The Stubborn Lord (4 page)

“I am Lord Aleksej, Younger Duke of Draig,” he said in the universal star language, trying to keep the eagerness from his voice. Like shifting and other secrets of his planet, the Draig did not share their language—not that anyone other than the locals wanted to learn it. “How did you come to be in the forest?”

“What are you, Lord Aleksej, Younger Duke of Draig?” she whispered, still pressing tight into the fallen tree.

“You make call me Alek. I am Draig, a dragonshifter. Do not let my appearance before frighten you. I mean you no harm.” He took a careful step closer, lifting the crystal toward her. “I was meant to find you.”

“Galaxy Brides sent you to track me,” she said, as if knowing this to be a truth. “You can tell them you didn’t find me. You can tell them I disappeared. I won’t hurt anyone. I just want to go home. Please, you can understand that, can’t you? I don’t want to go to the ceremony. I just want to find a ride home. Please don’t make me go back.”

The woman wasn’t dressed as a bride, but neither was he dressed fully like a groom. He didn’t wear the mask. They shouldn’t be talking, not like this. There were traditions. Though tradition allowed him to find a mate whenever the crystal glowed, he wasn’t supposed to speak to her on the festival night until she made the symbolic gesture of choosing him.

“Please,” she begged.

“Come with me,” he answered. “I’ll take you to my tent. You can wait there during the procession. You will be safe.”

Alek wasn’t about to let her walk through the line. What if the gods decided to give her to someone else? No. This woman was his. He wasn’t going to risk losing her. Besides, she looked terrified.

“I promise on my family’s honor, you will be safe there.”

“Thank you,” she answered after some hesitation. She didn’t readily move.

“Come,” he said, already worried he’d said too much. “I promise you will be safe.”

She walked silently behind him as he led her toward the valley of tents set up in the festival grounds. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her. He refrained. He had found her. That was enough for now. Already his passions stirred within him, growing beneath the loincloth. Soon he would possess all of her.

Finally. The gods had blessed him.

* * *

What in all of the known universes was she doing?

Kendall didn’t think following the shifter man was the best idea. Unfortunately, she had little choice but to trust him. The forest had darkened fast, making it so she couldn’t see. When she’d heard him approach she’d been convinced that some beast had come to kill her. She had never been so terrified in her life. Planet life was so open, so vast, not like the confined comfort of the spaceship. On a fueling dock the population could be controlled. Everyone who landed and took off were logged and tracked. If she was worried, she had the authority to look up a visitor’s record. Here, on a planet, creatures could roam at will, unlogged, unhampered. Even though she had spent many hours as a bored young girl daydreaming of an existence on world, in reality she was not built for planet life.

The glowing stone he held outlined him with soft light. She kept her eyes on Alek’s back. It was hard to see, but he walked slowly and she was able to stumble along with minimal effort.

Slowly, lights began to poke through the thick foliage. As they neared the campgrounds, she began to relax. Giant blazing fires combined with moonlight to make the area light enough to see. The smell of burning wood mingled with the scent of earth and trees. She paused when she saw the Galaxy Brides’ ship, but her companion walked in the opposite direction.

“Come,” he said, not turning to look at her. She wondered how he knew she’d stopped walking. She wasn’t being loud.

Torches lit dim earthen pathways leading through the large triangular tents beyond the main clearing. Ribbons and banners floated on the breeze in many brilliant colors. The tents were illuminated from within and the flickering firelight through canvas caressed the surrounding area with a diffused light. Alek stopped before one of the tents, lifted the flap and waited. Kendall glanced around the campsite before ducking inside.

“You will be safe here. Wait and I will come back for you after the bridal procession.” With that, he closed the flap and left her. He didn’t wait for her to agree.

The ground inside was covered with fur. Torchlight sputtered around her. The smaller space gave her some comfort when compared to the greatness of the outdoors. At least, it did until she looked around. A giant bed was in the middle of the room. She’d never seen a bed so big. Onboard the fueling dock her bed was only big enough to fit one person. The Draig bed could easily hold her five times over. Gauze hung around it, cocooning it in hazy softness.

