The Impatient Lord

by Michelle M. Pillow

  Riona gave a small laugh. “What else are medical booths for? I won’t apologize for that.”

  “I talk to myself.”

  “You also mumble talk in your sleep.”

  “I do?” he asked in surprise.

  Riona nodded.

  “When you were unconscious, I’d talk to you,” he continued. “A few times, when it was really late, I would have your half of the conversation for you. You are nothing like I imagined.”

  “Is that good or—”

  “Shush. It’s my turn.” Mirek held up his hand and demanded she keep quiet. He was quite handsome as the breeze rustled his hair into his eyes. Running his hands over his head, he uselessly pushed it back only to have it blow forward again. “For the record, you are a lot more contrary than I imagined, and a lot more entertaining.”

  Riona let her gaze drift over his handsome face.

  “The doctors told me that the medicine they were trying would make conceiving impossible for several years, and may cause permanent infertility. I told them to do whatever it took to save you. I had no right to make that decision on your behalf, but the other alternative was possibly watching you wither away.” Mirek’s expression turned sad. “I’m selfish. I didn’t want to lose you. I defied the gods to claim you and that act is the most dishonorable thing I have ever done. When I saw you, I knew I had to marry you. My crystal glowed and confirmed it. I took your choice away from you. I’m impatient, selfish and I’ve tarnished my honor. But if you still want me, yes to your marriage proposal.”

  Happiness erupted inside her and she knew she was doing what she wanted. The idea terrified her and still she didn’t pull back. “So we’re doing this? We’re married now? We’re getting married later? How does this work?”

  “I’m not sure. There’s the new festival coming up,” he said. “I think we have to complete the ritual for it to be recognized by the gods.”

  “You wear a loincloth for that, right?” she asked.

  “I do.”

  “Then I agree. We will complete the ceremony. Only we’ll do it privately. No reason to create a scandal over it. I mean, you’re marrying me, so I’m sure there will be plenty of scandal in your future.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “I can’t believe it. We’re getting married.”

  “Yes.” He nodded, grinning. “We’re getting married.”

  “All right, so we’re doing this. We’re both insane, you know that.” She stepped toward him and lifted her arms to his neck. “You deserve better than me, my lord.”

  “You should add ‘talks nonsense’ to your list,” he whispered. “That will be the last time you say any such thing. The gods chose you for me.” He leaned in to kiss her only to stop. “And even if they hadn’t chosen you, I would have.”

  Riona tried to reach her mouth to his and frowned when he didn’t kiss her. He pressed his body tightly to hers and she felt every hard and interested inch of him.

  “Wait.” A pained look crossed his features. “Can we do this? The gods could be testing us again. We might have to wait until the ceremony.”

  “Um, I’m pretty sure the abstinence boat has already sailed.” Riona wiggled against him. “If you think we’re not having sex anymore, then I take my proposal back and I’ll ask again two seconds before the ceremony starts.”

  Still, he looked unsure. She could feel he wanted her, but he was trying very hard to do the right thing. It was adorable and completely unnecessary.

  “Listen, starshine, if I fall into a sex coma because the gods get mad at us, then so be it. It is a risk I am very willing to take.” She held on to his shoulders and hopped up to wrap her legs around his waist. “Now, take me somewhere private so I can do some very naughty things to you. If you think you were sore last time, you have really no idea.”

  Mirek pressed his mouth to hers and nearly tripped over himself carrying her inside their home. He slid his hands over her b to hold her weight. Riona rubbed against him. His steps jolted their bodies together.

  She breathed heavily into his ear, “Mm, hurry, Mirek. I need you.”

  He made an abrupt turn and pushed open a door that led to one of the outer-maze hallways. She’d poked her head in once as she’d passed by. It looked like the other corridors, only no one would have reason to be in there. Mirek kicked the door shut and eased his hold. She slid to the floor. His hands instantly found his drawstring and he pushed his pants from his hips.

