“Anna, will you be my mate?”
“I don’t understand.” Her voice was shaking. “I thought it wasn’t possible.”
He shrugged a shoulder but the intensity in his eyes didn’t diminish. “Dragar thinks that under the circumstances, it will be permitted. But even if the Elders do not approve, you are all that matters to me. If I am declared Outlaw, it doesn’t matter as long as you are with me.”
The realization of what he was willing to give up for her took her breath away. She sank down on her knees, too, one hand reaching out to stroke his face. “It’s not necessary. You were right—I belong to you.”
“Yes,” he growled, his eyes blazing with love. “But it is necessary. You are my mate and we will always be together. I will make you happy, little human, I promise.”
“I know you will.”
“Is that a yes?”
Throat choked by tears, she could only nod her head, but he sighed with relief and gathered her close. They were still kneeling, arms around each other, when Dragar appeared on the other sled.
Chapter Twenty
Despite the missing door, the flitter was still operable, but Jakkar flatly refused to let Anna ride in it until every trace of the dead saboteur had been removed. Dragar surveyed the blood-soaked remains with a rueful smile. “I don’t suppose it occurred to you to leave him alive enough to answer questions?” But his gaze traveled to Anna, huddled into the shelter of a rock and he shook his head. “I suppose not. I doubt that I would have, either.”
In the end, Dragar drove the flitter back to the ship while Jakkar and Anna followed on the sled. Jakkar kept the speed slow and steady, and Anna nestled into the warmth of his arms and fell asleep. The next thing she knew, she was standing under the shower in Jakkar’s cabin and he was running gentle hands down her body as he washed the blood from them both. She leaned against him, drinking in the sight of his tall muscular frame. An ugly red gash ran across one side of his stomach and she hissed at the sight, extending a cautious finger to trace the edge of the wound.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “You are supposed to rest and recover. Just let me wash you.” She relaxed into his touch, then jumped as his fingers brushed between her legs. Her nipples instantly hardened and a slow pulsing started low in her belly. She tried to wiggle closer but he laughed and pulled back.
“After the mating ceremony,” he promised.
“What?” Shock distracted her from her increasing arousal.
“Dragar and I decided it would be better to have the ceremony here rather than on Sardor. He will take Melia home and return to Sardor with the news.”
“Because you think your Elders are going to object?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Or because you are ashamed of me?”
He laughed and cupped her breasts, tracing his thumbs over the tight peaks until she was shuddering. “I’m more afraid that someone will try and steal you from me.”
“Mmm.” She leaned into his hands but he stepped away again.
“It is traditional to abstain for three days before the mating ceremony,” Jakkar said sternly, turning her around to wash her back.
“Three days?” Anna started to protest, but decided there were better options. She stood quietly while Jakkar washed her back, but as he started to turn off the shower, she slipped in front of him and took the soap.
“My turn,” she said sweetly, running her hands in gentle strokes across his broad chest, enjoying the feel of the hard muscles beneath her fingers. She drew slow circles around his nipples and felt his cock rising against her stomach, hard and hot. He started to protest but she let her fingers slip lower, grasping the thick length with slippery hands and stroking gently from base to tip. He groaned and pressed closer but she kept her touch light and teasing.
“Three days? Are you sure?” Her voice was husky and she dragged the hard tips of her breast against his chest with each stroke.
“I suppose we could make it one day.” His voice was determined and she sighed. It was sort of romantic and she supposed she would have insisted on the same thing if she had had a typical Earth wedding. Reluctantly she released him with a final slow squeeze along his entire length that had him groaning again before she stepped back to let him rinse.
He turned off the shower and wrapped her in one of the large towels which had miraculously reappeared in the bathroom. She looked at him innocently. “Not afraid of me running away any more?”
He growled and pulled her hard against him, startling a soft gasp from her lips. “You will never run away from me again, little human.”
The rumble of his voice against her chest made her insides quiver and she melted against him, letting the towel drop to the floor.
“Never,” she agreed. His hands slid down her back to cup her ass and then he lifted her up his body. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he held her easily and she leaned in to nip gently at his lower lip before sinking into his kiss. The heat of his mouth and the taste of him against her tongue were intoxicating. His cock was trapped between their bodies, pressing against her responsive clit and she couldn’t resist wiggling a little to increase the contact. He dropped his mouth to her neck, nibbling a trail of fire along the sensitive skin, and rocked her against him. She was so wet she was sliding up and down, each stroke teasing her swollen cleft until she shivered in his arms, desperate to have him inside her.
“I need you,” she moaned. He raised his head and his eyes were glowing gold.
“It’s an outdated tradition, anyway,” he gasped, and without releasing her he opened the door to the bedroom. They were almost to the bed when a knock sounded on the door. Jakkar growled and dropped to the bed with her still clasped in his arms and hastily pulled a sheet around both of them.
“Go away,” he yelled.
“Is that any way to talk to the chief attendant?” Melia said cheerfully as she walked into the room. Her eyes widened as she took in their position and she shook her head. “You can’t even wait one day?”
“One? I thought it was three?” Anna asked.
