by Jaymin Eve
His lips brushed against mine, but before I could kiss him back, that tether in my stomach sprang to life. There was an almost audible sound as the end which had been attached to the tree dislodged and slammed into Chase, tethering me to the overlord minor. As the two ends settled, it felt much more permanent than it had when I was tied to the Galinta.
“What … what just happened between us?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Did you just feel that…?”
“Bond,” he finished for me.
“Bond,” I choked out. “We’re bonded?”
I knew he wasn’t lying. Firstly, why would he? Secondly, I could feel it. It was real, tangible.
“The Galinta have not blessed a union like this in a long time,” he said, voice low, eyes locked on mine. He started to walk again, apparently not needing to look where he was going.
“I don’t understand,” I said honestly.
He ducked down, stepping under the low-lying branches, ending up in a round clearing. We were still in the trees, but instead of tightly-knit branches, there was a large space. It had a floor of leaves and branches, and it felt like we could move about more freely.
Chase gently sat me down in the center. “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll grab something to help your foot.”
He made sure I was comfortable before taking off. I let my eyes linger on those broad shoulders until they completely disappeared. I wanted to touch him, wrap my arms around him, hold him close.
Bonded. I suppose I should be able to touch him, right? There had to be a perk to being bonded without my permission.
Do you not want this union? The whisper of those words in my mind had me jerking upright and looking around. Was that the … Galinta? Speaking to me in those ancient whispering winds. Were they giving me a choice? Would they break the bond if I said I didn’t want the union?
My immediate reaction was one of complete and total horror. The thought of losing Chase to another, of not having that twirling sensation in my chest and body again, of losing the feeling of completion, of home … I could never say I didn’t want it. It was a force greater than anything I’d felt before.
“I choose him,” I said out loud and mentally. “I choose Chase.”
Fire burned in my belly, matching the throbbing pain in my ankle. I cried out, because it felt like I was being branded, flames across my skin. Scrambling to pull up my shirt, I stared down at my bellybutton. Just above it now was a dark green mark about the size of two quarters. I stared at it for an extended amount of time, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. The mark was a lot like the symbols the overlords had tattooed onto their heads, swirls and lines intersecting in what looked like tribal patterns.
Footsteps padded lightly across the leaves, and I lifted my head. “What. Is. That?” I pointed at my stomach.
Chase stopped a few feet from me, then lifted the bottom of his shirt up. My eyes just about fell out of my head as I traced the lines of his abs, and the mark that matched mine across them. “What the hell … you have one, too?” I half lurched to my feet, groaning as my ankle protested.
Chase caught me, taking my weight as I pressed my hands to his chest for balance. I was touching bare skin at the neckline of his shirt. It felt so warm and silky, hard and soft at the same time, I wanted so badly to continue moving my hands under his shirt. I wanted to touch him, press my lips down and see how he tasted.
Mark. You have a damn mark.
That reminder was enough for me to gain some composure and pull myself back from him.
He didn’t seem upset. “What happened while I was gone, Maya?”
“I … think the Galinta gave me the option to break our bonding, and I told them I choose you. Always. Then my stomach started to burn.” I’d done this, there was no other explanation. I jerked my head up to meet his gaze. “I’m so sorry. I think I might have taken the choice away from you.”
He cut off my babbling by kissing me. Unlike last time, this was no brief gentle brush of our lips. This was open-mouthed, tongues tangling, lips moving across each other. This was desperate, and perfect, and … I could not feel my legs or body any longer. My head spun, and the taste of Chase was everything I imagined, plus more. He shifted me around and picked me up so I could wrap my legs around him. I thought briefly of my sore ankle, but at this point I really didn’t care. Chase was the best kind of pain reliever.
My eyes had closed initially, but I needed to see him in this moment. Our first kiss. As my lashes fluttered up, so did his, like he had known I was about to look. Our mouths stilled, and I tried not to get lost in the multifaceted color of his eyes.
His breathing was slightly accelerated when he said, “You didn’t take my choice away – I chose you long ago. The moment I heard your name, I knew that I had to find you. I had to save you.” I was mesmerized by him, unable to look away. “I followed your energy, believing that my purpose – the reason I felt such a draw – was because I was supposed to keep you safe … and then I saw you at the party, dancing. You threw your head back as you laughed with such joy. That was when I knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you, that there was no other for me in either world.”
“Were you worried I wouldn’t feel the same connection?” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
His eyes twinkled then as a slight grin lifted the corner of his mouth. “Not too worried. I figured I’d eventually convince you we were meant for each other. I had an eternity to try.”
An eternity. That was a freaking long time. But I decided not to worry about that for now. Now I would just enjoy Chase, try not to get killed or kidnapped by Laous, and save the world. Dropping my head against his chest, I let out a sigh. “As much as I hate to say this, because I want to stay in our tree bubble so badly, we have to head back to help the others. We have to try to find the fourth girl before Laous, since he has my blood now.”
