Authors: LaVenia R. Boswell
She was about to open her bedroom door when she heard Mark laughing. “You are unreal! I bet you don't even wait for the ceremony. Then your aunts will have my head!”
Jonathan mumbled something, but despite how she strained her ears she couldn't make it out.
Then she heard Mark's teasing voice again. “I'm really happy for you. But . . . Jon, you're still not sure if she feels true Bonding yet. If she doesn't . . . under the circumstances they'll be forced to ask you to try and choose another mate. You know that . . . don't you?”
Melody's heart dropped. Another mate?
“Don't even joke with me about that!” Jonathan said loud and angrily. Melody collapsed with relief when she heard him.
“I can tell she feels something Mark . . . maybe it's not as strong as my Bond, that may never be possible, but it's something,” Jonathan concluded a little irritated.
“Well, if time wasn't of such importance maybe you could find someone that you are certain has similar Stirrings. In this big world, there has to be at least one more female that can really Stir you! Jonathan, old man, we need an heir and you have to do the heir-ing,” Mark laughed teasingly.
“This isn't our people. I am fully aware! But, I know I have Bonding with Melody.”
Mark quipped, “You mean Pre-Bonding, don't you?”
“No! I mean the real thing, there's no pre to it! Mark, you can't just walk up to a woman and ask her to marry you when you feel the Bond, like at home. It's not like home . . . in more ways than one.”
So, he did feel the Bond with her! He actually wanted to
marry
her. Why was he being forced to marry so fast?
She felt as if she could walk on clouds. She fretted with herself wondering how fast or slow she should allow this situation to grow. She finally decided to take it a step at a time, after all, she didn't understand about this bonding stuff yet.
The three of them ate together. Melody was actually too excited to do much more than nibble at the meal. Mark had tried unsuccessfully to excuse himself but Melody couldn't trust herself alone with Jonathan. That Stirring sure was strong now . . . in her.
CHAPTER TWO: THE PROPOSAL
They arrived at Jonathan’s beach home right at
ten o'clock
. His Aunt Cassandra greeted Melody with an affectionate hug before whisking her away from Jonathan, much to his displeasure.
“Jonathan says that you and Aunt Cherise wouldn't help him decorate, is that true?” Melody asked after being seated on a soft white sofa.
Aunt Cherise was already sitting and had the same thirty catalogs from yesterday spread out on a coffee table. “Yes, it's true. You see, in our culture the only female who decorates a young man's house . . . .”
Before she could finish Jonathan came through the door and completed the sentence. “Must have very good taste and must be a young female whom the man has chosen to do the job. I know it must sound odd to you, but a married female in our part of the world is only allowed to decorate her own home. It's a strange custom and out dated, I guess. But, it also has some connection to that Bonding we were talking about this morning.”
Why is he grinning at me?
Both Aunts looked flustered then Aunt Cassandra asked, “You mean you told her about the Bond?”
“Yes he did, and I think it's the most lovely story I've ever heard,” Melody responded with a smile.
“Oh, it's not a story, it's true,” Aunt Cassandra stated primly.
Aunt Cherise inquired with a worried look, “Do your people have this kind of emotion?”
“Well, in a way, but nothing as strong as what Jonathan described to me.” Melody noticed they looked disappointed, then she quickly added, “We have strong feelings toward someone we love. Many wars have been fought over love. Love, real love is very precious to us and we will fight to defend our loved ones against anyone attempting to do harm to them.” That seemed to make them feel better.
Aunt Cassandra took her hand and said, “In our society when men and women feel the bond . . . they marry as soon as the feeling is mutual. The marriage lasts as long as they both live. If a mate dies, occasionally the survivor never feels the stirrings of bonding again for the rest of their life.”
Melody asked her while she sneaked a glance at Jonathan, “When do your people feel this Bond thing?”
Aunt Cherise answered, “Usually the first time the intended mates see each other. Boom! You're a goner!”
“Aunt Cherise!” Jonathan exclaims being a little embarrassed.
“How soon after this Bond is felt do they get married?” Melody was curious to know.
“Oh, usually within hours. At the longest only a day,” Aunt Cassandra stated with casualness.
Aunt Cherise added with a twinkle in her eye, “To wait too long can cause severe physical pain to the male, sometimes to the female as well. Once the bond takes effect they can usually never be mated with anyone else anyway, so they get the marriage ceremony set up quickly, to ease the groom's discomfort,” she giggled, glancing at Jonathan.
“Jonathan, would you leave us for a few minutes . . . please?” Aunt Cassandra asked. He dutifully walked out, but it was apparent that he didn't want to go.
Looking directly into Melody's eyes she asked, “Have you felt any feelings for our Jonathan?”
Melody was taken by surprise with that one. “It's unusual for a woman to admit it, especially so soon, but . . . yes. I do feel very drawn to Jonathan.” She looked down at her hands and continued, “I want to be sure though. I don't want to allow myself to fall in love with him unless he's really, really sincere. He's told me he loves me, but . . . this is just too soon for real love to happen.”
“Oh, no, my dear! If he has said he loves you, then you may stake your life on his honesty. Our men are like that, they usually feel the Bonding first,” Aunt Cassandra stated looking at Melody intensely.
“If that's true, then I certainly feel relieved, I guess.”
Both aunts suddenly both laughed out loud and cried with joy.
“Oh, we’re so relieved! You see, Jonathan has been pre-bonding with you for weeks and we were afraid that you may not find him suitable. He's a very fine man and has the best of our genes, but here on Ear . . . uh, in
America
it may not be enough.”
