Valan's Bondmate (24 page)

Seeing his face, Lia understood only part of what he was feeling. He was jealous! She wanted to laugh with joy. Valan was jealous of a warrior who had wanted her. She thought about letting him suffer for a while, but couldn't bear the pain on his face. "If Selik ad-San had accepted the offer it would have saved me from Gorm ad-Jai."

At first he didn't understand what she was trying to say, but when he did, his body relaxed and his eyes grew darker. "But, you didn't need him to save you, little cat. I saved you."

She heard the arrogance in his voice and decided to tease him. "Well, I wouldn't say you saved me exactly because now I’m stuck with you."

A second later, she was scooped into his arms and carried from the room. She wiggled in his arms, and they tightened around her as he started up the stairs.

"I apologize, Valan."

"Too late." He took another step. "Better think of something to soften my anger before we reach our chamber, or you won't sit for a week."

Wrinkling her brow, she tried to think, but the door to their chamber distracted her, growing larger and larger with each step he took. Finally, she lowered her lips to his ear. "Isn't it time you had another massage?"

He smiled, and his eyes darkened to black. Huskily, he told her, "You are one bad little cat."

Her laughter echoed through the house, then was abruptly silenced when he kicked their chamber door shut.

***

Three sun risings later Valan informed Lia the classes on childbirth were beginning. He'd arranged with Cam for Minda to come to their house and keep her company while he attended the classes. When they arrived, he told her to behave, then followed Cam out the door.

Doctor Veeson began the class with a lecture on the symptoms the warriors were experiencing now they had bondmates. "Most of you have probably realized by now you desire only your bondmate. For those of you who have been touched by one of your previous lovers you have experienced a strong sense of revulsion. This is normal for bonded warriors. Now that your mates are pregnant you may soon encounter a feeling of illness at the smell or sight of certain foods. This too is normal for a Zarronian warrior whose mate is pregnant. The fourth thing you will soon experience is the inability to be away from your bondmate for more than a moon phase or two at the most. Even during the war with the Wrothians our warriors returned to Zarronia frequently as the females were not allowed on the battleships or starships. Now, we are at peace your bondmates and children will be allowed to travel with you on peaceful journeys." He went on to tell them how to care for their pregnant bondmates.

Valan absently listened to him while paging through the manual on the table in front of him. Doctor Veeson caught his full attention when he mentioned how emotional the females might become, and the warriors shouldn't be surprised if their bondmates cried for no obvious reason. This statement brought groans from the warriors.

Borg smiled before he instructed them to open their manuals, and began explaining female biology to them. Valan never really thought about how Lia's body would change as her pregnancy advanced, but now he did. Looking at the pictures in the manual and listening to Borg, he wasn't sure she could do this. She was so tiny compared to him.

Borg hid his grin when he noticed the incredulous expressions on the warriors’ faces. He finished his lecture and asked if there were any questions. He received a lot of solemn headshakes.

"Well, if you think of any you can ask them the next time we meet. Also, next time I want you to bring your bondmates with you.  Now I have an info-disc of the birthing process for you to watch. Some of you may find it disturbing, but it is something you need to see and understand. I want you to remember soon your own bondmate will be depending on you to help her get through this same experience." He began the info-disc, then made sure there was a clear path to the door.

***

Minda and Lia saw Cam enter the garden. Solemnly, he walked over to them and told Minda it was time to go home.

"What's wrong, Cam? Where is Valan?" Lia stepped toward him as she thought from his expression that something dreadful had happened.

"He will be here soon. He stayed to speak to Doctor Veeson for a moment." Cam hurried Minda away while tossing a hasty farewell over his shoulder in Lia's direction.

Lia went into the house and waited in the reception room for Valan’s return. When he appeared in the doorway then sat down beside her, she smiled at him. His look was as solemn as Cam’s had been earlier as he pulled her onto his lap.

"Tor, Lia, I'm sorry!" he said, as he rubbed her back.

