Chapter 55
Scarlet
These damn domini!
Atem had ripped Havali open. His arms looked like they had been turned inside out. His blood was dripping onto the mats. None of the surrounding audience appeared alarmed for either male. And, sure, the wounds would be closed, all damage healed in less than a mark thanks to modern technology.
But that didn’t mean she was comfortable with this!
She knew Havali was waiting for her to challenge him in turn.
He needed to defeat her in combat to prove who, among the two of them, was stronger.
The stronger one would become the domin, while the weaker would be the adassi.
There was no question as to who would fill which role, so the only reason to go through with it was to satisfy his instincts.
But how could she fight a guy when his arms, most of his chest, and one cheek had all been flayed open?
Before she could try to persuade him to let her heal him, Alanna suddenly called to her. She had been so focused on the fight, on how bloody and violent it was, that she hadn’t realized the other girl had left the room until now.
Alanna returned with bandages and sealing cream. She understood the domini better than all of them thanks to her personal studies. She also knew the same thing Scarlet did – though she was trying to ignore it. Which was that Havali couldn’t leave. He couldn’t end this even for these injuries.
His mating instincts had been triggered by the first claiming fight.
She couldn’t derail his thoughts or intentions now.
If she tried, the only thing she would accomplish was making him resistant, aggravated, and defiant.
He wouldn’t comply with her wishes for him to lay down on her med scanner now, no matter how she begged.
However, she could, and did take the bandages and sealing cream from Alanna. He stood there, shaking with the effort to remain still. But he let her wrap his arms and spread the medicine around his chest and cheek.
It was the best she could hope for right now, and it left her covered in his blood. However, she could tell, by the way his gaze darkened, that he liked that.
Her wearing blood he shed in battle was a sign of honor among his people. He liked the sight of it even as she wanted to wash it all off.
But she had left him waiting long enough. The poor guy looked like he was on the very edge of his control. Like he might attack her even without her speaking the traditional words. The words weren’t the necessary part, and her delaying was driving him mad.
“You can defend me,” she finally said, dropping what remained of the tube of sealing cream and the bandage roll to the ground. “But why should I depend on you? I challenge you to determine who shall defend our den-”
She hadn’t even finished getting the words out when he pounced. Tackling her to the ground. Keeping one hand to the back of her head so it didn’t hit the mat. He weighed her down with his entire body as he nuzzled her head with his own.
The sweetness was in such stark contrast to the desperate lunge, it made her grin as she ran her fingers through his hair.
The room was quick to empty now that the show was over.
Peony was dragging Atem out – straight to the clinic, Scarlet knew.
She would do the same if Havali would let her. But he would not.
He lifted his head and grinned at her. Pleased with himself.
Between them, the clear, smoothly polished crystal rings on the leather cord around his neck dangled in the air.
The crystal was the most popular choice for jewelry among the domini as their skin didn’t attempt to camouflage to it, and since wedding rings weren’t meant to be removed, making sure their skin was comfortable long term was important.
“Will you wear my ring?” He asked, seeing the direction her gaze had gone.
Scarlet smiled as she pulled at the leather. The little clasp at the back broke off with a quick tug, letting her drop the rings into her palm.
Havali leaned back, taking the smaller of the two and holding out his hand. He had even made sure he knew this part.
Still laying on the ground, where he had dominated her so absolutely, Scarlet held out her hand and let him slide the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Of course, it did. Havali was nothing it not attentive to details.
She took his hand in turn and slid his ring over his finger. It shouldn’t feel as official and formal as it did. Not with her wearing leather and fur beneath him on a blood-stained training mat.
But it was real. Real and pure and perfect and just for them.
Havali caught her hand before she could let it fall. Their rings pressed together as he held them between each other.
“Have I proven myself worthy of being your domin?” He asked softly.
Scarlet smiled, though she tried to keep her voice stern. “Show me your den.”
Havali lifted himself to his feet before reaching his hand out for her. She took it and tried not to let him pull her up. She didn’t want him to put any strain on his injured arms.
