"Daria?" Lia asked, "Who are you talking to?"
"The baby," Daria said. "I'm trying to decide on a name for her and I can't decide."
"You could let Thorn worry about that."
She laughed and shook her head. "He doesn't want to have anything to do with the baby and I've decided to start a new tradition. One in which the mother chooses the name then promptly moves into a house of her own." Before she ends up killing him, she thought to herself.
Lia grinned. "Let's go in to dinner. I'm sure you must be hungry."
Daria nodded. "I'm starving." She took Lia's arm and they strolled toward the house.
# # #
Thorn stood at the den window watching them. When he and Daria had arrived on Zarronia she'd been too slender, almost fragile. Now, she was beautifully rounded and the deep lavender gown flowed over her, outlining the differences he could see in her body. Including the soft roundness of her belly.
He couldn't remember the child birthing classes he'd taken when Naline had been carrying Dane and Dev. Was Daria attending the classes? If so, was anyone going with her? He could ask her but he already had a battle ahead of him just getting her on his starship. He knew she'd refuse to go and they'd argue about it. What she didn't know was that he was looking forward to every micro-unit of it. She was clever and obstinate. A good opponent although he'd have to be careful not to upset her.
He had the most important battle of his life ahead of him. The way he saw it, he had three choices. He could tell her he loved her and let her walk all over him, or he could tell her he loved her and take firm control of the situation, or he could keep quiet and let things go from bad to worse. The first and third option were quickly rejected.
Tonight, he'd tell her he loved her and that they were staying together.
A moment later his mother opened the door and said, "It's time for dinner."
"Good," Valan said as he rose, then took Lia's arm and escorted her to the dining room. Thorn followed behind them, groaning when he entered the room and saw his grandparents, Soren, and Borg sitting at the table.
Daria ignored him, until he ordered Dane to move out of the chair next to her. "I told him he could sit there, Commander."
Thorn picked Dane up and placed him in a chair on the other side of the table next to his Grandmother and took his place next to Daria. "You don't have to call me commander, Daria. Master will do."
Next to him, Soren chuckled.
"Why don't you hold your breath until I do?" Daria mumbled.
"Isn't this nice?" Nessa said happily. "All of the family together again."
"Yes, Grandmother," Thorn agreed. "It is nice."
Daria wondered what he was up to then asked Nessa where she'd gotten her gown. As she knew she would, Nessa related the purchase in fine detail, even giving Daria directions to the shop where she'd found it. She managed to ignore Thorn for most of the meal until he stretched his arm along the back of her chair and began tugging on one of her curls. She discreetly scooted her chair a few inches in Borg's direction as she engaged him in a conversation about his profession. When she felt her chair sliding back towards Thorn, she grabbed the edge of the table and looked at him.
Grinning, he sipped his wine and pulled her closer until her chair was almost touching his.
"Stop that," she hissed, glaring at him
"I'm just trying to take care of you," Thorn said.
Daria frowned. "I don't need babying, Commander."
"Babying?" he asked.
Daria smiled. "It means to take care of another person as if they were an infant usually because you care about them."
"This babying? Would it include cuddling, bathing and feeding? Could you talk back? If not then I might enjoy doing this."
Daria tightened the grip on her eating utensil to keep from stabbing him with it. He glanced at her hand and smiled drawing a little growl of temper from her. "I can take care of myself and my baby so you can keep your distance and go kill things." She made a shooing motion.
Dane and Dev giggled then copied her motion and said together, "Go on now. Git." They laughed again.
Lia and Valan smiled and Eirik chuckled.
"Daria, I have a file of Earth slang and gestures I'd like you to explain to me when you have the time," Valan said. "Some don't make any sense."
Daria laughed. "Those might be regional and known only to the local population or archaic. After dinner I'll look them over and do my best."
"No. After dinner, I want to speak to you in the den." Thorn pulled her chair a little closer.
"I don't want to speak to you."
Thorn lifted his brows. "Not ever? That should make things easier, baby."
"Don't call me that ridiculous name," Daria demanded. "I am not your baby."
"No, but you’re my bondmate. That gives me the right to call you anything I like, and I like calling you baby, Baby."
"Would you like to know what I call you in those rare moments when I think of you at all?" Daria inquired sweetly.
"For some reason, I think I'd rather not," Thorn said.
The serving female came into the room and began removing their trays, replacing them with a dish of sweet cake. Dane and Dev hooted with joy and eagerly waited to be served. Daria smiled at their antics.
As soon as they finished eating Thorn escorted her into the den and sat down across from her. He waited as she crossed her legs and smoothed her gown over them. Finally, she looked up and glared at him.
"I missed you during my last mission, Daria."
"I didn't miss you."
"Not even in the middle of the night when you woke up burning with need and I wasn't there to hold you."
Daria studied her fingernails. "That never happened."
Thorn watched her closely. "Now, you're lying, baby."
"Really? But, you know what a liar I am? I just can't be trusted, can I, Commander?"
