All For One [Nuworld 3] (49 page)

was controlled when he placed his hand gently on her back.

“They were in unmarked gliders. I don’t want blood spilled over us either, sweet

lady, but this time you’re not going back.” Roth searched the dense foliage with his eyes

as he massaged Ana’s shoulders. “We can’t take any chances. If any of the

Barringswood tribe finds us, I’m sure my brother would have you imprisoned. But

don’t worry. Beel is quite crafty and his skills have been improved thanks to Syra. He’ll

bring the high priest to us and meet us at the Seergoon tribe.”

Ana pulled away from Roth and walked dangerously close to Syra’s hiding place.

She nudged another dead body with her boot. Syra could see the expression of cold

hatred on her face and wondered at its source. She didn’t have to wonder for long.

“It doesn’t matter, Roth. They were sent here to find me, and you’re right, I’ll not be

found this time. Andru didn’t issue that order of his own accord. He would never do

that to me. Someone told him to do it. My papa never wanted me to leave the house

without a Runner headscarf. It wouldn’t have been him. It was my mama who told

Andru to send…” She shuddered and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist.

Roth was at her side in an instant. “Put it behind you, sweet lady,” he whispered,

although it was loud enough for Syra to hear.

“I have. Gothman and the Blood Circle Clan are all behind me. I disown them. They

have no respect for me other than to have me claimed by someone Andru can control.”

Ana turned and walked back over to the glider and climbed into it with Roth climbing

in at her side.

Syra watched as they took off into the sky.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Holy shit,” she mumbled as she walked out of her hiding place. She couldn’t

believe what she just heard. What had happened to turn Ana’s heart so cold? She

looked around her and mentally started counting bodies. A hand landed on her

shoulder and she spun around quickly pulling her laser at the same time. The tall figure

behind her grabbed her other hand and forced the laser to point in the air.

“Syra, it’s me.” Gilroy stood over her and when she relaxed her muscles, he

released her wrists.

“Gilroy, don’t sneak up on me like that.” She turned and continued to search the

area for more bodies. “I’m afraid it might just be you and me now.”

“Where is the Seergoon tribe?” Gilroy asked as he followed her to their gliders.

“It’s east of here,” she waved her hand in the general direction. “You heard their

conversation?”

Gilroy nodded and bent over to take the lasers from several of his dead friends. He

then went to their gliders and pulled blankets and food rations. She sat straddled on her

glider and watched him. He had the body of a man even though his face showed his

youth. His inky black hair was in layers and fell to his shoulders. He had deep blue eyes

that were accentuated by his dark hair, and well-developed muscles protruded through

his shirt as he moved. He turned and saw her watching him and grinned impishly.

“Look at me like that one more time and I’ll be making this journey by myself,” she

warned.

His smile grew. “Don’t worry, Syra. I’m here to help get Ana and Torgo back. I

respect another man’s claim, you’re safe with me.”

She scowled at him but didn’t bother to ask how he knew of the claim. It only took

one laughing guard to spread the news in a town like Bryton. She had something else

on her mind, though. “Andru mentioned you were the last one he knew of to be with

Ana. You wouldn’t have any idea as to why she’s suddenly disowned her own people,

would you?”

Gilroy shrugged and mounted his glider. “More than likely, her pride is hurt. I was

given orders and I followed them out.” He remained serious as he took one last look at

the peers he’d grown up with. “I think most of her anger stems from the fact that she

enjoyed herself more than she thought she would. In fact, my lady, I’m sure of it. Now,

lead us to this Seergoon tribe.”

Syra mumbled a few profanities to herself as she flew into the sky. Did Tara give

Andru instructions to send one of his friends to rape Ana? And why someone as large

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as Gilroy? Ana never could have fought him off. Why in Crator’s name would her aunt

do something like that?

* * * * *

“Why in the name of Yawa are you all the way out at the Seergoon tribe?” Sorg’s

aggravation was easily detected through the transmission. Roth leaned back in his chair

and stared at his brother’s face on the monitor. “I need you here, brother. You are back

in your nation and for that I am glad. Your place is with me, though.”

“I’ll be there. I’ll be detained only briefly so that some matters may be taken care

of.” Roth looked toward the closed bedroom door where Ana was with one of the

servants changing clothes. He’d brought her back to the cabin by the sea. This time,

however, armed guards surrounded the cabin and a handful of house servants waited

on them.

“What do you need to do?” Sorg wrinkled his brow.

