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Her disappointment and the tears shimmering in her eyes tore at him. Yas’kihn sighed then said, “I will ask for clothing more suited to a Kaanian female. They hide their females.”
Louella nodded, immediately imagining being forced to wear a burqa and going about veiled with nothing but her hands showing. She pressed her lips together, but said nothing, even though she didn’t want to swing to that extreme of modesty either. “Thank you, Jax.”
“When we arrive at court, however, youwillwear the appropriate attire for an Ahn’hudi female mated to a high ranking male.” His tone brooked no argument as he tapped a quick sequence into the communication panel beside the door.
“I … am … not … wearing … that.”
“Then you will dishonor me.”
Louella’s upper lip curled in a sneer. “So, it’s okay for you to dishonorme, but not to suffer dishonor yourself?”
“Of course, not,” he replied. “Your behavior reflects upon me. I am responsible for your honor.”
“No, thanks, buddy.I’mresponsible formy ownhonor.”
“You are female.”
Louella nearly spat with rage. She stalked toward him and poked his chest with one stiff finger, punctuating every word. “Don’t even go there, you big jerk.”
Yas’kihn’s nostrils flared and his crest flattened at her aggression, wondering why he’d assumed that his fierce little mate would suddenly turn into an obedient, meek female after he’d mated her. After all, wasn’t her fire what attracted him in the first place? However, he could not tolerate her insolence or her disobedience.
The door chimed and opened to reveal a droid with the requested change of clothing. He took it from the droid and handed it to his mate.
“Louella, I will allow you such human modesty this once, but you are my mate and Ahn’hudi now and will comport yourself accordingly.”
Louella’s lips peeled back from her blunt, human teeth. He did not mistake the expression for anything but a warning.
Chapter12
It wasn’t quite a burqa. The multi-layered, floor-length gown reminded her rather of what a lady of ancient Rome would have worn—a tunic covered by a stola over which a palla was draped—except the stola had a high neck and long sleeves. Soft leather boots covered her feet, the short shafts extending over her ankles to prevent anyone from getting an illicit glimpse of those. Louella bit the inside of her cheek and decided not to complain; the extremely modest gown was better than the utterly too revealingthingJax had expected her to wear. Somehow, she thought, she’d have to teach these Ahn’hudi males the concept of a woman’s choice in apparel.What I wear reflects my tastes and nothing else. It certainly doesn’t have anything to do with how people perceivehim!
Perhaps, she hoped, they’d find a happy medium. She tried not to think of the collar and leash he had insisted she wear. The collar glinted against the white fabric of the high-necked tunic.
She fingered the fine cloth as she walked beside her Ahn’hudi warrior who had bared his teeth in disgust at the traditional Kaanian dress and muttered, “I shall be a laughingstock.” Shefelthim seething beside her, although he took great pains to handle her gently. Louella was rather grateful he didn’t give in to his pique and yank on that leash. Her neck would snap all too easily against his brute strength.
“Well met, General Superior,” commented a rumbling voice she did not recognize when they entered a reception room populated with a couple dozen Ahn’hudi males who all looked rather stern and official. Who were they and why did they look at her with undisguised hunger?
Jax halted. If Louella hadn’t been paying attention, she would have run into him. As it was, she put out a hand to steady herself at the sudden stop, bracing her stumble against the hulking warrior’s lower back. His tail wrapped around her hips and held her steady even as he swiveled to face the one who greeted him. To her surprise, he bowed. She wouldn’t have thought Jax bowed to anyone.
“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Jax replied, his crest rising straight up. “You honor us with your presence.”
Louella tried not to gawk. She’d never thought to meet the emperor of Ahn’hudin. She did not know whether she ought to curtsy. Regardless, Jax’s tail prevented her.
“We could not miss this momentous occasion of your mating,” the emperor said as he approached and circled them at a slow pace. “Has she fully transformed?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And she takes both your cocks?”
Louella felt her cheeks turn fiery with embarrassment at the question then hoped the floor would open up and swallow her when Jax replied, “She receives both my cocks with cries of joy and a sweet deluge of welcome.”
“Jax!” she hissed in outrage. “That’s private!”
The emperor flicked an eye at her, then addressed the general superior again. “Such deep, rich color to her scales. Do you so fear challenge for your mate that you conceal her beauty?”
Louella gasped. Did the cretin truly expect her to parade about in little more than a long fringe?
Jax’s crest flattened in ire. “My mate retains her human sense of modesty. I would keep her heart happy and her legs parted.”