Thorn sighed. "I should have checked your story and I'm sorry I didn't. But, you have to admit anyone else in the same situation would have reacted exactly as I did."
Daria silently agreed with him. "Alright. I accept your apology. But, that doesn't excuse the way you've treated me."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
"Well, I don't forgive you. I never griped about your experience or the fact that you already have two sons. Females should be free to do anything they please and not be judged for it."
"You are definitely not going to teach any females on Zarronia this nonsense," Thorn warned her. "In our culture a female doesn't get any experience before bonding. And, that will definitely include the baby."
"My daughter and I'll teach her anything I want to and you won't be in a position to stop me."
"I've decided to claim your baby as my own. I'm also going to claim you. Completely."
"The fact you still refer to her as my baby tells me you're not really prepared to do that. Besides, I don't want you to claim me or her."
"I'm claiming both of you and we are staying together."
"No, we are not. I'm not living with a man who doesn't trust me."
Thorn frowned. "We are moving into our house tomorrow as planned. Dane and Dev are expecting us to do this and you are not going to hurt them again by refusing."
Daria looked away from him. He was right she thought. Dane and Dev were excited about being a family and living in their own home. How could she disappoint them? But, what about the future when she and the baby moved out? Sighing, she decided she'd let the future take care of itself as it was all she could do to cope with the present. "Alright tomorrow we move into the house."
Thorn nodded. "As soon as I can arrange it we'll begin taking birthing classes and you may continue working on the articles you are writing for the Council."
Daria glared at him. "You don't have any say in whether or not I write the articles for the Council. That's my business."
Thorn ignored her. "You'll need to purchase another desk for the den for your own use. I'm not
sharing mine with you."
"I'll use the library."
"No. The boys will need it for their lessons on the viewing screen. You'll have more privacy in the den. Also, we'll need to purchase furniture for the nursery. I like lavender. What do you think?"
"I think you've lost your mind. I am going to use the spare room as my bed chamber. If I have to I'll put a desk in there because I am not sharing anything with you."
Thorn smiled. "We're going to share a bed. Whether it's your bed, my bed, or our bed. That's up to you
Daria glared at him and rose from the chair. As she moved by him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. She jerked her arm away and tried to scoot off his lap. "Let go."
"Choose. Do we share a bed chamber or not?" Thorn ran his hand over her rounded belly.
Daria shoved it away. "I'll think about it."
Gently, he brushed her hair away from her cheek, then ran his fingertip down its satiny smoothness, noticing that her cheeks were more rounded now.
"Let me up." She wiggled in an effort to escape.
Thorn inhaled sharply, then pulled her hip tightly against his growing erection. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and nibbled on her bottom lip. She tasted so good and he'd missed her so much. "Daria, I love you."
Daria slammed her palms against his shoulders and jumped free.
"Oh! How dare you say that," she yelled at him. "I'm not falling for it, Commander, so you can just forget it."
Spinning, she rushed towards the door.
"Daria, if you open that door you won't be able to sit for a week," he warned her.
Ignoring him, she flung it open. Over her shoulder, she said, "You wouldn't dare. Eirik and Borg would have you put in chains and locked up."
"I never thought you were a coward."
Daria glared at him, closed the door and leaned back against it. "What's going on? Why the sudden change of heart?"
He walked toward her and smoothed her hair then clasped her hand in his. Holding it tightly he slid the band from his arm over their clasped hands and into place on her upper arm then backed her against the door and kissed her.
Daria pulled her hand free but she didn't push him away. She slid her hands around his waist, under his vest and stroked his back just above the waistband of his pants.
Thorn was careful not to press his weight against her as he gently held her waist then eased his hands over her breasts. Daria leaned into his hands and he thumbed her nipples, drawing a moan of pleasure from her.
The knock on the door behind them went unnoticed at first. When it became more insistent, Thorn groaned then cursed. He planted one hand on the door, raised his mouth from hers and told whoever it was to go away.
"Thorn, I need to talk to you," Soren said.
"Look at me, little wolfen." He waited until their eyes met. "I have to talk to Soren. I'll tell you why later but for now just think about what I've said. Will you do that?"
Daria saw something is his eyes that disturbed her. He looked almost sad. Without thinking she ran her fingers down his cheek and nodded. "I'll think about it."
"I know I've hurt you and I'm willing to let you punish me for a while but eventually you'll have to believe I love you." He pulled her away from the door and it swung open
Soren glanced at them as he strode into the room carrying two tankards of ale. He set them down then turned to look at them. "Working things out?"
Daria nodded then hugged Thorn. She didn't know why she did it but something told her he needed a little affection right then. She patted Soren's arm when she passed him. "No more beating up innocent bystanders."
Thorn laughed. "Baby, there are no innocent bystanders."
Daria smiled and left the room.
Soren closed the door and turned to face Thorn. "Father's told you about my level?"
"Yes. Don't give up hope, Soren. We'll find a female for you."
"I’m leaving soon to explore the Poleran Galaxy."
"Don't go." Thorn grabbed his arm. "Daria and I will travel to Earth with you and help you find a mate."
