Page 17 of Jordan

He tried to wipe her forehead once more but Nina pulled her head away. “No. Do not touch me again. You…you make it burn worse.”

A question formed on his face. “I thought I made it go away.”

“You did,” she bit out between clenched teeth. “But now it is stronger than before. Before, I could control it… I could…” She screamed, needing release but finding none.

The door to the hut opened slowly and a woman entered. Her long dark brown hair hung just past her waist and was braided in various spots, but left free in others. Her skin was olive toned and her eyes a deep, rich chocolate brown. She smiled and offered a tray of food to Jordan. “She must eat.”

“I know but,” Jordan sighed, “she won’t take it from me. I think I pissed her off again. I have a knack for that, you know.”

The woman brushed past Jordan and sat on the edge of the bed. She was either very brave or very stupid. Nina could kill her easily, chained or not.

The woman nodded. “Yes, you could but you won’t. As much as you hate being dependent on another for anything, you need me right now.” She motioned towards Jordan. “That, or you must allow him to assist you. He worries about you. I thought we might have to sedate him again to get him to stop pacing outside your door.”

Jordan rolled his eyes. “She didn’t need to know that, Manna.”

Manna.

Nina committed the woman’s name to memory and stared at her, trying to get a feel for who or what she was.

She smiled and held a cup of something out to Nina. “I am of the Tegmen tribe. You are our guest here. Our apologies for taking you and your friend. As I have explained to him, we thought you both to be others.”

Tegmen tribe? But they were nowhere near the Tegmen village.

Manna nodded. “You were not close but our scouting party was on the hunt for a male and female working for Stegian. They had tracked them and when they happened upon the two of you, they assumed you to be them. They brought you here to our village to stand for questioning. We learned who you are and wished for you to be honored guests. Any Janelle is welcome here, for it is well known you have stood against Stegian and his men many times. So Janelles are guests,” She glanced at Jordan. “As are their mates.”

She reads minds?

“I do,” Manna replied.

Nina opened her mouth to deny being mates with Jordan and Manna put the cup to her lips, forcing her to drink from it. The liquid was sticky and sweet, causing Nina’s face to scrunch. She smacked her lips together. “What is that?”

Manna offered a soft smile. “It is ponutaious juice. Made from the fruit bearing the same name.” She smoothed Nina’s hair back from her face once more. “It will help ensure the pain from your cycle ceases soon.”

Nina exhaled. “It will? How?”

Manna cast Jordan a nervous look. “By helping with who can impregnate you.” She held the cup out to Nina once more. “You must drink at least three full cups of this and it will trick your body into believing the next man who takes you is your mate.”

Jordan was next to her in an instant, batting the cup away, spilling its contents. “No!”

Something close to amusement flashed in Manna’s eyes. “So, you do not wish her pain to ease?”

“I don’t want her fucking an endless line of men at all, let alone with the promise she’ll conceive a child with any of them.”

“Then perhaps you wish to create life with her,” Manna suggested, playing with fire.

Nina wanted to yell at Jordan for spilling the drink but that wasn’t what came out. “Jordan is right about the drink. I cannot…I won’t…I want…”

“What do you want, Nina?” Manna asked, stepping away from the bed with a sly smile on her face.

Nina’s gaze went to Jordan. “I want you,” she said, her breathing rapid and her body burning. She thumped her head against the bed. “Ah, arr, I want this to end. I want you buried in me, making it go away.”

He undid his pants. Manna inclined her head as she backed out of the hut, leaving Jordan and Nina alone. Jordan’s gaze narrowed and he looked every bit the predator he was capable of being.

The minute he freed his ruddy erection from his pants, Nina gasped. He would never fit in her.

She stopped arching to meet him and started sinking back into the bed as much as she could while chained. Jordan stroked himself as he stood next to her. The hungry look in his eyes scared her.

“J-Jordan?”

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