Awakening the Demon's Queen (6 page)

Rathan’s feet left the ground and the smell
of sulfur rose as demon-ire sizzled in the night air. “You die,
cur. How quickly is up to you.”

The wolf snarled, backed away. While it may
have been an easy match for a small, defenseless Dardaptoan female,
it stood no chance against a fully enraged demon.

“
You will not slink away
like a frightened jackal. You attacked my woman, who carries my
heir. Mine, High King of the Demonkin. Do you know the consequences
of that? I see you do.”

The wolf tried running away but Rathan
flashed in his path. The beast veered left. Rathan flashed into
that path, as well. But he could not take the time to play, not
with her lying so still. He grabbed the wolf and twisted the
creature’s neck with one jerk, then dropped the now naked body of a
man to the ground. With one gesture he incinerated the corpse,
before flashing to his woman’s side.

There was blood on her skull, her eyes closed
and her body still. But she still breathed. There were only two
ways to kill a Dardaptoan, even the females--blood loss and
starvation. But the wolf could have bitten her...he ran hands over
every inch of her, but found no bite mark.

He cradled her against his chest and stood,
after finding no other injury but the one to the back of her skull.
She’d wake eventually, probably with one hell of a headache. But
she would wake. In the meantime, he would carry her back to meet
with her daughter. Hopefully giving her that small thing would help
her forgive him for failing her.

****

Someone was holding her hand. Kindara opened
her eyes expecting to see the demon sitting next to her. Instead,
the most precious person in her world stared down at her. Kindara
felt her own widen. “Baby!”

Kindara rose to a sitting position and pulled
her daughter into her arms. “I was so worried! Are you hurt? Did
that beast do anything to you?”

Jierra shook her head no, then darted a
glance toward the left. Kindara realized they were in another cave,
this one smaller than the one she’d shared with the demon the night
before. Rathan sat next to an auburn-haired man that was no doubt
related to Leo Taniss. He looked just like the old bastard. Kindara
battled down the fear and nausea that the man evoked. This was not
Leo Taniss, no matter how much the wolf favored him physically.
“Mother...”

Kindara’s eyes narrowed. Jierra leaned closer
to whisper. “I think he’s my...”

“
Your what,
baby?”

“
Rajni.” Tears welled in her
daughter’s eyes. “What do I do?”

“
Oh, Ji...” Kindara wrapped
her arms tighter, rocking her and soothing her as she’d done when
Jierra was just a little girl. “Are you sure?”

Of course Jierra was sure. When you found
your Rajni, you knew. There were no questions as to the validity of
the feelings. A Dardaptoan woman just knew.

But her daughter was so unbelievably young to
find hers. It was almost unheard of. Kindara had been around two
hundred when she’d met Iavius and her brother was over six hundred
and had just met his Rajni. And for her Rajni to be a Taniss and a
Lupoiux...Kindara stiffened. Jierra looked at her. “What is it,
Mother?”

“
Ji, I want you to be
completely honest with me, ok?” She waited for her daughter to
respond. Jierra nodded. “Did the Lupoiux try to touch you? Did
he...Did you sleep with him?”

Jierra’s cheeks flamed, giving Kindara the
answer she needed long before the girl nodded. “Why?”

“
Stay very still a moment,”
Kindara said before shutting her eyes and seeking. She took her
time, carefully examining her child for the evidence of what she
suspected. Less than two minutes later she opened her eyes and
looked into her daughter’s. “Do you know anything about
their...mating habits?”

“
Not much. Other than the
obvious.” A flash of Jierra’s normal humor had her mouth twitching.
“And it was just once. And quick, I think. And it made him
angry.”

“
Ji, a true Lupoiux mating
always results in twins or triplets the first time. Did he say the
word mine during...what you did?” Kindara looked at the ceiling,
embarrassed. This was her baby! She knew Jierra hadn’t had sex
before. They should not be having this conversation now.

“
Yes. Several times.”
Jierra’s eyes widened and she jerked to stare at the Lupoiux, who
stared back. Kindara fought the urge to hiss at him.
“Why?”

