by Grace, Viola
His pupils dilated, and he gave her a slow smile. “What is your security situation?”
“When activated, I have the best security that Athon, and a few other worlds can offer.” Shan shrugged. “It goes passive when I am here, but I can update it with an audio command. Right, that reminds me that I am going to have to write a protocol for the ceremony.”
“Protocol?”
“Security protocol against airborne incursion. Tya’s family is well connected, and she is a prime target. As her witness, I have to protect her and get her safely wed to the man of her choice. Heck, I wouldn’t care if it was the woman of her choice, but her choice is the thing I am here to defend.”
He sat back. “You came all this way for that?”
She grinned. “She’s a friend. I would go far further for someone I cared about half as much.”
“You are a sole witness?”
“For her side. Yes. It’s fine. I will be able to handle anyone coming at her during the ceremony.”
“May I assist?”
She grinned. “Have you been to many Athon weddings?”
He wrinkled his nose. “A few.”
“Have you ever seen what happens when you have a wealthy bride? It all kicks off.” She grinned. “I have been training for this since Tya said she was looking for a match.”
He blinked. “Training?”
“Combat training. I was already pretty good, but I had one of my second cousins working with me and beating the hell out of me until I was very good.”
“So, you can handle yourself in a fight. It is good to know.”
She smiled. “You have no idea, but I think you will find out at the ceremony.”
He nodded and got to his feet. “I have some calls to make.”
“Go ahead.” She leaned over and poured herself another cup of tea, cozy near an unlit fireplace.
Tya came in and flopped onto a nearby couch. “Shan, I love your house.”
Shan laughed and gestured for her to pour herself some tea. “I am rather fond of it myself.”
They chatted about the place that Tya wanted the ceremony, and Shan called the jewelry shop to arrange a pickup for the ordered items. Out of whimsy, she ordered one more large male cuff to be added to the order. Just in case. The bride’s side might look better with an additional witness. With all of the extra men in the capitol, the wedding was bound to attract opportunists.
Zaber returned and joined them in their conversation before he stood and stated, “Lady Shan, thank you for your hospitality. I will contact you later about this evening’s arrangements.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Fine, but if you leave it too late, I might just stay in and do my hair.”
He bowed and walked out to the wide stone patio and took flight.
Shan was a little disappointed. Not even an attempt at a quickie.
Tya smiled. “I will see myself home. It is less than an hour and you look like you have things you want to plan.”
Shan frowned. “Well, I do have things I need to do. Call my mother, for one.”
As if he sensed her agitation, Isomber glided up. “Do you need anything, Lady Shan?”
“Tya wishes to get herself home, but with the current climate, I do not want her alone. Do we have a driver handy?” She knew that she phrased it like there was a pile of men stashed in her carport, but there were usually gardeners around on an estate like hers.
“One of the gardeners can take her. I will speak with Jonil. He will be able to take her and then fly back.” Isomber left.
Tya sighed. “I can do it by myself.”
“I know, but you are worth more as a kidnap victim than as a bride. Right now, you are experiencing your maximum financial worth. I will send you the details of the address for parking, and you can forward it to your guests.”
Tya’s eyes widened. “Oh. Right. More wedding stuff that can be done from home. I am on my way. Thanks again, Shan.”
Tya hugged her tight. Tya was a toucher, and it was the primary reason that she needed the prohibitively expensive inoculation against Shan’s touch.
Shan pressed her cheek to Tya’s head and smiled. “Okay. Off with you. We will play tomorrow if you come over. I have arranged a masseuse for you as well as some estheticians to work you over.”
Tya grinned. “I will be here.”
“I will send my car for you.”
“I can drive.”
“No, and besides, with a good massage, you should feel boneless.” She paused. “See if your father will let you stay here. Pack a few bags, and we can do everything from here. Your family can come for dinner if they like and stay over the night before the ceremony.”
Tya smiled. “I will ask them. I will certainly stay. It is my right as bride.”
“I also have a villa on the south side of the city if you want a place for your acclimation period.” Shan smiled.
“I will ask Prolan. He might enjoy that. Are there amenities?”
“Three house servants, same as here. Isomber will instruct them to attend you.”
Tya smiled as he came back into the room.
“Jonil is ready to drive you home, Miss Tya. Thank you for brightening this silent place.”
Shan rolled her eyes, but it was a polite Athon goodbye.
There were a few goodbyes, and Shan waved her friend off. She stretched and looked at Isomber. “I have to call my mother. I will need a lot of tea and sugar.”
He paled at the mention of her mother. “I will alert the chef. Where will you be, Lady?”
“In the war room. I will take everything in there.”
“Does she know you are traveling here, Lady?”
Shan winced. “More or less. Maybe less.”
“I will ask for the cream tarts, Lady.”
Isomber patted her shoulder, and Shan left to make her call.