Soren gave Thorn a bone-crushing hug. "I love you, brother, but I won't let you watch me die." He smiled.
Thorn returned the powerful hug. "Where ever you go part of me goes with you."
"And part of me lives on in your sons." Soren stepped back, picked up the tankards and handed one to Thorn.
"Can you stay until the baby is born? I want you to choose her name."
"It would be my honor." Soren held out his tankard and Thorn clashed his into it.
"To honor," Thorn said.
"To a warrior's death," Soren said then drained his tankard.
# # #
Daria opened the door to her room and screeched with fright when a large form moved on the bed.
"Daria," Soren said.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were in here." Daria stared when Soren's aqua eyes lit up with the light from the hallway.
He smiled, then watched as Thorn moved up behind her. "I moved back in here since you won't be needing it anymore, little sister."
Daria stiffened when Thorn laid his hands on her shoulders. She stepped forward to put a little more distance between them. Thorn's hand slid around her, completely covering her belly as he gently pulled her back.
"Sorry to bother you, Soren. We'll see you at sun rising." Thorn pulled Daria into the hall and closed the door.
She met his eyes. "I suppose part of this cooperation business is sharing your room?"
"Yes. Tonight, and every night for the rest of our lives," Thorn whispered as he escorted her into his room.
Daria pulled her arm from his hand. She wandered around the fastidiously neat room. Soren's room was cluttered with jumbled piles of mementoes from his youth, but Thorn's collections were neatly organized in several glass-fronted cases.
She opened a door to one of the cases, picked up a reddish crystal and held it to the light as she examined it. Thorn reached over her shoulder, removed it from her hand and replaced it on the shelf. Before he could close the door, she reached in and began rearranging the crystals according to size.
Thorn covered her hands. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mess with my crystals, Daria. Some of them are extremely rare and impossible to ever replace."
"Are any of them from Zylia?" she asked unconcerned, as she pulled her hands from beneath his and reached for an oval rock on a lower shelf.
Thorn watched her run her fingers over one of the Zylian pods he'd brought back. "The 'rock' you're touching is actually a Zylian pod."
She jerked her fingers away from it. It looked just like an opal and it was hard, like stone. Thorn picked it up and held it to the light. The covering became opaque and she saw a small shape inside it. "Is it alive?"
"No. It's been dead for over a thousand annuals." Thorn put it back in the case and closed the door.
Daria wandered farther into the room as a plan formed in her mind. Thorn didn't know it, but he was about to discover he was bonded to the messiest person in the universe. Casually, she kicked off her sandals and left them in the middle of the floor. She grinned when he picked them up and placed them in the closet. Noticing one of her bags, she rummaged through it until she found what she was searching for and pulled it from the bag. "I think I'll take a shower."
"I'll join you."
Daria smiled, then closed the door as he moved towards her. Gleefully, she locked it.
He knocked on it. "Daria? Let me in."
Ignoring him, she turned on the shower, then disrobed and stepped into it. Knowing he would find a way into the room, she smoothed cleansing oil over herself, then rinsed it away. She ran a drying cloth over herself and slipped the sleeping gown on when she heard a click and the door swung open.
Thorn leaned against the frame, blocking the opening. He crossed his arms over his chest. "How long are you going to punish me? I've told you I love you."
"Do you love my baby, Thorn?"
"I accept her."
Acceptance wasn't love but she couldn't take this deception any longer. It was making her crazy and what good did it do to keep the truth from him now? She turned away and began brushing her hair.
He moved next to her, leaned his hip against the counter and crowded her. "I'll be a good father to her."
She met his eyes in the mirror. "I know you won't believe me, and frankly I don't care anymore one way or the other, but when I went for my exam Borg discovered that the baby is yours." She walked away from him. "He'll verify it if you ask him." She slid into bed and pulled the sheet up. Thorn didn't appear for a few micro-units and when he did he looked sick.
"Why did you keep it from me?
"We have a saying on Earth—no trust then no love. You don't trust me so there's no way you can love me. I kept the truth about the baby from you because I wanted you to believe me because you trust me."
"How long have you known?"
"A couple cycles."
He nodded then disappeared back into the bathing chamber. He showered, then walked nude into the bed chamber and put his clothes and boots away before joining her in the bed. He tugged on the gown she wore. "What's this?"
"It's a nightgown. I had a shopkeeper make it for me."
"I don't like it."
Tough, Daria thought. "On Earth we don't sleep unclothed."
"You're not on Earth. You're with me and here we sleep nude. The way a bonded couple should sleep."
"I'm starting a new tradition." She curled onto her side facing away from him, then yawned, loudly. He chuckled and slid his hand over her waist. When he tried to tug her onto her back, she clutched the edge of the mattress and held on. "I'm tired."
Thorn pushed the soft curls away from her nape and ran his fingers back and forth across the sensitive skin. He scooted close to her back and tangled his legs with hers. "Take off the gown." He lowered his mouth to her nape and licked it, then nibbled the satiny skin.
Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 2) Page 23
