Brides of the Kindred(13)

“I can’t believe there’s not some way for you to get out of this,” Sophia said. Always in tune with her twin, she sounded as outraged as Liv felt.

“There’s not, though,” Kat reminded them. “You have to at least do the thirty days—that’s nonnegotiable.”

“Yeah? Well I don’t have to bond with him—whatever that means,” Liv said through gritted teeth.

“Better stick to your guns on that one, Livvy,” Kat said. “Unless you’re willing to permanently change your zip code for some interstellar sex.”

“Absolutely not.” Liv lifted her chin. “Don’t worry about me—he’s never gonna get it.” But then she glanced over her shoulder and caught a quick glimpse of those eyes again. God, did he have to stare at her quite so intensely? Nervously she crossed her legs and pulled her robe a little tighter over her breasts.

“Something tells me you’re going to need every ounce of determination you can muster,” Kat remarked. She had also been watching and had apparently caught the look the huge Kindred warrior was directing at Liv. “He doesn’t seem like a guy who takes no for an answer.”

“Look at the way he’s still watching you, Liv.” Sophie sounded awed. “I don’t think he’s taken his eyes off you the entire time we’ve been talking. He doesn’t even blink.”

“It’s just this stupid nighty I have on.” Liv felt a heated blush climbing up her cheeks. “If they would have let me change I would’ve put on something a little more decent but—” she broke off, thinking hard. “Hey, Kat, does it say in that contract if I’m allowed to have anything sent to me?”

“Um…yes. Kat rattled the contract. “It says here that we’re allowed to send you items—no weapons of course—but if they’re approved, they’ll reach you fairly quickly—within twelve hours according to this.”

“Good,” Liv nodded. “Okay, I need you to go straight home and empty out my top dresser drawer and send the contents up to me. Do it quick—I’ll need it tonight.”

“Need what? What’s in there?” Sophia wanted to know.

Liv just shook her head. She could see the two Kindred warriors watching them and she wasn’t sure how acute their hearing was. “Just send it—oh, and some clothes too. I need something normal to wear while I’m up there. And don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” Actually she had never felt less fine in her life but it would only upset Kat and Sophia more to know that. Even now her twin sister was sniffling and glaring at the big blonde Kindred who had spoken to them earlier. He parted his lips and ran his tongue over the sharply pointed double pair of fangs in his mouth that grew where a human’s canine teeth would be.

Sophia shivered and looked away. “Okay, we’ll send you the stuff—whatever it is,” she mumbled.

“As soon as possible,” Liv emphasized.

“We’ll get on it right away.” Kat rose and handed her the contract. “So that’s it—basically he’s authorized to try and seduce you to stay with him and it’s your job to refuse. Got it?”

“Got it,” Liv said. “And…I have a week before…

“Before Mr. Python Pants can try any funny business,” Kat finished for her.

“All right then.” Liv lifted her chin as some of her old spark came back. He thinks he can just walk all over me and make me his wife without a fight? Oh, buddy, you picked the wrong Earth girl to mess with. And you’re gonna find out the hard way—tonight!





Chapter Four



His bride was quiet as they went in the back with the official who was to perform the claiming ceremony. She even refused to meet Baird’s eyes even when they stood across from each other in front of the carved wooden alter. The altar was a human convention since the Kindred didn’t need anything other than a female whose mind had aligned with theirs to claim as their bride. However, Sylvan had told him earlier that having the ceremony presided over by an official in front of an altar somehow made most human females feel more at ease with the entire affair.

It didn’t seem to be working that way with Olivia, though.

She stood stiffly across from him, her arms crossed over her chest in an obvious attempt to hide her luscious full breasts and vowed not to break the contract she’d signed, woodenly repeating the words the official fed her. The other two human females flanked her like an honor guard. The one that had claimed to be her legal representative listened carefully to the ceremony, as though filing it away for later thought, but the one with brown hair that had said Olivia was her sister spent most of her time glaring at Sylvan. Apparently he had offended her deeply when he tried to touch her arm, earlier.