Mating Rights Read Online Free PDF Page B

information out
of him as he was willing to give.
    They rode for a while
in silence as the weather deteriorated around them. She watched the trees twist
their branches as if bound in some bizarre, magical dance. Mali regretted the
fight with Angelica now that she had to endure the weather with the men.
    With only a few hours
distancing her from her family, she already missed the soft, comforting warmth
of her mother’s bosom and lap. Grown as she was, she still enjoyed resting her
head on her lap and having her mama comb and braid her hair.Sadness permeated her thoughts.Her eyes watered. She rubbed them with the backs of
her hands before grabbing the pommel again.
    As if he could see her
face, he said, “You shouldn’t antagonize the other women. They’ll make it bad
for you at the festival.”
    “I’m not crying about
them. Though I do wish I could ride in comfort. That would never happen back
there. They know I’m different—not one of them.”
    “Being different has
its perks,” he said.
    “Oh? Like what?”
    “When I figure that
out, I’ll tell you,” he grumbled.
    Mali couldn’t stifle
the laugh that erupted from her. “I think you’re trying to cheer me up.”
    “Why would I do that?
You haven’t been anythin’ but trouble for me.”
    “Somewhere beneath that
scarred, hard exterior, I think there’s a soft heart. You wouldn’t have risked
your life for your men if there wasn’t.”
    Jaxon made no response.
Mali wondered if she’d offended him, then decided she probably had. The man was
as sensitive as an achy tooth and just as worrisome.
    Wind whipped through
her hair, bringing the first stinging pellets of rain. “Wonderful,” she said,
looking up at the ferocious sky.
    “Hang on. Hold these,”
he said, handing her the reins.
    Mali accepted them,
feeling a moment of terror to have control of the horse. She gripped the reins
tight as he dug in a side pouch off his saddle and withdrew a brown cloak. He
whipped it around his shoulders.
    “Get inside,” he said,
holding the edges open for her.
    Feeling silly, but
wanting shelter from the rain, she leaned close to his chest until her back
melded to the sculpted plains. He closed his arms around her, allowing her a
small hole for her to poke her face through to breathe.She chuckled to herself, imagining that they must look like some two
headed monster, but she welcomed it for the rain began to pour in sheets.
    “Can’t we stop and take
shelter?” she asked.
    “Not if we’re going to
make it in time for the festival. I thought we’d get to hunt for fresh meat by
noon, but we’ll probably wait closer to nightfall.”
    “How long will we be on
the road?”
    Mali felt him shift as
if working a kink from a muscle. “Until tomorrow at the earliest. Are you eager
to find a mate?”
    She wrinkled her nose, holding
the edges of the cloak closed against the rain. She moved her head back,
peering from inside the waterproof fabric. Inside, his masculine scent filled
the air creating a heady perfume that intrigued her nose. Her body warmed with
the matching heat of his. Something niggled in her belly, making it cramp with
his nearness. Mali chose to ignore the strange, unfamiliar feeling.
    “I don’t want a mate.
I’m only going because you’ve forced me to,” she said, wondering if he could
hear her muffled voice.
    He grunted. “You’re the
only one then. The others are out to get the wealthiest members of the clan.”
    “I just want to go back
to my home.”
    “Maybe you’ll be ready
next year then. If you’re lucky and no one chooses you,” he added.
    The rain intensified.
She could feel it pounding against the cloak, making a tapping sound like a
drum. Tired of slogging through the rain, Jaxon halted his horse.
    “Let’s shelter here
under these trees,” he yelled to the men.
    Jaxon guided his horse
off the road to the copse he’d pointed to. He pulled his cloak from around her
and dropped to the ground, helping her off the horse