War Bride
* * * * *
Skyla rested her hands on the masterfully carved stone railing and watched the sun sink into the sea. The back terrace of Lux Manor looked out over the shimmering water, so Skyla found herself here often, enjoying the brisk sea air and panoramic view. It had been two weeks since Kryton brought her to his massive estate, and then silently flew away. If it weren’t for Tonn, she might have locked herself in her lavish bedroom and refused to come out. But Tonn’s patient humor and optimism kept her from succumbing to self-pity. And armed guards prevented her from leaving the premises.
The guards also made the situation perfectly clear. Kryton might not want to call her a war bride any longer, but as long as she was his prisoner she was not his morautu.
“Shall I go find you a jacket?” Tonn asked from a short distance away. He always gave her space unless she invited him to join her. She’d been particularly moody today, so he’d followed her around like a frustrated shadow. “The temperature drops quickly once the sun has gone down.”
“It feels good. I’ll go inside if I get cold.”
“All right.” She hadn’t given him permission to approach, but he moved closer anyway. “It’s more than obvious that you two quarreled. Will you please tell me what went wrong?”
She turned toward him, leaning her hip against the stone railing. “What did Kryton tell you?”
“Nothing. He told me to keep you out of trouble and that was all.”
She’d wondered why Tonn had been allowed, more like forced, to accompany her. He might be compassionate and an extremely good listener, but he was clearly out of his element surrounded by luxury. She suspected this was punishment for being so nice to her. “Kryton made a very appealing offer, but I wasn’t convinced he was sincere.” She motioned to one of the many guards skulking about the property. “Apparently, I was right.”
He glanced at the guard then shook his head. “What do the guards have to do with you and Kryton?”
“He told me I was no longer his war bride, that he wanted to make me his morautu.”
Tonn’s eyes rounded comically and his jaw dropped open. “What did you say to that?”
She bristled at the panic in his tone. Already she could tell he blamed her for what followed. “I asked him if I was free to go. A chosen mate is not a prisoner, so I should have been free to do as I pleased.”
“And it pleased you to leave him?” He shook his head as sadness clouded his expression. “You have no idea how hard it was for him to make that offer. Emotions of any sort are incredibly hard for Kryton to express. He’s endured so much pain that he turned his heart to stone merely to survive.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him, but I won’t be hurt by him either.” She turned back to the twilight sea and watched the waves crash against the rocky shore. “He can’t expect me to offer my heart while I’m still his prisoner.”
“As soon as you trusted him with your heart, he would have set you free.”
“You don’t know that,” she snapped, but his words rang true and regret nearly choked her. “Why do I have to make the first move? That’s so unfair.”
Tonn’s expression hardened and he shook his head again. “If you were truly his war bride, you would be carrying his child by now. War brides are slaves, forced to do the will of their Rodyte masters. Kryton has been courting you since the moment you awakened. Can you truly not see the difference?”
She thought of how drastically his behavior had changed since that first night in the tiny cabin. He’d made concession after concession, trying to ease her fear and earn her trust. Even after she invaded his privacy, twice, he’d offered her the sort of relationship she’d always dreamed about. And she’d thrown the offer back in his face.
“He kidnaped me,” she cried. “And he’s a Rodyte. I thought he was just saying what I wanted to hear so I’d give him a child.”
“I know you desire him, but is lust all you feel?”
The time for denials had passed. She would never find her way out of this tangle if she didn’t start being honest with herself. “I care for him much more than I want to, but I still find it hard to trust him.”
“That’s understandable. But think back over your time together. Has he ever lied to you?”
“Are you serious?” She shook her head, unable to hide her disbelief. “If I’m not really a war bride, as you claim, then everything he said to me was a lie.”
Conviction crept into Tonn’s tone as he responded to her accusation. “He was playing a part, acting as you expected a Rodyte to act. He needed you to hate him enough to do anything to escape him, even agree to help rescue his son.”
But she didn’t hate him. She’d fallen in love with him instead.
“Has he ever broken a promise to you?” Tonn persisted.
“He was about to.” But the thought she’d overheard could have indicated his determination to claim her as mate rather than his willingness to deceive her. She shook her head, heart thudding rapidly against her ribs.
“Is there anything you’ve asked of him that he’s refused to do?”
“Other than freeing me?”
Challenge arched Tonn’s dark brows. “You spent the last six years searching for a genetically compatible male. Why are you so eager to escape now that you’ve found one?”
“He didn’t contact me like a civilized suitor. He kidnapped me!”
“Why do you think that is?” he shot back. “Would you have taken his suit seriously if he contacted you through the mate finder?”
She gasped. “How do you know about that?”
Tonn laughed and looked out into the night. “Where do you think he got your DNA profile and a list of your abilities? Bride hunters have used those charlatans for decades to find compatible brides.”
She thought about all the information she’d given the mate finder. Her interests and abilities. Her background and aspirations. She’d made it incredibly easy for Kryton to find what he needed. “This is unbelievable. We’re doing it to ourselves.”
“No,” he stressed as he turned his head back toward her. “The warriors are to blame. You did nothing wrong.”
“But what about Kryton? Was it his intention to woo me from the start, or did his attitude evolve over time?”
It took him a moment to answer. “If you’d been a true war bride, he would have claimed you that first night.” He waited until she looked into his eyes before he added, “Your courtship might have been unconventional, but he has always been courting you.”
“Oh, Tonn, I’m such a fool.” She covered her mouth with her hand as a sob broke loose inside her.
Tonn wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Would you like me to com him? He can be here in less than an hour.”
“Please, but don’t tell him what I want. Just tell him I’m ready to talk.”