Alien General's Bride (Brion Brides 3)(5)

The squares didn’t seem to glow, either. He seemed… relaxed.

“Tell me about why you were chosen to go to Rhea, and why you are not,” Grothan said as she took a sip. It tasted a bit like lime juice, if she had to compare it to something, but sweeter.

Isolde sighed. “I don’t really know either, Commander,” – OK, he seemed to react better to that – “I was told to go to Rhea and help with the research there. You know, the usual stuff with new planets. Culture, languages, research into their economics and politics and if we could establish an alliance with them. A sort of an observational negotiator, I suppose? We were to introduce our own cultures too. Trying to show an image of the GU. But I missed the ship.”

“The ship was under orders to wait for you. Why did it leave?”

How did you know that? Isolde wondered, but pressing a warlord for information didn’t seem like a good idea. “I don’t know,” she repeated.

Grothan nodded, seemingly in thought.

Her mouth seemed as treacherous as her body, it seemed, because she heard her own voice ask, “What were you doing on Luna Secunda?”

Oh, now you’ve done it. Goodbye, cruel world, it’s been fun.

To her surprise, Grothan didn’t lash out. “I was escorting our ambassador to the station. I offered the Forger to guard your transport ship until she met her flotilla, but found it had already left. I did not plan to pick up you, however.”

“Sorry,” Isolde mumbled.

“Don’t be,” Grothan said, standing. “I am not. Now I must return to my duties. I will speak to you again on the Triumphant. If you need anything, ask your guards.”

Isolde still hadn’t shut her mouth when the door slid shut after him. Was… was the alien warlord flirting with her?





CHAPTER FOUR

Diego



It was not in Diego Grothan’s nature to question the way things were. A Brion warrior wasn’t supposed to constantly wonder about the order of the world. They had elders for that, men and women of all areas of life that had stepped back from their duties and had started to look back on their own actions. To be honest, Diego was slightly concerned about that phase of his life. The Elders said it was a natural state and that the transition would come to him as it came to all others, but the quiet life did not call to him. He was a warrior. His place was at the head of his men.

So when he came down to Luna Secunda to see who had the audacity to summon him in person to settle an argument, his mind had been on ways to enact revenge on the hybrid without making it cost his people too much. He had hoped the hybrid would be reasonable and understand that to provoke a man of his stature was not something he could walk away from.

It was all well in the order of things. But then he had seen the woman, Isolde Fenner.

All right, so there were some things he questioned. For some time now, he had wondered why he didn’t seem to find his mate. He was well within the age when Brion men bind to geshas, their life partners and became their gerions in turn. To be honest, he was growing worried. Other warriors, lesser men than him – brothers, but little brothers, no match for his might – found Brion women and got to experience what all the Elders said was the single best moment of their lives.

In his darkest dreams, Diego wondered if it was possible that he had had the moment but hadn’t recognized it. He had tried to provoke the finding and attended gatherings where there were many unbound women. Some had caught his attention with their looks and some with their personalities. He had met a great many female warriors who he considered worthy to fight beside. Had he missed it? Deliya was a beautiful warrior, fierce and proud; he had felt great pride when she had managed to give him a real workout once or twice. But it was just pride, and occasionally, lust. Aneya was introduced to him by his parents, long thought to provoke the binding at once and she truly was a beauty, with quiet wisdom. He treasured her like a sister, even if he was aware of her tremendous disappointment at not being his fated. Urenya had been his companion since they were young enough not to even remember it. She served now as a healer aboard the Triumphant. Diego spoke to her often and considered her one of only three people in the galaxy he could completely trust. A best friend. Not a gesha.

He had accessed the medical, cultural, religious and even psychological works on the recognizing moment in secret. He read with silent, cold envy of the way his brothers described the moment as a coming together of pieces they hadn’t known they were. A single moment of utter self-awareness, knowing what you were and that the one before you was the one to stand by your side until the darkness.#p#分页标题#e#

Nothing marred that. Not even the fighting to follow. Brion women didn’t get that moment, didn’t experience the absolute knowledge. So they ran, or fought, or doubted them, even if they knew fate would bring them together one way or another. In time, the fighting had become customary. Women fought and then they gave in and it was known that they had fought each other, but from that moment they would fight together.

Diego had been close to thinking there was something wrong with him. He was a great general, yet he was without a second half.

The moment he locked eyes with Isolde Fenner, asking him to spare the life of the hybrid that he had already decided would be taken, he’d known.

Warmth filled his heart and, like he had been injected with battle toxins, his every sense suddenly flared to life. He had never heard his heart beating with such intensity, although Brions had very sharp hearing. Diego felt strength rush through every inch of his body and he knew he was mighty. At that moment, he could have broken the hybrid’s neck between his fingers.

But his gesha had asked him not to. What was one life in return of what she had just given him?

Diego had fought a smile then. At last, his and his alone had found him. She was a human – that could be an issue, but it didn’t matter. He knew it was right and that she was his and he would never let anyone hurt her. He would protect her, and hold her, and run his hands over her delicious, smooth body and caress the curves that had caught his gaze even in a moment when he should have been conducting military affairs. She would fit so well into his arms; she would make these noises women made when they were sated when he was finished with her and… but he was getting ahead of himself. He fought his smile away and his arousal as well. Ah, the first time with a gesha was supposed to be the image from which all others would follow. He would make her eyes gleam like the stars.

So now she was finally aboard the Triumphant, and she was perfect. She even spoke his language. It seemed like fate itself had wanted it to happen. Diego was utterly sure of himself. This was how it was meant to be.

Which didn’t mean he couldn’t do it right. After finding out everything he could about humans before the need to be in the same room with her became too great, Diego went to her on the Forger. At first she didn’t hear him enter. A Brion warrior could be very silent if they chose to be, even if they usually announced their presence loudly. He got to enjoy a moment of just watching her looking at space. Yes. That was his gesha. His and his alone. Perfect, made for him, destined for him. And him for her.

They had talked, although he had ached to just take her. He needed to know why she was bound for Rhea, but more so, he felt, he had needed for her not to be petrified of him. On Luna Secunda, he came to inspire fear. That would not do. A gesha shouldn’t fear him. Should know his strength and power, yes, but not fear him. A gesha didn’t have anything to fear from her mate.

In his heart, Diego knew he should give her more time. A human might react differently from a Brion woman. She was bound to, he was sure. But he was also certain she would come to accept it. This was how it was, after all. He was concerned less about other Brions. They would be surprised, of course, but the moment wasn’t something to be argued with. The Elders would find it intriguing, probably.

She would have time to get used to him. First, Diego felt it was fair to make it known to her.

Isolde’s room was in the least populated part of the ship. Not only wouldn’t she have to get used to him and Brions, but they would have to accept her as well.

Diego found her unpacking the few items she had brought with her. She greeted him, it seemed to Diego, with slightly less fear than before. That was good.

“I feel I must inform you of something, Isolde,” he said.

Her eyes went wide with fear. He hurried to continue. “Do you know what a Brion gesha is?” he asked, saying each word slowly and carefully to make sure she understood.

“Yes, I think,” Isolde said carefully. “Gesha means bride, I believe? A Brion’s designated life mate. I am told you mate for life.”

It sounded so barbaric to phrase it like that, as if binding your heart to someone for all your life was just a thing that happened at one point or the other.

“Good,” Diego said, relaxing a bit. “You seem to have at least the general idea. That is good. This saves time it would take for me to explain. You see, I did not intend to have a human aboard my ship. It is not done. I wouldn’t have relented even if you were the ruler of all Terra. Until I recognized you as a gesha.”#p#分页标题#e#