by V. A. Dold
“Well, all right then.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer.
His chest rumbled with the purr of his cat as he brought his lips down on hers. He kissed her gently, easing her lips apart and searching with his tongue in an unhurried exploration. Their tongues reached for each other, dancing and caressing. With a little popping sound, he released her lower lip.
Leaving his cat to ensure they stayed on the path through the woods, he claimed her mouth again. He only stumbled one time when her lips explored his neck, and she playfully nipped him. His cat liked that. It liked it a lot.
As they neared the cabin, he pulled back and asked, “My house or your cabin?”
“My cabin. I have a hidden spare key so we can get in without going to the main house.”
Doug cleared his throat nervously, “I have to ask because I would never presume. Will I be spending the night?”
Krystal feigned anger. “You better be. I’m not the type of girl who kicks her djairu out of bed after mating him.”
Chuckling, he kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m glad to hear it. Though, I need to figure out what to do with Russel. He needs to go out and will need to be fed.”
“Bring him here. Carol’s dog, Tug, would love to have a playmate.”
“Russel thanks you. Why don’t you head on in, I need to run home for an overnight bag and my dog.” When they reached the front door, he lowered her feet to the ground but didn’t release her until he got one last kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
Doug drove as fast as the speed limit allowed. He wanted to get back to his woman before she changed her mind again. He doubted she would, but with her mother out there somewhere, who knew?
Pulling to a stop in his driveway, he switched off the engine and jumped out. Russel met him with happy barks and kisses. “Hurry up and do your business, buddy. We have people waiting on us,” he called as Russel rushed outside.
With Russel taken care of, he got busy. First, he grabbed the dog food, bowls, and his favorite toys. All of those items he stuffed into a duffle bag. Next, he headed to his bedroom. He wasn’t much for fashion, so it was easy enough to fill his suitcase with jeans and T-shirts. He filled the remaining space with clean uniforms. Just that easily, he was set for five or six days. Lastly, he grabbed his shampoo and toothbrush. He didn’t need a razor. His people didn’t grow facial hair. It was an odd genetic quirk. As a human, he only sported hair on his head, but he was covered head to toe as an animal.
Hands on hips, he glanced around the room. What was he missing? His police issued black steel-toed boots caught his eye. How could he forget footwear? Grabbing them up, he added the boots and sneakers to the growing pile. He was wearing his beat-up cowboy boots, so he left them on.
Giving his room one last look, he nodded. That should do it. He left Russel to play in the yard while he loaded the truck. The poor guy had been locked up for hours and could use the exercise. As a last-minute add, he grabbed Russel’s dog bed. He wasn’t expecting Krystal to move to town with him and having something of his own might help his dog settle into their new home.
He would pack up the rest of his stuff after he and Krystal discussed what to keep and what to get rid of. He was a man who didn’t require material things, so it didn’t matter to him. Once they were settled at the ranch, he’d donate what he wasn’t keeping and put the house up for sale.
Truck loaded, he headed to the back yard and whistled for Russel.
Nineteen
Krystal watched Doug climb into his truck before shutting the door. She leaned back against it and grinned. She was one lucky woman, and she was about to get luckier. That thought made her laugh aloud as she pushed away from the door.
She got as far as the center of the living room and stopped short, her heart a sledgehammer in her chest. What did she do now? She had little experience with men. Heck, she could count her old boyfriends on one hand. No, she wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t all that experienced either. She didn’t know the first thing about setting the scene for a romantic evening. The guys always did that. Tapping her lower lip with a finger, she drew a deep breath. “I’m a freaking Le Beau, romance is in our DNA… right?” Okay, what would Lucas or Logan do?
She snapped her finger, music, and candles. Running to her hall closet, she grabbed the few candles she owned and pulled out the boom box she’d had since nineteen eighty-two and plugged it in. She almost cried when all she could find was country stations. Wait! She had some old cassettes she’d made for Logan somewhere. She dove into the hall closet again and emerged two minutes later, pumping her fist and letting out a victorious yell. Logan had been a horndog back then, and she’d made him several makeout tapes. She sat on the couch and read the titles on the first cassette. Feel Like Makin’ Love, Kiss You All Over, Tonight’s The Night, Careless Whisper, and Magic Man. Oh! Bryan Adams. She loved Everything I do, I do it for you, and Heaven. How had she forgotten White wedding? Oh my god! Journey! Faithfully and Open Arms finished off the mixed tape.
Glancing at the measly three candles she’d placed on the coffee table, she scowled. She may have the music figured out, but that was all she had. Hanging her head, she conceded. She sucked at romance. She needed help. A lot of help.
Grabbing her phone, she made the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Kensie. Do you have a few minutes to help a girlfriend out?”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“Romance. It’s become glaringly clear to me that I suck at it. I have mood music and three candles. Please help me.”
“Oh, dear.” Krystal could hear the laughter in Kensie’s voice. “I have plenty of candles that I can bring over. What about lingerie?”
“I’m sure I can find something,” Krystal quickly said, mortified by the idea of Lucas’s mate giving her sexy wear.
“All right. How about snacks for afterward? I’m sure you’ll be hungry.”
