by Elin Peer
All three of us, Zasquash, Leo, and I, had assured Salma that no one was going to storm the stage or try to get close to her, but it hadn’t helped much.
Now that she was on stage performing her first song, Salma’s voice sounded like a weak imitation of the first time I’d heard her. At the other two concerts, she had used her whole body, gesturing with her arms, and singing with her mouth opened up wide. Now her arms were folded in front of her and she didn’t look at the audience.
“She looks so uncomfortable,” Willow whispered next to me. “Should I go in and dance next to her, do you think that would help her relax?”
“No, I think it would distract her and maybe confuse her.”
Ben was rubbing his earlobe with a troubled look on his face when more than once Salma looked to her right where Zasquash and Leo stood hidden by the curtains, and to her left where Willow, Tristan, Ben, and I stood and watched.
Willow was moving her feet and wringing her hands. “We need to do something. She’s terrified.”
We didn’t have time to do anything before all of a sudden, Salma stumbled back on the stage, her face pale and withdrawn in fear.
Concerned mutterings broke out among the audience members as she began crying and ran to our side, straight into the arms of Willow and Tristan.
“I’ve got you.” Tristan hugged Salma tight. “You’re okay.”
“There… there was a man,” she stammered. “He stood up and I thought…”
I looked out over the audience and saw a man walking toward the exit. “He’s heading for the bathroom, Salma. No one is going to hurt you.”
“Salma, look at me.” Tristan spoke in a soft but insistent tone and waited for her to raise her head. “Remember what you said yesterday in your speech to the other performers?”
She was blinking her large gray eyes, which were wet from tears. “No.”
“You said that fear will paralyze you and make you his bitch if you let him.”
“That’s not what she said,” Willow protested. “Salma would never use a word like that.”
Tristan kept his gaze locked with Salma. “You have battled your nemesis for years. You can’t let fear make you give up now. I won’t let you.”
“But what if…” She sniffled and shook her head. “What if…”
“You’re scared someone is going to attack you, is that it?” Tristan asked and seemed to be in no hurry despite the white noise from the audience that overpowered the instruments from the orchestra, who were still playing on.
“Let me go with you. I’ll hold your hand and I guarantee that it’ll make every man in that audience back off.”
“That’s right,” I added. “They’ll think you’re allowing Tristan to claim you for his own.”
Salma looked back to the stage and drew in a deep breath to calm herself.
“I’ve got you,” Tristan repeated. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
Salma formed her lips into a round O and exhaled forcefully, her shoulders falling a bit, and then she filled her lungs again.
“Except the singing.” Tristan gave a small smile. “If I start singing with you, the men will attack me for hurting their ears.”
Salma’s eyes softened but she didn’t smile. Taking the hand Tristan held out to her, she turned to Willow. “Is my make-up all right?”
Willow used her thumbs to correct a few spots before giving a nod of approval.
Salma took a last deep breath before she walked back on stage with Tristan right next to her.
The orchestra stopped playing, the confused mumbling from the audience died down, and the few who had been standing up hurried back to their seats.
Salma was the star of the show and now that she was back, all eyes were on her.
Holding Tristan’s hand in a tight squeeze, she looked back at the orchestra and collected herself before facing the audience. Instead of singing, she spoke to them.
“As you all know, yesterday was a hard day for us performers. I walked out here on stage today with fear in my body. Fear that one or more of you would storm the stage and hurt me.”
No one said a word, but I think every one of us Nmen felt a heaviness in our chest.
“These past days, I’ve learned a lot about your culture. I am told you men of the north have a high level of honor.”
The audience gave approving nods and comments.
“I’ve also been told that you respect women and take pride in protecting us.” Salma’s hand was still entwined with Tristan’s when she raised it a little. “I’m sure there are many amazing men in this country and I know that I’ve only met a few. But one man stood out to me from the first moment he made me smile. Meeting Tristan was like finding a loved one from a previous life. Not only is he the kindest, dearest, and sweetest of men, but he makes me want to challenge myself.” Salma smiled up at Tristan. “So, to you, Men of the North, hear me when I declare that I, Salma Rose, claim Tristan for my own.”
The audience members were dead silent for a second before they exploded in a mix of laughter and applause.
My shoulders were jerking up and down, my chest rumbling with laughter. I met Leo’s and Zasquash’s eyes across the stage. They were bent over from laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Ben asked me.
I didn’t know how to explain how bizarre it was to us Nmen to see a woman claim a man and emasculate him at the same time by calling him sweet and pretty in front of a large audience. The fact that Tristan took it with a big smile and stood next to her like she had just nailed it made it even funnier.
Looking up, Khan was drying away tears of laughter from his eyes and everyone with him on the balcony was standing up and applauding too.
The waves of joy and positive energy lifted Salma and made her relax. She signaled for everyone to quiet down. “I owe a lot of my knowledge of your culture to Tristan, so before I do my next song for you, I just want to say that Tristan has the nicest ears I’ve ever seen.”
Tristan grinned and showed off his ears by pulling his hair back.