“How has he been pre-bonding with me for weeks? We only met a couple of days ago.”
“Oh, when we first arrived he saw you on campus and just fell, as you people call it, deeply in love with you. His Bonding is now almost unbreakable and we feared you would reject him. We are all aware that he fears it to.”
Aunt Cassandra, with a straight face quipped, “When shall the ceremony begin?”
“Ceremony?! He hasn't even asked me yet!” Melody answered with startled eyes.
Aunt Cassandra frowned and asked pointedly, “Will you accept?”
“Well, he must ask me first,” she responded while she felt her head spinning. Here they were wanting to set up her wedding and she hadn't even been asked yet. She didn't even really know this man.
“Jonathan, come in here please,” Aunt Cherise called out.
“Yes, Aunt Cherise?” Jonathan asked as he came through the door with a worried look on his face.
“Take this beautiful Bonding mate of yours out for a nice walk on the beach . . . and for heaven's sake, ask her already!”
Jonathan paled as he looked at Melody. She had a strange look on her face. What had they said to her? She looked like she might faint.
Nervously taking her by the hand, he led her out the door and away from his crying aunts.
“What did they say to you? Why were they crying?” he asked in fear. Looking at her closer he pulled her to him. “First . . . tell me why you're so pale and shaking.”
“I, uh, just forget all that for a moment, please. Jonathan, did you have anything else you'd like to ask me?” she inquired when his scent wafted through her nostrils and her knees grew weak. Her body’s reaction to him was unprecedented, and as much as she struggled to get a grip on her emotions she wasn’t winning. His pheromones were wrecking havoc on her entire nervous system. She felt she would die, if he left her or turned away from her. Her heart was thumping so fast she was now getting her breath in tiny gasps.
When he touched her hand again, she felt she knew all she could ever need to know. He was a gentleman, courteous, gorgeous, sexy and he treated her like she was the most precious, desirable woman on Earth.
“Well, Melody . . . uh, do you . . . that is . . . .” He constantly kept clearing his throat and his eyes kept darting toward the ocean with a worried look on his face. “Do you think that you might or rather could, uh, fall in love . . . with me? That is . . . if you were given enough time?”
“Yes, I believe so. But where might that love lead me?” she asked honestly needing to know now, this day, this very minute.
“Melody, do you think you might one day consider Bonding . . . uh, marrying me?” He looked like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“When might the one day be . . . when you might ask me? In a year, a month, in a week? I'm just curious, how long?” She suddenly enjoyed watching the surprise in his eyes. Then they lit up as bright as the sun when he saw her trebly smile.
“The day you say yes to be my Bonded mate, will be the day my life really begins.” He pulled her to him and encircled her with his strong tanned arms barely breathing, awaiting her response.
She lifted her eyes to drink in the blueness of his. She knew she'd lost all sanity as she heard herself ask, “Why not ask me now?”
She felt him tremble and his hands shook as he lightly pushed her away from him so he could see her face clearly. “Melody . . . will you marry me and be my Bonded mate for life? Remember, it would be for life, so be sure you could one day love me?”
Melody knew she was hearing some stranger say the words that flowed from her lips. “Jonathan, I fell in love with your eyes first, then you after. Our marriage will have to be for life because I don’t think I could now bear to lose you.”
Picking her up, he whirred her around whopping and yelling like a demented cowboy. They clung to each other tightly as he lowered his mouth to hers. He finally released all the mental barriers of bonding that he had been struggling so hard to contain.
That kiss sealed their fate, Melody felt it as though it was a tangible cord that had wrapped around her heart. She was his now heart, soul and body.
The sound of voices drawing near finally forced them to pull apart.
As Melody stood looking at Jonathan's entire entourage laughing and coming toward them on the beach her head continued to spin with the unmistakable Bonding effects of their kiss.
“Melody, oh, Melody, please say you said yes?” It was Aunt Cherise, beaming and looking lovely in her flowing, long, peach print robe.
Returning Mark’s hug Jonathan answered, “She said yes! And, she loves me!”
“Well, well, lets go inside and celebrate!” Mark said as he came up to Melody and surprisingly kissed her on the cheek while crushing her with a bear hug.
Everyone hugged her and Jonathan. Then each kissed her on the cheek. There was a hoard of people crowding around them and they all seemed to be extra jubilant for some reason.
Jonathan wrapped his arm around her shoulders possessively and led the way back to the house. Mark kept slapping Jonathan on the back and whispering something in his ear that made Jonathan blush and grin repeatedly.
Once inside the pandemonium only increased. Finally both Aunts took Melody and Jonathan by their hands and led them into a small room that Melody hadn't seen before.
“Now . . . how soon can we have the ceremony Melody?” Aunt Cassandra inquired kindly. Melody noted that after hugging and kissing her and Jonathan that both aunts for some reason kept avoiding looking at him.
Before Melody could answer, Jonathan tenderly picked up her hand and looked into her eyes, his eagerness was no longer hidden. For some reason, as though it was some mental connection they now had together her eyes were drawn to his lap. She immediately saw what must be his pain.
Not fully understanding all of this she asked with genuine concern, “Waiting causes pain, huh? Real pain?”
Jonathan nodded yes sadly, looking at her with lust filled eyes. Then he nuzzled his wet mouth against her ear and whispered a deep, sensuous moan that caused her entire body to tingle and shudder.