Page 23 of I Married Amreth

“I do not know your friends or how their foresight works. But what if I do not want to help your people? What if I choose to challenge their assertion that I will aid you? After all, however good your intentions, you committed a crime to achieve your purpose.”

To my surprise, he shrugged, seemingly unfazed by my words. “It will sadden me and delay the resolution to this tragedy. In turn, it will likely cause more unnecessary deaths. But I cannot coerce you into helping solve a situation you did not create. So should you refuse to assist, you will simply have to remain here until it is safe for us to release all of you.”

I stared at him in shock. A glimpse at his aura revealed no deception. He would truly not twist my arm or use my mate as a cudgel to force me to obey their demands. To my shame, he struck me as being a much better person than I wanted to believe myself to be.

I opened my mouth to respond, but a bright light at the edge of my vision drew my attention.

“Your mate approaches,” Aku said in a soft voice.

My mouth instantly went dry as the most beautiful light I had ever seen—although dampened by the closed door between us—held me in a thrall. The glow of her escort’s aura annoyed me to no end as it mingled with hers due to his proximity.

Moments later, the door opened, and my brain ceased to function.

Tharmok smite me, she’s pure perfection!

“We shall leave you with your mate,” Aku said.

The slightly mocking edge in his voice barely registered in my mind. I was too enthralled by my woman. She gasped, and her eyes widened as she stared at me, before casting a confused look at Aku.

“My mate?!” she exclaimed, seconds before she seemed struck by a thought. She jerked her head back towards me toexamine me with shock and disbelief. “A… Amreth?” Ciara asked in a hesitant voice.

“Yes, Ciara. It is I,” I said, stunned that I even managed to form any words.

Aku’s soft chuckle snapped me out of my dazed trance. I glanced at the Kreelar only to catch him looking in turn at my mate and me with a satisfied grin. In a flash of sudden understanding, I realized he had somehow known this exact scene would take place. Something in the way it played out pleased him.

Without another word, he gave each of us a farewell nod then walked out of the house with his tribemate.

Chapter 7

Ciara

Too many thoughts simultaneously fired off in my brain to allow it to function properly. Amreth’s breathtaking beauty made it even harder for my mind to act rationally. From the moment Kayog told me of my soulmate, my fertile imagination began creating all kinds of scenarios as to what our first meeting would be like. Then my whole world came crashing down during that attack.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted out, instantly flinching that those would have been the first words that came out of my mouth after he confirmed his identity.

By the way he blinked and the uncertainty that flashed over his stunning features, that had not been the reaction he had expected or possibly hoped for.

“I came to rescue you,” he said carefully.

“To rescueme?” I repeated, my confusion audible in my voice. “How did you get here? How did you find us? Aren’t you a Warden?”

I pressed my palms to my cheeks and shook my head in embarrassment for that sudden surge of verbal diarrhea. I didn’t mean to bombard him with so many questions, but this entire situation seemed surreal.

“Yes, Ciara. I am a Warden on Molvi, and I came as soon as I heard what fate befell you,” he replied with a guarded expression.

“But… Did Kayog tell you about…?” I gestured between the two of us when my voice trailed off.

He nodded. “As soon as it was confirmed that you were missing, Kayog contacted me about you.”

“And you came for me?” I whispered, my voice filled with disbelief.

“Of course,” he replied as if it was self-evident. “What kind of male wouldn’t come to the rescue of his soulmate?”

I stared at him, speechless. A part of me wanted to melt from the inside out that he hadn’t hesitated to come for me when we had never met, let alone spoken to each other. Another was just too blown away to fully understand my conflicting emotions. Aku mentioned that my mate would come, but I kept dismissing it as being way too far-fetched. And yet, here he was, looking good enough to eat.

“Wow,” I said at last, with a mix of wonder and bewilderment. “Who else is here with you? The Enforcers?”

My brow further creased with confusion when he shook his head with an apologetic expression.

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