Crave looked at Dandy. She grinned and they both said, “Yeah,” at the same time.
“You’ll be home in ten days?”
“Make sure somebody leaves me a ride. ‘Cause I’m sure not walkin’.”
They all laughed.
Serene stood up, “I’d better get back to Newland. We’ve got some changes to make.”
When Free and Serene had gone, Dandy climbed onto Crave’s bed and snuggled next to him as he put an arm around her. “You’re not just the bravest and most beautiful male in the world. You also have the biggest heart.”
“And the biggest dick.”
“I don’t remember about that. It’s been a long time.”
“Well, right now I’m listenin’ to my body, just like Flora said. Close the door and let me remind you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Crave sat on a rock at the edge of the forest and looked down on Newland. He’d never remembered the full moon looking so big as it did that night rising about the trees. It was such a beautiful cloudless night that he dared to think that maybe, just maybe, his luck had changed.
He still had nightmares about the years of torture. But he’d survived. And, if he woke in a sweat, kicking and thrashing, Dandy was there shushing and kissing and petting away the terrors. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was good.
He’d been to see Flora that afternoon with Charming, who’d waited outside while he got instructions on use of the cream formula that was only given to males on Promise day.
He knew it was silly to be nervous. He’d been in love with Dandelion for more than half his life. She’d been his best friend since they were children, his lover since they were teens, and now she was going to be his partner in proxy parenting a village full of Rautt kids. The idea of that made him laugh into the night even though, or maybe especially because, there was no one to hear it. He didn’t understand why he didn’t hate those kids. He just didn’t.
So there alone in the night with pre-mating jitters, he found himself thinking that life was strange. And also that he couldn’t wait to move the orphanage to Newland so that he could teach the kids how to play scruffal.
He looked over at the training field. The weather was nice enough to perform the rites outside, and the females had set hundreds of candles out. He and Dandy would stand in the middle of a circle, say the words, and be blessed by the Extant. Then the rest of the Exiled would party while he took his new mate to the bed that had been set up inside the cell where he’d been held as a prisoner.
Crave imposed only two stipulations on that idea. The first was to remove the iron door that had locked him in. The second was to cover the windows. His friends had taken care of both items before he and Dandy had come home the day before.
He wondered if she was feeling anxious like he was. She’d never been one to seek the kind of attention they’d be getting in a couple of hours, having all Exiled eyes focused on them.
When movement caught his eye, he jerked his head to the left. Leo was climbing the hill. When he reached Crave’s rock, or the rock that Crave had claimed for the moment, he said, “Time to get ready.”
Crave grinned. “Okay.”
“So. Tomorrow will you tell us about the thing?”
“What thing?”
“The thing you got from Flora.”
Crave laughed. “You know, it would be funny if it turns out that the big secret is that it’s all a hoax. That it doesn’t work, but just gets everybody all fired up and nervous.”
“That would be funny in a sick sort of way. So will you tell us?”
“No.”
“How about a code? Like, if you look at me and laugh, I’ll know it was a joke and it’s really just some perfumey prank.”
“I know you, Leo, and I know what you’ll be doing tonight. Tomorrow morning we’ll be gone before you can even stand up.”
“Hmmm. I guess you do know me. So, next time I see you.”
“Tell you what, the day after your Promise, we’ll talk about it.”
Leo narrowed his eyes. “Forget it. So what are you wearing?”
Crave looked stymied. “What am I wearing?” He looked down at his clothes.
“Yeah. You’re not wearing that. Aren’t you supposed to get cleaned up and put on somethin’ special?”
“Somethin’ special? Like what?”
Leo laughed. “That right there is why I told your crew we had to make sure you had somethin’ to wear. ‘Cause I knew you wouldn’t even think about it.”
“I never realized you paid so much attention to clothing.”
He shrugged. “I got help.”
“From who?”
“Your mom.”
“Oh.”
It was hard to argue with that.
There was a knock on Dandy’s bedroom door. She opened it, expecting to see her mother, but the person on the other side of the door was none other than Kellareal, holding a big box with a huge red bow.
Dandelion knew who Kellareal was, but he’d never spoken to her directly.
“Can I come in?” he said.
“Uh,” she looked back at her bedroom, “sure.” She stepped out of the way.
“Have a present for you from a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Someone who thinks a lot of you, but can’t come.”
“Oh.”
Kellareal handed her the box. “She said to tell you that she has no idea what Exiled wear on promise day, but that she knew you would be beautiful in this and… Hold on.” He fumbled in his pocket for a note, unfolded it and read, “And that the blood red would be perfect for your coloring. She also said to tell you that she’s so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Dandy said, her eyes going to the box that she’d set down on her bed. “Please tell her thank you when you see her.”
“I will.” He turned to go.
When his hand was on her door, Dandy said, “Tell her I miss her.”
He smiled, nodded, and closed the door.
