Vaan glared. “I
should but I will not.” His eyes searched the crowd until he caught sight of
Miki for the first time since he’d started fighting. His black eyes glittered
and she knew why men pissed themselves when faced with him in battle. He lifted
his chin in her direction and she flushed, ducking her head low.
“Armor up,” Vaan
ordered. “I will accept First Blood.” He pressed two fingers to his throat. His
lips moved but no words came forth.
Miki stared in
amazement as a bluish green armor spread from her mate’s throat and down his
torso. He braced his legs apart, sword held loosely before him.
Argan’s mouth
broke into a wide pleased smile as he raised his sword. “My thanks, Overlord.”
A similar blue green armor poured over his skin starting at his throat and not
stopping until his torso shone bright with the covering.
“You will not
thank me this even tide.”
Miki listened to
the Warlords excited murmurs. Her people appeared as confused as she was. But
she recognized this. “The coccar armor.”
Balal grinned ear
to ear. “Yes.”
“It survived the
deep sleep? Many wondered.”
“This will take a
while,” Balal predicted, avoiding her question.
Kavan growled low
in his throat but Miki paid him no mind. It was clear by their every
interaction that the Warlord did not like her. She didn’t understand why Vaan
didn’t force him to fight first. Instead, he chose to send him by her side
knowing of the dislike. Thus far, not many of Vaan’s actions made sense to her.
Her untrained eye
noted the ease with which the men battled one another. Their skill obviously on
the same level. As the two men circled, she kept her eyes on Vaan. Argan
attacked and Vaan responded. Steel met steel and the men dug their booted heels
in the dirt, finally separating with a mighty thrust from Vaan.
Argan grinned and
launched another assault, his sword swinging with power. Vaan blocked it with a
simple thrust, turned into a spin and slammed the flat of his blade against
Argan’s thigh. “Too easy, Argan.”
The Overlord
smirked and Argan retreated. “Impressive move, Overlord.”
Vaan didn’t
respond, his eyes steady on his adversary. Argan recovered and renewed his
assault. His every strike spoke of precision. Vaan extended his arms, holding
the sword with both hands and slashed left then right in rapid motion. Argan
backed away, his feet peddling as he met the onslaught of Vaan’s controlled
fury.
Balal’s prediction
proved true. It took over an hour but Vaan finally managed a cut on Argan’s
forearm. The armor was a wise precaution. She’d never seen two people fight as
aggressively as they did. Several times, she’d inhaled sharply for fear they’d
truly hurt one another. All under the guise of practice.
They broke apart
immediately when Argan’s arm bled. Both men reeked of sweat. Their hair soaked
and tangled about their shoulders. Vaan’s length remained pulled back in a tail
but strands stuck to the sides of his face. His armored chest heaved from his
exertion.
Vaan accepted the
congratulations of his Warlords in the form of hearty slaps. Several Raasa also
tapped his shoulders in acknowledgment before running out of reach in case he
chose to retaliate.
“Mikayla.”
She jumped, not
expecting him to call for her. Balal grabbed Miki’s arm and dragged her away.
His rapid pace had her skipping as he headed straight for the hall. “What are
you doing?”
“No time, my lady.
You must allow him time to come down.”
He burst through
her front door and passed a startled Assa whose arms were full as she began to
lay out the evening meal.
“Come down? Who?”
“The Overlord. He
has started Fenal.”
Miki had enough.
She dug her heels in until Balal tripped. “Stop. I have no understanding of
what you speak.”
“Mikayla!” Vaan’s
roar kept him from answering. Balal looked unnerved.
He muttered a
curse under his breath.
“What is it,
Warlord Balal?”
“I am sorry, my
lady.” He bowed low to Miki and stepped away as Vaan entered that hall.
The door banged
against the wall. Black eyes centered right on Miki.
Blessed One
. What
had angered him so?
Chapter 8
The deep breathing
technique did nothing to stop the stirrings of Fenal. His fight with Argan
drove him over the edge and heated his loins. Vaan wanted his mate and he would
have her. Thoughts of anointing their joining filled his mind. He followed them
into the hall and headed straight toward his mate with heavy steps.
Blood pounded in
Vaan’s chest and his heart thudded loudly. All steered from his path. Her
servants squealed at his approach and scattered. He ignored them. He ignored
the fragrant aroma of the food displayed on the table. The rich scent of the
meats could not compete with the fires burning through him. Nothing mattered
but reaching Mikayla.