“Shoot. I didn’t think of that. Could you ask Cook to put something together?”
“Absolutely. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be over with what you need.”
“Thanks, Kensie. You’re a lifesaver.” Ending the call, she grabbed her three candles and headed to the bedroom. She had to have something she could wear that Leon hadn’t ruined. She put the candles on top of her dresser and headed for her closet. She knew there was nothing left in the dresser drawers, Leon made sure of that, but there might be something in the closet. It took several minutes before she scored. At the very back of the closet was the filmy see-through nightgown Julia bought her as a gag gift a few years earlier. The joke was about to pay off. She paired it with her satin bathrobe. She didn’t want Doug seeing the goods before it was time.
Satisfied, she closed the closet as Kensie came in through the front door. “The calvary has arrived,” she called as she entered.
The calvary? Who was with her? Hurrying to the living room, she came to a screeching halt. Her tiny cabin was bursting with people. Kensie held a box filled with candles of every color and scent. Lucas grinned at her as he raised a bottle of champagne and two fluted glasses. Jojo had a box of things to set a romantic table. And bringing up the rear were Isaac and Emma carrying platters of food.
Eyes wide, she gave Kensie a reproving look. She’d asked for help from one person, not five. Utterly mortified, her voice came out shrill, “What is all of this?”
Lucas chuckled, enjoying her embarrassment. “Romance, of course. You can’t celebrate properly without champagne.” He waggled the bottle again.
“Or a proper table setting,” Jojo added as she unloaded a linen table cloth and a candelabra.
Kensie just shrugged as she passed, headed for the bedroom with her box.
As they scattered around her cabin, she finally got a good look at what Emma held. Was that… caviar? A tin of very expensive caviar ringed by toasted brioche and condiments filled the sterling silver platter. “Seriously, Aunt Emma?”
&nbs
p; Making her way to the kitchen, Emma waved her concerns away. “You and Doug are the first extraterrestrial and Earthling pairing. It needs to be done up right.”
At least the second platter was normal food. Isaac followed Emma to the kitchen with an assortment of cheese and crackers.
Sighing, Krystal just shook her head. There was no stopping a Le beau on a mission, and she had a cabin full of them. The platters and champagne were tucked away in the refrigerator. Kensie emerged from her bedroom with an empty box, and Jojo had set a beautiful table for two, complete with china plates and silver place settings. “What’s the flower vase for?” she asked, frowning at the empty item in the center of the table.
“That’s Doug’s responsibility,” Jojo said, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from the linen.
“Okay, troops. Move out. Doug will be here any minute.” Isaac shooed them out the door, throwing her a wink as he pulled it shut.
Fingering the table cloth, she smiled. Her family may drive her crazy, but they were the best. The sound of a truck pulling up drew her out of her musing. Opening the door, she watched Doug unload Russel and his bags. Russel spotted Tug and took off to meet his new playmate. She wasn’t worried, he’d be back when he got hungry. Holding the door, she couldn’t help but smile as her mate prowled up her sidewalk.
Stepping aside for him to pass, he surprised her by dropping his bags and framing her face with his hands. Lifting her chin, he gazed into her eyes. The love she saw there expanded her heart until it encompassed the entirety of her chest. “How did I get so lucky?”
His responsive smile was so wicked, Krystal couldn’t look away. “I’ve been asking myself that since I first laid eyes on you.” Leaning in, he whispered against her lips, “Give me a kiss, Tamaali.”
In answer, her arms wound around his neck as her lips parted.
He pressed his lips to hers, luxuriating in the sweetness of the kiss. There was a time and place for animal hunger. Today was all about deep, unending love. Sipping at her sweetness, he tipped her head back and nibbled his way across her jaw.
A soft, intrinsically female sigh whispered over his skin.
Scraping his teeth over her earlobe, he murmured, “We should take this inside.”
“I suppose we should.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “I’d hate to scandalize the dogs.”
Grinning, Doug glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, not a human or shifter in sight. “Where should I put Russel’s bowls and his bed?”
Krystal glanced around. “There’s room for his bowls in the kitchen. As far as his bed goes, right here beside the couch should work.”
“Wow, the table looks nice. You were busy while I was gone.”
“As much as I’d love to take the credit, my family is responsible for much of our bonding celebration.” Pressing play on the boom box, she grinned brightly. “Although, I take full credit for the music.”
One corner of his lips curved upward. “Nice. I like your taste in music. Give me a minute to put my bag in the bedroom. I’ll be right back.” When he returned, he had a small, intricately engraved box, which he placed on the coffee table.
Krystal squeaked when he scooped her into his arms and settled on the couch, nuzzling her neck. He inhaled her scent to center himself before he began. “Okay. How to explain this? The bonding ritual normally has two parts. The first part is public, and the second part is private. On my home planet, we have twelve witnesses during the public portion. Each of the witnesses represents one of the twelve densities that we ascend through. I knew that would be problematic on Earth. Finding twelve people to act as witnesses would require telling twelve people about extra-terrestrials. Needless to say, that level of exposure would be dangerous. So, before I traveled to your world, I discussed this with Luperca, and we modified the ritual. We worked it out that the entire bonding ritual is done privately with the twelve witnesses represented by twelve crystals that I brought with me from Mer Ahn Tah.”