The audience was still laughing, and Salma’s voice was full of amusement. “See, he’s making you laugh too. It’s just a gift he has.” With the widest smile, she tilted her head. “I think I can take it from here, Tristan.”
Tristan leaned in and gave Salma a kiss square on her lips. For a second, he looked into her eyes and with a sweet smile she lifted her right hand and caressed his cheek in an intimate gesture.
“Say goodbye to Tristan, everyone. I was going to send him off the stage with eternal bliss in our traditional Motlander style, but instead let’s all wish Tristan a lovely day with one of your local greetings that has become a favorite of mine.” Lifting her hand, she raised her middle finger and pointed it at Tristan while smiling wide.
A new wave of laughter sounded from the audience as they joined in on the orchestra and Salma’s flipping fingers at Tristan.
“Oh, how could I ever be scared of you. You’re such an amazing audience,” Salma said and inclined her head to all the Nmen in front of her. “My next song is called ‘Energy of Life’ and it goes like this.” With a swing of her hand the orchestra began to play.
Tristan came walking offstage with a proud bounce in his steps.
“What the hell happened?” I grinned and patted his shoulder. “You were supposed to claim her, not the other way around.”
Tristan didn’t look bothered but was grinning from ear to ear. “In the spirit of equality, I just went with the flow.”
Ben smiled up at Tristan. “You did marvelous. Look at how relaxed she is now.” He pointed to Salma onstage; she was singing her heart out. “If I’d know a little fake publicity would make her this good I would have agreed sooner.”
Tristan’s smile stiffened as if the word fake bothered him.
“You know it was just for show,” I reminded him. “To keep her safe.”
“Maybe not.”
“What’s with that secretive smile?” I tea
sed him, squeezing his shoulder.
“Let’s just say some things happened between us this morning that make me very optimistic.”
Willow’s eyes dilated with excitement and she whispered, “Details, I want details.”
Tristan grinned and shook his head.
“Did you tell Salma how you feel about her?”
He nodded.
“And what did she say?” Willow asked eagerly.
Tristan smiled. “She said she felt the same way about me. Don’t look so surprised. Just because you didn’t like me that way doesn’t mean others can’t.”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry, Tristan.” Willow tilted her head with an apologetic expression. “It was just that Solo was always in my heart. There was nothing wrong with you. We just weren’t right for each other.”
“I know.” Tristan’s eyes were fixed on Salma and he sighed a little.
“Oh, Tristan, I’m so happy for you.” Willow gave him a spontaneous kiss on his cheek.
“Did you ask Salma to marry you?” I pressed him.
“We don’t need to be married to be a couple. I think we’ll find our own way.”
I frowned. “No. That’s the Motlander in you speaking. Make sure she marries you.”
Tristan patted my chest. “Solo, relax. I’m not as possessive as you are. If I were, I couldn’t share my woman with the rest of the world. Salma is a star and she lights up people’s lives. I’m just pinching myself that she feels as in love with me as I feel about her.” Tristan gave us a distracted smile as he turned back to watching Salma, who was moving on to the second song. “Isn’t she amazing?” he breathed.
We all nodded in agreement.
When the show was over, we security members made sure only the selected few were allowed to stay for a meet-and-greet in the banquet hall inside the Gray Manor.
Salma held hands with Tristan all the way through, while talking with Nmen who declared she had a voice like an angel. Tristan looked proud and not bothered by their sugary words to his woman. I on the other hand scowled at every male who spoke with Willow. And when a handsome tall man made her laugh, I walked over and stood next to her.
Provoked by my glaring at him and unwilling to move along, he kept chatting with Willow. “Is it true that your brother is Hunter Hercules?”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Many of us were disappointed to see you hold his hand. For a minute there, we thought you might not be single after all.”
Willow gave him a serene look while I wanted to yell at him that she was no longer single.
“Any chance you’d be open to a relationship with an Nman?” the large man asked with a hopeful smile.
“Uh-huh.” Willow gave me a sideways glance. She was amused. “I like big strong men.”
“You do?” The man lit up and squared his chest.
“Yes, I like them slightly possessive and dominant too.”
I wasn’t sure if Willow was playing with him, me, or both of us, but I gave a low growl in warning.
“I’m dominant and possessive by nature,” the man claimed and moved a tiny bit closer, his voice lower now and his eyes fixed on Willow like she was prey ready to take down.
“Move along,” I ordered him, but he ignored me. “The lady isn’t single.”
“She just said she was.”
“No. She confirmed Hunter was her brother.”
“I’ve read every article and seen every interview. She’s single,” the man defended himself, and puffed himself up like a goddamn gorilla in a territorial dispute.
My body pumped out testosterone in a high dose and another low growl came from my throat. My size and muscles should be intimidating enough for any rational man to move along, but this fucker had his eyes on Willow and I couldn’t blame him, because she was gorgeous and worth fighting for.
“I said, move the fuck along,” I repeated. “Willow Darlington is taken.”
Raising his chin, he hissed, “By whom?”
“By me!” I placed my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me. “Willow is my wife.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Fuck you. You’re lying.”
