Keeper of the Heart

Chapter 16

Falon slipped quietly into the room, closing the door on the light from the hallway. Inside there was a muted glow rising up one wall where the gaali-stone shelf had been left open to emit a minimum of light, just enough to make out the furnishings. The bed was all he was interested in, nor was he likely to forget where it was. He approached it soundlessly and was halfway there before he noticed there was more man one body in it, but the second one was not human. Cat’s eyes glowed at him in the dark, and a purring began that could surely be heard out in the hall. However, it did not wake Shanelle, who was probably accustomed to the sound.

Falon was not He stood there in the middle of the room, debating whether he wanted to tangle with a full-grown fembair, her pet, which meant he could not kill the beast any more than he could her other pet, that Droda-cursed android. But this one was purring, and was supposedly tame. He started again toward the bed.

A voice stopped him this time, sounding as loud as alarm bells going off, despite a distinct dryness to it. “When were you thinking about saying something, Corth? After he’s in bed with her?”

“I was waiting for you, Martha.” The second voice came from a different direction. “Warriors aren’t the least bit intimidated by me, even after I show them what I’m capable of. You, on the other hand…”

“I suppose you’re right,” Martha said with a sigh, and then in a smug tone, “Remember me, big guy?”

“It would be impossible to forget you,” Falon said stiffly, though it was the android he looked for and found, sitting in a chair near the entrance to the balcony. “And your interference is unnecessary this time, computer. I merely wish to speak with Shanelle.”

“That’s rich.” Martha chuckled. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

“For Stars’ sake, Martha,” Shanelle complained groggily from the bed. “I’m trying to get some sleep here.”

“Sorry, but you might as well wake up. You have a visitor-who’s not a visitor.” Laughter followed that play on words.

Falon’s eyes left Corth to return to the bed, in time to see Shanelle sit up behind the fembair. “Falon?”

She said his name before she actually saw him standing there. That took the edge off some of his irritation with her machines, but not all of it. “Was it necessary to surround yourself with bodyguards?”

“My mother thought so, and it looks like she was right on the mark. You have no right to come in here, Falon, but in the middle of the night?”

“I could not sleep,” he told her. “I wish no more than to talk, Shanelle.”

“If you believe that, Shani-”

“Martha, I can farden well think for myself, thank you,” Shanelle said testily as she climbed over the fembair to sit on the edge of the bed. “Corth, some extra light would be appreciated.”

As a gaali-stone box was flipped open, flooding the room with light, Falon was disappointed to see that Shanelle was fully covered in some kind of sleeping outfit that included loose-fitting bracs. Yet with her golden hair unbound and flowing about her in disarray, she was as desirable as ever, and he was rapidly discovering that he could not be in the same room with her without feeling the need to join with her.

“I have nothing to say to you, Falon Van’yer,” she continued in a hard tone, completely awake now and frowning at him. “Nor is there anything you can say to me that will change the fact that you’re a warrior, and you knew I didn’t want a warrior, any warrior. You deceived me by not telling me who you were.”

“Did you not do the same?”

That reminder pinkened her cheeks and lowered her eyes to the floor. “I would have told you who I was before I left you-if things had worked out differently. But they didn’t, so there was no point.”

“If you would have told me, then it was your intention that I ask your father for you, was it not?”

“Falon, it doesn’t matter now.”

“It matters to me, woman,” he said with sudden fierceness. “It means I was not just your choice for your first time. I was your choice for lifemate.”

That was true, and she was assailed again by the disappointment she’d felt earlier when she knew it wasn’t to be. Her hopes had been so high when she first saw him. Why did he have to ruin it by hurting her, then bury it for all time by turning out to be a warrior, and far, far worse, a slaveholding warrior?

Reminded of that, she felt her anger give way to the pain of regret. It built with surprising swiftness, bringing Shanelle to her feet and marching her toward its cause. For once she wasn’t running from a confrontation but embracing it, and she was so angry she wasn’t even aware of it.

She stopped before him, amber eyes aglow with ire, her body stiff with it. “What does it matter if I was naively hoping for something more than temporary when all you wanted was to make me a slave? A slave! A piece of property without rights!” The urge to hit him just then was so strong she gave in to it without thought, slamming both fists against his chest. “How could you, Falon?”

