Ha'ven's Song (18 page)

“Don’t ever…” she whispered fiercely. “… do
that… again.”

Ha’ven moaned as his arms tightened around
her, pulling her against his chest. He kissed her like a dying man
given a second chance at life. His hands roamed over her slender
form. The more he touched her, the more he needed to touch her. He
buried his face in her shoulder panting as overwhelming relief
flooded him.

“I cannot live with you, my Emma,” he
whispered. “Just the thought of you being in danger almost
destroyed me. All I could think about was getting you to
safety.”

Emma threaded her fingers into his hair and
held him against her as she heard the desperation behind his words.
He had promised to keep her safe. He had but almost at the cost of
his own life.

“You promised to keep me safe and you did,”
she whispered, pressing her lips against the side of his head
before she pulled back far enough so she could look him in the eye.
“But whatever you did hurt you. I could feel it. You must promise
never to do that again.”

“Emma…,” Ha’ven began before his voice faded
as she pressed her lips to his to silence his protest.

*.*.*

Ha’ven had waited impatiently as Saba Monda
took his time walking back along the path to the village. The need
to see Emma grew deep inside him until it became an unbearable
ache. He had breathed a sigh of relief when the village came into
sight. Turning, he opened his mouth to demand the location of the
river only to find Saba Monda’s eyes twinkling as he pointed to a
path to the right.

Ha’ven had dipped his head in appreciation
before he strode over to the path. The moment he felt sure no one
from the village could see him, he broke into a run. He had to stop
several times and let small groups of women and children pass him
as they came back from their baths. The women chuckled and shooed
the children to the side when they moved to surround him. He nodded
as he scooted around them.

When he broke through to the river, his eyes
were immediately drawn to Emma’s light colored hair. It shone with
changing strands of gold, white and yellow in the faint light of
the late afternoon sunlight. Her aura glowed with the faint
yellows, pinks and purples he had grown to look for. Even from this
distance, he could see the traces of black, gold and reds from his
own essence intertwined with them.

Several of the women had smiled at him in
understanding but he had ignored everyone but Emma. She held a
small child in her arms. Her eyes were filled with a soft warmth as
she listened to whatever the child said. Whatever the small girl
said, it had drawn a rose-colored glow to his mate’s pale cheeks.
He watched as tears filled her eyes as the child brushed her nose
along her cheek before scrambling out of the pool to join several
older girls.

He could not hold back the jealous
possessiveness that flooded him when he overheard Olla offering to
find her a mate. A hot fury rushed through him at the thought of
another male touching his mate. He realized from the mischievous
twinkle in Olla’s eyes that she had known he was there and
listening.

What pulled the breath from his body was
when Emma had looked up at him. The warmth from before was nothing
compared to the blaze in them as she stared up into his eyes. He
felt like he was melting under the spell she was casting.

He drew in a deep breath now as he ran his
hands down to grip Emma’s hips. He shifted enough to align her with
his throbbing cock. With one swift move, he rose up impaling her as
he pulled her down over his thick shaft. Her loud cry fired his
blood even hotter. He held her hips tightly as he rose up again and
again. The need to claim her, to imprint his mark on her forever
held him tightly in its grip.

“Goddess Emma,” he groaned as he felt his
balls drawing up tight. “I do not understand these feelings but I
can never lose you.”

Emma moaned as the tips of her nipples
brushed along his broad chest. Each time he pushed up they rubbed
against him until she was ready to scream from how sensitive they
were. Her fingers clamped down on his shoulder. Her nails left tiny
crescents as the feelings inside her swelled.

“Ha’ven,” she cried out as her body suddenly
shattered around his. “I love you,” she whispered hoarsely as her
head dropped forward so she could look into his eyes.

“Emma,” he groaned loudly as his body tensed
before exploding into her.

He stared into her eyes as he filled her,
holding her gaze with his own blazing one. He felt the power of his
essence try to reach for her. Even as the pain flared briefly
inside him as it reached for her, her own essence wrapped around
his, calming him.