"Valan! What's wrong?" Lia asked, tears appearing in her eyes as she. "Valan?"

He saw the scared expression in her eyes and hugged her. "It's alright, Lia. It will be alright.

"Are you going to take me back to the warriors’ arena?"

"No, never."

"Is something wrong with Father?"

"No, little cat. He's fine."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded and rubbed her belly. "You have to eat properly and get lots of rest and exercise," he said. "I’m going to take you to the training academy and begin an exercise program for you. You've got to grow stronger." He held her closer then asked, "Have you eaten lunch?"

"No. I was waiting for you."

"Then, let’s go to my father's and eat lunch with him."

"Really?" He nodded. She slid off his lap and started from the room, then went into the hallway.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to change my gown and braid my hair. I'll be right back."

He rested his head against the back of the couch and thought about her, and their babies. He wanted the babies but he wanted Lia more and he wished he'd never made her pregnant.

Borg had told them after the info-disc they shouldn't spend the coming months worrying about their mates. But, how could he not worry? Even though Borg assured them their bondmates would be fine, and females were made to carry babies and give birth to them, Valan wasn't assured. Maybe normal sized females, but not ones as small as Lia.

When she returned dressed in a coral gown and wearing the gold ribbon and tassels in her hair, he hid his concern and led her out the back door and through the garden to a gate set in the rock wall.

"I thought we were going to father's house?"

"We are. He lives next door."

She drew to a halt and glared at him. "You mean all this time I could have walked over and seen him anytime I liked? Really, Valan, you might have told me."

"I didn't tell you, because I don't want you running off and spending time with him. There's no telling what the two of you would do if I wasn't around to stop you. My father and Borg have a very odd sense of humor and they love to torment me."

"What a horrible thing to say about your own father and Borg!" She went through the gate and saw the house. She'd admired it from their chamber window and wondered who lived there.

It was a large, two-story rock house, covered with a flowering vine, and surrounded on all four sides with shady porches. Valan led her onto one of them, to a door framed with crystal windows. Before she could ring the bell, he opened the door and walked in.

"Father?" His voice echoed through the hallway.

"In the dining room, Son."

As he led her through the house, she admired the shiny wood floors and softly textured walls. Eirik was sitting at a round table, eating lunch. When he saw her, he jumped up and hugged her.

"This is wonderful. I'm pleased to see you, Lia."

"We've come to eat lunch with you, Father," Lia said. 

"Wonderful. Valan get Lia some lunch. Lia come sit with me." Holding her hand, he led her to a chair.

Valan rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen. He carefully selected Lia's food, deciding from now on he would prepare her meals. Fixing a tray for himself, he selected ale for himself and stinkgoat milk for Lia. Borg said she needed to drink lots of milk. He would make sure she had it with every meal. This pregnancy business was harder than he'd thought. He heard Lia's laughter and smiled. Since he couldn't manage both trays and both beverages, he took Lia's meal to her and ignored her frown when she saw the glass of stinkgoat milk. Then he returned to the kitchen for his tray and ale. Morna was leaning on the counter by his tray, waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here now."

"You should go to one of your other lovers." 

"Your father is a very virile warrior, Valan. But, he's not as good as you." Slowly, she sidled over to him, and rubbed her breasts against him. "I've missed you, Valan."

"My father wouldn’t share sex with you if you were the last female in the galaxy," Valan said, as he pushed her away from him. "Stay away from me."

She grabbed him and buried her hands in his hair then crushed his lips with hers. He grabbed her wrists and threw her from him. She laughed when she hit the counter. "I love it when you're rough."

"Time for you to move on. There’s nothing for you here." He picked up his tray and ale, and went into the dining room. When he sat down across from Lia, she gave him an odd look, then glanced at the kitchen door. Before he could say anything, the door swung open and Morna sauntered in carrying a food tray and a glass of wine.

"How lovely. Eirik you didn't tell me Valan was coming to lunch," Morna said.