But he tugged anyway, wincing only slightly.
Before she could admonish him, he was leading her away.
His eagerness made her chuckle as he led her down the halls. Like he had been promised a trophy if he could get them there within a time limit.
When they returned to the Jutiron Stor, Scarlet and Havali had moved into the same room – her room, that was, once again, right beside the clinic.
She had been waiting for him on the viewing platform with the others because he had needed time to prepare it for her today. She knew that he was going to be prepping it for her. Creating a den to build her nest in.
It involved turning the lights on dim and covering any windows to the outside.
Scarlet’s window faced out at the endless blackness of space, so he hadn’t needed to do that.
The stars appeared to be the brightest point of illumination, though she knew, realistically, there had to be a light somewhere or it would be pitch black in here.
On her low table in the corner, he had her feast set out.
In place of the traditional raw meat, he had a lavish spread of fine cuisine that must have taken hours to prepare.
Scarlet would have eaten meat he quickly heated over a small fire like they were camping because she knew that gorging her was part of the process.
It wasn’t her preference, but she would have done it for him.
Instead, he had provided for her only the finest of specially prepared foods.
Artfully cut fruit, sautéed mushrooms, the fragrant undiliean sea cream that she had eaten on their first date, a large pitcher of flavored water with delicate flowers on the surface, a smaller pitcher of the relaxing intak the domini drank, a selection of vegetables cooked a variety of ways, all of them ones that she had come to enjoy from sampling alien food on the ring.
He hadn’t picked a single food she disliked and, though it wasn’t traditional, there wasn’t any red meat at all.
Because he watched her and paid attention to what he saw. Because she wasn’t just an object of obsession to him. She was the female he loved, and he wanted to know those things so he could prepare the perfect feast for her.
She beamed at him and the almost smug grin on his face told her that he probably knew exactly the direction her thoughts had taken.
“Come. Let me feed you,” he said, pulling on her hand again. More gently this time. He had her in his den. The intensity would be eased somewhat until he finished feeding her.
There was way more food than she would ever be able to eat, but that was the point.
If he fed her and she wasn’t sated, then it was considered a failure on his part, and it would bring a halt to this entire process.
He had to be able to provide and so the domin always prepared more food for this moment than they knew their adassi would need.
Havali sat her down before crossing the room so he could wash his hands in the privy. Scarlet smiled, pleased that he took the time. It was yet more proof of his attention to detail, because a domini female wouldn’t have minded the blood on his fingers.
But Scarlet did, and he knew that, and he cherished her.
When he came back, fresh and clean and with a new layer of bandages over his arms, he sat beside her on the extra-large lounger.
He fed her from his hands. There was a long fork right there on the table to make it easier, but he didn’t even pretend to pick it up. Everything he passed to her tongue came straight from his fingers and she couldn’t resist licking at them. Longer and more daring with each bite.
Havali growled as she teased him but held himself in check.
She ate and ate until she couldn’t imagine stomaching another bite. When he brought another piece of fruit to her lips, she shook her head, refusing to open them.
“Full, healer?” He asked, reaching over and placing his hand on her belly. There was a definite tightness to it now that she was stuffed making him grin. “You are.”
Scarlet smiled as he took the last bite of fruit for himself. He hadn’t even taken a single bite of her meal besides that one piece. He chewed and swallowed quickly before covering her lips with his. A fruit flavored kiss that made her moan softly as he swept his tongue across hers.
Slow, languid, almost lazy. He kissed her like they had all the time in the world. Like there was nothing else that would ever again need his focus. Deep and lingering and wonderful.
He broke it first. Placing a few, smattering kisses along the corner of her mouth before whispering against her lips-
“Make your nest, vi adassi. And bring me into it.”
Despite the command, he still took another kiss before he allowed her to stand. This time, she was the one who led him to the bed.
It was completely bare. But everything she could possibly need or want to make it exactly as she liked was piled in the corner. Cushions and sheets and blankets and furs of many different textures and softness.