by Isabel Wroth
She tilted her head back as the shuttle moved into the shadow of the mountain, the air became cooler and the scent changed. The tang of the trees and growing things, changed to a subtly spicy scent, which was odd, because she wouldn’t have associated stone with spices. She wound up looking up so high, that the back of her head rested on Tarek’s shoulder. ‘It provides protection from attack, the minerals in the stone naturally repel laser blasts and any sort of orbital surveillance. It is our main citadel, there are others all over this planet, some more blatantly advanced than others, some less.’
The opening gave way to a massive open gate made of the same material as their warships, she was told, and beyond that was a huge forecourt and another gate past that. Beyond the second gate, the space opened up in a jaw dropping expanse, and Tarek murmured in her ear that three of their warships would fit within the truly magnificent cavern. The entire city was made of stone, the first rank of buildings were staggered in positions that reminded her of the dips and hollows aboard Tarek’s ship, defensive positions in case of attack. The whole city was laid out for defense, despite the beautifully carved doorways and carefully laid cobbles of the streets. Men and women milled around, but there was this air of separation between them, little affection shown, so when they saw her practically cuddled up in Tarek’s arms, they stared.
She didn’t want to make a bad impression, so she made to pull away, but his arms tightened around her and kept her right where she was. ‘Tarek, everyone’s staring,’ He snorted, giving her a tighter squeeze. ‘Let them. If it is us they stare at, it is because my one is so beautiful.’
She blushed hotly, but quit trying to pull away and returned to looking at the beauty of the mountain stronghold. Windows and homes were carved into the mountainside, all the way up to the very top of the cavern walls, doorways and pathways carved for foot traffic, and transport platforms every few levels for convenience. There was a large section of stone that had no buildings around or above it by at least a two transport lengths, and from the size of the one stretch of balconies and the seemingly six story height of the dwelling, it was of some importance. And that’s where their transport was headed. ‘Which one is the ambassadors manor?’ she asked, and felt the soft growl Tarek gave, vibrate along her back. ‘Outside the citadel, in the forest.’
‘Is there room for everyone in your wing of the citadel?’
‘More than enough, my one. T’farro plays some game, as is his way, and as of yet I do not know if it is of nefarious means or protective. His version of politics infuriate me.’
Her stomach lurched as the transport stopped moving horizontally, and suddenly shifted to rise vertically up the wall towards the large section of stone. She counted fifteen balconies from her vantage point, but the higher they got the more she counted, until she lost track at thirty seven. Up they went, Ohlen steering them into a large arched entrance, setting the transport down carefully and got a tight nod of approval from Tarek. “Come,” He commanded aloud, and they led the way off the transport into the large open room just beyond and up a flight of curved stairs carved out of the grey veined stone. It was smooth to the touch, cool, like glass almost. Fifty eight steps opened into a grand, brightly lit room that was truly breathtaking, and she wasn’t the only one to gasp at the sight of it.
Twenty Four
It was a work of unparalleled art, the different colored veins of stone used to carve lifelike looking scenes. The sparkling gold veins that ran up and down were carved to resemble the tree trunks in the forest beyond, red, grey and orange veins that ran above that carved into leaves and branches, blue veins along the floor were carved into streams and banks, patches of flowers where spots of different colors of stone ran along the edges of the walls. But the true beauty lay in the swath of glimmering crystal clusters that were carved into stars, and the curtain like spill of pure white stone that curved down the back of the far wall that faced them. Two stone benches were carved to sit atop the platform, a royal pair of thrones with a five tiered set of wide steps leading up to them.
She was dazzled, but it didn’t stop there.
The hallway Tarek led them down was carved too, more trees and beautiful nature scenes, and when they passed through a large set of wooden doors, a pair of men with the regal air of elders came forward and bowed low, genuine expressions of happiness on their faces when they saw Tarek. “Asha, we are so happy to welcome you home.” The one who spoke had a long stripe of ebony hair and silvery grey markings alongside his head, with a kind smile and jewel bright blue eyes. “Ne’tare, it has been long.”
