by Lea Kirk
Gryf frowned, a V forming between his brows. “Oddly, no. He seemed preoccupied.”
“Hm, well, we were interrupted.”
He raised an eyebrow, and she related the encounter between Bodie and Ora.
“Gryf, Bodie gave her the most passionate kiss I’ve ever seen.” She smiled at the ground. Ora and Bodie had found happiness together. Who wouldn’t be happy about that? Well, other than Graig.
Gryf’s abrupt stop brought her up short. “Graig didn’t stop him?” The words were pushed through clenched teeth.
Good grief, he’s pissed about this too? She’d expected him to be a little...no, a lot more philosophical about the situation than Graig. “Well, he wanted to, but I wouldn’t let him.”
His lip curled. “Bodie should not have taken such liberties. That was Ora’s choice to make.”
“Are you kidding me? Ora’s been on the fence about Bodie for weeks.”
Judging by the look on his face, Gryf was clueless of his cousin’s dilemma. In all fairness, Ora hid her feelings pretty well. Alex had found out when Ora confided in her at the hot spring the day Maggie arrived.
“That was Ora’s decision as well,” he said.
Did he have to be so blessed stubborn about this? Good thing he didn’t get like this often or she’d start carrying a frying pan. Maybe she should anyway. Never could tell when she’d need to knock sense back into the males in her life. Gryf released her hand to gaze back in the direction of the caves.
Alex crossed her arms in front of her. “What do you plan to do, Gryf—go back and give them pointers?” Ooh. That little bit of snark did not appear to be appreciated. “Bodie gave her the incentive to make her choice, and there’s nothing wrong with that. He showed her that it’s safe to move forward. Ora’s a big girl, you know. She could have stopped him at any point. Trust me when I tell you, your cousin did not want to stop.”
Narrowed sapphire eyes studied her. In their jeweled depths, his own desires warred with the customs with which he had been raised. And just like that, this wasn’t about Ora and Bodie anymore.
What incentive would Gryf need to make the first move? To commit to a true partnership as equals in all aspects of their relationship? She returned his narrow glare. C’mon, Gryf. Break with tradition and make the first damn move for once.
She took a step away from him, and then half a dozen more. Gryf’s stance went from indecisive to predator in a blink. A thrill raced through her. Was he about to answer her unspoken dare?
Gryf stalked toward her, and her heart fluttered like an autumn leaf on the breeze. Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god! Was it panic or anticipation that numbed her hands, feet, and lips? Gryf reached for her, his hands cradled her head and his mouth claimed hers, demanding lips molded to hers with a sense of need bordering on desperation. All her thoughts pinged in different directions, crashing into each other, shouting until they coalesced into a single word: YES!
His tongue plundered deep, challenging her to respond. She spiraled into the depths of the flaming vortex burning at her core. Her arms snaked over his shoulders and she kissed him back with relentless intent, caressing his tongue with hers. Seeking, exploring, tasting.
Next thing she knew, she was on her back on a bed of pine needles, Gryf’s heated body covering hers. Every cell of her being clamored for his touch, ready to explode. She parted her legs to nestle him against her core, drawing a ragged groan from him. He ground himself against her, and bolts of white hot desire erupted from the point of contact. God, that feels good.
His hand slipped under her shirt and the pad of his thumb stroked her nipple through her bra. A moan escaped her and she arched against his palm. Her clothes needed to come off. Now. She needed to take him deep inside her again and again until she screamed. And she was going to scream. Just the thought of him filling her, hard and hot, stroking her so intimately…. She gasped against his mouth and rocked her hips up to meet him.
“Jesus, Alex!”
The sound of Nicky’s voice crashed through the haze of sexual heat like ice water. Alex startled, and yelped into Gryf’s mouth. He jerked his head up, air hissing through his teeth. His eyes were glazed, but clearing.
“Dammit.” Her chest rose and fell as she tried to focus. She reached up to cup his flushed cheek. “You’re so lucky to be an only child.”
“I’m not truly,” Gryf growled. He turned his head to kiss her palm. “I have Ora. Sweet, merciful Mother, Alexandra. This will take me a more than a moment to master.”
