Free Captivated: 3 (Mating Ritual) by Ria Candro Page B

resisted the urge to growl. His fingers tightened on the controls. “If Cindra learns that we’re responsible for her being spotted, she may very well hate us.”
    His jaw tight, Bannor glanced straight ahead through the clear, impenetrable shield protecting the opened front panel of the ship. “I must tell her. If she learns it from someone else, she will hate us for sure.”
    Yes, Devan had feared Bannor would say something like this. He clenched his teeth to resist the urge to protest. Bannor was their leader and his orders were law. Besides, as much as Devan wished it weren’t so, Bannor was right. Their mate needed to learn from them that it was their carelessness that had led to her being found out.
    “We should have faced the Malucons on the spot,” Tempos growled from his seat on his chair. “Had we killed them, no one would be left to know of Cindra’s existence. Now they’ll spread the word to other Malucons.”
    “We didn’t know how many of them there were,” Bannor pointed out, his voice defeated. “Had we engaged them and there had been more Malucons on their ship, we would have been slaughtered. And now it’s too late to go back. No doubt they’ve already communicated with others of their kind.”
    Devan let out a sigh. Bannor was right, of course. Their best option at this point was to get their mate back to Spygia, where she would be safe.
    After a long, tense silence, Tempos let out a dry chuckle. “At least we accomplished our mission. The method may leave much to be desired, but she’s ours…as she should be.”
    “She’s here with us now,” Bannor responded, his voice weary, “but that doesn’t mean she’s ours. She has not agreed to mate with us.”
    Stefon straightened in his chair, his expression growing concerned. “Is there a question as to whether she’ll stay?”
    Devan’s jaw locked as he exchanged a look with Bannor. Stefon and Tempos didn’t want to acknowledge the very real possibility that they’d bungled their entire courtship with Cindra, and he couldn’t blame them for that. But neither could he nor Bannor lie.
    “Until she specifically agrees to become our mate,” Devan finally said, “anything is possible.”
    And the knowledge of that made his gut clench with fear.
    * * * * *
     
    The next several days passed by in a haze for Cindra. After they’d escaped, Bannor had given her a tour of the spacious ship while Devan, Stefon and Tempos took care of navigating away from Keulot. Even through her shock, she’d been awed to see the sheer size and luxuriousness of the ship, complete with dining hall, greenhouse, library and a training room. And the quarters they’d built for their mate. For her …
    Gods, it was exquisite. She hadn’t seen its rival since fleeing her world, and she had to say, it was a room fit for a princess. A huge, soft bed—the biggest she’d ever seen—boasted dusky rose satin sheets and a comforter of the softest down. She trailed her fingers along the fluffy fabric. No doubt she and all four of her Spygians could easily fit on this bed.
    The adjoining bathroom had a sunken tub that could easily accommodate four or five. And the large closet was stuffed full of traditional Spygian wear for women, which consisted of low-cut silken tunics in all colors and lengths. No surprise to her, however, that most of them were really, really short.
    It had been beyond her expectation, and the fact that these men had gone to so much trouble to build such quarters and obtain such finery for their mate before even meeting her spoke volumes. Their mate was clearly a pivotal part of their lives, and it saddened her that she couldn’t be the woman they deserved…that she couldn’t stay.
    Distressed by that truth, she’d fled into her quarters where, with the exception of the meals she shared in the dining hall with the men, she’d for the most part stayed. Thankfully the men had given her space, acknowledging that she needed to be alone with her