  Riona leaned against the wall and thrust her hips forward. He pulled the drawstring at her waist and her pants slithered down her legs in a feathery caress. Without pause, he pressed her to the wall. Hard, cool stone bit into her back. His cock brushed her stomach but tangled in the tunic shirt. Mirek thrust a hand under the material so he could palm a breast.

  She gasped at the roughness in his touch. It was as if a beast had been unleashed in him. His eyes glowed with the threat of the dragon. Riona moaned, enjoying his dominant behavior. He flipped her around to face the wall. Her cheek pressed to the stone. He pushed his hands up her shirt from behind and took hold of both breasts. Mirek rocked against her ass several times.

  “I can smell when you desire me,” he whispered. “Do you know how hard it is to resist?”

  She cried out weakly. Moisture gathered in her neglected sex, but still he didn’t touch it.

  “Ever since that first time I was inside you, I can think of little else.” He dipped down and redirected his arousal so he could slip between her thighs. “Do you know how hard it is to be patient with a woman like you at my fingertips? Each time it gets harder not to just take you like a wild man.”

  “Who asked you to be patient, dragon?” she challenged. “Or are you all talk?”

  Mirek growled and turned her around, keeping his body behind hers. Riona stumbled at the sudden change but he held her tight to him. She faced the long corridor. Mirek pulled down on her hips to indicate he wanted her on the floor. Riona obeyed, getting to her knees.

  Mirek came up behind her and pushed her forward onto her hands. Within seconds, he had his cock shoved deep inside her. Riona cried out in surprise, liking this fevered side to him. He grabbed her hips, using them to control the pounding thrusts of his hard ride. Their skin slapped together as his hips hit her backside.

  Riona braced her hands against the floor, pushing back so the force of him wouldn’t slide her along the hard stone. The pleasure built like the electrical shock of a blaster. His thrusts slowed to deep, rocking circles.

  “Oh, oh…” Riona climaxed, hard. Her muscles tensed, clamping down on him. He gave a loud growl and held her tight to him as he jerked inside her.

  Riona gasped for breath, unable to move. Mirek pulled away before gathering her into his arms. They sat half-naked on the floor as he held her.

  “I have a feeling you will make life entertaining,” he whispered.

  Riona gave a small laugh. “I told you everything I could think of, so you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Riona, you cannot throw rocks at children,” Aeron scolded, holding her stomach. She breathed hard as she ambled across the yard toward the stables.

  Riona’s expression didn’t change as she kept her rock hand lifted and her eye on Trant. The boy stood bravely in unshifted form, ready to receive his punishment.

  “Throw it,” a boy yelled, laughing.

  “Quiet! Or you’re next,” Trant ordered. The taunting boy quieted but the others who were watching Trant’s punishment began to chuckle.

  “A rock for a rock,” Riona answered sternly.

  “Ri!” Aeron yelled. She turned to Mirek. “Do something.”

  “His mother sent him for his punishment,” Mirek said. “It’s decided. I cannot interfere in a matter of honor.”

  “I’m not afraid of what I have coming, my lady,” Trant assured Aeron. “A warrior doesn’t back down. But feel free to turn away if you’re too delicate.”

  Riona brought her hand forward as if to throw
but stopped the force at the last second.

  “Oh!” Aeron cried. She reached for Riona’s arm. The sudden pull caused Riona to accidently release the rock. It had been her intention to scare the boy with the idea of punishment for his action, nothing else.

  Trant flinched but did not run. The rock bumped him lightly on the chest. He jerked and then looked down in shock that it hadn’t been hard.

  “What are you doing?” Riona scolded, reaching for the fingers biting into her arm. She tried to pry them off. “You made me throw a rock at a child.”

  “Oh,” Aeron answered, the sound strained. She held on tighter.

  “Next time you throw a rock at a lady she might not let you off so easily,” Mirek told the boy.

  Trant nodded. “Yes, my lord. Apologies, my lady, for thinking you were an alien. You look much prettier now that your skin has grown back.”

  “Ri!” Aeron demanded, clutching her arm harder still and refusing to let go.

