Judged Read online

  “You look…different.”

  She grinned up at him and beckoned him in for a quick kiss. When they parted, she said, “Your mother is not a fan of mine.”

  “This will not convince her that you are woman of good repute.”

  “She has already judged me. I will merely show her that no matter what I wear, I am a lady. No whore could afford this clothing.”

  He laughed, and she quickly wiped the lip stain from his mouth.

  “It is a better colour on me.”

  Kadenz offered her his arm. “Will you join me for dinner?”

  “Of course. I am rather interested in eating someone else’s cooking.”

  She held onto his arm and noted the straight lines of his shirt until it tucked into his trousers. “You have a stash of clothing elsewhere?”

  “Next to every entrance and exit. It is a necessity in our clan. We hunt frequently.”

  “So, your urge to get into a winery?”

  “Well, the clan owns the land and it is only haphazardly tended. I wanted to try my hand at it. I was doing fairly well.”

  As they walked through the stone halls, she concentrated on her gliding gait.

  “You were doing very well, aside from the sallow complexion and hollowing cheeks. You were working like a man who needed to forget or, at least, blank his mind.”

  “I was; however, my current thoughts are pinned firmly in the future.” He kissed the back of her hand and then the inside of her wrist, above the bracelet.

  The dining room was filled with tables, all of which were filled with Oefric.

  She muttered softly, “I think I should have dressed down a little.”

  “You look amazing.”

  “Keep saying that.” She winked at him.

  Kadenz’s mother and Judge Roarcroft were seated at the head table and that is where he led her.

  He held out a seat for her and took the one to her right. The moment he was seated, servers began to come from a hidden doorway and food was brought out with the head table served first.

  The judge was nearly doubled over with laughter and his wife was trying to breathe through the outrage of Alice’s appearance in front of the clan.

  Kadenz took her hand and kept it in full view with his thumb circling her palm, their hands on the table between them.

  Judge Roarcroft senior grinned, “So, Duchess Kalian, where did you acquire that amazing outfit?”

  His wife perked up when he said duchess.

  “Oh, it was a gift from a client.”

  Kadenz didn’t stop rubbing her palm, and she found it was soothing.

  “Which client, if I may ask?”

  “The Marchioness of Shaduthan. I escorted her daughter across nine systems and taught her the harp on the way. Yatutha was on her way to a finishing school and she was an inveterate rough and tumble young lady. This clothing was to remind me that despite my own tendencies for the rough stuff, there was still a jewel within. Well, that is what the card said.”

  The judge’s wife perked up, “You play the harp?”

  “I play twenty-three instruments tolerably, but I play the harp fairly well.”

  “Her hands have callouses to prove it, Mother. Oh, I am remiss, Alice Pinkerton Horilian, Duchess Kalian, this is my mother, Denitha Clawmark Roarcroft mate to the previous Alpha.”

  Alice inclined her head. “Pleased to meet you, Denitha.”

  “Your grace.” Denitha nodded her head in response. She looked a little confused by the sudden status change.

  The food was set out in front of them, and Kadenz served her until her plate was full. Wine was poured, and when Kadenz ate the first bite, everyone else began to dig in.

  Alice ate with attention to the manners exhibited by those around her. Kadenz was by far the most genteel in his eating habits, and when he threw her a wink, she knew he was trying for her sake.

  The wine was the same that he had served at the vineyard house. “Is this yours?”

  “I didn’t make it personally, but the clan owns the land and I am the clan leader.”

  “I am impressed.” She speared a vegetable and nibbled it.

  “I am glad. Impressing you is definitely in my plans.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist again.

  Denitha suddenly realized something. “You aren’t a whore.”

  “Why thank you. You aren’t a bitch.” Alice made her tone pleasant, but she put steel in her gaze.

  Denitha blushed. “You can’t stay with him. If you have no family to act as protection, I will have to take you as my own charge. You will stay in the guest quarters.”

  Kadenz shook his head. “No, she will stay with me. I am breaking custom on this one. Her life is still in danger.”

  Denitha bit her lip and frowned. “Your grace, do you have any friends or relatives here at all?”

  “None that would own me. I am my only link to the outside worlds.”

  Denitha turned to the judge. “You can do it here then, Karoon. Bond them.”

  The judge sat up, obviously just tuning in to the conversation. “What, Deni?”

  “You can bond Kadenz with the duchess. You can do the formalities tonight so that they aren’t…so that if they have a child, it won’t…damn it. You know!”

  The judge looked at Kadenz. “Do you object?”

  Kadenz shook his head. “I do not.”

  The judge asked Alice. “Do you object?”

  Alice frowned. “I suppose not.”

  Kadenz grinned. “I do enjoy the idea of an enthusiastic bride.”

  She elbowed him. “I save my enthusiasm for when it can do some good.”

  Deni had been watching them and her expression softened suddenly. Something she saw had altered her perception of their relationship a little more.

  The rest of the night became a blur. The moment dinner was finished, Denitha hauled Alice back to the bedroom and begged her, “Do you have something more suitable for a bonding ceremony?”

