by Kate Rudolph
“You don’t need to be Matched to fight.” There were a dozen ways to enter the military or the civilian defense forces. If he put in a bit of effort he could probably get her the contacts she needed, and no one would have to know about a potential bond.
Simple.
“Maybe you don’t, but opportunities for us haven’t exactly been plentiful.” Her words countered his offer before he could make it. “They’re treating us like victims. I’m fine. No serious trauma, none of that. And whatever issues I have will be resolved by kicking serious Apsyn ass.” Now those eyes of hers had a fire deep within, and the Apsyns were lucky she was far away. He’d seen her fight and he didn’t want to be her enemy.
“I’m not saying yes.” He couldn’t look directly at her as he said it, and still he saw her deflate. How had this become his fault? His anger tried to bubble to the surface. First his mother was insisting he find a Match or a spouse, now Lena was here telling him they were compatible. He wasn’t ready for it. He didn’t want it.
He had a life of his own to live.
“But I’m not saying no,” he found himself adding. He didn’t know he was going to say it until the words came out, but there they were, and now that he’d said them he couldn’t take them back.
He was being an ass. Ten asses. Thinking he couldn’t Match with Lena because she was human? He wasn’t an Apsyn, and he knew Oz would end their friendship on the spot if he spouted off like that. And Solan would deserve it. The stress of life and his responsibilities on Aorsa were getting to him, but he couldn’t use it as an excuse.
“Let’s get to know each other first.” He wasn’t ready to bond after only a single meeting. He wanted a better idea of what he could expect from Lena, and she deserved to see what she would get from him. “Let me escort you to Oz’s bonding ceremony so we can spend some time together. And we’ll train. I can’t jump into this. And there are things about me that may make you...”
Lena glanced around the atrium. “Rich families always have their issues. All families, I guess, but you all think you’re more special.” Her expression told him she harbored no kind thoughts for the wealthy.
Solan couldn’t blame her. He had his own complaints. “If this doesn’t work out, I’ll do my best to find you work.” Even if he had to bribe the correct officials to make it happen.
“It’s going to work,” and the gleam in her eyes was enough to make Solan nervous, not that he showed it. “I’ll see you at the ceremony.” She stood and left, not ever pausing to look back. Solan watched her go, his eyes taking in her retreating form from head to foot.
He was in danger.
But he couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
CHAPTER FIVE
OZ’S FINGERS TRAILED down the open space on his arm. Solan’s own tattoos tingled in response. It was Synnr custom to share a mark with a Match, and after today, Oz and Emily would wear their devotion on their skin. Apparently there had been a bit of resistance from Emily at first, but she was on another part of the estate getting ready, so it had been handled.
“She doesn’t like needles.” Oz finally yanked his hand away and grabbed the glass of cold wine sitting on the table. He sipped it carefully.
“What do needles have to do with anything?” Solan’s own tattoos had been a part of him since he’d joined the military. It was a rite of passage for all young Zulir. But needles?
“An Earth thing.” Oz shuddered. “The more I hear about that planet, the happier I am my Match is never going back.”
“As if she would leave you.” Watching the way the two looked at each other was a bit sickening. Love and devotion and everything soft. “You’re a Match.” But Solan knew Emily was working on her spark and getting more powerful by the day. Soon she’d be ready for battle, and there was nothing soft about that. “What’s it like?”
“Matching?” A grin blossomed on Oz’s face, and he put his glass down once more to trace his tattoos. “I’ve been imagining what the mark will look like on her skin. I can’t wait to see it. And the training...” He shook his head, but the smile didn’t waver. “Did you know I was worried about what Matching would be like?”
“As we’ve never talked about it before, no,” but Solan wasn’t surprised. Oz was a good man, and a great friend, but he’d always held a part of himself back. Or he had, until he met Emily and unlocked whatever it had been that worried him.
“I thought I’d scare her away with all the darker thoughts in my head. You know, everything that comes from our life. I thought she’d see that and run as far away as she could. And I thought she’d be able to read my mind.” He shook his head, but didn’t stop tracing over his tattoos. “But being with her is the easiest thing in any world.”
“And...” Solan trailed off, unsure how to ask. Soldiers may have gotten raunchy when discussing one night conquests, but he didn’t know how to talk about his friend’s relationship. “Do you think your... chemistry... was inevitable?”
Oz narrowed his eyes. “I wanted Emily from the moment I saw her. It almost ruined everything.” And that was the truth. Oz had been blessed with a forgiving mate and the luck of a demi-god to come out of their mission on Kilrym intact. “Why are you asking? Have you met someone?”
Solan sipped his own drink to buy time. If there was anyone on all of Aorsa he could talk to, it was Oz, but he didn’t want to share the news about Lena yet. They hadn’t spoken in the days since she’d come to his estate, and he hadn’t yet seen her at the ceremony. Matters between them were new... and private. At least for him. She might have told the world, but given what he knew of her, he didn’t think so.