He’d made no move to prevent her attack on him, nor did he move a muscle now, and she realized with disgust that she hadn’t hurt him at all, while her hands were painfully stinging. And then it dawned on her exactly what she’d just done, and she stepped back in horror.

Falon noted only the new reaction. “What is it?”

If he didn’t know… “Nothing.”

But he grabbed her hands and started to massage them. “Do you try that again, woman, I will be forced to administer proper punishment.”

She snatched her hands back with an indignant glare. “I’ve heard what your idea of proper punishment is, and you’ll do no such thing-not to me. And why would you? If you tell me I actually managed to hurt you, I won’t believe it.”

“You hurt yourself,” he said simply. “This I will not allow.”

She stared at him incredulously. “But you’d spank me? You think that wouldn’t hurt?”

“A small discomfort to prevent a greater harm. The doing would bring me pain as well, yet must you be taught-”

“Oh, shut up!” she snapped.

Martha chuckled at that point, remarking, “Stars, I just love their logic.”

Shanelle glowered at the computer-link unit that had been set on the table in the center of the room, with its viewer facing the door. But she was too angry with Falon just then to address Martha, and her narrowed amber eyes quickly came back to him, to find him also frowning at the computer link, now that he’d located it.

But she got his attention back as she continued heatedly. “Did you forget my father’s a warrior? So is my brother. I’ve already been taught what I should and shouldn’t do, just as I know better than to try and hurt a warrior, because only warriors can hurt warriors. That’s why I only throw things at my brother when he teases me into losing my temper. But you-obviously I have no sense when it comes to you, so I owe you an apology for hitting you. You can be sure it won’t happen again, because the opportunity won’t be there if I never see you again, which is exactly how I intend it. You can leave now, Falon. We’ve talked more than-”

“You have talked,” he interrupted calmly. “Now you will allow me to explain. Yes, I would have bought you if that was the only way I could have you, and when I thought you a visitor, that was the only way. And you would not have suffered as my slave, Shanelle. You would have found only pleasure and happiness in my ownership.”

“You can’t really believe that,” she said incredulously.

“I can believe nothing else, for I would have made it so,” he replied fervently. “It is my happiness that increases, now that I know you can be the mother of my children. But I would have had you belong to me in whatever way I could, for my wanting you has become a need, making you necessary to me. All I can think of is the moment you will be mine.”

Shanelle wished those words had no effect on her. They shouldn’t have, with all she knew about him now. But his wanting her that much was a powerful stimulant to her own senses. If only he wasn’t so damn desirable himself, so stirring just to look at. And being told she was necessary- Stars, that was almost as good as being told she was loved.

Martha’s voice cut into her thoughts. “I hope that silence doesn’t mean you’re actually thinking about it, Shani.”

Before Shanelle could reply, Falon’s voice became husky with persuasion. “Turn the computer off and send the android away, kerima. Join with me now and take what is yours without fear. I will do no more than follow as you direct. I will not even touch you.”

To have him again without the fear? Just the thought of it set her pulses racing. But she mentally stomped on the sensation. It was no longer just the fear of his lack of control, his strength, his size. It was a hell of a lot more, now that she knew he was a warrior, a slaveholding warrior.

She had waited too long to answer, for he added, “You may even tie my hands if that will help to ease your mind.”

She snorted. “That might have worked earlier, warrior, but not now. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Atta girl,” Martha crowed. “Just keep your socks on and keep using your head instead of your libido, and maybe he might finally get the message.” But Martha couldn’t resist pointing out, “Besides, you don’t have anything to tie him with that those mighty arms couldn’t bust out of. He knows that or he wouldn’t have made the offer.”

Martha was right, of course, but Shanelle had already figured that out for herself. And she was furious with herself for still feeling anything at all for Falon. She’d known she shouldn’t be alone with him again. Now she knew why.

“I could hold him,” Corth said suddenly, making Shanelle groan.

Martha was more vocal with a snort and a derisive “The warrior wants you gone, peabrain, not participating. And isn’t it time you-”

Shanelle had closed her eyes for only a second in dread, knowing full well that Martha was bound to get Falon angry yet. And that second was all it took for Falon to take the step that brought him closer to the table near them, and smash his fist down on the link unit, destroying it completely.

Shanelle’s eyes snapped open in horror at the sound, knowing what he’d done before she saw it. Pure instinct propelled her at Falon, and she threw her arms around his neck and held onto him tight.

