by Jaylee Davis
Since she had no reason not to trust him, Pam took a big gulp. It was water, cool and refreshing. It relieved her parched throat. To stall for time, she drank several more swallows while trying to come up with some explanation to his question. She couldn’t think of one. Instead, she decided it was best to change the subject.
“Look, why don’t you explain some more about this mating thing between us.”
“What do you wish to know?”
“Well, is it the same as a marriage?”
“A marriage? I don’t know this term.” His scowl deepened.
“Okay, well, on my planet, when a man and woman fall in love, usually they get married. The customs vary between our different cultures, but where I come from its pretty simple nowadays. Couples just declare in front of witnesses that they’re married and they might sign some legal documents. If they’re more traditional, there’s a public ceremony where they invite family and friends to attend. Afterward they’re known as husband and wife. It’s our way of mating.”
Kord tilted his head to the side and blinked. His scowl had disappeared, but his blank expression spoke volumes. It seemed he had no idea what she talked about.
“Man and woman? That is the same as male and female?”
Pam nodded.
“They have claiming sex at this ceremony?”
“No!” Pam gasped in alarm. “No, they just say some vows and sometimes they exchange rings. No public sex.”
Kord grunted as if he understood and approved. “Then we are married,” he declared with a broad smile. “We are husband and wife.”
“Uh, th-that,” Pam stuttered, “isn’t legal. We both have to say it in front of witnesses to make it binding, and I’ve always wanted a traditional marriage.” There, that should stymie him since she was quickly running out of explanations and excuses.
“Since we’re mated, we should have a ceremony and exchange rings.” Kord wasn’t giving up.
Once again, Pam was at a loss. Somehow, she stammered, “I-I don’t see how we can do that, uh, since we’re on your ship and not on Earth.”
“Later, once we’re allowed to visit your planet. Right now, we’re mated by Tauran law.” He waved his hand dismissively, then reached toward the food tray and lifted one of the lids off a dish. “Eat now.”
Just as she was about to protest, an enticing aroma wafted from the tray. Once she glanced at the food, the sight almost erased the pleasant smell. Thin green strips of some kind of vegetable-looking stuff covered the plate. Kord selected one and offered it to her. Instead of letting her take it from him, he brought it to her lips. Pam was sure her eyes must have crossed as she watched it uncertainly.
“This is a favorite of mine—fried tarrow root. Try it,” he urged.
Not wanting to disappoint him, Pam opened her mouth and took the offering. She held her breath while she chewed. It was crunchy. The texture and taste reminded her of fried potatoes. She swallowed, then smiled.
“It’s good. It’s green, but it tastes great.”
He grinned and shoved the plate closer. “Eat while I show you the rest. Flyn and Draven must have raided the officers’ galley to bring us this assortment. I think you might like some of these.”
He lifted another lid. Pam made a face when she saw the food. It looked as if someone had beaten a pumpkin to death with a mallet and stuffed it in an eggplant. She gave Kord a doubtful look and shook her head.
“I think I’ll stick to the green things.”
He laughed. “Don’t judge by looks. This is called brumgelt. It’s brumbel meat ground with geltgill and served with baked chok wood.”
“Brumbel meat?”
Kord spread his arms wide. “Big hairy animals—good tasting.”
Not terribly impressed, Pam asked, “Geltgill?”
“A sea crustacean from the Tauran home world,” he said while slicing into the strange-looking food. He stabbed a piece with a two-tonged fork and offered it to her.
Pam figured it was the Tauran version of surf and turf. Dutifully, she opened her mouth and closed her eyes. As hungry as she was, she’d taste most anything, once. To her surprise, it was delicious. She supposed it was the chok wood that gave it some crunch, but she wasn’t about to ask. Sometimes it was just best not to know everything. The rest of the meal proceeded much the same way. As they ate, Kord offered her samples of each dish. There was only one she balked at and wouldn’t even try. In her opinion, food just shouldn’t look at you before you eat it. Despite the alien selections, it wasn’t long before she’d eaten her fill.
