His Highness the Duke (4 page)

holding his crystal as if it would crush the stone before it had a chance to work. Bron

didn‘t approve of the gesture, but he understood the desire to be done with it all. Alek‘s

expression was hard and his features flushed as if he‘d recently shifted to dragon form

and had been running through the forest. Perhaps that‘s exactly what his brother had

done. Alek had been late getting to the receiving line. It was possible Vladan‘s

unexplainable good luck had stirred Alek‘s jealousy. Better to run off his frustrations

than to show them before the brides. Alek, seeing his attention, nodded once. Bron

returned the gesture.

Mirek‘s smile faded as he, too, looked at Alek. ―Would they not?‖

Bron turned his attention from his brothers to the brides. Like the previous years,

Galaxy Brides did not disappoint. The women were lovely. Bron sighed, looking down

at his bare feet. Firelight illuminated his flesh. The first woman walked by, drawing his

attention back up. He tried not to look at them directly. It was almost over.

* * * * *

23

Michelle M. Pillow

Aeron really hated her sister. If there had been any doubt before, this moment

decided it. When she pictured flying in to save the primitive race of helpless miners,

this is not what she had expected to find, and this was definitely not what she had

expected to be wearing.

As she stepped off the docking plank onto the hard earth, she could feel the

ground‘s texture through her thin silk slippers. She longed for her military-issue boots.

A breeze stirred her gown, lifting it above her knees. She missed the comfortable

familiarity of her uniform. In a gown, she felt too exposed to the elements, especially on

the naked flesh of her thighs.

Inside she trembled with fear. This was why she was an analyst and not a

soldier. Aeron wasn‘t built for adventure. She liked safety and routine and the ordinary.

There was nothing ordinary about a planet filled with desperate males. What if they

were sexually depraved from the lack of women? What if they tried to drag them off

into… She glanced around, her heart starting to beat faster in panic. What if they tried

to drag them off into the nearby tents? What if…?

Aeron forced her gaze upward, past the shoulder of the woman walking in front

of her. The potential husbands were lined up in two rows, creating a path the women

were to walk through—a path lined with naked male flesh. And not just male flesh,

really handsome male flesh, bronzed solid muscles, piercingly lustful eyes, barely

contained warrior energy. This was not safe or routine. These men represented chaos

and danger. They represented everything she tried so hard to cut from her neat little

life. Which meant Riona probably loved it.

Her breathing deepened in fear. What was she doing here? These men clearly

didn‘t need her help defending themselves. How arrogant of her to think the barbarians

needed her help! Perhaps her Federation superiors had been right. This was none of her

business. Her feet stopped moving for a brief moment as she thought of turning back

around. It was useless. A woman bumped into her back and gave a soft swear of

protest, forcing Aeron forward.

24

His Highness The Duke

Fur loincloths clung to masculine hips. Golden bands of intricate design clasped

around sinewy biceps. From their solid necks hung crystals bound with leather straps.

Aeron tried not to stare, but it was a little hard. Firelight glistened on their oiled bodies.

The Qurilixian males were every inch the proud warrior class they were rumored to be,

some even seemed to tower nearly seven feet tall.

Some of the crystals around the men‘s necks began to glow, signifying they‘d

met their mates. Agreements were made already? How? Nothing was said. Had she

missed some piece of vital information on the ship? She tried to close her eyes to access

the uploaded information, but the woman behind her shoved her forward none too

gently.

Galaxy Brides had provided them with uploads of the planet‘s culture. It was on

the outer edge of the Y quadrant, inhabited by primitive males similar to Viking clans of

Medieval Earth. The Qurilixian worshipped many gods, favored natural comforts to

modern technical conveniences, and actually preferred to cook their own food without

the aid of a simulator. They were technically still classified as a warrior class, though

both sides were said to be peaceful for nearly a century—aside from petty territorial

skirmishes that broke out every fifteen or so years between a few of the rival houses. All

the cold hard facts uploaded into her brain did not prepare her for the reality.

Aeron pulled her arms close to her body as she neared the first male. The

grooms looked as if they might reach out and grab hold at any moment. The fear inside

her grew. She wanted to run. But where? Behind the statuesque bridegrooms were a

rowdy bunch of men posing for their attention. The unruly men were dressed in tunics

and pants, but the large barbaric size of them was evident. At least the grooms weren‘t

moving, not like the surrounding crowd. She hugged her arms tighter.

―I hate you, Ri. I hate you. I hate you,‖ she whispered, as if the words could

somehow give her strength. They didn‘t. Even as she said it, she knew her current

situation was mostly her own fault. ―I hate—I have a mission. I have a mission. I ha…‖

Her words trailed off as her attention was pulled sharply to the side. Electricity

shocked the full length of her body, but the strange thing was nothing touched her to

25

Michelle M. Pillow

account for the sensation. One of the tall warriors caught her attention and held it. His

head was down as he looked at his feet. Dark brown shoulder length hair hid his

masked face from view. She had a peculiar urge to push that hair aside, to feel its

thickness through her fingers, to lift his eyes to hers. However, his crystal was glowing

with a bright inner light. A small wave of disappointment filled her. He was taken…
not

that she wanted to marry the man. There was no way a woman like her could stay in a

place like this. Her heart would surely give out from the constant fear.

Aeron quickly averted her gaze and walked faster, willing the woman in front of

her to move. The memory of bronzed flesh and bowed head wouldn‘t leave her. The

man was built like the other natives—intimidatingly thick chest, corded neck, the oh-so-

defined hip and stomach muscles like some of the more advanced Federation fighters

had. Modern technology could only take the human body so far. The rest was hard

physical work.

