Conri (11 page)

“Oh for the love of... stand up!”

Conri stood and smiled, it was one of those genuine
smiles that Sarai had been waiting five months to see. It was the smile he had
given her when he brought her home from the town...home... She shook her head.

Conri touched her leg and Sarai jumped. ”I have been
here for almost six months now and...”

“And you don’t want to go home now?” Sarai could hear
the hope in his voice. She looked up.

“I am home.” Conri leaned in and placed a gentle kiss
on her lips.

“You are home.” He said. Sarai leaned into him,
pressing her lips to his. Her scalp tingled when his hand twined in her hair.
His fingers flexed and Sara squirmed at the pin prinks of pain as he pulled her
hair.

“Conri,” she wrapped her arms around his broad
shoulders and pulled him close. He leaned into her and his sheer volume pushed
her back. The journal slid off of her lap but Sarai didn’t care.

“I have wanted you since the day I laid eyes on you in
that blasted cave.” His lips found hers again and she breathed through her nose
as her body warmed. She whimpered, not wanting him to end. He paused when her
head hit the pillow.

“Tell me stop Sarai.”

“No.”

He growled and his mouth captured her.
 
Gone were the gentle kisses, his mouth
ravished hers. Sarai melted into his hand as his slid up her leggings. Someone
had taken off two layers when she was passed out, she thought absently. His
fingers prodded at the outside of her thighs and she parted her legs enough for
him to rest comfortably between them.

The kiss broke and Sarai frown. “Tell me to stop
Sarai.” His statements grew with urgency.

“No,” she growled and pulled his lips back to hers. He
pressed into her, pushing her body deeper into the body. As he ground against
her harder he growled or purred deep in his throat. She could feel the cords in
his neck and stomach working as he restrained himself.

But control was only as strong as the person wielding
it and Sarai wanted that control gone. “I never want you to stop Conri,” Sarai
said as he moved his mouth to her neck. “Please don’t ever...
ahhh
, yea.” She arched her back as his human teeth gnawed
at her collar bone.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her
heels into his ass.
“Sarai.”
His voice was a warning,
yes his control was waning. She rolled her hips and dug her nails into his
back. She felt his thin shirt protest and his back quivered. She wanted more of
his control, she wanted everything from him and she wanted to give him
everything- she froze... did she want to give him everything?

He pushed up on locked arms, “Are you ok, did I hurt
you?”

“I want you to...” Sarai’s words faltered.

“I can stop.” He tried to untangle himself from her
legs, but he wasn’t trying very hard. Sarai shook her head.

“No, I mean...” She took a deep breath. “I want to-
ya
know?”

Conri chuckled, “You want to have sex. Well that’s
what I’m getting at kitty.” He started to collapse on her but Sarai put her
hands on his chest and he stilled. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to say this ok... let me say this.”

Conri gently
unwrapped
her
arms and legs and sat back on the bed, his smile was so wide Sara felt her
chest swell. Yes she wanted to give him everything. She... well, she loved him.

“I want to give you everything.”

Conri nodded as if he understood.

“No Conri, you don’t understand. I... I want you to be
my first.”

“First what?”

Sarai looked at him like he was daft and his smile vanished.
The room went from warm, homey and light, to darkness oblivion.

“Are you... are you a virgin?”

“Why do you say it like it’s a bad thing?” She waited
for an answer but when he said nothing Sarai jumped from her bed. Still he said
nothing and all that warmth he had given her fizzled and chilled. “I can’t
believe I was about to...I feel so foolish.”

“Sarai.”

“Of all the hair-brained ideas.”
She was embarrassed. She thought she loved him, she thought he loved her. As a
doctor,
or near doctor she should have known loved isn’t
real.

“Sarai...”

“Oh
my gosh
, what was I
thinking?”

“Sarai!”
His shout didn’t shake
the walls, it didn’t put the fear of God in her,
it
didn’t do anything but stop her internal berating.

“What!”

“Marry me.”

Sarai’s jaw dropped just like Lilly’s had. Her mind
went from a million miles an hour to stopping on a dime. For once she was at a
loss for words, she couldn’t process, she couldn’t think she couldn’t... oh
yea, breathing is important. Sarai took a breath just as the stars started to
pop in the corner of her eyes.

