Page 322 of Primal Bonds
“Mated?” Isa joined the two smaller braids into a single plait at the back and wrapped a leather thong around the bottom. “You believe this is possible?” she asked as she tucked the end of the thong into the braid. “A river fada and an earth fada?”
Rosana turned to face her. “It must be. How could I feel like this if he wasn’t my mate?” She pressed the heel of her hand to her heart. “I ache for him, Isa.”
The old nurse’s expression was troubled. “I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve never seen such a thing. I can tell you one thing, that one won’t be tamed. He’ll always be a little wild. Hard. You’ll have to take him as he is.”
Rosana lifted her chin. “He’s hard because he had to be. He’d be dead by now if he hadn’t been. And I don’t want to tame him. I like him just the way he is.” A smile tugged at her lips.
“It was good, sim?” Isa waved a hand. “No, don’t answer that. There are some secrets a woman keeps close.”
They shared a grin.
Isa tucked a stray hair behind Rosana’s ear, serious again. “Your Adric is the alpha, not a man who can do as he pleases. The alpha is the leader of a clan, sim, but he’s also bound by his duties, his responsibilities to the people he governs.”
“That’s what he said. And he’s not my Adric.”
“He hasn’t mate-claimed you, then.”
“No. And he won’t.”
“But if he did? You would accept his claim?”
Rosana opened her mouth, shut it. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’d have to leave Rock Run, my family, my friends. I—” She shook her head.
Adric’s clan was so different from theirs. He seemed to be constantly fighting off challenges from his own people. Hell, just last summer, two of his own cousins had tried to kill him.
She heaved a breath. “It doesn’t matter. He’s never going to ask me.”
“Then put him from your mind.”
Rosana swallowed. Isa was right. Adric was an earth fada alpha, and she was a river fada from a rival clan. The two of them weren’t going to have some fairytale ending.
But he needs me.
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” She jumped up and paced across the sala.
“But I can’t.” She shot Isa a lopsided smile. “Deus, Dion would kill me if I mated with Adric.”
“But it’s not up to your brother, is it? Only you can choose the mate bond.”
“You’re right.” Rosana stared at her, arrested, before shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. He told me straight out he’ll never claim me.”
“Bah.” Isa clucked her tongue. “He’s a man. What does he know? If you want him badly enough, you can convince him. But think about it. This is not a decision to be made lightly.”
Rosana nodded slowly.
“Senhora Isa!” Brisa’s voice piped from the other side of the closed door. “I-sa! Me here!”
“I’ll get it.” Rosana opened the door to find her niece standing wobbly-legged on the other side, one plump hand gripping the door jamb.
Her small face lit. “Tia Wosa!” She reached for Rosana with both hands and nearly overbalanced herself.
“Brisa!” Rosana swooped her up. “Just the girl I wanted to see.”
She spun around in a circle as the toddler put her head back and squealed with glee. When she stopped, they were both laughing.
Rosana hugged her close, pressed a kiss to the little girl’s sweet-smelling neck.
If she mated with Adric, she wouldn’t get to see Brisa every day. Her smile faded. The thought made her a little sick.
