Dero's Bride (Norlanian Brides Book Five) Read online

  The employee break room was empty save for two security guards who were talking quietly at a table. She smiled at them as she opened the cooling unit and removed the container. Pilar had set aside a meal’s worth of her delicious food for Tarihn, insisting she take it home to enjoy. She was looking forward to not having to make something for herself when she got home.

  When she got back to her desk, she tucked the container in her bag and headed for the door. She kept her hover-machen parked in the side lot, where patients and other medical staff parked.

  The night was cool and she took a moment to inhale the crisp air. The sky was dark, but the stars were out in force and the twin moons made everything glow. Turning toward the parking lot, she walked along the front of the building and turned left. Just as she did, she was grabbed from behind and pushed against the wall. A large hand pressed to her mouth, stifling her scream of alarm as she stared into the face of a strange male. His dark hair was long and his skin was darkly tanned.

  She struggled, but he pinned her to the wall. He didn’t hurt her, but she couldn’t get free.

  “I won’t harm you,” he said, his voice rough.

  The sound of his voice made her body heat and her skin prickle. She was aroused, but she couldn’t figure out why; there wasn’t anything sexy about being pushed against a wall by a stranger.

  Lobbing her bag at him, she hit him in the shoulder, which did nothing to harm him because of the bad angle. He bared his teeth, and she gasped at their sharpness. She struggled harder, screaming against his hand and trying to get away. Two other males appeared, looking just like him – dark hair, dark skin, and sharp teeth.

  Her chest constricted and panic flooded her. She couldn’t calm down, and as her eyes rolled back in her head, her last thought was that he said he wouldn’t harm her. She hoped to stars he was telling the truth.

  * * *

  Dero wanted to kick himself for frightening the beautiful female. The moment he’d grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, he knew he was overreacting and scaring her. He wanted to tell her that he believed they were soul mates, that he was hers and she was his, but he couldn’t make his mouth form the words that his heart wanted him to say. He could only growl and promise not to hurt her.

  Hardly how he’d thought meeting his soul mate might go.

  When she fainted, he lifted her into his arms, trying not to revel in how much he liked holding her. She was tall and curved, with luscious dark hair and luminous brown eyes. He’d followed her scent and found her to smell exactly as he’d thought – sweet and wild.

  Villi moved forward and Dero growled at him.

  “Don’t growl at me, Dero. What have you done?”

  His hands tightened on the female. “I… She’s mine.”

  “She’s Norlanian, and you scared her so badly that she passed out,” Carus said.

  Dero bared his teeth at his brothers. “I was trying to talk to her.”

  Villi groaned in aggravation. “This isn’t good. What do you think you’re going to do with her?”

  Dero looked down at the female. What was he going to do with her? Take her home and love her forever. But he knew if he tried to take her to their city that his parents would be furious. His father was a leader, and he wouldn’t stand for Dero bringing a female with him without her consent. What he needed was time.

  “I’ll take her to one of the old wooing chambers in the mountain – the one where we found Sloan and Warrick. When she wakes, I’ll take care of her and ask her to be my soul mate.”

  Villi snarled. “You can’t take her like this. It could raise suspicion.”

  “I don’t care. Give me time to convince her to stay with me.”

  A small piece of paper slipped from the female’s pocket and Villi picked it up. He read “Pilar Rotahn, Academy Instructor, Caterer.” As he flipped the card over, he growled. “Mine.”

  “What?” Carus asked.

  Villi cleared his throat, which sounded like another growl. “I mean, the scent on this card belongs to–”

  “To who?” Dero asked.

  “I think to my soul mate. I need to find the street on this card and see if I’m right,” Villi said.

  “What in the stars is going on?” Carus demanded. “How can you both have found your soul mates? And what will we tell Mama and Papa?”

  Dero looked down at his female. He would do everything in his power to ensure that she agreed to be his mate.

  Villi said, “We need to talk to Dex. Let’s hurry.”

  They moved from the building and slipped into the darkness, staying away from the parking lot and well-lit areas. Dero carried his soul mate, trying hard not to jostle her. They reached the edge of the forest where they were meeting with Dex and his team. Villi looked at Dero and then the female.

  “I think you should inject her with the female serum.”

  “What?” Dero demanded. “Why would I do that?”

  “You’re planning to take her to a wooing chamber. The path is narrow and dangerous. If she awakens while you’re on the path, she could hurt herself, or you.”

  “She’ll also forget you,” Carus pointed out.

  They’d been given syringes filled with a serum that would render females and males unconscious. It was created to erase recent memories so anyone given the serum would forget who they’d seen.

  Villi shrugged. “We gave the serum to Warrick when we thought he had abducted Sloan. When he woke, he remembered us and what we’d done. Perhaps if she’s really your soul mate, the serum won’t erase her memory.”

  Dero hoped that was the case.

  Villi took out the blue-filled syringe and lifted the female’s sleeve to bare her upper arm. Dero didn’t like his brother touching her in any way.

  As the needle sank into her arm, she made a soft, pained sound and Dero growled. “Don’t hurt her.”

  “I’m not trying to,” Villi said.

  The female didn’t awaken.

