Chapter 45
Alanna
It was like a fairy tale. Everything she ever dreamed of having. A perfect wedding and she hadn’t had to stress about any of it. She spoke her desire, and others made it happen. Even last night and this morning was nothing but spa and beauty treatments with her best friends.
The wedding itself had been a fantasy. Binding herself to Survii in the way she had been raised to value meant so much more than she anticipated.
Returning to him now at the beginning of their reception, she felt like a princess.
And he stared at her like she was the center of his universe. The kind of look guys usually only gave when their woman wasn’t looking.
She lifted her hands, and he took them without breaking eye contact.
“I missed you,” he said, kissing her fingers.
“Sorry. I needed to change for the party.”
“I would have been happy to have helped you,” he rested her hands on his chest, his forehead against hers.
She giggled. “I’m sure, but I actually wanted to make it to our reception, not end up with my skirt around my waist. At least, not this early.”
He smirked and didn’t try to argue that he wouldn’t do exactly that.
Being back on Earth, they didn’t have access to the multitude of alien sex toys he kept, but he did have access to human sex toys.
He was quite happy to learn how to use them, even if most were much less elaborate or capable of forcing orgasms from her body.
He called them retro and thought it fun to play with them.
So, their sex life was still rather adventurous.
Just in a more human way. And, for Survii, he was ready all the time.
Alanna was his free use sex toy, and if he had the opportunity, he would bend her over any available surface and fuck her.
Cooking, reading, cleaning – it didn’t matter.
He wouldn’t do it in front of other people, but he would tease her in front of others.
Touching her just out of sight while pretending he wasn’t.
And while she did not mind being his free use toy, she wanted her wedding day right now. He could use her later.
The gleam in his eye told her that he knew very well that’s what she was thinking. He let the matter drop as he put an arm around her shoulder and grinned out at the crowd.
Photographers had been snapping shots of them. Friends and family were smiling indulgently at their obvious newlywed behavior.
Behavior that wouldn’t stop, she knew. Atem still treated Peony like this, and they had been mated for over a year and had a son. Though it wasn’t given the same attention as herself and Survii, Atem still approached Peony with the same dreamy look on his face.
Her bridesmaids hadn’t changed and he – as well as the other mated males – were admiring how they looked dressed up human style.
All except Tuvo, who was standing back, communicating with their security lead. He was deliberately not looking towards Hattie. Which was a bit weird, since he had been doing little but staring since Peony demanded he talk to her and be friendly.
Alanna turned her head and, very quickly, spotted Hattie.
And was surprised.
Hattie was there talking to Keith. Her ex! He hadn’t even been invited, which meant Hattie had to have brought him herself as a plus one or security wouldn’t have let him in. Alanna and the others had been urging Hattie to make him go home already.
But he was here. Wearing a suit that looked one size too big and saying something to Hattie with a smarmy smile. And though her friend didn’t look exactly happy to be near him, she wasn’t fighting him off or demanding he go away.
What was up with that?
Before she could approach and ask, someone stepped in her path.
Her parents rushed forward to wish her congratulations.
To welcome Survii into the family with genuine warmth.
Unlike when he first landed and she had announced his intentions, they knew him now.
They liked him. They knew he would respect and honor her.
She quickly lost track of everyone she spoke to as she and Survii spent the better part of the next couple hours just talking to people.
And they both loved it!
She got to see all of her friends and family and introduce them to Survii.
Meanwhile, he got the chance to be his usual suave and charming self.
He flirted with her grandmothers, he admired the strength of her little cousins – male and female alike – and helped fix the tie of one of the younger boys.
He laughed with the men, charmed the ladies.
He blended in so seamlessly, it was like he wasn’t a purple and silver alien with three eyes and a tail.
A tail that he didn’t even mind when one of the little toddlers suddenly grabbed and pulled. He laughed and resumed the conversation, even as he used his tail as a chasing toy – prompting two other kids to come over and try to catch it. Just like a domini child would.
Alanna wasn’t sure why she was surprised.
Survii was so good with people, it shouldn’t be a big stretch to think that he’d be good with kids as well.
But it still warmed her heart to see him effortlessly playing with them as he was holding an important discussion with the president of India – a lovely older woman who was welcoming them to try again to visit her country as soon as their honeymoon was over since their attempt to go before had been dramatically interrupted.
The guest list for her wedding was insane.
World leaders and baby cousins and important public figures and that one creepy uncle who was a little too interested in children’s cartoons.
She and Survii met all of them, smoothly transitioning between talking to members of her favorite band – who had agreed to play the reception at her request – to her best friends from high school and undergrad and law school.
They were all happy to see her again and were talking to her about reunions and being a speaker for her old sorority.
A weird and wonderful combination of her weird and wonderful life.
As the two of them were greeting people, the bar was serving up cocktails to keep everyone busy and entertained.
The wedding planner, smooth as butter and slick as oil, stepped in and began herding everyone to their seats because the caterers were ready.
Dinner was a fanciful affair. The main course was beef tartare since it was raw meat that was safe for humans to eat – a meal for both the domini and human guests.
