Page 61 of Rhaz's Redemption
“Will you stay with me even when we return to the mountain? I will make our cave as comfortable as Axon’s. I will cover the floor in moss and the ceiling in glow worms. You will want for nothing, I swear it.” My words spilled out of me like a flood. I’d wanted this for so long, that I could hardly contain my excitement.
“I’d like that.” Beatrice smiled then interlaced her fingers with mine.
“We are together then,” I replied. “I am yours and you are mine.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I want you, and you’ve made it clear that you want me.”
“I do. I want you, all of you, every piece you are willing to give me I will cherish.”
I wanted this moment to last forever. I could have spent all morning proclaiming my love for Beatrice, but her stomach grumbled and it was clear she was hungry.
“I’ll make us some breakfast.” I said as I got up from the furs and headed toward the door.
“I set a few traps yesterday. With any luck they’ll be full.”
I opened the door and started walking toward my snares when a cold hand wrapped around my neck. I looked back and saw a shadow looming over me.
I tried to maneuver out of the grasp, but it was nearly impossible. My sire’s shifter form was hard to get out of.
“Her scent is faint,” he commented after he sniffed me.
“I should be able to smell the evidence of your mating, and yet I smell nothing.” He growled.
“Maybe you need some motivation to get things started.”
My sire held my wrists together behind my back and shoved me forward. We burst through the door and the smile that had been on Beatrice’s face quickly vanished.
“What do you want,” Beatrice hissed.
“I told you what I wanted a nearly a week ago,” Dameron snapped back. “I want a grandchild and yet you have not made any attempt to make one for me.”
Beatrice hugged her coat over her body and eyed my sire suspiciously.
“It’s our scent,” I clarified. I didn’t want her to think he had some ability to see pregnancy when he did not.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly but she still looked at Dameron with a weary expression.
“You will mate or there will be severe consequences,” my sire threatened.
“I will never obey you,” I seethed. “I can handle whatever consequences you throw my way, and you know it.”
Dameron knew I couldn’t be killed. I could experience pain, but that didn’t bother me. Temporary pain was worth protecting Beatrice. Neither of us would be forced to do something we didn’t want to do.
“Oh yeah?” he smirked. “We’ll see about that.”
In an instant he was on the other side of the room in his shadow form. “I know you can handle pain,” he began as he held Beatrice against him with his hand at her throat. “But can she?”
He ran a claw tipped finger along her neck until blood trickled down her throat to her collarbone. Beatrice whimpered in distress.
“Stop!” I pleaded. “Let her go! This is between you and me. Leave Beatrice out of it!”
“I’ll mate with him,” Beatrice blurted out. “Please just let me go.”
“Swear it,” Dameron growled.
“I swear upon the goddess herself that I’ll mate with Rhaz.” She swallowed hard.
“You have three days.” the Savrix declared. “If I don’t smell your scent on her then she’ll suffer far more than a little scratch on her neck.”
