Page 36

36

ALEENA

It was the night of the big ball and Aleena couldn’t have been more excited. She had a gorgeous new outfit that Bear had bought her for the occasion with the most beautiful breast shield she’d ever seen. It was pure platinum with diamonds and amethysts sewn into the fine links of the pattern. There was a pale purple skirt to go with it made of a fine, gauzy silk that floated around her legs in delicate layers. Bear had also gotten her an amethyst necklace and earrings to match as well as some delicate silver and purple dancing slippers that fit her perfectly.

The cost of this outrageously expensive outfit had been as much as a house—Aleena’s eyes had nearly popped out of her head when she saw the price tags. But Bear insisted that the lavish gifts were her due and that the pale purple color of the precious stones brought out her eyes.

That was the only drawback, Aleena thought, as she got dressed for the night’s festivities. Though they had been Joined for almost a month now, her Kindred husband had yet to change the color of her eyes and so their Joining was still unconsummated.

Of course, they did many deliciously naughty activities together in the bedchamber, but he still wouldn’t take her all the way. Aleena had given up begging him—her mother had counseled her not to nag her new husband. Bear would take her when he was ready and, in the meantime, she had a ball to get ready for, she told herself firmly.

The ball itself was being held in honor of the completed negotiations between the Kindred and her own people. In fact, Bear’s superior officer—a warrior by the name of Commander Sylvan—was folding space from the Mother Ship in order to attend the festivities.

Aleena was nervous to meet her husband’s boss. She hoped she would reflect well on Bear and bring him honor with his commanding officer. She was going to be on her very best behavior and try to be charming and gracious all night. She was?—

“Ah, there you are. Goddess, you look stunning , baby.”

Aleena turned at the sound of her husband’s deep voice, flushing with pleasure to see the admiration in his golden eyes.

“Do you like it?” She did a little twirl so that her long gauzy skirt fanned out around her.

“Like it? I fucking love it,” he growled. “You’ll be the most beautiful woman there tonight!”

“Thank you, my Bear.” She came to him and stood on tiptoes to kiss him on the mouth. “I want to bring you honor and make you proud of taking me as your wife,” she whispered when the kiss broke.

“You do make me proud,” he murmured, kissing her back. Then he sighed deeply, as though something was troubling him.

Aleena frowned.

“Is something the matter? Has your Commanding officer been delayed?”

“No, he’s going to be right on time. He’ll meet us at the ball,” he said, which didn’t really answer her question. “Come on…” He took her by the arm. “We don’t want to be late.”

“Of course not.” Trying to put the worry she felt out of her mind, Aleena allowed him to lead him from her dressing chamber down the grand staircase of their home.

On the way to the ball, she tried to still her nerves. Her whole family was going be there—well, excluding her mother. She had taken the cure that Bear had gotten the scientists aboard the Kindred Mother Ship to prepare for her and she was still recovering her strength in the nice new cottage that he had bought for her.

But Aleena’s father and stepmother and her half sister, Faleesha would all be present. In her splendid new outfit, Aleena felt like a princess and she wanted to show them that she had made an excellent match despite the fact that they had initially forced her Joining with Bear upon her.

The ride to the ball was silent with Bear evidently lost in thought, though he held her hand and stroked her fingers absently with his thumb. His horns had been polished to a high shine and his bushy black hair was brushed neatly and held in place in a club at the back of his neck. His uniform buttons gleamed gold and his tall black boots were shiny and sleek. Aleena felt proud to be seen with him—she couldn’t wait to dance with her husband and let everyone see how handsome he was.

When the hovercoach drew up at the entrance of The Plaza—the huge arena where the largest affairs of state were held—Aleena’s eyes got wide. There were so many people here! All the diplomats and couriers and politicians and their wives were present, dressed in elegant luxury. And around the roped off areas, crowds of regular people were gathered, all there to gawk at the rich and powerful.

Aleena remembered coming to watch a similar event when she was much younger. Then she had been part of the common crowd. Now she was alighting from a luxury hovercoach on the arm of her famous and important Ambassador husband.

And to think, just last month mother and I were living in the shabbiest part of town, unsure of where our next meal would come from, she thought wonderingly. Her swift reversal of fortune nearly took her breath away.

She sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the Goddess of Mercy as Bear helped her out of the coach and she took his arm. All around her people were staring in wonder at her gorgeous outfit. She was glad she’d taken time to go get her hair done in a stylish up-do of swooping curls that drooped elegantly down from the crown of her head. Two little ringlets framed her face and she smiled brightly as she turned her face to the recording devices.

“Looks like everyone in the whole planet is here,” Bear growled softly as he put an arm around her and drew her protectively close to his side. “Come on, baby—let’s get inside.”

Inside, The Plaza had been decorated with greenery and fresh vines of c’lowthcant. The clusters of tiny, vivid red and orange flowers released a slightly spicy fragrance into the air that made Aleena’s nose tingle.

In the center of the huge area many couples were swirling around and around to the sound of the orchestra that was seated to the right playing their zitherhorns and frombolins . They were playing a lively tune that made Aleena’s foot tap to the music. She hoped she and Bear could dance soon.

“Ah, there you are,” a deep male voice said and she turned her attention from the dancing and saw another huge Kindred coming towards them. This must be Commander Sylvan, she thought. He had spiky, light blond hair and pale blue eyes and he was wearing a Kindred uniform, though his shirt was blue instead of red like Bear’s.

“Commander Sylvan! It’s good to see you again.”

Bear held out his arm and the other male took it, squeezing firmly as they clasped.

“And this must be your lovely bride?” Commander Sylvan asked, nodding at Aleena.

“Yes, this is Aleena.” There was pride in Bear’s voice as he slipped an arm around her waist and brought her forward.

Aleena smiled up at the big blond Kindred and gave him a ladylike nod as she held out her hand.

“I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said. “Bear has told me so many good things about you.”

“Thank you so much! That’s good to hear.” Commander Sylvan smiled at her. “Your husband is the best negotiator we Kindred have. I was proud to send him here but I’m even more proud of what he’s accomplished. Tonight we celebrate the successful conclusion of the peaceful and prosperous negotiations between our two peoples. We?—”

“Well, well— hello there, big sister. Aren’t you looking different tonight?”

Aleena, who had been leaning forward to hear what Commander Sylvan was saying, felt like someone had dumped ice water down her spine. Turning, she saw that her younger half-sister, Faleesha, had come up to see them along with her stepmother, Grindelia.

Both women were dressed in their finest attire—but neither had outfits nearly as nice as Aleena’s. Still, having them here so near her husband’s superior when she was trying to make a good impression made her nervous.

“Hello, stepmother…Faleesha,” she said stiffly. “May I present to you Commander Sylvan of the Kindred Mother Ship. He is my husband’s superior officer,” she added, hoping they would take the hint and behave themselves in front of the important Kindred.

Commander Sylvan held out his hand politely to both of the women in turn.

“It’s very nice to meet you. And the two of you are…?”

“These are my wife’s relatives,” Bear said, frowning as he spoke. It was clear he still retained his dislike of her stepmother and stepsister, though they hadn’t seen either of them since their Joining ceremony. “Grindelia is Aleena’s second mother—‘stepmother’ as they say here. And Faleesha is her half-sister—they share a father. Where is Sir Greggor, anyway?” he added, directing his question to Grindelia.

“Oh, off doing business no doubt.” Aleena’s stepmother waved one hand airily. “Faleesha and I saw our dear little Aleena here and decided we just had to say hello. Though I guess she’s not really exactly little, is she?” she added and tittered unkindly behind the elegant blue velveteen fan she held in one hand.

Aleena felt her cheeks getting hot but she did her best to keep her composure. She was about to ask a question to move the conversation in another direction, when Faleesha spoke up.

“I was the one that Ambassador Bear was supposed to Join with, you know,” she said to Commander Sylvan, who looked surprised to hear this news. “At the last minute though, Aleena demanded to take my place because she’s older than me. So poor Ambassador Bearick got stuck with her instead of his first choice. Me. ”

She preened as though she’d just won some kind of beauty contest, tossing her hair over one shoulder and giggling as she looked up at Bear through her lashes.

Aleena wanted to protest that none of what Faleesha said was true, but before she could get anything out, her stepmother chimed in.