“Maybe aliens will abduct my brother and we can finish what we started.”
Gryf gave her a bemused look. “Very funny.” He kissed her nose, then he lifted himself off her and helped her sit up.
Alex directed a glower at Nicky. “It’s a huge forest, Nicky. Couldn’t you have found another part of it for your walk?”
“You do know that this is the primary path to and from the main cave, right?” The little twerp spoke slowly, as if she were dense. Then he pointed up above their heads. “And the watch is right above you.”
Oh. She turned in unison with Gryf and looked up the side of the granite rock behind her. A Matiran ensign...Ius?...looked down at them with a scandalized expression, but Duck gave them an enthusiastic double thumbs up. Weren’t those two just the epitome of cultural differences?
Gryf turned back and rested his elbows on his raised knees. “Well, that was...different.”
“Fun?” She thought so, but did Gryf feel the same?
He reached for her hand. “Empowering. Are you sure you are okay with this? You wouldn’t mind if I did it again?”
“Gryf, I am so turned on right now, you’d better do it again.”
“Oh, barf.” Nicky leaned back against a tree and folded his arms over his chest. For someone so grossed out, he didn’t seem eager to leave.
Alex rolled her eyes. “There is no such thing as privacy in a refugee camp, is there?”
Gryf brushed his lips over her knuckles. “I am certain we could find privacy, animi.”
Yes, they would. And sooner rather than later. “I’m talking about full-time, permanent privacy, Gryf.”
When he tipped his head just so, she could almost see the little boy he’d once been.
“Pardon?” His face was incredulous, as if he hoped he was interpreting her words correctly.
He was. She placed their joined hands over his heart. “I’m ready, Gryf.”
More emotions than she could track even with their soul link flashed across his face. She did catch one thing: conflict. Cripes, had she pushed him too fast? How could she gracefully retract her proposal?
“If you’re not ready, it’s okay.” It would hurt, but she’d live with it.
“Are you kidding me?” he asked. His face cracked into an ear-to-ear grin.
Alex’s mouth popped open and she blinked at him. From time to time, Gryf threw out an unexpected, perfectly mimicked Earth phrase, catching her off guard. Like now.
He grabbed her head and soundly kissed her. “Would this afternoon work for you?”
Relief flooded her heart. He did want this. She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes! Right here, right now. Let’s do it.”
“About freaking time.” Right. Nicky was still here.
“Nicholaus,” Gryf said without breaking eye contact with her. “Make yourself useful and go find Ora. Tell her she has a binding ceremony to perform, per her duties as a captain.”
There was no stopping the smile that rushed to Alex’s lips. Somewhere above her head, Duck whooped. Gryf’s lips captured hers again, and this time his kiss was slow and tender, stealing her breath away just as he’d stolen her heart.
Chapter Twenty-two
Gryf sat with his back against the trunk of a sugar pine and Alexandra reclined between his raised knees. Her warm back pressed against his chest and her arms rested on his thighs. The pleasant hum of anim loqui—soul communion—filled him as their souls celebrated their uninterrupted time together.
The pungent scent of pine needles wafted around him. They were no longer just unusual leaf-like parts of a particular Terr tree, or an exceptional fire starter. From this day forward, they would forever remind him of love, eternity, and Alexandra.
He moved his head a fraction closer to her hair and inhaled. Ah. In all the universe there was nowhere he would choose to be than here with her, waiting as Ora pulled together an impromptu wedding.
“…mean you can’t find Simone? Have you checked both storage caves?” Ora’s incredulous words drifted across the sun-dappled clearing. Alexandra stirred. A glimmer of amusement and ruefulness came across their link. He nudged his cheek against her temple and sent reassurance back to her. That Graig would allow anyone to catch him and Simone in a compromising position was inconceivable.
The hum of anim loqui tapered off, and his soul subsided. He moved his lips against her ear. “I have something for you.”
“Mm? Do I have to move?”
Of course she would be reluctant. The peacefulness of the forest had saturated his mind. Why would it be any different for her? If only they had time to snuggle and listen to the whispered song of the breeze in the trees all day.
