Tamed by the Beast(28)
We were in Deek’s kitchen—my kitchen, too, but I was not used to the idea—and Sarah was showing me how to cook using the odd machines. There was no fridge or blender or toaster. It was all different and I was thankful she understood my complete confusion. She’d come to Atlan from Earth only a short time ago.
Yes, we seemed to have servants constantly underfoot. But if I got the munchies in the middle of the night, it would be really embarrassing to have to wake someone up to make me a snack. And I wasn’t used to sitting around all day doing nothing. I’d worked fifty hours a week for years now and as much as I loved staying in bed with Deek, I was going to have to find something else to do. And party planning? Not really my thing.
“A mating reception? Everyone’s just going to be celebrating that we… we slept together. That’s it. It seems weird. It’s too much.” I picked up my mug of coffee to hide my embarrassment. Well, it was as close to coffee as they had on Atlan with dark beans from some plant I forgot the name of. Sarah had shown me how to make it, to add sweetener to it so it wasn’t bitter. “And I don’t know anyone here.”
“You are mated, Tiff, and everyone knows how that happens.” Sarah rolled her eyes and then laughed at me. “Seriously, it’s no different than a wedding reception on Earth. How many brides are still virgins these days? The whole virginal white dress thing is a joke. With an Atlan, the fucking is the wedding. Now you get to have the party.”
“Yes, but we aren’t married. We just had sex. It seems weird to be having a party for it.”
“A mating is more important than a wedding, Tiffani. There is no such thing as divorce here, or changing your mind. These guys mate for life.”
I felt uncomfortable with the idea, just as I had days ago when Deek and I first talked about it. He didn’t seem to be concerned, saying he was happy to show me off, to make the other warlords jealous. Of course, he didn’t have a modest bone in his body. He was actually proud that I’d broken into his jail cell and fucked his brains out.
I, too, was proud of what I’d accomplished, but I wasn’t proud of what I’d had to do. I’d gone into a cell with a complete stranger and had sex with him.
To Deek, my actions were practically a badge of honor. I’d claimed him and then he’d restrained me and claimed me in return. Oh, and how he’d claimed me every day since! Knowing I liked to be tied up, he’d used the sash on my robe on more than one occasion to bind my hands together behind my back when he took me, or restrain me to the headboard of our bed.
Deek was inventive and very thorough. My nipples tightened just thinking about it.
“I know that look,” Sarah said with a grin. She pulled a plate from a wall unit that had food on it, steam rising from the top. It smelled good, but it was nothing I’d ever seen before and I stared at the concoction she placed in front of me. Deek had served me food, obviously, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it, for he’d been naked each and every time. But with Sarah serving—
“Goju root. You’ll like it,” she said, returning to the machine to get a plate of her own.
I pursed my lips and stared at the purple-colored vegetable. I only tasted it after she sat down and placed a forkful of her own inside her mouth.
My eyes widened at the sweet taste. “It tastes like… potatoes… with butter!”
Sarah pointed her fork at me. “Exactly!” She chewed and swallowed. “The party will be tomorrow night. Dax isn’t keen on having it at our house, but only because he’s never done it before. I assured him that he would be fine.” She leaned in and whispered, as if her mate were nearby to overhear. “Atlan warlords aren’t big partiers.”
“Do I want to know how you assured him?” I waggled my eyebrows.
It was Sarah’s turn to flush.
“You’ll meet some Atlans and make friends. There will be other warriors’ wives and of course, Tia. I think she’s Deek’s cousin twice removed or something.”
I took another bite of the goju root. “Deek mentioned her and a few others who will be there. Her father, too. Angle or something.”
“Engel Steen. Dax said he’s a bigwig, in charge of all the supplies that go off world. He’s rich, too. Fought in the Hive wars for a long time before he came home. Tia’s his daughter. Apparently, Tia and Deek were promised to each other when they were kids, but then Deek never came back from the war in all those years, only being promoted and elected up the ranks. And when he finally did, he was in mating fever. Engel really wanted Tia to mate Deek, but Deek refused and Tia probably knew then that she wasn’t his mate—if she wasn’t aware of it before. Then you showed up.”