“You are thinking hard, little girl.” He brushed a hand down her face, cupping her cheek. “We will figure it out together. I want you for your spunk. Never forget that.”
She nodded, silently watching him release her restraints. She sat up and tried to fix her breast binding. Her fingers shook slightly. She jerked back and then sat still as he reached toward her. He swept her fingers out of the way and adeptly fixed the cloth.
“Here, why don’t you wear my shirt? I don’t like the idea of you walking around in front of other males even if you are now mine.” He untucked and pulled off the shirt over his head while he spoke, handing it to her.
Scrambling to cover herself took precedence over the wonderful smell wafting from the shirt, or the fact that his chest looked amazing naked. Her brain took in these two distractions and started to focus on them once she had the last button done up. When she was covered from neck to mid-thigh, her eyes strayed to his half-naked body. His chest was wide and had a beautiful tan from long hours under the suns. He had a dusting of dark hair across the expanse of skin, but it didn’t detract from the view. If nothing else, it added to the masculine aura he portrayed. Her eyes skimmed over his skin, taking in the dark disks of his nipples. The urge to reach out and touch one, to see if it would contract, rode her hard. The flat plain of his stomach called to her as well. Muscles pushed against his skin, forming valleys she wanted to lick. He was perfection, like a living, breathing statue of warrior flawlessness.
Her gaze drifted down further, and the large bulge hidden in his pants pulled a gasp from her lips. The noise was loud, even to her ears, and she blushed. Glancing at his face showed that once again he was amused by her. She wanted to be angry, really, but instead she grinned back.
He’d seen her completely naked, had buried his fingers inside her body, sucked on her clit. According to his words, they were together, so she could gaze at his body as much as she wanted to, and how she wanted to. The idea of seeing him completely naked stoked her arousal again. She wondered what his cock would look like. She guessed he was long and thick, like his body. The thought brought another blush to her cheeks, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from staring. She’d never been allowed to claim something as her own. Everything in her life had been owned by her father, and that fact had been repeatedly shouted at her by her sisters. If she could believe Sabar, then he was hers, even if that did mean wearing his mark.
“You need to stop staring at me like that, Rella, or I won’t be able to stop myself from stripping you and taking you right here. I don’t have a problem with public nudity or having sex in front of others, but I don’t want our first time to be like that.” The lust in his voice made a hot flash of moisture pool between her legs. She glanced up and found his eyes half-lidded and burning with something that made her belly clench. He started to say something else, but a beep interrupted him. He swung an irritated gaze to the comlink on the wall. “Yes?”
“Warrior Sabar, you are needed in the detention wing. One of your soldiers is in need of restraints.” A cold feminine voice filled the room. Rella watched irritation and acceptance cross his features.
“Fine. I’ll be there in a few moments.”
“We need you immediately, Warrior. He is harming himself, and we can’t calm him.”
“Understood. I will be there in a moment.”
Sabar turned eyes hard and cold on Rella. She backed away, cringing from the change in him. He sighed, eyes softening. “Go, little girl. Get your band off and I will collect you after your medallion has been fitted. I must go.”
The fingers that brushed down her arms were warm and rough. The touch was light, and goose bumps erupted on her skin. She closed her eyes for a moment to savor the feel of his hands on her. She reveled in the warmth that traveled to her pussy. Pushing down the fear and anger was hard, but for that one moment she wanted to be happy in her fate. Sabar had been wonderful, and he hadn’t needed to. She would have been forced to endure anything he wanted to do to her. He could have punished her for her outbursts. Instead he had been wonderful and touched her with nothing but care. Her anger could come later, and she knew it would.
“Go. Now, little rebel. I will see you in a few moments. Do not speak to anyone as you go. The floor will guide you. Follow the yellow arrows and they will take you to the room you need to enter. When you get there, do not fight them.” A finger under her chin brought her face up. “Until you wear my mark, you still fall under the general authority of our government. You will be punished for struggling. I don’t want to take you home marred, so be a good girl and do as they tell you.”
