Primal Encounter Excerpt

Chapter One

A cold droplet of water splattered against her arm and pulled her out of the calm, quiet darkness surrounding her. Dari shivered as a chill sent shivers rolling through her body. She knew something was wrong. Her mind felt slow and her body felt heavy. For a moment, she lay on the hard floor, stared at the rough-looking surface of the gray ceiling above her and tried to remember what had happened. She turned her head and blinked. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing at first. Thick gray metal bars loomed in front of her. The musty damp rotting odor hanging heavily in the air proved she wasn’t having a nightmare. Where am I? The question seemed to echo in her mind without an answer. She tried to sit, wanting to see more of the area around her. Pain spiked behind her eyes. She groaned, falling back to the hard stone. She focused on staying still, hoping that the pain would fade soon.

Her mind wouldn’t stop in spite of the pain. Rioche! Frustration, anger and fear mixed inside of her. This kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen now that the pack had males. She had been taken. That one simple glance had been enough. She was in some kind of cell. Why she’d been taken, by whom and for what reason were the only real questions. She didn’t know of any enemies near Deirion where they’d been trading. There shouldn’t have been any trouble on that little trip. She was almost certain her captors didn’t want her dead. If they had, they could have easily done it while she’d been unconscious. Even with her captors killing her pretty much out of her mind, there were still some reasons for her capture that sent chills down her back. She didn’t even want to think of being a sex slave or an exhibit in some exotic zoo.

The stone floor felt cold and almost wet even through the fabric of her shirt and pants. She wondered how they’d taken her. She’d been in the market on Deirion, waiting for Teril and some of the other males to finish trading. A little of the blame for her capture could rest with her. Some things at one of the stalls had caught her attention. She had wandered away from the men escorting her as well as the other women. Even with the small distance between them, she knew that the males would still have been able to sense her presence. The men who’d taken her should never have been able to get her out of the market much less off the world without Teril and the other Zarain knowing about it. It didn’t make any sense.

Achan Raven would probably take away her traveling privileges just for wandering. She knew she hadn’t tried to leave or any of the other accusations that would be leveled against her. The fact remained that she couldn’t remember exactly what had happened after she’d moved away from the escort. This was one time she wished she’d followed the rules and requested an escort even though it would have irritated her. It shouldn’t have been necessary, but this time, it seemed that the overly cautious males had been right. Although some of the new restrictions did bother her, overall she was happy with the new structure of the pack. There were advantages to having those big males around the Taivain.

Dari slowly levered into a sitting position. Bright spots flashed in front of her eyes and hot pain lanced through her head. It wasn’t as bad as last time. The change in position hurt, but she didn’t stop moving. She needed answers. Laying on her back staring up at the dark gray stone ceiling wasn’t going to get them. She had no idea if Teril and some of the men had followed after she’d been taken or if they might have been taken as well. They might have tried to stop it and the only way to know was to get moving and see if she could learn anything useful.

Her extended feet almost touched the opposite cell wall. A quick glance to the sides revealed a narrow space, probably just beyond her fingertips when her arms were spread wide. The bars were thick and looked to be deeply embedded into the stone. There wasn’t a bunk or a chair in the small space. Her cell didn’t even have a window. The only light came from outside of her cell, farther down the corridor. With only the sound of dripping water, she felt isolated and alone. That flickering light was reassuring in a way. Someone had to have lit it and they would probably be back.

She heard a door open somewhere down the hallway to the right. Even though she had a pretty good angle of view, she couldn’t see anything. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Light bobbed as the footsteps came even closer. She first saw a thin older man in long, blue robes. Four large men followed behind the man. Obvious protection and muscle. Short, yellow gold hair framed the older man’s pale face. He held the swaying lantern and leaned forward to peer into the cell. The crowd outside of the cell made the small space seem even tighter. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. She needed to get out of here. If he’d been alone, she’d have probably tried for a grab at him. The men with him held her back. Well, the sight of the swords hanging at their sides did.