But Ora had requested three hours to prepare, and there were rituals yet to observe. Nevertheless, this day shouldn’t be steeped in just Matiran traditions. Alexandra’s traditions must be honored too, and now was the time for the first of hers.
“Just a bit, enough to face me.”
Alexandra gave a good-natured grumble, then complied, twisting between his legs until she faced him. His breath hitched in his chest. Terrians had a saying that the eyes were the window to the soul. At this moment, Alexandra was a living example of the truth in that saying.
He reached into his jacket pocket, closing his hand around the bit of cloth. “Shortly after we arrived in camp, I had the opportunity to speak with Cassian Laurentius.”
Her brow furrowed. “Huh?”
He touched his finger to the tip of her nose. “Hear me out.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. Gryf withdrew the folded piece of soft grey material and pressed it into her hand. “He gave us these. Go ahead and open it.”
Alexandra unfolded the tiny bundle with tentative motions, exposing two grey-blue metal rings.
“Gryf, they’re beautiful.” She looked up at him with eyes full of reverence. “The wedding rings of Cassian and his wife?”
“Yes. They are given with his blessing.”
“I never thought to ask, but Matirans exchange rings too, I guess.”
“We exchange symbolic tokens, and often those tokens are rings.” Gryf ran his knuckle along the smooth edge of her jawline. “Cassian learned of the Terrian ring-giving tradition from Maria and Ramon, and knew that Iantha would want us to have their tokens.”
“Which just happened to be rings?”
Gryf gave her a single nod.
“This is quite an honor, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
She leaned in and examined the entwined design. “It’s a square knot...also called a Hercules knot.”
Truly? Gryf rolled his eyes. “How can one man get so much credit for things he never did? He wasn’t even a real person.”
Her smile told him she would indulge him for now. “Okay, well, the ancient Greeks called it a love knot. My mom had a lot of things from Dad with Greek love knots on them.”
“It’s not Greek, either.” He loved the way her mouth dropped open when she was surprised.
“Are you kidding me? We got this from you guys?”
“Is that so hard to believe? These are made from kri, a Matiran precious metal similar to your gold.” Gryf picked up the smaller of the two bands and turned it over between his fingers. In a short while, he would place it on her finger and wear the other himself. “Matirans call the design aeter nom, the eternal knot.” It was an appropriate symbol. After today’s ceremony, they would be bound on all planes of existence. For eternity. How would this final binding affect their ability to fulfill the Profeti and defeat the Anferthians?
“Aeter nom. That’s so much more romantic than square knot.”
Her smile lit his life. Would the Mother ever reveal what he had done right to deserve such a perfect mate?
~ * ~
A short time later, Gryf gripped the rock face and began the climb to the small cave where the perishables were once kept. It was fortunate that there were hunters amongst the Terrians. Between them and Simone’s knowledge as a botanist, hunger had not been an issue yet.
Boots scraped the stone behind him as Graig, Dante, and Nick began their ascent.
“Just because Gryf must be silent does not mean he cannot throw you into the cold spring if you are over-obnoxious.” Graig’s warning was directed to Nick.
“In that case, I’ll be angelic,” the young man replied.
Graig muttered something in Matiran that sounded uncannily like, “May I live to see the day.”
Gryf suppressed the chuckle.
“To be asked to attend the bridegroom, Nick, is an honor of family and close friends,” Dante explained. “It is our duty to be with him as he reflects his worthiness to bind with Alex.”
“Nobody’s worthy of my sister, Dante,” Nick replied. “But, Gryf’s the closest.”
There truly was no one worthy of her, but to hear her brother deem him the closest warmed Gryf’s heart.
“Well said, Nick.” Graig’s words were measured and sincere.
“So, what do we do?” Nick asked.
“We accompany Gryf to the spring, divest him so he may bathe, and pray with him afterward. Then we assist him with his wedding attire and present him to Alex just before the ceremony.”
“He can’t …,” Nick began, then stopped. “Never mind. Um, this isn’t the way to the hot spring.”