Aeron kept her head down and kept walking, refusing to make eye contact with

any of the locals. It was with relief that she made it to the end of the procession. The

crowd had quieted, not that she‘d noticed when or how. Her heart beat so loud she

could hear it in her ears. A cool breeze pressed the flimsy material of her dress against

her body. She felt too exposed. She couldn‘t look up. The short veil affixed to her

upswept hair tickled her cheek. She made a move to swipe it away, but the silken belt

connected to her wrists kept her hands down.

Unable to help herself, she peeked back over her shoulder. The ship stood tall in

the background, the docking plank lifting. The bachelors stared after them. Not all of

them had glowing crystals, but several did. Her gaze moved to the man with a bowed

head. He no longer looked at the ground, but now stared after the brides. Aeron quickly

turned before his eyes met hers. He was more handsome than she could have

imagined—even with a mask hiding half his face. Too handsome, if the truth was told.

Men that beautiful made her nervous. She preferred men who were… Well, if her

dating record was any indication… Who in the black hole of Hades was she trying to

fool? The very idea of her having a dating life was laughable.

26

His Highness The Duke

With little choice but to follow where the other brides led, Aeron made her way

to a raised platform where a gigantic feast had been laid out. Her sister was already

seated with a drink in her hand by the time Aeron found her place at the table. She kept

her eyes averted, hoping not to draw too much attention. To not eat would be rude, but

she should be able to duck away after the meal to wait out the ceremony.

* * * * *

Lord Bron stared at the glowing crystal about his neck. He‘d been so lost in

thought, so preoccupied with the idea of never finding his life mate, that he hadn‘t been

paying attention to the procession of brides. How could he have missed his future wife?

She was here. This was his night. And he didn‘t even know which one she was. To

admit he hadn‘t been looking as she passed would be an insult not only to her, but to

his pride. But then, how to find her?

His heartbeat quickened. Which one? Tradition held that he‘d know the moment

he looked at her, but he hadn‘t been looking. Desire and hope built within him. He

grabbed hold of his crystal, feeling its energy pulse against his hand. Finally. A bride!

He would know her when he saw her, but for now he had to go give thanks to

the gods. Turning, he walked in the opposite direction of the brides. He wanted to

shout his good fortune, but instead kept quiet as was tradition. The men who had been

blessed needed to go to the temple and give thanks. Those who were not fortunate

needed to drown their sorrows in stout liquor.

―It is a good year,‖ Mirek said beside him. ―Many blessings on your union,

brother.‖

Bron automatically looked down to Mirek‘s chest. His crystal lay dormant.

Sadness filled him for his brother, and he knew whatever he said in comfort would

prove futile, so he said nothing.

―I will attend to the campsite before traveling home,‖ Mirek said. ―I will not wait

for you. Enjoy your good fortune.‖

27

Michelle M. Pillow

Bron nodded once as Mirek pulled away to go with the others who had not

found mates.

Alek moved to join him, pausing to receive Mirek‘s words of blessing on the

way. Alek‘s crystal glowed but there was a strange look in his eyes.

―Is all well?‖ Bron asked.

Alek gave a small laugh, but the effort was forced. ―What could be wrong? Three

of us have been blessed, as well as all of our princely cousins. For whatever reason, the

gods have finally decided to smile upon us. It is a good night for all but Mirek. Let us

give thanks and collect our brides before the gods realize what they have done and

change their minds.‖

―Don‘t even think such things,‖ Bron scolded, worried that his crystal would

stop glowing because he didn‘t know the face of his woman. He glanced behind him,

hoping for some jolt of recognition as he caught a glimpse of a couple of the women.

Nothing came to him and he was forced to join the others at the temple.

28

His Highness The Duke

Chapter Three

Aeron wasn‘t hungry, but she forced herself to partake of the roasted two-

horned pigs and blocks of Qurilixian blue bread with whipped cheese. The meal was

laid out on large trenchers, set directly before the brides, and spread over long wooden

tables. Servants carried pitchers, as if their entire purpose was to ensure that each

woman‘s goblet stayed filled with a berry wine they called
Maiden’s Last Breath
. Aeron

was moderate when it came to drinking, but the sweet taste was delicious and the

liquor did much to calm her shaking hands.

―I don‘t know why I‘m so nervous,‖ she whispered to herself for lack of anyone

to talk to. ―It‘s not like I‘m about to get married.‖

Most of the Galaxy Brides‘ women dined in a strange state of excited silence,

whispering and giggling. Others flirted with the handsome servants. With the straps on

the gowns, it was hard for the brides to lift their arms, so the servants retrieved

anything they desired for them. Some even went so far as to offer the women food by

their own hands, her sister Riona being one of those brazen women.

Aeron hadn‘t really connected with any of the women on the ship, not like her

sister. Instead of socializing, she looked over the campground. The bachelors were gone

and the people she could see all looked the same. It was impossible to tell who was in

control and who was merely a subject of the realm.

The married couples dined around the campfire at a distance from the

prospective brides. Wives fed their husbands in a sensual display of romance. Aeron

tried very hard not to stare, even as she thought it barbaric. The entire place was chaos

and it made her extremely uncomfortable.

―Are you nervous?‖

Aeron blinked, looking to her side at the question. She recognized Nadja from

the ship, but the woman wasn‘t talking to her. The question had been directed at

another shipmate, Morrigan. Nadja whispered something and began to laugh.

29

Michelle M. Pillow

―Yes,‖ Aeron whispered, answering the question that wasn‘t meant for her. ―I‘m

very nervous. I wish I was home where it‘s safe and predictable.‖

A glance at her laughing sister showed Riona was not having the same lonesome

time. It figured. Riona always made fast friends no matter where she was.