She watched him
with widened eyes but he sensed no fear. Good. He did not want her frightened
of him. Vaan swept her up in his arms and continued to the stairs. “Vaan!”
No one tried to
stop him. His own warriors took seats around the large dining table to consume
the abundance of food and drink present. They paid him no mind.
Mikayla beat on
his shoulder but he ignored her, taking the steps two at a time. He had to have
her and nothing would stop him from burying himself deep in her toque. He
kicked the door closed behind him and lowered her to her feet. She sprang away
and headed for that infernal window.
Vaan slammed the
lock home on the door. He unclipped the buckle on his weapon harness.
“Undress.” The green tunic and tan leggings flattered her figure but he wanted
it off. Now.
“We should talk,
Vaan.”
He liked the sound
of his name on her lips. “Bed play now, talk later.” He removed his thigh
sheath, lowered his leathers and toed off his boots. His coccar induced armor
faded, leaving him completely bare. She stared wide eyed at his naked form.
Vaan puffed up.
Women admired his physique and it was good his mate enjoyed his body. He
crossed the room and pulled her from the dangerous window. Only then did he
breathe easy. He pulled her green tunic up and she batted his hands. “Stop. We
can’t have sex now.”
Battle rage pushed
his arousal higher. His toqa hardened further and curved along his belly. “You
will only need lie still for a moment. I will be quick.”
She gasped but
Vaan removed her tunic and tossed her on the bed. “You can’t be serious.”
She said that a
lot. Vaan was ever serious. He worked her leggings down her kicking limbs. “I
have need of you, Mikayla.”
He threw the
leggings on the floor and took a moment to admire her form. His mate was
beautifully made. He stroked his hands over her firm breasts. The golden globes
were smooth all over with no darker colored protrusions of flesh. “Do you not
nurse your young?”
His question
surprised her enough to cease her struggles. “Nipples will form when I grow
round but they are not for suckling. Raasa babies are born with milk fangs.
They feed on grinded fruit in a bottle. It provides all the nourishment they
need until their formal teeth come in and they can chew vegetables.”
Vaan grunted and
moved his hand down her torso to rest on her belly. “My youngling will grow
strong here.”
She arched away
but the move only brought her entire body in contact with his. When she settled
back on the bed, his gaze strayed lower. The lips of her toque were clearly
displayed. Lack of hair gave him an unobstructed view. He touched the smooth
skin and scented her woman’s musk. Vaan could wait no longer. He fingered her
slit to confirm her entrance and aligned his hips to hers.
“Wait,” she
yelled. “There’s more to it than this.”
Vaan studied her
expression. Her mouth turned down at the corner and her lids narrowed. He
decided the timing right to give her a lesson for bed play with a Kabanian. “A
true bride remains unmoving to allow her warrior to take his pleasure without
disruption.”
She squawked and a
fist punched his chest. He reached up and pushed the offending appendage from
him. Did she not understand how he honored her by explaining his actions when
he fairly shook with need for her?
“Does she at least
get a kiss?”
Vaan paused. He
sensed the sarcasm in her question but considered her words seriously. She
wanted to mash her lips to his now? “It serves no purpose. A warrior does not
kiss. We will make young without your kisses.”
Green eyes glared
up at him as she stilled. “Fine. Be quick.”
Vaan hesitated as
his blood pulsed through his veins. He could not imagine what he said to anger
her, for the glare she aimed up at him made no secret of her feelings.
“Agreed.” He harbored no reason to linger over the act. There bed play would
get him a strong son. With that though in mind, Vaan thrust his hips forward.
Tightness wrapped around him as he slid his toqa deep into her moist channel.
The cool flesh
softened as he worked over her. He’d never bedded a woman that wasn’t hot in
her woman’s region. The difference in sensation pleased him. He liked the firm
grip she had on his toqa. It reminded him of the times he’d been reduced to
taking himself in his fist when no female availed themselves.
Mikayla kept her
eyes closed, her face turned to the side. Her arms rested palms up by her head.
Long black hair splayed about her head. The graceful lines of her neck arched
on the pillow with his strokes. His woman represented him well with her beauty.
Vaan braced up on
his forearms and grunted. Her breasts bounced with each driving lunge. The
sight was too much. He closed his eyes as fire shot up his spine. His sac
lowered, sending vibrations from his loins to his toes. With a shout, he
released his seed. Shudder after shudder racked his frame until he’d emptied
himself in her womb.