“It’s good to see you’re awake and alive,” the man said. A cold smile curved his lips.

She blinked. Okay, why would he doubt she’d be alive? What had they done to her? Her head still felt a little cloudy from some drug, but she didn’t feel too bad. She didn’t say anything. If he wanted to talk, she wasn’t going to interrupt. She’d need every bit of information she could get to escape. If it was possible. If not, she’d have to wait for rescue or make an opportunity to escape.

“You don’t even seem as woozy as the other women have been.” One of the man’s hands gripped the bar and his head tipped to the side. His eyes ran over her as if he was trying to work out why she’d fared so well.

Other women? What was this place? She slowly straightened, her muscles tensed. Had she been taken by slavers? What was she going to do?

“Come to the door. This isn’t where you’ll be staying.” The man’s robes swirled around his sandaled feet as he stepped away from the cell door.

Some choice. Get dragged out or walk docilely with her captors. The only thing that held her back was the fact that she could be hurt if she fought. Risking a later chance to escape wasn’t worth the satisfaction she might feel at slamming her fist into his face. She stood and slowly took the single step forward to the door. Her heart raced. She didn’t want to go with them and every instinct demanded that she fight, but experience told her that there might be an advantage in waiting. She was outnumbered and they had weapons. If she could change just one of those factors, it could make the difference between life and death. The only choice at the moment was to cooperate.

The barred door swung open. Two of the warriors stepped back letting her walk out of the cell. The tips of their swords tracked her movement. She didn’t try any stupid moves. It did cross her mind. She might want to slam one of those men’s head into the wall, but the temporary satisfaction wasn’t worth it.

“Walk. Follow the two men in front of you. There are some people who will be very interested in seeing you.” The older man’s voice sounded too cheerful, as if he was holding back laughter.

A growl rumbled in her throat, but she bit it back. Patient, be patient, she silently chanted. There would be a time to take care of him. There was always a way out of any situation. She had the advantage of having people who wouldn’t stop looking for her. If she couldn’t escape, they would find her.

Two of the men led the way down a dimly-lit, pale white-gray stone hallway. Descending a dark staircase, she wondered where they were taking her. She grew even more curious when they led her out of a building. Glancing to the left, she saw that they’d just left a large brick building, but it didn’t look fortified. She was escorted down the street. The few people on the street moved out of the way as the two men led the way. The citizens didn’t seem surprised to see the parade. That told her more than the their expressions and frightened her down to her toes. This was a fairly common scene for them. A large high-walled structure loomed in front them.

As they neared the curved walls of the light brown-colored stone building, she tensed. She felt the presence of other Zarain to the left. She stole a glance from the corner of her eyes. The street wasn’t crowded, but she didn’t see anyone she recognized. Not one single man on the street looked big enough to be a Zarain male.

She knew it wouldn’t be the females of her pack. Not yet. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious and missing, but it had probably only been a day, maybe two. Acine Caidi would give the Achan a chance to find her before she stepped in to help.

So who were the Zarain out there and what were they doing here?

The guards led her into the large building with high, curved walls. From what she could see, the building didn’t have a roof. She had no idea what purpose it would serve. The men led her through a small door and into a narrow hallway. She followed them cautiously down a steep staircase. Eventually, the men stopped in front of a thick-barred gate. She shifted uneasily. She couldn’t see anything but darkness beyond it. The tip of a sword prodded her in the back as the two guards in front of her moved to the sides.

Chains rattled and metal screeched as it grated against the stone. She winced and tensed as a rush of energy pulsed through her. She wanted to whirl around and run back up those steps. The metal gate slowly rose. The cold sharp sword tip pressed against the small of her back. She felt the keen edge even through the sturdy fabric of her red shirt. Taking a deep breath she stepped forward. She didn’t take the chance that the man would cut her if she refused.