I looked down at Willow and saw freaking amusement in her eyes. Leaning in, I planted a solid kiss on her lips. The loud gasp from the man in front of us made others turn to watch.
“Mine!” I mumbled and looked into her eyes, which crinkled with soft lines when she broke into a sweet smile.
“Took you long enough.”
We both ignored the man, who finally had the wits to move along.
“You wanted me to claim you sooner?”
“Yeah, I did.” Willow lifted her hand and cupped my face. “I was talking to Mila last night and she asked me an interesting question that gave me a bit of an epiphany.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“We talked about all the hate and anger I’d felt for you for years, and you know what she said?”
“No.”
“She asked me if maybe the root of my anger wasn’t what happened to me when we ran away together, but that you didn’t come for me after they separated us.’”
I swallowed hard. “Willow, I tried but they kept you in the Motherlands, and I was being kept under supervision by a whole fucking squad of elite soldiers.”
Her gaze lowered. “And when I turned twenty-one – why didn’t you find me then?”
I pulled Willow to the side to get us away from curious looks from others. “Because of the restraining order. Getting close to you would have cost me my life and I knew I had to stay alive for the day I would get my second chance. Willow, trust me, I prayed every day that I’d be free to pursue you again or that you’d come and find me. When Khan finally lifted the restraining order, I showed up at the reunion to see you, remember?”
“I know.” Willow sighed. “It’s just that Mila helped me see things that I hadn’t been aware of. Like, isn’t it weird that I blocked so much of the experience from my memory? But then, I was only three when Hunter was taken from me and being torn from your twin would be traumatic for any child. When they tore us apart it was the second time I was powerless and lost someone I loved. Blocking things from my memory must have been a way for me to cope.”
“I’m sorry, Willow.” I caressed her hair.
“You know at the reunion when I said I had nightmares about being with you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s not true.” Willow bit her lip. “I had these bizarre dreams about you coming for me and claiming me for your own.” Frown lines deepened on her forehead. “When you’re convinced that you hate someone, having erotic dreams about them makes you feel dirty and wrong. I used to think I was losing my mind.”
I leaned my forehead against hers. “If it helps I had plenty of sexual fantasies about you too.”
Willow relaxed a little and smiled at me. “About claiming me?”
A grin grew on my face. “Now you’re just begging for it.” With a quick movement, I bent down and picked Willow up on my shoulder, carrying her toward the other end of the room where a whole wall opened up to the empty balcony. Zasquash, Leo, and some of the other men on the security team moved closer and everyone turned to see what was going on when I stepped out on the balcony that overlooked the now almost empty theater.
The view was beautiful and like I was an emperor, I spread out one hand and shouted to the world, “I, Solomon Samson, hereby claim Willow Darlington as my mate and partner.”
Willow was laughing and wriggling on my shoulder, so I set her down. Looking flustered with a bright red color in her cheeks, Willow brushed her long brown hair back.
“Willow, are you okay?” Leo asked, and we turned to face the crowd that had gathered behind us. The Motlanders looked confused and the Nmen exchanged glances as if not sure whether to intervene or not.
“Yes.” She had a giddy grin on her face. “It’s just Solo who is messing around.”
“I’m not messing
around. I’m dead serious. I want all of you to know that I’m claiming Willow for my wife.”
“Can he do that?” Darlene asked Zasquash, who stood close to her.
Zasquash shrugged. “I think he just did.”
“No.” Darlene shook her head and looked to Willow. “You need to be okay with this. Just because he’s big and strong doesn’t mean he gets to swing you over his shoulder and claim you for his own. Tell him you’re not some kind of property.”
“Hang on.” I laughed. “Before you start a petition to free Willow, she can tell you she wants this too.”
“Do you?” Darlene stepped closer. The other Motlanders followed her example like a damn swarm of bees ready to attack if given the order.
“Actually…” Willow’s face fell, and she suddenly looked sad and unhappy.
My heart stopped beating. No! It couldn’t be a trap. She had spoken of love and we were together again. This was what she wanted too, but then why was she looking like she was about to break down?
“Willow?” With panic in my chest, I touched her and when she shook her head and teared up, I jerked my hand away as if I’d been burned. My throat suddenly felt too small to breathe. My eyes darted around as inside my head a voice screamed, ”Why? Why?”
I saw the pity on Zasquash’s and Leo’s faces and turned to Willow again. This couldn’t be happening.
All the air whooshed from my lungs when she lit up in a wide smile and pointed to me. “Psyched!”
There was a gasp of relief from the others and I bent over with one hand on my thigh and the other to my heart. “Fuck, Willow, you scared the shit out of me.”
“And you said I couldn’t act. Now do you see I’m a great actor?” Everyone joined in on her laughter, except me. I was still shaking from the shock.
“Willow, that wasn’t nice. You almost killed Solo,” Salma pointed out with concern in her voice.
I kept my hand on my heart, kneeled down, and scrunched up my face in pain.
“Solo?” Willow squatted down. “What’s going on?”
“Pain…” I pushed out the word.
“Oh, Mother Nature, he’s having a heart attack,” someone cried out.
