Blood Bond (13 page)

Rica made a non-committal sound, but there
was no missing Ellie’s quick nod and the look of censure she threw her mate
when he didn’t elaborate on his grunt.

“I’d like to speak privately with Starr for
a moment,” Anca said.

As though she had waved a magic wand, the
others seemed to disappear, they left the room so quickly. Only the swish of
the door closing revealed they had left by less-than-supernatural means. Starr
tried to hide her apprehension when she looked at the queen, fearful of the
gleam of knowledge in her brown eyes.

Anca wasn’t intimidating on the surface,
but there was a quiet strength in her demeanor, and Starr knew she cared deeply
for the homeland she had come to just two years ago. No matter if it might hurt
her, Anca would do what was best for the people. That was programmed into her
by thousands of ancestors. It had become habit. No, more than habit. It had
become instinct.

Starr knew the queen could order their
deaths—and would do so—if she decided that was the best way to protect Corsova.
She didn’t know why she was so certain Anca knew about them, but she could
sense it. She waited for the queen to begin, determined not to betray herself
by inadvertently saying the wrong thing, if she was mistaken about the queen’s
perception.

“Have you mated with them?” Anca posed the
question in a soft voice, with just a hint of curiosity.

Starr couldn’t detect an underlying thread of
anger, but the muscles she had thought were completely tense tautened further.
She couldn’t bring herself to meet the Protector’s eyes. “Not in an official
ceremony.”

Anca waved her hand. “That’s paper. You
know what I mean.”

Starr nodded, feeling sick. “Yes. I’ve
betrayed my position and the people of Corsova. I’ve betrayed you.” When the
queen remained silent, Starr dared to look up. She hadn’t known what to expect,
but the amusement she saw in Anca’s expression shocked her.

“I don’t feel betrayed. I have done some
research and spoke with Demi. Neither of us could find a reason why the
spiritual leader is required to remain chaste. Nor could we find any hint of
dire consequences associated with her taking a lover…or two, in this case.” She
grinned.

Starr frowned, puzzled by the queen’s
jocularity. “I don’t understand…”

Anca grinned. “You aren’t the first
spiritual leader to give in to desire, Starr. There have been a few others, all
documented in our records.”

She shook her head. “That can’t be. I would
know—“

“These records are viewed only by the
Protectors. They document everything that has ever happened in our country, and
some pre-date even the gathering of all the groups of vampires to form a
society together.”

“What happened to the others?”

Anca paused to sip tea before answering. “A
few were executed. One retired early, and her acolyte assumed her position.
Three were granted dispensation by their Protectors to have mates.” She gave
Starr an assessing look. “It’s interesting to note that those who were allowed
the pleasures of a mate were among the most powerful spiritual leaders of our
people.”

Starr’s eyes widened at the information.
Remembering how her power had swelled when she finally joined with Sorin and
Lucian as one made her realize that was how it was supposed to be. Just as the
Protector was destined to have a lifemate, so was the spiritual leader of the
people destined to have one who was complementary—or sometimes two, she thought
with a small smile—who would augment her powers.

“It’s an archaic tradition, and I can find
no practical reason to enforce it,” Anca said casually. “I suspect Sian’s
assassination would have succeeded if you
hadn’t
been with Lucian and
Sorin, and had an increase to your power.”

Starr nodded, and then met Anca’s eyes
directly. It was uncomfortable to do so, because she held the other woman in
such high esteem. “There is one thing I do not understand. Why would you
research this, Highness?”

Anca winked. “It was obvious what was
happening between the three of you, and I was determined to find a way to allow
it. At times, life is lonely enough, even with a mate. It’s ridiculous to
require one to be alone, especially when there is such great love waiting.”

A lump formed in Starr’s throat, and she
found it difficult to speak. “We have your permission to mate?”

“I expect to be in attendance at the
Pledging Ceremony,” Anca said, as answer. She set aside her teacup and cleared
her throat. “I believe you have Lucian waiting to take you back to Sorin, and I
want to seize this chance to speak with Rica, to see if we can amend the
original treaty between our people, to allow our groups to function more
cooperatively.” She looked down at her pajamas, glancing at the hole where the
dagger had passed through. The wound had healed. “But first, maybe I’d better
change.”

Starr got to her feet and walked to the
doorway, pausing to turn back when she reached for the knob. “Highness?”

“Yes?”

“What will you do about Nikia?”

Anca sighed, and it was a long moment
before she answered. “What I must.”

Chapter 9

Starr glanced up at the moon that was still
nearly full, but had waned somewhat from the way it had been last night, when
she had stood under it while Sorin and Lucian tried to convince her to
officially accept them as mates. Had it been just last night? So much had
happened in such a short time that it felt like weeks had passed since they
registered a moon-cycle claim.

It was strange to have members of the Pack
standing around her, watching her. She felt self-conscious in her nudity, with
so many unfamiliar eyes upon her, but tried to hide her unease. She knew how
important it was to Lucian and Sorin, who had begun the long task of
reconciling with the Pack, to have the Mating Moon Ceremony concluded in the
tradition accepted by the Pack.

Sorin had arranged it, before asking either
she or Lucian. Rica had agreed to allow them to have a Consummation Ceremony,
to end the moon-cycle claim. All that was left now was to go through with it,
with everyone watching.

She took a deep breath as Rica stepped
forward to ask if she would accept these men. “Yes,” she said in a clear voice.
She had no one to act as Guardian, because there had been no time to contact
her parents, and she knew they would have refused her request anyway. The
ceremony wouldn’t quite be official without all the steps completed, but it was
only “paper,” as Anca had said.

