“Not exactly.” A sympathetic female voice spoke behind her, causing Roni to jerk over in the bed, clutching the comforter to her bare br**sts as her eyes widened. She remembered meeting Merinus the day before, though only vaguely. Her mind was consumed with the memory of the heat, the driving need that had tormented her. And Taber. Fierce, savage, determined to claim her despite the fact that he had been the one to walk away months before. The other woman watched her with deep brown eyes filled with compassion. She was slender, about Roni’s height, with long, light brown hair and compassionate eyes. Her expression was calm, sympathetic, and brought a lump to Roni’s throat. She had never truly had friends, at least not once they met her father, and this woman’s gentle manner made her realize all she had given up over the years. Merinus, despite the luxurious surroundings of the estate and what Roni remembered of this house, didn’t appear to adopt a “lady of the manor” attitude, though. She was dressed in faded jeans, a loose cream-colored cotton shirt and sneakers. She seemed the type more at home camping in the great outdoors than supervising a mansion.
“Where’s Taber?” She looked around the room to be certain he wasn’t there.
“He’s with Callan at the moment. He’s head of security here at the estate, and some of the new measures they were putting in place required his attention.” Merinus stood up from the chair she had been sitting in and padded over to the bed.
“I have some clothes that should fit you laid out in the bathroom if you would like to wash up and get dressed. I’d suggest a bath for now. It seems to ease the worst of the mating effects for a short time.”
Roni felt heat rise in her face as the other woman mentioned the insane desire that had held her in its grip earlier. She could handle wanting the man until she ached, but this was ridiculous.
“For a short while?” she asked her fiercely, frowning. “No.” She shook her head at that one. “Something has to stop this. Now.” She couldn’t accept anything else.
She could feel the heat rising in her body once again. Her skin felt irritated, sensitive, her br**sts swollen, her cl*t throbbing in demand. She couldn’t handle this. It had been bad before, but this was worse than she could have imagined.
She wondered if Taber was even suffering from it. More than likely not. And if any man deserved to, it was he.
Merinus sighed. “The effects are temporary, Roni, but not without a certain price. Take your bath while I call down and have your dinner brought up. We’ll talk when you’re done.”
She turned to leave the room, leaving Roni with too many damned questions and no answers.
“Wait.” Roni wrapped the comforter around her as she slid from the high bed. Dammit, did Taber think everyone was as damned tall as he was? “Tell me how to stop this now.”
The look on Merinus’ face when she turned back was somber.
“You can’t stop it now. It has to run its course. Now go bathe. The time you can stand to wait for Taber is limited. I know you have questions, and some of them I can answer. But not until you’re more comfortable.”
Roni drew in a rough breath, staring at the other woman’s implacable expression. She looked more than determined, and Roni had a feeling she was used to getting her own way.
“This bites,” she snapped, turning away from Merinus. “If I wanted to bathe first I would have asked.”
But she stomped to the bathroom anyway, determined to get it over with and get her questions answered as soon as possible.
Merinus had been right, though. The bath did seem to ease the building heat that had already begun tormenting her. Of course, Roni opted for a cold bath, shivering in the coolest water she could stand on her skin and gradually adding more until it became tolerable. The bathroom was a dream. Italian marble floors, a porcelain sink set in a cherry cabinet. In the center of the room was a large sunken tub big enough for three grown people. A shower was set in a far corner. Against the wall opposite the door was a sky-blue print Queen Anne chair, and beside it, an antique cherry table. Cabinets were set within the walls, and decorative nooks held a variety of expensive knick-knacks. It was opulent and comfortable at the same time. And unlike anything Roni had ever experienced.
When she felt as though she could stand to walk without being f**ked first, she got out of the large tub, dried her hair and hurriedly dressed in the long gown and robe the other woman had provided. There were no panties, but she didn’t want to tempt her luck at this point by allowing anything to touch her overly sensitive cunt.
Dinner came next. It was waiting on her in the sitting room, on the small glass table positioned beside the sliding balcony doors. It was a light meal and Merinus stood guard over her every second, making certain she finished it before covering the tray and then sitting back in the chair and watching her silently.
“Okay, answers,” Roni reminded her. “What did he do to me and how do I get rid of it?”
The answers better come fast too, she thought, because the small contractions in her womb were about to drive her crazy.
“Conception.” Roni froze at the other woman’s words. “It’s the only thing that stills the heat. But you won’t be free of Taber, even then. Nature is a little smarter than we’ve given her credit for here. You and Taber will never be able to separate. You’ll always be a part of him, through the child you conceive as well as the hormone that will never completely leave your body. You’re his mate. Forever.”
Roni stared at the other woman for a long, silent minute. If Merinus didn’t look so serious, Roni would have laughed in her face. Unfortunately, this just didn’t feel like a good time to find amusement in a situation rapidly bordering nightmare quality.
“Like hell I am.” Roni jumped to her feet, paying little attention to the chair that flew out behind her, turning over on the carpeted floor.
This was not good. She stared at Merinus’ calm expression, feeling panic well inside her as the other woman watched her almost pityingly.
“Roni, you need to understand…”
“No, you need to understand,” she retorted furiously as she pushed her fingers desperately though her hair. “I did not ask for this. I didn’t ask him to leave this stupid mark on me and I sure as hell didn’t ask him to kiss me. I won’t accept this.”
A child? She had to get pregnant first? Bring a baby into the world that would have every mercenary and low life criminal looking to steal it. To take it from her arms and turn it over to a group of monsters who would do only God knew what to it.
Horror welled up within her as her hands pressed against her stomach and her mind fought to reject any such conclusion. She couldn’t do it. God help her, she wouldn’t survive it.
“Roni, denying it won’t help.” Merinus came slowly to her feet. “I’ve been where you are. I know how confused you are and how pissed you are. But they didn’t ask for this, either. Not in any way. You can work this out with Taber.”