Since he seemed happy to continue to eat in silence, Pam stifled her curiosity and concentrated on an escape plan. She replayed every possible scenario—all two of them—over and over in her mind. Knock him out and run—where? Talk him into helping her leave—fat chance. Both ideas had one major problem—Kord. He was huge, and she was pretty sure he was as hard headed and stubborn as her father.
It was becoming harder to ignore the tiny nagging voice in her mind that kept saying she should relax and enjoy the ride for as long as possible. Why not humor the big guy and let him think she believed his delusion? He could certainly fulfill her perfect idea of a strong handsome soul mate. If only it were true. She breathed out a barely audible sigh, but he must have heard, because he turned and gave her a quizzical look.
“Are you done? Not hungry anymore?” He seemed truly concerned.
“Yes, I’m full. It was good. Thank you,” she quickly assured and smiled.
His worried expression faded, and Pam suddenly felt her cheeks heat as his dark gaze intensified. His mind-bending scent seemed to reach out, engulfing her in a haze of sexual need. If she didn’t do or say something fast, they’d be back in his bed.
“Tell me about Pella. Is it your home?”
“No. It’s a planet that’s not too far from the Alliance border. Your Earth is very similar.”
“Why do you want to go there?”
“The Tauran Empire has given an entire continent on Pella to all mated warriors. It’s where we can live after we’ve completed our duty. We look forward to settling there.”
“Are other warriors living there right now?”
Kord shook his head. “Not permanently. They live in a temporary camp that’s attached to the only outpost on the continent. An entire garrison of Tauran soldiers protects them while they build housing within a vast compound. My clan brothers are counting on us to convince many of Earth’s females to come to Pella. They must have mates before they can live there.”
“Aren’t there other planets?”
“None that would welcome us for very long.”
“I don’t understand.”
Kord sighed. “We’re known as Phase warriors. It refers to a time when warrior birthrates increased way beyond what the empire could tolerate. Too many males and too few females helped usher in a civil war. It was a dark, bloody time in our past. Once it ended, and too many of us survived, the new high council decreed that we couldn’t ever be allowed to claim Tauran females since there weren’t enough of them.”
“That’s not very democratic,” Pam said.
“It was for the best.” Kord shrugged and shifted in his chair. “If not, a warrior might claim a female who was already mated to a Tauran male. It’s tragic when it happens. If the male protests or interferes…” He glanced at her and shrugged. “We hate to kill our own. Our scientists developed a drug to help suppress our instincts. Over time, they improved the effectiveness. It works for Tauran females.”
His pained expression was almost too much to witness. She didn’t really want to hear any more, but Kord continued.
“Most of us were sent to the outer rim worlds where there was no chance of finding compatible mates. I spent years at a military outpost on a primitive world before the border war started. The empire retrieved as many warriors as they could to fight the Alliance. We were expendable. Many of my brothers charged to their deaths, happy to escape their lonely lives by dying i
n battle. I tried, but never suffered a fatal injury.” To her surprise, he chuckled, as if remembering something from his past. “Now that I know how it feels to have a mate, I’m glad I survived.” His warm gaze settled on her. “You are my life now. I want to live on Pella, but only if you’re with me.”
His brief explanation chilled her to the bone, but his last revelation touched her heart. She could tell he believed every word he said. Kord actually loved her.
“Would you really be willing to do what you said earlier?” The second after she asked Pam knew she’d blindsided him.
He cocked his head slightly. “Do what?”
She cleared her throat and tried again. “Marriage. The ceremony thing I told you about. You would do that?”
If anything, his expression grew more serious. He leaned closer and took her hands. Pam caught her breath. Oh, hell. I just practically asked him to marry me. Maybe he doesn’t realize it.
“Of course. I want to observe your customs so our mating is legitimate for you and your people. Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”
On one hand, his willingness to marry her sent a crazy shiver of excitement straight into her very heart. On the other, his hot gaze seemed to have taken on a glint of slyness that put her on guard.
