Beginning at his shoulders she ran her hands over his body and followed them with her lips. She touched and kissed every inch of his body from his chest to his feet then back up. The heat from their bodies shimmered in the air above them. She licked a circle around his cock, drawing a groan from him. Pre-cum oozed from his cock and she licked it away then sucked on the head and slid her lips down the shaft.
He finally moved, burying his fingers in her hair. "Lia," his voice was rough.
She painted his cock with the moisture from her mouth as she worked her way up and down the shaft while one of her hands played with his balls. When she felt them draw up she released him and straddled him. She looked into his eyes as she slowly lowered herself onto his cock. He grasped her waist and gently moved her toward him then away again.
Lia leaned down, kissed him then sat up and began an undulating movement with her hips as she raised and lowered herself on him. He gripped her thighs with his hands and let her have her way. The mist around them turned a soft blue then deepened into a deep blue as she pushed them toward completion. His cock hardened and swelled inside her and he grasped her waist prepared to move her before he came. She shook her head and shoved his hands away while she tightened around him and raised herself then slammed back down onto him throwing him into an explosive orgasm. His hot seed flooded her and she exploded with pleasure, moaning his name as she collapsed on his chest.
He tried to move her away and she clung to him, giving his seed a chance to find its way to her womb. She tightened around his cock and felt him begin to harden again. His arms slid around her and a moment later he rolled her beneath him and pulled her legs around his waist before he started a hard, deep thrusting.
She thrust back against him then raised her hips and urged him to pound into her as she tightened around him and an orgasmic wave of pleasure rushed through her. "Valan. Valan."
He grasped her hips and held her hard against him when he came and his seed filled her. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over, keeping his cock inside her. Lia couldn’t move. He stroked his hands down her back, the movement rhythmic and soothing. She sighed and a moment later fell asleep.
***
Before he left the next morning, Valan taught her how to operate the viewing screen. Lia took it as a sign his anger was softening. She spent the morning pacing her chamber, impatiently waiting for the cleaners to finish their work and leave. Finally, hearing the heavy front door close behind them, she sped to the reception room and inserted an info-disc into the machine.
Eagerly, she settled onto a couch and watched it. When it was over, she wandered into the kitchen and fixed herself something to eat. Returning to the reception room with a bowl of brocco-beans, she put another disc into the machine. As she watched it, she ate. The rest of the cycle was spent watching one disc after another and observing the workers in the garden.
That evening after supper, Valan asked her to join him in the reception room. Surprised and frightened by his request, she waited a few moments then went to him. When she entered the room, he smiled, put a disc in the machine and pulled her down onto the couch next to him. Together, they watched a disc about warrior training on Zarronia.
"When I was ten I was sent to the warrior academy in Vaag."
"Ten? Isn't that very young?"
"Not for a warrior. Our training begins at age seven. After two annuals, if we pass all of our courses, we're assigned to a starship as a junior cadet."
Lia thought about his words as she watched the images on the screen. The training looked brutal. Hard faced instructors didn't hesitate to knock clumsy or slow students to the ground.
"Does every boy have to go to the academy? When we have a son will he have to go?"
For a moment he looked surprised then he turned back to the viewing screen. "I always believed I would die of the fever when I was thirty-two. I never believed I would have a son. I’m not sure I’d be able to let my son live away from me."
"Valan?"
"Hmmm?"
"They treat the boys very rough."
"It’s not as bad as it appears. I have some very good memories of my academy training. I met Cam there, as a matter of fact." He grinned at her. "Cam and I got into a lot of trouble together."
"Did you ever get to come home to visit your parents?"
"Once every three moon phases for six cycles. Usually, Cam would come home with me. His father was a diplomat and was rarely on Zarronia. My sister, Magda, had a crush on him and would follow us everywhere we went. She made our young lives hell."
Lia slid her arms around him when she saw the sorrow in his eyes. She hugged him until she felt him relax against her.
"I was assigned to the Invincible as a fully-fledged cadet when I was fifteen and I began training as a navigator."
"And, now, you command it."
"Yes, for the last five annuals."
"Have you traveled to a lot of planets? Met a lot of different people?"
He was nuzzling her neck and his breath shivered over her skin when he answered. "Lots."
"A lot of females?"
He smiled against her ear then nibbled on her neck from one ear to the other. Shivers of pleasure ran through her when he began nibbling his way to her mouth. "Yes."
"Were you a good navigator?" Her voice was breathless.
"I always find my destination. Can't you tell?" He lowered his lips to hers and swept her mouth with his tongue.
***
The next evening he took her for a stroll in the garden. The night air was cool and balmy, as she'd dreamed it would be. As they walked around the flowers Valan told her the names of the plants and where he'd gotten them. "It’s my hobby. Everywhere I go, I bring back a plant for my garden."
His confession surprised her. She smiled at the knowledge this fierce warrior had such a tame pastime. She started to tease him then saw the mock warning on his face.
"Even my warriors know better than to tease me about my hobby."
