Survival -Guardians of Vesturon [1] (24 page)

She went for the drawers, thinking maybe sweats. Yep, there they were but when she pulled them on, she couldn’t find herself, for they were way too big. No drawstring either. On to the next pair. After pulling out at least ten pairs, she was unsuccessful.

Okay…how about some shorts?

No luck there either.

Gah! What in tarnation am I going to wear? Maybe I should just pick up the phone and hit star 9. No, that would be embarrassing and awkward
.

She eventually spotted a black robe. It was more like a gown, a peculiar looking thing, but she pulled it over her head and it would just have to do. It billowed out and puddled on the floor, so she would have to hold it up to walk. The sleeves nearly hung to her calves, but at least it was something.

Nothing like running around naked in front of a bunch of strangers!

Now for some boxers. She knew they wouldn’t fit, but she had to put on something in place of panties. She found that drawer and grabbed a pair, but they wouldn’t stay up. Now she was getting completely frustrated. After nearly tearing up all if his drawers, she located a pair of shorts that had a drawstring. Voila! They were still quite large, but she was able to keep them up by way of the string.

When she finished, she looked around her, and she had all but destroyed his closet. She’d fix it up later. That shower had relaxed her, so she felt herself getting drowsy. She decided to crawl up on the big bed and lay down for a short nap.

Rayn found Xarrid in the gym, working over the punching bag like his life depended on it.

Xarrid was the youngest of the males. Tall, dark and devastatingly handsome like Rayn, his eyes were the exact image of his mother’s--large, almond shaped and crystal clear baby blue. He wore his hair a bit longer than Rayn, and it was slightly wavier, giving him a wild, unkempt look similar to Therron’s. His braid hung on his shoulder but was not nearly as long as either Therron’s or Rayn’s.

“Are you trying to destroy that thing?”

“Just getting rid of some frustrations.”

He grabbed a towel to wipe the dripping sweat from his face.

“Talk?”

“Nothing to say.”

“Look, Xarrid, I am sorry for not telling you about all of this. The only reason I went to Therron was because he is the next in line. If I am stripped of rank, it is Therron who has to take over, and he needed to be prepared for that.”

Rayn walked up to Xarrid, and faced him eye to eye.

“I get that! I really do. What I do not get is the why part. Why are you doing this? I know you feel responsible for her in some outlandish way. But you are destroying this family and everything we have here.” His fury was palpable.

“Xarrid, I do not expect you to understand this, but in some, impossibly strange way we have connected. It is not just attraction or pity or even responsibility. She is inside of me, in my heart, my mind, my soul. Every waking minute. Bloody hell, Xarrid, even in my dreams she is ever present. For weeks and weeks, this tormented me. I wanted to walk away from it all, leave and never return to her. You know the story. I did not make this decision without thought or in haste, and I am not asking you to like it. If it bothers you so much I will not even ask for your support or for you to be there when I pledge myself to her before all the others. I would only ask this and that is that you treat her with respect.” Rayn reached out to put his hand on Xarrid’s shoulder.

Xarrid backed away from him, shaking his head. He could see the pain in Rayn’s eyes, the pain that stemmed from him not understanding, not accepting, and from the conflict Rayn had endured. Yet, Xarrid could not accept this. This was the destruction of something so monumental that it was inconceivable.

“I am sorry, my liege. I cannot do that. I cannot respect her for what has transpired between all of us. It would be best if I would not be present here.” He bowed and quickly left the room, leaving Rayn to face his misery alone.

He remained alone in the gym for some time, but was keenly aware of when Xarrid left the house. Eventually Therron came down and found him.

“He left. Said it would be better if he were not here. He has gone out on patrol and said he did not know when he would be back. I am sorry, Rayn. He will not allow himself to understand this,” Therron said with regret.

Rayn just nodded, despair in his eyes. “I am sorry too, Therron. But it does not change a thing for me.” Rayn stood up. “Are Rykerian and Tesslar back?” At Therron’s nod, he continued, “What about Sharra?”

“She is here too.”