She nodded, swallowing her retort. She knew that he told her the truth. Tugging on the edges of his shirt didn’t make her feel any more covered. She snorted.
You walked through the building in nothing but a bead belt and binding. Get over it.
She stood tall and waited for him to open the doorway. Her mind was reeling from everything that had happened. She was going to be leaving with her mate and would be living with him. She wanted to be angry about the change in status, but to know that she would never have to listen to her sister complain, or be hit because she didn’t recite her school work correctly, really made her smile. She would be in her own home, in charge of what they ate, how the garden looked, what she wore. Perhaps being mated wasn’t such a bad thing.
A sharp smack on the ass made her yelp. She spun around and found Sabar looking at her with amusement and impatience.
“Stop daydreaming and get moving, little Rella. I have much to get done before I can collect you.” He pulled her into his arms and she rested her forehead on his wide chest. She loved the sound of his voice. She hoped he liked to talk so she could hear him all the time. With a nod against his skin, she faced the door and walked through the portal as soon as the sound-dampening screen lifted.
The moment she walked through the noise barrier, reality hit her. The noise was almost deafening. Male voices rumbled low, females screamed, cried, whimpered. If it wouldn’t have looked funny, she would’ve shoved fingers into her ears. To distract herself from the noise, she looked around, finally catching a few glimpses of the immense room. She couldn’t see the end directly across from her, but even to the sides it was enormous. Some of the lights had been turned on, but the atmosphere was still dark and gloomy. She noticed different colored arrows set into the floor that directed the event goers in the proper direction. Yellow. She was supposed to find and follow the yellow arrows.
With a sigh she stepped away from the wall and tried to avoid large males and keep the floor in view. She squeaked a few times when chests as wide as Sabar’s stopped in front of her, but before she could lift her head to ask for forgiveness the bodies moved on. Fear ran cold through her body. She’d been so warm before, sweaty and overwhelmed by Sabar and his attention.
“Where are you going, female?” A rough voice boomed over her head.
“Um.” She glanced up and had to look way above her to see a stern male, glaring at her. “I’m following the yellow arrows.”
“Yellow? So you are mated?” He grabbed her arm, and she tried not to struggle. Her first instinct was the wrench away from him.
He’s not going to hurt you. He’s not going to because Sabar promised.
The thought flowed through her brain, becoming a chant as the warrior male pushed her sleeve up her arm. She glanced at the arm band and noticed that it had a glowing red band at the bottom. It hadn’t glowed before when it was first fitted to her arm. “So you are. Off you go little female.”
The light shove the male gave her pissed her off. What was it with the males of the warrior race? She wasn’t a pet, a toy or anything else to be played with.
Keep your head down and don’t get in trouble now.
Right. She’d try, but she could feel the anger building, bringing a flush to her cheeks.
She made it another few steps, following the bright arrows, pointing her across a large expanse of the floor. She tried to keep her eyes hovering, looking at the floor and then flickering up to keep from colliding with anyone. She rushed, to not only get her arm band off, but to get out of the large room. There were too many males, too many large bodies moving at quick speeds through the darkness. Why would they do that? Why leave the lights off when females would be traveling through the maze of males? Especially if they are freshly mated. She was afraid, fear causing her breaths to come quick and jagged. She couldn’t imagine what some of the softer-souled females would feel.
Maybe those females had mates that walked them along the yellow path. Maybe they didn’t have to walk the gauntlet. She glanced up just in time to stop from running into another male. She sucked a gasp in when she noticed the scarring on his cheek. Gods, what had happened to him? She tried to pull her gaze away before he noticed her staring but she wasn’t quick enough.
“What are you looking at, female? Why are you out here without an escort? Why are you clothed?” He stepped into her personal space and grabbed her arm, keeping her from pulling away.
“I’m following the yellow path. He told me… he got a call to go to the detention area. My arm band is glowing.” She reached for her sleeve with shaking fingers to pull it up and prove that she spoke the truth. Her fingers started tingling from the harsh hold the male had on her arm.