His mate muttered
something but Vaan was too far gone to care. He reached beneath the pillow her
head rested on and the familiar touch of his dagger reassured him. Vaan let his
eyes close as his hand wrapped around the hilt. He’d rest but a moment then
mate with his bride again. Need pounded in him and he planned to work off the
rest of the heat from the session with his men. After he sated his body’s
hunger for her, he’d join the others downstairs to eat and satisfy his physical
hunger.
***
Miki pounded the
mattress in frustration. Sex was not as she had imagined. She’d almost felt
something in the end but he’d finished and fallen asleep. Again. She pushed at
his chest and his firm flesh slipped from her core. Miki shivered and wiped at
the moisture there. She’d have to bath again before going down to dinner.
She shoved again
at her mate’s heavy form and he rolled to the side, a slight snore escaping.
“Arggg,” she growled and climbed from their bed. The covers tangled about his
waist but she determinedly kept her eyes to the side.
Pulling on her
clothes, Miki glared at the bed and her mate who’d yet to move. On her way to
the door, she spotted his sword. In a moment of pique, she kicked the harness
and blade. Brief satisfaction filled her as it skittered along the floor to
land half under the bed. Her mate was big and powerful but he could use lessons
from a Raasa on how to please a woman.
Chapter 9
The first time
Mikayla came up behind him and touched his shoulder, he’d grabbed her arm and
placed his knife at her throat. When he realized who he held in the dangerous
grip, he’d eased his hold.
She’d taken one
look at his blade and squeaked. When he released her, she flushed and wrapped
her arms about her waist.
“S-sorry,” she
stammered and lowered her eyes. The toes of one slippered foot twisted in the
dirt. Her red tunic sported gold thread trimmed along the edges. The sleeves
fell short of her elbows. Argan, who’d been occupied with Marin, approached and
reached to grasp the hilt of his sword. Vaan stopped him with a firm shake of
his head.
Vaan tried to
fathom a reason for her actions but came up empty. “Is something amiss?”
Perhaps, she wished to complain of his Warlords. None treated her as harshly as
Kavan had during the circle but they stayed out of the way and ignored her.
A hint of red
tinged her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip and shrugged. “All is well.” She
hovered a moment longer, leading him to believe she would talk. Finally, she
let her arms drop to her side and his eyes followed the full thrust of her
breasts. “All is well,” she repeated and fled to the hall.
Over the next few
days, Vaan became used to the unexpected fluttering touches of his bride. The
next time she caught him unaware outside while he knelt on the ground with
Ramar and Tolan in a competitive game of Dilek. He’d learned to recognize the
light fall of her feet on the dry, crackling grass. The sweet smell of the
Zanni berries she devoured at morning meal lingered in the air. Vaan stiffened
when she reached for the coil of his braid but managed not to draw his weapon.
Kneeling on the ground as he did provided easy access for her nimble fingers.
She tugged slightly and he realized she unraveled the length and worked it
free.
A muffled gasp
sounded over his shoulders as his hair drifted down his back. Vaan held still
awaiting her next action. She made no effort to hide her fascination. His skin
tingled sending nerves to pull tight as Mikayla scraped his scalp with her
nails. His toqa stretched and Vaan rose to his feet. Tolan and Ramar groaned,
reading his sudden move correctly. The throb between his legs could not be
ignored.
Her hands fell to
her side. She took note of the look in his eyes and tripped backward. Vaan
caught her wrist before she could fall.
“I need to finish
helping Assa in the kitchen.” With a determined pull, she freed her hand and
once more Vaan watched her flee as if her life depended on it.
“Her behavior is
odd,” Ramar noted as they watched her disappear around the corner of the
building.
Vaan handed the
red cubes to Tolan ignoring the rare feelings of regret at her leaving. There
would be no bed play if she hid in the kitchen. “Everything the Raasa do is odd
to me.”
Tolan accepted the
cubes and rubbed his firm middle. “Odd or no, they have good food.”
Vaan grunted. His
Warlord spoke truth. “You have next play, Tolan.”
When Mikayla came
up beside him at the evening meal, he jerked back as she attempted to give him
one of her kisses. Her mouth missed his and brushed along his cheek. He growled
low in warning. The thought of having those fangs and her venom so close to his
mouth, still made him wary.
Vaan turned to
counsel her on her insistent attempts but his gaze met wounded green pools of
hurt and disappointment. Her mouth formed a small frown. The look caused his
stomach to tighten but she forced a tremulous smile, nodded at his men at the
table and took her leave.
