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“You’re trying to get him to chase you, so he’ll leave me alone.” His expression was shocked disbelief for a second or two before a slow smile spread across his face. “You love me, don’t you?”

Akahana would have laughed if the situation had been different. “I didn’t say that!” She had to regain control of the situation. If she’d ever had it. “I just don’t want anyone hurt because of me.”

“Dearheart, his people will come after me, anyway. We’ve got to stop this before it gets out of hand.”

She pulled away from him and walked toward a nearby sink to splash some water on her face. “It’s already out of hand. It’s been out of hand for years. It’s just now getting the attention of people in high places.”

“How many women do these bastards have? We need to help as many of them as we can before we do anything else.”

Akahana blinked several times. “I -- I don’t know. I never saw other women. Not since I was mated to Gamin, anyway. I got the impression they were not mated because they frequently…” She trailed off, unable to finish because she was ashamed to admit what had happened.

“Did he let them touch you to punish you or because they wanted to?”

She blinked away tears that tried to leak from her eyes and turned her back to him. “A little of both, I think. Sometimes I never could figure out what I’d done to warrant punishment. He always said it was punishment, though.”

“I’m beginning to see our cultures are alike in ways I wish they weren’t,” Taber muttered. “I’ll leave it up to you, then. If you don’t want to enter this Chamber thing, I won’t ask you again. It’s only for your safety I’d even ask in the first place.”

“What about your safety? If I don’t go into the Chamber, Davin and his people will hunt you down and kill you.” She shivered at the thought of that. She didn’t want to care.Shouldn’tcare. Taber was nothing to her, only in her life a short time and then gone. Could she live with that?

Her chest was tight and her breathing rapid. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and tears finally overflowed and spilled onto her cheeks.

“Relax, Dearheart. Breathe slowly and deeply.” Taber enfolded her in his strong arms and rested his chin on her head. “I’m with you,” he whispered. “I’ll always be with you.”

“I don’t want this, Taber.” She sobbed quietly, not even bothering to wipe her tears. “I just want to live my life my way. I don’t want to have to answer to anyone.”

“No one said you had to, Akahana.” He turned her to face him. “I don’t want to control you. I just want to love you, and for you to love me in return. The rest is up to you. Do what you want with your life. I’ll never stand in your way.” He closed his eyes and took a breath. “I just want you to allow me to be a part of it.”

“I’m so confused, Taber.” She lifted a tentative hand to touch his face, to trace the line of his jaw and cheekbones. “Gamin’s death freed me from his prison, and now I live in one of my own making. I’m afraid of losing my freedom, and I can feel the only happiness that will ever matter to me slipping away. If that happens, the whole point of freedom is lost. I don’t know what to do.”

“Listen to your heart, Akahana. This is an instance where your heart will not lead you wrong.”

“It did with Gamin.”

Taber sighed. “Did you feel this pull toward him that I know you feel toward me?”

“No. He frightened me from the moment I met him. I didn’t have a sexual attraction toward him. Ineverhad a sexual attraction toward him.”

“What about his mind? Could you enter it at will like you seem to be able to do with me?”

“Not at first and never very easily.” She closed her eyes and inhaled. By the Universe! He smelled good! “I never wanted to. I was too busy trying to keep him out of my mind to try to get into his. He was usually the one who initiated contact.”

“Is there any possibility Gamin could have been telepathic? Could he have communicated with people other than you?”

Akahana started to answer in the negative. Who had ever heard of such a thing? Then she stopped.

“What is it?” Taber gently tilted her face to look at him. “What are you remembering?”

She shook her head, the thread of thought gone. “Nothing. That question triggered a memory, but it’s gone now. I think it must have been one of the times I was nearly unconscious. I can’t remember any more.” She couldn’tthinkwhen he stroked her back so tenderly. Andwhydid he have to smell so good? It was a blend of clean, male sweat and soap. She looked up at him, losing herself in him against her better judgment.

“Don’t try right now.” Taber kissed her forehead. “You still need rest, and I don’t want to be the cause of your rest being disturbed.”

“Taber.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I never felt like this with Gamin. All I can think about right now is seeing if you taste as good as you smell.”

Taber inhaled sharply, and his hold on her tightened slightly. She could feel the lust stirring inside him combined with something else.Hope. Love. Need. All combined to create an intoxicating elixir her mind could become addicted to. This was something she’d never felt from Gamin. His lust had surely swamped her many times, but he’d never loved her. He’d neverneededher.

It had all been about control. This wasnothinglike her experience with Gamin. This, she could grow to like. “I want to kiss you, Taber.”

He croaked a short laugh. “Like I’m going to object.”

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