Page 28

28

ALEENA

Aleena was silent all the way home—there was nothing she could say to mitigate the situation and she was certain talking would only make it worse. She sent her mother a message apologizing and telling her she couldn’t get the money today but maybe they could do the treatment tomorrow. That was, if she was allowed to keep the twenty-five thousand credits she’d gotten from the Lucky Leaf, which she still had—by some miracle—in a pocket of her skirt.

More than likely, though, her husband would take the credits and turn her out with nothing. He would be well within his rights—she had broken so many rules it seemed impossible that he would do anything else.

For his part, Bear was silent as well. He had attempted to reassure her earlier, but Aleena was certain once he knew the whole story he would be angry and probably want to disavow her on the spot. By the time the hovercoach pulled up to the front door of their stylish new house, neither of them had said a word to each other.

Aleena started to get down but Bear came around to her side and lifted her into his arms.

“Please, my Lord Husband—I can walk,” she protested in a low voice. “I…do not deserve to be carried in your arms.”

“That’s bullshit,” he growled, tightening his grip on her. “You’re my wife—I’ll carry you if I want to.”

“Yes, my Lord Husband,” she murmured and looked down at her hands, not daring to protest any further.

Bear carried her inside and straight up the stairs. Aleena was surprised when he took her into the huge master bathroom and started running a bath in the marble tub. Then he turned to her and started to undress her.

“What…what are you doing, my Lord Husband?” she asked faintly, as he withdrew her breast shield and started working on the fastenings of her skirt.

“I’m going to examine you and then I’m going to bathe you, baby,” he rumbled.

At least his eyes were no longer that scary red color and he seemed much calmer than he had when he’d killed her attacker, she thought. But still—how much angrier would he get when he found out what she’d been doing?

Once she was naked, Bear made her spread her arms and legs. He looked her over carefully, to be sure she wasn’t wounded anywhere.

“Did he hurt you, baby?” he asked softly, looking into her eyes. “Tell me the truth—I’m a doctor too, you know. Not just a diplomat. If he hurt you, I need to know.”

“He didn’t…didn’t change the color of my eyes,” Aleena told him again. “Though he said…” A sob caught in her throat. “Said he was going to right before you…you pulled him off me. But please, my Lord Husband—I didn’t want him to do that to me! I swear I didn’t!”

“Of course, you didn’t—nobody wants to get raped!” Bear shook his head. “But you’re sure he didn’t hurt you?”

Aleena shook her head.

“Other than pulling out some of my hair when he was chasing me, no.” She touched the top of her head and winced—her scalp was still tender.

“All right.” Bear nodded. “Then let’s get you in the bath so you can relax and calm down while you tell me what happened and why you were in that part of town to start with.”

Aleena started shivering again—she couldn’t help it! She was cold and naked and filled with fear.

“Please, my Lord Husband, I don’t…don’t think I can be calm while I tell you,” she said in a shaky voice. “I’m afraid you’ll be angry again.”

Bear took a deep breath and ran a hand through his shaggy black hair.

“Look baby—I know what you saw in the alley was pretty frightening. But you have to understand, it’s just part of my Kindred nature. When we see that the woman we care for is in danger, we go into this state called ‘Rage.’ It’s a physiological response—our bodies become flooded with adrenaline and we just want to kill the person who’s hurting the woman we love.”

Aleena looked at him with wide eyes. Was he saying that he loved her? Or just talking about Kindred in general? Probably the latter, she thought.

“So…you couldn’t get mad like that at me? I mean, so angry you get bigger and your eyes go red?” she asked carefully.

Bear shook his head firmly.

“No—that’s only for males who are trying to hurt my woman. I could never go into Rage against you—only against a male who was hurting you.”

“Oh…all right.” Aleena felt a little better—but not much. He still hadn’t heard what she’d done—he was going to be very upset when he did. But she didn’t try to resist anymore and allowed him to help her into the tub. She sank down slowly into the steaming water and once it was up to her chin, she did relax…a little.

“Good girl,” Bear rumbled approvingly as he saw her lean back against the tub. “Now why don’t you start at the top and tell me everything that happened. Start from the beginning and I promise I won’t get mad.”

