Page 11 of Rescuing Mara (Warriors of Arracate #2)
CHAPTER 11
Mara
W hen I wake up, the silence is deafening. I slowly count to ten to make sure I’m not missing any threats. When nothing changes, I take a deep breath, the scent of fresh spices overwhelming me for a minute. The warrior, my brain registers before it all comes back to me.
Ananta, our plan: her followers beat me up, and the warrior came for me, taking me from the ship.
I suppress a sharp inhale. I am all alone, and I don’t know where I am. I am not safe. Taking another deep breath, I scan my body. I feel… fine. Strangely, I am well rested, and my beaten-up body does not hurt at all. Fresh spices tickle my nostrils. Slowly, not to alert anyone in case of danger, I open my eyes.
The light is blinding me for a second, but when I get used to it, I see I’m lying in a really big bed. That explains the softness I’m feeling. I look straight ahead and see the stars through floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a door to the right at the end of the room. I slowly turn my head to see more and I startle.
There, sitting in a chair by the bed, shoulders slumped, caved in on himself, is the warrior. He is the reason this room smells so good. Could I be in his bedroom?
His head is hanging forward, hands covering his face, and despair is flowing off him in waves. I feel a tug inside my chest, my body tenses up seeing him this sad.
Without thinking I sit up and touch his arm with my hand.
“It’s okay.”
He shoots up, blinking at me.
“You, you are awake!” he exclaims.
I nod. Something eases inside of me now the intense despair seems to have lifted from him. He still seems sad, though. What should I do?
Immediately, Ananta’s words rise in me. He thinks I am his mate therefore he wants to mate me. My throat tightens. I really don’t want to do this, but I guess I have no choice.
I reach for the bottom of the shirt I’m wearing and pull it over my head.
The warrior startles and jumps up, the chair falling because of his swift movement.
“What are you doing?” he asks before putting a hand in front of his eyes.
“I thought I was your mate? Don’t you want to… uhm… mate me?”
“Yes! No!” His voice sounds shrill, and I cock my head.
“I don’t understand.”
The warrior takes a step back, putting up his other hand in front of him.
“L’Ren will be here shortly, she will help.”
“Who is L’ren?” I really don’t understand. If I’m his mate, what does he want with another female?
“Where’s the fire!” someone says cheerfully when a door opens to my left.
I turn around to see a female walking in who looks… Like me?
“Wooow, honey, what’s happening here? Why aren’t you dressed?” she asks, looking at me.
“I thought I was his mate and that I have to mate him now?”
“Please,” the warrior peeps out in a strangled voice.
The female lets out a laugh. “All in due time, honey, all in due time. O’Rec, you can go, I’ve got this.
Relief floods the room as he almost runs towards the door.
“You should get dressed first,” the female says.
I nod and put my shirt back on. She sits on the side of the bed and extends her hand.
“I’m Lauren,” she says.
I look at her hand, then at her. “I’m Mara. What are you doing with your hand?”
She gives me a curious look. “How old were you when you were taken from earth?”
Earth… Now, there’s a word I haven’t heard in a long, long time. I give Lauren a wry smile.
“I have been Ananta’s slave since I was a little girl. Sometimes she talked about me being a weird human from earth, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about my life before I came to live with the Sternotheri.”
Lauren represses a shudder. “Well, you’re safe now. Thank God O’Rec got you out. You were so badly beaten, you were bleeding internally.”
This time, I can’t mask the sharp inhale. Bleeding internally? She wouldn’t…. Would she?
“No, that can’t be right.” I shake my head in denial.
“I’m so sorry,” Lauren says, grabbing both my hands in hers. “But you’re okay now. O’Rec gave you a healing injection and Nano technology to restore previous damage in your body.”
A tear escapes my eyes at the betrayal I feel. Why would Ananata hurt me so much?
“You are safe now,” Lauren repeats. Mistaking the reason for my tears.
“Thank you.” I say. She chats on, but my mind is elsewhere. The betrayal is cutting through me like a knife, while at the same time, my brain is telling me she must have had a reason. She always has a reason.
“Sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?” I interrupt her so that I can put a stop to my thoughts.
“Are you hungry?” She smiles. “We have a mess hall where we can eat, and you can meet my D’Var and our captain T’Rak.
I fumble with my clothes and force out the words. “I don’t know…”
“You don’t know if you’re hungry?” Lauren blinks.
“No?”
“Well, you never know until you try, and I have made an excellent root pie if I say so myself.” She stands and walks towards the door.
“Are you coming?”
I guess… I am.