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She shivered again, and he called out for the replacement dress. A young woman brought it and helped her get dressed while Gyrion held her up. The woman reached into the belt around her hips and pulled out her shoes. “They made it unscathed, my Queen.”

  Amylia chuckled and let them guide her feet into the shoes. She clapped her hands. “Okay. What is next?”

  Gyrion wrapped an arm around her and said, “Lunch.”

  The young woman looked concerned until Amylia stiffened her spine and pretended that the roots of her teeth weren’t chattering.

  She was really hoping that there was something hot to eat or drink. She would make an excuse to dump it on her lap.

  Chapter Seven

  Heading back to the keep and hall was a work of self-control.

  “You are doing very well. No one would suspect you are about to drop to the ground.” Gyrion chuckled as they made it through the hall and headed up to their quarters.

  “I am not ready to drop. I am ready to collapse. There is a difference.” She saw the bed and made a beeline for it, peeling back the sheets and crawling into it.

  He laughed and nodded. “I will run you a bath.”

  It sounded delightful. She burrowed into the bed and tried to unlock her muscles. She was nearly to the point where she couldn’t break walnuts on her calves when he came back and helped her up and into the bathing room. He took her dress off and eased her into the water.

  The warmth wasn’t quite enough, so Amylia drifted forward and turned up the heat.

  When she turned, Gyrion was stepping into the bath in the space she had vacated.

  “Um.” She didn’t have anything else to say. There was room for both of them, but she hadn’t been expecting company.

  The water reached the predetermined height, and it stopped pouring from the tap. The silence was noticeable.

  “So, you are vulnerable to cold; is there anything else?” He pulled her in close and turned her so that her back was against his chest. He pressed her small hand between his.

  “Cold, hot, getting stabbed. The usual stuff that causes discomfort. My physical tolerances are just a little lower than your people.”

  “Now, they are yours as well.” He ran his hands down her arms, and the casual massage was working very well on her.

  “Apparently. So, what was that thing that was stuck? No one really said.”

  “It is an indigenous creature. It produces milk in amazing quantities and grows a winter coat that can create an astonishing insulation value for clothing for the next season.”

  “Oh, so when they said I would get next season’s coat...”

  “They were referring to the fibre that it produces.”

  His hands moved down to her thighs, and he rubbed and worked the muscles until they were loose. He pulled at her knees, and when she bent them, he proceeded to warm up her calves.

  Fatigue cascaded through her, and she drooped in his grip. He spoke about the farms, the crops and the distribution structure currently in place. He slid an arm around her and kept her upright while he talked.

  At some point, the water cooled to body temperature and he stood with her, wrapping her in a towel before carrying her to the bedroom. He tucked her into bed, but he climbed in with her, using his body heat to keep her plastered to him. It was an inducement she couldn’t resist. He was really warm.

  She squirmed against him, finally ditching the towel and kicking at it until it was sent off the edge of the bed.

  Free, she scooted up to him and buried her face against his chest. “Thanks for taking care of me today and not making a big deal about it.”

  “It was my honour. And it was refreshing to know that you have vulnerabilities. I was beginning to fear that you were a cybernetic creature of some kind.”

  She chuckled and rubbed her cheek against him. She yawned. “No. That would cost extra.”

  His chest shook for a few minutes while he laughed as he stroked her back and she let her body recover from the shock of the temperature drop. It really wasn’t fair that she was so sensitive to temperature, but an hour’s nap with him as her furnace and she would be fine.

  He was running his hand through her hair. Amylia smiled and moved her head against his fingers. It must have taken him a while to get her hair loose without waking her.

  The swath of dark silk that was his hair was in front of her. She rubbed her cheek against his chest and stroked her fingers through the long strands. “So, what is the significance of the loose hair in bed?”

  “It marks being free with one’s partner. No part left concealed.” His voice was a soft rumble.

  She stroked her hand down his hair and over the surface of his belly, working her way down to his groin. The sheets slid out of her way, and she was soon investigating his cock, the thick column jerked at her touch.

  The pulse running through the hot bar of flesh picked up speed as she stroked him up and down.

  She whispered quietly, “Not a lot concealed here.”

  He sighed and shivered slightly. “Nothing hidden.”

  She stroked his testicles lightly and moved her hand back up his belly.

  “Anything you would care to explore?” It was a taunt that she whispered against his skin.

  He moved so fast she didn’t register it until she was on her back and his hair was shadowing her in a comfy cocoon. Gyrion smiled down at her. “An invitation I will gladly accept.”

  She was pinned between his arms, but it was a position she had been in before. The warmth in his gaze was only slightly predatory, and when he kissed her, the heat rippled through her from her lips down to her toes.

  Amylia closed her eyes and revelled in the warmth that he brought to her.

  He slid a hand between them, and she arched into his touch. He paused. “Still tender?”

  She shivered. “No, the remaining damage is a nerve memory. Time to make some new memories.”

  His smile was slow, and he lowered his body to hers, rubbing against her in a slow caress that sparked her senses and woke hormones that she thought had been burned out.

  She had to ask. “How are you doing that?”