Laughing, she rushed ahead of him, happy to be free for a while. Flowering shrubs lined the path and filled the air with so many different scents, she felt intoxicated by them. At the end of the path, a large fountain sat in the center of a clearing. Its spray was illuminated by different colored lights hidden in the bottom of the pool. Sitting on the edge, she stuck her hand beneath the falling water and let it trickle through her fingers. She sensed Valan standing behind her and turned to face him. He held a small flower. Its coral color exactly matched the color on her fingernails, which was chosen as it also matched the color of her nipples. A bit of knowledge that brought a soft blush to her cheeks.
"This flower comes from Alitaria. They don't have a name for it." A wicked grin curved his lips.
Taking it from his hand, she held it to her nose. "It's sweet and spicy. What do you call it?"
"I've only recently given it a name. I call it 'Warrior's Delight'."
"But, why? It's such a delicate flower. I think it would please a woman more than a warrior."
Laughing, he scooped her into his arms and strode back to the house. "Don't drop the flower, little cat. I want to show you why I call it 'Warrior's Delight!"
***
The third evening, Valan decided to teach her a warrior’s game called Dyce. It was played with six small wooden cubes. Each cube had three white sides and three black sides. The object of the game, he told her, was to get more white sides on each throw than your opponent. He counted out five small wooden disks and piled them in front of her, then took five for himself.
"If you win the toss of the Dyce, I have to give you one of my disks. If I win, you have to give me one of yours. When one of us is out of disks, the winner gets to demand a reward. Understand?"
Lia nodded and Valan told her to toss the Dyce first. In just a few minutes, he'd won the first game, and demanded a kiss as his reward. He took three, claiming that the first two didn't count as they hadn't been very good.
Lia won the second ga
me. "I'd like a glass of wine."
Valan looked disappointed when she told him what she wanted, then smiled and went to get it for her. When he returned, he was carrying a glass of juice for her and a tankard of ale for himself.
"I wanted wine, Valan."
"I forgot what you wanted." He'd spoken to Borg about his suspicion that Lia might be pregnant, and had been told that he was probably right. Borg had also said that Lia probably didn't realize she was pregnant. Then, he'd reminded him of the signs to watch for and given him a list of things he should do. He was to see to it she ate properly, rested when she felt tired, and didn't drink wine or ale.
While they sipped at their drinks and started a third game, he wondered if he should tell her. Shaking the cubes in his hand he tossed them to the table then watched her raise the glass of juice to her lips. "How have you been feeling, Lia? Any upset stomach lately?"
She looked up from counting the white sides of the cubes, an expression of surprise on her face. "I was sick the other cycle. And, I've been feeling ill ever since. Are the other women sick, too?"
Her words confirmed his suspicions. He wanted to grab her and hold her on his lap. He wanted to cover her belly with his hands and feel his children inside her. "A lot of the other bondmates are feeling unwell these cycles. Doctor Veeson says it’s nothing to worry about. It will go away, eventually."
"Is he sure? I don't seem to be feeling better. In fact, I felt worse this rising than I did the past cycle. Does he have a medicine I could take?"
"He's sure, and there isn't a quick cure for this particular ailment. You just have to wait until it passes." He'd won the third game while they'd been talking. "Dance for me, Lia." Ever since the night on his ship when she'd danced for him, he'd wanted her to do it again.
She smiled then loosened her hair and moved to the center of the room. With her back to him, she slid the gown from one shoulder and slowly pulled her arm free. She turned so he could see her hand stroke up her arm and push the gown from her other shoulder. It slid to her waist. Turning, she lifted her hair and let it fall in a cloud around her, then slowly slid her hands down the long strands covering her breasts. Her fingers slid beneath the material bunched at her waist and pushed it away. With a little wiggle, it slid to the floor in a pile around her feet. Stepping out of it, she hooked it with one foot and kicked it to Valan.
He caught it and felt the heat from her body trapped in the material.
She began to move, giving him teasing glimpses of her breasts and belly. Her bare feet slid over the floor, her hips swayed and twisted, parting slightly and showing him the softness of an inner thigh. His heart thundered in his chest as she lifted her arms over her head and her hard nipples peeked through her hair. Turning and spinning, she gave him tantalizing glimpses of her long supple back and softly rounded buttocks. The sight of her like this, dancing naked for him, covered only with the silky strands of her hair set fire to his blood. He burned and his cock hardened and throbbed. A growl of wild, savage desire for her rose in his throat. Before he could leap from his chair and grab her, she ran over to him and straddled his lap.
***
The next evening, Valan was late coming home. Lia waited for him in the reception room. An info-disc flashed on the screen unnoticed. She held one of the wood carvings in her hands, absently stroking it. Her thoughts were on him and the past three cycles. They'd spent the evenings together. He'd make love to her and hold her afterwards as he had on the ship but eventually he'd turn away from her. His silent signal it was time for her to return to her own chamber.
His attitude convinced her he'd never forgive her and she had to leave him. There were moments when she almost changed her mind but then he'd do something to hurt her and she knew he'd never accept her as his bondmate.
She heard the front door open and went out into the foyer to greet him. As soon as she saw him, she knew someone or something had made him angry. Relieved, and happy, it wasn't her, she smiled at him and offered to fix his dinner.
"I ate with my father."
