His darkest devotion, p.4
His Darkest Devotion, page 4
Fluttering my fingers, I tolerated the sensation, then settled, knowing he had done this because I had mentioned watching lovers hold hands when I had toured the city.
Because he knew it was something that had caught my attention enough to mention.
“I can give you so much more than this, if you would let me.” Tucking away a bit of my hair that had been caught up in the wind, he added, “Tell me other things you desire from your mate, and see the mountains I will move for you.”
There was something inside me that felt unsteady with such words, a part of me that was uncomfortable walking uncharted territory with such a male.
Nervous, I sucked my lower lip into my mouth, glancing away and knowing my face had grown far too warm. “I don’t know what to ask for.”
Charmed, Cyderial let the evil melt right off his face, a soft smile on his lips as he said, “Let’s start small. If you see anything at the market stalls that catches your eye, let me know.”
“To buy?” I didn’t have any money or even access to an account. I literally owned nothing, not even the sword I used for years at the academy. Not to say I was not a bit of a magpie; sparkly things were something I very much enjoyed.
If he was going to let me buy something, I was not going to refuse.
With an innocuous smirk, he gave me a nod. “Anything you want.”
This was going to be so much more fun!
Grinning at all the possibilities before me, I warned, “Don’t give your enemy a weapon of that caliber. I might tell you to buy me everything out of spite.”
Raising our joined hands to his lips, he laid a kiss on my glittering skin. “You are not my enemy; you are my beloved mate. And I trust you will not abuse the privilege of my driving need to give you things—unless, of course, you’re looking forward to a lesson on self-discipline. I could think of some creative ways to leave you far more frustrated than you were in the shower this morning.”
Suddenly scarlet to my roots, I hissed lowly, “People can hear you.”
Bending down to nip my ear, he whispered, “Imagine what they would think if you had begged for my knot. You’d be round and full of me for all of them to see.”
Shivering off the sensation of another bite, I pulled away from his teasing to glare. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“It’s adorable.” The austere general had softened somewhat, his thoughts clearly carnal. “And I promise you this. Next time I escort you into the city, you will have a belly so huge every single person will know just how hard I fucked you.”
His words inspired a fast-spreading warmth under my skin that made me instantly panicked that he taunted me right into heat. That I had ruined my chance for fun by not begging in the shower.
That he was going to cart me off before I might know a taste of freedom, or do something horrible, like use me right there so everyone watching would know I was his.
“Lorieyn, whatever wicked thing you are thinking”—he dared to pull me close and put those wicked lips right back to my ear—“I can do so much worse. Remember that.”
“Stop. You win, okay?” I did not have the stamina or the experience to think clearly when he could outmaneuver me so easily. “Please don’t make my body do something that will ruin my chance to see my mother.”
“My dear, that’s not—”
The heat, the blush, the nerve of the man. Arousal turned to anger, my overloaded nervous system leaving me to grind my teeth together. “Let it be known, I was going to ask for a knot after we returned to your home, but now I think I might hold out on principle. I’d rather suffer than be bullied in front of a bunch of strangers. I bet I can outlast the heat to the point it drives you slowly insane. I can make you watch me suffer.”
Dumbfounded.
The general was actually dumbfounded.
“You were intending to submit, hmm?” Leaning back to measure my expression, he narrowed his eyes. “I do not believe you.”
“I’ve never been a fan of pointless masochism.” Hissing, I gladly countered his attack and delivered the death blow with a sardonic smirk. “And maybe I enjoyed the way you touched me last night. But you should know better than to make me beg.”
Preening from so simple a compliment, he began to purr, right there, out in the open. Pointedly ignoring the rest of what I snarled, he put his free arm around me. “I’ve only just begun exploring how I might pleasure you. But I will respect your modesty and save that conversation for later.”
Cyderial acknowledged his surrender with another kiss to the back of my hand.
But I was not fully appeased. “Are you done glaring at the humans and groping your mate? You’re not winning points with either party right now.”
Chuckling, he squeezed my fingers and gave me one final stroke down my back. “I will behave, and you will do the same.”
Coaxing me forward, he had the magic of forcing the crowd to part and make way, asking, “Where would you like to start?”
Tense, stiff in his care, I muttered, “You’re old; you know things. You choose the stall.”
On we walked, a decorated general and his inexperienced mate, passing market carts, beautiful woven carpets, jewelry, and food stuffs. Wherever we went, the bustle made room for us, the general watching me carefully for any sign I might have found a treasure.
But I had no idea what most of the items were, what their intended use might be, nor what to do with them.
I didn’t need a handwoven rug—the general’s home was already fully furnished.
As for skills or hobbies, I’d never been given much opportunity to develop any.
The musical instruments were beautiful, but I couldn’t even guess what sounds each might produce.
The pretty dresses were fun to look at, but also strangely intimidating to consider with a grown male staring at me the whole time.
Feeling like a bug in a jar, being watched closely by the humans, my every last breath being scrutinized by Cyderial, the novelty of the marketplace wore off. But he drew me to a stand full of colorful ribbons and small metal contraptions.
