by Rayna Tyler
Chapter Seventeen
Celeste
Several days had passed since the luzardees’ attack without any further problems, attempted abductions, or bloodshed. How long our peaceful existence would last, I didn’t know. Because of the world my friends and I lived in, there would always be more unexpected situations and dangers we’d have to deal with. It didn’t mean we wouldn’t try to get the most enjoyment we could out of the quiet moments in between.
During that time, we’d learned the male Garyck and Zaedon had been tracking before we’d been ambushed was the one that ended up in the ravine with my knife in his chest. None of the regular traders Cara and Burke spoke to knew Travis and they hadn’t seen Joe in weeks, so my theory about his death was probably accurate.
Khyron had also arranged for two more dates. The first was another picnic, which started out on a romantic note with a lot of kissing, then ended with an unexpected visit from Fuzzball and Melissa. Thankfully, the furry little creature was after food and had ignored Khyron’s tail.
The second was supposed to be a quiet night at my place, which turned into a meal with our friends, complete with Garyck grilling meat and Sloane offering her unsolicited critiquing. I didn’t mind the camaraderie, not when the evening ended with Khyron giving me another one of his wonderful lessons on what it meant to be his ketiorra.
Khyron led me from the shade of the wooded area out into the early afternoon sun to a section of the rocky perimeter bordering the settlement that I’d never seen before, then headed toward some flat rocks that resembled a set of stairs.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I already told you it is a surprise.”
He’d been annoyingly secretive about the location of our next date and wouldn’t let me peek into the large bag he had strapped over his shoulder. Since we didn’t have a bodyguard—namely Thrayn—accompanying us, I wondered if Khyron had bothered to tell anyone else where he was taking me.
At the top of the naturally formed staircase was the entrance to a cave. We didn’t need a portable glow emitter to see inside. A large hole had formed in the center of the ceiling, letting in plenty of sunlight. I’d barely taken a few steps when I heard the soft splash of water and noticed a rocky basin filled with water from a miniature waterfall. The surface shimmered the same lavender hue as the pool in my favorite clearing. The overflow of water had formed a groove about a foot wide in the rock and flowed across the floor to disappear into a small opening at the base of one wall.
“Khyron, this is beautiful.” I skimmed the water’s surface with my fingertips. “Is this why you wouldn’t let me come with you to speak with Rygael this morning?”
He slipped the bag off his shoulder and set it on the ground. “It is.” He turned me around and pulled me into his arms. “I wished to give you a date with no interruptions.”
“Well, unless we were followed, I’d say you did a good job.” I placed my hands on his shoulders.
His grin faded, and the gaze holding mine turned serious. “Before we begin our date, there are several things I wish to discuss.”
The queasy flutter in my stomach came close to making me nauseated. I hoped whatever he wanted to say didn’t end with him telling me he was leaving again. “Okay.”
“Celeste, I love you deeply, will give my life to protect you, and wish to have you by my side always. But…” He cleared his throat. “I am also the drezdarr, trained to lead, not to have my orders questioned. There will be times when I will be difficult to deal with, especially when it concerns your safety.”
His gaze softened. “I realize you are quite capable of taking care of yourself. All I ask is that you understand my struggle and know that I will do my best not to be…what was it you called me? Oh yes, bossy.”
“Khyron, I…”
“Wait.” He placed his finger against my lips. “I am not finished.” He got down on one knee and took my hand, the blue in his eyes darkening.
“What are you doing?”
“I do not wish to spend another day without knowing that you will allow me to fully claim you as my ketiorra, that I will always be the only male in your life.” He held my hands in his. “The ketaurrans do not have an elaborate celebration when we join with our mates. There is simply an acknowledgment of the bond and commitment to each other. I learned from the history data books that humans perform a ceremony. I believe it is called a wedding.”
“Are you…proposing?” Shocked and elated all at once, I could hardly manage the last word.
He furrowed his brows. “Am I not doing it correctly? Is proposing not part of your mating ritual?”
“Yes, proposing is part of the ritual.”
“Good.” He got to his feet. “Then I wish to make our joining official, to bond with you in the tradition of your people, and to make you my drezdarrina in the tradition of mine.”
Drezdarrina. The realization of what he was asking, the responsibility that came with the title, tightened my chest and sent a surge of warmth rippling to my core. Not only did he want me to marry him, but he wanted me to be the female equivalent of a ketaurran leader. He was offering me a commitment that translated into forever…and I couldn’t be happier.
He squeezed my hands when I took too long to answer. “According to the rules of human courtship, you are now supposed to respond with an affirmative answer.”
He was so adorable, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that negative answers were also allowed. “Yes, I agree to your proposal.” I barely had a chance to wrap my arms around his neck before he lifted me off the floor and his lips found mine.
When he finally released me from the most amazing kiss we’d ever shared, he picked up the bag and led me to a flat boulder, then motioned for me to sit next to him.
He reached inside the bag and pulled out a long rectangular object wrapped in leather and placed it on my lap. “I know it is not the traditional gift of your people, but I had a local craftsman make this for you.”
After unwrapping the leather, all I could do was stare at the handcrafted knife with a shiny blue-black blade, the hilt adorned with several small zapharite stones.
“It is to replace the one you lost.”
“Khyron, this is perfect.” I grinned and picked it up, then laid it across my palm to test its balance. “Sloane is going to be so jealous.”
I loved hearing him laugh and vowed in the days to come to make sure he did it more often.
After he placed the knife back in the bag, he took my hands again. “There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure a better future for your people and mine. It will require many missions, traveling with the vryndarr and, of course, your friends. So I would like to settle the issue of where we will live.”
It was a topic I’d thought about often since the night we’d shared a bed together. Up until now, it was something neither one of us had discussed.
The end of his tail snaked around my ankle. “I know how much you enjoy being around the young ones and teaching the males to wield a blade. Please know I would never do anything to change your relationship with them. If it is acceptable to you, I would like to make the settlement our home. Though there will be times when certain matters will require us to return to the city.”
Even though his tone was sincere, I still needed reassurance. “You’d really give up your home in the city to live here with me?”
“Zadierra, my residence in the city is only a dwelling. My home is, and always will be, wherever you are.”
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Books by Rayna Tyler
Seneca Falls Shifters
Tempting the Wild Wolf
Captivated by the Cougar
Enchanted by the Bear
Enticing the Wolf
Ketaurran Warriors
Jardun’s Embrace
Khyron’s Claim
About the Author
Rayna Tyler loves writing about sexy alpha heroes and the sassy heroines who turn their lives upside down. All her stories have hot, always sizzling, romance with a guaranteed happily ever after.