Dandy opened the box. Inside was a fitted jacket made from suede so soft it felt like a second skin. It was open at the neck, but had long sleeves, which was good because it was a cool night. She held it up admiringly and laid it on the bed, then took out the next item. It was a skirt with a tie at the waist made from thin strings of matching suede. It had dozens of layers of tulle that matched the color of the jacket. In the front the skirt stopped above her knee, but it was longer in the back. And Dandy was certain she’d never seen anything so marvelous.
Until she came to the boots.
She’d never seen boots that came up over the knee, but she fell in love with them at first sight. They were a dark coffee color. Simple. Low heeled. Just as soft as the suede on the jacket. Dandy couldn’t wait to get them on, but there was still something in the bottom of the box with a note on top.
Every girl should have sexy lingerie for her wedding night.
Inside was an incredibly delicate pair of lacey see-through panties and bra in the same blood red as the dress. Dandy didn’t know what lingerie was, but she figured out what went where. She was a little nervous about Crave’s reaction, but decided to trust that the gift giver knew what she was doing.
She’d decided that she was going to wear her hair big and wild the way Crave liked it. Like a windblown lion’s mane. While she was bathing in water scented with the dried petals and oil Flora had given her, she said the promise words over and over out loud, sure she’d freeze and forget them when the time came.
She had a towel wrapped around her when she heard another knock on the door. It was Trace.
“Trace! How did you get here?”
“Caught a ride with one of the males who made the great desert trek. Somebody close to Crave.”
“Close to Crave? Leo? Scape?”
“Um, Leo.” Dandy noticed that Trace looked away a little too quickly.
“Are you a pair?” Dandy asked.
“Don’t know. Too soon to tell. But this, tod
ay, is about you. Not me. I’m here to help you get…” Trace got a look at the outfit laid out on the bed and hissed in a long breath. “What in the names of all the holies is this?”
“It’s a promise gift from a friend who’s, ah, not from here.”
“Not from here?” Trace was wide-eyed. “Can you introduce me? I need a friend like this.”
Dandy chuckled. “I have a feeling that, when we start comingling with humans, there are going to be a lot of changes.”
“Well, let’s get you ready. I can’t wait to see what this looks like when it’s on a person. Oh, and I brought you these.” Trace handed her a box with little flowers, like miniature rosebuds. Blood red.
Dandy held them next to the dress. “How did you know?” she asked Trace.
“I didn’t! Guess it’s Fate.”
Ten minutes later, Trace stood looking at the finished package as Dandy turned in a circle. She whistled. “Crave is going to be on his knees.”
Dandy laughed, but liked the sound of that. “You don’t think people will think it’s too, ah, bizarre?”
It was Trace’s turn to laugh. “Every unmated female in the world is going to want this for her promise day. I know I do.”
There was a knock on the door. “It’s time to…” Trace opened the door for Dandy’s mother. When she first saw her daughter her eyes flared. Exiled females typically went through rites wearing pretty much what they wore every other day. After the surprise wore off, she said, “So that’s what was in the box?”
Dandy looked down and smoothed a hand over the front of the skirt. “Yes.”
When she looked back up with uncertainty, her mother smiled. “You have friends in high places.” Her mother arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “And you look beautiful, Dandelion,” she said. “It’s time to go.”
Every Exiled from youngest to oldest was present. They stood in concentric circles with a path opened from east to west. Crave and Dandelion would begin at opposite ends and walk toward each other, meeting in the middle where their families, the Extant, who would officiate, and their closest friends waited.
Crave came into view first wearing the clothes his friends had chosen for him. Golden tan doeskin pants, new boots, and a cream-colored raw silk shirt that reminded her of pirates in picture books. It draped his powerful shoulders and fell loosely around his waist.
Dandelion thought that she’d spoken too soon when she’d told Dread that Crave was the most beautiful male in the world. She was sure he was the most beautiful male ever born. He was so breathtaking she temporarily forgot all about her nerves.
At the other end of the circle, Crave’s breath caught when Dandelion came into view. It was clear he wasn’t the only one when an excited murmur rippled through the crowd. At first, she wasn’t sure if the reaction was due to admiration or scandal, but a quick look at Crave assured her that all was well. He was grinning ear to ear and looking at her like she was a walking marvel.
They joined hands in front of Free and Serene.
“The son of Exiled, Crave, and the daughter of Exiled, Dandelion, make their pledge to each other with our people as witness this night,” said Free.
“What say you, Crave?”
Crave turned and looked at Dandy, holding both her hands and her eyes, aware of other people, but seeing nothing but her.
“By those who made the sun and stars and full moon above, I give my promise to you, Dandelion. For as long as I live I will be yours and yours alone. Your good is my good. Your desire is my desire. Your need is my need. Never will I desert you or stand against you. This I promise.”
And that was when the worst possible thing happened to Dandy, the thing she’d feared most in the world. A tear fell from her eye and trailed down her cheek. In her mind it was the same as an hysterical outburst, a spectacle broadcast to all of Exiled that indeed she was too weak to be a warrior.