A tub of hot water waited in one corner. She knew it was for bathing, though she’d never tried a water bath. In space, laser baths were a much more efficient use of ship resources. The next corner held pleasure toys—oils, whips, straps, soft plush ties and various other objects. She recognized them from traveling sale ships that came through with their wares, trying to sell their goods off of holographic demonstrations and advertisements. The last corner had food. She went to that one and studied the piles of chocolate and pitchers of wine. Chocolate? She moved her finger to touch one. Chocolate was so rare in space. She’d only had it once as a child. Monks had come trying to convert them and handed the temptations out like they were the keys to paradise. It was so delicious she’d remembered the taste even now, years later. She wondered why the people who programmed the food simulators didn’t include the treat in their menus. Kendall glanced around the primitive tent. These men must be rich indeed to have plates of chocolate just lying around unguarded. The monks had told her that wars broke out over the stuff, for it was the food of the gods.

Of course she wanted to try one, but she forced her hand back. She couldn’t steal from him, not when she hoped Alek would help her find a way home.

Kendall closed her eyes. Alek was not a man she wanted to anger. She’d seen him shifted. It was a sight she wouldn’t soon forget. Though, seeing him as a man, she wasn’t sure which state was more frightening. He’d been very comfortable in his half-naked state, and she had been decidedly uncomfortable with it. Bare feet, strong legs, defined back and chest, thick arms… The image did something euphorically wicked to her on a primal level, something she could never act upon.

Opening her eyes, she took a deep, steadying breath. Perhaps a small drink of wine would be all right. One sip to steady her nerves.

* * *

It took every bit of self-restraint Alek had to keep a calm expression as the brides began to filter through the receiving line. The potential husbands were lined up in two rows, creating a path the women were to walk through. This was the moment he was supposed to find his bride amongst those from the ship.

Alek held his hand around his crystal, covering its glow so no one would see it before it was time. He didn’t want his brothers asking questions. He didn’t want anyone to know he had hid his new bride away in a tent for fear the gods would take her from him. Such a reaction to fear was not an honorable act. He should have brought her back to the line, let her walk through with the other women as was tradition. Never in his life had he panicked as he had tonight. The others would have understood their chance meeting. Finding a bride before the ceremony occasionally happened, but they still followed tradition.

However, Alek had waited too long to find his fate. He could not let her go now. He could not risk it. The fear was unreasonable, but it was there.

Like the other grooms, he wore the mask over his face from forehead to upper lip and a gold band around his biceps. As over half the alien brides passed by him, he released the glowing crystal. It blended with the other lucky grooms whose mates had been chosen by fate. His brother Bron had been blessed, as had the four princes. However, Mirek had not. Vladan was not in line, having received a royal pardon due to his bride’s unique situation.

When all of the prospective brides had passed, Alek went to where his two brothers stood.

“I will attend to the campsite before traveling home,” Mirek was saying to Bron as Alek approached. “I will not wait for you. Enjoy your good fortune.”

Mirek’s attention turned to the glowing crystal at Alek’s chest. He nodded and tried to smile, but his eyes were filled with a deep sadness. “Many blessings on your union, brother.”

Alek started to speak, but there was nothing he could say to ease Mirek’s suffering. He knew that all too well. Mirek walked away, heading toward the high cliff where they normally made camp after a failed attempt. Tonight, Mirek would sleep there alone.

“Is all well?” Bron asked him when they were alone enough to speak.

Alek gave a small laugh, but the effort was forced. Worry filled him as he thought of the woman hidden in his tent. What if someone found her? What if she left? “What could be wrong? Three of us have been blessed, as well as all of our princely cousins. For whatever reason, the gods have finally decided to smile upon us. It is a good night for all but Mirek. Let us give thanks and collect our brides before the gods realize what they have done and change their minds.”

“Don’t even think such things,” Bron scolded. His brother gave him a stern look and then turned to follow the other blessed grooms as they made their way back to the temple.