“
Because, baby...he’s mated
you.”

Jierra shook her head. “No...”

“
Yes, baby. There are
babies. Two of them. I could feel them. Did he not tell
you?”

“
No. No. No.” Jierra shook
her head and Kindara had no trouble seeing the panic taking
hold.

Jierra was just a baby herself. In that
moment, seeing how scared her daughter was, Kindara wanted nothing
more than to rip the wolf’s head from his body. She hissed again,
this time loud enough to draw the men’s attention.

****

Rathan stepped across the den and dropped to
his knees beside his woman and her daughter. Her eyes flashed
Dardaptoan orange fury at him and he pulled back. “Pet?”

It was as if she didn’t even see him, her
focus was intent on Rand. Rathan kept his tone soothing, as he
reached a hand out to brush her cheek. “How are you feeling? Does
your head hurt very badly?”

“
You said he wouldn’t hurt
her!”

“
He didn’t.” Rathan was sure
of that. Rand might not have treated her as gently as he should
have, but he hadn’t hurt the girl.

“
He’s mated her!”

Rathan rocked back. Rand hadn’t mentioned
that. Kindara’s arms were tight around her daughter and she rocked
back and forth. But the rage was clear on her face. “I didn’t know
that.”

“
No surprise, she didn’t
either!”

Rathan knew the wolf would have had little
choice in the matter. If a Lupoiux found his mate and didn’t
consummate the match within thirty-six hours, it would be a sterile
union. It was an evolutionary element given to the Lupoiux because
they’d once been in so much danger that many males didn’t live long
enough to father children. So their race was given the urge to
procreate immediately upon meeting the females. And it always
resulted in a litter of pups--two or three pups in all--after the
first mating. After that a Lupoiux pairing reproduced about every
twelve years. “If she’s his mate, that was his right.”

It wasn’t like his species. Demons were free
to choose their consorts. Even hers, had some choice in the matter.
While they had their destined mates--Rajnis--they could choose to
live apart if they found they weren’t compatible. But from what he
understood, most Rajni pairs were extremely compatible.

“
To do so without telling
her? She’s so young and now there are two babes
growing!”

Rathan considered telling her there were
three babes growing, but knew that would increase the rage she was
feeling. Rage that could get her hurt. A Dardaptoan—male or
female—in full rage was sometimes enough to trigger a Lupoiux beast
to emerge. He needed to calm her down and quickly. “Babes are a
natural consequence of the Lupoiux mating. You do know that if he
hadn’t...given...her the babes now she never would have had
children? It was meant to happen now.”

“
He should have told her,
let her make the decision!” Her fangs were visible and she
trembled. Had she not held her daughter in her arms, he suspected
she would have lunged at the wolf. He couldn’t let that
happen.

“
Yes, he should have.” As
Rathan should have told her of the spawn growing within her. He
pushed away the guilt before continuing. “But now it is
done.”

She continued to hiss but the orange fury was
fading from her eyes. Still, Rathan did not try touching her. “I
want him dead, demon.”

“
Do you?” Rathan kept his
tone as soothing as he could. “Your daughter’s mate? Your
grandchildren’s father?”

Orange receded farther and Rathan knew she
listened. “He will not touch her again.”

“
Not if she doesn’t wish
it.” Rathan knew Rand wouldn’t force himself on a woman and he
strongly suspected that had there not been such a pressing time
element, he wouldn’t have bedded the girl yet. Rand’s hatred of
Dardaptoans was as strong as Kindara’s fear of the Taniss
males.

“
Ever. We’re going home, as
soon as possible. You think my brother will let him near her? He’ll
kill that dog first.”

“
Shh. Now isn’t the time to
worry about that. We need to get up the mountain as soon as
possible.” Rathan pulled the girl from her mother’s arms, ignoring
the protests. He handed her to the other man, not missing the way
Kindara’s rage flared. “No, Kindara. Now tell me, how does your
head feel? Can you walk? Do you need me to carry you?”

