by Sadie Marks
"Kenzi, breathe. Calm down, you're not in—wait. Did you say you threw him?" He straightened, looking at her quizzically, which had Kenzi even more convinced she was going to be in trouble, and she burst into tears, despite all of the onlookers.
"Oh, she did. Tossed me a good man-length in the corridor," his grandfather said, sounding extremely happy about it, which made no sense to Kenzi at all.
"Her file said she had training in some kind of fighting, but I really hadn't thought it would amount to much," Tal said thoughtfully as he stood up and pulled her, still crying, to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh, Kenzi, no need for tears," he said in a low, soothing tone.
"But he's your grandfather," she wailed, burying her face into his bare chest.
"Yes, but try to stop crying, anyway," he said. "Do you have an answer for me?" he asked, looking at the elder, while he patted her back and tried to calm her.
"If she will have you, then you have my support. She took me down once by surprise and once by cunning. Given her size, I think she did quite well, but you'll need her consent, of course," his grandfather said. His tone gave nothing away, but the expression on his face as he looked at the girl made it clear he was already developing a fondness for her.
A shudder went through Tal's body and his back softened, losing the stiff lines of stress he'd been holding. "Kenzi? Kenzi, look at me," he said.
She sniffled miserably and slowly tilted her head back to look up at him. Her eyes were full of shame for what she'd done. She had no idea what was going on right now and she was worried. "I'm sorry, Sir. I really am," she said in a soft voice.
"I'm not. I'm proud of you, my girl," he said.
"Y-you are?" Had she really heard him right?
"Yes, and I have an important question to ask you, but I don't want to do it here. Shall we return to our quarters?" he asked.
There was nothing she wanted more than to get out of everyone's sight, so she nodded in relief and then hid her face again as she began worrying about what this mysterious question was. "Grandfather, thank you. I'll let you know the decision shortly. If it's yes, I'd like you to be the one," he said, adding more confusion for her to try to sort through.
To her surprise, he scooped her up in his arms, holding her bridal fashion for a change instead of dumping her over his shoulder, a position she'd become all too familiar with. Her arms looped around his neck and she snuck peeks at his expression as he carried her smoothly through the corridors. There was some worry there and some tenseness, and it made her think that whatever the question was, it was something unpleasant.
By the time they reached their quarters, she had decided that he was planning to give her to his grandfather and had built up a whole thing in her head about how she would be a gift to replace the human woman that the former leader had obviously loved. She began to sob, and Tal stopped short just inside the doorway to look down at her with concern.
"Kenzi? Why are you crying again? Are you injured?" he asked. He set her down on her feet and began stripping off her clothes, checking her over more carefully this time, and she just stood there and cried without answering because she thought he was giving her away. When he'd satisfied himself that there were no hidden wounds, he decided it must be emotional and he settled down with her in his lap to try to calm her.
"P-please don't g-give me away, Tal," she said. It was barely coherent between the sounds of her upset, and he stared at her, thinking he'd misunderstood.
"Give you away? What do you mean, give you away?" he asked carefully. He kept his tone low and soft so he didn't send her back into tears.
"Your g-grandfather is r-really nice, but I d-don't want to go with him," she blurted out.
"Go with…" He stopped and drew in a long, deep, calming breath. "I need you to explain, without tears please, what you're talking about," he said quietly.
So, she did. He'd only meant for her to explain why she thought he might give her away, but instead, she began from her revelation in the hallway and the emotional storm that had hit her. It was the only way she could explain the sequence of events that had caused her to first toss his grandfather to the floor and then spar with him while all his warriors watched. Only after she'd brought them up to the present events, did she explain where her mind had gone.
He was clearly struggling not to laugh and hurt her feelings, but it wasn't easy, and finally he closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing until the need passed. During this time, her tears slowly dried up and an attitude started to rise. Exactly what he thought was funny about this whole situation, she didn't know, but she was close to getting mad that he wasn't saying anything.
It did ease her mind somewhat, because she was pretty sure he wouldn't be this entertained if she'd guessed right, but he wasn't telling her what was really going on, either, and when he finally did let out a small chuckle, she pinched him hard! "Are you going to ask this question?" she demanded, sounding as put out as she felt.
"Hey!" He pulled her forward and slapped her bare ass. "No pinching!" he said.
It was unfair because he smacked harder than she pinched, and her bottom lip pouted as she reached back to rub. "It's not fair to laugh at me for being upset and then not explain," she pointed out sulkily.
"No, it's not, and I was trying not to, but you were so far off target that I couldn't help it," he said.
She waited patiently for all of three seconds and then, "Well?"
"Settle down, impatient human; my grandfather came here to meet you because I asked him if it might not be possible to take you as my mate. It's never been done before, and there are certain traditions that must be followed. One of those is that both mates are fit and skilled enough to defend their children. He asked you to spar so he could test your fitness, and he has found you acceptable," Tal explained.
Kenzi frowned, eyebrows furrowing; she looked perplexed. "I don't understand; we already mate if you mean have sex. I didn't know I had to be approved," she said slowly as she tried to puzzle it out.