Conri slowly stood from the bed. “I would have taken
you as were, human and whatever. I don’t care about blood-status or standings or
appearances when I am with you. And this was all true before you told me what
your lineage is. It only took me this long for two reasons, ONE- I wasn’t sure
you wanted me as much and TWO- I was going to have to rewrite the laws if you
wanted to stay human.”

Sarai still couldn’t get her brain to start again, she
watched as Conri took a step forward.

“But I think the game has changed for you. I think....
I think you like it here, you want to be here and
..”
Conri took a breath as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I think you love
me.”

“All of this because I told you I was a virgin?”
Ohh
, there’s my brain
, Sarai thought to
herself.

Conri shook his head. “I wouldn’t care if you had a questionable
past. All I ever wanted was you. And I was going to take you, right there on
that bed.” He said as he hitched his chin toward Sarai’s bed. She felt her
insides go liquid and it drew to the bottom of her gut. That luscious warmth
was back, a fire burning inside and Sarai knew only Conri could squelch it or
inferno it.

“But since you told me that, I am going to do this
right. I want to make sure that this all happens exactly how you want it to. No
matter what, from this day forward this is Sarai’s show.”

“Don’t be an idiot, you’re the king.”

Conri’s smile broke from ear to ear, “And you’re my
queen,” He pulled his hands from his pockets and dropped to one knee. In his
hand he held a silver white band with multiple something’s twinkling in the
middle.
 
Sarai had to step back to get a
better view, damn those rocks were huge.

“That is going to look ridiculous on my finger Conri,”
Sarai admonished.

“Is that a yes?”

Sarai looked down at him, if her expression was as
half as happy as his he would not need an answer, “Yes.”

Sarai held out her hand and he snatched it, holding it
tight in his hand he looked at her fingers.
“Last chance to
change your mind.”
He said hesitantly.

“Put the damn thing on my finger already.” Sarai
teased.

He slid the ring on her middle finger and Sarai
giggled. She gently took her hand back and moved the ring to her ring finger.
Conri blushed as he stood.

“I knew I was going to get that wrong. I studied for
weeks and learned all the human customs. But I knew I was going to get the finger
wrong.”

“Do you guys not have rings of matrimony?”

“No, we work on scent. If you become a leopard you would
see.”

“When.”

“When what?”

“When I become a leopard.”

Conri
swooped
her up and
placed a hard kiss on her lips.
“Tomorrow.
I want the
ceremony to be tomorrow. We will have a formal human wedding as a goodbye and
then... what?”

“Really, don’t you think tomorrow is a bit ambitious?”

“When would be better?” Conri asked automatically.

“How fast can your best seamstress make a dress?”

“For the future queen?
Tomorrow.”

Sarai threw her head back and laughed.
“How about next week?”

“Next week as in tomorrow?”

“Conri!”

“Ok next Friday. But damn it all if I don’t sneak into
your room at night and ravish you.”

“And ruin our wedding night?”

Conri growled, “I read about that,” he said so low it
rolled in his chest like rocks.

Conri set her down and bowed. Sarai had not seen him
this happy- ever.

“Conri?”

“Yes my love?”

Sarai felt herself blush. “Where did you get this?”
She asked holding up her hand.

“I ordered it online and sent one of my guards to pick
it up at our post box as soon as the snow broke.”

Sarai nodded, “It’s stunning.” She smiled warmly.

“It pales in comparison.” Conri said.

“Oh
my gosh
, so
cheezy
! Get out!”

Conri bowed again and when he opened the door to her
room he called down the hall, “CAI! The lady of the house needs your
assistance!” With that he winked at Sarai and left as
Cai
came shuffling in.

She had to admit the seamstress did a phenomenal job.
Stella had cried as Sarai walked down the aisle; Flynn standing in as a father
for her. For throwing the human wedding together in a week the
leopard’s
did a wonderful job making it feel like a real wedding.

So she was married, just like that and only after six
months of knowing Conri.
 
Now she stood
in a small, makeshift room, in the back of the ballroom with
Cai
,
the other omega female, Lilly and Stella. Stella was doing more rambling than
helping but Sarai was almost dressed without her help.

“Are you nervous?” Lilly asked.

”There are no human’s for me to attack, so I think
I’ll be alright.”

Stella made an exasperated sound, “I apologized for that
like a billion times.”

Sarai and Lilly laughed.

“Yes,” Sarai admitted soberly. “What if I am not what
Conri thinks I will be?”

