The Warrior's Pet(67)

Grainne placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Do not, it would shame him." Grainne shook his head.

Giselle sat uncomfortably, tears streaming down her cheeks as the swirling pattern took shape across Kagan's chest connecting the designs from one bicep to the other. The sweat poured down his body as he gritted his teeth. The pain had to be unbearable. Kagan was doing this for her. Giselle wished she could read the ornate script to understand the sentiment behind the writing.

Numerous pairs of eyes were on Giselle, looking from her to Kagan in awe. Many of the Cadi nodded as the expanse of Kagan's flesh was covered. Kagan already had more warrior's ink than most of the males because of who he was and all the battles he'd been in, but this added exponentially to the living artwork. It was as stunning as it was disturbing to watch the design unfold and blend with the rest. To think her warrior had suffered this to gain inch upon agonizing inch of the marks that told the story of his life.

In the middle, over Kagan's heart, the design turned into a recognizable pattern. Giselle gasped as she saw her name take shape. That was why Kagan had asked her to write it down in her own language. The sneaky crazy sweet bastard. Giselle tried but couldn't repress her sob. He didn't need to do this for her.

Kagan's gaze was on Giselle the entire time, never veering away. A dozen emotions passed between them, respect, desire, trust and adoration. But what superseded all of it was love. Ismat was right Kali worked in mysterious ways. Giselle had crossed the entire universe in order to find her prince charming, and here he was sacrificing himself to prove to his people that she was worthy.

Giselle couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up and approached Kagan and Ismat. The monk looked at her in surprise and paused. Giselle ran her hand over Kagan's cheek then rose up on her tip toes and kissed her warrior. Giselle took Kagan's hand and gripped him tight as Ismat finished the intense design.

"Can you spell Kagan's name with those?" Giselle asked as she looked at the various brands.

Ismat nodded.

"Where would you like me to wear your mark?" Giselle asked Kagan.

Kagan looked unsure but Giselle smiled and nodded as she squeezed his hand. If he could cover so much of his body for her, then she could bear to have his name inscribed on her flesh.

Kagan ran his hand on her shoulder opposite her rose tattoo. Giselle nodded and presented her shoulder to Ismat. Kagan gripped both of her hands as Ismat set the first of the brands against her flesh. Giselle clenched her jaw against the searing pain but didn't cry out.

The crowd gasped but Kagan just looked at her with pride. Giselle focused on him as Ismat worked. The pain shifted into the background till all she could see and feel was Kagan.

"I love you." She mouthed the words.

"I love you too my beautiful warrior." Kagan said as he kissed the tears from her cheeks.

"Kali, Vidya Cadi" Ismat called out to the Goddess and the people with a loud solemn voice. "Let none who witnesses the sacrifice of this pair forget what they are willing to do for their people, or for each other." Ismat looked at the people in the crowd. "Kagan quo Rordan it takes a great sacrifice to take a bonded, and an even greater sacrifice to take one that many would see a unworthy. Yet I say to you all that it is not what is on the outside that is a measure of worth. Never have I known a female who so embodied our Goddess. Who else but Kali could cross two such paths and unite them as one." Ismat smiled at Giselle and Kagan as they stood hand in hand. "I would ask if you two accept this bond until the day that Kali takes you into her bosom, but I think the conjugo mark and warrior's ink is all the answer we need. May your bond be blessed."

With those words the Cadi people roared out a chant and pounded the earth. Giselle smiled at their boisterous proclamation to her union   with their leader. Kagan grinned then swept Giselle off her feet and quickly headed towards the manor.

Kagan made it to their room in record time, not even breathless from the near run. Giselle giggled at her eager mate. The thought had her instantly giddy. She was married, mated, bonded!

Giselle looked at Kagan as he set her down beside the bed and walked over to grab something from his bag. The muscles of his back, ass and thighs rippled and flexed deliciously.

Giselle never pictured that she'd be married to such a specimen of masculinity. Yes Kagan was an alien, that she'd never ever fathomed, but that aside the man was built like a brick shit-house. Giselle always imagined she'd marry some soft nerdy professor type, descent enough abs to get her in the mood, but not holy shit hot. She viewed herself as more of an academic, with an okay but far from model perfect body.

Kagan was not only stunningly handsome with a body to die for but he was intelligent, brave and honorable. He had that sexy muscular vee at his hips that pointed down like an arrow to his manhood. Giselle wanted to run her fingers along the trail of hair that led from Kagan's washboard stomach down, down, down.