  “What? Like I really was going to throw a rock at a kid.” Riona turned to face her scolding sister. “That hurts. Let go of me.”

  “Ri,” Aeron repeated. She released her arm, bent over and started panting.

  “Ri?” Riona asked.

  “Ri, now, Ri,” Aeron managed. She fell to her knees.

  “Is she…?” Mirek asked.

  “Oh!” Aeron yelled.

  “What do we do?” Mirek looked down at the woman.

  “How should I know? I don’t know anything about babies.” Riona answered before patting her sister lightly. “Aeron, can you stop doing that?”

  Aeron answered with a growl.

  “Let’s carry her inside?” Riona looked at her sister and then Mirek for confirmation.

  “We’ve seen the ceffyls have babies,” Trant offered. “Do you want us to take her out to the field and get Cenek?”

  Aeron made a strange crying noise and shook her head violently in denial.

  “I’m taking her to the medical booth,” Mirek decided. “Get Kendall and Clara and my brother and whoever else looks like they might be useful.”

  Aeron screeched and grabbed Mirek’s arm as he tried to lift her. Riona saw her sister’s fingernails digging into his flesh. He shifted into dragon form and pulled her up into his arms. Aeron still gripped him but didn’t fight the embrace. He ran the pregnant woman toward the fortress entrance.

  “The ceffyls never sound like that,” a boy said.

  “Trant, go inside and help me find Bron, Clara and Kendall.” Riona gestured him toward the fortress home. Then to the other younger boys, she said, “Search the grounds and make sure the duke is not roaming around in the forest.”

  Eager to be of help, the young boys shifted and took to the forest like a pack of wild trainrats cutting single file through the trees. Trant hurried after Mirek and Riona watched him disappear into the fortress. She breathed hard, feeling lightheaded as she stood alone in the yard. Swaying on her feet, she whispered, “I’ll be along in a moment.”

  * * *

  Mirek gave Riona his handheld unit to read in hopes of getting her to stop pacing—and almost fainting—each time her sister made a loud noise in the medical booth room. Vlad had gone back to the mines early that morning long before labor even started. Alek had taken his wife away from the commotion to relax as she was feeling a little ill. Bron and Clara were helping Aeron along with one of the Draig men who had some medical training in midwifery.

  “That can’t be right,” Riona said as her sister screeched. “Is your medical booth broken?”

  “Everything is fine,” Mirek assured her.

  “Then why did Aeron kick me out?” Riona demanded.

  “Because you, my beautiful bride, nearly fainted again,” he answered calmly.

  “I’m going back in.”

  “It is curious that Bron is in there. Traditionally, fathers are kicked out of the delivery room.” Mirek thought it funny his brother refused to leave his wife’s side.

  “I think I can take Bron. He can’t stop me from helping my sister.” Riona made a move to go inside only to stop as she heard another groan. “Did I ever say thank you for giving me that medicine?”

  Mirek hid his frown. If his wife was unable to give him children, he would love her regardless. That was not in question. However, if she didn’t want his children, that stung a little. Then hearing Aeron call her husband a dragon beast, he imagined he could understand Riona’s feelings at the moment. Childbirth did not sound pleasant.

  Clara stepped out of the room. “This is why my people have babies in stasis. Your sister is refusing medical help. She got it into her head to have the baby naturally. Everything looks good. The medical booth is right there if anything happens. Don’t worry, I have nineteen sisters and eleven sisters-by-marriage back home. The topic of pregnancy and labor has come up many times in my lessons. Everything looks good.”

  Riona merely nodded. Clara disappeared back inside.

  “Is Aeron insane?” Riona relaxed a little and looked down at the handheld she carried. “What’s this?”

  “We have a new negotiation recommended by people we’ve been doing business with for a while,” Mirek said. “I had an introduction message left last night and apparently they’ll be in our airspace this evening. I’m not really pleased with the short timeline, but it could be a large order. Before I decide, I want your opinion on it. Their negotiation request seems out of the ordinary to me.” He glanced at the birthing room door. “I’m sorry to do this now, but I thought it might take your mind off—”

  “No, it’s fine. What species are they?”