“So I see. You’re Sabar’s, huh? Well, on your way, then.”
She wanted to turn around and scream at the male. Let him know that she had been on her way when he stopped her, but she kept the impulse under control. Sabar’s words echoed in her head, reminding her that she was not yet under his protection. If she did something stupid she’d be punished no matter if she was to be his mate or not. A deep breath helped clear the anger.
“Rella?”
She stopped in mid-step and turned quickly to find Bana rushing toward her. She smiled until she saw the look of fear and concern on her sister’s face. Glancing down Bana’s body showed she was covered in welts and red marks. She’d been whipped, harshly. The realization made Rella’s stomach clench.
“What happened to you? Why are you wearing welts? Were you punished?” Rella couldn’t help but reach out for her sister. What had she done in such a short time to warrant the markings she now carried?
“Nothing. Don’t worry about me. We need to leave. Marena was taken home ill, and I fear that she will need us.” Bana walked slowly around Rella as she spoke in hushed tones. “Did he force you? Did he rip your binding off? Is that why you’re wearing his shirt? Is it hiding marks?”
Her last question was whispered so low Rella wasn’t sure it was even muttered. She looked at her sister and recoiled from the fear she could see naked in her eyes. Before she said anything else, Bana’s words registered. Marena was ill?
“How do you know she’s ill, Bana?”
“One of the males was told through their communication device. Come, we must get home to make sure she is okay. I’m not sure father is there, and if not, then Marena is home alone.” Bana grabbed Rella’s arm and started heading in the opposite direction, away from the yellow room.
“Wait, I need to go the other way first. I need—” She pointed to the lightly glowing stripe on the floor.
The palm that slapped against her cheek was dainty but struck with enough speed to bruise her. Rella sucked in a breath and tried to keep from reacting to the contact.
“You will do as I say, Rella. I am your elder sister, and that places me above you. You will submit to my orders, do you hear me? You’ve sassed me for the last time tonight. We are going home. I don’t care what you think you need to do. I know where you were going.
He
petitioned father this morning. I can’t believe that warrior wants you.” The venom in her sister’s voice made Rella cringe. “He can have you tomorrow. Right now, I need you home with me. He can punish you for running later. You deserve anything he gives you anyway.”
Rella’s mind was still foggy from the slap. Her ear on that side of her head was ringing, and it made everything around her seem slightly off. Everything was blurry and fuzzy. She struggled for a moment in her sister’s grasp but gave in when Bana pinched the skin of her arm so hard that it brought tears to her eyes.
“Bana, why? Let me go.”
“No. It should’ve been me. I’m the next one that should have gotten a mate. Look at what I take for the males, anything they want to do to me, and you find a mate before your first ball? It’s not fair. So, this way at least I know you’ll be hurting tomorrow even if it is in your own dwelling.”
Rella tried to follow her sister’s thoughts. There was so much anger and hatred in her voice. Did her sister really want to have her punished just because of her jealousy? She struggled against her sister’s grasp, but couldn’t break the hold on her arm. She thought for a moment to call out. Warriors would come running, but she didn’t want to leave Marena home alone while she and Bana fought.
Resigned, Rella knew that she was going to be punished for leaving without getting the band removed. She knew that she would probably be beaten severely for not getting her mating medallion, and for leaving without Sabar. The knowledge wasn’t enough to override the ingrained instincts to do what her sister told her to do, especially when she was being hurt. There was something about fear and pain that made her sit like a good little girl in the vehicle, and keep her comments to herself. It was too late to go back. She’d left the gathering. She was already in trouble. She couldn’t see a reason to bring down more pain and anguish on herself by informing her sister of what had just happened. Bana would see it as a reason to completely beat her. One beating would be enough. She’d just have to sit and wait for the government enforcers or the magistrate to show up and drag her off to her punishment.
* * * *
“What do you mean she left?”