  Alice held up one hand and turned back to the wardrobe, showing the bright array of gowns that were elegant and elaborate. “If you pick one, I will wear it.”

  Denitha’s eyes widened. “How did you fit all these into that one bag?”

  “Compression tech. It was another gift from a previous client. I can fit a year’s worth of clothing inside that bag. I think this gown would do well. It makes my eyes look peculiarly pale.”

  The gown in question was deep amethyst with a cold-shoulder cut.

  “It is lovely. May I see it on?”

  A dressing screen had been erected in the corner, so Alice used it. She removed the jewelled bra, pulled the dress carefully over her hair, settled the fabric down and then she unwrapped the belt so she could scoot out of her skirt.

  The dress fell evenly around her legs, and she retrieved the belt to hold the dress in place.

  When she came out, Denitha smiled. “Lovely. May I ask how you are a Companion but not…”

  Alice sighed. “We have the choice in which contracts we take. I don’t take sexual contracts. All my clients were social or educational contracts.”

  “That is it?”

  “Occasionally there were administrative duties mixed in.”

  Alice picked up the skirt and bra, hanging them up in the wardrobe.

  When silence fell, Alice asked, “So, Judge Roarcroft’s name is Karoon?”

  “Yes. He and I have been mates for decades. Kadenz is our only child. He has had a rough time of it.”

  Alice smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. “He takes the weight of the world on his shoulders. Heck, he took me on without asking anything. It was the least I could do to act as housekeeper.”

  Denitha smiled slightly. “You really cleaned and cooked?”

  “I did. I am pretty good at both, but my hands aren’t really in any shape for it. Aside from the musical callouses, I don’t really have much resistance in my hands for housework.” She winced at the redness that was still in her skin
and folded her hands in her lap.

  The time ticked on, and finally, Denitha led her out toward the Roarcroft clan meditation hall.

  The minder standing under the flower-covered arch let her know that this was not a standard I do situation.

  Alice walked to stand in front of the minder, Kadenz met her halfway and they both knelt on the cushions provided. He was wearing a vest and snug trousers and nothing else.

  The minder spoke out loud and confirmed that they both were coming of their own free will because the link they were about to undergo could not be undone.

  “I am here of my own free will.”

  “I am here of my own free will.”

  They were instructed to join hands, and as midnight struck in the sky above them, tendrils strung carefully by the minder linked their minds. Pleasure would anchor them together.

  An hour of silent meditation should have been restful for Alice, but Kadenz was sending out signals of how eager he was to have time alone with her, and the images that he was sending out caused her to dampen her dress with more than sweat.

  The moment that the minder pronounced them linked and the judge had them sign their union contract, they were free to leave and the guests were invited to stay for breakfast.

  Kadenz thanked everyone for their witnessing and politely invited them to enjoy his father’s hospitality. The crowd laughed, because as he was speaking, he lifted Alice and headed for the door.

  Chapter Eight

  Alice bounced when he settled her on the bed. “I have to ask, what is with all the sniffing? I felt like I had missed a few showers or something.”

  Kadenz grinned and opened his vest, dropping it on the floor. “We first learn who could make a compatible mate by how violently we react to the scent of the object of our attentions. With you, I could probably cum just by staying close to you.”

  He pushed her back to the bedding and buried his face against her neck, inhaling sharply. The inhalation was followed by a deep groan.

  She wanted to wrap her legs around him, wanted to stroke him to see if his cock was as eager as her own sex was, but his weight pinned her firmly as he continued to sniff his way across her collarbone.

  He tugged the gown out of his way, and her breasts were soon exposed to his gaze. He went from scent to lips in a moment, and she hissed, arching against him. Fire burned along her nerves, and he seemed to know just what she was feeling. He relaxed and then increased his pressure carefully.

  When she ran her hands over his shoulders and felt the resonance in her own body, she remembered what had brought her to this moment. They were mated, body, soul and mind. This was just stage one.

  Alice used her nails on his back and found that he liked that very much. She changed direction and painted lightly scratched lines down his biceps and ribs.

  He was shaking above her when he finally snarled and grabbed her hands.

  “Why? You like it.” Alice pouted.

  Kadenz tugged at her lower lip with his teeth. “I love it, but I want to be inside you when I cum and that won’t happen if you keep stroking me for another few minutes.”

  He got off her and lifted her, aiming her toward the headboard. With his urging, she gripped the lower edge of the carved wood and held on while he explored her at his leisure.

  The skirt of her dress was pushed up as he stroked her inner leg from calf to thigh. He didn’t bother easing up to her; he simply leaned in and lapped at her dripping sex with slow, hot strokes of his tongue.

  Even knowing what he was doing, she still yelped and arched into his mouth as he brought her arousal to a fever pitch, his hands cupping her breasts and occasionally providing a scintillating pinch that sent a zing along her nerves.

  Her orgasm rushed up to her and light broke behind her eyes. By the time the world had righted itself, Kadenz had the scalding head of his cock easing into her and his gaze was fixed on her own.

  He pressed into her with short thrusts, and she could feel her wet heat closing around him just as he could feel her slick walls yielding to him and wanting more.