“I’m taking a mate.” Roth grinned at his brother’s astonished look. “I’ve brought

Ana back with me. She is willing and the ceremony will be tonight. I will claim right of

first refusal.”

Sorg laughed out loud and Roth looked nervously at the closed bedroom door.

“What an incredible stroke of luck. Does she know of this right? Is she doing this

willingly?”

“Am I such a tyrant?” Roth sounded offended. “I did very little to convince the

young lady. She is currently angry with her people. I happened to stumble upon her as

I was leaving her nation and she waved me down. I know her anger will subside with

time but by then I hope to have her well with child.”

“And she is heir to the Runner nation, is she not?”

“Yes, she is…and I shall be too once I am tied to her.”

“So she was a virgin when you took her?”

Roth didn’t hesitate. His brother didn’t need to know such details. The law was

antiquated, but useful at the moment. “She is with me willingly. And I assure you, we

will announce an heir before long.”

“Enjoy your honeymoon, brother. May it be fruitful.” Sorg chuckled and then the

screen went black.

Roth sighed, relieved. His brother hadn’t questioned him too much on the matter.

Ana had lost her virginity, and it had happened recently. The sooner they were mated,

the better. Then all he had to do was get her pregnant—a task he would enjoy.

Someone gently rapped on the front door and Roth stood after terminating the

transmission.

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“Enter.” A male servant poured a golden liquid into a crystal goblet and handed it

to Roth as the front door opened and Beel entered the room with an old man behind

him. “Excellent work, Beel. Honorable father, my bride is most anxious. I’m glad you

were able to come to me.” He clapped his hands and a young servant girl hurried into

the room. “Feed these two and I will call for them shortly.”

Ana sat in front of a beautifully hand-carved mirror watching as her long blonde

locks were intricately woven with tiny pebbles and rocks. Tiny braids, narrower than

her smallest finger, fell around her face. She wore a lavender dress, made with more

lace than material. Her sleeves were puffed at the shoulder but then tight as they went

down to her wrists.

It was low-cut and more cleavage than she cared to reveal was met with lace and

just enough silky material to cover her light brown nipples. The waistline pulled in

showing off her firm flat stomach and then lace covered more silky lavender material as

the dress flowed to the floor. She didn’t wear sandals this time but flat, soft leather

boots that tied up to her knees.

She was incredibly impressed with her appearance, quite sure she’d never looked

more beautiful in all her life. Why then, wasn’t she happy? Roth wanted to claim her,

travel around Nuworld together, and pay no heed to their nations. They would be free

spirits, learning of new things side by side. What a perfect dream! Why then, wasn’t she

happy?

She closed her eyes as the servant girls continued to brush and pull as they braided

and weaved her hair. Andru’s face appeared behind her closed lids. What would Andru

think if he knew she was preparing for a claim within the hour? Her heart slammed! He

would be furious. He would drag her out of this nation as fast as he could and send her

off to some remote place until he felt she’d come to her senses.

She wondered what her brother thought of Roth. She didn’t think he hated him, but

he would if he knew he planned to claim his sister—that night. Her stomach tied into

knots and she felt sick.

Then Gilroy’s face appeared in her thoughts. He’d raped her, right? It wasn’t her

idea, she told him no and he didn’t listen. So, it was rape. But it felt so damn good. No,

it didn’t. Yes, it did. If it was rape, it shouldn’t feel good, right? Oh, Crator.

“Leave us.” Roth entered the room and waved his hand dismissing the two young

girls who worked on Ana’s hair. “Sweet lady, you are beautiful. But what’s this, you

look so sad.”

He crossed the room quickly as the servants darted out and shut the door behind

them. Taking her chin gently with his hand, he lifted her gaze to his. She allowed him to

pull from her what he would and then gently closed her eyes and sighed as she cuddled

into his hand.

“Look at you. There isn’t a prettier lady in all of Nuworld. But you have allowed

guilt to consume you and distort your thinking. Nothing that happened is your fault,

not even your reactions to it.” She opened her eyes and he gently kissed her lips. She

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was aware of the sensitivity and rawness in between her legs and wondered if he’d

expect her to make love to him tonight. Surely not. He knew what she’d been through

earlier that day. When she opened her eyes after the kiss, his intense emerald green eyes

attacked her at close range. “The fact that you enjoyed yourself shows your craving for

passion. It doesn’t mean you might have feelings for the ass who did this atrocious act

to you. He has committed the worst of crimes against you—stolen something from you

that should have been yours to give as an act of love. There is no worse crime in all of