An hour later, Shan was staring at her mother’s furious face.
“Athon? Athon? Why in the name of all that burns did you go to that backward collection of misogyny and feathers?”
“Tya is getting married. She asked me to witness.”
Her mother paused. “Oh. Well, that is different. Expect us within ten days. We are not leaving you on that festering mudball during that acclimation period.”
“Mom, I do have work here.”
“I have some businesses on Athon as well. I am sure that your father can fabricate some kind of excuse.”
The next topic was a little delicate. “And there is another matter.”
“Please, tell me you aren’t trying to breed with one of those twits.”
“Fine. I won’t tell you.”
She had to wait until her mother stopped cursing, her pale skin refusing to blush no matter how violent her irritation became.
Shan waited until the most volatile of her parents had calmed, and then, she said, “He is half Athon and half Kaduran. He’s a Kimyer by description. Oh, and he’s immune to me.”
Her mother paused. “What?”
“He’s immune. He doesn’t sleep, and I haven’t killed him yet. Things are looking bright.”
“What’s his name?”
“Athon General Ibrik Zaber.”
Her mother paused. “That is Mathura’s child. He made general?”
“Yes. His father and siblings are dead. The Athon government wants to breed him. I am guessing that I am not the first candidate on their list.”
Her mother grimaced. “You want him?”
“I do. I think we have a chance at a strong bond and stronger offspring.”
“Right. I will speak with the selection committee and express my opinion.”
She grinned and had a flaring moment of pity for those who were trying to turn Zaber’s attention.
She talked with her mother about the wedding preparations, took a few notes on things that still needed to be done, and listened to her parents yell at her for agreeing to br
each security and host the ceremony. It was a very successful call.
Chapter Eight
Zaber wouldn’t stop staring at her.
“If you don’t stop staring, I am going to have to put my robes on.”
He blinked. “I had no idea what you would look like in an evening gown.”
“Of course not. I have gone from fully covered to naked. It is disconcerting how long I can keep this level of dress that straddles both of them.” She quirked her lips. “At home, I have the luxury of discarding my protective layers and just pretending to be normal.”
“I would call this extraordinary.”
Isomber set their plates out, and he moved around her with ease. He was the only member of her staff that had gotten the inoculation. He was younger than he looked and grandfatherly in attitude. Having another person who could touch her skin in case of emergency had become important to her.
She ate her meal, and Zaber did the same, his disappearing so rapidly that he looked disappointed when it was gone.
“Don’t worry, Zaber. We have a few courses to go through. You won’t be hungry.”
He chuckled. “Was it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“The food is excellent.”
Isomber came and removed their plates. “I will give the chef your compliments.”
Zaber nodded. “Thank you.”
It was rather fun for Shan to watch Zaber enjoy himself.
When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the moonlight.
“This place... This place is enchanting.”
“It wasn’t always. My family assisted in planting and reforming it. Every time I engaged in a personal milestone, they assembled a few acres.”
“You must have been going wild with accomplishments to have filled this place out.”
“The funny thing is before we put the road in, the area had been inaccessible, so no one knew what kind of a wasteland it had been.”
“It has a tranquility to it.”
“I am glad you feel it.” She took a few steps toward the night-blooming garden, and he caught her hand.
He tugged her to him, and they shared a kiss with the moons bright and casting strange shadows around them. His hand was resting gently in her hair, and it was a slow and delicate kiss that nevertheless started her blood simmering.
Shan smiled against his lips. “Would you like some privacy? Third balcony to the east, top floor.”
“We don’t have privacy here?”
She grimaced. “I have a lot of surveillance systems aimed at this area, and while there are spots on the grounds that are not covered, this area definitely is.”
He gathered her to him, spread his wings, and launched them upward. He overshot the balcony and then glided down.
She smiled. “You must not have a lot of call to fly on the warship.”
He quirked his lips. “We have gyms on board. No crewman is allowed to lose physical condition on the Turus.”
Shan gave him a look through her lashes. “You can put me down now.”
He eased her to her feet. “There, but I will not let you go.”
She reached behind her and triggered the door to fold back and open her entire bedroom to the night air.
She backed up into her personal domain, and she smiled at him. “There are four closures on this dress. Do you want hints, or shall I just do them myself?”
He smiled and reached behind her to undo the clasp at her neck, the center of her back, her hips, and finally, under her breasts. “I am very good at special awareness.”
The fabric slithered to the floor, puddling around her shoes.
She bit her lip to stifle the laugh. “Well done.”
He grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist, backing her toward the bed in a slow dance. “Thank you. I have been thinking about this all day.”
Her legs hit the bed, and she sat. He knelt at her feet and removed her shoes, easing them aside before he slid his hands up the insides of her thighs to part them.
Time slipped away as he used his lips and tongue on her until she let out a chopped cry, her hands tight in the bedding.