She stopped instinctively when she reached the doorway and found a sheer edge. She could see a dirt floor far below her. A hand landed between her shoulder blades, shoving hard. Her arms flailing uselessly, she lurched forward. She gasped. Trying to turn in the air, she landed awkwardly on hard-packed dirt. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Turning onto her side, she looked up at that opening and frowned. Almost two full body lengths above her, it was well out of easy reach.

The feeling of other Zarain approaching drew her gaze away from the gate lowering over the doorway. Grimacing, she rolled to her feet and faced the approaching men. Years of habit had her looking for a way out of the large room. She grabbed hold of the impulse to run and kept her feet planted on the ground. This wasn’t past and she had nothing to fear from these men. She had a pack. In a way, the feeling of the other Zarain was a little relieving. She wasn’t alone here. She supposed there was some good in that, but it complicated things.

As she waited for them to get closer, she took a better look around the area. Lanterns and torches lit the large room. It seemed to a mostly open room with walls of the same light brown stone she’d seen outside. Large columns were spaced throughout the huge room, but they weren’t decorative. She could make out some furniture in the light behind them, but didn’t see any bedding.

She still wondered why she’d been taken, but pushed the concern aside as the men drew a little closer. At first, they seemed like faceless shadows with all of the light behind them. Large shadow figures at that, but they must have realized she’d have a bit of difficulty seeing them. One of the men grabbed a lantern and brought it forward.

All of the men she could see had blond hair. Most of them very light blond hair. They seemed at ease with each other. A couple of them even looked alike. She bit her lip. Maybe they were all from the same pack. Although how they’d caught that many Zarain at once, she couldn’t guess. Their clothing had seen better days. Ripped, torn and in some places mended, the cloth and leather showed obvious signs of wear. It was clear they’d been here for a while. The Zarain she’d felt out on the street could very well be here after these men.

“Where’d they get you from?” A man with golden hair took a step forward, a smile on his face. His eyes traced over her body from head to toe and back up again.

She licked her lips. “A market, I think. I don’t really remember much.”

“How’d they get you? Where were the men of your…group?” The blond shot a significant glance up at the gate.

Dari frowned and opened her mouth to answer. She didn’t have time. A man with silver hair stepped out of the shadows. She drew in a breath. He looked almost as if he didn’t belong on this world with that long straight silver hair and silver eyes. His light golden tan only emphasized the impression. He seemed almost too perfect. Only his muscular, broad-shouldered build and the tattoos on his arms made him seem a bit more real.

“They captured her. She doesn’t have a…group. If she did, they wouldn’t have succeeded.” He crossed his arms over a chest covered by a dark blue sleeveless tunic. From the look of it, it hadn’t started out sleeveless. She could also see smudges of dirt on the shirt as well as a ragged edge where it had been snagged.

“You’re wrong. I have a group. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but my group doesn’t treat me like a prisoner,” she said from between teeth clenched so tight her jaw ached. Her hands fisted at her side.

The silver-haired man shook his head slowly. “You know better. We don’t leave our women unprotected.”

Arrogant, know-it-all man. How she’d enjoy proving him wrong, but she didn’t plan to be here long enough for that to happen. In fact, those Zarain she sensed should free them within a few days. These men might or might not be of their pack, but the Zarain would at least try a rescue. The man did have part of his assumption right even though his implication that she should behave like a meek obedient cub was wrong. Zarain males were annoyingly overprotective about female Zarain. Those men had sensed her, probably even saw her. They wouldn’t just walk away.

“You’ve landed in a bit of trouble, but we’ll take care of you. There are chairs and tables over here. We can talk.” The silver-haired man gestured over his shoulder toward the area where she’d seen the furniture.

“Why did they take you? What are they doing here?” Dari asked.

“We’ll talk over there.” He turned and walked away without another word.

The other men followed him. Arrogant ass. He hadn’t introduced himself as an Achan, but she knew he held some power. The attitude was unmistakable. She glared at his back. She was certain she dealing with an alpha even if he wasn’t an Achan. The man was too used to having his orders followed. Dari sighed and walked slowly after them. As she trailed behind them, a scent teased her nostrils. She felt arousal slowly building and heat began boiling inside of her.

