Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) Read online

  “But why? Not that I don’t want to help, but why me? I don’t have any authority. No one will believe anything I say. And isn’t that rather dangerous? I’m surprised you are offering this.”

  Taso leaned forward. “No harm would ever come to you as an emissary. They are protected from harm. Even our rivals would never dare break that code. But, “he paused only briefly, his expression suddenly serious, “there is a second part to my request.” His expression was serious, and for a moment it alarmed her. She had no idea what he might way.

  “You’re scaring me, Taso. What is it?”

  He reached out and took her hand. “I want to ask you if you will be my mate. Officially. There is a ceremony. It will give you legitimacy with the other Clans.” His expression softened, and he smiled. She could see the lines of exhaustion at the corners of his eyes, and his mouth.

  “It would make me happy if you would accept, Max. Very happy. Besides giving you the power to speak for me, it would simply make me happy.”

  “You’re asking me to marry you. Is that what this is?” Her heart was beating in a strange rhythm, not unpleasant, but not regular.

  “Is that what it’s called on Earth? To marry? We call it a mating ritual. It’s held in front of the entire city, and it signifies that from that point forward, we are mates, and the title I carry is also your title.”

  “That’s pretty much the same on Earth, more or less.” It was impossible not to smile at Taso, but he still wore a somber expression. “Is there something else? You look worried.”

  “I was afraid you would say no. That you would refuse me. You have not said yes...yet.”

  “Oh.” She leaned forward. “Yes, Taso. It would make me very happy to say yes.”

  The lines of worry on his face eased. Briefly he closed his eyes, breathing out a sigh. When he opened them, for just a moment, she thought she saw tears in his eyes. But then that was gone.

  “Then I shall make preparations. It will be soon. If that suits you.”

  She nodded. “Do I have to do anything, say anything? On Earth, couples exchange vows to each other.”

  He looked at her for a moment. “We do not do that. It seems...please do not take offense. It seems rather basic. We have a ritual that is performed. It is always the same, the same words, spoken in the same order. I feel somehow if we broke that tradition...”

  “It’s okay. I understand.” For a minute, she was not sad, really. Maybe disappointed. But maybe he was right; what in the world could she say to a shifter alien in a mating ritual that would in any way make any sense? Better to hold with tradition than make a mess of things.

  “Then it’s settled. It will be in a few days. There are things that need to be prepared.”

  He leaned forward, and kissed her, and for a moment she forgot that she was on a strange planet, living in a war-torn territory. She was excited, ridiculously so. And very happy.

  So happy she’d almost forgotten the reason behind him asking her to be officially recognized as his mate. That she was to be the peace-broker between the Clans.

  * * *

  He’d told her the day of the ritual was set for three days away. He told her it would be a short speech, given by the second highest ranking person in the Clan, before everyone assembled.

  “It should be me, speaking the words, but since it is my ritual, and you by default, are the second highest ranking person, the third highest will speak.”

  “It sounds all a bit complicated. What do I do?” A flutter of nerves ran through her. There were thousands of Clan members, the vast majority she’d never met, let alone seen.

  “You stand and look beautiful. There is a gown you wear...I will have it brought to you the morning of. Then the words are spoken. I take your hand, and I give you a symbol of your rank. You take my hand, and still look beautiful.”

  “Don’t I give you something?”

  He kissed her. “You will give me a son when the time is right. That is what you give to your mate.”

  The morning of the ritual, he’d woken her up at dawn. There was a small breakfast, and then he’d left her to bathe and get dressed. She’d taken a long bath, and when she’d emerged, a deep crimson dress lay across the bed. It was clearly the brightest piece of clothing she’d come across on this planet. In a world that was uniformly washed by a pale sun under gray clouds, it was the color of blood. The blood she’d seen on her spear. She wondered at the choice.

  There were other garments, what she thought were undergarments. But in a moment of playfulness she folded them, and put them away. She’d wear Taso’s crimson dress, and nothing else.

  Iria came later and braided her hair, pinning it up in a complex coil around her head. Veronica stood for a moment, looking at her reflection in the shiny metal mirror. She looked exotic and wild, not at all like the girl she remembered seeing in the mirror at the gym.

  “Come. They will be waiting.”

  And they were. A pair of guards were waiting at the door that led to the south parapet. They took over from Iria, leading her down hallways, and then through a door into the soft light outside.

  A door opened at the other side of the parapet, and Taso stepped out. His clothes were the same brilliant crimson, pants and tunic. He was wearing the beaten silver necklace, the symbol of his power. He looked solemn, dignified. And incredibly handsome.

  They walked toward each other, and he took her hand. Another man in white robes came to stand in front of them. For a moment, the world was the three of them, but then the wind shifted, and she heard the murmur of people. Many, many people. But from here, she could not see them.

  The man in white began speaking, in the strange sing-song language of Taso’s people Even if she could, there was nothing she could have said. Taso squeezed her hand at one point, and the man in white looked at her expectantly. She nodded her head, and a guard stepped forward holding a small wooden box. Taso let go of her hand, opened the box, and removed a silver necklace. It was beaten silver, like Taso’s, but the designs were intricate, delicate, less brutal in its beauty. But it was beautiful. For a moment it caught the scant light, glowing softly.