He spared a moment
thinking of Mikayla’s determination to kiss him and shook away his thoughts.
At night, Mikayla
never resisted his bed play. Occasionally, she squirmed beneath him and he had
to remind her to hold still with a firm hand at her waist. She glared up at him
while he took his pleasure and he found himself closing his eyes to avoid the
feelings of guilt he could not explain.
He’d been with
many females and none made him feel as low as his bride did. In an effort to
appease her, he tried to finish quickly each time. Despite his brevity and
consideration, she often responded with a harmless fist to his shoulders when
he rolled off of her.
****
“Something is
wrong with the food, Mikayla.”
As usual, Miki
found herself staring at the man she’d mated. Today, he wore his hair loose
about his shoulders. It‘s gleaming length tempted. Unable to resist, she
reached out and stroked her fingers through a section.
He jerked away
initially but to her surprise, held still, though he watched her with suspicion.
The softness caressed her fingertips encouraging her to linger. His eyes lit
with an inner fire and Miki’s breath caught.
The glow suffusing
his face reminded her of the expression he wore when he wanted to bed her. She
shifted in her seat, her body leaning in his direction. His nostrils flared.
“Overlord, I will
meet you out front.” Argan’s words interrupted the heated moment and Miki
reluctantly pulled her hand back.
Vaan’s gaze broke
from hers. “I will join you shortly.”
Argan gave Miki a
brief bow, his expression carefully blank and left the hall.
The potential
tenderness of the earlier moment lost, Vaan aimed a utensil at his food and
returned to his conversation. “This does not taste as it did before.”
Miki spooned fruit
into her mouth, avoiding eye contact. Vaan and his Warlords took an inordinate
amount of pleasure in the food served. The vegetables received the same
treatment and were devoured as fast as the meat the cook prepared. “I don’t
know what you mean.”
His lips curled
down and he moved the plate to the side. A quick glance and she realized that
the other plates around the table remained half-full. She sucked her tongue and
clicked her teeth to keep from laughing. Apparently, the Warlords were not
enjoying their food any more either.
“The taste has
changed. It is no longer pleasing.”
Going in to her
second week as a mated woman, Miki determined that she needed to force the
issue between them or their True Union was doomed. She couldn’t handle much
more of the lack of intimacy with the man who was her mate. The food
represented her first effort. “It tastes fine to me.”
“Something is
amiss. You will talk to the cook.” He shot her a glare.
“Can you give me
more to tell her?” Although Miki knew exactly what he found wrong with the
food. As of yesterday, she’d told the kitchen workers to prepare basic meals
with no seasoning for the Warlords. They shared looks of puzzlement but agreed.
“It lacks flavor.”
Vaan rose to his feet and Miki heard his stomach growl.
Poor Overlord.
“Flavor is frivolous, mate. Food is but fuel for the body and pleasing flavor
serves no purpose.”
He stopped with
his back to her. Miki held her breath and waited. But he made no further
comment and left to train with his Warlords in the courtyard as he had each day
before. Miki finished her fruit and sighed. Her noan came in from the kitchen,
his plate piled high with food. It smelled delicious. Clearly, he’d spoken to
the cook.
Miki moved over
and he sat beside her. She kissed his wrinkled cheek. “Am I going about this the
wrong way, Noan?”
“The question is
what will you do if he resists your efforts?”
“I don’t know,”
Miki sighed. Leave it to her noan to ask the important questions. “It is not
too much to ask for my mate to kiss me in greeting each morning tide and again
at night. Such small touches create the intimacy that builds the bonds of a
True Union.” And Miki craved the intimacy. Wanted the bonds so much, she’d
protect it like a snarling tarka wolf if given the chance.
Eran smoothed a
hand down her hair. She soaked up the comforting touch. “Here is a better
question. What will you do if he does not?”
She didn’t
understand. She wanted Vaan to get along well with her.
Eran began to eat
his food and chewed carefully. Miki waited. Many times when she was a
youngling, he gave her similar deep questions and inevitably paused before
offering the answers.
“If your Overlord
conforms to your wishes, are you prepared to be the mate he needs and not just
the mate you think you should be?”
***
Argan cornered
Vaan as soon as he came outside and headed toward the section of the yard where
his Warlords put the men through training. The Raasa agreed to increase their
fighting skills once they knew what was on the line. There was a lot of work to
be done but they were coming along nicely. “Have you made amends?”
Vaan looked at him
in surprise. “What?”