“No,” replied Dante. “Alex occupies the hot spring for her own ritual.”
“You mean Gryf has to bathe in the cold spring?”
A grin pulled at the corners of Gryf’s mouth as he picked up a lantern just inside the cave’s entrance. What would Nick say if he knew this wasn’t the first time his future brother-in-law had used this spring? That sometimes it had been his only means of subduing the effects from time spent with Alexandra?
“Yes, he does,” Dante told the young man.
“Whoa. You know, I don’t think that’s such a good idea, especially today.”
“Why not?”
“Have your people ever heard of shrinkage?”
~ * ~
Alex gazed into Gryf’s eyes. Flora’s angelic voice filled the space under the trees with sweet, heart-touching clarity as she sang a Gaelic blessing. The words flowed through Alex, and the deep peace they invoked settled over her. Reassurance flowed from Gryf through their soul link, as welcome as water in a desert.
As the final note of the song faded, Ora asked, “Have you tokens to exchange?”
Gryf drew a ring from his pocket and took her hand in his. “Alexandra Gaia Bock, daughter of Janet and Richard, sister of Nicholaus, I give myself to you wholly. You are the heart of my heart and the soul of my soul, eternally. So be it.”
As the ring slid onto her finger, the accompanying effervescent tingle of a vow being sealed danced up her arm. The prickle of tears rose in her eyes, and her hands trembled as she accepted the second ring from him and took his hand.
“Gryf Dimytro Helyg, son of Charise and Zale, with this ring I thee wed, body, heart, and soul.” Wet trails slipped over her cheeks, and her voice hitched. “I love you, eternally. So be it.”
Again the tingle. Gryf wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, then leaned forward to kiss each of her eyelids. “Your tears are a gift I will treasure,” he murmured.
Ora draped a chain of flowers made by the children over their joined arms. “Alexandra Gaia Bock and Gryf Dimytro Helyg, by the will of the Holy Ones of both your worlds, your paths are now fully joined in love. Your lives have already been ordaine
d to the service of the Holy Ones. In your service to them, do not lose sight of one another, for you are each other’s greatest gift. Esto! Let it be so!”
“Let it be so!” Their camp family cheered.
Ora plucked the flower chain off their arms and looped it over Gryf’s shoulders with a grin. “Alexandra and Gryf, you may seal your vows.”
Alex turned to Gryf. As the woman, she was supposed to initiate the kiss. But instead, Gryf pulled her against him. His lips met hers feather soft, then with deeper passion. How totally Terrian of him. And her toes were curling in her boots. Woots and cat-calls sounded around them, from the Earthlings, of course. By now all the Matirans must have had minor strokes over their senior captain’s blatantly aggressive actions toward a woman.
“Are they supposed to do that?” Flora asked.
That was an odd question from a child. Gryf’s tongue moved to explore the deepest reaches of Alex’s mouth, and her legs seemed to vanish. Don’t let go, Gryf. Don’t ever let go.
“Yes, Flora,” Ora replied. “Soul mates glow like that.”
“Cool,” Flora breathed. “I want to have a soul mate when I grow up.”
“That. Is. Awe-some!” Juan declared.
“Any day now. Some of us are hungry,” Nicky muttered.
Alex laughed against Gryf’s mouth, and they drew apart. He reached for her hand and they started up the path leading to the main cave to the raucous cheers of their camp family.
Chapter Twenty-three
The tunnel walls undulated. Alex squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. She might have had a little too much of Bodie’s wine with dinner. Crazy man had rescued the entire contents of his wine cellar before the attack. One thing was for sure; the Pinot Noir went perfectly with venison stew. Or was that the other way around? She gave a mental shrug and turned her focus to the masculine hand holding hers.
Gryf. A warm flush rushed through her. They’d done it. They were married, their union sanctified by both their peoples. And now they strolled together down a tunnel, off the main track to their honeymoon suite. Leave it to Ora, the Ever Efficient, to anticipate the future. She’d apparently found a tucked away, cozy cavern for them the first day they’d arrived in camp. No more sleeping in the dorm, thank god.