Alek started to follow, but halfway there found himself turning toward the tents. He slipped through the paths, doing his best not to pass by any of the servants milling about the area. His skin hardened in warning. He focused his attention, letting his hearing zone in on his tent, instinctually knowing something was not right.

“You are coming with us, Girl One Haven,” a male voice ordered from within Alek’s tent. “You have a debt to repay.”

“It’s not my debt,” his bride answered. “How many times do I have to say it?”

“Then you should have filed a grievance with the repossession company,” the man answered. “There are proper channels to be followed. We have confirmation of your legal sale.”

Alek sprinted into action, running the distance to his tent, not caring who saw him.

“Grievance? When?” his bride demanded. “I was unconscious the whole time!”

“You are the property of Galaxy Brides until such a time as you are chosen,” another man answered. “We’re taking you to the unmarried grooms. You know the deal, Kendall Haven. Find one here or we have orders to transport you on to the next destination.”

Two men tried to pull Alek’s bride through the front flap. Kendall kicked violently, landing a few blows. But she did not manage to free herself as they forced her to go with them.

“Unhand my bride,” Alek ordered, enraged. He jerked the mask from his face to better see the two men should they choose to fight. One was slight of build and looked better suited to a dignitary position, but the other stood nearly as tall as a Draig and had the physique of a soldier.

The men stopped, stunned to silence. Kendall swung, hitting the smaller man square in the jaw. The other released her and stepped to the side. The men shared a look.

The larger man said, “Our apologies. Her tracker indicated she was not at the ceremony. We did not know she had been chosen. We’ll report her marital status to our superiors.”

The other man rubbed his jaw. He gave Kendall a sour look as he reached into a hidden pocket on his red uniform. Pulling out a small device, he gestured it toward Alek before setting it on the ground. “This device will track her. We’ll mark the transaction as completed. She is yours now and we are no longer liable for her care or keep. If she gives you trouble, report it. For a fee we can track her in space and bring her back.”

“Just leave,” Kendall said under her breath. Her eyes turned to the ground, but her body was tense with anger. She looked ready to pounce.

The men gave Alek a wide berth as they hurried toward the docked luxury ship. Kendall breathed hard, not looking up until they were gone. She held up her hand. The knuckles were red and she flexed her fingers. Meeting Alek’s eyes, she said, “Thank you. I didn’t realize they had put a tracker inside me, but I guess I should have known.”

“We can’t talk out here,” he said, picking up the tracker the men had left before ushering her inside the privacy of the tent.

“The device is embedded into my hand.” She kept talking as he closed them inside. Her eyes stayed on the tracking unit as he tossed it on the bed. “I felt heat radiating in my palm when they came for me. I am sorry to have involved you, but I am grateful for your help in sending them away.” She nervously looked from the tracker to her hand. “I don’t know how I’m going to get the tracking chip out. Or even the range of the thing.” She began pressing her finger into her palm, feeling around. “I guess…a knife?”

Alek crossed to her and grabbed her hand. “You are not cutting your hand.”

Kendall blinked in surprise. “I won’t do it in here if that’s what you’re worried about, but I can’t leave the tracker in. I won’t bleed on your belongings and I will bring the knife back.”

“You are my wife. I will make arrangements to have the tracker disabled safely by those who are trained to do so.” He pressed his mask into her hand. “Take this. It belongs to you.” Then he picked up the tracking unit and also gave it to her. “And this as well.”

“Wife?” She looked at the mask and unit in her hands, then his face. “I think there has been a misunderstanding. I am not marrying you, Alek. I can’t. I have to get off this planet. I can’t stay here. It’s too…”

“What?” he questioned a little too harshly.

“On world,” she finished weakly. The statement was more of a question. She was nervous, maybe even scared.

His nerves tingled and his muscles threatened to shift into dragon form. Heightened emotions surged within him. The warrior wanted to go after the men and fight. The groom forced himself to relax. This was a blessed night, no time for fighting. He softened his tone, refocusing his attention where it belonged. “You are missing the bridal feast. Shall I order food brought for you?”