The woman behind the shaded tables gave a friendly grin at our approach. Crooked teeth and a beautiful smile, she was delightful in her greeting. “Welcome!”
And, shocked down to my toes, it seemed Cyderial knew how to be delightful as well. “What do you have for her hair? I would prefer it up, off her neck—” He gave me a smoldering stare. “—before she gets too hot.”
Only too happy to pick out something to show him, the woman began displaying her finest wares. Selecting a brass disk with elegant engraving, she looked to Cyderial, showing him the quality of the piece, before asking, “May I touch your mate to show you how it will look?”
“No,” he answered with no shame. Jerking his chin to the old woman’s younger companion, he demanded, “Demonstrate on this one. Should we like what we see, I will do what is required to attend to my female.”
“Hybrid men and their mates,” she said as if his possessive behavior was charming and ordinary, smiling as she summoned her assistant and pressed the bobble to the crown of her head. “You place it here, you see? Activate the machine, and allow it to twine in the strands until it clicks.”
Astonished, I watched as the disk melted, almost like liquid, into the hair of the woman before me, weaving itself into her tresses as it created a complex series of twists, all interlocking until the mechanism was no longer visible and the hair was coiffed in an elaborate style.
Fascinated, because I wanted to try it, annoyed that Cyderial found a loophole to get his way, I waited as the device was recovered and offered to my mate. Motionless under his hands, I shivered from the tingles of the little robot working its way through my much longer and far thicker hair. Mirror held up so I might watch, I failed to disguise my delight.
How strange it felt running through my tresses, the entire program taking less than a minute before I had a style that could rival anything I had seen in my forbidden magazines.
So that was how humans created such intricate styles!
“It looks just lovely on you, dear.” Crooked teeth beautiful in their asymmetry, smile seemingly genuine, the aging human offered a price.
Inexperienced in economics, having never handled money, I had no idea if it was fair or ludicrous.
Cyderial didn’t so much as barter. He simply agreed.
Completely taken with the novel bit of machinery, I listened intently as the old woman explained what I might need to know. “When you’re ready to retire for the evening, all you do is press the button tucked under here, and the arms will release.”
While I indulged in more vanity, the general toyed with the short tendrils of hair at my nape, petting me in ways that made me shiver. “Is that not better, sweet mate?”
I had been expertly outplayed, but I couldn’t care less. “Your tactics are ridiculous, but I like it very much, so I can’t complain.”
The shopkeeper was so pleased. “There are other items I might show you, General Cyderial. Trinkets your new bride might enjoy.”
“You are very kind, but we have an appointment.” He transferred payment to the woman and bid her good day.
My fingers were caught up again, the male leading me back into the bustle of the street.
Positively proud of himself, he asked, “Are you going to thank me?”
“No.” But my smile was genuine. “The entire act was self-serving.”
He laughed. An honest, genuine show of amusement that frightened the gawking crowd.
4
For the remainder of our stroll to my mother’s home, Cyderial kept my fingers intertwined with his.
The taboo of touching a male tickled at my thoughts. People, humans, could see this. They were watching our every move. Yet none rushed forward to tear us apart and punish the offense.
All because I now belonged to him in a way that could never be undone.
Not quite property, but definitely not free.
I was expected to let this man touch me, to touch him in return, for we would be together whether we liked it or not, for the totality of our very long lives.
What a concept to consider while walking through those overcrowded streets. Far more palatable to think about when I wasn’t trapped in his home or pinned under his body. What had he called my shifts protecting the farmers? “Scheduled moments where I was allowed fresh air”?
Blinking at the upheaval churning in my guts, I felt him offer a reassuring squeeze of my fingers as if he knew where my thoughts wandered.
“Are you enjoying the walk?”
I hesitated, eyes flicking back to the audience. “Everyone is watching us. Why are they pointing their communication devices at us?”
“They are recording. You are beautiful, and the news I am mated is something the broadcasts consider interesting. Your face will be known by everyone in the city by the end of the night.”
“Oh… that’s….” I didn’t like that.
Another squeeze of my fingers. “I’m sorry. Males of my rank cannot prevent human fascination with our lives. Much of what the broadcasts say will not be based in fact but in fantasy. And you never need be exposed to any of it. We will keep their nonsense out of our home.”
I tore my eyes from the throngs of humanity. Searching his face for any hint of threat. That such a statement was a warning that should I dare to run, my life would be at risk simply because everyone would know who I belonged to. I would be returned immediately or maltreated… as he had mentioned there were many who might strike at him through harming me.
Were this a test at the academy, it would be nothing to fool the teachers into perceiving me in a way that progressed my personal agenda—play to the humans for my benefit. Because my whole life had been one huge performance. And that had done me no favors in the end, had it?
So, I looked upon the humans with a curious eye, wondered why they cared if Cyderial had taken a mate, and accepted there was a whole culture I knew nothing about.
Which put me, once again, at a massive disadvantage.
These things should have been taught to young girls at the academy.
Cyderial halted my steps near a quaint high-walled courtyard boasting a pretty wrought-iron gate and gave me a long look. “Before we go inside, I want you to remember—you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re a trained vorec-killing machine. They may not treat you as they did when you were a less intimidating child.”