“It is, but since I need to return home and the Elders need to know about this planet, we cut it down to one,” Melia said.
Anna glared at Jakkar over her shoulder. “You never had any intention of waiting three days.” His lips curved up but he didn’t deny it.
“Melia, turn your back,” Anna ordered. As soon as her friend turned away, Anna slipped out of Jakkar’s arms. Startled, he reached for her but she had already wrapped the sheet around her body and was headed out of the door with Melia.
“I’m never letting you have sheets again,” he called after Anna as the women disappeared down the corridor.
The mating ceremony was to be held at sunset and by the time the late afternoon shadows were slanting across Melia’s stateroom, Anna was a nervous wreck. Jakkar had tried to see her three times and each time Melia had chased him away. While Anna understood the tradition, she would felt infinitely better if she had been able to sneak into his arms and feel his strong presence.
“Am I doing the right thing?” she asked Melia for at least the tenth time. Melia sighed and reassured her once again.
“But what if he is declared Outcast?” Anna couldn’t help worrying, knowing how much his clan meant to him.
“He will still be a warrior.” Teron spoke up unexpectedly and Anna jumped. He was so quiet that she tended to forget that he was in the room. “And to have the woman you love, isn’t that worth any sacrifice?” His eyes went to Melia and Anna remembered that Teron had in fact given up his people in order to be with Melia. He didn’t look unhappy at all; instead, she could see the quiet content on his face. Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. “Thank you.”
Melia smiled back at Teron and then pulled Anna over to the dressing table. “Let’s do your hair.”
Anna was going to wear the green gown again, although she was worried that it was much too revealing for a wedding gown. Melia simply laughed. “At least it’s better than a
sheet. And I doubt that it will make it past the first ten minutes of your mating retreat.”
Anna blushed and subsided, letting Melia arrange her hair in a complicated twist and make up her eyes and lips. There was no half veil for the mating ceremony but after Anna wiggled into her dress, Melia arranged a floating cape of transparent gold material around her shoulders. The shimmering fabric stirred at the slightest air movement, concealing and then revealing Anna within the swirl of color.
In a slow procession, Melia escorted Anna to the ceremonial site. Grimur and Nadodar preceded them and Teron followed, holding the baby as usual. As they left the ship, the evening breeze danced around them lifting Anna’s cloak and letting the low rays of the sun catch the fabric so that she was surrounded by a cloud of golden light.
The ceremonial site had been created at the base of the largest rock spire, rising like a cathedral above them with the last of the sunlight catching sparks of gold from the enormous rock. There was no sound except the soft murmur of the wind and the whisper of her feet against the sand. A circle of torches surrounded the base, flickering in the breeze and sending shimmers of deeper gold through the drifting swirl of her cape. Jakkar stood within the circle, dressed in his formal clothes, waiting for her. His face was stern and hard, and for a moment she felt a flicker of uncertainty but then she met the golden glow of his eyes and it was all she could do not to run to him. Lost in his gaze, she didn’t realize that the others had fanned out beyond the torches and that they were alone in the circle until she took his hands.
“In the Name of the Goddess, I, Jakkar, Chief of the Clan Leijona, declare Anna Elliot to be my mate.” His voice was quiet but sure. “I will protect her with my life, provide for her always, and love her until I die.”
Tears threatened at the words. Melia had told her that the ceremony didn’t include the word love, but Jakkar had declared his love in front of his warriors. Anna slipped to her knees, still holding his hands, as his eyes widened in surprise.
“I belong to you, Jakkar of the Clan Leijona. I will never leave you and I will love you until I die.”
He pulled her to her feet, his eyes never leaving her face. “Until I can make ones to fit you,” he whispered as he removed his cuffs and slid them up her arms. The weight of the golden bands was heavy, reassuring, and she smiled up at him. He started to turn her around and then stopped.
“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not necessary.”
Melia had told her that the traditional mating ceremony included the clan mark. Jakkar would use the same type of device that Melia had used with Teron to mark her skin. The process terrified her but she wanted his mark on her. Jakkar was studying her face, holding the small device in one hand as he waited for her answer. Her heart skipped a beat but she nodded firmly. “I’m sure.”
Turning her back to him, she let the cape fall to her feet as she swept her hair to one side and bowed her head. His warm fingers trailed gently across her shoulders and as always, she felt her body respond to his touch.
“Be very still,” he warned as he clasped her neck. A blaze of white hot pain seared her back and her mouth dropped open. She was too shocked to cry out and she felt her knees begin to give just as the pain stopped. Jakkar’s arm slipped around her stomach to support her as his other hand spread something cool and soothing across the brand. Gently he turned her back to face him, his face pale. A little tremulously, she smiled at him and his face lit with relief and pride.
His lips closed on hers and she forgot everything in the heat of his kiss. Then Melia whirled her away, hugging her in excitement as the quiet night exploded around them. A drum sounded and cheers erupted from the warriors. Teron gave her a cautious hug and she laughed and returned it, kissing the baby. The other warriors bowed before her and, as Melia had instructed, she touched her hand to each of their clan symbols. In return, they touched hers and uttered a quiet vow of protection. The formalities over, they each clasped her hand before swinging her around in the circle of light. Dragar held her hand a fraction of a second longer than the others. “Don’t worry human,” he whispered. “The Elders will see sense—or maybe they won’t see this planet.” He grinned at her startled look before disappearing into the torchlight.