****

It wasn’t her head that pained her the most,
but her heart. Jierra’s life had changed so drastically in the last
forty-eight hours, and Kindara had been unable to protect her.
She’d failed her family. Once more a Taniss was to blame; no matter
what the outcome between the Lupoiux and her daughter, she doubted
that her anger would ever fade. “Of course I can walk!”

The demon retreated slightly, but he frowned
down at her. The worry in his face had her squirming.

“
Are you sure? The pace will
be more intense, now. We have to reach the grounds as quickly as
possible, and it’s a day and a half hike away.”

Why the urgency? “I can walk.”

His frown deepened. “You’ll walk until I
think you can’t. Then I shall carry you. I could carry you the
entire way, of course.”

“
Not necessary.” Kindara
shook her head, but she took his hand when he offered it. He pulled
her to her feet, and she felt her eyes widen when a rush of pain
settled behind her eyes. She clutched his hand tighter, not missing
the curse that slipped from his lips.

He scooped her to his chest, touched one
finger to his horn then her mouth. She didn’t catch what he
muttered as her eyes grew instantly heavy and everything went
dark.

Chapter Seven

Rathan smiled reassuringly at the girl when
she gasped and clutched at her mother. “She’s fine, poppet. I’ve
just made her sleep, is all. Help her head heal.”

“
She’ll be ok,
right?”

Poor child, had Rand done nothing to make her
feel safe with him? If he’d mated her he’d slept with her, yet she
was still so fearful of them? “Just sleeping, I promise. She’ll be
angry with me when she wakes, but at least she won’t be hurting.”
He cuddled his burden closer, then motioned for the girl to precede
him out of Rand’s den. “Stay close, ok?”

She avoided Rand’s hand as he leaned down to
help her from the entrance and Rathan caught the other male’s
darkening expression. What had happened between the two to make her
that skittish? It didn’t bode well for Rand’s future with his
mate.

She stayed at Rathan’s side throughout the
morning’s hike, though he suspected it was more to avoid Rand than
to stay by her mother.

Kindara slept deeply, her wrists crossed
behind his neck, and her legs tight around his waist. His nose was
buried in her hair for most of the journey. He enjoyed every moment
of it. It would take much maneuvering on his part to convince her
to let him keep her. But keep her, he would.

They hiked for several hours until Rathan
knew the girl couldn’t go much farther without resting. “Wolf!
Enough. Your mate must rest!”

He directed the girl to a fallen log, not
missing the grateful expression in her eyes as she dropped to lean
against it. He settled Kindara beside her, then commanded her to
wake. Her eyes flickered open and a small fist lashed out,
connecting with his chin.

“
Oh!”

“
I told you I don’t like you
doing that.”

“
But you were hurting.” And
knowing his female hurt superseded everything, including her
wishes.

“
So? It was my choice to
stay awake.”

“
Are you hurting now?”
Wasn’t that what mattered? He’d done what he needed to do for her.
Soon she’d learn that was behind all his actions—concern for
her.

She hesitated, eyes going puzzled. “No. The
pain is gone. And it shouldn’t be. Not for at least a few more
days.”

“
Because I can secrete a
pain-killing agent as well as a sleep aid. No species is immune to
it.” Many of his kind could do such things. The sleep aid helped
them induce their food sources to sleep so they could feed on their
fantasies. He wouldn’t tell her he could release four kinds of
aphrodisiacs yet, though. He doubted she’d find that fact
helpful.

“
Gods and goddesses, if I
could bottle that it would solve my problems.”

He struggled to catch her mumbled words; when
he did it puzzled him even more. “What problems?”

“
Mother has been searching
for medicines to help our people. We have no antibiotics, no pain
relievers, none of that like other Kinds.” Her daughter was
shoulder to shoulder with Kindara, and clutched her mother’s hand.
“She’s been searching for years.”

“
Too many of our people die
from things we should be able to cure.” Kindara’s eyes went bleak
and Rathan brushed a kiss over her brow. He knew why her people
were so cursed. They were the weakest of the Kind, all Dardaptoan
females were cursed by the god who’d created the Lupoiux to always
be weaker than the other Kind. It was why their men folk were so
fiercely protective. Female Dardaptoans were barely stronger than
female humans.