She closed her eyes. Goddess, she didn’t need this. Not now. Finding a mate wasn’t a bad thing, but the timing was impossible. She couldn’t just go off with him, whichever one of those men he was. She had a responsibility to let her pack know that she was safe. The silver-haired man had already made it clear he didn’t believe she had a pack. She didn’t think he’d suddenly decide to believe her or let her get in touch with a group he considered mythical. Somehow she had to find a way to let Achan Raven and Acine Caidi know she was safe. Even if it did interfere with her future life.

A rough wood plank table had been placed almost as far away from the opening she’d been shoved through as it could be. A few of the men sat at the table, but most of the twenty or so men sat in chairs or stood in groups talking to each other. They didn’t seem to see anything strange about a woman being thrown into this room. Maybe it was something routine that happened here. She wasn’t the only woman in the room. A few other women sat in various places around the room. So it probably had happened before.

She took a seat at the table, clutching at the unfinished wooden edge. It felt rough against her fingertips. She knew she’d probably get a splinter if she didn’t watch what she was doing, but her entire body was tense. She couldn’t relax her grip. Energy and desire bubbled inside of her. Claws began to push against her nails, threatening to burst free. She itched to get out of the seat, to move. The urge to walk around the room sniffing every one of the men until she discovered which one of them was her mate was almost irresistible.

“What are the people doing here and why did they take me out of the market?” Dari asked aggressively. She really wasn’t in the mood to wait around for answers. She didn’t think she could keep the urges at bay for long.

“What’s your name?” The silver-haired man asked.

Dari had no doubt that he’d deliberately ignored her question. It was a not so subtle reminder that he was male with a good deal of alpha tendencies. He wouldn’t meekly answer her questions or follow her orders.

“Dari Reshal and my questions.” She rolled her eyes. Even though she understood that he’d want to make sure she knew he’d be in control, it was frustrating in the extreme. The gnawing urge inside of her to find her mate grew with every breath. She knew there was no other choice but to let him have his way. He wouldn’t answer any of her questions until he was ready to do so.

“Not curious about our names?” The silver-haired man raised a brow lazily.

He looked much too relaxed, but she could see the glint of amusement and determination in his eyes. She cursed that male stubborn streak inherent in most warriors. He’d respect the pack leader, but he wouldn’t be intimidated by a warrior. What she wouldn’t give for a man she could scare into answering all of her questions.

Why did he have to be so difficult? She shook her head. Why were their names so important? It wasn’t as if they’d be getting out of here in the next few moments. They’d have time later to exchange names. This all essentially amounted to a power game and it infuriated her. The light in those silver eyes told her he was purposely obstructing her. Probably just to draw a reaction.

“What are your names?” She exhaled heavily.

The need in her belly curled into a tight ache. Once she knew their names or at least some of them, she could get the more important questions answered. Hopefully. She didn’t know how much longer she could resist the needs. She needed to find that man. He probably knew just how much this delay was bothering her. He might not see her frustration, but he had to see her tension. The only thing he wouldn’t know was why. He couldn’t know just why she wanted to get this basic information out of the way. If he knew that she had a mate among the men here, he’d probably be escorting her around the group right now. As galling as it sounded, it was looking more and more attractive as time passed. Before that happened, she wanted some answers.

“My name is Rygar Verasain, to my left is Gavik, Sian, Marin, and Alden.”

She wasn’t going to ask if those last four had last names. It would take too much time. She just nodded. “Now, can you tell me what the people are doing here? Why did they take me? That is all of your questions, right?”

“Well, you’re supposed to be entertainment for us. The building is an arena. They pit us against other men, sometimes beasts. Don’t worry. Our pack will be coming for us.” Rygar tilted his head, his eyes on her face. Apparently he’d decided to ignore her sarcasm.

