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I felt him smile against my temple. “Not that kind of drink, my love. Something to help you relax.”
An intoxicant? That might be useful, considering my nerves. “Okay then.”
Belly protruding before me, I was led into the gathering, both men and women nodding greetings. Cyderial had not lied to me; most of the women had clearly been plugged, their partners nearby and, in many cases, putting themselves between their mates and our approach.
Not overtly, but subtly standing guard.
Why?
Similar to the bar I invaded in my misguided attempt to earn the fog, an open counter and a barkeep waited. He addressed Cyderial on familiar terms and gave me a smile of congratulations.
Unsure what to say, I nodded.
Was the situation worthy of congratulations? Congratulations were for recognition of great accomplishment. Being fucked into a bond by a man strong enough to hold me down and get his way wasn’t really something to celebrate.
After all, how many females were actually excited to be mated once they knew the full consequences? Few, I would guess. Addiction to the highest-ranking stranger who heard your song felt so impersonal.
Yet I had known Cyderial for ten years.
There was nothing impersonal in the way he pillaged my body.
And there I was at his side, unwittingly thinking about sex, bulging with his fluids in my belly, dressed in clothing he prepared for me, and asking him for help.
We were connected by history long before a bond. Maybe that was why I had stolen his pink rock. Maybe I had just been too young to understand.
A pretty cup was pressed into my hands, the contents bubbling and smelling fruity. Aware the crowd watched closely, I leaned into Cyderial’s side as if I might have privacy there and watched him palm a different beverage. “Your friends are staring at me.”
“They are staring at me.” He gave me a smirk, satisfied to feel me willingly shelter against him. “Watching to make sure that I don’t pose a threat.”
That didn’t make any sense. “But you took me out yesterday in a large crowd of humans.”
“And it was all over the broadcasts. My mate was upset—another reason it would be anticipated I would not repeat the experience so quickly.” Abandoning his drink on the bar, he brought his hand up to cup my jaw. Thumb brushing my lower lip, he said, “Let them all see how well we do together. The unmated males here will desire a future mate that warms quickly to them. Give them reason to envy.”
“You think I’m warming to you?” I had not exactly been friendly. Tolerant perhaps, but not friendly.
His thumb found my lips again, pulling at my bottom lip. “You are. You might not like me yet, but you melt when I touch you. That has nothing to do with any addiction, my beautiful mate. Physically, you know to trust me.” Leaning down, he stole a quick kiss, before whispering, “You enjoy my strength. Appreciate my learned patience. Most importantly, you have witnessed my ability to recognize my mistakes and apologize for them. Yes, you have warmed to me. Deep down under all your anger, our bond is growing, and I am working hard to be a good custodian of your faith.”
I don’t know what struck me to tease him, but I smirked, saying, “Maybe I just like the necklace.”
Laughing, a deep, rich sound, he let his fingers trail lower to toy with the golden chain. “It suits you.”
What had been soft murmurings filling the air around us grew painfully empty with heavy silence. One would have thought no soul there had heard the man laugh before. Perhaps they never had.
We had their attention, and Cyderial told me to give them reason to envy.
He clearly scared the shit out of them, but I wasn’t blubbering or cowering. I was not frantic to be free after a long incarceration.
They couldn’t see the mess in my mind; outwardly, I might’ve even appeared normal.
“Cyderial?”
I had his full and eager attention. “Yes?”
He had no reason to give me anything I wanted, not when he could have just as easily locked me away and ridden me day and night. “Why are you really doing this for me?”
A simple brush of his hand over my breast so he might rest a palm against my belly, he purred, “You’re more than a mate. You’re a worthy adversary. And I adore you all the way down to your cute little toes.”
I would never be able to look at my feet the same way. Those toes curling, my cheeks flamed. “It can’t be that simple.”