“Martha, don’t-please!” Shanelle pleaded desperately, expecting Falon to disappear at any moment to Stars knew where. “You know mother has dozens of those link units, so no harm was done.”

“Yet,” Falon added ominously. “Where is her heart, woman? What must I do to destroy her?”

Once more Shanelle groaned, this time quite loudly, but she also squeezed his neck a little harder. This was a different type of fear she was in the grips of, and she honestly didn’t understand it. All she knew was that she had to make him understand before Martha lost patience with him and he was gone, never to be seen again.

“You can’t hurt Martha, Falon. She belongs to my mother. She’s also my mother’s best friend. If you hurt her, my mother would be devastated. I couldn’t forgive you for that. My father wouldn’t forgive you either, and my mother would try to kill you. All of that for what? Because she angers you? Martha angers everyone sooner or later. That’s just the way she is.”

“So she is another one I cannot be rid of without causing you upset?”

He didn’t sound too angry now, and when his cheek nuzzled hers, she realized why. She was pressed tightly to him and he was very appreciative of that fact. But he wasn’t holding her there. He was proving he meant what he said about not touching her. But she was touching him, and a jolt of pure sexual pleasure went through her so suddenly, she shivered with it. Damn him! How could he keep doing that to her when she hated everything about him? But the attraction was still there. She couldn’t deny it. She just wasn’t about to let it get to her again. Besides, joining with him again, no matter how much the idea pulled at her, would only encourage him, making this impossible situation even worse than it already was.

She unwrapped herself from his body to stare at him with what she hoped was an unrevealing expression. His own expression was telling. The man did want her. His light blue eyes fairly blazed with it, and another jolt of pure sexual hunger went through her, more powerful than the last, so powerful she could think of nothing else.

Before she could do something stupid, like give in to that silent entreaty, the audiovisual console in the corner started chiming. Shanelle turned toward it and gave it permission to speak, grateful for the distraction even though she knew full well who was calling.

And sure enough, the console lit up with a view of the Rover’s Control Room, and Martha’s voice blasted out. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t dump him in the middle of a pride of wild fembairi.”

Shanelle wanted Falon out of her life, not dead. The mere thought of it flustered her so much, all she could answer was, “Because-because… just because.”

“Well, we can’t get more illuminating than that, can we?” Martha came back dryly.

“Couldn’t you just forget about this, Martha? Falon is going to leave now-”

“You’re damn right he is, and right now.”

“No!” Shanelle shouted and swung around. But Transferring was instantaneous. Falon was already gone. “Where did you send him?”

“Relax, kiddo,” Martha said, sounding much more like herself now that she’d got even. “He’s back in his own room, where I should have put him before your sleep was disturbed. I can’t have him thinking I won’t follow through on what I promise, can I?”

Shanelle glared furiously at the console, the fright she had just experienced taking refuge in anger. “You didn’t have to play I’m-tougher-than-you-are! You could have left him alone. Dammit, I was in control of the situation for once, so why did you deliberately provoke him?”

If Martha could shrug with blatant unconcern, she’d be doing it now. “Just doing my job.”

It was impossible to argue with a Mock II, so Shanelle turned to further vent her anger in a different direction. “And how come you just sat there the whole time, Corth? Didn’t I tell him to leave? Shouldn’t you have at least made an effort to assist him in going?”

“He had yet to see to your anger, Shani, which only he could do as the cause of it. And when he did, I did not hear you tell him to leave again. Nor did he touch you other than to relieve your pain. It was you who was touching him.”

“When did you start analyzing situations before you act?” she grumbled with less heat.

“Martha has explained to me that sometimes a no does not mean a no after a woman has had her socks knocked off, because there is too much uncertainty in true feelings.”

“Martha!”

“Well, he was asking so farden many questions, what was I supposed to tell him? That you hate the guy’s guts, when that warrior has you practically panting every time you see him? And besides, you don’t really want Corth tangling with him. Your Falon’s pride might not withstand it. Much better if he gets shown up by something he can’t fight against.”

Shanelle hated it when there turned out to be perfect soundness to Martha’s madness. “I’m going back to bed. I don’t even want to think about how angry that warrior is going to be the next time I see him, nor do I want to dwell any longer on how helpful you two have been. Maybe you should have sent Falon back to his room before I woke up, because now I just have one more thing to worry about.”

“Well, you don’t expect me to do everything right, do you?”

Shanelle nearly choked on that one.