  Her arousal was building steadily, and she was spinning toward orgasm just from the low stroking of his skin against hers.

  “We all have our talents, my Queen. Some of them are just more useful than others.” He licked at her neck and blew a soft stream of air across it.

  He shifted down her body, inch by inch, licking and blowing his way across her super-sensitive skin.

  He made it down below her breast when the scales tipped and her body shook in the first wave of pleasure.

  He paused, slid his fingers into her to test her, and when he found what he was looking for, he pressed his cock to her and eased inside her with a satisfied growl.

  Amylia couldn’t meet his gaze as he moved inside her slowly or when her body slicked his path for faster. He moved with power and control, rocking her with every thrust.

  She braced her hands on his shoulders but had to claw him to gain any purchase. Her mind flicked back to the marks she had first seen on his arms, and she scowled, reaching under his arms and wrapping her hands around the wide expanse of his chest. She pulled her nails down his back, and he thrust into her hard.

  She grunted, but she did it again. He seemed to respond well to it.

  He groaned and paused, grabbing her arms and holding them above her head. “I don’t want this to be over too soon.”

  By that, she guessed that he would go off faster if she clawed him. It was good to know.

  He continued the slow and hard fucking that was definitely keeping her attention, but the slide of him inside her was a friction that was holding her body’s complete focus. She was building to another orgasm, and he was doing it deliberately, with slow attention to every moan and whisper that left her lips.

  Amylia lifted her hips to his, but with her hands pinned over her head, it was all she coul
d do. When her climax struck, she pulled back, but he followed her down, continuing to thrust as her orgasm cascaded through her limbs in spasms of twitching and pleasure.

  He thrust into her a final time and held himself still as he shook. She felt his cock swell in her opening to achingly uncomfortable before it slowly faded back to its normal, slightly stretching size.

  The musk in the air was definitely not all her, so she looked up into his heavy-lidded eyes and smiled. “Well, that was fine for a first time.”

  He chuckled. “I will have to do better than fine the next time.”

  He slowly pulled out of her, but he draped himself over her, pressing his skin to hers.

  As a bonding moment went, it was right on the money. It was exactly what she needed to keep from feeling foolish and vulnerable. The SRT hadn’t wanted to cuddle.

  A knock at the door indicated that someone had pretty good timing.

  “Come in, Dorren.”

  The housekeeper came in, and he took in their position and nodded, his shoulders slumped a little in relief. “If the queen has a moment, there is an issue in the courtyard that needs her attention.”

  “She is a little occupied at the moment.”

  Dorren bobbed his head. “I know. I left it as long as I could, but there is something that she needs to address. It isn’t dangerous, but it seems only she can fix it.”

  Amylia looked over at him with a blush in her cheeks. “Five minutes.”

  Gyrion sighed and lifted away from her. “I had a solid twenty minutes of cuddling scheduled.”

  Amylia sat up and ran her hand through his hair, stroking the silky strands. “And I would have enjoyed that, but I hate a mystery, and this is definitely a mystery.”

  He smiled. “Then, we shall help you solve it.”

  He got to his feet and helped her to hers. They cleaned up in the bathroom and stood next to each other as they braided their hair up and out of the way.

  Amylia chose a deep-green gown and matching slippers. She waited for Gyrion to finish with his boots, and then, they headed down the hall and out to the courtyard.

  Amylia saw the problem immediately. “Well, she isn’t right.”

  Gyrion started laughing.

  Amylia walked to the low wall, and the beast from that morning wandered up to her and nosed her, snuffling at her from head to toe with a few extra snuffles on her groin.

  “What do you need, darling?”

  Amylia wasn’t good at mental contact, but she could feel the heavy broadcast coming from this alpha female. The beast felt she had met an equal and was making a polite social call.

  Amylia touched the huge head and pressed her mind to the other female’s. They communed for a few minutes until the beast satisfied her social requirements. Etiquette had been accounted for, and she was now going to return to the barn. She sent an image that said she would be back tomorrow, and Amylia simply stood there and watched her go.

  Gyrion whispered, “What did she want?”

  “An alpha-to-alpha bonding moment. She greeted me as another alpha female that she appreciated, and we agreed to meet tomorrow. I am guessing that it will be a frequent sight around here. Folks had better get used to it.”

  Gyrion grinned. “I think they are beginning to.”

  The gathered folk were smiling and laughing in a genuine way. A few ladies came by to take Amylia’s hand, and she squeezed them lightly.

  It was part of her new situation. Strangers on every front were groping her. Tomorrow, she was going to need to punch something.

  Chapter Eight

  A night cuddled in Gyrion’s arms was restoring. When Amylia got up, she was filled with energy and felt better than she had in weeks.

  She felt a little weird doing her stretches in one of the gowns, but it was her only clothing option, so she went along with it.

  “What are you doing?” Gyrion leaned up on an elbow as she stretched and then fell into push-ups. She kept an eye on him as he moved to sprawl over the edge of the bed, watching her.

  “Exercise. I am used to spending two of my spare hours in a gym every day. Now that I have recovered from the escape, I want to get back to what I consider to be my normal routine.”