Aleena didn’t believe that for a moment, but she knew it was time to come clean. She couldn’t hold back any longer—she had to admit her sins.

“I was in the bad part of town so I could pawn my breast shield—the really nice golden one you got for me,” she admitted softly.

“Pawn it? Why?” He didn’t sound angry—only confused.

“To pay for my mother’s medical treatments,” Aleena said. “You see, I made a deal with my father. Well, really with his wife, my stepmother. She was supposed to pay for the treatments and in return, I was to marry you in Faleesha’s place.” She darted a look at his face. “Only…she didn’t pay.”

A look of understanding passed over Bear’s strong features.

“So that’s why I wound up with you instead of your sister at the Joining ceremony.”

“Yes.” Aleena was ashamed to admit she’d married him for money—he would surely think she was an opportunistic, greedy woman. But he had asked for the truth and she found herself unable to lie to him.

“And you say your stepmother didn’t pay for your mother’s treatments?” he asked.

Aleena shook her head.

“No, even though she swore that she would if I married you. She was afraid that you would hurt Faleesha—because all the Kindred are so big and they both were certain you’d be cruel to your wife, whoever it was. So I agreed to take my sister’s place and marry you. Only she didn’t keep her end of the bargain. So I had to find a way to pay for the treatments and that’s why I pawned the shield. I’m sorry, my Lord Husband,” she added quickly. “Please believe me—I never meant you any disrespect!”

“I didn’t think you did,” Bear rumbled, frowning. “This certainly explains a lot. So you needed money for your mother and you sacrificed yourself—even thinking that I would be cruel to you if you Joined with me?”

Aleena shrugged helplessly, the water lapping around her.

“I didn’t want her to die. But now she will anyway.” She felt tears start in her eyes again and tried to blink them away. “If she misses too many treatments, the disease in her blood will spread to her body and then it will be too late…I’ll lose her.”

This time she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. The idea of losing her mother, who she loved so dearly, was nearly unbearable. Her eyes burned and her chest hitched as the sobs overtook her. Goddess of Mercy, what was she going to do?

“Hey, baby, no…it’s all right. Everything is going to be all right.” Bear’s deep voice was soothing and his hand on her cheek as he turned her to face him was gentle.

“Nothing’s all right!” Aleena protested through her sobs. “My mother is going…going to die and you’ll probably dis…disavow me for pawning your gift! And for lying and saying I wanted…wanted to marry you when actually I was…was just trying to get…to get money for her treatments!”

“No, baby, I told you, I’m not going to do that,” he insisted. “And I’m not mad at you.”

Aleena could barely believe her ears.

“You…you’re not?” Her breath hitched in her chest and she looked up at him through watery eyes.

“No, not a bit,” he said firmly. He sounded so certain that she dared to study his face.

“Even though I married you for money?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“No. I just hope that in time you’ll come to like me for more than that.”

“I already have!” Aleena assured him quickly. “You’ve been so kind and gentle with me—our Joining night was nothing at all like what my stepmother said would happen.”

“Right—I’m not surprised,” he said dryly. “I’m happy to disappoint your expectations on that front, anyway.”

“So…you’re sure you’re not even angry that I got…got attacked? That man—he tried…tried to change the color of my eyes.”

Bear looked confused, his brows pulled low and his forehead wrinkled.

“Why would I be angry at you for something that lowlife bastard tried to do to you, baby?”

“Well, because…” Aleena sniffed and swiped at her wet cheek with an equally wet hand. “It’s a woman’s fault when she gets attacked. Everyone knows that.”

“What?” This time he looked outraged. “Is that what they teach you on this benighted planet?”

“Well…yes.” Aleena nodded. “It’s her fault for being out instead of staying home and tending the house, as she ought to.”

Bear looked like he still couldn’t quite believe what she was saying.

“So if this case was to go to court, they would blame you just for being out of the house?”

“And for going out as a married woman without my nipple rings on,” Aleena admitted softly. “I, er, forgot to ask you to replace them this morning, my husband. And so no man who looked at my breasts would know that I was protected and owned by another man. In such a case, the courts would have sided with the man attacking me.”

“What a sick world!” Bear looked genuinely disgusted.

“Is that not how things go where you’re from?” Aleena asked him.