Crave knew everything there was to know about Dandy, including how she felt about crying. He reached up, tenderly swiped the tear away with his thumb, and said loudly enough that everyone could hear, “I was fortunate enough to see when I was still a child that this female has a heart big enough to adopt the children of our enemy, big enough to love even someone like me. I was fortunate enough to get her promise before the other males realized that she’s a treasure like no other.”
Dandy was both appalled that Crave had made spontaneous declarations in the middle of a sacred ceremony and charmed beyond words. When joyous noises of approval rose from the crowd, Crave leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I’m hard as a rock and cannot wait to get you out of this incredible thing you’re wearing.”
She sucked in a breath. She was thrilled by Crave’s private admission, which wasn’t entirely private. Dandy guessed by the smirk on Charming’s face that he was close enough to hear. She was also distracted by the tingles Crave’s words had raised on various body parts, so distracted that she was afraid she’d forgotten what she was supposed to say.
Free said, “What say you, Dandelion?”
Dandy looked up into Crave’s face like a frightened deer. He watched her beautiful lips part, but nothing came out.
“Just look at me. Just think about me.” He squeezed her hands as he whispered, “By those who made the sun and the stars and full moon above.”
“By those who made the sun and the stars and the full moon above,” she repeated.
“I give my promise to you.”
“I give my promise to you, Crave.”
He smiled. “For as long as I live, I will be yours and yours alone.”
“For as long as I live, I will be yours and yours alone.”
“Your good is my good. Your…”
At that point her brain had reengaged. “Your good is my good. Your desire is my desire. Your need is my need. Never will I desert you or stand against you. This I promise.” She smiled.
He picked her up by the waist and twirled her around as people shouted congratulations and music began to play. The entire village followed the couple to the door of the former jail, then kept going to the banquet set out at the Commons.
Crave and Dandy closed the door, leaned against it, looked at each other and laughed. Then they looked up and took in the handiwork of their friends.
The fire was lit and burning cheerfully, as were candles all around the room. There was a long narrow table in the hallway set with a feast. Roast meats, succulent fruits from the valley, three kinds of bread including cinnamon rolls, and pretty desserts designed by humans, also brought from the city below.
The window had been draped with layers of muslin forming a cover that was practical and sensual at the same time.
Someone had spent hours intertwining ivy through the bars of the cell, transforming it into something that looked more like a secret garden boudoir. Last, there was a bed in the center of the room, large enough that Crave wasn’t sure how they’d gotten it inside the cell. He was much too interested in Dandelion to spend too much time attempting to solve that mystery. Of all the lovely things in view, she was by far the most appealing to the eye.
“This is…” he said.
“Wonderful.” She finished the sentence. “Are you hungry?”
Crave turned so that he was facing her and pressed her back to the door with his body. He reached behind her and she heard the lock click into place.
“Yes.” He smiled, showing the tips of his fangs, just before he began nibbling on her neck.
She arched into him laughing. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No?” he said, intent on undoing the laces that held her jacket bodice together in the front. His gaze flicked up, but went right back to the bodice project. “You look good enough to eat.”
“What about you? You keep upping the ante. Now I have to say you’re the most beautiful male in the universe.” While he was preoccupied with baring her chest, she pulled the tail of his shirt and ran her hands down the sides of his hips. “Hmmm. These pants are so soft.”
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“Hmmm. But not what’s inside.”
She purred, but ducked out from under him. Feeling sexy, perhaps for the first time in her life, she experimented with sashaying over to the table. She plucked a plum from the almost obscene glut of mixed fruit and took a bite. “Oh,” she said moaning and licking her lips, “you have to have a bite of this.”
“You are driving me wild.”
She chuckled as he stalked toward her. “Stop right there! I haven’t eaten all day.”
He grabbed her, buried his face in the still-to-be-undone bodice, and growled into her chest. “Fuck now. Eat later.” And with that he resumed undoing the laces that held her jacket together. When a hint of the bra lace underneath was exposed, his pupils seemed to dilate. He gave her a look that was titillating and scary at the same time. She’d never seen Crave so intent on coupling.
That was when she remembered the secret thing Flora was reputed to give to males on their promise night. “Oh. You’re under the influence of Flora’s potion.”
“What?” He looked up with eyes that appeared slightly out of focus. “No! I don’t need that when I’ve got…” He pulled her jacket further open to reveal the see-through bra underneath. When his eyes jerked up to hers, again she felt a tinge of fear mixed with excitement.
Just when she thought he was going to rush her and take her to the ground like prey, he turned his back on her, pulled a chair out from the end of the table, sat down, and took another plum from the pile of fruit. Except for the look on his face, he gave the devil-may-care impression of being casually draped over the chair.
“Take that off,” he said in a voice so gravelly he barely sounded like Crave. He licked the juice that had escaped down his lip as he looked at her hungrily.
Looking down to where he’d pointed, she said, “Uh, this?” The jacket was hanging open except for the last ties at the bottom. She fingered it, looked back at him, and felt herself smile seductively as she pulled the laces free and slowly dropped the jacket from her shoulders.
CRAVE (Exiled Book 2) Page 19