He moved away, and she heard the rustle of clothing and thud of boots.
She scooted back across the foot of the bed while he crawled over her, pinning her under him as his erection prodded for entrance. She lifted her left leg and angled her hips, catching the tip. He did the rest. He slid home slowly with a long groan.
He wove his fingers with hers, and Shan smiled. They rocked together slowly, kissing, sighing, and rubbing their foreheads together. She caught onto his emotional thread and wrapped it around her own thoughts. She caught the heat in his blood, and as his thrusts picked up speed and ferocity, she met his hips with hers.
When she was on the edge of orgasm, her breeding teeth emerged, and she leaned up to bite his shoulder. He did her the same favour, and the spike of pleasure-pain sent a squeak through her as she released him.
Her body spasmed and shuddered, but he continued to hold her in his teeth. His mind was blind with white-hot energy.
She flexed her hands, but his grip was too tight, and she started to squirm. With a careful twist, she released her claws, scratching the back of his hands. Instead of calming, as she had hoped, his own claws emerged and locked her in place.
That was a bit of a surprise.
Shan closed her eyes, breathed deep, and stepped into Zaber’s mind.
“Zaber, where the hell are you?” Shan looked around at the clocks and digital displays all around the room.
“I don’t want it to stop.”
She walked to where his voice had growled and saw him standing under a giant Athon-styled timepiece. He was holding onto the second hand and stopping it from moving.
Shan moved to him. “Why don’t you want it to stop?” She spoke softly. In his mind, she was wearing a soft, silky chemise that exposed her shoulders but covered her from breast to ankle. It was a telling garment.
He looked at her with blind eyes. “I want to stay here forever.”
She stroked his cheek, and he blinked rapidly. Her claws were out. “I am enjoying this moment as well, but it is only a moment. We can have hundreds or thousands of encounters in the future but not if you don’t let me go. That is what this is about. A thousand moments.”
He frowned and blinked. “But I don’t want it to end.”
“It isn’t about you. It is about me, and right now, you have me pinned to the bed. I could get loose, but one of us is going to get hurt, and I doubt that it will be me.” She stroked his face again, rubbing her index finger on his forehead.
His eyes grew wide, and his world went white.
He groaned, and his body jerked against her, shuddering and shaking, his claws slowly returned to their sheaths.
When Zaber had pulled his head away from her, she sighed and wrapped herself around him, holding him close as his heart galloped wildly.
She watched the skin on the back of her hand quickly seal itself. Shan had never had a lover go mind-blind before, but then, she hadn’t met her mate before. She hoped that things wouldn’t get complicated.
“What just happened?” He murmured it against her neck.
“You got lost in the moment, so I had to go in and find you.”
He leaned upon both arms. “How are you? I thought I remembered...”
He looked at his right hand. “What are those scratches?”
“My claws. You got me, too, but I have to be more careful. I am packing some potentially lethal stuff.”
He frowned and flopped to one side, taking her hand and looking at it. “There isn’t any damage.”
“There was. I am a fast healer.” She smiled.
“You knew I had claws?”
“There is a tiny little indentation under your nail. It is a giveaway if someone is looking for it.”
“I see. Well, I don’t have to be back to the base
until morning. What would you like to spend the evening doing?”
She sighed. “It sounds trite, but cuddling? I am about to have a stressful few days, and I think you need to hold me tonight.”
He sighed and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You aren’t wrong. I think that just holding you will be more than enough fun for the night.”
She smiled, and without completely losing contact, they managed to wrestle themselves under the bedding. When they were finally together, he wrapped his arms around her with one wing tucked across her. He sighed and was asleep in moments.
Shan placed her arm over Zaber’s. He had been in space for quite a while. He would get used to being in the same place with the same people soon enough. Out in the black, he had been the one that everyone turned to; now, he had to find a new situation with new people on his inherited world. Athon was not the best inheritance.
Shan fell asleep planning what she had to do for the wedding the following day. She would have to ask Isomber to look into some kind of music for the reception.
This was going to be a very classy event.
Chapter Nine
Shan was dizzy by the time the day of the ceremony rolled around. Zaber consumed her evenings, and Tya consumed her days.
When she got Tya up and the groomer arrived, Shan went off to do her own hair and makeup. Thankfully, Zaber was already gone.
The shower was necessary, as was the strong morning tea that Isomber brought her with a small tray.
Shan sat and combed out her hair until it was dry, and then, she pinned it up into warrior locks. Her makeup was bold. Her eyes were outlined in black and blue streaks that matched her gown and went down each cheek. The idea was to turn her face into a semi-demonic mask to frighten the enemies of the family, but now, it was simply a basic set of proscribed patterns.
She checked the clock and shrugged into her gown. The silk gauze would protect those at the party from her skin during casual contact, and she had matching gloves if any contact was required later.