Page 20 of Rescuing Mara (Warriors of Arracate #2)
CHAPTER 20
O’Rec
T he next morning, Queen Rahna waits for us. We are late because I could not keep my hands off my mate. Taking our breakfast to go, we follow her across the bridge to a different part of the capital.
This particular part of the city is new to me. I have mostly confined myself to the diplomatic buildings and the Queen’s Palace. The buildings are low here, with well-kept gardens. Children play in the streets under the watchful eyes of females of every species in the universe.
“Welcome to our Sanctuary,” Queen Rahna says, and I feel Marra’s surprise. “This is where we offer refuge to former slaves that have been saved across the Galaxy.”
“You save them?” Marra asks her.
“Not us; your mate.”
Shock is etched in every line of her face as Marra pivots and turns towards me. “You… You…” she stammers, but she is interrupted by voices shouting my name. A couple of children we found working for a smuggler a few years back.
The more people who come to greet us, the more withdrawn Marra becomes. She is utterly silent by the time Queen Rahna leads us to a small house on the east side of the quarter.
The Queen knocks on the door. “Lisa, can you open the door, please? It’s me, Queen Rahna. I have some visitors who would love to see you.”
The door slowly opens a couple of inches, and dark brown eyes stare at us through the crack—broken and mistrusting eyes. “Who did you bring?” The female speaks softly.
“I brought Prince O’Rec of Arracate, the Warrior that sent you here, and his human mate Marra.” The words barely leave her mouth, or the door flies wide open, and a short, skinny human launches herself at me. Hugging me tight.
“Thank you!” she cries, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you so much.” She hiccups, and I gently peel her off me.
She takes a step back, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic. “Sorry,” she begins. “I’m just… so grateful.” And then she starts crying again.
* * *
Mara
As Queen Rhana comforts the weeping woman in her arms, I look at O’Rec. His face is soft, and his posture is relaxed. Carefully, I step in beside him, not wanting to spook the woman.
“Sorry,” she sniffs again, then turns her gaze on me. “Your mate is an amazing person. When I met him, he was hurt himself, but nothing could stop him from saving me, saving us.”
“Where… Where did he find you?” I croak somehow I know the tale will break me.
“Slavers kidnaped me then sold me to a Sternotheri commander.” She swallows, obviously uncomfortable telling the story. She takes a breath before straightening her shoulders and looks me straight in the eye. “When he was done with me, he took me to some sort of compound. They put me in the dungeons, but it was more like hell. I… I can’t talk about it, but I was absolutely sure I was going to die there. To live out my life in pain and to die there, broken and alone. But O’Rec and his friend, D’Var, they saved me, they saved all of us. They were terrifying but were the first aliens I encountered that didn’t hurt or rape me.” She smiles softly. “And now I am here. I am free, and even though I still have a long way to go, I am at the perfect place to heal. All thanks to your mate.”
Tears have formed in my eyes during her story. I know where she was. I know the man she speaks of. I have heard the whispers, fuck, I have been there with Ananta.
“Yalix.” I whisper. O’Rec confirms with a nod.
I close my eyes, emotions roaring through my mind, overwhelming all my senses. Clink. Clank. The chains rattle, and the links break. I know how hurt O’Rec was by Ananta’s knives. I can still see it when I close my eyes. He was hurt, and the Sternotheri troops were coming for him, but he stayed to save others. All Ananta cared about was herself. It’s like I have been blind for years, and now I can finally see. She is not my friend; she never was and never will be. Yes, she kept me from a fate like Lisa’s, but I am absolutely sure if someone paid enough, she wouldn’t have hesitated to give me up. I refuse to be tethered to her in any way; O’Rec is what matters. He is all that matters.
“How many,” I demand.
“We saved six people and sent them here. Then we blew up that fucking compound.”
“Good.” I am happy that hellhole no longer exists. I turn my attention back to Lisa. “I’m glad you are okay.”
She smiles wide. “Me too.”
We stay and chat with Lisa for a while, then we walk around and talk to the other people in Sanctuary. The majority of them have been saved by the Arracate in some way.
The day flies by, and Queen Rhana excuses herself after lunch, leaving O’Rec and me to explore the shores of the capital. This side of the shore is made up of cliffs, and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring them. We encounter wildlife and lots of birds; I marvel at the new experience.
The rocky shores turn into a wide sandy beach, filled with people lounging on the beach or swimming in the lake. We take off our boots, carry them in one hand, and hold on to each other with the other as we walk across the beach. The grains of sand tickle my feet. When we walk close to the water, my feet sink into the mud, and the water washes away the grains. I let the sensations wash over me, reveling in the new experience.
“My father was the best King our world could have ever dreamed of,” O’Rec suddenly says. I look up at him, but he’s gazing somewhere in the distance, his mind far away, and I squeeze his hand. Hoping he'll continue.
“I was always destined to succeed him, but we were all trained equally. I had four brothers, but as the eldest, the crown was always supposed to be mine. I just never thought I would be alone when the time came.” We keep on walking, but his shoulders slump. “They call me the Lost Prince of Arracate, and the name suits me because that’s how I feel most of the time: lost. My father was such a great example, a fair king, and his brothers kept him in balance. They stood beside him, giving him their power and their strength. I always envisioned it to be like that. To have my brothers as my advisors. Not all simultaneously because they would have crews of their own. But they would be the elite crew I would send out on the most important and dangerous missions. Knowing they would always come home. Always succeed. Instead, I am alone. My parents are not there to support me in the background, and my brothers are not there to stand beside me. And I am lost without them.”
I squeeze his hand, not knowing how to comfort him. His grief is there, right under the surface. My heart aches for him, but I don’t have the words. So, I just give him my touch, my presence. His tail slides around my waist as I gently kiss his arm. He gives me a weak smile before he stares in the distance again.
“They want me to be king. To take control and lead our people. I was not ready when our planet fell, and they waited for me, but I felt their patience run out. M’Ran is my most trusted advisor. He survived the destruction and together with a handful of elders they have ruled while I have been out in space. But every time we come home, they have more and more reasons for me to stay. But how can I, Marra? How can I lead them when I am so fucking lost, I cannot even see my own path?”
My heart breaks for him, and I tug on his tail to make him stop. I pull his head down, and when our foreheads touch, I cup his cheeks, my boots landing in the sand with a thud.
“You are the best man I have ever met, O’Rec. You are kind, you are fair, and you are a savior. You tell me you want to be something to me? Well, let me tell you, you are more than something to me. You are not alone because I will be there with you, O’Rec. Your crew will be with you. They may not be your brothers by blood, but anyone can see they are your brothers by heart.” I gently kiss his lips before I continue.
“You are my warrior, my savior, my present, and I know you are my future.”
“Marra,” he rasps, pulling me into his arms and crushing me. His big body shakes, and I hold him tight as his sorrow pours out of him—wave after wave of crushing sorrow. I hold him through it all until he stills and calm settles down upon us.
In the end, it’s me who breaks our embrace, taking his hand and pulling him softly with me along the beach towards the bridge that will take us back to Queen Rahna’s palace. Neither of us utters a word and silently sneak upstairs to our room. I hold him when we lie down, and I don’t let go until I feel his body relax and hear his breath even out to tell me he fell asleep.