Page 79 of Lion Conquers All
Dyna walked over to Aarav and raised a hand to his forehead and one to his chest. “May I?”
“Yes.”
“Are you the oldest?”
“No. The youngest of five —Shenn, Ivann, Veer, Raj, then me. Though Raj and I are barely separated by a year.
She touched his head and chest and a warm flutter of energy coursed through him. Her eyes went white again and he had the strangest sensation that she was looking around inside him.
Unnerving as the feeling was, he wanted to know why. He needed to know why. And at the same time, if he carried royal blood in his veins, why didn’t his brothers?
“Your parents, did you know them well?”
“I remember my mother’s face in dreams. My father, I cannot picture any longer. We were taken by Rivian when we were children. Raj and I are much younger than our three older brothers.”
“What if—” Katherine stopped herself.
Aarav wanted to look at her. Her tone sounded like she’d come up with a reason, but Dyna’s energy had locked him into place. He felt heavy and slow. His mind could still think and he could hear. He could speak, but if he tried tomove, his body wouldn’t respond.
“I need you to be still a bit longer. Be calm, Aarav.”
After another eternal minute, Dyna lowered her arms and the energy link between them faded.
He stared at the small woman in front of him and waited. She was biting her bottom lip, like she was trying to decide what to say. It couldn’t be that bad?
“Spit it out. I’d rather know than not.”
“You are not who you think you are. You are of a royal bloodline. Both your sire and your mother were royal. Your magick goes back generations upon generations.”
Aarav’s throat fell to his stomach. How? It couldn’t be possible. She had to be wrong.
Except his mate was in transition from his bite. And he hadn’t bitten a human before this, so he didn’t have any proof to fight the magick-bender’s claim. And he respected the magick-benders. He didn’t want to argue with her. But it didn’t make sense.
“But…”
“I wouldn’t know without connecting to each of your brothers, but I would assume that you are not related to Shenn or Ivann. If it is as you say, that they bit a human woman and no transition occurred, then they are not related to you by blood.” Dyna put a hand back on his shoulder. “But blood, Aarav, is not what makes true family or Tribe. Remember that.”
“Do you think they knew?” Both his older brothers had volunteered to be the ones to mark the captive women when Rivian had demanded it. Almost insisted. They’d told the Ka’lagh leader they were the oldest and would be the strongest representative of their family line.
But what if they’d known…
“I think it is likely and I think it’s something you should discuss with them. It is not my place to speculate.” She gestured to the other woman to join her. “Mira. We will go now and leave you to care for Connie. She will sleep for some time.”
He glanced at Connie and his heart squeezed. “How long?”
“Perhaps days.”
“And you’re sure she’ll be okay?” Katherine spoke this time.
Mira nodded. “Oh, yes. The magick is healing her, inside and out. There’s just a lot to do. Your friend was severely injured over the course of many years and it will take some time to put right was what damaged.”
“Thank you.” Aarav knelt at Dyna’s feet and bowed his head. His mate was safe. She’d probably be pissed as hell when she woke up with a beast of her own, but she was his mate and in time she would understand he didn’t mean to take away her choice.
At some point Connie would forgive him.
And he was a very patient man.
33
