Unleashed by the Defender (Brides of the Kindred #25) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,72

He looked up at her. “Oh Gods, I’m so sorry! So fucking sorry.”

“I know that…that you weren’t in your right mind,” she said, looking away. “But I thought you should know what happened. After all, it’s not like I could hide it from you—hide the…the connection we seem to have now.”

“It’s called a soul-bond. But I swear I never meant to force it on you. Please…”

J’are reached for her hand.

“Don’t.” Imani pulled away.

“Did I hurt you?” His voice was hoarse with emotion. “Are you…are you injured?” He wished desperately that he could examine her and heal any wounds that he might have inflicted—though he was certain she would never want him to touch her again.

“Strangely enough, it didn’t hurt.” Imani’s normally warm voice was cool, detached. “All I felt was overwhelming pleasure…and afterwards, overwhelming regret.”

She turned her face away, not looking at him as she spoke.

“After we both…finished, I blacked out for a moment. When I woke up, Lady Bittlebum was standing over me. She was quite pleased.” She cleared her throat. “It seems she recorded the entire…encounter. She promised me that she’ll be in court this morning and if we say one thing against her, she’s prepared to show Judge Thoughtgood everything that happened between us.”

“That bitch,” J’are spat. “How could she—”

He broke off abruptly. Mistress Bittlebum would have nothing to show if he’d been able to keep control of himself—if he’d been able to stop his feral side from coming out.

But he hadn’t been able. He’d failed and the broken look on Imani’s face was the result.

“Imani,” he whispered. “I’m so damn sorry. I should be executed for what I did to you.”

“Well, you’re not going to be,” she said briskly. “You’re going to be released from Yonnie Six and then you’ll go back to your home world. I suppose…” her voice cracked a little. “I suppose I’ll be going there too.”

“You don’t have to,” J’are said quickly. Though he desperately wanted her by his side, he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to go—not wanting to be exiled to an alien planet with her rapist.

“I never said you raped me,” she said sharply, and J’are realized she had heard his thoughts. “I had the pain collar remote the whole time—I could have used it but I didn’t.”

“What in the Seven Hells else would you call it?” he growled. “When I chased you down and—”

“You weren’t in your right mind, as I said,” she interrupted. “And I…well, I’m a grown-ass woman—I can take some responsibility for my own desires. It’s just that…” She shook her head. “That indulging this particular desire is going to have some life-changing consequences for me.”

“You don’t have to come live with me, just because we’re bonded,” J’are pointed out. “I know why you don’t want to—I know how much you love your home world and your career and family and how you don’t want to leave them.”

“I do love them, but I’ll have to leave them,” she said grimly and one hand stole to her lower belly. “I don’t have a choice. Not when I’m going to have a Nightwalker baby that will almost certainly be a son.”

“Gods…” J’are groaned. He sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face. Shame stung him fiercely. “I didn’t even think…”

“I can already feel the baby moving,” Imani told him quietly. “How is that possible? When…when it just happened?”

“Nightwalker babies quicken almost immediately,” J’are told her. “They grow at a tremendous pace.”

“I see.” She nodded coldly. “I’ve informed Commander Sylvan of…of the situation, and also asked him to have a Kindred escort waiting for us when we get out of court. We’ll be going to your home world by way of the nearest wormhole, since I understand that folding space isn’t…isn’t good for the baby…”

She broke off and looked away, her face a study in misery. Two large tears rolled silently down her cheeks and J’are could feel her regret and sorrow like twin wounds in his own soul.

He ran a hand over his face again. Gods, what a mess! How could he have done this? Even in his feral state, how could he have hurt the woman he loved so deeply and ruined her life so completely?

“I’ll take care of you,” he said roughly. “You and the baby. I know you don’t want to hear it now, but I swear by the Goddess, Imani—”

“No, I don’t want to hear it now,” she said sharply. “Right now what I want is for you to get up