Cecilia's Mate (11 page)

Chapter
Eleven

Chewing
on his lip, Draven continued to read the files the marshal had sent to him. It
was taking him longer than he’d thought upon first opening the files. The
marshal had sent a lot of information, more than he ever could have imagined.

He
didn’t look up when Cecilia settled in at his side again, but he did wrap his
arm around her. Tucking her in close, he stroked her hair as he kept reading.
She’d been up and down a few times while he’d been trying to absorb everything
he’d been given. So far she’d been extremely patient. No questions asked, no
demands, just a soothing presence at his side whenever he’d needed her.

“My
father cheated on his wife,” he said after a time. The words on the screen
before him were starting to blur, so he took the opportunity to fill her in on
what he’d learned so far. “One of the maids is actually my mother. Apparently
the woman he was married to couldn’t bear children. Something they didn’t
discover until they were well into their marriage. According to his journal he
never planned to cheat on his wife, he loved her, but he wanted the name to
continue.” The Kiraly name. Another shocker for Draven was finding out his true
birth name was Draven Ackermann Kiraly. Ackermann being the last name of the
woman who’d brought him into the world. His father had put it on the
certificate of birth but restricted the access to it to only a select few.

“He
ended up having an affair with one of the maids.” Draven flipped to a picture
of the woman, her smiling visage popping on the screen with a vitality that
defied the two-dimensional image. He got his eyes from her, he knew. “Sunneva
Ackermann. Or that was her name when she knew my father. She’s since married
and had her own family.”

Draven
had three younger half siblings. Two brothers and a sister. “The woman he was
married to found out that Sunneva was pregnant and oddly enough took her into
their home to care for her during the pregnancy. Sunneva had to sign a contract
giving up all rights to me upon my birth, and as far as Craegin society was
concerned I was the Kiralys’ child in all ways.” But he didn’t have his parents
for long.

“They
were murdered,” he whispered. “The couple they’d chosen for my godparents
actually plotted their deaths. It was a political move. One of my father’s
enemies on the counsel paid them to get close to the Kiralys. They became
friends over a number of years, invited over for dinners, and all that. Then
once a child was in the picture, me, they had orders to kill the Kiralys. But
they ended up deviating from the plan slightly. Instead of handing me over to
be raised by the enemy of my father, they kept me to raise as their own. They
knew the plans he had for me, and even though they were willing to kill for
money two adults, they couldn’t condemn a baby. For two years they moved around
thanks to the credits they were paid for the Kiraly murders. That’s when they
were in the accident, with me in the conveyance, and the authorities put me
into the system. Because they’d altered most records to show my name to be
Draven Ackermann, and because my certificate of birth had been password
protected, I was lost in the system. To everyone that knew of the birth they
assumed I died in the same tragic home intrusion as the Kiralys.”

Draven
turned the data pad off and tossed it next to him, then slid his now-free hand
around Cecilia. “Apparently the Kiralys and the Montereys, Sadie’s relatives,
are the two founding families. The oldest of them all.” He shook his head
before resting his cheek to her hair. “I just don’t know what to make of all
this. I have no idea what to do with all the information. While I have this
mild curiosity to meet Sunneva, I truly don’t know what good it would do. But I
fear the harm it could cause if her family doesn’t know about me. Of course
there is the other side of that. Draven Kiraly is dead, according to all
records.”

The
marshal had made the offer of reissuing all his paperwork to reflect his true
name, but Draven was wary of the offer. Once the fact was known that he hadn’t
died as his father’s enemies had assumed, they might very well come after him.
And if they couldn’t get to him, they might go after Cecilia. Now that the news
had leaked out, there really was no hope of passing it off as a rumor. But
maybe he could minimize the risk by not accepting the title and the lands, by
trying to keep himself and Cecilia out of the public eye?

“I
don’t know what to do about all this,” he whispered. He was so damn tired. All
he’d learned weighed heavily on him. On one hand he wanted to claim his
birthright, to let the Kiraly name live and thrive once more. On the other
hand… On the other hand it was nothing to him. It wasn’t who he was. It wasn’t
a representation of all he’d personally gained. “What do you think about all
this?” He couldn’t ask her what he wanted to ask. But it was so tempting to ask
her to tell him what he should do. Oh so tempting to let her make the decision.
Even if it did go against everything within him.