Tarek let her go long enough to reach forward and clap his hand down on the man’s shoulder, and turned his gaze to the other, with sandy blonde hair and soft chocolatey eyes. “Te’sha, you look well.” There was a wealth of emotion in his voice, and she could see the happiness on the blonde’s face, smell the sincerity on him and Ne’tare, smell it on Tarek. “As do you, Asha. Your return has been most anticipated since we were given the joyous news.” She realized belatedly that the joyous news, was her. Tarek was smiling when he turned to her, his hand extended towards her and his pride evident when he introduced her. “You will have opportunity to meet everyone soon, but this is my one. Clary.” Both men bowed to her respectfully and their smiles brightened when their gaze touched on her hand in Tarek’s. “Te’sha and Ne’tare have been my trusted caretakers since I was a cub,” Ne’tare’s smile turned a bit mischevious, “Gods willing, Asha, we will serve you and your Asha’na in the same way. With your permission?”
Tarek nodded and Ne’tare gave her his full gaze, searching her eyes, her face, his nostrils flaring slightly before he spoke directly to her with kindness and that sparkle bright in his eyes. “Welcome to your home, Asha’na. If ever you need anything, please know Te’sha and I are here to serve however we may.” She blushed under his scrutiny, feeling a bit like she was meeting Tarek’s proud fathers, hoping that by their warm reception that they approved of her. “Thank you, very much.” Tarek saved her from not knowing what else to say by asking if quarters had been made available for everyone else, and Te’sha stepped forward to address the shell shocked humans behind them, “Those of you yet without mates, I have the pleasure of being assigned to host you while within the citadel. You will all be housed in this wing, within a short walking distance to the rest of your people. After a small respite, you will all rejoin one another for the evening meal we have prepared in honor of your arrival. Please, come with me and I will see you all settled. Asha,” Te’sha bowed again and beckoned to her single crewmembers. They went at her nod, and Ne’tare repeated the same to the rest of them with mates.
She and Tarek entered his suite of rooms last, having waited to see that his warriors and her crew had been settled first. Ne’tare pushed the doors open ahead of them and stood aside while Tarek pushed her inside and stepped to the side of her to better take in her reaction. The entire citadel was lit with artificial light, but in Tarek’s room the lights were made to seem like they were born out of the rock itself. The main room was grand, the ceiling arched high above her to ensure that the space didn’t feel too close, thick rugs covered the stone floor, comfortable lounges and pillows were settled around the room for plenty of places to lie down comfortably.
She walked farther in, following the sound of running water that was softly coming from a room just beyond. The question of why she scented flowers and growing things was answered when she stepped into a cave that looked like it had not been altered in any way. It was like an indoor eden, moss covered rocks and lichen covered walls, soft loamy earth, and a gorgeous waterfall that spouted from the far corner of the cavern wall to spill down into a pool that took up half the room. “This is amazing!” She exclaimed, reaching down to touch a moss covered ledge, marveling at how beautiful it was, this little pocket of greenery within the grey stone city. “I hoped it would please you. Ne’tare has worked tirelessly to transform this space for us.” Tarek murmured from the doorway, and a scen
t her cat told her was embarrassment wafted from the other male hovering near the door to give them their space. “It’s unbelievably beautiful.” Ne’tare bowed low, a pleased smile on his face. “If anything does not suit, please allow me to change it for you, Asha’na.”
She reluctantly tore herself away from the grotto and moved into what was to be her new bedroom. It was twice the size of the cabin she’d shared with Tarek aboard his warship, and twice as opulent. The bed was bigger, piled with furs and fluffy pillows, more lounges and thick rugs, empty bookcases, a massive tapestry she would spend hours examining later, a desk in the far corner and a bathroom with a basin big enough to comfortably fit four people. It was beautiful, beyond anything she could have imagined. But just like his cabin onboard the warship, there were no personal touches to tell her that this was Tarek’s room. Then again, it was likely he hadn’t spent much time here. “This, is my favorite feature to the suite,” Ne’tare told her proudly, moving to the tapestry and swept his arm under it to push it aside, revealing a beautifully carved stone arch hiding behind it.