Melia reappeared, thrusting a mug of something hot and alcoholic into her hand. Warmth spread through her body with the first sip and she laughed and talked, the entire time searching for Jakkar, longing for his presence. He was always on the other side of the circle, and then she couldn’t find him at all, and the drink was like lead in her stomach.
A familiar scent teased her nostrils and Jakkar was lifting her into his arms and striding away from the torch lit circle.
“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.
“Away from here.” His voice was stern and he didn’t pause.
“But the ceremony, and the feast,” she protested half-heartedly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He stopped at the hover sled, lined with blankets, and laid her down gently before slipping in next to her as the sled rose and began moving silently toward the cliffs.
“They can enjoy the feast,” he growled softly as he pulled her into his arms. “I am taking you back to our cave where I am going to remove that very pretty dress—which you will never wear again—and spend several weeks proving just how much I love you. Any more objections?”
Anna sighed and snuggled into the warm strength of his body, reaching up to trail a kiss along his jaw. “None at all.”
Epilogue
18 months later
Jakkar walked along the cliff road, approving the progress of the new colony. It had taken almost a year to complete the claim on this planet, now known as Sardor Two, but with a little judicious pressure on certain Imperial connections, and a lot of help from Melia’s grateful family, they had finally succeeded. Despite his intimidating looks and sardonic sense of humor—or perhaps because of them—Dragar had proven surprisingly adept at navigating Imperial politics as he had pushed the claim through. Even the bad luck and missing clans that had haunted them had diminished once they had implemented their plan for random, heavily armed back-ups. Dragar was still determined to uncover the underlying enemy and was pursuing leads across the galaxy.
The thought of Dragar’s progress created a knot in his gut but he pushed it aside, inspecting the activity around him. The spaceport on the desert floor was well underway as were the experimental farms on the plateau at the top of the cliff. Sardoran houses were being built along the cliff face. Eventually the small city would spread out around the lake, but for now the houses clung to the rock face for storage and protection. Jakkar had somewhat reluctantly accepted the post of Controller for the new colony, but as it allowed him to stay here with Anna and oversee the development of their clan home, it had been a worthwhile sacrifice. And he did find the day to day challenges far more rewarding than he had anticipated.
His steps quickened as he approached his house. They had started on it while waiting for the claim to be formalized and sited it on the outcropping that guarded the falls. Strong walls of mellow red stone surrounded large windows which looked out over the lake and the desert below. The windows were a compromise. Jakkar saw them as a weakness but Anna loved the light they provided, so within each window frame were metal shutters that could be closed electronically. Anna had started a small garden along the front wall using some flowers found on their exploration trips and the soft colors blended with the silver vines starting to climb the façade.
He pushed open the door, his eyes immediately seeking out his wife. She was seated in the window embrasure overlooking the falls, nursing their daughter. The fact that they had a child together still filled him with grateful astonishment. He had been so sure that their species were too different to create a child and the doctor he had consulted via vidlink had agreed—only to be proven wrong three months later when Anna had become pregnant. Jakkar had immediately decided to take Anna to Sardor in easy reach of me
dical assistance and she had been equally determined not to go. The knowledge that, while the Elders had tacitly accepted their mating bond, they had not officially acknowledged it added strength to her argument and he had imported a medical team instead.
Rantor stood up from his place in the sun at Anna’s feet and stretched leisurely before heading for Jakkar. He paused to rub affectionately against Jakkar’s side before disappearing through the door. Since the baby had been born, the linae had been remarkably protective, rarely leaving Anna’s side unless Jakkar was present.
He closed the door behind the great animal and surveyed his home appreciatively. The large room was bright and airy, the polished rock floors glowing softly in the afternoon sun. A comfortable seating area nestled at one end between the windows and the great fireplace. Imported furniture mixed comfortably with the items they had made during the claim period. At the other end, a kitchen alcove was tucked beneath the stairs leading to the future second floor. In between, a tall archway led to the back of the house and a large bedroom flanked by an equally large bathing room.
Jakkar crossed the room to lean against the back of Anna’s chair and watch the small figure nursing sleepily. Kylesh had Sardoran features and shimmering light gold skin but she had her mother’s brown crystal eyes and a soft cloud of golden hair already covered her scalp. He reached down and gently stroked the baby’s head, relishing the silky feel, and her eyes popped open for a brief moment before her cheeks hollowed in another sleepy pull.
“Shh,” Anna whispered. “She’s almost asleep.”
He withdrew his hand and let his fingers trail along Anna’s neck instead, before bending lower to follow the trail with his mouth. She shivered and leaned into his touch, her free hand coming up to stroke his face. Her heavy gold mating cuffs caught the sunlight and he felt the familiar sense of possessive pride in his mate.
Anna and the Alien: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 1) Page 17
