Chapter Fourteen
Gideon stood in the lounge of the Comet Stalker. The metallic shielding on the windows had been opened enough to see that the ship had been rotated towards the sun.
It was Leonid custom to wed at dawn, greeting the sun at the start of a new life. He had explained to Sasha, and Sasha had simply accepted it and suggested they wed in the lounge.
This was where they’d first met. And played a silly game with silly goats and tiny electronic Knights. Where they’d talked for hours, and it felt like no time had passed.
But even before that, she came to look at you while you were sleeping.
And she has watched over you ever since, an angel who has never seen you as anything but worthy of love—and oh. Gideon let out a gasp as Sasha walked into the room.
She looks like an angel now.
Sasha wore a crown of pink silk in her hair, fashioned into flowers by Kaylie’s clever fingers.
Jaxson, part of the ship’s engine systems crew, played softly on an old steel guitar, humming along as the bride made her way past the acre of cakes and roasted meats that Kamau had spent the whole night preparing—and into his arms.
“My Queen. My angel. My love,” he purred, not caring who heard him.
Rupex coughed into his paw. “In case anyone here does not know, in the Leonid culture, the other members of a Pride say a different version of the vows, to show that they accept the Queen into the Pride. Sasha and Gideon have accepted us as their Pride, as they are members and guests of the Comet Stalker Pride, and without us, they would not have met. The eldest—Marcus, and the youngest who can speak—Alana and Chance, will have special words to say. But for now, Gideon may begin.”
Gideon had been to many weddings in his youth, but as he aged, he doubted more and more that he would ever say the sacred vows to another.
His voice barely shook when he declared, “Sasha. My sunrise, my sunset, my mate and wife for all time, Queen of my Pride and of my heart, will you accept my solemn oath to love you, honor you, protect you, and provide for you always?”
“Queen, will you accept our pledge to support our King in his oath?” chanted the assembled guests.
Sasha let out a burst of joyful laughter, trying to compose herself, even though her eyes were leaking happy tears and she was smiling so hard that she had to rub the ache out of her cheeks before she said, “I accept all of your oaths, Pride and King. Gideon, my sunrise and sunset, friend, mate, lover, and protector, you are the King of my Pride and my heart. Will you accept my solemn oath to love you, honor you, defend you, and aid you always? Pride, will you accept my oath to your King?”
“I accept your oath,” Gideon rasped.
In unison, the assembled crew chanted, “We accept your oath.”
Marcus, holding Val against his chest, raised his free paw and placed them on Sasha and Gideon’s joined hands. “As the elder, I give my blessing. The union is forever, until the sun no longer shines on one of your souls.”
Alana and Chance, silvery little hybrid Leonid cubs about four years old, raised their paws to land on the couple’s legs and excitedly chirped, “As some of the youngest of the Pride, we give our blessing.”
“Good job,” Rupex whispered to his cubs, beaming between them and Layla, who quickly reclaimed their little paws.
Then, he cleared his throat and looked solemnly at Sasha and Gideon.
“This union is forever, for when the sun sets on both souls, they’ll reunite in the hereafter, King and Queen in eternity. ”
“You can kiss the bride!” Marcus shouted from where he’d stepped off to the side of the couple.
Gideon didn’t have to be told twice.
SASHA HAD SEEN WEDDINGS on the media viewer growing up.
Sapien-Three weddings in the old movies and in the current news releases, big, exciting events that were meant to show off someone’s wealth and someone’s stunning gown.
In her little girl dreams, she’d imagined being a bride, but the vision had always been hollow, just about the dressing up and the beauty of the spectacle.
The pure joy and happiness from joining her life with someone as sweet and loving as Gideon, someone who was as unselfish and pure in heart as Gideon?
She didn’t think any lavish celebrity wedding could match the joy and love she felt standing in that lounge, listening to the cheers she and Gideon received as they kissed.
And after? The happiness seemed to spread.
Music switched on, wine was poured, and dancing started.
Kamau led them to the biggest floribunda cake she had ever seen, all covered in white sugary frosting and pink petals.
She was whisked around the room in her husband’s arms, lost in the excitement and pride on his face.
She expected that he would keep her in his arms all night, but no.