At his encouraging smile she walked through it, her teeth sinking into her lip to see what the tapestry had been hiding. A child’s room, with a small pair of beds, and oddly enough, a swing hung from the domed stone ceiling, smack dab in the middle of the room. “It is bare of a personal touch, but we have wonderful markets and time a plenty to fill this room with things to please you and the many cubs you may be blessed with, Asha’na.” Her cheeks were hot when she looked at the hopeful expression on Ne’tare’s face. "You like children, cubs, very much. Don’t you?” Ne’tare inclined his head and looked a bit wistfully around the room. “All of mine are long since grown, Asha’na, and it has been even longer since we have had any cubs running the halls. I confess I miss the excitement of the chase. Asha Tarek and the Asho provided Te’sha and I with many hours of entertainment and happiness. I remember when they were this high,” He measured with his hand at his knee with a proud smile, “Though, I was a much younger male then. The stories I could tell you,” His eyes twinkled when Tarek loudly cleared his throat, “Another time, Ne’tare. Were you able to procure the items I asked for?”
Ne’tare looked almost offended by Tarek’s question, nodding to her when she drew herself away from the nursery and went to open a pair of wardrobe doors to reveal a plethora of gowns and things for her. “Of course, Asha. Te’sha and I are so very happy to have been called back to serve once again. I will leave until it is time for the evening meal. Welcome again, Asha’na.” He left with a bow of his head, leaving her alone in her new home. “What did he mean, called back to serve?” Tarek cleared his throat and went to investigate the items in the wardrobe, moving through a plethora of green gowns until he settled on one and brought it back to compare the color to her eyes. “When I left to join the armada, Te’sha and Ne’tare no longer had anyone to look after. They were relieved of duty,”
“They didn’t stay to help your brother and his mate with their children?”
She sensed his tension, his displeasure and pushed the dress aside to press her hand to his chest, tilting her head to catch his eyes and offered what she hoped was a supportive look. “If it’s not a question I should ask, just say so. It’s alright.” He shook his head and turned to lay the green dress over the back of a lounge, gripping her hips to lift her and take her with him to sit on the bed, her knees spread over his thighs. His big hands rubbed up and down her spine, kneading gently on her butt, his lashes falling to half mast when she scraped her fingernails through the hair at his nape. “It is a sensitive topic, my one. The Asho’na does not possess your tender heart, and as I understand it, was quite cruel to Ne’tare and Te’sha. She found their service unacceptable, and released them from their duties. My brother did not object, much. And as the ruling pair do not have cubs, Ne’tare and Te’sha had no reason to stay where they were not wanted.”
“They seemed genuinely happy to be back though, eager even.”
He smiled and scooted her closer, his hands firm on her ass to rock her against the unmistakable rise of his erection. Arousal spiked, and any weariness she might have felt from their traveling, melted away with the firestorm of need that rose up. “They did not approve of me leaving to serve in the armada, they had not given up hope that I would find my mate, even after all these many years. On each festival day despite the fact that their prides are located on separate planets, even if I was not in attendance, they would each send me a message wishing me luck. I confess that I did not answer as I should have, but when I asked if they would return to their duties, they replied immediately. I pray that they are truly happy to return to me, and their eagerness, my one, is to see me begin my own family.” He leaned forward and smacked a soft, wet kiss to her mouth, speaking with his lips rubbing against hers. “It would please me very much, if we practiced the makings of such things,”
They practiced for hours, until she was uncertain that she would be able to walk to dinner under her own power. Tarek smiled smugly at her from the end of the bed while he pulled on a form fitting shirt over his gorgeous muscles. The shirt did nothing to hide those muscles, and despite the watery feeling of her bones, she wanted to crawl to him and claw his clothes off again. “I can have food sent here to us,” He offered with a sensual purr, coming to sit on the bed beside her, his hand stroking down her hair to rub at her shoulder. “No, Ne’tare and Te’sha went to the trouble of arranging it, I want to go.” She felt the roil of emotion he felt, but couldn’t identify the sensation. She saw it move across his golden eyes, but didn’t understand it. Not until he leaned down and met her raised lips for the sweetest kiss he’d shared with her yet. “When Ne’tare and Te’sha told me they prayed to the Beast for my perfect mate, I laughed at them. Though secretly, I prayed too. But, you are not what I prayed for, my one.”
