Next month wasn’t too long to wait. In fact, it seemed like too soon. Jessa still couldn’t believe she was doing this.
Chapter 3
Lilith was tucking a few stray strands of hair into her bun when her mate, Ranove, strode into their bedroom and joined her at the mirror.
“What did you do to Gorzo?” he asked, clasping her shoulders in his warm hands.
She met his eyes in the mirror and patted the bun to make certain it was firmly in place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He smiled broadly and slid his hands down her arms to wrap around her waist, tugging her back against his chest. “He looks like a cornered animal about to be eaten. I have never seen that expression on his face before.”
“You exaggerate.”
Ranove shook his head, his grin widening until he showed sharp teeth. “Poor Gorzo. He’s the fiercest fighter I have ever seen, and one little human female has completely terrified him.”
Lilith rolled her eyes. “It’s just a little mixer. I don’t know why he’s so worked up about it.” She checked her eye makeup again just to make sure it wasn’t smeared. Her eyes would be all people would see of her face when she put her veil on to appear at the very first mixer put on by Outland Connections. She’d be accompanied by a dozen of the umbrose warriors who’d put in applications hoping for a match with a human female. There were many more on the waiting list, but she’d only selected the first dozen for this time, not wanting to overwhelm the human females by outnumbering them with hulking winged warriors. One of those dozen, General Gorzo, was less than enthusiastic about going to this meeting.
Ranove kissed the top of her head, working his way down to nibble gently on her ear, before moving on to her neck. She moaned, enjoying his kisses for a moment before pulling away from him. “There’s no time for that now. The party is in a couple of hours, and I need to be there to help set up.”
He grunted in disappointment and stepped away from her, giving her space to readjust her dress that had been rumpled from his embrace. “I still do not know why you insist on including Gorzo in this little venture of yours.”
Turning to face him, Lilith sighed. “It was Stacia’s idea, but I have to agree with her. He needs someone to keep him company. He’s been restless ever since the peace treaty was signed between Anara and Balfor.”
Ranove shrugged, his wings rustling behind him with the movement. “He’s a general. War is his life. He will adjust to peace in time—with or without a female to warm his bed.”
“But how much easier is it to adjust when you have someone to come home to at night… or during the day for the umbrose.” She winked at him.
Ranove growled. “Do not tease me, woman, unless you want to be late to your little party.”
She giggled and moved away from the mirror to collect her handbag and datapad.
“Lilith, do not push Gorzo too hard on this. He will obey the princess because he is loyal and dutiful, but even she cannot force him to feel what he does not.”
She paused and glanced up at him, his face so handsome and dear to her that she couldn’t imagine not having him in her life. She often wondered how she’d lived so long without him and firmly believed that everyone should be as happy as they were. Gorzo was one of the most honorable and decent people she’d ever met—on a par with Ranove in that respect. He deserved to have what she and Ranove had, even if she and Stacia had to meddle in his life to get that for him. “We’re not trying to push him, but I’ve seen the way the other umbrose treat Gorzo, and Sari has told me that the umbrose females wouldn’t accept a claim from him, even if he made one.” She still felt outrage when she thought of that. Granted, there were few umbrose females in comparison to the males, so they could afford to be choosy, and Gorzo was scarred, which was unheard of for the umbrose, who healed rapidly and completely in all but the most extreme cases. He was also not the most attractive of umbrose to begin with. In stark contrast to the almost uniform inhumanly-handsome visages of the other umbrose males, he had a rather brutish and sinister look to his face.
“Gorzo is a barbarian, Lilith. He has come a long way since he first arrived in Sanctuary, but compared to the rest of us, he’s barely civilized. He never sundered his primal. Technically, he’s still considered an adolescent.”
It irritated her that Ranove was making excuses for the prejudice of the umbrose females. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “In that case, then so is Prince Balfor, since he reunited with his primal. Stacia says that the next generation will no longer be expected to go through the Sundering during their rite of passage.”
Ranove mirrored her stance, staring down at the floor with a pensive frown. “I am not so certain that is the wisest course for our people, but I will not second-guess Balfor. He does seem more stable since he reclaimed his primal.” Looking up, he met Lilith’s eyes again. “But that does not change Gorzo’s situation. Our females find him intimidating and barbaric. What will human females think of him?”
She could hardly be angry at Ranove for asking the same question she’d asked Stacia. Gorzo was something of a beast, even among the umbrose. It wasn’t so much his behavior—which had always been perfectly civilized in her presence—but she could almost see the primal lurking just beneath the thin veneer of civility he wore like a mask.
However, Stacia was certain that—of all the umbrose—Gorzo was the most in control of that primal nature that could turn umbrose males from sentient, thoughtful creatures into frenzied monsters.
