Or how a gerion’s voice alone, whispering in their ear, could take down every defense they ever thought they had. She’d heard Faren’s voice drop low, but it hadn’t occurred to her to think of it in passion. Would it be arousing then instead of terrifying?
To be honest, Leiya could no longer properly distinguish between her emotions. She was still afraid, terribly afraid, but the hunger was eating up the fear. She wanted to feel the general’s power unleashed on her, to be pressed against the bed, held tightly against his body. To arch and moan beneath his thrusts, to have him take her so deeply she could feel every inch of him, to have him come inside her and feel the heat of it.
She’d missed the moment her shivering had become full-blown shaking. The slight movement behind her shocked her out of the daze she was still in, her orgasm so close she could taste it. And her legs still didn’t stop moving, rubbing together, making her tremble.
“I could make you bite straight through the pillow,” was all Faren said, but that was enough to make Leiya whimper.
The trouble was that she didn’t doubt he could. She pressed her eyes shut, dragging her nails across the sheets in helpless frustration. Everything she was screamed “yes”, and everything she wanted to be was yelling “no”. It took tremendous willpower to stay silent, considering her body was trembling head to toe with need, brought back from the brink, but she didn’t say anything.#p#分页标题#e#
Faren made no comment on that. After minutes of trying to rediscover the reason she was fighting him so hard, Leiya finally fell asleep. The last thing she was aware of was feeling the unwelcome pain of regret.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Leiya
Leiya woke up to a myriad of emotions.
Most of them were aftermath from the night before, unfortunately. There was the regret, still fresh and vivid in her mind. Her body was physically rested, but hungered for Faren more than ever. Maybe it would have been better to finish so as not to wake with the need she’d left unresolved the night before.
Oh well, regrets of the past. And then there was the disappointment, also still pressing against her mind. Had she become the girl she’d promised she would never be? Had she forsaken all her principles for a set of pretty eyes? Gods no.
Speaking of gods, if they were so intent on keeping testing her – bring it on! Without Faren beside her in bed, Leiya felt that her resolve was stronger. She’d keep fighting. He wouldn’t force her, would he?
Brion customs were weird about that. The fated couples usually ended up together, not because the geshas were given no choice, but because most of them gave in. All of them, in fact, although Leiya had heard from here and there that it wasn’t so black and white. It made sense, since sometimes the bindings took a long time to happen. A gesha simply kept saying no, and it was anathema to the Brions to force someone into a relationship they didn’t want.
Apparently that didn’t entail carrying someone off and making them sleep in a bed they didn’t wish to be in, but… still. Faren had not touched her in that way, even when she’d been tucked over his shoulder like a trophy. And she’d seen the proof of his arousal and his need for her the night before. So it was pretty safe to say the general would honor that custom, at least.
So all she had to do was hold out, right? After a time, maybe Faren would realize she didn’t want him. Maybe she should talk to a healer about this. After the Rhea events when the Elders had admitted to hiding the harvest planet from the Brions, other things had begun to surface.
Apparently there were some truths that just weren’t thought safe to be released to the public. Leiya was a very famous person, and probably more rumors made their way to her than to any other, excepting maybe the senators. There were whispers that bindings actually weren’t completely set in stone. That there had been cases in which the couple denied the bond between them.
If that was true, they were definitely one. After all, the whole affair seemed like a great joke. Briolina’s young star and the most horrible general the Brions had ever released into the galaxy. In Leiya’s mind, she’d always found the twins more terrifying than Diego Grothan.
She knew he was a better fighter – the best, really. But from what she’d heard and seen, especially during the Rhea dispute, was that he could be reasoned with. He was a purebred warrior, but he was at least someone she could understand. No one had understood the twins.
Under the anger still boiling in her heart and the regret her body was feeling, Leiya’s mind was surprisingly calm. She’d expected that waking up in Faren’s room would be terrible, but she felt peculiarly safe. Like it was where she belonged. It wasn't as unwelcome a thought as she might have wanted.
Up to the point where she stepped into the central room and found the beast that crept in the shadows waiting for her.
She jumped a good solid ten inches into the air, or so it seemed. And the shocked yelp had also definitely come from her lips. It was getting ridiculous.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” the thing said.
What was his name? Raten? Rawen? Roven.
“No, no,” Leiya said.
Her good girl image she dearly loved had taken a severe hit the night before when she’d almost crawled into Faren’s powerful, welcoming arms… No. She refused to think of that further. She had to be herself again.
The binding was messing up everything she thought she knew about herself. Above all else, Leiya refused to acknowledge the creeping feeling of finally getting closer to being who she was. She didn't want Faren to be the reason for that. She didn't want Faren to have anything to do with her.
“I’m sorry. I keep screaming apparently. It’s just that…”
She didn’t know how to phrase it delicately.
“I know how I look,” the thing helped.
“Sorry,” Leiya said. “I’m not trying to offend you. It’s just really dark here usually, and you really spooked me. Please don't be offended..”#p#分页标题#e#
Great phrasing.
“You look so horrible I can’t stop screaming when I see you, but hey, don’t take this the wrong way.”
The warrior nodded.
“I'm not. Is there anything you need?”
Um. Was there anything she needed? Honestly, Leiya didn’t know. The first day aboard the Unbroken hadn’t, overall, been as bad as she’d expected. It sounded weird to think so, when she’d been kidnapped from her home, but she’d feared much worse. She’d been afraid Faren would hurt her, she’d feared her saying no would offend him and he’d seek revenge. She’d even feared that he’d drink his usual cup of blood as they said before going to sleep.
Well, that was one nonsense rumor debunked. What else was there?
Basically, her mind commented dryly. What you’re saying is that he dragged you to his ship and refuses to let you go… but it’s okay, because at least it wasn’t as bad as it might have been. Great going.
Fine. Yes. Of course she wanted off the ship. Definitely. Leiya shook her head clear. Of course she wanted to go home and to make it to her concerts. Only a part of her was making arguments that life with Faren might not have been the worst that could have happened to her. She didn’t want to listen to that part or admit to any reason in its arguments.
She belonged on Briolina. That was it. All that mattered was getting there and hiding. Not thinking of where she might put all her things in the rooms that Faren had promised her.
“Where is Fa… where is the General?” she asked.
“Training, as usual,” Roven said.
He really didn’t seem upset at her initial reaction. Leiya wondered if that was because people had reacted similarly before and he was used to it? What a terrible thing to get used to…
“I would like to see him, please,” she said.
It was a whole new day. Maybe he’d be more inclined to listen to reason now. Perhaps even Faren panicked. His abduction of her had been a very sudden event. It made sense for him to fear for her. So, now that he’d had a rest, he might be more open to listening to her arguments. She did have concerts, after all. He couldn’t go around planning her life for her.
Roven was looking at her oddly, though.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Why would she not be sure?
“Yes,” she said.
Reminding herself that he was assigned to protect her and this was the Unbroken, where everything functioned by Faren's command, she repeated,
“Take me to him.”
It worked like magic. Roven straightened up immediately and nodded.
“As you wish. Follow me.”
Oh damn, Leiya thought when they stepped into the pitch black corridor. Playing hide and seek again. At least I have the spookiest player with me already.
“Do these corridors even have lights?” she asked.
Roven hesitated, offering her his arm for support. Hesitantly, she took it.
“You know,” the warrior said. “I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never seen them lit, at least.”
Oh, wonderful.
Their trip to the arenas was quite interesting to Leiya. She found herself planning escape routes and doing some interior decorating at the same time. It seemed that the two parts in her were now in open war with each other, and she didn’t seem to be able to silence either of them.