Bondmate Read Free

sense of defeat didn’t last long. It never did, and she let herself
feel again, the catalog of pain longer than usual. Her empty stomach ached, her
feet, clad in worn-away boots, hurt, her hands burned from the harsh cleansers
she used, and her neck and back throbbed. At least she was warm, and the
novelty of that sensation woke her up a little. Low voices rumbled in her ears,
and she winced and blinked her eyes.
    What—where? In a terrifying
instant she knew she wasn’t in the settlement. It was too warm, quiet, and
clean-smelling to be the camp. Then the fogginess in her brain lifted, and she
remembered the big men in the dark capes chasing her, grabbing her. It had been
like a nightmare, but was obviously real.
    Blinking
her eyes open, she saw a white expanse followed by black. The white was smooth
under her cheek: a sheet. A clean sheet, something she hadn’t seen in months.
The shadow was a darkened room beyond the large bed. A shape moved in the grey
gloom, and she drew back.
    “We
aren’t going to hurt you.” That deep voice again, telling pretty lies.
    “Too late,” she croaked, unable to
remain silent as good sense would dictate.
    “Mat,
I told you we were too rough.”
    The
light brightened, and she flinched as her eyes adjusted, jumping when she felt
hands at her clothing. Adrenaline flooded her body, and she struck back,
flailing at the assault even as she pushed with her feet to slide further away.
Strong hands gripped her wrists and thighs, and she was pressed down on the
soft surface. Two faces swam into focus, the big men, no longer enveloped in
meters of fabric. They were wearing sleek leather tunics and pants, black as
fear. Golden skin, golden eyes, square jaws and tight mouths, they resembled
each other closely. Dark hair fell around their shoulders, and when they moved
closer, she noticed glossy black curves among the strands. Horns. Devil horns growing from their skulls.
    All
the gruesome tales flooded her mind, and she screamed. Their grip on her eased, and she kicked against the bed until she fell off the
side onto a carpeted floor. On hands and knees she struggled to escape, only to
be captured by hard hands. They were the alien demons, come to capture her and
eat her. Women had been disappearing from her community for years. Most had
blamed perverted killers, but there had been whispers of these golden men with
horns being in the area before some had vanished. She strained against their
hold, her exhaustion forgotten as the basic urge to survive gave her a final
burst of energy.
    “Quiet. Calm.” The deep voice carried right into her brain,
and she twisted her head to look at the villain who’d spoken. It was the one
who hadn’t smiled, the one who’d stroked her buttocks like he was measuring her
for a roasting pan. Unaccountably, she stilled, the tension in her limbs easing
as she stared into his gleaming eyes.
    “I
am Mateen of the Albin. I’m not going to harm you.”
    Another
voice cut in, and she turned to see the other devil, a slight smile returning to
his mouth. He’d been the one who spoke before. “And I’m Bynton of the Albin.
I’m not going to hurt you either.”
    She
didn’t believe them, but wherever they were touching her felt only warm and
solid, not painful. Big, solid chests hemmed her in; thick thighs pressed
against her legs. A few shallow breaths calmed her a bit more. If they were
going to eat her, she’d probably be in bloody chunks by now.
    “What
do you want with me?”
    The
men looked at each other and softened their hold on her enough that she could
move a bit.
    “We
want to talk to you.” Mateen stared at her, his brows lowered.
    “Learn
about you.” Bynton released his hold on her arm long enough to adjust the way
her cowl fit against her head. She swerved away from his touch, and he dropped
his hand.
    “Didn’t have to grab me to do that.” It was only
bravado talking at this point. She knew her legs were going to shake soon and
she’d