“Stella was turned by a born Beta and is a second
Legion. I am a born alpha and you have history, I think it will be ok.” Lilly
pulled Sarai’s red hair off her shoulders. “You remind me of my sister on her
mating night.” Lily said absently.

“I hope I don’t remind you too much of your sister.”

Lilly shook her head, “Just enough. Enough that I am
glad we will be sister’s after this. It’s only fitting.”

“It is fitting; from strangers to friends, from
friends to best friends- no offense Stella, you’re still my number one- from
best friends to distant cousins, and cousins to sisters. Does it get any
better?”

“Um yea, you’re marrying the king.” Lilly laughed.

Cai
wrapped the last layer of
the red dress. It was similar to the one Stella had worn but this one Sarai had
made. Instead of fully covering all but one part of her neck and arm, it was
completely opened at the top except one strap over the shoulder. The bodice was
layered and accented her shape. The rest fell in flowing silk; Conri’s favorite.
The finishing touches were a pair of glass shoes made specifically for her
feet. She would need to remember to ask where that tradition started, it seemed
out of place.

“I still think this is over the top.” Sarai said
wiggling her foot at the ankle.

“It’s custom.” Lilly snapped.

“A custom you all haven’t practice in centuries.”

Lilly shrugged and smoothed a corner. “You’re ready.”

“Stella’s Rite was private, why does everyone have to
be here for mine?”

Lilly raised a brow, “Really Sarai, you have to ask?”

Sarai shrugged, “Because I’m going to be the queen.”
She blew out a breath and it raised her hair off of her brow. “Ok, let’s do
this.”

Lilly lead Sarai to the stage and people gasped and
murmured.

“What’s that about?” Sarai asked, feeling very
self-conscious.

“You look exquisite.” Lilly reassured and lead her to
the stage. Conri was standing in the exactly same place Flynn had stood. Stella
sat where Sarai had sat and Lilly was now where Delilah had stood. It all
started the same, progressed the same, and as Sarai lay there, her arm leaking
her lifeblood she prayed it would work.

So much had happened in the past six months. If
someone had told her then where she would be now, she would have called them
insane and been on her merry way. Lilly gently took her head and titled it to
the side. Sarai had expected the movement to hurt, but she didn’t really feel
much.

Now she was here, changing her life for an alternate
reality.

“Welcome sister,” Lilly said and Sarai wanted to thank
her back but one second Lilly was hovering over her and the next a horrible
pain spiked through her.

She gasped, her lower back coming off of the Dias on its
own. She wanted to cry out but she was so tired, too tired to call for help. As
Sarai eye’s fluttered shut she felt herself go ethereal. The pain was
gone,
there was nothing left but silence. Then something wet
touched her lips, slid into her mouth and down her throat. It tasted like honey
but Sarai knew it was too thin to be honey; maybe watered down honey?

Then the movie started.
Dinner and a movie, how wonderful
- Sarai thought to herself. But it
wasn’t a very good movie, the pictures started out to slow and it didn’t make
sense. Then it started to speed up and get interesting but just as Sarai was
getting into the movie the pictures started flashing to fast.

She wanted to ask someone to slow it down but her body
was suddenly on fire. She needed to ask
Cai
to put the
fireplace out. It was way too hot in here.
Then darkness.
Sarai was annoyed, first a terrible movie, then the watered down honey, then
the fluxing temperatures and now darkness... someone needed to get their act
together.

Sarai realized she was just too tired; the warm heat
and darkness combination was a lot to handle. She decided it was time to give
into it. The moment she decided to give in the heat broke- she was finally
comfortable.

Then through the darkness a light bloomed and in that
light was the cutest little white cat. The kitty was trotting toward her and
Sarai called to it. But the closer it got, the bigger it got and Sarai knew
then and there what was happening. She knew what she needed to do and as the
magnificent animal drew close Sarai opened her arms wide, dropped her head back
and beckoned her feline.

*

It was taking every ounce of will power not to pace.
Conri had all eyes on him, he was their King and he had chosen a human mate. If
she didn’t survive would he lose his crown? Fuck, that didn’t even matter to
him. If Sarai died they could have it because he would die with her. She lay
there, paler than normal and for the worst moments of his life he wondered if
it had all been too much for her.