"Kenzi, what do you call it on Earth when people want to commit themselves to a relationship together formally?" he asked.
She blinked, eyes fixed on his. "Uh, contracting, usually. Some old-fashioned people call it getting married," she said. She was starting to get a glimmer of understanding, but it didn't take away from the confusion.
"We call it being mated. I'm asking you to be my mate—my companion," he said carefully, watching her face.
"But I'm a slave. Why would you want—I don't understand," she said, frowning as she turned this over in her mind. People on earth did this when they loved someone, but she had no assurance that the Sadecs chose this for the same reasons and he had yet to admit to any feelings for her besides the obvious fondness.
He shifted, looking uncomfortable, and his answer, when it came, was disappointing. "As my mate, you would be a Sadec citizen, not a slave. You would have more choice, more rights. I would still ask that you accept brief liaisons with other warriors since this is our way, but you would have the right to decline any advances or make some of your own should you find someone attractive. It's unlikely any warrior would refuse the attentions of a Pain Receiver."
That sounded like having her cake and eating it, too, and for a second, she forgot to breathe. Being shared would be so much better if she was the one deciding who to share herself with, and being his mate would mean they'd be bound together. She was under the sway of love and wanted that, but there were so many things she was unsure of. So many things about his people she didn't know. And what about being a slave? She reveled in that, needed it; she was just starting to understand herself because of the depths of emotions that slavery had allowed her to unlock, so how could she give that up?
"Tal, I-I don't know," she said, hesitating and looking concerned. "You said no one has ever married a human before. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to be the first. What if your people rebelled at the idea and it ruined your career?"
H
e seemed surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to have reservations. His arm wrapped around her tighter as he pulled her up to his chest. She settled her head there, listening to the slower-than-human heartbeat. It soothed her as it always did, and she relaxed.
"They won't rebel against a Triad-General, Kenzi. My grandfather approves of you, and that means a lot. Everything else can be worked out," he said softly. His hand stroked down her back, caressing her.
Inside her head, there was a war raging. Being his mate might give her a claim on him, and he might eventually grow to love her but, as his mate, she would no longer be submissive to him and there was a harsh wrenching in her heart at the thought of giving up what she had so recently found, and she started to cry again.
"Talk to me, girl; don't bottle it up," he said in an encouraging tone.
"I-I like being s-submissive. I d-don't want to stop," she blurted.
His hand froze in place. "Why would you have to stop?" he asked, sounding bewildered.
"B-because, if I was your mate, I wouldn't be a slave," she explained, trailing off into silence.
"You can't change who you are, Kenzi. You're still a Pain Receiver. I will still need you in that role, and so will others. I'm only offering to give you more choice as to with whom and when. We would be partners working toward a common goal together," he said, sounding amused at her assumption but also earnest.
"But I don't want only pain, I want the rest, too. I want to be on my knees. I want to be given pleasure but sometimes denied it. I want to be mastered and controlled!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with a trembling bottom lip.
"And you think you won't have that as my mate?" He laughed and grasped her chin, tipping her head back so his solid black eyes were all she could focus on. "You are mine; being my mate will only make that more obvious to everyone, but in private, you will have all of that and more, slave girl. It is a warrior's job to fill his mate's needs, whatever those are. I would fail as your mate if I didn't give you the dominance and pain you require. Now, what other reassurances are necessary?" he asked.
"I-I just don't understand why you want this for me. I understand the benefit I'd get from it, but I'm a slave; why go through so much trouble just to make me happier?" she asked.
"You assume I'm doing this only for you? Doesn't that seem like a lot of trouble to go through for one little slave?" he asked, tilting his head and examining her for a moment. She squirmed under the inspection but remained silent. "Do you think the happiness of a slave is necessary for her use? Most Sadecs would happily punish you every time you protested or argued, and it wouldn't stop them from doing whatever they desired, so why would I go to such lengths to make you my mate?" This time, his tone made it clear an answer was required.
"I-I don't know, Tal. Maybe you care for me a little?" she guessed, hoping that at least that much was true. If he had any feelings for her at all, they might grow into love eventually.
"Or maybe I care about you a lot? Maybe I love you and want you to be my mate because I want a partner and not a slave whose use I'm renting for five years," he said quietly.
Kenzi's eyes widened slowly and her mouth felt suddenly dry. When she tried to speak, nothing came out the first time. On the second try, she managed to croak out the words, "You do?"
"Of course, I do, Kenzi! Warriors no longer need to take mates to solidify treaties or to build dynasties. We have been united under one rule for near a thousand of your years now, and we have the gene bank in the breeding center for producing children. When we mate, it's usually for love, so, yes, I love you," he said.
She burst into loud sobs, and he just stared at her with a look of complete and utter confusion. "Why do you keep doing that?" He sighed and then in an uncharacteristically hesitant voice, asked "Is—is that not what you wanted? Are you unhappy that I have feelings for you?"
"No! I mean yes! I mean I'm happy!" she blurted through the rivers of tears and an outbreak of hiccups.