Cecilia
moved so that she was fully in his lap, her small hands moving over his tense
shoulders, making him let out a moan of appreciation. “I think you already know
what you want to do. I think you should meet your mother. Meet her, get to know
her and the family you have out there. If things work out between you all, then
spend more time with them.” She was stroking the side of his neck now, relaxing
him more and more.

“As
for the name.” She shrugged. He felt it as her delicate shoulders lifted and
lowered. “You have created a name for yourself. However, your family name is
one that should live on as well. They named you Ackermann, so you already have
lived up to that part. The question is, can you live up to the other part?
Kiraly? I know you can but I have a feeling that you’re doubting yourself,
love.”

He
let out a breath and allowed her words to roll around in his head. Draven
didn’t doubt her assessment of the situation. He was doubting that he could
live up to the Kiraly name. While growing up he’d only had to prove to himself
that he could do something and only had himself to disappoint. But if he took
on the Kiraly name he’d have a whole society ready to pick apart every move he
made.

Pulling
her closer, Draven tucked her head under his chin. “You’re right, I am doubting
myself. As Draven Ackermann there were no expectations placed on me, because I
didn’t have anyone placing them on my shoulders. But with the Kiraly name. By
the stars,” he muttered. In his head he added a few curses as well. “I remember
learning about the Kiraly line in the academy. They were revered. Stuffed up on
pedestals because of all they did for the Craegin people, rich and poor alike.
They were one of the few families that ensured not a single Craegin went hungry
during the worst drought we ever suffered as a people. They had, still have,
actually, scholarships to put disadvantaged youths through classes and into the
academy should they make the grades. They started the Reaching Further
foundation. You know the one, it builds houses and complexes to get people off
the streets and into a safe environment so they can better themselves. How the
hell do I live up to all that, Cecilia? These programs have been running for
years and are managed by a special group that my father and his wife had
specified before their deaths. How do I live up to that?”

“You
simply be you, Draven,” Cecilia told him with a smile that lit her eyes. “You
be who you are. Deep down you are a Kiraly. You know it as well as I do. You
have always been a bastion for good and kind things. You’ve always fought for
the underdog and if I recall correctly you also give to the very foundations
that they set up. You just didn’t know it. I know you, Draven. You know that
I’m right.”

“Why
are you women always so smug when you know you’re right? You are so lucky I
love and adore you,” he murmured. Sighing, Draven dropped his head to the back
of the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. She was right, as she usually was. A
very annoying trait, in his mind. Just once he wished she’d be wrong about
something, anything. “By the stars, the amount of paperwork I’m going to have
to do to get my name changed alone. Then there’s all my military ID, our
marriage certification, and the list goes on forever.”

“It’s
a good thing that you have me with you, isn’t it? I’ll do whatever I need to do
in order to help you, and if you wanted to you could marry me all over again.
Our marriage night was such a fabulous night and I wouldn’t mind a repeat.”
There was passion in her eyes, her cheeks pinkening and her breath sharpening
as she spoke, sure signs that she was eager for her mate.

“We
very well might have to, depending on what the marshal’s office can do to
smooth this out. I’ll have to contact the marshal and let her know I will be
taking on the Kiraly name. I only hope neither of us ends up regretting that I
made this decision, little one.” Stroking her hair back gently, Draven took a
moment to luxuriate in the smooth feel of her silky hair. “I never want you to
be hurt by anything I’ve done. It’s my worst fear.”

“We
are in this together, Draven. You and I are a team. If something hurts you,
then it hurts me. Just know that I will always have your back and I know you
will always have mine. I understand that you don’t want me harmed, and I won’t
be. We will put your family’s name back into society.”

Draven
nodded slowly. “I’ll send a message with my formal approval to proceed with the
name change to the marshal’s office. It will likely take them a day to send
through all I have to fill out to start the process, so we’ll have tonight to
ourselves. Except for dinner with your brother, of course.”

“Good,”
Cece said before she bounded off and headed for their bedroom.

Putting
in the code for the marshal’s office, Draven quickly recorded a message and
sent it out, then waited until the confirmation came through. Once he knew it
was received Draven turned the video console off and headed for their bedroom.
He paused at the sight of Cecilia kneeling in the center of their bed. Smiling
at the image she presented, her pussy on display along with the rest of her
body, Draven began to remove his clothing.

