Upon the Threshold (20 page)

“I don’t know,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I’ve never done this before, so it’s all very new to me too, Elisabeth.” Hugging her close, he pressed a kiss to her temple and then leaned back. Running a finger over her shoulder, he winced. “I really do need to learn not to bite you so hard though. You’re going to bruise again.” There was still the lightest of blood, but his saliva had stemmed the flow to a sluggish drip now.

Just like the first time they’d bitten her, she thought.

“I like it when I bruise and carry your mark around with me.” She hugged him right back and then said, “Just give what you can. If this is a one-time-only thing, I’m glad that we were able to do this. I care deeply for you, Kraven, I love you, but if you can’t do this then we won’t. We still are very, very good together. Don’t you think?”

“We are, but I will try. I don’t want you feeling cheated, Elisabeth. I will do better. My promise to you,” he said quietly. Pressing a kiss to her lips, he tipped her head up and took the kiss deeper, slowly.

“Okay, now that everyone’s all happy again, you planning on coming out and helping me eat all this food sometime today?” Lukkis called from the other room.

Eli grinned up at Kraven and shrugged. “I don’t know, what do you think? Should we go and eat and keep Lukkis company, or should we crawl back into bed until later?” She wanted to leave this choice to him and only him.

“Save her something to eat,” he called out. Lifting her, very easily she noted, he rearranged them on the bed. Getting her on her back, he rested his cheek high on her belly, so his hair brushed and teased her breasts. Tugging the blankets up around them, he just held on to her, rubbing his nose lightly to her skin.

Wrapping her arms around him as best she could, Eli relaxed into the man and sighed. “I do love you a great deal. I’m happy,” she told him and closed her eyes, the heat of him warming her body well.

She felt the brush of his lips to her skin before he squeezed her gently.

Chapter Fourteen

Danykia finally let Eli go and stepped back from the fierce hug she’d wrapped Eli in. “You look happy, Elisabeth. Are you?” Danykia asked. Taking her arm, she pulled Eli toward the tent on the grounds around the vessels.

“Very,” Eli said with a smile and shifted slightly in the chair that she settled in. Even though Kraven wasn’t close, she could all but feel his eyes on her. She loved the sense of him watching over her. “How are you? Has anything exciting happened in the last week or so?” she teased her new friend.

“No, it’s been quite boring without you around. Some of your human colleagues managed to garner enough courage to come for a visit. So much so they even left the security behind. They were well rewarded when they made it to the tents and got to see some of the things our people are working on. Once in there, though, they started talking in that way all scientists do that makes no sense to the rest of those around them, so I left them there.”

Danykia poured a hot drink into two cups and passed one to Eli “Beyond that, your security people were very interested in some of the training exercises we were doing. We invited them to join in and showed them a few things that will make them more efficient. They seemed to be well pleased when they went back to their duties, and since then we’ve had more requests to join in on the training that came through formal channels. It is likely one of the things that Kraven is reviewing while he lurks nearby.”

“You can feel him watching too, huh?” Eli asked with a grin. “Don’t be offended. He loves me and I love him. He’s watching over me to ensure that all is good with us and all that fun stuff. I love that man. I love that he’s as overprotective as he is. Sorry, but I really do.” She paused, then added, “However, I am so very happy that my people are giving yours a chance. I think that they would really benefit from it.”

“I do not mind if he wishes to lurk around. He is doing as a mate should. Especially when he has such a lovely little mate as he has in you. I would have to have strong words with him if he hadn’t at least brought you here to see me. Now I know that you will be well cared for by them both.”

Danykia sipped from her cup and set it back down. “Your people are hesitant but curious, and I think the curiosity is overriding their need for caution. Which is good. We would never harm them and they need to know this. But that is something we are all working on. Now, is it true? Will you not speak to me of your mating experience? Lukkis said you would not, but I am slightly distressed that you would at least not share something with a yet unmated female such as I.”