Chase’s hands flexed against my thighs and his chest rumbled under me. “Lexen only told me a little about Laous’ attack. I’d like to hear the full story from you … now that I’m in a more reasonable state of mind.”
I wiggled for him to let me down. If I was going to tell this story, we might as well both be comfortable. With reluctance, he lowered me down near a tree trunk, which I leaned back against. He then took a few steps away, returning with a deep bowl – which must have been what he fetched before. My shoe and sock were removed gently, and now that I wasn’t wrapped around Chase, the pain was kicking in again.
“It’s getting very swollen,” I said mournfully, staring down at my puffy foot. “That’s going to slow us down through the trees.”
With great care, and a gentleness that should have been difficult from such a huge guy, he lifted my foot and lowered it into the warm water. It wrapped around me, thick and gel-like, and the relief was immediate. “This will help with the pain and inflammation,” he told me. “Just give it a few minutes to work.”
He then took some of the liquid into his hand, lightly pushed the neckline of my sweater aside, letting the gel slide down the cut in my shoulder.
“How did you know I was hurt there?” I asked, astonished.
He shrugged. “You’ve been favoring the other arm, and Lexen told me they cut you. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”
The relief in my ankle and shoulder allowed me to relax finally. “Thank you,” I sighed. “I don’t know what this is … and if it’s something gross, please don’t tell me … but whatever it is, it’s working.”
Chase laughed, and it was nice to see a happier emotion on his face. “It’s just water, legreto. This sort is extra special. It comes from the Galinta and has their healing energy within it. The same water you were born in.”
He lowered himself so he was sitting next to me, our arms and bodies pressed together down my left side. I leaned into him, not because I needed to, but because I wanted to. The mark on my stomach responded to our touch. I could feel the bond wrapping around me like the most comfortable blanke
t in the world.
Chase lifted his arm and I shifted forward so he could slide it behind me, then we fell back together again, not an ounce of unease between us. Our conversations started up easily enough. I told him about the events from the time Lexen landed with us in Daelight Crescent, to the fake Chase and Daniel, and getting lost in the darkness of the transporter. As I talked, our bodies continued to mesh together, until I was practically lying across Chase.
There was no guy in my entire life, outside of Brad, who I would have ever felt relaxed enough around to be like this with. Especially not one I hadn’t known for years. It gave me that feeling of home again.
When I finished telling him everything, he was quiet, and I could feel the simmering emotions just under the surface waiting to burst free. “I’m okay,” I finally said, reaching out and taking his free hand. He interlinked our fingers in the same instant, and that happy jump was back in my chest.
“Knowing you were hurt, could have died—” He broke off. “It riles me in a way that I’m not used to dealing with. In general, House of Leights are calm and tranquil. We do not involve ourselves in the drama of the other houses much. We remain neutral. But after what Laous has done, the way he has taken so much in his selfish quest to retrieve the starslight stone, neutral is no longer an option for us.”
Twisting myself around, I hugged into his body, offering whatever comfort I could. He’d been there for me so much, this was the smallest thing I could do to try to return the favor. “I will support whatever decision you make,” I murmured against his chest.
His lips pressed against my hair, and I tried not to cry at the perfect moment we were having. “That’s good to know,” he said, remaining close. “Because you’re going to rule with me one day as overlord. I already know that you’ll have the final say, because I can’t deny you anything.”
I jerked, having forgotten that very important and pertinent detail. Chase was an overlord minor. When his parents decided they were done ruling, that role was passed on to him.
Wiggling free, I tilted myself back to see him. “What if I make a mistake? I don’t know anything about ruling people. I’m a freaking human … what if they don’t accept me?” There were literally a million what ifs. I mean … I was the girl who couldn’t even decide on a college – or an outfit half the time.
He twisted around, his free hand cupping my face. “You don’t have to do anything but be the person I already know you to be. Kind. Compassionate. Incredibly smart. Ruling together means you don’t ever have to worry about carrying the burden alone. As for the fact you’re not a Daelighter…” His hand pressed against my stomach – which jumped like crazy – right where the symbol was. “You wear our language, the mark of a bonded overlord. You’re one of us.”
Just like that, at least ninety percent of my fears faded away. How in the hell did he do that? I guess it helped that most of the restlessness I’d felt in my life was gone now. This new path, the one with Chase and Overworld, felt right.
“Could I still go to school on Earth? If I want to finish up my education?” It didn’t hurt to determine how all-encompassing this was. Like … if I’d married a prince back home, I wouldn’t get to have a career as well. Being a princess was your career … life … everything. Was it the same here?
Chase’s arms tightened around me. “Maya Lewis, you can do whatever you need to for your future. I will support you, the same way you have vowed to support me. Being Overlord of House of Leights is a full-time job, but my parents plan on ruling for many more years. And even if they were to abdicate, you still have the freedom to make your own choices. I don’t own you.”
Perfect.
This was all my perfects. Now we just had to make sure Laous was stopped before he took them away.
16
By the time Chase was satisfied I had healed enough to leave, my ankle and shoulder felt a thousand times better. I had no idea what this legreto here was made of, but it was a hell of a lot better than the water we had on Earth.