Besides, this ceremony was for Sorin and
Lucian, to acknowledge their culture. The Pledging Ceremony happening tomorrow
at moonrise would be for Starr, and would have the added bonus of making their
union official to the people of Corsova.

Rica turned to Lucian, repeating the
question. After Lucian’s acceptance, and then Sorin’s, he removed the sash they
had tied on their hands before the ceremony. “The match is approved.
Consummation will commence.” Then he stepped back into the circle of Pack
members around them.

Starr knew it was time to begin, and she
tried to quell her nerves when Sorin put his arms around her. She made a
conscious effort to relax as he drew her against him. She held out her arms as
Lucian stepped in front of her. He dipped his head to brush his lips against
hers, while Sorin bent his head to nibble on her neck.

Her nervousness faded as their lips played
on her skin. When Sorin cupped one of her breasts and drew his thumb across the
nipple, it hardened immediately. She groaned and closed her eyes when Lucian
took possession of her other breast and caressed the hardened peak. He parted
her lips and slid his tongue inside to duel languorously with hers.

The last remnants of tension left her, and
she forgot about the members of the Pack surrounding them. Sorin and Lucian
must have picked up on her relaxation, because they chose that moment to lower
her to the ground. Sorin lay underneath her with her legs spread on either side
of his, and Lucian knelt in front of her. Starr’s eyes fluttered open when
Lucian’s mouth once again claimed her flesh, this time concentrating on her
breasts rather than her lips.

Sorin held her around the waist, balancing
her atop him. His cock pushed against her buttocks, and she squirmed, anxious
to feel him inside her. She gasped when he moved one hand from her hips and
cupped her buttocks. He parted the cheeks and slid his fingers down the cleft,
probing at her sphincter with one thick finger.

Her eyes flew open when Lucian’s tongue
sought out the heat of her pussy. His tongue twirled circles around her swollen
clit, and she drenched his mouth. A cry escaped her when his tongue swept
lower, to probe her opening. She stiffened when it darted inside her, and her
hips had a mind of their own as they thrust upwards to encourage him to go
deeper.

He responded to her unspoken invitation by
going lower. He trailed his tongue down her pussy and parted her with one hand.
Sorin’s finger slid aside to allow room for Lucian’s tongue, and he dipped
inside, exploring the puckered opening. Starr cried out at the invasion, from
mingled shock and pleasure.

As Lucian’s tongue swirled inside her tight
anus, he brought a hand between her thighs and stroked her clit. A new wave of
moisture greeted him when he brought his hand lower and entered her pussy with
two fingers. Starr writhed helplessly against the stimulation, still not
certain if she wanted to avoid his tongue or urge it deeper.

Lucian made the decision for her. He
withdrew his fingers and tongue before leaning back on his knees. Starr watched
him through heavy lids as he grasped her hips and shifted her slightly. Sorin’s
cock pressed against her anus in the new position, and she took a deep breath
to prepare herself as he slowly thrust into her. She forced her lower body to
relax and accept all of him.

When Sorin’s cock was finally nestled in
her anus, she barely had time to catch her breath before Lucian’s cock probed
the entrance of her pussy. She wasn’t frightened, because they had done this
before, but her muscles still felt stiff. She wondered if she could take them
both as he sank into her. She gasped at the twinge of pain, but it faded
quickly to pleasure.

Starr wrapped her arms around Lucian’s neck
when he lay down carefully on top of her. As he thrust into her, Sorin thrust
into her, forcing her hips upward to meet Lucian’s cock.

“Oh, my loves,” she said softly, for their
ears only. They stretched her to her limits, but it felt so wonderful to share
her body with them, at the same time. Even the occasional protesting muscle or
section of throbbing flesh didn’t detract from her pleasure. She surrendered to
the pace of their thrusts, closed her eyes, and savored the sensations coursing
through her.

Their rhythm and the harmony of their
movements were so perfect that Starr could feel Sorin and Lucian’s cocks spasm
with approaching release at the same time. Her pussy contracted in response,
and the orgasm came quickly, coinciding with the hot spurts Sorin and Lucian
spilled inside her. The climaxes sealed their union by tradition of the Pack.
Only the Pledging Ceremony remained before she would belong completely to them,
and they to her.

* * * * *

The solemn formality of the Pledging
Ceremony was a direct contrast to the Mating Moon Ceremony of the Pack. Starr
wore a black velvet robe and stood between Sorin and Lucian, who wore white
robes, below a dais where the queen stood. The tight knot holding her hair was
giving her a headache, and she mentally urged Anca through the words she needed
to say.

Because Starr couldn’t officiate her own
Pledging, the Protector had stepped into the role. If only Starr had selected
an acolyte already, the ceremony probably would have been finished by now. She
made a note to begin the search once the Isolation Phase of the Pledging passed
in two weeks. Until then, all she had to focus on was time spent in the company
of her mates, with no duties.

The tradition had begun a long time ago, in
the days of arranged marriages, to allow the newly pledged pair time for
acquaintance. Since she was already intimately familiar with her mates, they
would put their time to more erotic use.

She blinked when she realized Anca had just
said her name. She had been so impatient, and the process seemed to be going so
slowly, that she was surprised to find them nearing the end. She knelt on one
knee as Sorin and Lucian did the same. Starr held her hand in front of her, and
they both covered it with theirs.

Anca asked, “Do you accept a union with
this man…” She cleared her throat and appeared flustered when she looked up
briefly from the scroll from which she was reading. “…these men? Will you
embrace them with your body and soul? Will you share your mind and heart with
Sorin and Lucian until death parts you?”

Starr raised her head and looked at Sorin,
then Lucian. The careful visual measuring was part of the ceremony, giving the
bride a last chance to refuse. She did it by rote, having no heart to
reevaluate her decision. “I will.”