He had read in the history books that when a human
took the Rite the cat could be too much for them. That once inside the
transition the human could reject the cat and the cat would then reject its
human. The problem was, in the middle of the Rite the two were one; and to
reject
yourself
is a death sentence.

Sarai hadn’t reacted like Stella had. Stella had
thrashed about as she accepted her leopard. Flynn had told him the Stella had
told him that it was the most painful thing, allowing the cat to meld with her.
But once it started she had learned what the cat wanted; acceptance. Conri
watched for any signs that Sarai was in distress. He didn’t know what he could
do but he would figure it out.

People were starting to chatter and Conri couldn’t
blame them. Nothing was happening. Even Stella had shown signs that something
was happening. Just as Conri was about to give in and approach the ceremonial
dais Sarai took a gentle breath; it was just a small intake through her nose
but it was enough. The crowd hushed instantly.

Conri felt the tingle in the back of his head. It was
a tingle he usually only felt in animal form, a tingle he felt in human form
only when he had been mated. It was the way they communicated. It wasn’t
actually words when they were in animal form, more like an intuition. And his
kind only experienced it twice; in animal form with anyone or in human form
with a mate. But it was there, he stepped close to Sarai. She was breathing
evenly but not moving. He leaned down and sniffed; he smelled her cat, knew her
cat as if they had been mates their entire lives.

He inhaled deeply and it smelled like a winter forest;
even though their ancestors never lived in forests.

“Am I supposed to have a dramatic awakening like
Stella?” It was the barest of whispers but it still made Conri flinch.

“No, just awaken.” He couldn’t resist brushing his
lips against her temple and when he did he was rewarded- her feminine scent-
her mating scent, permeated his nostrils.
 

Sarai sat up slowly and looked around. The room was so
silent Conri could hear her shoes clink as she stood. He turned to the crowd,
“Welcome!” Conri shouted and looked at Sarai, “
Your
new Queen!”

The crowd erupted in cheers. Some of the stronger cats
screeched and let their fangs descend. The deep love he felt for his people,
the joy he felt for his new mate, the scent she gave off- she was no Alpha- she
had been turned right into royalty status; a phenomenon. He let his incisors
descend and called back to his people. Sarai called with him and when he looked
at her, her green eyes had melted into jade and her incisors were descended.
Just like that, within only minutes of becoming a shifter, Sarai had mastered
her cat.

He needed to claim her soon. Her scent was
overwhelming. Already Conri could see the males in the front row stepping back.
They were enticed by her and few of them were already mated.
 
Conri turned to Flynn but he shook his head.

“I can’t help you my king.”

Conri saw the pain in his eyes. He loved his mate but
Sarai’s scent was to powerful. Conri took Sarai’s hand and lead her to the back
of the stage. He passed through the back of the curtain and was met by Core.

“My King.”
He said and bowed.
“My queen.”
He said and bowed again.

“She won’t be if I don’t get her out of here.”

“I can tell. Her mating scent is the strongest I have
ever smelled.” Conri felt the need to growl and protect but Core wasn’t looking
at Sarai. He was looking right into the king’s eyes. “I will help you my King,
if you will help me tomorrow.”

“Is it within the laws?’

“It is.”

“Then you shall have it.”

“As you wish.”
Core turned
and with the help of Lilly he cleared a path for Sarai. The females in his clan
reached out, wanting to touch her and the males did it too, but for different
reasons. The females were just a nuisance; they wanted to be close to the
matriarch of their society. The males just wanted her.

But true to his word Core was there. If a male got to
close he bit at them; enough to keep them from challenging the king. Conri knew
he could do it, he could take his whole establishment, but he didn’t want to.
All he wanted, all he could think about, was claiming this female as his.

They broke through the crowd and Sarai took off
running. He only hesitated a fraction of a second and in that second she went
from fleeing female to racing cat; her transition flawless. Where had she
learned that?

Conri shifted and took off after her. Man she was
fast. It took him almost the entire length of the compound to catch up to her.
But when he did she was stopped in front of his room
..
He felt the tingle and knew Sarai didn’t want to shift to human, she had
destroyed her dress and didn’t want anyone to see her naked besides him.

“Allow me my King.” Core stood next to Conri,
naked ,
and opened the door. The moment the door was open
Core shifted back to his leopard and was gone. Sarai slipped inside and Conri
followed. He could sense the tension in his castle. She was gone but the males
were recovering. And some of them had very unhappy mates.