Page 27 of Married to the Beast

BEAR

Bear was about to give up work for the night. The start of the negotiations was tomorrow, but he truly felt that he had familiarized himself with as much of the Karpsians’ laws as he could absorb. Plus, he reminded himself uneasily, Aleena was probably waiting and wondering where he was. This was supposed to be their Joining night, after all—she would be expecting him to “change the color of her eyes.”

He wondered how he was going to handle that. He wasn’t going to take her virginity from her—that much he had already decided. But how could he explain that he wasn’t going to do what she expected him to do? How could he?—?

A light knocking came at the door and a soft voice said,

“Excuse me, but may I come in?”

Bear took a deep breath. He would just have to put her off—that was all, he told himself. Anything else would be wrong. He knew he couldn’t take her with him when he went back to the Mother Ship. It would be better just to let her know that nothing was going to happen between them.

He turned off his work lamp and rose from the comfortable office chair to go stand in front of the fireplace, where a low flame was flickering. It sent a golden glow through theroom, bathing the rows of leather-bound books as well as the comfortable and sturdy, leather padded couch across from it in warmth.

“Come in,” Bear called in a low voice. He was determined to tell his new bride immediately that they were just going to go to bed and sleep beside each other without doing anything else. He wasn’t going to be swayed by her beauty. He wasn’t?—

And then the door opened and he sucked in a breath.

Aleena was standing there, dressed in a thin, lacy little scrap of nothing. The white fabric hugged her full curves and stretched over her ripe breasts and wide hips. When she turned a little to the side, he saw her luscious, full bottom as well. Her long hair was loose in long, copper waves around her lovely face and her eyes were fearful and hopeful at the same time.

“My Lord Husband?” she asked softly. “I hope you don’t mind but I thought maybe you might be…might be waiting for me.”

Bear cleared his throat, trying to think what to say. To be honest, it felt like his brain wasn’t working at the moment—probably because all of the blood in his body had rushed to his shaft, which was suddenly achingly hard.

It seemed strange to be so intensely aroused. For the past five years he’d had no sexual inclinations at all. He knew human males still longed for sex, even after losing a spouse, but it wasn’t so for Kindred. For them, the loss of a beloved mate often left them sexless—simply because they couldn’t evenimaginemaking love with anyone but their lost beloved.

But Bear was certainly imagining it now. He was thinking of how soft and silky his new bride’s skin was, remembering how it had felt to hold her bare breasts in his hands during the ceremony. The soft moans of pleasure she’d made when he teased her nipples until they grew tight were still ringing in his ears.

“Waiting for you?” he finally got out.

“Well…yes.”

Aleena stepped into the room and came over to stand by him, in front of the fireplace. The flickering flames gilded her bronze skin and the firelight seemed to shine through her skimpy little garment, making it almost see-through.

“You see,” she said, putting a hand on Bear’s arm. “I thought maybe since you hadn’t come to me thatIshould go toyou. I thought perhaps it was the custom of your people—of the Kindred—for a bride to offer herself to her husband on their Joining night. And so, here I am—offering myself.” She spread her hands and the movement made her large breasts jiggle slightly under the thin garment she wore.

Bear nearly groaned at her innocent invitation. She had no idea of what it meant to rouse the hunger of a Beast Kindred! Everything in him longed to take her and Bond her—to sink his shaft deep in her wet, willing pussy and fill her with his knot to tie them together for hours of breeding and Bonding! But somehow he had to stop himself from taking her.

“Aleena, baby,” he said, his voice coming out hoarse in his own ears. “Let’s talk.”

He sat on the leather couch and patted the spot beside him.

“Talk about what?” Rather than sitting, she knelt on the couch, facing him with her ripe breasts thrust out. The tight points of her nipples were tenting the thin, lacy fabric and the thin silk ribbon that tied the top part of her little dress together seemed dangerously close to coming loose.

“I don’t think that we should…that I should change the color of your eyes tonight,” Bear began, trying to keep his gaze on her lovely eyes instead of her ripe, beautiful breasts.

“You don’t?” She bit her lip. “But…but then, does that mean you don’twantme?”

“No, baby—no, that’s not true at all. OfcourseI want you—you’re fucking beautiful!” Bear protested. He ran a hand through his hair and nearly cursed. His shaft was aching with need—the Bonding Knot at its base was swelling with desire. Hell yes, he wanted her! But hecouldn’thave her.

“But…if you want me, then why don’t you take me?” Aleena asked innocently. “You are my husband now—it is your right to do whatever you wish with my body.”

Bear felt his shaft throb against the tight confines of his black trousers. Gods, this waskillinghim!

“Look, this is just…not the way we Kindred do things,” he said, reaching for some explanation of his behavior. “We don’t take our brides on the first night we’re with them. We have a time of getting to know each other first—we call it ‘The Claiming Period.’”

“The Claiming Period?” She looked at him uncertainly. “What is that? What does it mean?”

“I’ll try to explain.” Bear was relieved that he’d found some sort of explanation that might satisfy her. Also, it was true that most Kindred warriors went though the Claiming Period with their brides before they took them. It was a time-honored tradition which was meant to let a warrior’s bride get to know him before she gave herself completely. That way both parties were certain when the Soul Bond was formed that they wanted to be together for life.

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