“Uh, well, sure.” It hadn’t occurred to her that his people might have their own form of marriage ceremony. Pam cringed. How absolutely selfish and stupid of her to think otherwise. “Yes, of course I would,” she blurted, trying to assure him and herself that she was willing to do the same.
He smiled broadly. It seemed her answer delighted him a great deal, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“Good! I’ll tell Thoren to summon the surgeon,” he announced, then stood and pulled her to her feet with him. In an instant, she was swept up into his arms and carried straight to the bed.
“Kord!” Pam yelped as he tossed her onto the mattress.
“First, we should celebrate by removing our clothes.” He reached for her waistband.
“No! Wait!” He pulled back, looking puzzled by her reaction. “Tell me about your ceremony. What do we do? And why do you need to call a…surgeon?” She had no idea why they’d need someone like that, but her imagination took off on all the unpleasant possibilities.
Kord’s nostrils flared. “You’re afraid. Why?”
“You haven’t explained about your mating ceremony.” She guessed that might be how he’d refer to it.
He settled onto the bed beside her. “Warriors don’t have a ceremony. We notify our superiors and our clan to let them know we’ve mated. Mine already know this. The only thing we must do now is have the marks applied. On a ship, the surgeon does the procedure.”
“Marks?” Pam didn’t even try to disguise her dread. He’s got to be talking about tattoos. Her gaze darted to the right side of his chest.
“Yes, but you don’t take one like this,” he assured. He took her left hand and pointed to an area just above her wrist. “It’s a band-mark that circles around here.” His finger traced the circumference. “It’s a smaller version of the one that’s on my back shoulder.”
“I saw it when we showered. What does it mean?”
“The warrior clan design is the outer circle. The inside contains my name written in our ancient script.”
“So you brand your mates with a mark?”
Kord chuckled at her apparent disapproval. “No, we exchange marks instead of rings.”
She was speechless. A good thing too, because anything she might have said at that moment would probably sound hypocritical. Apparently, he was more than willing to wear a ring for her. How could she possibly refuse his mark? She’d fallen right into his little trap.
“All Taurans are marked at birth.” Kord touched the tattoo on the right side of his chest. “Our parents claim us as theirs. This represents my bloodline. The outer circle is my mother’s. The inside design is my father’s.” He reached for her right wrist and gently stroked his fingertips across the skin. “For you, there is a special mark that goes around here. It designates a new blood line for the Tauran Empire—human. I’ve seen some images. It’s very beautiful.”
It took Pam a moment to realize he’d stopped talking and seemed to be waiting for her to say something. All her numb brain could focus on was that she was more than halfway to the Tauran altar.
“So after that, we’re considered married by your customs?”
“By clan law we’re mates right now. If anyone disputes it, I have the right to challenge them to a death duel. No warrior would do such a thing, and a Tauran male…” Kord shrugged. “I would kill him in an instant.”
“Okay, no killing, please.” Pam scooted closer. “Do you wear my name?” She glanced at his chest, then back up until her gaze locked with his. Suddenly his arms surrounded her and she was pulled into his strong embrace.
“I will.” It sounded to Pam as if he were making a vow. “Will you wear my marks?”
“Does it hurt?”
Kord grinned and shook his head. “Not for you.”
She slowly nodded. “I will.”
Their lips met in a searing kiss. In an instant, all her concerns vanished under his skillful assault.
Chapter Eleven
Pam wrung her hands and took nervous glances at the door while she paced. For the first time since she’d boarded the ship, Kord had left her all alone in his quarters while he went to fetch the surgeon. She wasn’t looking forward to what came next. Why had she agreed to wear his marks? At the moment, the answer she didn’t want to hear rang loud in her mind. Mated. I love him.
“No, no, no,” she mumbled in denial.