He shook his head.

“No—that’s called ‘blaming the victim’ where I’m from. The Kindred believe that there is never any excuse to attack or rape a woman. It goes against everything we believe—everything we are.”

Aleena was surprised, but also cautiously hopeful.

“So…you’re not mad at me at all? Not for marrying you under false pretenses or for pawning your gift or for being attacked? You’re not angry about any of it?”

“Not at you, baby.” Bear stroked a strand of hair out of her face and looked down into her eyes. “None of this is your fault. Though I wish you would have asked me for the money for your mother’s treatment—I nearly had a heart attack trying to get to you on time. And when I saw that fucker on top of you…” His eyes flashed red briefly and he took a deep breath, as though to calm himself.

“Oh, but I couldn’t ask you for money for my family! That’s forbidden!” Aleena protested. “A man can disavow his wife for such a thing.”

“I told you, that’s not going to happen,” he said, frowning. “Why can’t a wife ask for money for her family—no, never mind. It doesn’t matter why. What does matter is that I want you to ask me if you need something.”

Aleena nibbled her bottom lip. Did he really mean that?

“Then…you won’t be angry if I use the money I got from pawning your present to get my mother her treatment?” she asked tentatively. “I only got half of what I needed, but I think I can convince them to treat her with that much.”

“I’ll do better than that—I’m going to examine your mother myself,” Bear said firmly. “Blood disorders are a specialty of mine. I studied them when my…”

He trailed off and Aleena frowned.

“When what?”

“Never mind.” He shook his head. “The point is, I’ll go see her and examine her after the negotiations tomorrow. Will that be all right?”

“That would be more than all right,” Aleena agreed, giving him a tentative smile. “If you truly want to meet my mother. She is a disavowed woman, you know,” she added. “It won’t be good for your status if you’re seen visiting her.”

“Fuck my status,” he said roughly. “She’s your mother and she means a lot to you…just like you mean a lot to me,” he added, and stroked her cheek again. “So I’m going to examine her and see if maybe Kindred medicine can help. We have some very advanced techniques aboard the Mother Ship,” he added.

“Oh, I don’t think we can pay for advanced techniques!” Aleena protested.

He shook his head.

“No charge, baby. Now…” He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. “Do you feel better?”

Aleena nodded shyly.

“I was so sure you’d be angry with me, my Bear. Please forgive me for doubting your kindness.”

He smiled.

“I’m glad to hear you call me ‘my Bear’ again instead of ‘my Lord Husband.’”

Aleena felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush as she met his eyes.

“You’re so sweet to me. I fear I don’t deserve you.”

“The feeling is mutual, baby.” Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Have you soaked long enough? Would you like to come out now so I can dry you off?”

“Yes, my Bear.”

Aleena nodded. Now that she was certain he wasn’t angry with her and he had promised to help her mother, she felt much less anxious and upset. In fact, she felt the urge to be close to her big, protective Kindred husband.

She let him help her out of the bath and stood obediently as he dried her with a big, fluffy towel. Then he wrapped her in a soft bathrobe and carried her into their bedroom.

So much had happened that day, that Aleena felt completely worn out. When Bear sat on the side of the bed, still holding her, she snuggled against his broad chest and breathed in his warm, spicy, comforting scent.

“Oh my Bear,” she whispered. “Thank you for bathing me and making me feel so much better. Is this what happens during the bathing time in the Claiming period you told me about?”

“Something like this…though if we really were doing the bathing time, I’d be massaging you all over with scented oils now,” Bear rumbled.

“ Mmm , that sounds nice,” Aleena admitted. “You know, I think I saw a bottle of massage oil in the bathing accoutrements.”

“Hmm…and would you like me to treat you like it’s our Bathing week?” he asked. Aleena saw the light in his eyes—which were golden once more—and heard the eagerness in his deep voice.

She was feeling eager herself, to be honest. She liked the idea of her new husband’s big hands rubbing all over her naked body.

“Yes, my Bear. If…if you want to,” she admitted breathlessly.

“Mmm, I more than want to, baby,” he assured her. “Let me just get things ready.”

And he put her on the bed and went into the other room, leaving Aleena to anticipate what was to come.