Chapter
Twelve

Six
months later
…

Sadie
looked at Cecilia and smiled her approval. At least, Cece hoped it was approval
shining in the woman’s eyes. “So are you sure you want to marry him a second
time?”

“Are
you kidding? If I could I would marry that man every single day. Don’t you
recall your wedding night?” Cece and Sadie had became fabulous friends over the
last several months. They commiserated together when Draven and Bracken were
fighting with the seemingly endless paperwork that came with reinstating his
family name.

“Right,
good point. Maybe I can somehow get Bracken to marry me again. That man is
…
”

“Please
stop. Right there. That’s my brother.” Cecilia stopped Sadie mid-sentence
because she didn’t want to have to hear once more the virtues of her brother’s
stamina and other things that a sister never should know about her brother.

“Oh,
hear that?” Sadie shifted on her heels and nodded. “Sounds like they’re ready
for us.”

A
knock sounded on the door a moment later. Bracken stuck his head inside. “They
are ready for you, baby sister. You sure you want to do this again? Wasn’t once
enough?” he asked with a wink to his wife.

“You
bet I want to do this again.” Cece said with a grin. “Especially the wedding
night. He’s
…
” This time it was Sadie who
cut Cecilia off with a hand over her mouth. Cece just grinned and winked at her
sister-in-law. “Is he ready for me, too?”

Bracken
was eyeing them both with a confused look. “Yes, he’s definitely ready. If it’s
even possible he’s more nervous this time around than he was the first. It
might have to do with the massive crowd in there, though. He’s worried how
you’ll react to so many people watching this unfold.”

“There
is a crowd?” Cecilia felt a bit sick then. She took a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay. I can do this. He’s there waiting for me, and you are going to walk me
down. All I have to do is focus on him.”

Sadie
touched Cecilia’s arm, rubbing it lightly. “That’s right, sis, we won’t let
anything happen. Let’s get you married to Lord Kiraly, shall we?”

“He’s
so going to kill you if you call him that,” Cecilia said with a snicker. “Or at
least go to the mats with Bracken about it.” Because Draven would never do
anything that would harm or cause Sadie any pain either.

“Okay,
you two, enough of this. We need to go before he comes looking for you,
Cecilia. If he does that the marshal might very well have a fit.” Bracken held
out his arm to her and squeezed her hand when she slid it over his arm. “Sadie
can lead us in,” he said. “Just like the first time around, my love.” The smile
he turned on his own wife was warm and gentle.

Cecilia
took a deep breath and smiled. “I love him,” she told her brother without
preamble. “With every beat of my heart. He’s everything to me. You understand
that, right?” She knew that if anyone would it would be Bracken. He would
understand because she knew he felt the same for Sadie.

“I
do understand what you mean,” he said softly. Squeezing her hand again gently,
he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Let’s get you married. Again. I get why he’s
doing this and why the marshal insisted on being the one to perform the
ceremony the second time around. Fintan and Adira are both here too, so you
have a couple other friendly faces out there.” Sadie headed out the door ahead
of them. “No sign of Mother, thankfully,” he said under his breath.

“Thank
the stars,” Cecilia muttered. “It could be the fact that her invitation was a
bit delayed.” At least if the runner understood what she had told him the
invitation would have been delayed. She couldn’t stop the announcements, but
she could delay the invite at least.

When
they entered the hall she stopped and sighed. There he stood. Draven. He was
everything she’d ever dreamed he would be. He stood with a new uniform on, one
that spoke of his status more than his ranking in the military. His hair was
pushed back, his gaze locking onto hers. She took a deep breath and smiled.
“I’m ready.” She began to move with Bracken then as the music played. The
closer she got to Draven, the happier and safer she felt. The more relaxed she
became.

“Hey,
you,” she whispered to her husband when they reached him. “Miss me?”

“Yes,”
he hissed back. Taking her hand, he helped her up onto the dais and pulled her
in closer to him. “I was feeling very alone standing here with all these
people, most of whom I don’t know, staring at me. If you hadn’t shown up when
you did I’d have come to find you, very quickly, and very desperately.”

“Well,
then it’s good that I couldn’t wait another moment for you,” she teased, moving
in just another step closer to him. She heard the marshal clearing her throat
and smiled. “Sorry, I can’t seem to help myself. I happen to love this man a
great deal and look forward to every second with him. I can’t wait to marry him
again.”