He realized in that moment that he did
understand what was happening to him. He was… had fallen in love
with his little mate. Shock held him mesmerized as he was pulled
into the tender warmth of her blue eyes. He felt the darkness
inside his soul open to the healing warmth of her love. His hand
rose and he tenderly touched his fingers to her cheek. He traced
the curve of her face until he touched her lips. He leaned forward,
pausing a breath away.

“I… love you, my Emma,” he said in a shaken
voice. “I love you.”

“I know,” she whispered tenderly as she
closed the distance.

Ha’ven closed his eyes as her warm lips
touched his. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, deepening it.
He was in love! This little human had done something no other woman
had ever done… she had captured his heart. Suddenly, he understood
what Creon and Vox had. He understood why they were so protective,
so possessive, so completely overwhelmed.

It is really going to suck when I tell
them they were right,
he thought briefly before he lost himself
once again in Emma’s embrace.

Ha’ven watched as Emma blushed and laughed as
she fingered the beautiful wrap that she wore later that evening.
Sebra and Saba Monda’s other wives had spirited Emma away when she
and Ha’ven had finally returned to the village. They had insisted
she needed to be prepared correctly for the evening celebration.
When she had asked what the celebration was about they had informed
her it was for the handfasting for new couples. The young women
would have a chance to choose an unattached male for their hut.

The men had teased Ha’ven when he had
grumbled as she was being led away. While it had given him a chance
to contact Adalard and Arrow, he didn’t like her being out of his
sight. His brothers had warned him that Kejon was not far away and
to be on alert just in case Kejon found him before they arrived.
Adalard said they were on their way but it would be at least
another day and a half before they arrived.

Now, Ha’ven’s eyes devoured Emma as she was
led past him. A possessive, self-satisfied smile curved his lips as
a heated blush darkened her face when she saw the look in his eyes.
He definitely liked what the women had done to her.

“You have done well in your choosing, young
prince,” Saba Monda said as he watched the women walking past them.
His own eyes lit with pride and desire as his wives created a
semi-circle around Emma. “Perhaps you will be lucky and she will
choose you tonight.”

Ha’ven glanced briefly at the silver-haired
male beside him before his gaze turned back to his mate. “What do
you mean, she will choose me? She already has,” he muttered with a
frown.

Saba Monda chuckled and shook his head.
“Perhaps on your world,” he paused a split second, leaning back
before he continued. “But you are not on your world, are you?” He
finished with a grin. “Tonight the women will get to choose from
the new males who have returned from the Red Planet. The males will
do all they can to attract the females’ attention. If the looks
your mate is receiving are any indication, I think you will have
some competition for her affection.”

“What?!” Ha’ven growled out looking around
the large circle.

Sure enough, there were several of the huge
Moniker males studying Emma with interest. Rage washed over Ha’ven
when one of the males stood and flexed his arms to show off the
muscles in his arms and chest before he ran his hand over the soft
pelt of dark brown hair covering his flat stomach.

His eyes swiveled when he heard Emma’s
giggle. She was studying the male as Telmay whispered something in
her ear. She shook her head before turning to look at him again. A
nervous smile played around the corner of her lips before she shyly
looked away as the women led her past him. His eyes followed her as
Sebra guided her to a small group of females who were laughing and
eyeing the males.

“Yes,” Saba Monda said with a quiet chuckle
of delight. “I do believe you will have a bit of competition.”

“Like hell,” Ha’ven bit out as he shot a
warning glance at the male who sat back down with a grin on his
face. “I’ll gut his hairy ass before I let him touch my Emma.”

Laughter filtered through his consciousness
as he stared possessively at Emma. Power or no power, he would
fight anyone who thought to take his beautiful little mate away
from him.