"You're…happy," he said slowly. "I don't understand humans at all."
She threw her arms around his neck, leaning up to press her lips to his. The romantic moment lasted only a second before she hiccupped again and sat back. "You never told me you loved me! Why didn't you start with that instead of how you were doing it for me?" she demanded.
"I suppose I thought it was obvious," he said. He shrugged and shook his head. "When I told you about my plans and the things I wanted to accomplish—and that I needed you, I thought you understood that I was thinking of a future beyond five years," he explained.
"Need me, yes, but you only talked about how I would be useful. You never said—you loved me. You never said you wanted me for me, just for my ability to accept pain and enjoy it. A woman wants more than that from a partner," she said. There was a hint of frustration there as she tried to explain to him. It wasn't that he was taciturn or showed no emotions with her. He showed her in a look, in a touch, in the way he smiled to see her when he came through the door, but when he spoke of a future with her, he only talked about how he needed a Pain Receiver by his side. She'd felt like a replaceable tool without the mention of love, and even now that he was saying it, she had to wonder if he really loved her or was just telling her that because he knew she wanted to hear it.
"Kenzi, I'm not overly used to putting my feelings into words. Among my people, actions count for more than talk. If we care for someone, we show them in small ways. If we fall in love with someone, we show them by approaching them with an offer to mate. Knowing you were human, I should have realized it might be different for you, but you never told me you loved me either until just before I delivered you to another warrior. Until you said that, it never occurred to me that you might be receptive to a mating offer," he explained.
"Oh. I-I guess I'm not really used to putting my feelings into words, either," she whispered, looking down. At least after the recent emotional breakthrough, she knew why that was. It was something she was going to have to work on.
"On my honor as a warrior, I love you, and I would take you as a mate if you're willing," he said firmly, and then in a slightly less confident voice, he asked, "Are you willing?"
"I—yes. Yes, I'm willing." She took a deep breath, dashing the tears from her cheeks and straightening to look into his eyes. "I'm more than willing!" she assured him.
He relaxed and the biggest smile she'd ever seen him wear spread across his face. "Then we have a lot of planning to get done, because I intend to make this happen as quickly as possible.
"Is there a rush?" she asked curiously.
"My grandfather won't stay long, and I was hoping to have him seal the bond between us before he left, but there's not so much rush that I can't take care of my girl first," he said. There was something about his tone that warned her, not that it did her any good, and a second later, she found herself being tumbled face down across his lap.
She let out a panicked squawk at the sudden change of circumstances. "Hey! You can't spank me; I'm going to be your mate!" she yelled.
He chuckled as his hand glided lightly across her bare ass. She shivered as the skin dimpled in response. "Soon-to-be-mate, you must have forgotten that I said I would attend to all of your needs…that includes reminding you that you belong to me and no other," he said. The dark delight in his tone made it obvious that he was glad to have her back across his lap where she belonged.
As his hand swept down to land the first heavy slap across her vulnerable ass, she realized he was right. She'd grown and learned during her time away, and now that she was back, everything felt so perfect. She was exactly where she belonged, and mate or not, she would remain a slave to her alien Master.
11
She was somewhat surprised with how simple the ceremony was, but then it had only taken two ship days to pull it together. There were no special outfits prepared; they both wore the standard Sadec uniform. She laughed to herself as she thought how odd it would be to have a contracting ceremony on Earth in a sleeveless halter tha
t left her stomach bare, but it seemed appropriate, somehow. She couldn't resist spending some extra time pinning her hair up in an elaborate coil, and the interested look in his eyes when he saw her made it worth it.
They stood in front of his grandfather on the fighting stands, because it was the only place on the ship big enough to hold everyone who wanted to watch. The first mating of Human and Sadec was of interest to everyone on the ship and they all attended, except one jealous slave girl who would be on display for a few hours afterward for her refusal to attend.
Kenzi didn't notice Silla's absence from the crowd of watchers, all her attention was focused on Tal. It was an ancient ceremony filled with out-of-date traditions that didn't make much sense to her, but she was assured it was necessary that they do everything in the proper way so that no one could say it wasn't a valid mating.
They made their pledges to each other with their forearms bound together by a soft leather strap. She'd winced and bit her lip when the former Triad-General, Ka'Le'aav, had made a small cut on her inner arm and then Tal's before he pressed the bleeding wounds together and tied them that way. Apparently, they weren't just being bound heart and soul, but also by blood. It seemed barbaric, but it was only a small pain and worth it, she thought.
The pledges involved fighting side by side and protecting any children that came from their union, none of which really applied, but she dutifully repeated the words. She did like the part where Tal promised to defend her against all others and keep her safe, and he said them so firmly that she knew he meant every word.
It lasted about twenty minutes and finished with them holding a goblet in their bound hands and drinking the sweet alien wine down until the last drop was gone. There was a reception, but apparently, they weren't expected to attend. In fact, all attention turned away from them so abruptly that Kenzi was confused and looked to her new mate for reassurance.