“Where do you live?” I asked as he helped me to my feet. My foot felt slightly stiff inside my shoe, but otherwise I was fine to walk.
“We build homes inside the trunks of a special type of Galinta. They allow us to share their space, forming round rooms to keep us warm and dry. Most of my people live in their own communities. There are hundreds spread out across Leights.”
“And you…?” I asked.
“The overlord families are nomadic. We travel and live with each of the communities, immersing ourselves in their world to hear of their lives and grievances. This is the best way to ensure we help all of our people.”
Unlike most kings and queens back home, who sat in their castles and waited for the peasants to come to them…
“You’re an only child, too?”
“Yes. Because Daelighters are so long-lived, our women are only fertile once or twice in an entire year. My parents have not been able to have any more children since me. My mother has mentioned more than once that she wishes the gods would bless her with another.”
That was interesting. I definitely didn’t take after their women, I had normal cycles. Something we would eventually have to discuss, because I was way too young, and not even remotely equipped to raise children. But I apparently had a long time to get around to that. I was going to enjoy being bonded first.
Chase called for a path back to the main platform. We waited as the trees moved themselves. We were just about to move through when a rustling of branches to our left had another path opening.
Chase paused, then let my hand go to maneuver himself in front of me. I was just starting to worry that we were about to be attacked when a man and woman stepped out of the pathway.
As soon as he saw them, Chase relaxed, and so did I.
“Chase, we have no news about your intended one,” the woman said, hurrying forward, her voice low, smooth, and almost musical in nature. “We checked with the elders and the network…”
She trailed off when she saw me.
Chase carefully moved me to his side. “Mother, I’d like you to meet Maya. My bonded mate.”
Mother. Oh man, I was so not ready – or dressed – to meet a queen. Nervously, I tried to smooth my hair back, all the while staring at the stunning woman before me. She reminded me of an African Queen, regal, dark skin, high cheekbones, and the same light green eyes as Chase. She had her long bronze-colored hair in braids, almost to her ankles, beads threaded through them that clinked together as she moved.
She was about a foot taller than me, with the lithe body of someone strong and flexible. On Earth I’d have guessed Pilates, but here it was no doubt all the running through the trees. She wore tight-fitting clothing, but they looked very simple and natural, not fancy like a queen, though she did have jewels woven into the crown of her head. I didn’t recognize the gems, but they were in a range of colors similar to aquamarines, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds all blended together.
She took a step closer to me and I wondered if I was supposed to bow. I really should have asked Chase about royal protocol here.
“Maya,” she trilled, and then she smiled. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
She didn’t touch me, and I dropped my head in an awkward bow, returning her smile. “The honor is all mine.”
Her smile was huge, and she was just breathtakingly beautiful. She turned to Chase. “You said bonded mate?”
He nodded, one arm still around me while the other lifted his own shirt to show her the mark. She let out a trill of delight, clapping her hands together. “Chila, get over here. You need to see this.”
Chase’s father, who had been standing a little back waiting his turn, strode forward. Chase might have had his mother’s eyes, but in all other ways, he was just like his father. The same shorn hair, the same masculine planes across his face, and broad shoulders. The fact that the overlord majors did not look much older than us was a little disconcerting, but they carried themselves with wisdom that
belied their youthful looks.
He was wearing just a pair of pants, fitted to his very muscled body – something I was trying hard not to notice, because it felt really weird to look at your father-in-law figure like that. He also held a long staff with a jewel on top; the base looked like it was made from the Galinta trees.
With his free hand, he reached out and clasped Chase’s briefly. “I’m so pleased to hear of your bonding,” he said, looking between me and his son. “Jasmin and I will organize a proper bonding ceremony as soon as we deal with Laous. Our people need to meet Maya.”
Nerves rocked me and I tried to school my expression, even though the thought of standing in front of all House of Leights’ people was enough to have me searching for the nearest bathroom. When I was nervous, I usually had to pee twenty times in about five minutes.
Chase cleared his throat, and from my angle it looked like he was sending warning glares at his parents. “Maya is very new to this world,” he told them. “We should give her some time to adjust to our ways. There is no need to rush anything.” He paused, his eyes searching out mine. The air practically shimmered between us, my stomach swirling. “The Galinta could not have chosen better for me,” he said.
He turned away from me then and I struggled to get air into my lungs. That boy knocked all of my senses out.
Jasmin nodded decisively. “Yes, you are right, son. We have no need to rush. We are just so happy and excited for you both.”
She reached out and placed her hand across my shoulders, long slender fingers wrapping around lightly. “Welcome to our family, Maya.”
I was overwhelmed, and scared of saying the wrong thing, but I felt like I needed to be honest. “Thank you. Your kindness and acceptance mean a lot. I can’t even tell you how much. I know I’m probably not the person you expected your son to end up with – being human and all – but I promise I will do my best to never let Chase down. The bonding … it’s the best thing that’s happened to me. Chase makes me feel … complete.”