Argan rolled his
eyes and cursed. “Vaan, have mercy on all of us and make amends with your
woman.”
“We are not at
odds.” Vaan thought of the night before and how she’d lay quietly while he took
his pleasure of her twice. Things were going well. He just needed to remind
workers to seal the window she seemed determined to perch on whenever they took
to their room.
Argan studied him
closely and laughed in his face. “You have no idea.”
At Vaan’s frown,
he laughed harder. “Ramar, Tolan, Balal come. Kavan watch the recruits and the
others.”
Vaan tensed as his
Warlords came to his side. “Tell our Overlord what you all have noticed in the
last two days.”
“The food is bad.”
“She punishes us
for your actions.”
Only Balal asked,
“has he made amends?”
“She deliberately
ruins the food?” Vaan couldn’t identify the purpose for his mate to do such.
Tolan took mercy
on him. The stocky Warlord was the only one among them who‘d had a bride until
the sickness took her. He settled his scarred hands at his waist and shook his
head at Vaan. “It is a woman’s weapon. They are weaker and must find ways to
grab our attention and hold us to their whims.”
Vaan tried to
recall what he’d done to cause such a reaction. Suddenly, her words when he
departed made sense. “She wants kisses. He chuckled, remembering how she used
his words against him. But he’d paid her no heed because he hadn’t been able to
decipher her meaning. Foolish woman.
“Kisses?”
They looked at him
askance. “The pressing of lips. Raasa men and women do it as a sign of
affection.”
“She wants to
poison you?” Argan reached for his weapon.
Vaan shook his
head and ran a hand through his hair. “No. I can not explain.”
“Is it dangerous
for you to give her this…kissing?” Ramar asked.
Vaan frowned,
remembering her explanation. “She says not.”
“Then make amends.
The men are starved. If the evening meal is the same, we will slaughter one of
the animals pinned in the back and roast it ourselves.”
Vaan needed to
think on this. He could not have his mate thinking her games brought him to
heel. Waving the others off, Vaan motioned Argan to follow. “I will think on
this but we need focus on things of more importance.”
“Agreed.” Argan
walked at his side and they stopped next to a familiar Raasa.
Vaan thought the
poor youngling would jump from his skin. “Su-Su, I mean Overlord.” He stumbled
over his words and made an awkward bow. The sun beamed on his hairless head.
“How may I serve you?”
“Your name?”
“It is Elson,
Overlord.” Green eyes skittered away from Vaan.
“Mikayla says you
are in charge of the stores. Take us there.” Vaan wanted to know how they were
for supplies. His compound in Kaban could feed his compound for a tri-month if
under attack. The Raasa holding needed to manage the same if they were to make
it their new home.
They went to a
smaller building nestled alongside the main hall. Detailed amber and gold
stonework mirrored the main building and a similar red tiled roof graced the
top. The youngling used a large metal key worn around his neck and let them in.
Vaan admitted to the space being organized. Rows and rows of bagged vegetables
lined shelves on both sides of the narrow space. Fruit crated in stacks lined
the back wall with handwritten dates. Further in the corridor, meat piled high
in the ice box with its glass front doors. “The food is plentiful,” Vaan
commented.
“Yes, Su-Su
expects no less. It is my responsibility to account for the food.”
Argan and Vaan
shared a look. If Mikayla maintained her food wares this well, she had an idea
of what it took to run a home. It pleased him. “What of the cider?”
Elson grinned and
led them to the back. He pulled a circular ring mounted in a section of the
floor. The door lifted to reveal unstable steps and more shelving. Large
barrels and jugs filled the space.
Argan chuckled.
“Your Mikayla has it all in order. Not much you could do here.”
“Agreed.” Vaan
helped Elson close the hatch and asked. “What of weapons? Are you this well
set?”
They left the
storage building and Elson assured him that the Raasa were accomplished
archers. Vaan immediately ordered the guards on the gates to be armed with the
bow and arrows. They would never be equal to warriors with swords but this
would balance the odds a little in their favor. Elson ran off to communicate
Vaan’s wishes.
“You think to be
ready for Thenl?”
Vaan nodded.
“Mikayla says he will return in short for her answer to his demands.”
“I do not think he
will wait.”
Vaan frowned and
headed back to the rough ring they’d created for the men to use for training.
Standing on the sidelines while Ramar walked a Raasa through a wrestling move,
Vaan considered Argan’s words. “We need to send a scout out. Too much time has
passed. I want to know what he is about and if Kaban stands in as bad shape as
my bride predicts.”