There was no way she could possibly be in love with someone from another world, an alien who’d taken her to the heights of ecstasy over and over and was always ready for a repeat performance. Sex had never been so mind-blowing incredible. Kord had ruined her. How could any human male compare? Just the idea of another man touching her made her stomach turn. Was that love? Or was it a reaction from the drug in his claiming scent?
Weary of walking back and forth, Pam took a seat and stared at the clean tabletop. Kord had taken the food tray with him. Left with nothing to distract her, she chewed on her lower lip. It was a nervous habit she’d never broken, and right now, it helped calm her. If not, she’d probably jump right out of her skin the second the door opened. Where had her courage gone? It walked out the door with Kord.
The realization hit her like a sledge hammer. It was true. As long as she was with him, she felt safe and confident. It had to be part of the claiming. He’d said it would change her. Damn.
With Kord, she had all the confidence and trust in the world. He’d never hurt her. It was a fact, as clear to her as if it were written in stone. She’d enjoyed sexual acts with him that no other man had ever attempted to do with her. Just thinking about him seemed to ease her fear.
Lost in pleasant thoughts, Pam didn’t even startle when the door finally opened and he walked inside. At the sight of him, her heartbeat quickened until it seemed to hammer inside her chest. He’d donned an all-black uniform before he’d left—boots, trousers and skimpy tank top along with his forearm restraints. He looked absolutely amazing in the outfit. Even better out of it.
His dark bronzed eyes appeared to light up with an inner heat as their gazes met for a brief moment. Unsure if her legs would work, she remained seated as he hurried toward her. It was all she could do to not moan. Movement from the doorway distracted her from her handsome warrior.
A man followed him, a Tauran spacer, judging from the blue uniform he wore. His hair was trimmed more like a soldier’s, but it was streaked with gray, making him look older. He pulled a large box-shaped machine behind him. It seemed to float above the flooring by a few feet.
Just beyond the opening, Pam caught sight of Draven and Flyn peeking around the object. As soon as they saw her, they grinned, exchanged looks and immediately pushed each other away from the door. It snappe
d shut before she saw who won the good-natured tussle.
“This is Garrow, our chief surgeon,” Kord said as he went to stand close beside her.
His palms rested firmly on her shoulders, making sure she couldn’t stand even if she tried. Pam eyed the machine, then looked up at Kord. “What is that?”
Before he could explain, Garrow said, “It’s the most advanced transfer unit the empire has ever developed. I’ve already programmed it with Kord’s markings.” He parked the machine next to the table and then took a seat across from her. “It will only take me a few moments to set up before we begin.”
He opened a side panel and pulled out several strange-looking objects. One looked like a wide bracelet and another reminded her of a small microphone. To her relief, none of the alien things appeared to have needles attached to them, as far as she could tell.
While he was busy, Pam reached up to her shoulder and placed her palm on top Kord’s large hand. She looked at him, and whispered, “How does it float?”
“Antigravity sled,” he said.
“Oh,” she breathed and gripped his hand tighter.
He smiled. “Don’t be afraid. There’s no pain.”
“Absolutely pain free,” the surgeon chimed in. He handed an object to Kord. “Have her say her name. While the processor constructs the design, we’ll proceed with the wrist marks.”
Kord held the microphone-looking thing in front of her. “Speak clearly. The machine translates the sounds into script.”
Pam took a nervous swallow, wishing she had some water to soothe her suddenly parched tongue. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and said, “Pamela Buchanan.”
She noticed the older man give Kord a startled look before he recovered, and said, “Excellent. That should work. Now, if you’ll just place the cuff on her left wrist and clamp it, I’ll start the download.”
She had to release him as he removed his hands from her shoulders to do as Garrow instructed. It dawned on her that the surgeon kept his distance from her by having Kord help him.
Pam watched warily as Kord picked up the heavy-looking bracelet thing and pried it open. Afterward, he closed it around her wrist and applied pressure to the outer rim. The cuff shrank to a snug fit. She estimated the band measured about one inch in width. There was a thin ribbon-like wire that ran from it to the transfer unit. It reminded her of a flattened computer cable.