  “Dex and the others will be here soon,” Carus said.

  “I’m going,” Dero said. “Thank you.”

  “You’ve got two dins to convince her to join you in our home,” Villi said.

  “I want a week.”

  “It’ll be hard enough to convince Dex not to come after you immediately. You can’t have a week,” Villi said.

  “Four dins, then.”

  “Three,” Villi countered.

  Tempted to put his soul mate down and beat his brother within an inch of his life, Dero instead said, “Fine. In three dins, I’ll travel with the female to the other side of the mountain. Watch for us when the sun sets.”

  Carus handed Dero the blue-filled syringe from his own pocket. “If she doesn’t want to come with you, you’ll have to take her back to the city and inject her again so she’ll lose her memory of you. Otherwise, she could lead the military to us.”

  “I won’t fail.”

  After saying goodbye to his brothers, he hurried to where the path led up the mountain to the wooing chambers. The one that Warrick had used was about halfway up the mountain; if he wanted to make it there before the sun rose and his female awoke from the drug, he needed to move swiftly.

  As he hurried, his mind spun with how he’d try to woo his female. He’d have to prove that he could provide for her and be a good mate. He had no idea what her life was like, but with him, she’d be the center of his universe. No matter what happened, he didn’t want to let her go. He knew he would never survive if she rejected him.

  Chapter 3

  When Dero reached the wooing chamber, he hurried into the alcove carved into the rock and gently laid his soul mate on the ground. She was still unconscious, but he’d been told that the drug only lasted a few hours; he was fast running out of time.

  Although there was no power arming the door, it was locked and he had to force it open. Pulling his knife from the holster on his thigh, he jammed the thick blade into the narrow space where the door connected to the rock.

&
nbsp; He poured all his strength into opening the door, forcing the blade down to where the locking mechanism held the door in place. The door groaned as it slowly pulled away from the doorjamb until he was able to free it. Propping it open with a rock, he removed a glow tube from his pack and cracked it. Shaking it vigorously until the liquid inside glowed bright yellow, he fisted the tube and then picked up his soul mate, carrying her inside. There was a sitting room, which contained a sofa and small table, and a kitchen area with a table and two chairs, along with a stove and cooling unit. He walked through the sitting area to the only bedroom. There was a large bed and a clothing cabinet, and a door that led to a bathing room.

  Pulling the covers back, he set his soul mate gently on the bed. Returning to the door, he kicked the rock away and closed it. The lock was broken now, and although he wasn’t worried about someone finding them, he was raised to be cautious about his surroundings. He jammed the blade of his knife on the other side of the door to prevent it from opening from the outside.

  Striding swiftly to the bedroom, he removed his soul mate’s shoes and pulled one of the thin blankets over her to make her more comfortable. Anxiety rolled through him as he wondered if she would reject him, but he pushed the thoughts away. They were soul mates. And even if she didn’t know about him and his people, she would feel a connection to him and give him a chance. That was all he really needed, an opportunity to show that he would be a worthy mate for her.

  He’d taken her from a world that valued their females only if they could breed. He would show her that he would value her for her heart and mind, and that he would be the best mate to her that any female had ever had.

  * * *

  Tarihn woke slowly, feeling sluggish and disoriented. Her legs and arms were heavy and her fingers and toes tingled. Opening her eyes, she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling that appeared to be carved out of stone. She blinked a few times, wondering if she was dreaming, but when the stone ceiling didn’t change at all, she knew she was awake.

  Thinking back, the last thing she remembered was leaving the medical center. She’d walked outside and headed toward her hover-machen, and then… everything went dark.

  She moved her hands next to her, curling her fingers into a blanket. She was on a bed in an unfamiliar room. And judging by the stone ceiling, she knew exactly where she was – a wooing chamber. Except that didn’t make sense; she was sterile, and no Norlanian male would go on a soul-walk for a female who couldn’t have offspring.

  The bed dipped and a male loomed over her. He had darkly tanned skin and long, black hair. Fear filled her for a brief moment, but just as quickly it disappeared.

  “My name is Dero. Please don’t be frightened,” he said. His voice was deep, sending shivers racing up and down her spine.

  He smiled, and she saw sharp teeth.

  She opened her mouth but her throat was dry.

  Dero moved to her side and lifted her up, holding a cup of liquid to her lips. He tipped the cup and the cool water slid over her parched tongue. She swallowed several mouthfuls before attempting to speak once more.

  “I’m Tarihn. Where am I?”

  He eased away from her to set the cup on a small table next to the bed. A glow tube was emitting a bright-enough light that she could see the room clearly. The only furniture in the room was the bed and a clothing cabinet. Two doors were open, one leading out of the room and one leading to a bathing room.

  “You’re in a wooing chamber. Do you remember me?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

  She stared at him, from the gloss of his dark hair to the curve of his full lips. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place from where. He didn’t look like any Norlanian male she’d ever seen.

  He reached for her hand, and when he linked his fingers with hers, awareness snapped through her. He’d pushed her against the wall of the medical center and told her they were soul mates.

  His grip tightened on her hand and he let out a soft growl. “You do remember me.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Yes. It’s fuzzy, but I remember you grabbing me outside of the medical center.”