She was part of a Pride now. She found herself whirling with Dr. Marcus, Elio, the human freight coordinator, Rupex, Talos, Kamau, and Jaxson.
She even held little Chance’s paws while he balanced on the tops of her shoes and danced with him until her cheeks (and feet) hurt from laughing and tapping around the floor.
And when the sun had set, and the ship was slowly sailing on its way, Gideon let out a roar that rang through the entire deck and was met with roars from the rest of the Comet Stalker Pride, then carried her back to her room for their wedding night.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d have a wedding night with any Queen, let alone a Queen like you.
My joy,” Gideon ran a soft knuckle down her cheek, staring at her in awe.
“And to know that we have plans for a home together—that we may one day be blessed with a cub together... I could not ask for any better wedding present.”
“I love you, Gideon. This is... This is better than any wedding I could ever have imagined.”
“I am sorry that we still do not have your wedding bracelet. Elio is arranging for it to be shipped. I had considered a ring, but it would have had to have come from your system, which is much farther away and so much more expensive. Not that Felid credits don’t make it a favorable exchange.
I just wanted you to have your jewelry sooner. ”
“I love that you’re worried about it. I’m not. I have you, and that’s all I want.”
“I’m glad, my Queen.” Gideon pulled her into his lap as he sat on the bed, resting his head on top of hers.
Sasha snuggled into his arms, into his chest, feeling warm and safe. She’d thought there would be an explosion of passion.
Maybe this is what an explosion of love looks like, she thought, holding her groom tightly, kissing his paw, loving the way his tail draped over her lap.
“I have heard that many couples used to want to wait for years to have a cub,” he whispered softly. “Back before Queen Fever. In human culture, too?”
“It’s usually like that, yes.”
“But if we don’t continue with the program, we won’t—”
“I don’t want to stop!” Sasha blurted, surprising herself.
Gideon’s relieved whoosh of air blew her hair around her face like a sudden windstorm. “You don’t?”
“No. No,” she mused, speaking slowly. “I used to think I couldn’t raise a child of my own.
I mean, on Sapien-Three, alone? I couldn’t, not safely.
And when I met you, and I started realizing this wouldn’t be my baby, it would be our baby, everything started changing.
In a way, I thank Farhet. It was the first thought of wanting to protect a cub from growing up with an arrogant jerk of a father like him that made me realize how much I would love a child.
And when I thought of you, having a son or daughter of your own, something no one could take from you, not if I helped you fight to keep them...
I want a life and family with you more than anything I’ve ever imagined, Gideon.
That’s why I’m still getting my shots, still on the protocol, and still proudly part of this new program.
I hope every couple they find ends up like us, as happy as we are.
As in love as we are,” she murmured, kissing his strong jaw, pulling his dark mane so that he leaned into her.
With a sigh, one kiss turned into him cradling her in his arms, lying over her. His kisses transformed into something heated and possessive. “My wife,” he whispered into the hollow of her throat, into the curve of her shoulder. “My Queen.”
“My King,” she spoke the words that seemed to act like an on-switch to his libido, unbuttoning his cream-colored shirt. “I hope tonight is everything you’ve ever dreamed of, as far as wedding nights go.”
“All I dream of is your arms around me.” Gideon’s huge paws moved delicately, slowly unwrapping her from the simple pink dress that was now rather wrinkled from hours of dancing, feasting, and sitting.
He slid it from her shoulders and off over her hips, holding it reverently as he laid it over the nearest chair.
“Nothing else around you?” Sasha winked.
“Oh, perhaps. If you’re not too tired.”
“I am tired, but my favorite way to fall asleep is next to you, after being given something incredibly sweet to dream about.” Sasha sat up as he came back to the bed, gently catching his waistband and lowering it to retrieve his semi-stiff member.
She ran her cheek along it, looking at him with kittenish eyes before her tongue traced the length and circled over the tip. “This is sweet for you, right?”
“You are incredibly sweet. But what you’re doing to me is coming in along the lines of seductive, and you know it. Sweet vixen.”
“I think I like that combination.” Sasha sucked him into her mouth, stretching her jaw wide, and then pulled back to smile. “Sweet and seductive. You can be just the same. Although sometimes I feel like there’s something a little wild waiting to burst out, and I’m waiting to see it.”