  Experiencing sex from both sides wasn’t something that could last long. As soon as he was fully seated and had completed three thrusts, they were both quaking with the effort to restrain themselves.

  She held onto him or, perhaps, he was holding her, but as they rocked together, a low grown began in one of their chests, and when Kadenz jerked and spasmed against her, she arched into his hips and held tight until they had both stopped shuddering.

  That was intense. She thought it and bit her lip.

  Kadenz stroked her hair. I believe that is the idea. What we have together can never be had with another. I am happy with my end of the bargain.

  I will let you know when I find out what your recovery time is. She shrieked as he slapped her flank then giggled hysterically.

  He growled and rolled with her, by the time they halted, she had undone her belt and fought her way out of the gown. Naked, she pressed herself against his chest and used his skin to stroke hers.

  The strange sensation of being inside his skin while she rubbed against him was heady and addicting. The squirming turned to touching, and she began to rock her hips against him, urging him deeper.

  He was enjoying it, but there was a tension in him. Alice leaned up and whispered, “Whatever you like.”

  He kissed her quickly and withdrew from her, arranging her so that she was on her knees and he was behind her.

  When he touched her, she could feel exactly how close to the edge of control he was. The line between beast and man was blurring and that was why this position was preferred. She literally wouldn’t see it coming.

  Claws took the place of fingertips, reaching under her to stroke and cup her breasts. A muzzle nibbled at her shoulder, and she felt the heat of the breath a moment before the warm tongue came out to explore.

  Alice’s arms trembled as she kept herself upright while the claws traced across her body and his tongue drew heated pathways over her skin. She closed her eyes, but his senses lit up her mind.

  In Kadenz’s mind, she tasted like sex and that was enough for her to begin rocking into his touch. She wanted to feel him inside her again, but this exploration was on his clock.

  He worked down her spine, lipping and nipping as he went, when he got to her backside, he parted her thighs wide and she felt the long, warm unfurling of his tongue inside her, accompanied by a deep growl.

  The wriggling thrusts were too much for her. She shook violently and her release rippled through her.

  Kadenz remove himself from his burrowing post between her thighs, and she felt him pressing into her.

  Hard, fast thrusts rocked her forward on her arms, and she heard him grunting with each jolt as his body tried to completely merge with hers.

  She could feel his release coming and something else, a strange pressure at the base of his cock as he thrust into her and lodged in place. Teeth bit into her shoulder, and he held tight as he shuddered, the pressure around her clit sent her into a climax as well.

  Her body jerked sharply against him, spasming over and over as his weight slowly bore her to the bedding.

  She could feel the furring on his torso fading away until he was once again the man she had known. They were still bound by the swelling at the base of his cock.

  Alice didn’t want to say anything. She relaxed under him and smiled as he eased them to their sides and under the bedding.

  They were firmly jammed together.

  “How long is that going to last?”

  He chuckled. “I apologise, I should have warned you, but I didn’t realize you were receptive until it was too late. We will be together until dawn. This is one of the reasons my people left the Alliance. We were throwbacks to the earliest days of the Oefric, so they rounded us up and shipped us off to the imperium. Our small settlement has done well here. We don’t have much of a variation when it comes to population.”

  She shifted but the tugging in her openi
ng was locked in place. “Ah. Well, it isn’t completely unexpected. When you shifted, I had an idea that something would change.”

  Is it too uncomfortable?

  Not if I don’t move, Kadenz. It will be fine.

  She grinned and nestled into his arms. Well, that took the edge off.

  Speak for yourself, Alice. I have many devious plans for your body, and I plan to work on my list as soon as I can arrange it. Is there anything you need?

  No. I am waiting for the court case so I can reclaim my possessions from the shuttle. Everything I own aside from the clothing with me is in that shuttle.

  I will have my father look into whether it was included with the inheritance. I might have the men pick it up and bring it here.

  So, you are the clan Alpha?

  I am. It was my father’s position before he retired, and I fought the candidates for the title. During my time at the vineyard, they came to me once a week for clan matters.

  Would you be upset if my clothing didn’t match the norm?

  As long as I am the only one allowed to undress you, I don’t much care. Wear what you like.

  How charming.

  I know you will dress according to your station and your surroundings. You have engaged in any number of difficult situations before. I trust you.

  You only trust me because you are in my mind.

  Ah, you know it goes deeper than that.

  Alice smiled and relaxed against him. It did indeed go deeper than that. She had trusted him the moment that she saw him, and when she had looked him over, her concern had been for his deteriorating condition.

  From now on, if you want to do penance for the ills of the world, Kadenz, give me a backrub.

  His amusement ran through her mind as he fell asleep. It had been a long day for both of them, and they needed their rest. Alice stilled her thoughts and joined him in well-deserved relaxation. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges.

  Chapter Nine

  Judge Roarcroft senior looked up as Alice and Kadenz entered the smaller breakfast room.

  “Good morning, Duchess, I am delighted I could see you. The imperium judge arrives this afternoon. I just got the notice.”