“Can you gather everyone in the den? We need to talk.”

Therron left the gym, hoping to have everyone else there by the time Rayn came up.

When Rayn entered the den, they were all stretched out in the chairs and sofas. They all stood as he sauntered in.

“Thank you for coming here. I know you all are aware how Xarrid feels about my situation with Maddie,” he began. “I am sorrier than I can say. Therron told me he has spoken to you, and I just wanted to add a few things. Please hear me out, and after I am finished, I will answer any questions you may have.”

He wanted them to know how things stood between himself and Maddie and told them he was going to pledge his protection to her when their father arrived. He also requested their presence. He let them know about Maddie’s refusal to unite with him, her commitment to him and her request for more time.

The silence was unnerving. Rayn had never seen his family so quiet. Suddenly, everyone began speaking at once. Then silence, and then laughter, of all things.

Rayn finally urged Rykerian to start. He explained that they had discussed the ramifications of everything and they all realized, with the exception of Xarrid, that this was out of even Rayn’s hands. His loyalty to his family, Vesturon, and the Guardians had always come first for him, and this, in no way, was something he would ignore.

“We know you would never forsake us and that you do this with honor in your heart.”

The entire family placed their hands over their hearts, and in unison, they promised in the Ancient Tongue, “
Brother of ours, we will stand at your back and protect you always. If this female is worthy of your love and honor, she, too will have our protection
.”

Therron continued, “And, Rayn, we will take care of her with the utmost respect if you are separated from her.”

What remained unsaid was they would be willing to do this in the event of Rayn’s return to, and imprisonment on, Vesturon.

“I will never be able to repay you for this oath, and I thank you for that.”

The remainder of the discussion centered on what would most likely happen when their father arrived and how Therron would assume Rayn’s role as Leader.

“I need to head back upstairs. I left Maddie up there to shower. I am sure she is wondering what happened to me,” he said as he headed out the room.

Rayn entered the bedroom quietly. It was silent, and the draperies were drawn. He correctly assumed Maddie was asleep. The gigantic bed dwarfed her, and his lips turned up in a smile to see her curled up in a tight ball. What in the name of the Deity was she wearing? It looked like...ha! She had on his formal Ceremonial Gown!

I wonder why she put that on?

Rayn leaned over her and started whispering words of love in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes and flashed him a heart-stopping smile.

Utterly beautiful. Like the soft glow of the morning sun. She has captured my heart and soul.

“Wake up, Sunshine!”

“Mmm. That was a great nap. How long have I been asleep?” She stretched her long slender legs out from under her.

“Only a few hours.”

“Are you kidding me?”

She hopped off the bed and ran to the windows, pushed open the curtains to see the sun setting.

“I must’ve been exhausted. I don’t ever take naps like that.”

“Your body is still mending. That can cause fatigue.”

“I suppose so.”

“Er, Maddie, what are you wearing?”

She glanced down and remembered that she had rummaged through Rayn’s closet in search of something to wear. She grabbed both sides of the gown and said, “Oh, I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed this. And, I sort of tore up your closet a bit. I was looking for something to wear, but you know, you’re really huge. I couldn’t find anything that fit. I mean I couldn’t find anything that would even stay on.”

“Why did you need to borrow clothes?”

“Well, duh. Maybe it’s because I don’t have any. I left home without packing anything,” she reminded him.

“Oh, forgive me! I did not even think of that. How thoughtless of me.”

“I didn’t even think of it either until I got out of the shower. I was hoping Sharra could help me here.”

When he finished telling her what she had chosen to wear, and the significance of it, she nearly collapsed. Rayn roared with laughter, promising her he was not in the least upset about it. After all, she did the robe much more justice than he ever could. She danced over to him, put her arms around his neck and gave him a loud smacking kiss on the cheek.

As he snagged her around her waist with one arm, he reached for the phone with the other. “Zanna, can you find Sharra and have her meet me in her room in fifteen minutes.”

As he pulled Maddie up against him he said, “We’re going to rectify your clothing problem.” Then, he kissed her.