  Taso placed the necklace around her neck. As it touched her shoulders, a roar rose up from below. The man in white said something, but it was drowned in the sound of the Clan. Taso took her hand again, and led her forward.

  Below, filling the public space below the wall was a sea of people. The sight made her dizzy, the sheer number of yelling, cheering Clan members she’d been fighting for, and with, overwhelming her. She closed her eyes, gripping Taso’s hand. She heard him laugh, and then his arm went around her shoulder.

  “This is your destiny, Max. Your people. Our people.”

  * * *

  There had been food, a feast in the courtyard for the palace guards, and wine and food for the public, more food than she thought could ever exist. But Taso had taken her to a large dining room in the palace, where she’d eaten with him and the rest of the royal council. It had been a cheerful meal, but she could sense Taso was impatient to finish. It was clear he had plans for her, and she was more than eager to join him.

  * * *

  After the meal he had taken her back to their rooms. Now that they were alone, he had gone quiet, and she’d come to realize that usually meant he had something to say. So she sat at the small table by the window, picking through the remains of the sweets that had been brought up from the feast. She was full, but there was something in one of the little cakes that was irresistible. Not chocolate, not almond, but something that mixed the best of both, and added something she had no word for. Other than delicious and rather addictive.

  Finally, he sat down across from her. “I have a question.”

  “Ask. I’ll try to answer.” She took a swallow of wine, washing away the last of the cake.

  “You said that on your planet couples exchange...words?”

  “Vows.”

  “Yes. Vows. I was wondering, if you had been given the chan
ce, what would you have said to me, for your vows today.”

  That wasn’t the question she was expecting. She sat for a moment, thinking, trying to put into words what it meant to be Taso’s mate.

  “I think I would tell you that what happened today is bigger than being your mate. To see all those people, who look to you...and me...it’s overwhelming. And I think, even though I was speechless, and scared, being your mate has helped me find my voice.”

  He looked up at her, a smile curving his lips, but he said nothing.

  “I’m strong and maybe that always made me different, set me apart. Alone, sometimes. Here... when I say I found my voice...I think this place is where I can be who I am. Or maybe who I’m supposed to be.” She felt silly, dressed in crimson, just bonded to this man, professing that she had found her true calling, but it was true.

  “I feel like I belong here.”

  “And you would have said that, as a vow?” He looked skeptical, as if the whole assembled crowd would have been shocked into silence.

  She frowned. “Well, no. I guess it’s not a vow, in the traditional sense. Those are usually reasons why the couple loves each other, things like that. But I think it is what I want you to know today, that this place has become home to me. It’s what you told me you wanted, back at the beginning. You wanted a mate, someone to stand alongside you. Today, after seeing the Clan assembled for us, to be there for this, I think I’ve fallen in love with them, and with this strange world of yours.”

  She shook her head, embarrassed. “I’m making a mess of this. It’s probably a good thing you didn’t let me say anything today, that we just did what has always been done. I’d have rambled on and confused everyone here. They’d have thought I was a complete loon.”

  He rose, holding out his hand. “I do not know what a loon is, but I’m sure it’s not that bad. Come. We have another custom after the ceremony.” He smiled, but there was a sadness in that smile. She wasn’t sure what made him sad, but now, there was something more urgent at hand.

  The bed had been made with fresh linens, crimson, the color of her dress. Against the gray stone in the room, it looked lavish, wanton. Pure sex.

  His kiss started at her forehead, his lips brushing against her eyes, coming to find her mouth. She felt his fingers moving against her shoulders, undoing the ties of her dress. With a soft swish it fell to the floor around her feet. She was naked, pressed against Taso.

  His hand slipped down her back, to cup her ass. “You did not wear anything beneath your dress.” The words were whispered against her shoulder. “Do I need to speak to Iria about her service to my new mate?”

  She laughed, her head tipped back as he caressed her skin. “No. I didn’t find anything I thought was quite right for the occasion. So I didn’t wear anything.”

  “There were other clothes?”

  His fingers moved lower, probing between her legs, against the crease where her ass curved to meet her leg. For a minute, she forgot his question. The palm of his hand was hot against her skin, his fingers strong, sure of their destination. Without conscious thought she rolled her hips against him, let one foot slid to the side. She felt his smile against her breast.

  “You are hungry for something more than delicacies.”

  “I am. Most definitely.”

  “You have not answered my question.” His head dipped lower, kissing a line down the round fullness of one breast.

  “Question?”

  “The location of your underclothes.”

  “Oh...I didn’t feel like wearing any.” She had more to say, but it was lost in the gasp she made as he pulled her hard nipple into his mouth. She reached up, wrapping her fingers into his thick hair, holding him against her, pinned between his mouth on her breast, and his hand behind, holding her, moving slowly between her legs.

