Free Camille's Capture by Evanne Lorraine Page B

happen?”
    Aegis shrugged. “Sooner if he’s exposed to his mates. Never if he breeds.”
    “ Great plan, ’cause we really need more monsters.” Jaxon snorted.
    “I am the last of the Tethysians, those you call water demons.”
    Jaxon averted his eyes from Aegis, locking his attention on Cami. His sensual mouth tightened in anger. “See? He admits it. Tethysians is just another name for monsters. He’s a killing machine.”
    “Aegis never hurt you. He has fought by your side for how long?” she pleaded with Jaxon. Her heart was in her throat from their mutual pain and their stubborn male code of behavior that kept them from showing their feelings when it was clear to her how deeply they cared.
    Jaxon dropped his gaze and refused to meet her eyes, mutter ing, “This is our second tour—almost four years.”
    “Plenty of time to kill you if he wanted to do so,” she said reasonably, praying the Goddess would clear his vision. What hope did these warriors have when violence was their default response to every problem? I’m no diplomat, but I’m the only rational person here. I have to try to make peace between them.
    With each breath she drew, her craving for the warriors’ touch grew stronger. The suddenness and the strength of her body’s reaction left her shaken. She fought the startling desire for closeness, stepping away from both of them until she hit the wall.
    She prayed for calmness and turned to Aegis, “How often do you need to breed to keep from going berserk?”
    “I have no way to know.” He focused on the compartment over her head.
    How much the admission of helplessness must hurt this proud warrior. Goddess grant him mercy.
    Before she had a chance to offer him comfort, Jaxon captured Aegis’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
    “I feared your reaction,” Aegis said flatly.
    “That hurts, bud.” Jaxon released his hold and swallowed hard. “I can see your point. I can be a real jerk.”
    “No. However, you are capable of extraordinarily stubbornness.” The corners of the larger male’s mouth quirked as if he fought a smile.
    Cami blinked back tears of relief.
    “Don’t count on getting a ring from me next moon cycle.” Subtexts of hurt and doubt in underlay Jaxon’s words.
    He narrowed an accusing gaze at her. “You don’t seem to have a problem with demon guy. Tell me how you can accept him without a bat of those pretty lashes, when you know nothing of warriors?”
    She straightened her spine. “I’ve met several warriors.”
    “’Kay. Don’t stop now, sweetheart. Tell me about them.” He grinned at her, lessening the challenge in his eyes.
    Heat raced up her neck, flaming her cheeks. “I attended a match ceremony. Many warriors were there.”
    Jaxon’s infectious grin vanished.
    Pain creased Aegis’s noble brow. He asked gently, “What happened?”
    She managed to force words past the sudden tightness in her throat. “My matches didn’t claim me.”
    T otal silence followed her explanation. Discomfort settled like badly cooked meat in her belly. She darted peeks at one male and the other. She remembered all the happy couples shying away from her at the mating ceremony. Do these warriors believe rejection is contagious too?
    After dread lined her stomach, Jaxon cleared his throat. “We were tied up in a dogfight, Camille d’Rondeur.”
    She frowned at him. “How do you know my full name?”
    “I—we’re your matches.”
    “I see,” she lied calmly. She turned over his incomprehensible words in her mind. Slowly she understood the ugly truth.
    The men exchanged another unhappy glance, and for once their silent message was as clear as the Goddess’s way. What in the seven hells do we do with her?
    Not exactly healing balm for her wounded pride.
    No matter what everyone thought, she wasn’t stupid or blind. Jaxon and Aegis were already mated. To each other.
    T hey’d been matched to her by the warriors’ peerless