Burning Ceres (6 page)

Chapter
Ten

A cold compress was on her forehead and a worried
Keona
was hovering on her left, apologizing profusely. On her right was
Raanan
, and he had the compress on her head and was scowling at her with concern and anger.

As she looked around a sharp jerk of his head and
Keona
left the room. Ceres looked to
Raanan
curiously
as he dipped and rung out the compress to apply it again.

“My mother drugged you.” His voice was flat.

“Really?
Why?” Her mind was unconcerned. He was here and everything would be fine.

“She used a truth serum on you, not knowing that you say every little thing that crosses your mind. Your Azon blood tried to turn it into a drug, and your
Nyal
blood saw it as a toxin. You fainted, but we had a medical tech in and you and the baby are fine. It’s pretty sturdy for something the size of a coin.”

“Well, you are pretty determined
Raanan
, why wouldn’t your child be?” Her answer was a sweet kiss to her nose, lips and forehead.

“Sadly, you are going to miss the festival. You are too weak and I need to get you home.”

“Can we try next year?”

“Yes. I promise.” Another sweet kiss and they were on the way back to the skimmer, with Ceres cradled in his arms.

She napped most of the way home, only waking when the altitude announced their return to his home.

“Did you really have all this built for me?” She was still drowsy but she remembered his father’s comment.

“Yes. I started it the instant that it
was announced
you had had your first heat. I started negotiations with your father that day as well. He was less than receptive, but eventually, my money wore him down.”

“And I ran away.” It was like a fairy tale that she was recounting from a distance.

“And you ran away. And I had to stay here and attend to business, so I found a hunter and sent her after you.”

“And she caught me.” Her voice was
sing-song
.

“And she caught you.”

“I was coming back you know. I was going to apologize to my father and come back that very day. And she hit me with a stunner.”
An affirmative nod that smacked her chin into her chest.

“That’s good to know.” They had made it to the bedroom, and he was undressing her as one would a child.

“
Raanan
, I love you. I have for a long time. Since I stepped on your foot in a formal dance and you didn’t make a face.” She sat on the edge of the bed, nude except for her
slippers which
he removed.

“I loved you Ceres, the day I was in the Imperial gardens and your guards were looking for you, and you were hiding in the tree above me.”

She giggled. “No one knew I was there. How could you?”

“The Azon have a better sense of smell than the
Nyal
.” He positioned her on the bed, and flipped a sheet over them both.

“Then wouldn’t the mating musk be intolerable?”

“Nope, it just made me really horny.”

“Oh, that’s ok then. I was horny too.” She snuggled into his chest.

“Yes, yes you were. Do you want a boy or a girl?” He whispered it into her temple.

“Yes.”
A thin whisper of sound that escaped her lips and left him with a foolish grin on his face.
It served him right for asking her when she slept.

Minutes later, he was purring as he cuddled his pregnant mate to him. It had been a good visit after all.

* * * *

Raanan
had dragged her out of bed at
the crack of dawn
, and insisted that they begin a morning walk as a ritual. She was not one for mornings, and stumbled along beside him until a hot cup of tea
was pressed
into her hand.

She sipped at it gratefully and was feeling more like herself in minutes. As she came awake, she noted that
Raanan
had dressed her in what she was recognizing as his
favorite
color, burgundy. It matched her eyes.

Her body was lightening in shade with her pregnancy and her eyes were darkening with the additional hormone load. While she was carrying, she would be as close to regular
Nyal
coloring as she could be.

The exercise was part of the new pregnancy regime as well. Her body’s blood flow
would be dramatically altered
, so she needed to keep her heart strong and her body functioning at its peak.
Whether she liked it or not.

The tea was another of the new changes. No more wine.
Only tea, juice and water.

The staff had been informed of her condition and given a list of specialists to call if anything happened to her
while
master
Adonai
was away on business. It was embarrassing, but hardly the worst thing to happen to her.

It was when she and
Raanan
were arguing about properties to give to the child and
Amani
rushed forward to give him a message that she flinched.
Kirkan
Avedis
would be coming the next day to see his disgraced child and her owner.

Amani
looked embarrassed by that last portion of the message, but Ceres simply touched her shoulder in understanding. “It’s true
Amani
. I have no standing under the law. Despite the lassitude that
Raanan
gives me.” She smiled at the
maid
in commiseration.

When the servant had left them,
Raanan
turned to her, “You know that I am going to petition your father to reinstate your rank and status, don’t you?” His hands drew hers to his lips.

“I don’t care one way or the other. In
fact
it would serve my father right if you kept our children exclusively in your bloodline. It would certainly be easier for them.” When he released her
hands
she wrapped her arms around him and simply breathed him in. He returned the embrace, warm and solid around her.

He murmured against her hair, “Children?”

“If I am able and you are willing.” Ceres leaned back in his arms and met his golden eyes. His smile was blinding.

“I am willing.” He began to laugh and picked her up to spin her around and around. She was dizzy and caught up in his joy. He finally put her back on her feet and kissed her.

“Can you do me one favour,
Raanan
?”

