Nuworld: Claiming Tara (18 page)

Very tall, powerfully built warriors stood all around the
edges of the encampment. Metal-clad groundmobiles heavy
with artillery looked ominous parked along the northern
boundary. Tara spotted two towers constructed from wood
with ladders rising to a platform where more warriors were
posted. At least three large circles of tents were assembled
in the level section of a grassy meadow. Each tent stood
well over six-foot tall and blocked her view of the rest of the
camp as they rode nearer.

Soldiers ceased their target practice or slinging large
hammers that drove stakes as tall as she was into the
ground, to stare at the two Runners. Did all these men
know she was claimed to their lord? Did they know she was
the reason the Runners were here to fight alongside them?
If they weren’t victorious, Runners and Gothman would not
only despise each other worse than before, they would hate
her. Tara would only focus on victory.

Darius pulled his bike alongside a tent larger than the
rest and parked. As tall as the tent was, Darius ducked
when he led his way inside. Two large screened windows
allowed sunlight to naturally light the interior. A heavy
tapestry divided the tent in half. Darius stopped at a large
table with maps and outlines scattered across it. He sat at
a tall-back wooden chair and gestured for Patha and Tara
to sit as well.

“Welcome to Gothman, Patha.” Darius’s low, cool
baritone rang with pride for his nation. That edge of
arrogance that Tara already knew was in the backbone of
his personality shone through in his relaxed expression,
and in how he commanded the room the moment he
draped his body over the chair he sat in. “We are honored
to have your men join ours in battle.”

“You’re the son of Lord Jovis.” Patha
took his chair at
the opposite end of the table and laced his fingers against
his muscular stomach. He stared at Darius a moment. “I
had dealings with your papa many winters ago. He didn’t
care much for Runners. It appears you don’t share your
papa’s opinion of us.”

Tara sat very still in her chair. If Darius hated Runners
he would have killed her and this union wouldn’t be
happening. Patha didn’t speak to hear himself talk. She
waited to hear his point. If Patha mentioned Reena’s belief
that Tara was pregnant, it would put a hitch in these
proceedings. Patha had more sense than that.

“I’m aware of your associations with my papa.” Darius
looked very relaxed in his chair. “That was a long time ago.
I know you’re Tara’s papa, and Reena is her mama.”