  “You exercise every day?”

  “More or less. I try to keep my body in working shape. I couldn’t afford to lose muscle mass while at the prison.” She grunted as she mentally counted her way up to fifty.

  He grinned and chuckled. “I can give you a workout, but we would have to leave your quarters.”

  She paused and went to her knees, a light sheen of sweat on her skin. “Really?”

  “Sure. There is a combat ring in the courtyard. I am sure that one of the younger men wouldn’t mind being a sparring partner for you.”

  Amylia nodded. “Sure. That would be fine. Get dressed and we will see who is available.”

  He nodded, and she got to her feet, brushing off her dress.

  Dorren came in with a tray, and she looked at it, nibbling at a few pieces immediately. “Leave the cover. We are going to be back, and I am sure that I will be hungry.”

  He nodded and inclined his head. “My Queen.”

  Gyrion finished dressing, and he offered her his arm. “Come on; let’s see what you can do.”

  She smirked when she realized he had no idea of what kind of training she had. She supposed that he was just going to have to learn the hard way.

  Her third opponent was down, she had her arm around his throat and he slowly went limp. When she was holding his torso by her grip around his throat, she unlatched her legs and got off his back.

  Gyrion was staring in amused surprise. “Are you done for the morning, my Queen?”

  “No, but I will have to call it a day. No one here is willing to attack me, so I am just getting to practice subduing men who want to avoid me.”

  A voice came from the crowd. “I will attack you.”

  Kreatha was wearing a long black gown and her hair was up in an elegant twist.

  Amylia stretched and smiled. “Good.”

  Kreatha hissed and ran forward, Amylia switched her modes of defense from guard to combat and the fight was on.

  Fists made contact, elbows flew, hair was pulled and legs engaged in a flurry of kicks.

  Amylia grinned as Kreatha backed off to attack again. She bent, stuck out her arm and lifted her opponent off the ground, slamming her back into the dust.

  The crowd gasped, and Kreatha fought for air.

  “Do you yield?” she whispered it to Kreatha.

  The woman nodded slightly and a larger shockwave ran through the crowd.

  “Good. Did you want some tea? I think that Dorren can get something together.” Amylia helped her to her feet, and they dusted each other off.

  Artruo had a foolish grin on his face, and Gyrion was looking undecided.

  “Why are they scowling?”

  “Well, I will explain it over tea. Damn, you tore your dress.”

  Amylia looked down, and her legs were exposed through a few long slits that hadn’t been there when she started the workout that morning.

  “Yeah, these dresses aren’t really that suitable for working out in.”

  Kreatha took her arm, and they walked toward the keep. “They are traditional.”

  “Yeah, well, I am not.”

  “That is true, and I am glad to hear it.”

  The phrase hung between them for a few minutes until Dorren was delivering tea and some snacks to them at a table in the great hall.

  “So, Kreatha, I thought you weren’t going to visit until a week had passed.”

  Kreatha sipped at her cup and gave Amylia a frank look. “Have you taken Gyrion as your consort?”

  Amylia nodded. “I have.”

  “Physically?”

  Amylia blushed but nodded. “Yes.”

  Kreatha grinned. “The Imperium wants to negotiate for the return of their prisoner a
nd their guard.”

  Amylia was getting the idea. “So, you threw that fight?”

  “No, I picked it. For defeating me, you are now the representative of Rohul. It was a bit sneaky, but now, I can breed, so Artruo is delighted.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “A sitting queen isn’t fertile. Not under normal circumstances. The hormones needed to start the cycle are given to the other women in the population. That is what the contact is all about. They are taking your fertility.”

  “That seems weird. Do we have med scanners?”

  Gyrion interrupted. “Do you feel unwell?”

  She was reminded that the men were right next to them. Oddly enough, with Kreatha there, the wall of males next door didn’t seem obvious.

  “No. I just wanted to check on my scans. If my hormones are out of whack, I want to know it.”

  Kreatha smiled. “Gyrion would know. He’s a biological talent.”

  Amylia looked toward him. “I didn’t know that.”

  He shrugged and held the small cup carefully in his hands. “You are the one who assumed that all the talents here were female.”

  Kreatha chuckled. “Artruo has beast capabilities.”

  Dorren cleared his throat from next to them. “My Queen, your visitor from yesterday has returned.”

  Amylia smiled and stood. “Funny you should say that, please excuse me.”

  She went outside and stood on the wall, greeting the other alpha female with head butts and long strokes of her hand down the beast’s neck. It didn’t need a name; it was the herd alpha. It was all she had to know.

  Once their greeting and acknowledgement ceremony was over, they parted and Amylia turned and smiled at Kreatha.

  “So, he has beast capabilities you said?”

  Kreatha snorted. “Why am I not surprised?”

  She shrugged. “Shall we return to tea?”

  “I think that is a good idea. The Imperium contingent will be arriving tomorrow, and you are going to have a lot of negotiating to do.”

  Amylia stared at the smug face. “I thought you were the Queen of Rohul.”

  “Oh, I was until an hour ago. Now, I am simply a queen of Rohul. You are the queen.”