He still didn’t know much. She was tough. She’d climbed out of a hospital bed and run straight into battle to help rescue her human friends who were being held prisoner at an Apsyn research facility. She’d disarmed one of his men in a matter of seconds. She was a protector.
But was she right for him? The Matching Bureau thought so. But he and Lena hadn’t yet confirmed if they were truly a Match.
“I haven’t met someone,” he finally said, but his pause had been too long and it didn’t take a psychic to know that Oz didn’t believe him.
“If you do, talk to me about it. I’m your friend.” Oz’s communicator beeped and he leaped from his seat. “I need to go speak with my parents. Find me after the ceremony.”
Solan made his promises, but he doubted Oz would have time for him later.
He took his time finishing his wine before leaving the atrium. It was his favorite room in his house, and he’d miss it when he had to move into the main property. Maybe he’d have another built. But the specialness of this room came from his history. His grandmother had planted the flowers, his father had cultivated them. He had no talent for it, but he hired someone who did. Would he appreciate it as much if he built one himself?
He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. What would it mean if he could recreate the specialness of this little hideaway?
Being back home was making him maudlin.
Solan left the atrium and headed towards the area of the estate that had been prepared for the bonding ceremony. The machine that would apply the bonding tattoos was set in the middle of a circle where everyone would gather in an hour or so, and the technician was messing with the settings to make sure everything was perfect. The rest of the guests were scattered across the garden, bouncing between tables with food and drinks, and a large covered area that offered some relief from the hot sun.
Solan’s mother had sent her regrets, since she was required in the city on business. He wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but he wouldn’t sour Oz’s day by speaking his suspicions aloud. His brother and sister had made it, though, and they’d be somewhere with their other halves soon enough. Solan needed to get into a socializing mood quick or he was going to ruin his friend’s day, and he didn’t want to do that. It didn’t matter if he’d rather be inside playing songs on his erlayvo to his plants. He had guests and a responsibility.
“Of course he abandons me as soon as he sees you.” Micia rolled her eyes. She flared out her wings and it was enough to catch Stypon’s attention for a minute before he ran back and circled Solan. He sat on his feet, trying to hold Solan in place.
“All the people are exciting him,” he said to try to soften the blow, but Micia knew the trott well enough to know that wasn’t true. She watched him for Solan when he was deployed, but she hadn’t yet been able to gain the animal’s true love.
“I could dissolve into dust and he would not care,” she said, but she crouched down anyway and gave him a few pets.
“Is Keni not with you?” He would have expected his sister’s Match to be standing at her side.
Micia straightened and glared. “We’re not conjoined. She’s getting a drink.” The crowd was getting thicker and she shuddered. “Our ceremony is going to be even worse, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” There was no softening the blow. Every noble family would be there, along with anyone else who could somehow snag an invite. It would be the event of the season. Well, one of the events of the season. Their brother’s wedding would be just as bad.
“Can we go hide in the atrium?” Ortid must have been summoned by his thoughts.
He was hand in hand with his fiancé, Allic, a short Synnr with cropped blue hair and some of the most intricate tattoos Solan had ever seen.
“Are you going to have sex on my couch?”
Micia choked at his question, but Allic laced his fingers with Ortid’s and gave Solan a mischievous smile. “We just want a few minutes to ourselves.” He dragged Ortid towards the house.
“Put a towel down!” Solan yelled after them, but he doubted they’d take the time. He shook his head. “Those two...”
Micia let out a huge sigh and he expected her to say something. Instead, she glanced off to the side and pinched her lips together as if trying to avoid smiling. “I see Keni, I better go.”
Solan was left standing alone, but he doubted it would last for long. He took his time to study the crowd. All of the humans who’d been recovered along with Emily were here, along with Grace’s human mother, Valerie, and her Synnr father, Romi. On the Synnr side there were about thirty Zulir. It wasn’t a large party by any means, but Solan still felt crowded.
He spotted Grace striding across the yard and ducking behind a hedge, then Zac following quickly after. Was something going on there?
A moment later, Crowze passed in front of him with an uncharacteristically dark look on his face.
Jori and Ax were speaking with young Luci while the rest of the humans were clustered together by one of the drinks tables.
All of the humans except for Lena.
It had seemed like a good idea to use this as their first excursion. Their friends were celebrating, they’d know everyone. But now the pressure closed in and Solan was beginning to think a nice lunch meeting or drink would have been wiser.
No turning back now.
Something tugged at his consciousness and he turned toward the main house. There was Lena, walking down the decorated path. Her dark hair was swept up and she wore a shimmering gold dress that set off the warm brown tones of her skin perfectly. The dress was short, revealing long legs that he wanted to touch.
No.
He slammed his eyes shut and took a deep breath of the sweet air all around him. Whatever happened between him and Lena would be a professional arrangement. They’d be tied together for life, but there was no need to complicate it with sex. He’d seen how a Match could ruin things and he didn’t want it to happen to him. He wouldn’t let himself get hurt or hurt her in that way.
