Berrr's Vow (12 page)

She hesitated and then lifted her head, meeting his solemn gaze. She didn’t say a word.

Berrr took a deep breath, his chest expanding against her body, while he continued to rub her gently. “I would
bound
to you if I could and give you all that I have but I can’t do that for the reasons I have told you. I can’t give you my seed or offspring but I will give you everything else I have.” His hand slid from her back over her arm and then up to gently cup her face as he stared into her eyes. “I will do anything to make you happy.”

“Can I go home to Earth?” She knew it was worth a shot.

Berrr’s eyes closed. His body tensed and then he shook his head, his eyes snapping open as his body relaxed again. “I will never let you go, Shanna. Ask me for anything but that to make you happy.”

Gazing into his beautiful eyes, Shanna realized she was never going to find her way back to her old life. This man wasn’t responsible for her being taken by Gohl and his two goons so hating him or holding him at fault for that wouldn’t be fair. He’d saved her from being sold as some asshole’s sex slave and when she said she wanted to go home with him, he hadn’t denied her. In fact he had even tried repeatedly to hand off all the sex duties to her even if she hadn’t understood what the hell it meant at the time when he wanted to dump all the house helpers’ chores on her.

“I understand the word monogamy and I can give you this, Shanna.” He caressed her cheek. “My son’s bound said you would want love. I know what this means but I have never experienced it. I once thought that Alluwn held my heart but she harmed me with her words and her rejection of me. I suffered pain and shame from her actions that injured my pride. I swore to never allow another woman to mean enough to me to care if she wanted to reject me or not.” He paused, his palm left her face, and his fingers ran through her hair. “Your rejection hurts me.”

Shanna watched his sad eyes and damned if she didn’t see sincerity there and it made her want to curse out loud because she knew her heart melted a little at his confession. He’d been hurt before, she could plainly see that, and it made her attracted to the guy even more for opening up to her about it. He was laying himself bare, which few men did, and she knew that too. This wasn’t some line to get her into bed or some guy telling her a sob story trying to get a second date. The guy owned her ass, he didn’t have to tell her a thing, and she didn’t see deception in his eyes.

“Give me time without fighting me to show you that we can be happy together and that I will be the best protector for you, my Shanna. I vow to not touch another woman and to make time for you always. I was told this would make you know that I am serious about making you understand how strongly I am determined to keep you.” His eyes searched hers for a long minute. “Give me the opportunity to see if we can work things out between us. What do you have to lose?”

Closing her eyes to not look into those incredible eyes anymore, she tried to calm her pounding heart. Berrr just held her, waiting patiently, while she sat there in his arms. She was tired and she was scared. She was on an alien world and the only thing she knew was the man with his arms around her.

It could be a hell of a lot worse and she knew that. She could have been sold to one of those men at the auction and she doubted he’d be swearing fidelity or swearing to try to make her happy. Someone else wouldn’t care if she was hurt, frightened, and she didn’t even want to consider the kind of hell she’d be facing in the hands of a man intent on only using her body regardless of whether she enjoyed it or not.

“Shanna? Please look at me. Will you give me a chance to try to make you happy?”

Opening her eyes, she met his intense gaze. His beautiful eyes regarded her silently while he waited for an answer. Shanna took a deep breath and nodded.

Chapter Seven

Relief was instant and evident on Berrr’s face as he slowly smiled at Shanna. “I will do everything in my power to give you a good and happy life with me.”

Nodding again, Shanna locked eyes on him. “Can you get rid of all of your house helpers?”

Berrr’s lips twisted downward, his shock at her words apparent as he stared into her eyes. He was clearly thinking as emotions flashed across his features while he debated but a good minute later he shook his head no.

“It is my duty to protect them even if I will never touch them again. It would be cruel to strip them of their standing by sending them to homes that are less than what they are accustomed to. I don’t know how to explain it to you but it would be a harsh punishment if I did this to them that they don’t deserve.”