  “I scared you,” he said gruffly. “I’m sorry. I never anticipated finding my soul mate in the city, and I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing you.”

  “Why did you bring me here?”

  “Because I want you to be mine.”

  “For what?”

  He scowled. “My mate.”

  Letting out a sharp laugh, she tugged her hand free of his and stood up. Her legs were a little weak still, but she straightened and looked down at him. “That’s not possible.”

  He climbed off the bed. “Why not? Am I so different from you that you can’t accept me?”

  “What? You’re acting crazier than a jingbug. I don’t mean our physical differences, I mean that I’m sterile. I’m no one’s soul mate.”

  He moved to her, catching her around the waist with one arm and cupping her face with the other. He was a head taller than her, broad shouldered and thick with muscles. Their bodies were a dichotomy, her curves to his hard muscles, but she still felt connected to him. Almost as if they belonged together. Except for the one glaring issue that she wasn’t worthy of being anyone’s soul mate, especially not a ruggedly handsome male like Dero.

  “I can hear your heart beating rapidly. Your skin is flushed and your eyes are bright. The scent of your arousal is so sweet. I know you’re attracted to me. Surely you can feel that I’m also attracted to you.”

  It would have been impossible to miss the ridge of his erection pressed against her.

  “Physical attraction doesn’t equal soul mates,” she pointed out.

  Part of her was shouting to stop trying to drive him away and willingly accept what he said. But the larger part of her, which had been ignored by virile males for many years, wasn’t willing to believe that he could overlook her faults.

  He smiled slowly. “So you do admit we’re soul mates.”

  “I… No, I didn’t,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  She refused to admit anything. Not how sexy his smile was. How amazing he smelled. Or that every time he said the words “soul mate,” her body temperature rose a few degrees.

  The smile slid away slowly, concern shining in the dark depths of his eyes. He pulled her arms apart and brought her hands to his lips, caressing the tops as he kept his gaze riveted to hers.

  She swallowed hard. His gaze was so intense that she felt like he could read her mind. And oh, the dirty thoughts that were swirling through her head!

  “I must be dreaming,” she whispered.

  He moved so swiftly that she found herself flat on her back on the bed, his body over hers. His arms were straight as he held himself above her, pressing his knee between her legs and slowly sliding them apart.

  He lowered himself until he was so close she could feel the heat from his body. She reached for him, curling her fingers into his long hair. The strands were soft and thick, and the scent of him – all male and heat – made her body flush.

  “You’re not dreaming, ilora,” he murmured, ghosting his lips over hers.

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  He nipped her bottom lip, the tiny sting setting her nerve endings on fire. “Lovely.”

  She tipped her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut. “What happens after?” She was so used to being left behind that it didn’t seem possible for a sexy male like Dero to want anything more from her than just sex.

  He growled softly and cupped her face, turning her gently until she was looking at him. “I want to take you home with me. I want to make you mine forever, Tarihn. Forget everything back in your world and be with me in mine.”

  “I can’t be a good mate for you. I’m flawed.”

  Stars, she hated repeating herself.

  He bared his teeth and another growl, that one not the least bit sexy, rumbled in his chest. “You are not flawed. You’re mine. Mine!”

 
He crushed his lips against hers and lowered his body, his erection pressing into the apex of her thighs and making all her protests disappear. He pushed her tunic up, sliding his rough, warm hands over her skin, before he lifted from her mouth. She grasped the hem of her top and the cami she wore underneath, tugging them both over her head.

  He looked down at her, playing his fingers lightly over the swell of her breasts. “I’ll never let you go, Tarihn.”

  His lips brushed over her hard nipples, and the whisper-soft contact made her stomach clench.

  “I don’t want you to let me go, Dero.”

  He licked a slow circle around one nipple and blew lightly over the wet flesh, bringing a gasp to her lips.

  Leaning up, he kissed her, sliding his tongue against hers as he undid the closure of her slacks. His eyes were nearly black with passion as he rose onto his knees, and the swift rise and fall of his chest let her know that he was just as affected by what was to come as she was. He jerked his tunic over his head and threw it to the side, then hooked his fingers in the waistband of her trousers and undergarment and pulled them smoothly off her legs.

  She had only a moment to appreciate his body, but she knew he was the most muscular male she’d ever seen in her life. Everything about him screamed strength and power, but in his dark gaze there was a tenderness that made her want to cry. She pushed the emotion away and concentrated on the male before her.

  His gaze slid up and down her body. “You are so lovely,” he said, his voice low and reverent.

  Before she could think of anything to say, he bent over her and pressed his lips to the skin above her navel. Then he kissed down her belly before pushing her legs apart and settling between them. She’d never had a male between her legs like this before. In her past experiences, the males had used their fingers to prepare her, although it hadn’t been anything like Dero using his thumbs to open the folds of her pussy and bare her to his gaze. He leaned forward and kissed her clit, his lips resting against the nub while he curled his hands around her knees and drew them over his shoulders. Her toes clenched, her heels digging into his back as he licked her clit slowly, wiggling the nub with his tongue.