Captive of the Horde King (Horde Kings Of Dakkar #1) - Zoey Draven Page 0,49

chest and I felt Arokan’s hand stroke up my back. We were quiet for a moment before I said, “Thank you for telling me.”

“You are Morakkari,” he replied. “You have a right to know.”

Did I? Up until a few days ago, I hadn’t even known about the Ghertuns’ existence, much less the danger that they posed.

Turning my head slightly, I looked down at Arokan, sprawled out beside me.

I could have done a lot worse for myself, I realized suddenly, that knowledge bursting through me. I’d never given thought to joining my life with a man. Never given much thought to a future with a family, with children, not when my village was struggling, not when there was work to be done, not when Kivan needed me to be strong.

But Arokan was strong. He protected his people at all costs, could show mercy when needed, kindness when it was unexpected.

He hadn’t abused me, hadn’t hurt me. Instead, he’d made me his queen and answered my questions without hesitation. He’d given me a job that would challenge me, he’d given me guards to protect me, and he’d driven me mad with frightening desire.

He was…not what I had expected.

“I dispatched my pujerak to your village this morning,” he said quietly.

Hope sprang in my chest. The messenger with the three bveri. The deal we’d made last night at the tassimara…

“You did?”

He jerked his head in a nod. “He should have already arrived.”

I looked away when unexpected tears sprang in my eyes. I didn’t want him to see me cry, but the thought that my brother could have fresh meat, actual food for the first time…it was something I never thought would happen.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“You honored your promise to me,” he said. “I have honored mine.”

When I was sure that my tears weren’t going to fall, I looked at him, resting my cheek on my knees. It occurred to me that this moment almost felt comfortable. That it felt almost natural to sit there and talk to him in that bed.

“When I was younger,” I said softly, “a Dakkari horde came to our village. A few males walked through. It was my first time seeing a Dakkari up close. They were just observing us, though their presence put everyone on edge.” Arokan grunted. “Then one of them saw one of our villagers. A young woman named Mithelda. He took her, which shocked us all. They left and we never saw her again.”

Arokan said carefully, “What are you asking me?”

“Nothing,” I said softly. “I just…I wanted you to know that before you even stepped foot inside my village, I had decided that if you had another use for me, if the Dakkari did indeed take female war prizes from settlements, that that was something I was willing to give you.”

Arokan’s tail came up and wrapped around my ankle. “Dakkari do not take war prizes, Luna. It is more likely that that male’s Vorakkar gave him permission to take a kassikari. He saw a female he wanted and he bound himself to her, in the old tradition by capturing her. If he is an honorable horde warrior, I can assure you that this female of yours is safe and well.”

I sucked in a breath, staring at him. “What?”

“Horde warriors may only take a kassikari with permission,” he told me. “Only when he proves himself a valuable and strong warrior to his Vorakkar.”

“What do you mean by the old tradition?” I asked quietly, my mind racing. He’d said something about that, about claiming me in the old way. What did that mean?

“It is ancient. Perhaps primitive,” he said with a small quirk of his lips, which sent my heart racing, “but it speaks to the soul of the Dakkari. We were once a race spread across the planet, of warring factions, until we united under one king, though it took many bloody, many long wars before then. During that time, warriors would unite their factions together, growing stronger, by capturing females from opposite sides to bind themselves together, creating offspring, forming blood ties between the enemy factions that were unbreakable. It created a network across the planet, held together by females and their sacrifices, bridging gaps, gaining alliances. That is the old tradition.”

“You…” I trailed off, processing the information. “You always knew, from the beginning, what you intended for me.”

“Lysi, I told you as much,” he replied. “Kakkari revealed you to me. I took you. I bound us.”

“Because I’m human?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Because you