Page 9

His private quarters were huge. There was a kitchen, a breakfast bar, dining room, living area and a huge bedroom. Ziggy assumed that the lav was off one of the hallways, but she didn’t need one so she didn’t ask.

Rothaway walked into the kitchen, withdrew a bottle that contained a substance that resembled wine. He gathered two glasses and set them on the table, pouring each glass half full.

He sat across from her and raised his glass. She lifted hers in reflex. “To Signy, my bond mate and companion.”

She didn’t drink but after he had sipped she spoke up, “My friends all call me Ziggy.”

“Ziggy?”

“Yes. The consonant contrast in my name makes it hard for some people to pronounce. Ziggy is easier.”

She paused and realised that she needed to return the toast. “To Rothaway, my bond mate and companion.”

She sipped carefully and realised that it was indeed wine in an almost black liquid form. Crossberry wine was supposed to act as an aphrodisiac, but she didn’t need one. Her blood was singing in her veins and the song was his name.

When Lyneer knocked on the door, he entered carefully as if unsure of what he would see. Relief and disappointment warred in his features as he allowed a stream of newcomers into Rothaway’s chamber.

They set the table and placed nine different dishes on the surface, each covered with a dome. As silently as they arrived, they left.

Lyneer bowed low and smiled at them. “Congratulations on your bond.”

Ziggy was curious and she tried to look at the dishes, but Rothaway cleared his throat. “I will describe each dish to you. There are nine dishes to honour the Nine, and all of the dishes are from the Wilder tradition.”

Ziggy waited and watched as he described the four meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, one starch and one dessert.

Her arousal was increasing with every minute and she devoured the food with good appetite. The meat was almost raw but that did not bother her as it would normally.

By the time the meal was over her skin was on fire and she was done with waiting.

Ziggy lunged across the table and tackled Rothaway where he sat, the dishes went flying. She pressed her lips to his, whimpering wildly as her blood pulsed in all of her erogenous zones.

Her hands pulled at his formal tunic and when she was rewarded with warm hard skin she sighed in relief.

“Not here. Hold on.”

Rothaway held her tight and rolled to his feet, taking her with him as he walked to the bedroom.

She pressed kisses to his neck and chin as he walked, her skirt rucked up around her thighs.

“You are going to have to explain to me what is going on, Rothaway.”

She interspersed each word with a kiss to the cords of his neck and a nibble on his earlobe.

“Not now. I will tell you later.”

She nipped his ear with her teeth. “Now, Rothaway. I don’t normally straddle men I have just met, let alone have my hips grinding against them.”

“You inherited my rut. It shouldn’t have moved this fast, but your system is a little faster than that of one of the Nine.”

His voice was muffled against the hollow of her throat as he began a string of kisses that worked to the edge of her gown.

She blanked out conscious thought and let her body lead her actions, peeling his tunic from him completely and then working at her own gown while she kicked her shoes off.

Her back pressed against the cool silk of his sheets and with a few short tugs her dress was gone and he was removing his boots and trousers as quickly as possible.

When he joined her on the bed she lunged and threw him off balance, bringing him to his back and straddling him. She roamed her hands over him, learning the textures of him, and then she followed her hands with her mouth.

His body was taut and arched under her, giving her only a moment before he flipped her to her back and joined their bodies.

She was ready for him but it was still a snug fit as he worked into her completely. Together, they rocked and surged in unison until their bodies peaked and they clung to each other as they shook and moaned.

Ziggy’s mind cleared the moment that her heartbeat returned to normal. She reached up and slapped his arm. “You couldn’t have warned me about that?”

He blinked and started to laugh. She could feel him still inside her and the laughter dislodged him.

Rothaway rolled to one side and curled her against him, stroking her spine over and over. “I could barely remember how to speak earlier. Explaining that our blood bonding might send you into heat was a little beyond my comprehension.”

She snorted and rubbed one of the scars on his chest. “I still can’t believe that you are a shape shifter.”

He gave her a long look and seconds later, a huge feline of undetermined species was lying next to her in bed. It had Rothaway’s eyes and colouring, so she reached out to touch it and slowly stroked the spotted fur.

The noise he made was a low rhythmic rumble as she stroked him. She rubbed the spot between his eyes and carefully caressed his ears. The noise he was making made her drowsy and she soon snuggled against him and dozed off.

Ziggy woke with a jolt, the masculine arms holding her tight scared the crap out of her. It took her thirty seconds to remember where she was and who was with her, but once she did, it didn’t relax her any.

“I want to see my parents and I need to have my friends brought up here for visits. Tiera will be wondering what the hell happened to me and I honestly can’t sum it up over a com link.”

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “You can have anyone you wish here for a visit. Do the Gaians have any particular formal wear you will need as representative of your species?”

She thought about it and decided not to lie. “Nothing formal. We wear dresses or military uniforms. I am not in the military, so nothing fancy.”

He pressed a string of kisses along her shoulders. “Good. I have ideas of how to dress you and I think that the Wilder fashions will look very good on you.”

She shrugged. “Well, right now I only have that gown on the floor and my work clothes up here, so whatever you decide to do, do it fast.”

He laughed and rolled her over. “I think slow would be better.”

She blushed as she caught his reference and then she stopped thinking as his hands woke her body once again.

They spent an intense day, coupling, parting and then coupling again. By the time they woke the next morning she knew most of Rothaway’s sensitive spots and he knew all of hers.

She used the shower and came out squeaky clean if somewhat sensitive. The soothing effect of water would have been good, but it was absent.

Ziggy fastened her dress and tried to fluff out the creases with her hands. It was better than nothing but still awkward as she carried her shoes into the dining area and she saw Lyneer.

Rothaway was reading a data pad and he smiled as she entered. “Your parents have been contacted and they will be here in a few days. Your friend Tiera is on her way.”

Smiling, she walked up behind him, dropped her shoes, looped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you. I will get my parents to pack some clothing for me when they visit.”

Rothaway took her by the hand and got her to take a seat at the table. “The seamstress will be here in an hour. Lyneer will remain with you while she takes your measurements and after you have a day dress, you will be asked to represent your species at a children’s competition.”

“Where will you be?”

“Representing my species right next to you.”

“Can Tiera come?”

“Of course. She can stay as long as she likes. The guest quarters you were in initially have been reserved for her.”

“Who will bring her here? If Lyneer is with me who will pick her up?”

Lyneer smiled. “I have arranged for one of the Forest Folk to pick her up. He will meet her and bring her here.”

With Rothaway’s hand on hers she accessed everything she could on the Forest Folk.

When her shoulders started shaking both men looked at her in alarm and she explained with laughter bubbling up, “Tiera is going to have a hard time laying off the wood jokes. They practically write themselves.”

As Lyneer put her breakfast in front of her she smiled and sighed in relief that at least there was no chance that Tiera would find a male in rut when she arrived. The surprises would be kept to a minimum and the fewer the better.

Ziggy looked around her. If she had known back then what she knew now, she may just have climbed into that escape pod with Rothaway back on the Tokkel ship. It would have saved her five wasted years of hiding and a lot of good sex.

It just went to show that no matter how much she knew, there was no foreseeing the future.