She trailed behind him into the reception room and watched as he removed the info-disc from the viewer. Seeing she'd left a wood carving on the couch she picked it up and placed it back on the table. When she turned around, he was staring at her, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"Is your neck sore, Valan?"
Dropping his hand to his side, he nodded.
"I could rub it for you, if you like."
A small grin appeared on his face. "I'm sore all over."
Blushing, remembering the last time she'd given him a massage, she boldly told him, "We could go to your chamber and I could give you a massage."
He accepted her offer with a wicked, suggestive grin.
***
Micro-units later, Valan lay awake in the darkness listening to Lia's quiet breaths. She'd been asleep even before he'd rolled away from her. The scent of the oil she'd massaged into his body still filled the air. He'd been surprised when she'd offered to give him a massage, but his surprise was nothing compared to the shock he'd received once she had put her hands on him. He shivered and hardened remembering how she'd covered his body with oil, and then laid down on him.
The feel of her body sliding on the slick oil drove him crazy. Her hard nipples scraped against his back, awakening nerves he never knew he had, while her belly slid over his buttocks. She'd been wild and made him wild. He'd taken her, over and over, unable to stop, until she'd trembled with exhaustion beneath him and fallen asleep.
He slid her onto her side then pulled her back against him and pressed her soft ass against his hardening cock. Without waking her, he slid his hand between her thighs and lifted her leg over his hip and slowly slid into her. She wiggled against him then moaned his name. He smiled and let himself sleep.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Valan paced his den, brooding about the summons he'd received from the High Council. Last night, during dinner, he and his father discussed the charges Educator Seligson, and a group of warrior’s made against Lia. The Council wanted her to appear before them to answer the charges, but as her bondmate, Valan refused their demand, and agreed to appear in her place.
Knowing his father would be waiting for him on the path in front of his house, Valan went to meet him. His father wouldn't be allowed to participate in Lia's case, since she was a member of his family, but they couldn't prevent him from attending the judgment. His presence might influence the other Council Rulers in her favor.
As soon as they entered the Council Chambers, the warriors turned to look at him. Most of them had bland expressions on their faces, but a few gave him strangely solemn looks. He was puzzled, until he realized they pitied him because he was bonded to the daughter of Selik ad-San. Before he'd seen them he'd been angry the Council would dare to interfere between him and Lia. Now, pure fury consumed him. By, Tor, when this was over he'd make his warriors pay for crossing him.
Shooting them a pleasant, but deadly smile, he moved to the front of the room and into the judgment circle. The mat beneath his feet contained a devise which would activate if he spoke a lie. His father stood a few feet behind him. Educator Seligson and several warriors stood to his left. He stared at them, his silver eyes promising future vengeance, until one by one they nervously looked away.
A wave of anticipation ran through the warriors as the Council Rulers entered the chamber and took their places at the high bench. Ruler Arvidson stood. "The judgment of Lia ad-San will begin. Educator Seligson will speak for the accusers."
Educator Seligson stepped forward, onto a mat similar to the one Valan stood on, and faced the Rulers. "Lia ad-San is no ordinary Wrothian female. She is the daughter of our most hated enemy, Selik ad-San." He paused, letting the name of Lia's father ring through the chamber. "She is the flesh and blood of Selik ad-San, and she is as evil and malicious as her father. On the journey back to Zarronia, she was disruptive and disobedient. Many witnessed the numerous times her master, Vala
n Eirikson, was forced to punish her. While in my class, she showed disrespect to me and once she went so far as to attack and curse me."
Growls of anger came from the warriors. It was unheard of for anyone to treat an Educator in such a manner.
"Lia ad-San has a dangerous and aggressive temper. The bondmates in my class would have nothing to do with her. Even Valan Eirikson has given up on the creature. Many of us witnessed the way in which he brought her to Zarronia, not as a bondmate, but leashed, like a prisoner. Even in his home, she does not have the position of his bondmate. Lia ad-San wears the brown gown of a lawbreaker, and serves in her master’s home as a lawbreaker. A fitting position for the daughter of Selik ad-San." Again, he paused and let the name sink deep into the Rulers’ minds. "If Selik ad-San stood before you, all would demand his death. His daughter, who carries his tainted blood, deserves no less."
Valan cursed himself with each word the Educator spoke. His father’s warning came back to him, taunting him. Arrogantly, wrongly, he'd claimed nobody had the right to interfere between him and Lia, forgetting who she was, and the Council Rulers had absolute power.
Educator Seligson had spoken only part of the truth, but Valan could not claim he'd lied. His liberal use of Lia’s father’s name angered the Rulers, and his listing of the treatment she'd received from him sealed her fate. Believing she meant nothing to him, the Rulers might demand her death. All he could do was answer the charges, and then try to convince them to spare her life.
"Commander Eirikson, answer the charges." Ruler Arvidson made the demand.
Valan began with the times he'd had to discipline Lia. "All of the warriors had to discipline their bondmates. We expected them to be resistant to our claim, and we all dealt with their defiance, each warrior in his own way, as is our custom. My bondmate was no exception nor was she the most defiant."
"Did you use the bands on her?"
Valan's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 1) Page 11