said thickly. He looked farther down and gave a short laugh. “And you are red!”
Kinara felt the blood drain from her face. “Listen, you really don’t want to do this. I kind of snuck out and the guy who’s already picked me has a temper.”
The warrior chuckled, pressing her against the wall. “There is no warrior I fear.”
“No!” Kinara cried just before his lips mashed into hers.
She felt him trying to pry her lips apart with his thick tongue. His hand grabbed her breast painfully and she tried to twist away.
Suddenly the warrior’s weight was gone and she was free.
Off-balanced by the unexpected release, Kinara barely kept upright. She caught herself against the wall and instantly pulled the robe closed.
Aidar threw the warrior against the opposite wall. The impact of all that bulk hit so hard she felt the vibration through the floor.
The warrior shook his head blearily, blinking up at Aidar.
“This woman is mine!” Aidar roared.
The warrior looked from Aidar to Kinara and back again. The warrior’s jaw hardened. “I will fight for her.”
Another warrior came at a run. He and Aidar were of a height, but this warrior was dark-haired and slighter. He spared Kinara a glance then turned his attention to the other Az-kye.
The warrior on the floor got to his feet. “I will take challenge tomorrow.”
“No,” Aidar snarled. “ Now .”
The warrior smirked at Kinara and gave a nod. “Now.”
Aidar faced her as the warrior strode away. His gaze was stormy. “Are you hurt?”
Kinara shook her head. “You got here before it got really bad.”
“I bid you stay in our quarters.” His dark eyes smoldered. “You disobeyed me.”
She shakily pushed her hair out of her face. “I wanted to take a walk.”
His nostrils flared.
“What’s going on?” she asked quickly. “What challenge is that guy talking about?”
Aidar’s face went hard and he turned away.
Kinara ran after him, the other warrior following. “Damn it, Aidar! Tell me what’s going on!”
He stopped, his dark eyes narrow and dangerous. “You will never lie to me again. What do you here?”
“I was just . . .” She suddenly found it hard to meet his gaze. “I was going to get my crew out,” she mumbled.
“And now you will see a man die for you,” Aidar growled. “Dael, see to this woman until challenge is decided.”
He strode away and Kinara looked at the warrior beside her.
“What’s he talking about?” She’d never heard of anything called “challenges.” “What does he mean, I’ll see a man die?”
Dael gave her a surprised glance. “Aidar and Malm will meet in the Circle.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“They will fight for you.”
“Wait, what?” Kinara’s breath stopped. “You mean— They’re not going to kill each other, over me ?”
Dael shook his head. “Only one of them need die.”
She suddenly remembered the feel of him, his body warm in her arms. Kinara started down the corridor Aidar had taken. “I have to talk to him.”
Dael stepped in front of her. “You may not.”
Kinara tried to step around him but Dael moved to block her way.
“Listen,” she snapped. “This is ridiculous! That guy can’t fight for me. I’m taken. I’m already married to Aidar.”
“You are his bound mate?” Dael’s eyes were wide. “You speak the truth?”
“Yeah, I speak the truth. So move out of my way, warrior. Believe me, I don’t have any interest in that guy,” Kinara said, shuddering. “I need to tell Aidar there’s no reason for him to fight. Come on, starblast it, move! ”
“You may not speak to him until after challenge is decided.”
“What I’m going to do,” Kinara gritted out as she tried to push past, “is stop any challenge from taking place at all.”
Dael shook his head again. “Challenge is accepted. You cannot stop it. Aidar cannot fail to protect his bound mate. It is better he dies.”
Kinara froze. “‘Better he dies’?
Kinara felt the blood drain from her face. “Listen, you really don’t want to do this. I kind of snuck out and the guy who’s already picked me has a temper.”
The warrior chuckled, pressing her against the wall. “There is no warrior I fear.”
“No!” Kinara cried just before his lips mashed into hers.
She felt him trying to pry her lips apart with his thick tongue. His hand grabbed her breast painfully and she tried to twist away.
Suddenly the warrior’s weight was gone and she was free.
Off-balanced by the unexpected release, Kinara barely kept upright. She caught herself against the wall and instantly pulled the robe closed.
Aidar threw the warrior against the opposite wall. The impact of all that bulk hit so hard she felt the vibration through the floor.
The warrior shook his head blearily, blinking up at Aidar.
“This woman is mine!” Aidar roared.
The warrior looked from Aidar to Kinara and back again. The warrior’s jaw hardened. “I will fight for her.”
Another warrior came at a run. He and Aidar were of a height, but this warrior was dark-haired and slighter. He spared Kinara a glance then turned his attention to the other Az-kye.
The warrior on the floor got to his feet. “I will take challenge tomorrow.”
“No,” Aidar snarled. “ Now .”
The warrior smirked at Kinara and gave a nod. “Now.”
Aidar faced her as the warrior strode away. His gaze was stormy. “Are you hurt?”
Kinara shook her head. “You got here before it got really bad.”
“I bid you stay in our quarters.” His dark eyes smoldered. “You disobeyed me.”
She shakily pushed her hair out of her face. “I wanted to take a walk.”
His nostrils flared.
“What’s going on?” she asked quickly. “What challenge is that guy talking about?”
Aidar’s face went hard and he turned away.
Kinara ran after him, the other warrior following. “Damn it, Aidar! Tell me what’s going on!”
He stopped, his dark eyes narrow and dangerous. “You will never lie to me again. What do you here?”
“I was just . . .” She suddenly found it hard to meet his gaze. “I was going to get my crew out,” she mumbled.
“And now you will see a man die for you,” Aidar growled. “Dael, see to this woman until challenge is decided.”
He strode away and Kinara looked at the warrior beside her.
“What’s he talking about?” She’d never heard of anything called “challenges.” “What does he mean, I’ll see a man die?”
Dael gave her a surprised glance. “Aidar and Malm will meet in the Circle.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“They will fight for you.”
“Wait, what?” Kinara’s breath stopped. “You mean— They’re not going to kill each other, over me ?”
Dael shook his head. “Only one of them need die.”
She suddenly remembered the feel of him, his body warm in her arms. Kinara started down the corridor Aidar had taken. “I have to talk to him.”
Dael stepped in front of her. “You may not.”
Kinara tried to step around him but Dael moved to block her way.
“Listen,” she snapped. “This is ridiculous! That guy can’t fight for me. I’m taken. I’m already married to Aidar.”
“You are his bound mate?” Dael’s eyes were wide. “You speak the truth?”
“Yeah, I speak the truth. So move out of my way, warrior. Believe me, I don’t have any interest in that guy,” Kinara said, shuddering. “I need to tell Aidar there’s no reason for him to fight. Come on, starblast it, move! ”
“You may not speak to him until after challenge is decided.”
“What I’m going to do,” Kinara gritted out as she tried to push past, “is stop any challenge from taking place at all.”
Dael shook his head again. “Challenge is accepted. You cannot stop it. Aidar cannot fail to protect his bound mate. It is better he dies.”
Kinara froze. “‘Better he dies’?
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