Hattie requested the recipe from the chef – as it was something she hadn’t known how to make on Turv and wanted to make sure she could recreate it on the alien planet later. They enjoyed it as soft music played.
“Is it everything you desired, vi Vitralai?” Survii asked, sipping at the champagne he had come to enjoy. The only domini to actually like alcohol. The others hadn’t developed an appreciation for it, claiming that it tasted bitter and made them nauseated.
“It’s wonderful,” she sighed happily, looking around the brightly decorated room. Like the kind of thing that belonged on the cover of a bridal magazine. Actually, she was pretty sure that it was going to be on a magazine after the ceremony.
Her wedding was kind of a huge deal.
Then came the speeches.
Those were a little more difficult, as it required translating for the domini.
Alanna, Scarlet, and Peony were all whispering to their mates as people spoke.
Romival, who had mastered English by this point, was whispering to Tuvo.
Hattie and Tuvo were pretending not to notice each other, though they were sitting side by side.
Alanna hadn’t wanted to separate the bridesmaids and groomsmen at the head table since the groomsmen, for the most part, didn’t speak English.
Luckily, Keith was not sitting at the top table. A quick glance showed him sitting at the table she had set aside for extra plus ones and last-minute invites. The table wasn’t full and all those sitting there looked slightly uncomfortable because they were around unknown people.
Keith especially had a very uncomfortable haze to his aura. Why was he even still here? Alanna didn’t want him here. His entire vibe was wrong.
But, again, she couldn’t bring that up now.
Not when her parents had launched into their speech about how much they loved her and how proud they were of her.
How happy they were to have Survii as a son-in-law.
Very adorable and loving and she nearly cried and ruined her make up.
She did cry when her uncle did the same – but it turned out that her mascara was a lot tougher than she thought and it withstood the onslaught.
Peony spoke as maid of honor. Then, she translated for Atem as best man. Peony’s speech mostly focused on their love and the joining of two people. Atem’s focused on the fact that Survii was a noble and honorable warrior who would always protect Alanna and any younglings born from their coupling.
Both were appreciated and Alanna clapped wildly for each.
Dinner and speeches finished, then it was time for the first dance. She eagerly jumped to her feet, pulling Survii by the arm and tugged him to the floor. He grinned indulgently as they stood in the center of the cleared space.
And her favorite band took the stage. She was getting to have the first dance of her wedding played by her favorite band. Who else would get to make that claim?
Survii and Alanna had practiced the waltz for this.
Dancing for the domini was more like a sparring session combined with tag – the whole point was to not touch your partner.
But he had also learned how to dance on multiple planets and the waltz, he had told her, wasn’t completely different from a few styles he had learned.
Her favorite band started up a slow ballad, and Survii began leading her through the familiar steps that seemed so different in his arms. He stood with such an untouchable confidence, his body strong and sturdy under hers.
A rock in reality that she could always cling to, no matter how far afield her mind decided to drift.
She completely lost track of the room, the song, the people watching and clapping for them as she stared into Survii’s three, dark, beautiful eyes.
She didn’t even notice when the music changed, and the crowd cheered. She and Survii kept moving as others joined them on the floor. She only realized they were there when a flash of red caught her eye as someone twirled past them.
Scarlet and Havali were among those on the dance floor. The beautiful couple were gliding across the floor with effortless ease. Perfect, as always. Peony and Atem were at the edges of the dance floor as she was showing him how to dance. Hattie was there as well.
With Keith.
They were also on the edge of the dance floor, not really waltzing but just rocking in place. Too far for Alanna to hear what they were saying, but Hattie was frowning and shaking her head. She definitely didn’t seem happy to be there.
Alanna almost missed him, but just beyond the dance floor, somehow blending in despite his huge size, Tuvo was watching them with narrowed eyes.
“He looks mad, doesn’t he?” Survii suddenly whispered in her ear, making her jump. He snickered, looking from her to Tuvo. “Not that I blame him. I don’t think I’d want to see you dance with another. Especially not in the human style.”
“They haven’t talked yet, have they?”
“Give them time. Tuvo is dense. He’ll come around.”
“Before Keith makes a move?” She glared at him. And his nasty aura. Like oil spilling all over and staining her wedding.
Survii gave her a curious look before asking, perfectly serious, “Do you want me to remove him?”
Alanna started, surprised that he would immediately ask that. Most people, she was sure, would ask her to ignore him just to keep the peace.
But of course, no domini would ever share that particular thought process.
Not when fighting was part of their daily life.
The word for peace in ancient Domtri didn’t even mean the same thing that it did for humans.
It literally just meant a lack of conflict, and it wasn’t a word with positive connotations – it was very similar to the word for ‘bored’.
She shook her head. “No. Hattie brought him here for a reason.”
“Not one she apparently enjoys.”
“Yeah, but it was her choice. I didn’t forbid him from coming, so I can’t be mad.”
“But you don’t want him here.”
She grinned. “You can’t indulge my every whim, Survii.”
“Why not?” He asked, like he was genuinely confused by the statement.
She laughed, shaking her head as she leaned into him. “You’re sweet.”
“So, I can’t kick him out?”