Tara blinked and looked into cool grey eyes. How long
had he known Reena was her mama?
Darius wasn’t looking at her, though. He focused on
Patha. “All warriors in this camp have families. They keep
their personal life at home and are here to fight a war.
There’s no room for thoughts other than the strategies we
need to prepare.”
“If there are no thoughts other than strategy and
combat, you turn your warriors into machines,” Patha
countered.
“They would become machines if they quit thinking,”
Darius said easily. “And machines break down.”
“Very true.” Patha rubbed his chin and looked at the
netting
over
the
tent
window
while
he
gathered
his
thoughts. He returned his gaze to Darius. “So, you allow for
emotions and personal feelings to be integrated into your
strategy?”
“We fight for Gothman. Our nation is powerful, and we
are proud of who we are. That is an emotion.” Although
Darius sounded
as if
he
spoke
from his heart,
his
expression remained masked, his eyes focused and alert.
“And as for personal feelings, a good warrior is always
affected by war. I wouldn’t want to fight next to a man who
was immune to the blood and death around him.”
A slow smile crossed Patha’s face. He stood and walked
around the tent, continuing to look outside. Turning, he
removed his headscarf and nodded for Tara to do the same.
“Very good, young man. We’ll review your strategies. I
will have one thing made clear first.”
Darius’ expression didn’t change as he watched Patha.
Tara had no idea what was going on in his head at that
moment. She was impressed by his manner, though, and
hoped Patha was as well.
“Do you want the Runners’ help in this war?” Patha
walked to the table and leaned his fists against it.
“Patha, I will accept your assistance in defeating the Sea
People.” Darius leaned forward as well and looked Patha
straight in the eye. “Now, I’ll ask you a question.” Darius
got up and moved behind the chair where Tara sat.
Tara froze, wondering what the question would be. She
wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a hint of amusement
in Patha’s eyes. Tara guessed her papa enjoyed the way
Darius reacted to Patha, as if they were equals. Patha
didn’t have many people who made that assumption
around him. But by rank, the two men were equal.
Darius put his hands on the chair. His fingers brushed
the back of her neck.
“What’s your opinion of the Gothman, Patha?”
Patha looked the young man square in the eye. “I’ve
worked most of my life to incorporate a belief that a person
should be judged by his or her actions and not by their
race or gender. We are all of Nuworld, Lord Darius. I see
before me a man who rules a race of people, but has little
knowledge of the world around him. There’s a law in this
land stating if Runners enter Gothman territory, they are to
be shot on sight. You intentionally broke your own law. I
believe you had a glimpse of the world outside your own
through Tara and it intrigued you.”
Patha paused, looking from Tara to Darius. He had their
undivided attention.
When Darius didn’t respond, Patha returned to his chair
and sat. “Tara has shared her feelings with me, now I must
hear yours. What are your intentions here?”
Darius placed his hands on Tara’s shoulders. “Patha, I
love your daughter.”
A tremor shot through her and quickened inside her.
Darius just said he loved her. Did he mean it, or was he
saying what Patha wanted to hear? She had seen affection
in his eyes, but she would have been inclined to think of it
as possessiveness more than love. Maybe to him that was
love. After all, claiming a woman meant owning her without
concern to her thoughts or beliefs. That was the only world
Darius knew.
“I hope the two of you have the same meaning of love.”
Patha smiled gently at his daughter. “I’ll accept that
answer. Now, when you unite, you’ll bring together two
cultures. It’ll be hard on both of you. I want this union
between you two to be more official than a marriage, or
claim, as the Gothman call it.”
Patha reached inside his jacket and pulled out some
papers he had clipped together. He dropped the papers on
the table and looked at Lord Darius.
“This is a treaty of peace between Gothman and the
Runners. It will state officially to Nuworld that our two
races have united. There will be no race stronger, or larger
in numbers, once our signatures appear on this treaty. It
states that you’ll continue to rule Gothman, and I’ll rule
the Runners. When I die, Tara is my next in line. She’ll be
leader of all Runner clans. The two of you will rule almost
half of Nuworld. While I’m alive, at least, that rule will be a
fair one. Read through this treaty carefully. The Runners
will not help you with this war until this treaty is signed.”
Patha got up and headed to the entrance of the tent. “I’ll be
waiting with my clan.”
Patha walked out of the tent, leaving Tara and Darius
alone. She turned in her chair and looked up at him. He
glanced down, moving his hands to her head and stroking
her hair. His expression softened for the first time.
“How long have you known Reena was my mama?” She
didn’t know why that was the first thing out of her mouth
with all the issues at hand.
“A good ruler must know what is going on in his
kingdom.” He smiled at her. “I remember hearing about it
when I was a boy. My papa was furious when Patha took
you. You were claimed to my brother, did you know that? I
didn’t know you were the girl I’d heard about as a child
until you told me your papa was Patha.”
“I just found out myself. It appears I’m only half-
Runner.” She suddenly felt very serious—the
rush of
excitement was gone.
Darius grinned. “When did you find out that I loved
you?”
“Just now.”
He laughed and pulled her out of her chair, sat in it and
pulled her down on his lap. His arms were strong and
sculpted from steel. He held her tight enough she felt the
strong pulse of his heart thumping hard and solid in his
chest.
What a man he was! He’d just been put on trial as
leader. Patha had tested Lord Darius’ knowledge, and
Darius hadn’t hesitated with any of his answers. Sure he
would have researched Patha and known what he wanted
to hear. But Tara believed he hadn’t hesitated because his
answers came from the heart.
“My lady, we’re meant for each other. At first I thought I
needed to break you, but now I see that would be a
mistake. It’s the excitement in your eyes when you’re
challenged that I love. I wouldn’t be happy with a passive
woman. They all instantly bored me. Oh, I knew you were a
Runner. Patha was right. I broke my own laws. But I didn’t
know a woman like you existed.”
“I’m definitely one of a kind.” Tara shifted in his arms
once he relaxed his grip. Then running her fingers through