“Only one, you can ask for a hundred. And I will grant them all.”

“Tomorrow, when my father arrives, let me mislead him a bit to punish him for his lying to you. It really gripes me that he told you that you were the reason that I left.”

Another soft kiss on her lips.
“Done.
I will make myself scarce until you give me a signal.”

Chapter
Eleven

"So, Father. You decided to
come
visit after all.” Ceres poured tea and gestured for him to take a cup. As the
lady
of the house, she was not required to greet him standing. “
Raanan
has passed along some interesting information to me.”

“Ceres, it is good to see you so well, my daughter.” He sat across from her and his eyes devoured every hint of his child.

“
Raanan
Adonai
. He would have been my choice you know.”

Her father looked ill. “He would?”

“Yes. I always got along well with him, we share some Azon blood, and he is very easy on the eyes.”

“Yes, but I didn’t think you would be swayed by a handsome face.” He sipped his tea with no awareness of the steaming heat.

“But he danced with me at my coming out party, was always in the palace trading and always had a pleasant word for me. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I thought you would insist on matching rank.”

“No, that was always mother’s concern, not mine. I just wanted a good father for my children and I have that now.
Even if I have no legal status myself.”

“What?” He looked positively green now.

“By being sold at the Grand Arena, I was declared a slave by the Imperial house. I am in
Raanan’s
custody as his slave, and any children I have will only carry his name, but inherit my properties. Technically, you will have no grandchildren.”

His mouth opened and closed for a few long moments. “Excuse
me,
I have to go find
Adonai
.”

She watched him practically run into the great house and looked over her shoulder at the column that hid her mate from view.

He strode forward with that cocky attitude she loved. “You know that I am going to petition for a reversal of his decree before the child is born.”

“Do you want your child to bear a title? We could get one. I usually have more than I need.”

“We don’t need one.
But
what the hell.
Duke of
Zenier
.
I own practically the whole mountain range anyway.” He sprawled in a chair and poured himself some tea.

“How long do you think it will take him to make a lap of the property and find you?” She sucked lightly at her
pinky
as her mind traveled down a familiar path.

“At least five minutes. What are you thinking Ceres?”

“That for telling you I didn’t want you, he deserves to find us exercising our freedom of choice.” Her fingers were tugging at the lacings on his tunic and with gentle pressure she coaxed him into an upright posture in the chair and
had
his cock freed in a manner of seconds.

Her own skirt lifted easily and she simply straddled him, taking his rapidly hardening cock into her with a small smile. She looked at his face and smiled at the flare of passion that took over his features, pulling the
skin tight
and giving him a cruel appearance. She simply rocked against him, neither in the mood to rush their union.

With the mating fever over, slow and steady was going to be the new rule of their lovemaking.

It took her father ten minutes to return, and by that time all pretence of a lazy fuck had stopped, they were both damp with sweat and surging together. With a final cry and
Raanan’s
teeth in her
neck
Ceres let her body collapse in a satiated stupor against him.

Raanan
held her in place as he looked up at her father with his gold eyes still dilated with passion.

“Your majesty.
Pardon me if I
don’t
rise. Your daughter has worn me out.”
Instead
he bowed his head formally.

Her father looked appalled, “Little Sister! I thought her heat was over.”

His hands stroked slow patterns down her back as she fought for breath. “Oh, it is.
But
your daughter and I get along very well. Of course I had to punish her for running from me, but we came to an agreement.”

Kirkan
sat heavily, “What kind of punishment?”

“Well as she was heavily in heat when I bought her from the Grand Arena, I made sure that she had plenty of release, but I denied her my body. She was almost insane after a few days, so I took pity on her. The second heat brought a return of the mating mask and I kept her in it for a few days after just to show her lack of control.” The picture of villainy that he was drawing was making
Kirkan
ill.

Still grey with guilt he said, “
Raanan
, I lied. She
didn’t
know about you. I never told her you were one of her suitors. She would have stayed if I had just told her
who
I had chosen. I was too proud to share my decision with her, and I almost lost her forever.

“She did not deserve the punishments meted out. And I will gladly buy her back from you as well as reinstate her status as a free woman.”

Raanan
tugged her head up, “Is it enough?”

She smiled at him, love in her gaze, and with a delicate
grunt
she freed her body from his and turned to face her father as her gown settled back into demure lines.

“
Raanan
already knows
all that
father.
And
he released me from the mating mask after three days. You lied to him, so he lied to you.”

Kirkan
had tears in his eyes as he watched his proud daughter argue with him as she had always done.

“I want a title for his family.
For my family.
The Duchy of
Zenier
.
This house and all surrounding lands will be included.” Her hand fell to her belly. “Once I am returned to citizenship, which had better be soon by the way, my child will be born into a family where obligation is not going to override good sense.” She paused, “Is that acceptable?”

Tears in his eyes, he stood and embraced her, “It is more than acceptable,
I
have my daughter back.
And
a grandchild on the way.
And
a son-in-law. What more could I want?”

Raanan
finished tucking himself back into his trousers, “Tea?”