*.*.*

Emma had been stunned earlier when Telmay
and Olla had shown her the colorfully woven garment that she now
wore. Pollamay and Sebra had worked on her hair, threading flowers
in it as they braided it around her head, leaving a few long curls
to outline her face. Delicately woven sandals had been slipped onto
her feet and Pollamay had shown her how to wrap the gown around
her. Olla had produced a beautiful pin in the shape of birds in
flight on it. She said it represented a species that mated for life
and was considered to bring good luck to the wearer.

“Now, a touch of berry oil to make your lips
red and shiny,” Sebra had teased. “Not that it will last long if
the young prince has his way.”

She laughed and blushed as the small group
of women she was sitting with teased her about which male she
should choose. She shook her head as they kept piling food onto her
plate telling her she would need her strength tonight after the
ceremony. Emma turned and looked at the young dark-brown haired
female sitting next to her when the girl touched her blonde locks
in wonder and sighed loudly.

“Crom wants you to choose him,” Melda said,
sighing again. “Did you see the way he showed off for you?”

“Crom?” Emma asked looking in the direction
that Melda was staring. Her eyes widened when she saw the huge male
who had stood up as she walked by earlier staring at her. “Why is
he staring at me?”

Sebra, who remained next to Emma, laughed.
“He is fascinated with your hair, including the lack of it. I
overheard him telling another male he wanted to see if you felt as
soft as you look.”

Emma flushed and looked over to where Ha’ven
was sitting. She had been trying not to stare at him all evening
but it was very difficult, especially after what they had shared
earlier down at the river. All she wanted was to be back in his
arms again. She felt safe when he held her.

She drew in a startled breath when she saw
the heated look in his eyes. She was also surprised at the touch of
anger in them. Her fingers rose to play nervously with a flower at
the end of one of her braids.

She jumped slightly when Sebra touched her
arm. “Now, it is time for the women to make one of the men wish to
belong to them. Watch,” she murmured.

Emma turned in her seat to watch as Melda
and two other women stood and moved to the center of the dining
area. Each stood in a different area. Her lips parted in delight
when she heard the faint strains of music in the background. She
watched as the women began moving. Her eyes followed the moves of
each dancer, hypnotized as they twisted and turned in an intricate
dance. In her mind, she followed their moves while words flowed,
matching the rhythm being played. Her own body responded to the
music. Her heart opened like a withered sunflower kept in the dark
that was suddenly touched by the sun.

She swayed in her seat, a deep yearning to
join in sweeping through her as the music suddenly died down. She
watched as two of the males rose and approached the three women.
Melda looked them over critically before she turned her eyes to
Crom who remained seated. She looked back at the two men who stood
posing for her and the other two women. She grunted out something
to the women before she gave a short nod. Emma bit her lip as the
women walked around each male, sizing him up. Her mouth dropped
open when Melda not only felt each male’s ass but cupped the front
of them as well. Her eyes flashed to Ha’ven who was watching
her.

Emma forced her gaze away when she heard a
low growl. A shiver raced through her when she saw Crom was
watching her as well. There was no question that he was waiting for
her to dance.

“Your young prince will have to work for
you,” Sebra said with a note of satisfaction. “Crom will challenge
him.”

“You don’t have to sound so happy about
that,” Emma complained. “I don’t want Crom. I only want
Ha’ven.”

Sebra chuckled. “A little competition will
be good for your young prince. It will keep him alert and make him
hornier to know that another male desires you.”

Emma glared at Sebra for a moment before she
tilted her head in curiosity. “How do you handle sharing Saba Monda
with the other females?” She asked.

“I am very happy,” Sebra responded with a
grin. “He is a very horny male. I would never get anything done if
I had to satisfy him alone.”

“That is more information than I needed to
know, Sebra,” Emma grimaced. “I should have known better than to
ask.” She ignored Sebra when she responded by bursting out in
laughter.

Emma turned as the three women led one of
the men away. The young male who wasn’t chosen grinned and returned
to his seat. Emma watched as two other women rose and moved to the
center of the dining area. Over and over for the next hour, the
women around her rose and moved to dance for the men. Soon, there
was only her and two other women remaining at their table.