Chapter 45 #4
Holly shifted her weight, rubbing her thighs together, feeling the heat gathering between her legs as her breath quickened and deepened. This was hot. She hadn’t expected it to be and being unprepared only made its effect stronger.
She wanted to tell him to hurry up, but at the same time, she wanted to just stand there and continue to take in the majesty of her wizard boyfriend fighting an alien king for her hand.
Fuck. Please, hurry up.
She whimpered softly. The sound was so low, she barely heard it herself.
But immediately, both Romival and Atem’s heads whipped back to her. Both of them looked surprised – though the former’s expressions almost immediately turned smug, then knowing.
They faced each other again and were right back at it. Barely a second had passed and they hadn’t said a word to each other, but something had definitely changed.
Their fight slowed a bit. She could actually see what was happening. She could admire the way Romival’s muscles bulged and tensed. The flawless way he moved. It was practically art the way his hair moved around him as he turned.
Beside her, Peony made a similar sound, just as turned on by the sight of her man fighting as Holly was. Even lost to the fog of lust, Holly couldn’t miss the way both males smirked.
Atem threw his fist – not his claws. Romival caught it then punched with his other hand which similarly was caught. Both men stopped, pushing against each other, muscles rippling, bodies straining, a sheen of sweat over their golden skin – matched to the sand below them.
“Atem,” Peony whined plaintively.
The Dominani nodded once and, immediately, the two broke apart. Neither won; neither lost.
Atem saluted him, fist over his heart. “You are a strong domin. I know my sister will be safe with you. And if she is not, I will come after your hide.”
“If I fail her, I will offer it freely,” Romival said, saluting him in turn.
Both males turned, their eyes flashing. Holly was barely aware of Atem approaching Peony, all of her attention was on Romival as he came towards her.
She almost forgot the next part of this until he gave her something like a salute, but with his hand flat over his heart, pressing gently instead of pounding it harshly.
“Vi Holly, I have proven myself capable of defending you. Will you accept me?”
She had already accepted him. She was more than ready for him to claim her. To knot her. To make good on the promise Donivi had made her when she had visited him at the healing center yesterday in preparation for today.
But that wasn’t what she was supposed to say. There was a tradition to follow, a biological imperative for her to cater to for him.
“You can defend me,” she mumbled, nearly stumbling over her words. “But why should I depend on you? I-I challenge you to determine who shall defend our den.”
It was a challenge, but Romival, a gentleman, still held his hand out and helped her down into the training pit. The cool sand crunched under her feet as he led her to the center.
Witnessing the fight already had her motor running. Just feeling his hand against hers sent sparks up her arm, straight to her brain.
The look in his eyes promised her that it was going to be a short fight.
And, from seemingly nowhere, Holly found herself actually wanting to make him fight for it. For her. To really prove he was capable of taking control of her. Was this the instinct that beat at the domini when it came to mating, but the human version?
She faced him on the sand, and he got back into position, clearly waiting for her.
Instead of charging at him, she ran away.
He chased.
Squealing with fearful joy, she turned, twisting in the sand. She barely felt the whisper of his hand grabbing where she had just been. He chuckled. She knew better than to think she had actually given him the slip.
But the chase was still fun.
It only went on for a few seconds more before his arms came around her from behind. He yanked her back against his chest, locking her arms down against her side, his touch gentle but unshakable. She laughed and wiggled, barely putting in a token show of resistance.
“Caught you,” he whispered in her ear, sending delightful shivers down her spine. “Vi adassi. Krititori vask seerin ka dinira.”
The domini confession of love washed over her like a warm caress, and she realized that it wasn’t the first time she had heard it from him. Even before he taught her what they meant, he had confessed his love.
“Romival,” she purred, rubbing her head against him, more certain than before about her choice.
“You put up a good chase, vi Vakara,” he growled, holding her close, like he might never let go. Their audience had already left, no longer needing to serve as witness.
Grinning, she looked back. “Don’t you have something to ask me?”
“Ah. Yes. Of course.”
He let her go and she turned. Ready for him to ask if she felt he was worthy of being her domin. It was a question she wasn’t supposed to answer yet. Not because she wasn’t sure of her answer but because this wasn’t the part where she accepted or rejected him.
But that wasn’t what happened. Instead, to her shocked surprise, he got down on one knee. He reached for the ring hanging round his neck and removed it, cutting through the leather cord with a quick swipe of his claws. He offered the crystal jewelry up to her.
“I make you this offering in your customs, vi Holly,” he said, clearly pleased with himself. “Will you wear my ring?”
Holly struggled to hold back tears. Surprised by just how amazing, how wonderful, it was to see him offering her the little piece of jewelry.
It was such a simple thing and, really, she hadn’t minded giving up her customs for his.
She wasn’t like Hattie who wanted the ring and the dress and the party.
All she wanted was her husband and her family.
But seeing it offered to her, her heart ached with love and joy and a melancholic, sweet kind of pain that made her laugh and cry.
Romival smiled, taking her hand. “This finger, correct?”
She nodded eagerly, making a mental note to thank Hattie for this, knowing her friend had to be responsible for his knowledge. He slid the crystal ring over the digit then kissed it sweetly before looking up and finally asking-
“Have I proven myself worthy of being your domin?”
“Show me your den,” she said, though she wanted to scream that of course he had.
Obligingly, Romival swept her up in his arms and walked her away from the palace and towards his hover that waited only a short distance away.
He only put her down long enough to fly them back to his home.
The moment the hover was perched in the garage, he gathered her up in his arms again and took her out.
Just like carrying a bride over the threshold.
Holly couldn’t help but smile at her ring as Romival brought her inside.
He had spent all morning preparing it for her.
It was dark inside. Almost cavern-like. All the windows had been darkened – not with curtains, but some kind of technology that tinted the glass and threw the entire room into shadows.
It was alleviated only by those glow in the dark flowers that filled the space, casting a dim blue light over everything.
Holly gasped in delight as he walked her through the floors of his home.
Showing her the dedication, the time, he had taken in preparing the space.
He had cleaned, added the pillows and throw blankets she had mentioned wanting for the various chairs and sofas, and placed more normal flora that, while they didn’t glow, smelled delightful.
He took her right up to his room – their room now – where there were more changes.
Most noticeably, there was a big scanner set up in the corner.
Its machine was humming, standing by and ready to be used.
The bed was unmade, but all the blankets and pillows were stacked, ready for her to adjust them as she desired.
And there, tucked in the corner, was the feast he had prepared for her.
While the domini offered each other raw meat as part of the mating ritual, as a concession to her delicate human digestive tract, there was a small, high tech little brazier that was currently cold beside a long utensil, like a fondue fork and a massive plate loaded down with carefully cubed and spiced pieces of raw meat ready to be held over the little fire the brazier would make.
There was a lot of food, way more than she could eat, but that was deliberate.
If he couldn’t feed her to her satisfaction, his claiming would be considered a failure.
She wasn’t worried at all as he brought her to the cushions and sat her down, reaching for the fondue fork so he could start the gorging process.