But his cock still twitched at the sight of her.
Braz.
“You’re looking good.” Lena had managed to cross the yard while he was busy chastising himself, but at least Solan had control now.
His light trousers wouldn’t hide much. “That dress is lovely.”
She rolled her eyes and plucked at the fabric. “This old thing?”
What? He looked at her again, trying to make sense of what she’d said. “Is it borrowed?”
Lena tipped her head back and laughed, and somehow the throaty sound was even better than just looking at her. “It’s an Earth thing, sorry. And Emily convinced me to buy it at the market.”
“Oh.” It got a bit awkward then, as if Solan didn’t know the script. Perhaps neither of them did. Another reason their Match would be difficult.
When had he started thinking about it as an inevitability? Difficult but not impossible.
The carnal part of himself wanted to say it was when he got a glimpse of the dress, but he’d been thinking it all day.
“Are there chairs or something? Can’t say I’ve ever been to a bonding ceremony before,” Lena pressed on, finding a subject even if it was incredibly mundane.
Solan had been to his first bonding ceremony at the age of seven. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Lena might need an explanation. But of course she would. They didn’t Match on Earth.
He led her towards the ceremonial circle and somehow his hand ended up resting on the small of her back, cradling her warm skin. It felt so completely natural that he didn’t realize he was doing it for several minutes, and when he did he yanked his arm away fast enough to make them both stumble.
He didn’t apologize. If he did, that would only call more attention to it. He pointed towards the machine and technician once he’d found them a perfect spot. Others were starting to make their way over, and soon the ceremony would be underway. “Oz and Emily will use their combined spark to power up the machine. Then the technician will apply the stylus to each of their arms and their sparks will dictate the design. After that we’ll all go up and take a look, then we party until the sun comes up... or... well, the sun doesn’t actually go down this time of year, so we party until it’s time to leave.” The alcohol and food would flow, along with a few other temporary mood-altering substances, and then everyone would thankfully leave his property.
“So it’s basically a wedding. That’s what I thought.” She nodded as if it all made sense now.
“A wedding takes three days.” And that was after all the contracts were signed. They were much more involved than bonding ceremonies. Most of the lower classes didn’t even bother.
“Okay,” she grinned, “that does sound like home. But I always had fun at my cousins’ weddings. It’s nice to know some things are the same.” She settled in beside him, and a few minutes later the ceremonial circle was full and Emily and Oz made their way to the center.
It was a quiet ceremony. Most bondings were. Any vows spoken between the Matched were a private thing. Their marked arms were enough to show their devotion. Again, Solan’s arm tingled where a Matching Mark would go. Many Zulir chose to leave a space for one in case a Match occurred. He’d purposefully covered his arm with art based on the leaves from the plants in the atrium, and the design would be ruined by a mark, his silent protest of ever bonding.
But as he watched his best friend lace his fingers with his Match and they flared their wings out, a hollow place in Solan opened up a crack.
He couldn’t look at Lena. If he did, there would be far too much emotion in his eyes, something he didn’t want her to see.
The technician took the stylus and it shot off sparks. Emily went first. She let out a gasp as it touched her skin, but in a matter of seconds a design of lines and swirls began to bloom. He’d heard it could hurt, but nothing on her face showed any pain. Oz was next, and he did wince, but by the time the design
was laid on him he was smiling so broadly that it was clear any pain was only a memory.
Solan yearned.
He wanted to care for someone as much as his friend cared for his Match. He wanted someone to want him in that way. All he had to do was reach out to the woman beside him and let it happen. She wanted the Match. Would she really be able to deny all the emotions that went along with it?
The ceremony ended before he could answer any of his questions and the yearning subsided, a momentary madness.
Then the party started.
Solan decided not to worry about what the Match meant or what the thing between him and Lena might develop into. They were at the bonding ceremony to celebrate their friends and to have fun. So for one night he would.
Drinks flowed freely and he was feeling good. So good that when the music played a song he liked, he tugged on Lena’s hand. “Dance with me.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m not much of a dancer.” Was she blushing?
“Come on,” he said, tugging a little harder. “Just once. If you don’t like it we can stop.”
Her eyebrows rose sky high. “I’ve heard that before.”
He wasn’t sure what she was talking about, and the music was insistent. “Dance.”
She relented. For the first dance Solan held her close, guiding her body with the rhythm of the music. But whatever she thought of her skills, she was born to dance. Their bodies moved together in perfect sync, and he could swear that even their pulses were aligned. He wanted more. Wanted to take her out of this crowd and lead her back to his bed where they could continue the dance without their clothes in the way. She wore a subtle perfume and he breathed deep, as if that would be enough to satisfy the craving growing within him.
One song dissolved into another and Lena didn’t walk away. Not for the next slow song. Or the fast one after. And when they swayed together again she’d clearly forgotten her reluctance.