughts?”
“Yes,” she snapped
and then regretted her instant answer. “No.”
Eran chuckled and
scooped up his food with the wooden utensil. “How will you know the kind of men
they are if you judge them as harshly as others have? Look at them.” He nodded
his bald head to the right. Someone provided the Warlords with maps and some of
the original drawings of the lay-out of Miki’s home. They studied them
intensely and made markings on them. “They focus on a way to make your home
defensible when their thoughts must be on the friends and family they’ve lost.
They will never regain the years stolen from them. How many males do you know
who would not still rage hours later after such a discovery?”
Her noan was right
as always. She wrinkled her nose at him. The bond among the Warlords was not
hard to miss. They deferred to their Overlord but it was more. Mutual respect
resided between them. Her gaze strayed to him . Vaan Galip would soon be
hers until death severed the connection.
The Overlord wore
his long black hair back in a single tail. The other Warlords left their hair
to fall about their shoulders. Miki admitted to a fascination with the wavy
lengths. It was unusual to see a mature male with hair. It should have appeared
feminine but it added to their savage image. She liked it and wanted to touch
it again. Her brief touches in the cavern hinted at the softness amidst their
hardness.
“I have misjudged
them.” Miki hated to feel this way. She considered herself fair in her dealings
but her actions with the Warlords at this point reflected the ways of a blinded
female.
“Possibly.” Eran
finished his meal and raised his eyes to hers. “Or possibly you wish to force
them to act as Raasa when they are Kabanian no matter where they choose to
reside.”
“You speak truth
and your words are full of wisdom. I shall treat him as my most honored mate
and gently guide him in the way our True Union should be.”
His eyes crinkled
in merriment. “Let’s not ask for amazing feats in such a short frame of time.”
Miki slapped his
arm playfully. “You jest, noan.”
“I believe the
Overlord has met his match.”
Indeed he has,
Miki thought, once again allowing her eyes to rest on the man she’d chosen. His
head bent as he described what he wanted and tapped the papers before him. Her
servants had offered serviceable tunics to them but the frowned responses conveyed
the Warlords thoughts on that article of clothing clearly.
Not that Miki
minded. The lack of a shirt gave her the opportunity to enjoy the
Similar Books
