This second voice asked—very reasonably it seemed to Allara—why the Blood Feud must be satisfied at all. True, her ancestress had been taken by the Kindred and her Song had been lost forever. But that was in the distant past—three and thirty generations ago. Why should Allara have to kill the man she was coming to care for so dearly and then lose her own life just to avenge a centuries-old abduction?
Also, she was beginning to doubt what had happened to her ancestress was an abduction at all. She had probably gone with the Kindred warrior who had taken her willingly and then just decided not to go back. After all, what woman would want to lose the freedom to sing her own Song and learn the Songs of instruments which she would never be allowed to touch among the Q’ess? She had probably fallen in love with her new freedoms—and with her Kindred husband—and decided never to leave.
Just as you’re falling in love with Brand, whispered a little voice in her head.
Allara tried to push the little voice away—she couldn’t love the enemy, after all! But she wasn’t entirely successful. She couldn’t deny that at the very least, she was incredibly physically attracted to the big Kindred.
Everything about him seemed made especially to draw her in, from his warm, spicy scent which was somehow both arousing and comforting at the same time, to his deep, moun horn voice, to the feel of his arms around her holding her close to his big, muscular body. There was nothing about him that reminded her even remotely of one of the men of the Q’ess and yet his differences drew her to him strongly.
The way he treated her was so completely opposite from the way the men of her people treated their women. He never shouted at her or beat her or punished her by restricting her Song—one of the worst and yet also the most common punishments a wife could receive on Allara’s planet. Instead, he was kind and loving and attentive to her and he encouraged her to pursue her music and to sing her Song in any way that felt right to her.
Also, since she had lost her fear of him, Allara found him so handsome she couldn’t seem to stop kissing him and wanting to be near him. Especially when he started humming or singing—making that deep, seductive Song of his—she felt almost magnetically drawn to him. Her body never failed to react to the feeling of his deep tones caressing her and she found herself wanting to feel more than just his Song on her skin—she wanted his big hands and his warm lips on her as well.
Her aunt’s voice in her head constantly told her this was wrong, of course, but Allara was finding it easier and easier to put that voice out of her head. After all, there was nothing she could do about completing her mission until her new husband took her and filled her with his seed. And since he was following the rules of the Claiming Period so strictly, she had at least three more weeks to figure out exactly what she was going to do after that happened.
After it happens, you’ll feel differently, her aunt’s voice whispered in her head. After he tears you and leaves you bleeding, you’ll find it easy enough to plunge your skora into his heart!
Allara pushed the voice aside uneasily. To be honest, the thought of her new husband’s enormous shaft inside her was the only fear she had left of Brand. He had yet to let her see him naked—though he had seen her exposed several times—so she wasn’t exactly sure how big it was. But from the size of the bulge in his sleep trousers after she had been touching herself for him, she imagined it was very large indeed.
I suppose I’ll find out exactly how big it is tonight, she thought, staring at her husband across the table on the first night of their Bathing Week. For how can we take a bath together without him exposing himself completely at last?
“Finished eating, sweetheart?” Brand asked, frowning at her plate. “You didn’t have much.”
“I find I am not very hungry tonight, husband.” Allara looked down at her plate, where there was much uneaten food. “I will try to eat more if it displeases you,” she offered.
“No, of course not, baby.” Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his big, warm one. “I think I know what the trouble is. You’re nervous about taking a bath together—is that right?”
Biting her lip, Allara nodded.
“I suppose…a little,” she admitted.
“Are you frightened that I might hurt you now that I’m allowed to touch you, baby?” he asked softly. “Because I swear to you now, I would never, ever do that.”
“I know you will not,” Allara said quickly, though her aunt’s voice in her head proclaimed it was a lie. “It is just…I have never seen you completely, er, exposed, husband. Though you have seen me several times,” she added, blushing.
“I know you haven’t, baby—I didn’t want to scare you,” he murmured, squeezing her hand. “But listen—nothing but a bath has to happen tonight if you’re feeling nervous. We can just take a dip in the pool and scrub each other’s backs if you want.”
“Truly?” Allara looked up at him uncertainly. She knew, from the way her new husband talked, how much he was looking forward to getting to touch her naked flesh with no cloth barriers in the way.
Brand nodded firmly.
“Truly, sweetheart. I never want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable and I never want to frighten you or make you feel rushed. You have all the power here—whatever you say, goes.”
His kindness made Allara’s heart overflow. How many men would be so considerate of their wives? She was sure almost none of the men of the Q’ess would. There was something different about the Kindred.
Maybe it was because they worshipped a Goddess or maybe it was because they revered women and believed they were precious and special. But for whatever reason, they seemed to care deeply for the well-being of their spouses—both physical and emotional.
“Thank you from the deepest part of my heart, husband,” she said sincerely. She was still a little nervous, but not nearly as frightened as she had been before—his words had reassured her and the knot of fear in her belly was all but melted.
Putting down her fork, she smiled at him.
“I think I am ready for our bath now.”
Brand gave her that sleepy, golden-eyed smile of his.
“In that case, I’m ready too, baby. Let’s go.”
Twenty-Three
For the first time, she would see her husband naked. Allara felt a nervous flutter in her stomach as she took off the soft, blue dress Kat had made for her, baring her body beside the steaming bathing pool.
Brand was on the other side of the pool, likewise disrobing. He had told Allara that he wanted to go into the pool first for safety’s sake.
“I don’t know how strong of a swimmer you are, baby,” he’d told her. “And the water is definitely going to be over your head.”
“I think I will be all right,” Allara said, eyeing the steaming surface of the pool uncertainly. She had never been much of a swimmer, but she could at least tread water. Or if worst came to worst, she could always hang on to the side of the pool, she reasoned.
“All right—I’m getting in now,” Brand said from behind her.
Allara realized this was his way of offering to let her see him and she almost turned around. But at the last minute, she lost her nerve and continued looking away, pretending to study the shower stall where she had done all of her washing up until now.