  “G’am,” he said. “I’ve never heard of them. I hoped maybe you had. There was information about their negotiations etiquette, but honestly, I have never heard of a Frendle’s Chips exchange before. From what I can reason, it’s a game they play and whoever wins gets to set the terms of negotiation.”

  Riona smiled.

  “You’ve heard of it?”

  “The G’am, vaguely. They’re pretty territorial from what I can remember and don’t leave their airspace too often. Mostly, I’ve heard stories of how they love games of chance. It has something to do with their religion and fate and taking destiny into their own tentacles—a let-the-best-alien-win kind of mentality. On the plus side, if they lose, they’ll honor the bet.” Riona sat on the floor and pressed her back to the wall to look at the file he’d given her.

  “And what about the chips?” Mirek hid his smile, having adequately distracted his bride’s mind from labor.

  “Frendle’s Chips? Oh, yes. I know that game very well.”

  “Can you teach it to me?”

  Riona bit her lip and looked up at him. “Not by tonight. We don’t have a board. That’s probably why they picked this game to negotiate on. They hoped the short notice would give them an advantage.” She flipped through the screens. “What they don’t know is that you happen to be engaged to an expert. Many of my meals came from winning this game.” She stopped scrolling and read. Focusing on the stipulations laid out in the proposal more than talking, she asked, “Does it say the terms in here? What are they offering?”

  “Half-price ore versus double-price,” he said. “The order is sizable.”

  “So what’s the risk for you? If you lose will it put hardship on the planet?” Riona arched a brow.

  “Hardship, no. Loss, yes. There would be risk.”

  “Oh.” She handed the unit up to him. “Then maybe you should tell them no.”

  “It could be a good account. I really wish they’d agree to pay normal price. We don’t need double for it.” Mirek eyed her thoughtfully. “You know, you did very well with the Lithorians.”

  “And I was very happy to help.”

  “You also know how to play this Frendle game.” He sat on the floor next to her. The birthing sounds lessened and he was glad for it.

  Clara stuck her head out of the room. “All is well. We made her get into the booth and gave her something to relax
.”

  “Finally,” Riona said. “Thank you.”

  Clara nodded and disappeared back inside.

  “I knew Aeron was stubborn, but this was crazy,” she said. “Medical booths are perfectly safe. There was no reason for her to be all primeval about it.”

  “You’re changing the conversation,” Mirek said. “Will you help me negotiate this deal? If you say you’re good at the game, then you’re good. Plus, I think this is why the gods brought you here. You wanted a purpose.”

  “I thought the gods brought me here to be with you,” she teased.

  “Mm, definitely that.” He leaned over and kissed her, loving how relaxed she was around him. Every part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go. The fact that she accepted him and wanted to finish the marriage ceremony with him made his heart soar. “Negotiation help is a bonus. And I was thinking, if you win, you should take the extra money and pay off your debt. We don’t expect double and you would have earned it. Think of it as a sales commission.”

  He could see the denial forming on her face. Before she could say anything, he kissed her mouth hard. A small moan escaped her. When she melted into him and reached to touch his face, he pulled back.

  “Tell me yes,” he whispered.

  “Mm, yes,” she answered, leaning to continue the kiss.

  He pulled back. “Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll do it.”

  “What?” She blinked rapidly in surprise. “No, I said yes to the kiss, not—”

  “Too late. You can’t take it back. You said yes.” Mirek took the handheld and pushed a series of buttons. “And I just sent our confirmation to the G’am. We’ll leave as soon as your sister is taken care of to your satisfaction, my bride.”

  “But…”

  The sound of a baby crying interrupted. Mirek hopped excitedly to his feet and reached to help her up. They both rushed to the door to see the newborn.

  “My son!” Bron announced, holding the baby in his hands.

  Mirek looked at the tiny bundle. He had dark brown hair and eyes like his father. “A fine son.”