“Yes, well I’m afraid my stepdaughter only agreed to marry Ambassador Bearick for money,” she said, sneering at Aleena from behind her fan. “Such a mercenary girl! But then, she was like that when I married her father and I’m afraid I was never able to train it out of her.” She shrugged and waved her fan with an elegant flip of her wrist.

Aleena wanted to sink through the floor and die from embarrassment! How could they be so horrible? And in front of Bear’s commanding officer too!

“I assure you, I have been made aware of the reasons Aleena Joined with me,” Bear said blandly. “I know that you promised to pay for her true mother’s medical bills if she agreed to take her sister’s place as my wife. I also know that you reneged on the deal and would have left her mother to die of her illness because you refused to pay like you promised.”

He directed these words to Grindelia, whose poison green eyes got wider and wider behind her fan.

“Why…you…how—?” she began.

“But please don’t worry,” Bear continued smoothly. “Aleena’s mother has been taken care of. I administered the cure for her illness myself just a few days ago and she’s healing nicely.”

“You…she…” Grindelia still seemed to be at a loss for words and Commander Sylvan looked surprised as well. Aleena was casting around desperately for something— anything— to say to get things back on track when Faleesha spoke up again.

“So you already knew about Aleena Joining you for money?” she said, looking spitefully up at Bear. “But after all, it’s not like you’ll be Joined for long, right? Father told me that you’re planning on disavowing her as soon as the negotiations are finished. So I guess you’ll be making a formal announcement tonight?”

“What?” Aleena felt like all the blood in her face had suddenly drained away, leaving her pale and cold as a statue. Surely her spiteful little sister was lying! She looked up at Bear. “My husband?” she asked faintly. “This cannot be true…can it?”

To her horror, Bear didn’t at once refute the awful words.

“Well…” He cleared his throat. “Aleena, sweetheart, you have to understand?—”

“Oh my Goddess!” Aleena took a step away from him. “So that was why you refused to change the color of my eyes! You’ve been planning to disavow me all this time—even though you promised not to!”

“Baby, please…” His voice took on a pleading tone. “If you’ll just let me explain?—”

Aleena held up a hand to stop him.

“Have you been planning to disavow me or not?” she demanded. “Just tell me, right now. I need to know!”

“Well…” Bear’s face twisted as though in agony. “Yes, but?—”

“Thank you. That’s all I need to know.” Aleena nodded stiffly at him. “Since you no longer want me, I’ll be leaving now.”

As she fled blindly through the crowd, her skirts flying out behind her, she could hear her stepmother talking.

“Of course, no one could blame you for wanting to disavow Aleena—she’s so ugly and fat! But if you’re still interested in taking a wife among our people, Faleesha is free. Sir Greggor and I will be happy to let you have her as soon as you get rid of Aleena.”

Then, mercifully, the noise of the music and the crowd drowned her stepmother out and Aleena could hear no more. She ran, dodging through the dancing couples, heedless of the spectacle she was making of herself.

Bear didn’t love her—he had never loved her. He had been planning to disavow her all this time—from the very beginning of their relationship! Even before their Joining he had already decided he would get rid of her as soon as he could!

Hot tears stung her eyes and made her vision blurry. She didn’t see her sister following her through the crowded dance floor or notice Faleesha nodding at two rough-looking guards standing near one of The Plaza’s many exits.

So she was taken completely by surprise when someone grabbed her by the arm and marched her away from the crowd.

“What…who…?” She looked around and saw a tall, grim-faced man holding her right arm. “Let me go!” she exclaimed, trying to pull away.

“I don’t think so.” He tightened his grip. “It’s time to leave the party now.”

“I’m not leaving with you! Who are you?” Aleena exclaimed. She was still overcome with grief as tears streamed down her cheeks, but fear was beginning to make its way into the mix too.

The man didn’t answer but just then another man took her other arm. Between the two of them, they started steering her towards the nearest exit.

Aleena felt a rush of fear and began to fight them in earnest.

“Help! Help me!” she shouted. But the music was too loud and everyone was looking at the dancers. Only a few heads turned and before they could say anything, Aleena had been whisked through the darkened exit door and out of The Plaza, into the night.

She had no idea what fate waited for her, but she was desperately afraid it was a dark one.