Eli smiled and took a sip of her drink “All that I can and will tell you is that they took very good care of me. They let me simply be me.” “I love those men more than anything else in this world and universe, so just know that when it does happen for you, your mates will ensure that you are well cared for. Promise.”

Danykia gave her an annoyed look and wrinkled her nose. “We are a people who speak freely and openly about sexual acts. Yet not a soul will ever give anyone a clue as to what the mating involves, if their Beasts come out and so on. It is most frustrating and frightening to not know what to expect, even a hint. But I will not ask more of you. You clearly wish not to speak on it, and I will respect that. Very irritating though,” she said.

“Thank you for understanding. It’s a very personal thing. It’s as if the mating is a part of your soul. I think that’s why people don’t talk about it more than anything. It has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with simply opening yourself and fully giving in to that being inside of you. You share your souls in the mating, and that’s the truth.”

“More than I’ve ever gotten, and yet still not very helpful,” Danykia muttered. Then she waved a hand and sat up straight. “Enough on that. I know this is the first time they’ve let you out since the ceremony. Have they said when they will be returning to Droushanian for you to do the official version for the governing administrator?”

“Soon. They want to ensure that we get this done sooner rather than later. I do as well. I want and need to get this over with because I want everyone and anyone to know that Lukkis and Kraven are mine and I am theirs.”

“Good. That is very good. Though you are legally theirs and they are yours. The ceremony was performed properly and all documents filed in accordance with the laws. It’s a formality more than anything else—necessary, but just a formality,” Danykia said.

“He was worried I would be mad as well about the whole legality of everything. How could I be mad at him when I love him? He’s a part of me. I understood his frustration, and I feel for him on it. I just hope that we will be able to move past it all.”

“I’m sure you will,” Danykia said with a nod. “While he tends to hold things in, if it’s not held against him, he will let it go. Kraven has always been…” She paused. Then she frowned and tipped her head. “I’m not sure of the word in your language. I want to say ‘sensitive,’ but that is not quite right. Do you understand my meaning though?”

Eli nodded. “I do understand. I know what you mean, and it’s true. He seems to take things far more to heart and personally than any other likely ever would. It’s just one of the many reasons I love him so much.”

Danykia smiled at her and shook her head. “It is a good thing he is such a fierce warrior. Such things said about any other would definitely lower his regard among his colleagues. But I think Kraven will weather it well and come out even higher in their esteem.”

Eli looked through the tent flaps and out into the camp at the people milling about, but when she saw Kraven watching over her, she smiled. “He truly is an amazing warrior. I don’t think that I could ever watch him in battle, but I happen to love the body that his warrior ways have carved of him.”

“He is a fine specimen.” Danykia nodded. “And his skills in battle are well known. You likely will never be permitted to see him in battle. Mates are protected during such times and usually not permitted to go with their male counterparts into dangerous areas.”

“Good.” Eli knew that was silly, but she didn’t want to see her mate fighting. “I hope never to see him hurt. I think that I would be beside myself should I ever see him or Lukkis harmed in any way at all.” She had freaked out enough when she saw the scratches on him when he had saved her life from those things that had stalked her before they were mated.

“Droushanian males heal quickly. It is the Beast inside them that allows it. The Beast hates to be weakened in any way, or so we assume. There is much we do not yet know about their Beasts. It’s very hard to get close to one during the full shift without losing a hand.”

Eli smiled softly in memory of Kraven losing control and showing her his Beast. “I can understand that,” was all she said and took another sip of her drink. “However, the ones who would never have to fear would be that Beast’s mates. If mated to a Droushanian…” Eli paused and had to think for a moment. “That Beast is also part of the mating and would never harm its mate. Ever.”

“And yet the mates are never permitted close at that time. Because the Beast usually only comes out during battle.”

“Well, don’t you dare share that with another being. I hadn’t intended to say anything at all about that,” Eli muttered. “So please, please, do not say a word about what I said.” Her face was red, and she felt like a heel. She hadn’t meant to say anything about Kraven’s Beast, and yet she had. Eli had learned far more about the Droushanian secrets far faster than she should have.