She blinked at his firm statement, doubt and hurt spiking deep in an instant. But he didn’t let her feel it for long. He stroked his hands over her head and rubbed his nose alongside hers, his voice an intimate, hoarse whisper. “Every moment I had to wait for you, I look back and regret not a single one. You are so much more. So much more than I could ever have imagined,” He picked her up from the bed and spent the next heart stopping hour tenderly caring for her. He bathed the sweat and passion from her body with a warm, soft cloth. Sat her at a beautifully carved vanity and brushed out her hair, surprising her with the nimbleness of his fingers making intricate knots and braids until a crown of her own hair and delicately jeweled combs, circled her head. He stroked a subtly scented, silky soft lotion over her entire body, his hands firm in the spots she needed them to be firm, and gentle where she needed them to be gentle. By the time he pulled the green dress he’d chosen over her head, she was almost in tears with how moved she was. Her cat was even humbled and paws up, purring with pleasure and surprise.
Twenty Five
Ne’tare and Te’sha had outdone themselves and had gone above and beyond. Not only had they ensured she had plenty of clothes and toiletries, creature comforts to make sure she felt at home, they had done so for all of her people. And on top of that, the massive banquet table that had been laid out for them had every traditional dish native to each of the fifteen planets, and dishes that were known favorites of the warriors at the table. She couldn’t speak for the rest of her crew, but the effort made to make them feel welcome was not unnoticed. As for the warriors, for Tarek, he was moved beyond words and she could feel how thankful he was, how happy he was to be home.
Full to bursting with strange, delicious, satisfying food, tired for no apparent reason, she walked slowly alongside Tarek while he reacquainted himself with his home. She had her head on his bicep, her hand curled over the hard mound of muscle, their fingers tangled together. He stopped at a balcony that gave them an unimpeded view of the entire citadel, and for a long time they just stood there looking at the marvel of architecture. “I had forgotten the sound of the citadel at night,” He rumbled, and when she l
ooked up at him, there was a blank expression on his face, she could feel his contentment. “You’re happy to be home.” He smiled and looked down at her, “I am. Are you ready to run?” She thought about it, prodded her lazily sleeping cat in question, and got a tired grunt. Not so eager to run as she had been before when they’d first arrived. “Are you?” She asked instead of answering, fully prepared to go with him if he wanted to go out and tear up the forest with his own paws. She hadn’t seen his cat in full shift, and truth be told she was eager for it,
He turned his back to the view, leaning his hips against the stone railing and drew her into his arms, tipping her head back over his bicep so he could stroke his knuckles along the edge of her cheek. “Your beast is sated well with food and drink, and while I would like nothing more than to run with you across the plains under the light of our moons tonight, I can feel your weariness. There will be many more moons, and many more nights for us. The festival will be in four nights time, and this night, my beast and I are more than content to curl up with you in our den and rest.”
She lifted her lips up beseechingly, and with a soft chuff he bent to give her the kiss she wanted. She got lost in the intimate moment, in the muscle melting knead of his hands on her body, in the wash of pleasure that sparkled over her skin like the bubbly sensation of the enzyme shower. He shifted and scooped her up, right as her knees threatened to give out, grunting softly when she nuzzled up against his throat and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He took her back to their suite, tenderly pulling the combs from her hair and the dress from her body, carrying her naked into the hot pool in their little grotto. “You’ve never been submerged in water like this before, have you, my one?” He murmured, scooping handfuls of steaming water over her shoulders while she was overcome by the heat and the silky caress of the liquid over her entire body. “No. Just cool, two minute showers with recycled water. This is heaven,” She moaned, the aches and twinges from their ravenous lovemaking soothed by the warmth and his hands. “After the festival, we’ll go to the lands of my mother’s pride. To the lake I learned to swim in as a cub. The water is green, the color of your eyes and despite its size and depth, you can see straight to the bottom.”