his blond curls, she stared into his unique gray eyes. They
definitely weren’t cool anymore. The smoldering lust she
saw there had her hoping there was a bed on the other side
of the tapestry.
“You’d be wise never to forget what a good match we
are,” she whispered, and brushed her lips over his.
Darius grinned. “Is that all you have to say?”
She smiled. “I’ll challenge you. There’s not a passive
bone in my body, Darius. We’re equals, and I have no
problem teaching you how to accept that. Neither of us
surpasses the other in any way I can see. I’ll say this
much, you proved yourself as leader to Patha. He was
impressed, and so was I.” Tara wrapped her arms around
him and kissed him passionately.
Darius stood and scooped her in his arms. “I would love
to impress you some more.”
“I might let you.” Tara ducked her head when he pulled
the tapestry to the side and carried her to the other side of
the tent.
A large down mattress was on the floor with several
quilts thrown
over
it.
He
let
go of
her
and Tara
straightened, her body sliding against his until she stood
before him. That quickening in her gut became swollen
need, pulsating deep in her womb. Darius had told her he’d
never met a woman like her before. She’d never known a
man like him. He was aggressive, dominating and so sure
of himself. Tara smiled and pressed her body against his.
They really were equal in every way.
“If there were time, I would ravish you right now,”
Darius growled and began slow kisses up her neck toward
her ear.
“If there were time,” Tara began and clasped her hands
behind his neck. She stood on tiptoe, leaning her head and
allowing him room to continue sending her places she
ached to be. “I would demand you satisfy the fire you’ve lit
in me.”
Darius chuckled. “And if I refused?” he asked.
“I would have to take you by force,” she whispered and
stretched to press her lips against his when that damned
cocky grin appeared on his face.
Darius deepened the kiss until Tara was mad with need.
She hated that there wasn’t more
time.
Troops were
making camp outside, and both of them had work to do.
She sighed and loosened her grip.
Darius kissed the tip of her nose before releasing her. “I
do want to know when you planned on telling me that
you’re pregnant.” He walked out of the room.
“What?” Tara yanked the
tapestry
to
the
side
and
hurried after him. “How could you possibly know if I’m
pregnant?” She snapped at him so hard that he raised one
eyebrow in surprise.
“I told you I know everything that goes on in Gothman.”
He sat in his large chair and picked up the treaty. “Patha
put some time into this,” he mused, and chuckled as if that
pleased him.
Tara snatched the treaty out of his hands. “I don’t know
that I am pregnant and nor does anyone else.”
He leaned back in the chair and looked at her. “A true
warrior eagerly takes on the challenge of battle. The look in
your eyes over the thought of defeating the Sea People
matches the feeling in my soul. Our battle will begin soon,
and the satisfaction of their blood on our hands will be
yours as well as mine. You’re an outstanding warrior.
You’ve proven your abilities, and I need your skills. As a
good warrior, I know you respect the chain of command.
The simple truth is, I outrank you. I am lord. Therefore, I
assure you, my lady, the second you start to show signs of
carrying our child, the future ruler of the greatest nation
on this planet, I will see to it that you are taken out of
battle.”
His voice was so low and calm. It pissed her off further.
She hated that he was right. If one of her warriors were
pregnant, Tara would remove her from the line as well.
Tara stormed toward the tapestry, but then turned as if
to leave the tent. The thought of not being in control of her
own
body,
of
something
else
taking
over,
was
unfathomable.
She
was not one
to
be
owned.
Being
pregnant would be a total loss of her freedom. Having a
child wasn’t a top priority for her, but then, neither was
falling in love. She was a warrior!
She stormed outside and plucked her landlink from the
bike, then returned inside the tent and flung herself into
the chair next to Darius, desperately trying to discipline
her thoughts. When that didn’t work, she slammed her
fists on the table, causing everything on it to bounce.
Darius knew the temper of a warrior should be treated
with its due respect. He thought his words out carefully
and spoke gently. “My lady, do you not want this child?”
She glared, not softened by the gentle look. “Darius, how
could you possibly understand?” She didn’t understand
herself. “Now’s not the time for this. There’s so much to do.
The
crisis before
us is great. One
wrong play and a
dangerous,
unpredictable
race
could
take
over.
This…pregnancy…would only be a distraction. Not
to
mention, there’s no proof. We can’t rely on some woman
believing she saw a certain look.”
“Time will be proof enough. I’m sure there are doctors in
your camp that would ease your mind, if you wish.” He
smiled and covered her hand with his. He was seeing a side
of her that he rather liked. Tara had an incredible temper.
“I have faith in Gothman doctors, my lady. I know some
Runner ways are different from ours. I’ve heard stories of
how Runners try to control when they have a baby. I have
heard that some women decide not to be pregnant, even
after they are. If you don’t want this right now…” he
paused and looked at her, doubting she knew how hard
this was to say. “This time, I will allow you to choose not to
be pregnant. But hear me, I won’t allow it a second time.”
Tara hated
the
look
on his
face.
Gothman women
wouldn’t consent to abort a pregnancy. All the women she’d
met so far built their lives around being claimed, having
babies and raising a family. Tara leaned back in her chair
and studied Darius’s radiant gray eyes and the dark blond
curls bordering his face. He was so damned good looking
that it made her hurt inside. What appealed to her most,
though, was what she saw in his eyes. He possessed
something that most men didn’t. He didn’t take things for
granted because of tradition. Darius challenged life. Laws
and social expectations didn’t faze him. The man existed by
what he saw as right in his heart. It might not be the way
he lived, or what he believed in, but she saw that his offer
was sincere. Darius wasn’t narrow-minded. He wasn’t so
selffocused that he couldn’t see how others
lived
differently. And(omit “And”) even if he’d never been out of
Gothman, he was a good enough ruler to research the
people he’d be associating with. Tara knew at least several
women who
had found
themselves pregnant
and had
aborted their unborn child. Each woman’s reasons guided
her conscience and allowed her to accept her decision
without remorse.