“I would never betray your trust in such a manner. But you will need to guard your tongue well when you meet the governing administrator. This one is well versed in getting people to admit things they would never willingly say. We are unsure how, but it has caused a bit of discord among our people. There is even talk that this governing administrator will soon be removed from office. Until then, though, think through all you wish to say carefully before speaking.”

“Right, I can do that,” Eli said and chewed her lower lip. “Well, I hope that I can, at least. I will need to talk to Kraven and Lukkis about this and see if they will have any ideas on how to help me keep my cool when I go before the governing administrator.”

Danykia opened her mouth, shut it, and then sipped at her drink, a smirk on her lips. “I’m sure they’ll come up with something,” she said demurely. Peeking over her cup, she sipped once more and set it aside. “Oh! Before I completely forget, we sent out a few of the warriors to check on your horses and look for any other signs of those… things. Your horses are well and there appears to be no losses.”

“Oh, thank you,” Eli said happily and grinned. “I had wondered about that, but to be honest…” She shrugged and blushed slightly. “I have been otherwise occupied— well occupied too. I’m glad that they are good. We are trying very hard to bring back some of the animals that we had on Earth. It is slow going, but the horses will be a huge help because we will be able to ride them to farther reaches instead of taking transport vehicles that use chemicals to run.”

“It is a wise and sound plan. Especially from what we know your ancestors did to your previous home. We all hope that you learned from their errors and do not make them here. It would be a shame to do such harm to the world you have created here.”

“I couldn’t agree more. That’s one thing that my dad and the rest of the founders did. They ensured that greed would never come into play here. It’s all about working and getting along. We are here to grow our home, to grow as a people, and to learn from the mistakes of the past. However, I am certain that should we ever step across that line, you and your people would ensure we went back, right?” Eli hoped.

“Only if you breached our laws. How you govern yourself and those on your world is your choice. Or, technically, since you are now Droushanian through mating, it would be how they govern themselves and all of that. You get my meaning, I think,” Danykia said, waving a hand slightly.

“I do. It’s going to take me some time to get used to, but I like the feeling of being mated and being a part of something more. I am a part of two worlds, and I am happy. Both things are very good things. As for the way that we govern ourselves, I have to agree. It will all come down to how the laws are upheld by my people—well, the humans, that is.”

Danykia grinned and waved a finger at her. “It is not so easy to remember that, is it?” she asked with a laugh. Shaking her head, she sat back and threw an arm over the back of her seat. “So, my friend, what would you like to do today to drive your mate a little crazy?”

“He knows what I am doing,” Eli said with a grin. “It’s devilish to their senses, and something that most wouldn’t think of, but even though I am in a sweater, I have on no panties.” She whispered to her friend. “And it’s driving Kraven to distraction because he knows and so does Lukkis.”

“Oh my.” Danykia’s eyes went wide before she threw her head back and laughed. “You are so bad, my friend. I cannot believe he would allow you out like that. And for so long without doing something about it.”

“I know. I’m honestly surprised as well.” Eli grinned. “And I made him watch me dressing so he knows exactly what isn’t under my clothes.” She shrugged a shoulder and added, “He wants me to have friends. I think that’s the only reason he hasn’t just tossed me over his shoulder and headed to our rooms yet.”

“Well, his restraint is commendable. Strange but commendable.” Danykia nodded. “There is one thing I do wish to show you and have been waiting to show you for the last two days. But your mates were quite insistent that you stay naked. Very unkind of them to make me wait so long to show you what came in with our resupply ship for a visit.” Danykia stood and held out a hand. “Come. I will show you and see if you are of a like mind as all the others here.”

Slipping her hand into her friend’s hand, Eli let the woman lead her away. She gave a small finger wave to Kraven as she passed him and a grin as well. She was one blessed woman and knew it. “So what is it that you have been waiting to show me?” Eli asked as they walked through the camp.