He had no damn idea what those women deserved and Shanna debated on if she should tell him that they had threatened her. He didn’t know her well and she didn’t know him well. She had no idea how long Berrr and his house helpers had lived together so she wasn’t sure if he’d believe her.

“They will adjust to this new way of life.” He sounded more than sure of himself. “It will work out for them. I have a summit starting tomorrow with many visitors to arrive to stay in our home in the morning. Those warriors will keep the house helpers very busy.”

Dread hit Shanna. “You’re going to offer their bodies to those men, aren’t you?”

Cocking his head, Berrr watched her with narrowed eyes. “They do not mind. You may ask them about this if you doubt my word. I apologize if this offends your human customs but it is a way of Zorn life and the women need a male touch. If not my body then they will want another male to mount them.”

Fear inched up her spine. “What about me? Are you going to offer me up too? I’m warning you now if you even try that with me someone is going to die.”

His eyebrow lifted. “You are correct, Shanna. If a warrior tries to touch you then someone will die. I will kill any male who goes too near you. You are mine and mine alone to touch. I will never allow another warrior to put his hands on you.”

She relaxed in his arms. “So we’re on the same page. Good.”

“The same page?”

“It’s a saying that means we agree and are thinking the same things.”

He nodded. “We are on the same page. If a warrior touches you there will be a death.”

She realized with a jolt as she stared up at him that he was deadly serious. There was no teasing sparkle in his gaze. “You’d really kill a guy for touching me? Seriously kill?”

A soft growl rumbled from his throat. “Isn’t it this way on your world? Don’t your males kill other males to protect their women?”

“Sometimes but not usually.”

Berrr shook his head, looking totally disgusted, as he moved to lift Shanna off his lap. “It is a good thing that you are no longer on a planet where you are not protected. I ordered the women to prepare a meal for us since I was told you hadn’t eaten.” He stood and turned, looking down at her with a frown. “It is your duty to help me care for you and I want your word that you will eat more.” He carefully studied her body. “We need to make you bigger so you are sturdier.”

Shanna’s eyebrows arched as she stared at him while he walked away toward the bedroom door. He was serious and it stunned her.
He wants me bigger?
Her gaze swept down to her slightly rounded stomach from the fifteen pounds she was overweight. Swallowing, her attention jerked up to Berrr as he paused by the bedroom door.

“Come with me, Shanna. The house helpers have moved their belongings out of my room and you will now live there with me.” His mouth curved into a frown as his look darted around the room. “This room holds many bad memories so I am glad that we will no longer have to come in here.”

She inched off the bed and started to walk toward him. “Should I borrow some clothes from the closet?” Her hands ran over the huge baggy dress. “This is all I have.”

“I ordered one of the women to go shopping for you today so new, better-fitting clothing should be in my closet.” His gaze warmed up, his hand lifted, palm up, offering her his hand. “Come, Shanna. The food should be waiting.”

The room was almost twice as large as the bedroom she’d just left, she decided, as she stepped into Berrr’s bedroom. Today his bed was empty, there were no other women in the room, and it was well lit from many windows with red hazed sunlight shining through each not covered by curtains.

“You guys don’t use coverings for privacy?”

Berrr’s focus followed hers to the clear glass. “Why would we wish to hide the outdoors from our sight?”

“What about privacy? Anyone at night could just stand out there and watch everything that you do.”

A grin split his features as Berrr turned fully to face her, still gripping her hand he held as he stared down at her. “Why would someone do this?”

“They could be perverts. Who knows?”

His head tilted slightly. “I remember the word is bad in your dialect and I understand but there would be no honor in spying on my bedroom or attacking by sneaking up on me. Warriors are trained to be honorable, Shanna.”

“And what of the ones who fail those lessons?” She frowned at him. “That guy who bound to Alluwn wasn’t honorable when he tried to kill you, right?”