As soon as he started it, they both realized their mistake. The heat quickly consumed them, engulfing them in desire. Rayn was the one to break the connection.

“You taste…”

“We shouldn’t…”

“Of honey that…”

“Start that…”

“I’ve never had before.”

“When we know we cannot finish.”

Maddie inhaled a shaky breath and told Rayn, “You go first.”

“I was saying that we shouldn’t start what we cannot finish, but I forgot myself when I kissed you. And you?”

“I was commenting on how you taste, like honey. It is the sweetest most wonderful taste when I kiss you.”

“Maddie, I can’t begin to describe what you taste like to me. It is delightful.”

“Rayn, maybe I shouldn’t stay in your room. It’s not exactly proper, is it? And it might pose a difficult situation for us.” She didn’t want to cause any more problems for this family.

“It is not proper, but I am not spending one possible moment away from you. You can have your privacy here. I can use the guest bathroom across the hall, if you are uncomfortable about sharing this one. But we are sleeping together in that bed, fully clothed of course. I will not break my vow of celibacy until after we are united Maddie, and your virtue will be protected. But I will not be apart from you.”

“And your family? What will they think?”

“Do not worry about them. They know how we feel toward each other and that I am going to pledge my protection to you. They have promised, well all of them except Xarrid that is,” a sad look came into his eyes, “have promised their support. Xarrid has left for patrol, and I do not know if he will be back before my father arrives. He is not exactly accepting our relationship right now.”

He pulled her toward the door. “What? Where are we going?”

“To Sharra’s room. As much as I love seeing you wear my garments, I imagine you will be more comfortable in clothing that fits you.”

“What will she say about how I’m dressed?”

“What does it matter? You are my female, and I approve of this!”

His female, huh? That’s a little weird,
she thought.

“Please do not be offended by that term. On Vesturon, we use the word female over lady or girlfriend. We also think of our mates as ours, but not as possessions. We think of them as mates that we want to protect and honor. I hope when I refer to you as my female, you won’t be offended by that. And I apologize, but I heard your thoughts,” he finished with a lopsided grin.

When Rayn explained it like that, Maddie had a better understanding of that term.

They went up another flight of steps to where Sharra’s quarters were located. The halls were filled with priceless paintings and artifacts. Everything was meticulously kept and arranged. There were fresh flowers everywhere, and the ambiance was positively enchanting.

Sharra greeted them at the door of her room, and Maddie was again struck by the beauty and elegance of this house. Her chamber was as magnificently appointed as Rayn’s but much more feminine. She had a beautiful black wrought iron bed that had tall posts on each corner with an overhead canopy. Draped over the entire frame was sheer white silk, giving her bed a dreamlike appearance. Like Rayn’s room, there were thick rugs scattered about and the walls were painted soft beige. She had a couch and two chairs in one corner, creating a lovely sitting area in front of the stone fireplace. Rayn took a seat in one of the chairs and flipped on the remote to the flat screen.

“Maddie needs your help, Shar. She has nary a thing to wear—literally.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry to bother you, Sharra, but when Rayn whisked me away, he didn’t tell me to pack a bag!”

“That is not a problem, I am glad to help. Come.”

As Rayn flipped on the Food Network, Sharra and Maddie went to her huge walk-in and dug through her closet in search of some clothing. Half an hour later, they both emerged with their arms loaded down.

Sharra dumped her load into Rayn’s lap saying, “Just bring back what does not work, and we can always try other things. I can run down to Asheville and pick some clothing up for you too, if you want.”

“Thanks!”

They returned to Rayn’s room with their arms laden with clothing.

“Come. I should like to give you the grand tour of the house, and I want to introduce you to Rykerian and Tesslar. You also need to meet Zanna and Peetar. They are going to spoil you to death.” He started pulling her toward the door.

“Wait a minute! You don’t seriously think I am going down dressed like this! I don’t even have panties on. I’m wearing a pair of your gym shorts. See?” She lifted the robe up high enough for him to get of view of the shorts. They were drawn as tight as she could get them, and they still hung down to her knees.