Given Stacia’s new abilities—granted to her by the Mother of Shadows—as well as her past experiences with Balfor’s primal, Lilith figured Stacia knew enough to justify her confidence, so she’d buried her own concerns and tried to focus on Gorzo’s positive attributes. “You know, he has a beautiful voice. He says that one of his hobbies is singing.” She laughed aloud at Ranove’s grimace.
“Should I be concerned that you will prefer him over your own tone-deaf protector,” he asked in a teasing voice.
Shouldering her bag, she went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his hard chest. “Though your singing assaults my ears, I would rather have you serenading me every day of my life than be with any other.”
His chuckle bounced her cheek against his chest. “That’s a good thing to hear, my little human. I would not look forward to a challenge from Gorzo for your claim. I have never fought him, but he remains undefeated.”
Lilith looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest. “Don’t tell me there’s anyone you couldn’t defeat. I don’t believe it!”
“When it comes to keeping you, there’s no one who will stand against me and win.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “If you do not leave now, you will not be leaving at all.”
With a sigh, she pulled away from him, wishing she could stay with him rather than escort a dozen anxious umbrose males to meet nearly two dozen—no doubt equally anxious—human females.
She was under no illusions that this party was going to be fun. This whole idea of matchmaking humans with lonely umbrose males had seemed like a good one a few years ago, but once she’d put her plan into motion, she discovered that the three years spent convincing Balfor to allow it had been the easiest part of the process.
She wanted other women to experience the great love that she and Stacia had found with the umbrose, but there was a lot of resistance from both sides. Some days, she wondered whether she should keep trying or just abandon the idea altogether and accept that she and Stacia were exceptions to the rule.
She would have loved to have Stacia’s help in this, but her best friend’s time was mostly taken up acting as the leader and liaison between the new adurian princess, Anara, and the umbrose—ancient enemies who were now trying to deal with a new peace treaty. Compared to the delicacy of those negotiations, Lilith’s job as a liaison between humans and umbrose was like child’s play.
*****
Jessabelle
was the only one to arrive at the mixer alone. All of the other women attending had come in pairs or groups and clumped up around the entrance to the underground bunker that would serve as a neutral meeting place for humans and umbrose. As usual, Jessa stood off to the side of the crowd, in a well of shadow deepened by the fluorescent lights that illuminated the yawning entrance.
A curvy veiled woman in a beautiful dress that was styled much differently from those worn by the other human women stood at the entrance beside an umbrose female. The umbrose female was slender and not much taller than the human woman she appeared to be guarding. Despite that, Jessa still found her appearance intimidating as her all-black eyes studied the crowd above a colorful jeweled veil.
The human woman introduced herself as Lilith and briefly explained that she was the coordinator of the event and that she, herself, was the concubine of an umbrose warrior. Jessa had heard of Lady Lilith before. Most humans had by now. She was the liaison for human/umbrose relations, both personal and political. In both societies, she was considered a powerful woman who wielded significant influence. Jessa couldn’t help being curious about the very first woman to become an umbrose concubine.
Human guards wearing the uniform of the Common Counsel Police Force flanked the entry into the bunker. Jessa suspected that the guards weren’t military because there was still lingering tension between the Commemoro Army and the umbrose, though they were officially allied. At least, that had been the relatively open rumor on the Interdome Network.
As Lilith directed the women to enter the bunker, one of the guards checked their identities against a list on the datapad, while the other scanned them with a device for detecting cybernetic implants. It was a common procedure used in Dome City now, as all Diakonos Peace Keepers were cyborgs and thus could be detected—even the infiltrators who held the rank of Sentinel.
Jessa wondered what they would do if they found anyone with implants trying to enter the mixer. In Dome City, a person with detected implants was detained for further questioning and evaluation. Depending on their answers, they were required to register as a cyborg and allowed to remain in DC under heavy restrictions, or they were exiled, which could be a death sentence—even for a cyborg—given the deadly jungle that surrounded the city.
None of the women ahead of Jessa set off the scanner, which didn’t surprise her. Then it was her turn to go through the process. Lilith’s eyes, and that of the female umbrose, were watchful as she gave her identity and allowed the officer to verify it with her wrist communicator. She stood still, the hair rising on the back of her neck as the scanner passed over her from head to toe.
Then it was over, and she was ushered into the bunker where she met Gloria Flores rounding up the women to lead them to the large dining hall where the mixer would take place.
The other women chattered excitedly as they walked through concrete corridors, their steps echoing off highly-polished plastic tiles. The bunker was utilitarian and bleak, but when they entered the dining hall, it was clear that great effort had been taken to make it welcoming to both human and umbrose.
The lights were dimmed, but not so much that human eyes couldn’t make out details. The walls had been draped in fabric to cover the concrete and soften the lines, and potted flowers and plants were scattered around the tables and benches that flanked the room, creating private corners for conversation.