The smile died on Berrr’s lips. “No. He had no honor. If it bothers you so much I will have the women cover the windows. What do you suggest that will make you more comfortable here?”

She was instantly impressed with his offer, knowing he didn’t have to give a damn what she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she explained curtain rods and curtains to him. He listened intently, nodded a few times and squeezed her hand.

“It will be done for you. Is there anything else in the room you would want changed? I want you to be happy.”

“Nope.
That’s it.”

He turned away to lead her by the hand to a table by double glass doors that were open in the far corner. The smell of food made her stomach instantly grumble in response. Berrr softly growled as he sat down, yanking a surprised Shanna on his lap where she landed on her ass.

“You went too long without food in your angry rebellion of me.” A frown firmly in place, he reached around her to one of the plates set out and grabbed a meat strip, holding it in front of her mouth. “Eat now.”

The meat smelled similar to bacon and was really good. Shanna’s eyes narrowed though as she locked gazes with Berrr. “I’m going to eat but what would you do to me if I refused?”

Black eyebrows arched. “You want to test me on purpose, Shanna?”

Opening her mouth, she took a bite and shrugged her shoulders. The food was delicious and it not only smelled equal to thick bacon, but tasted like it too, which she loved. Chewing it down, she never looked away from him. She reached up to take it from him but he jerked his hand back to keep hold of the meat between his
finger
and thumb. He slowly brought it back to her mouth, obviously intent on hand feeding her.

“I’m curious. We couldn’t exactly date and get to know each other so I am trying to get to know you. What would you do if I refused to eat?”

A confused expression had his lips turning slightly downward. “What is dating? Is it some strange alien mating ritual that is made to drive both sexes crazy?”

A laugh burst from Shanna. “You have no idea how close to accurate that is. It’s where a man and woman go out to see entertainment events and have meals together to just talk and get to know each other before they get to the sexual relationship parts.”

The disgusted face he made had Shanna laughing again. He smiled at her though and she opened her mouth, taking another bite. He reached around her with his other hand to pick up a piece of fruit to feed her next.

“On Zorn the family usually offers up the females to males they have seen and wish to be a part of his household. Males and females don’t talk together much so getting to know each other isn’t relevant. If there is a desire to mount by both of them that is all that matters right after the ability to care for each other well. Warriors are judged by their fighting skills and the homes they can provide. The women are judged by their house helper skills and some consider their beauty.”

She stared at him in shock. It was so damn sexist but she swallowed the words down since she wasn’t on Earth anymore. Her mind started working quickly though and filling in what he wasn’t saying.

“So you got your house helpers because their families contacted you because the women were interested in living with you?”

He nodded, feeding her a bite at a time, occasionally taking one for himself. “That is exactly what happens and that is how I got them over the years. I still get offers for more but six is my limit. As Hyvin I have more females than most because I have many guests who travel far distances to come to meetings with me. Just having two or three house helpers like many in high positions do would be a strain on their duties and their bodies.”

She let her outrage over those sexual duties go since at the moment those women were anything but her friends. “What kind of meetings do you have?”

“It is my duty to make sure my people are happy and cared for so life is good for us all. The planet is large so
Vartas
from all districts come to hold meetings with me to tell me what I can do to make their districts better.”

She stared at him and then nodded, thinking,
Okay, the planet must be divided in districts and Vartas are probably similar to the governor of a state so they represent each one. Zorn politics aren’t that complicated.

“And tomorrow?
What is that meeting about?”

Berrr’s face tensed. “We have wild areas of Zorn where some of our uncivilized Zorn males live without rules or honor. Every year we take over more land and bring them into our society but lately we’ve had some issues with wild males trying to trespass into civilized areas looking to steal our women. We are holding meetings from the districts having these problems and I will send more of my warriors to the areas having troubles to hunt down these dangerous males. They will either comply with Zorn laws or they will die after they are captured.”

Shanna was speechless.
Is Berrr a dictator?
She hoped not. She stared at him in shock.