“I am charming, and my birthmother loves me,” I said as he reached for the gate’s latch, practically buzzing with excitement to see my mother.
The arched beige portal swung inward, leading to a small courtyard full of potted plants and drying laundry. There at the center of it all was the tiny woman I adored with my whole heart.
It had been so long that I dwarfed her now and could hardly equate the smiling woman with my memory.
“Lorieyn! Oh my goodness, yes, come in!” Talking fast, my mother pulled me into a tight embrace. The gate closed with the sound of a thrown lock once we were off the street. “I cannot tell you how excited I am to see you. And married to a general no less.”
Her husband waited to greet us as well, Richard having aged so much that his hair was mostly white. “Here, here!” he exclaimed, reaching for my hands. “Your genes are nothing but the best, Jae! Of course your hybrid would draw a fine fellow like General Cyderial.”
I had always liked Richard and found it easy to accept his kind hug. “Hello, Richard.”
Side by side, they made a cute pair. Energetic and familiar with one another in a way Cyderial and I were decidedly not.
And then it came time for them to size up the large, uniformed man standing tall at my back.
My mom broke the silence, all sweet smiles. “He’s very handsome, Lorieyn.”
I supposed he was, if we were speaking purely of the physical, but I was not going to say so aloud.
Fortunately, Richard rushed forward to offer his hand to my mate. “I am such a fan! Back when you were in the ring, that fight against Gigof? I still watch replays.” Richard’s fist bounced off Cyderial’s outer arm, the man saying, “But we’ll keep that between us. Those files are too special to destroy.”
As if a stranger inhabited his body, with one easy grin, Cyderial became absolutely charismatic —all smiles and politeness. “Your secret is safe with me, sir. That was a match worth remembering.”
Despite his confession of disliking my mother, General Cyderial made an effort to be kind to my family. The men traded commentary on memorable arena fights I had no knowledge of. I was left staring at Cyderial like he was some alien creature I’d never beheld.
Both were clearly passionate about the subject.
“Eh, leave the men.” Motioning for me to step into her delightful house, my mother smiled. “I have made us some fine tea. Grew the leaves myself and saved them for a special occasion.”
This was everything I hoped for, all those years I longed for her finally realized. Grinning from ear to ear, I answered, “I would love some of your tea, Mom.”
She hurried me inside, leading me down a small foyer to a tight eating space. Though maybe it only seemed tight, as the large table was packed full of my siblings and one aloof stranger.
Gesturing to each of her offspring, my mother began introductions. “You remember Dana, my eldest. As you can see, she’s about to have her first baby. And next to her is her husband, Johan.”
Nearest in age to me, but still quite young, I was surprised to see my seventeen-year-old sister not only married but pregnant. “Congratulations,” I said.
Not a word was offered in response. Instead, Dana kept her eyes downcast on the table, refusing to acknowledge me. Worse, her husband did run his eyes over my person… but with outright disgust.
“Aie, Dana, don’t be so rude!” our mother interjected, obviously embarrassed. Waving a hand at me, she added, “Hormones, you know?”
“And here is Gerald, Suzanne, Mei, Curtis, and Pauline. The little ones over there are Judy, Joon, Sarah, and Cici.”
Ten children in seventeen years, some hardly out of diapers.
Undaunted by the room’s weighty silence, I fell back on the fact that little children at the academy always loved me. Crouching down to the youngest ones’ level, I gave a grinning hello and offered my hand in play.
Sarah and Cici both instantly burst into screaming tears.
Gratuitous apologies falling from my lips, I backed away, mortified I frightened my siblings.
“Oh, don’t mind them.” My mother, clearly embarrassed, motioned for Richard to quiet the babies. “They have never seen a hybrid before.”
But we didn’t look all that different, did we?
Shaking his head as if I were indeed as stupid as I felt, Dana’s husband gestured toward my talons. “It’s the claws. Your lizard hands scared them.”
"I didn't mean to." Shoving my taloned fists behind my back, I felt shame. Yet, Cyderial eased up close, wrapping his arm around me.
To my brother-in-law, he said, “Johan Custis, son of Proctor Custis, correct? You’re an unloading agent at Sky Pier 15. Unranked worker, day shift.”
The human male seemed surprised the general knew personal details, adding to his hostility with a defensive reply. “What about it?”
Cyderial’s words flowed out with perfect articulation, as if each syllable carried its own dire threat. “Nothing at all, boy.”
This was not what I hoped for, everything having become far more complicated once I stepped inside my mother’s home. Many of my siblings did not even look pleased to see me, most too busy with their devices to so much as look up at their eldest sister.
And I was pretty sure my expression betrayed how insecure this made me feel.
“Lorieyn, General, I have seats for you here.” Gesturing toward the table, my mother asked us to sit. “Please. Let’s have some tea.”
Directly across from Dana, who refused to lift her eyes to me, I tried to ignore Johan, his posture oddly indolent and his knees spread wide. Instead, I offered a shy smile to the other elder siblings. “I have been so excited to meet you! Every year, when I would get my birthday letter, I couldn’t wait to hear all about your accomplishments.”