Though it was all beautifully decorated—complete with centerpieces on each table—Jessa felt certain the coordinators were being overly optimistic by creating the privacy areas. She couldn’t imagine anyone being comfortable enough with the umbrose on this first meeting to sit alone with them.
The male umbrose were not there yet, and Gloria explained that they would be along shortly, but she wanted all the women to make themselves comfortable at the tables and benches. After everyone took a seat, Gloria insisted on a round of introductions—a process that Jessa found extremely awkward when it came to her time to speak.
After she stammered out her name and occupation, and what dome she was from, she sank back in her seat and tried to control her nervous trembling so the woman across the table, Sheila something-or-other, wouldn’t notice it. Of course, all the women looked nervous, but none were likely as terrified as Jessa felt. She was completely unprepared for this moment.
A server brought them all drinks—thin flutes of champagne—and Gloria proposed a toast to new beginnings, which the two dozen women dutifully repeated before sipping from their glasses.
Jessa stared down into the golden liquid brimming with bubbles before tilting the glass against her lips. The taste was first sweet, then slightly bitter as it slid across her tongue and down her throat. She paused after the first sip, unwilling to take any chances that she would become intoxicated. She hadn’t eaten at all today because she was so nervous.
Then Gloria clapped her hands together to get their attention and announced that the males were on their way. All eyes turned towards the entrance doors to the dining hall, and for a moment, Jessa almost felt sorry for the umbrose, who would be on full display as they entered like products in an auction for the avid audience.
Lilith and the female umbrose entered first, followed by the males. Jessa’s jaw dropped as they entered in a line. She heard the other women gasping beside her, but couldn’t look away from the sight of the shadow warriors.
They were all huge, every one of them over six feet, some of them towering closer to seven. Despite being folded neatly against their sides, their wings extended their height even more, and if it hadn’t been for the twelve-foot ceiling in the dining hall, they would probably have been uncomfortable in a structure built for humans.
They looked every bit as they’d been described: winged, horned, talons for feet, and all of them exceptionally handsome in the face. Well, all but the last one who entered. When he stalked into the room, the gasps from the women were more horrified than awed.
Unlike the other umbrose males, who strutted into the dining hall preening as they stole glances at the watching women and chattered rapidly in their own language, the last male moved like someone marching to his own execution.
His wings were pulled tight against his heavily muscled back, and he stared directly ahead of him in silence, rather than glancing over at the women as the other males were doing. The glower on his face made his brutish features downright terrifying, as heavy brows lowered to completely cast his eyes in shadow, and his lips pulled back to reveal huge fangs flanking sharp teeth.
Perversely, Jessa found herself unable to look away from him, when she’d been barely able to stand looking at the other, much more attractive, males. He stood apart from them as much as she stood apart from the other women. But it wasn’t just the kinship of that commonality that drew her attention.
He was easily the largest of them. Not only did he top the others by height, but his body was massive, solid muscle moving beneath light gray skin marred by a pattern of tattoos from the waistband of his black loincloth all the way up to his neck. The suggestion of immense strength in his appearance appealed to her more than she would have expected. She’d never had someone strong to lean on before. Having been alone for so long, the idea of having someone else to turn to who could handle any challenge seemed an impossible dream.
Unlike the other males, who wore their hair long and loose, most of his coarse black hair was braided and adorned with bone-colored beads woven throughout.
Despite the size of the room, once all twelve of the umbrose had entered, their scent began to permeate the air.
Jessa hadn’t expected that, though she didn’t know why. She’d been told that the umbrose were olfactory-oriented and emitted pheromones to attract mates. What she hadn’t planned on was that she would find the musky scent pleasant in anyway. She did though, and —based on the sounds of deep breaths from the other women—she wasn’t the only one who did.
Once everyone was in the room, an awkward silence fell as humans sat on one side and the umbros
e males clustered on the other side, shifting talons and wings and looking around as if uncertain what they should do next.
Lilith stepped to the center of the room and started talking, but Jessa paid little attention to her words, more interested in watching the brute while at the same time trying to appear not to.
He paced at the other end of the room like a caged cat. The way he walked was surprisingly sexy given the fact that he had talons instead of feet. There was confidence in his stride as he moved back and forth behind the line of other umbrose males. Clearly, he was no more interested in Lilith’s speech than Jessa was. Instead, she got the distinct impression that he was plotting an escape, something she’d wanted to do since before she’d even entered the bunker.
*****
Gorzo had been in many unpleasant situations in his lifetime. So many that he’d lost count, but at the moment, this situation felt like the worst of them. He could feel the eyes of the human females pass over him like silverlight moths and then flutter quickly away from him as they took in his appearance.
He’d expected as much and had attempted one final argument with Lady Lilith that such would be the case, but she’d remained insistent that he give this “mixer” a try. He suspected it was a tactical move on her part, as the comparison between any other male to himself would only endear the females to the other males more.
Jessabelle's Beast (Shadows in Sanctuary Book 3) Page 2