What did he expect to see on her face? Did he expect to find the answers there? Even if she was still part of an all female pack, she wouldn’t have panicked. Just being taken and being in the same room with them wouldn’t have been too much of a problem. Finding her mate would have caused a few moments of sheer panic followed by a hurried effort to escape. Then, she would have tried to dig her way out of there if necessary. She’d been a little scared about mating. Before the males joined the pack, she hadn’t known much about the details at all. What she had known hadn’t been a recommendation for finding a mate. That was before she’d seen Acine Caidi and some of the other women in the Taivain with their mates. Her opinion had changed after that, but she hadn’t expected to find her mate so soon.

“I’ve told you I have a pack. If your pack rescues us, that will just get me a step closer to contacting them.” She shrugged. She could tell just by his doubting look that he didn’t believe her.

“Contact them?” He laughed. “You really don’t give up, do you? I’m not going to suddenly believe you come from a pack so you can stop lying.”

Dari drew in a deep breath. Anger burned inside of her and she wanted to prove her words. Unfortunately that would have to wait. The scent of her mate and other males filled her senses. She let her eyes wander to each of the men close to her. He had to be one of the men at the table. None of the other men were close enough for her to catch the scent this strongly. Her eyes rested on Rygar. Hopefully not arrogant-and-thinks-he’s-always-right there. He was sexy and his body made her hands tingle with the urge to touch him, but she’d like someone who wasn’t so…alpha and annoying.

“You don’t look the least bit worried. Aren’t you even a little concerned about being brought here for our entertainment?” Rygar frowned and his eyes never left her face.

So the big alpha couldn’t understand her reactions. Good. He seemed so sure of everything else that even that small fact was a victory.

“I’m not worried. Even if I was going to be here for months and I did have sex with someone, nothing would change really. If you thought I’d become a screaming, hysterical woman, you’re wrong.” She shrugged and managed not to roll her eyes.

“You’re not scared of staying her with us. Do you think we’ll just let you disappear? We won’t be letting you go when we’re rescued. It’s time you had a pack.” Rygar looked as if he expected her to bolt immediately.

“I have a pack.” She glared at him.

“You think they’ll come to your rescue?” He raised an eyebrow.

“If I didn’t get out on my own, they would. Beside that fact, I felt other Zarain as they marched me through the street. We probably won’t be here much longer,” Dari explained. She shook her head at his continued blindness. There wasn’t much she could do about it right now.

She’d been trying to keep her mind off sex as much as possible. Goddess, she’d deliberately ignored that part of his explanation. Focusing on the facts and his arrogance, she’d managed to keep from getting out of her seat and going to sniff each of them. She knew it was short term success. She wouldn’t be able to hold off the need long Not when she knew he was right there. Almost close enough to touch. The thought made her fingers tingle.

She’d been lucky so far. Her mate hadn’t scented her. Most of the fresh air coming into this room seemed to be coming from somewhere behind the men. He would notice her scent and what she was to him. Probably soon. Then waiting, talking, explaining would be forgotten. Right now, she was having a hard time remembering just why the explanations were so important. Maybe she should just get up and go find him. Her explanations hadn’t gotten her anywhere. She didn’t think she’d be able to make them believe that she had a pack until she actually had word back from Oroyai pack or maybe even when they saw one of the males from her pack.

Before she could decide what to do, Rygar stood. He was handsome and she couldn’t deny she was attracted. The intense feeling made her wonder if it was possible that he was the one. His silver-blond hair swung over his shoulder as he moved. She liked the color, its length. When he started around the table with easy coordination, she forgot about why she liked his hair. His gorgeous body filled her mind. She watched the play of muscle in his arms and beneath his tight pants.

“If you’re right, we won’t be here long. When we get out, you’ll come with us. You’ll finally learn what life with the protection of a pack is life. Maybe you’ll find your…” His hands settled on her shoulders and his voice just stopped.

She turned to look back at him, but she already knew what was wrong. His hands tightened on her shoulders. His eyes were wide and he looked stunned. She almost felt some satisfaction at his obvious reaction. Even as she watched that blank look changed. Heat flared in his silver eyes.