  Every place she touched came alive, and as his hand moved further between her legs, she slid her leg up his muscular leg, hooking her calf over his hip. His hand slid along the underside of her thing, fingers teasing, tensing against her, gripping her hard. With a sudden jerk he pulled up, tipping her off balance. She went backwards, landing with a startled yelp on the bed.

  She looked up at him, only for a moment. Her body wanted him, the damp nipple he’d abandoned pulling up hard and tight in the absence of his warm mouth.

  He pulled his tunic over his head, then undid some fastening on his pants. They dropped to the floor, and he stood, naked and hard, looking down at her.

  “You didn’t wear anything either, Taso.”

  The mattress sank under her his weight as he climbed between her knees. “I did not feel the need.”

  Her laugh was smothered in his kiss. It was hard and brutal, very much like the first kiss they shared. This was no tender lover with his virginal bride. This was a powerful warrior, claiming the spoils of his campaign. Well, she was just as much a warrior as he was, and she was going to claim her spoils.

  The brush of his teeth against her lips drew a thin trail of blood. She ran her tongue out, teasing against his, tasting her blood. But she wanted his, wanted them mixed in her mouth. She drew him in, sucking greedily on his lips, then biting, just enough to taste. He grunted at the bite of her sharp teeth, but she felt his smile against her mouth.

  Beneath her, she felt his hand groping against her ass again, fingers digging into her flesh. The kiss deepened as she repeated her movements, rolling her hips up off the mattress, throwing her leg around his waist. But it wasn’t his hand this time that ran between her legs, but the hard heat of his erection.

  He was inside her in a heartbeat, spearing her to the core. She arched away from him, the suddenly sensation of him filing her trigging a startling wave of pleasure that rippled through her body. The kiss was forgotten, the taste of blood fading from her lips. She threw her head back as he stroked in and out of her, harder and faster, his breath harsh against the curve of her throat.

  It took only moments for them to climax, for him to grunt and moan, drive himself into further than she thought possible. The she felt the warm rush of him, and she cried out with him, the wave inside her turning to a crashing ocean of ecstasy. Her body took on a life of its own, thrashing beneath Taso until she threw her arms wide, fingers tangled in the crimson linens, her back arched like a bow. Taso lifted his head, and she met his eye, seeing in them the feral passion she felt raging inside her.

  With a final groan, he fell against her, then rolled away with a sound that was more pain then pleasure. They lay, not touching, for a moment, until he reached over and pulled her against him. She fit her curves against the hard angles of his body, amazed at the perfection in the way they meshed. She was sated, heavy-limbed, and she closed her eyes.

  * * *

  “Come. Stand up.”

  Groggily, she let him stand her up as he pulled the brilliant bedcovers down. Obediently, she crawled under the cool linen, waited for the comforting dip and movement as he got in beside her. He was warm, slightly sticky with sweat, and she curled against him, breathing in the scent of sex, and Taso, and the two of them mixed together. It was a heady fragrance.

  She lay in his arms, shivering slightly as the perspiration dried on her skin. Beneath her, she could hear the steady beating of Taso’s heart. For a moment she thought this was as good as it could ever be. She was, for all intents and purposes, married. To a man who cared about her, loved her, like she never thought possible. She let her mind drift, let go of all the thoughts that had crowded her head all day. When Taso started to speak, it took a moment for her to understand what he was saying.

  “But you still do not love me.”

  “What?”

  “You love my world, this country. You fight for it as if it is your own.” His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “But you do not love me.”

  She was wide awake now. “I’m sorry...”

  “Do not apologize for it. It is the way you feel. I cannot change that, nor ask for more. I am happy that you love where
you are. I can only hope you can come to love me, in time. Now, go to sleep.”

  He lifted a hand, and set it on her head, stroking her hair. It was such a gentle movement, so soft, she wasn’t really sure when he stopped, or when she slipped over the edge into sleep.

  She woke sometime later, still resting on his chest, his hand on her hair. He was snoring softly, but she let her hand move down, over the rippling muscles of his stomach, past the cup of his navel, to the ruff of hair. He stirred as she touched him, said something in that language she couldn’t understand, but she was pretty sure he wasn’t saying no to her this time.

  In the dark, she smiled, rolling onto him, her hand between them. He was already growing hard, even though his eyes were still closed. She smiled, even though he couldn’t see her.

  “Your hunger is back, woman.” His voice was low. “As is mine.”

  In the dark, he let her push him back, let her take him, and take control. Her hunger for him rose up, all-consuming. She took her pleasure, and gave him his, until they lay still again, sated and satisfied.

  She was drowsy, coming back from the edge sleep, back to Taso, with his arms still around her body. Her arms and legs felt like she’d just gone ten rounds with the heavy bag and run a mile. It was a good, hard-earned feeling. If she’d known before that sex could make her feel like this...

  “You’ll always have a voice with me. I will always listen. Always. And if you have learned to love my country before me, I will have to accept that. It is all I can do.”

  “I know.” She reached up, found his hand, and wrapped her fingers around his. “As long as you remember to always listen to me, we’ll be fine.”