“I like that idea. My aunt Emma does a lot of work with crystals.”
“I know, she told me. She was very excited about my crystals. I promised her I would bring some back for her the next time I visit my planet.” Shifting his weight, he picked up the ornate box and lifted the lid to show her the stones.
“They’re so beautiful. The colors are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“I can’t wait to show you my world. With my ship, we can travel to my plant in less than five hours.”
“Really? That’s mind-boggling. That means we can visit anytime we want to.”
“Exactly.”
“An important aspect of the ceremony is the exchange of bracelets. Kind of like humans exchanging rings with a twist. The gems are chosen specifically to match the energy of the couple. After we met, I meditated on our energy to determine which Earth gem best matched our combined frequency.”
“That sounds amazing. Much more personal than buying a diamond at the local jeweler. Do I get to see them before the ritual?”
“Sure.” Lifting his hips slightly, he dug them out of his pocket. Flattening his palm, he presented her with two stunning bracelets of Peridot set in white gold.
Krystal gingerly ran her finger over a dainty yet durable work of art. “Oh, my goodness. They’re incredible.” Hers was very feminine, while his was definitely made for a man.
“I’m glad you like them. I sourced the finest stones available and then hired the best jeweler I could find to create our bracelets to my specifications.” Pleased with her reaction, he tucked the bracelets away and continued. “We create a circle with the twelve stones. Then, as we stand in the center of the circle with our palms pressed together, we recite the sacred bonding words.”
She turned her head to look him in the eyes. “We recite ritual words? As shifters, we have a claiming pledge that we speak as well.”
“I’ve heard about that. We both have sacred words that are an element of finalizing the bond, but from what I’ve heard, our pledge is much more concise.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from the box of crystals and handed it to her. “We recite this pledge together.”
Quietly, Krystal read aloud, “Your soul called to my soul, and mine joyfully answered.
“You are the one meant for me, lifetime after lifetime.
“As this bracelet is a never-ending circle, our love and bond are also never-ending.
“With this bracelet, I bond my heart to yours.
“I meld my source spark with yours.
“And entwine my life with yours.”
“By speaking these words and exchanging symbols of our union, we are creating an unbreakable bond.” She glanced up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “This is beautiful.”
“It is,” he agreed. “As it says, at the end, we exchange the bracelets. You put mine on me, and I do the same with yours. Then, with our palms touching once again, we experience the coupling of our souls, rising in frequency to the twelfth density, just short of the Source. The experience will be one you never forget. You’ll feel pure love like you’ve never felt before, total bliss, and multiple full-body orgasms. With that, the bonding is completed. Some couples enjoy a feast with family and friends. Others prefer a private celebration. There are no rules for how we mark this momentous occasion in our lives.”
Tiny lines appeared on her forehead. “Aren’t I somewhere between the third and fifth density right now? How do we reach the twelfth density through soul sex?”
“We view physical and spiritual coupling very differently than you do. For one, procreation never happens accidentally. We control when we conceive a child. Making a baby is a very special moment in our lives and not taken lightly. During the conscious creation of a new life, we reach the highest realms of ecstasy and intend a new life to incarnate. This can’t be done without consciously meaning to do so.
“Secondly, for my people, physical relations are a sacred act. The way we make love enhances the soul�
��s ascension by stimulating all aspects of your being. The physical body is only one aspect. We incorporate the mental-emotional aspect of two hearts connecting and the spiritual elevation of vibrational frequency in a way that a human would describe as mind blowing. These three aspects combined allow us to reach higher realms of pure consciousness, transcending densities. In this state of bliss, we become pure consciousness and easily rise through the densities.”
“Seriously? Is that even possible for someone from Earth?”
His lips curved upward. “Absolutely. I can’t wait to experience it with you.”
Krystal bit her lip, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Then, perhaps we should begin?”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He rose to his feet with her in his arms. Holding her gaze, he bent his head and took her lips in a soft yet emotion-filled kiss. When a soft, feminine moan broke the silence, he knew he was on the edge of taking it too far.
Breaking the kiss, he lowered her feet to the floor and picked up his box of crystals. The center of the room was clear of furniture and large enough for his needs. With care, he placed the stones in a perfect circle. Finished with that task, he placed the box aside and took his place in the circle. Extending his hand, he said, “It is time, Mahri”
She stepped into the circle and met his eyes. “Mahri?”
Grinning, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “That is my word for a female spouse, which you are about to be.”
“What is the word for a male spouse?”
“Mahru.”
“Mahru. I like your language.” She ran her finger over his lower lip. “My mahru.”
Doug couldn’t breathe or look away from her eyes. His wildest dreams were there. When he’d come to the planet, he’d hoped he could defy the odds and find his djairi. Preparing to complete their bond was a blessing beyond words.
Doug brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them one by one. Then he flattened his palms against hers. “Do you remember the words of our bonding pledge?”
“Yes,” her answer was breathy.