The
marshal gave her a serious look, but the woman’s lips definitely twitched. She
held up a hand to still the talk in the room. Then she began. It was a slightly
longer, much more formal service than the one General Daykin had performed. But
in the end they said their vows to each other, gave their solemn oaths, and
kissed to seal it all. When Draven pulled back from her he was smiling. “If we
find out about any other mysterious relatives, no more name changes. I would
marry you time and again, but the paperwork is too much.” He gave her another
kiss as their audience applauded.

“Oh
shit,” she heard Bracken mutter.

“What
is the meaning of this?” a scarily familiar voice screeched into the sudden
silence of the large room. The woman had walked into the room with her
daughters in tow.

“Shoot,”
Cecilia muttered and looked up at Draven. She turned, Draven’s arm around her
middle as they moved. “Mother.” She bowed her head respectfully. “This would be
me marrying Draven, again. He’s taken his true family name and asked me to
marry him once more as a Kiraly, so I of course said yes. I see that you’re
still angry that he and I have wed?” Typically Cece wouldn’t be so bold, but
with Draven holding her, and knowing that they could never be parted, she felt
a little bolder.

“You
are promised to another so this marriage and the one previous are complete
farces. The contracts were signed long before this, this…” her mother waved a
hand in Draven’s direction with a sneer, “person came into your life. You will
be marrying the man chosen for you as he was promised, under contract, by your
father.”

“Except
for the fact that we nullified anything that you or your husband may have signed,”
the marshal said from behind Cecilia. “The wedding of Cecilia and Draven is
lawful per my office and in the eyes of all Craegins. What I want to know is
how you could have even known this was going on?”

“I
had to send her a runner. He was supposed to arrive in five hours,” Cecilia
grumbled. She hadn’t wanted to do it, but her father had sent her a message
basically guilting her into it. “As you can see, Mother, my marriage is very
valid and it’s been consummated, often.” That did have her blushing. “I suggest
that if you can’t give us your well wishes, then you should leave. Now.”

“She
won’t be leaving,” the marshal said. “Now that she’s revealed herself she will
be accompanying my guards as some questions need answers. We’ve uncovered a lot
of things she needs to clarify. But you two should get on with your married
life, again. Go, celebrate, and be happy.”

“Thank
you.” Cecilia began to shake when the marshal walked away. She watched as her
mother and sisters were grabbed by the guards waiting there. She should feel
badly for the women in her family but truthfully, she couldn’t. She felt
nothing but distinct dislike for her mother and sisters for all that they had
done to her over the years and for what they had done to keep Bracken and Sadie
apart. She turned to Draven. “You married me. Good thing that you didn’t marry
my family.” Just that he still wanted to be with her with that mess that showed
up for their wedding told her that she meant as much to him as he did to her.

“Of
course I married you. I love you.” Turning her in his arms, he pulled her in
for a hug and kissed her cheek gently. “You are the only one that matters to
me. Everyone has a few people in their family tree they’d rather not
acknowledge. The fact that yours are all from the same time frame isn’t a
reflection on you. It only shows how strong you truly are. You resisted
everything they did, becoming your own person and knowing your own heart. You
knew what was right and what was wrong without any real guidance. You did that
because you are amazing. Your brother’s okay, too, I suppose.”

“He
really is.” Cecilia hugged him tighter before she took another deep breath and
pulled back. “Let’s go and start our new wedding day the right way, please?
Without hateful words hurled at us?”

“Agreed,”
he said quietly. Giving her a squeeze, he rubbed a hand to her back. He stepped
back and took her hand in his. “We should grab something to eat, have a drink,
and then we can go to the rental suite. We’ll lock the doors and hide out in
there until we need to go back to the destroyer.”

“You
have the best ideas,” Cecilia said with a grin. “All right, Draven Ackermann
Kiraly, how about you and I run for the food, and then keep on running after
that?” She was all for skipping the reception afterward.

“I’m
willing to go along with whatever you want, Cecilia Ackermann Kiraly. No more
than an hour at the reception. Preferably less time, but we’ll do whatever is
necessary before we get out of there.” Squeezing her fingers, he pulled her
toward the main doors before following the guards’ directions to where the
reception was being held.

“My
husband is the smartest of all men,” Cecilia said as they walked out of the
hall and toward the reception room. Life was good, very good, and it was only
going to get better. Cecilia knew this without a shadow of a doubt. She was
married to her soul-bonded mate, and nothing was ever going to get in their
way.