"Morna…"

"And, he brought his little Wrothian with him." Morna set her food on the table and took the last empty chair.

***

The odor of the brocco-beans on her tray hit Valan, and he gagged. His chair crashed to the floor behind him as he jumped up and ran from the room.

Eirik chuckled then said, "Lia, go after Valan."

"No." She'd recognized the other woman as soon as she entered the room. This was the woman she'd seen in the garden, twice. Once alone, and once with Valan. They'd been together in the kitchen and that's why Valan's hair had been mussed. They'd been kissing and touching each other. Fury unlike anything she'd ever known rushed through her. She hated him! How could he betray her love? She wanted to kill him.

For a moment, she froze, then without further thought, she jumped up and lifted Morna's tray and dumped it over her head. The older woman gasped, sputtered, and jumped up from her chair. Brocco-beans slid from her hair and face, leaving behind a slimy trail. They cascaded onto the floor and squished beneath her feet.

A giggle broke from Lia's throat, then another. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Morna looked so funny! Suddenly, a sob caught in her throat and she covered her mouth and ran out of Eirik’s house, through the gardens, and into Valan's house.

Five micro-units later, she stood at the window in their chamber and saw him appear on the path leading to the house. She wanted to run from him and hide. The bands on her arms prevented it. Suddenly, she realized if he caught her in their chamber, she wouldn't be able to argue with him. Rushing to the door, she fled into the hallway. Before she could get to the stairs he was there, staring up at her. She froze and their eyes met.

"Go back to our chamber, Lia."

"No."

He climbed several of the steps. "We're going to talk. In our chamber."

"No."

He climbed several more steps. "It wasn't what you think. I didn't touch her."

"She touched you!"

He climbed several more steps, until he could almost touch her. "Are you jealous, little cat?"

"No."

He reached for her, and caught her arms. "Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. I don't care what you do."

He pulled her close and lifted her. "Then why did you run away?"

"I just felt like leaving."

He laughed and carried her into their chamber. "You didn't tell my father goodbye. He's worried about you."

"Put me down, Valan. Now!"

"Watch it, little cat. Don't forget our agreement."

"Valan!"

He sat on the bed and held her on his lap. "I don't want her, Lia. I don't want anyone but you. I told her a long time ago to go to one of her other lovers."

"Are you sure you didn't touch her?"

“Only to push her away." His hands had strayed to her legs and were rubbing them. Each time he lifted the hem of her gown a little higher, until it was as high as it could go.

"I don't like her!"

"I noticed as soon as I saw her covered with, uh, those things."

Lia giggled. He couldn't even say brocco-beans without gagging. "Is Father angry with me?"

"No. Just worried. He's sending Morna to Alteria. She won't ever hurt you again." His fingers found what they'd been searching for and his father was the last thing on his mind now.

"We should go back and tell him I'm all right."

"Later."

***

The next cycle, it started, and it was the one thing a warrior dreaded facing more than a hoard of Zylian slugs or a one-eyed Witvian mindstealer—at least they could be challenged and defeated. But, Lia's tears were undefeatable. Within cycles he stopped calling her his 'little cat' and began calling her his 'little cloud’. She cried when he made her happy. She cried when he spoke too abruptly. In the mornings when he was ill, she snuggled next to him and cried for him. He was becoming an expert at comforting her.

Valan’s misery was complete when his father and Borg gravely told him they had something very important to deliver. Thinking it had something to do with his journey to Zhang, he'd taken them to his den. Eirik glumly handed him a large envelope with an official Council seal while Borg told him how truly sorry they were to be bringing this to him. Valan opened the package, his heart full of dread, until a dozen small, pink hankies fell into his hands. He'd risen to his feet and roared at them to get out of his house and never darken his door again. They'd only pounded him on his back and nearly broken his eardrums with their loud bursts of laughter. His shouts and their laughter brought Lia running into his den to check on him and it hadn't taken the two schemers long to wheedle an invitation to dinner.