Instinct had moved me to declare Kelly as my Intended. The way the Hand and High Lord switched so quickly between formality to a sort of camaraderie towards us set my internal alarm bells ringing. The stakes were indeed high and as politically fraught as this case had been from the outset, it was rapidly becoming apparent that it had become even more so.
I dearly hoped that Kelly understood the look I was giving him; that he’d read the situation as clearly as I had. Did I also wish that he’d agree to make this pretense a matter of truth? If I was being completely honest with myself, yes. He had rapidly proven himself to be a most worthy male, free of prejudice and willing to stand by my side giving me his full support. That his attractiveness spoke to me was a bonus, pure and simple. His dedication to justice and truth and wishing for better things for his people and our world, well, that spoke to my soul in ways mere physical attributes could never do.
As we trailed out into the foyer, Kelly hung back a little, catching my arm. Leaning his head so that his mouth was close to my ear, he murmured, “We need to have a chat later.” His tone wasn’t hostile, thank darkness, but held a gentleness that seemed almost tender. Was he also wishing for the same thing? My heart leaped in joy at the possibility, but I quickly squashed that down. I was setting myself up for possible disappointment, after all.
He wouldn’t be merely getting me the man, but me the feared Hunter and future Arbiter with all that entailed.
He looked at me closely, so close in fact that our noses were nearly touching. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad.” To my complete and utter surprise, he leaned in and kissed the side of my jaw.
From his expression when he pulled away, it must have been an impulse that took him by surprise as well.
“Come on you two,” called the Hand. “There’s time for you to indulge in physical affection later, in the privacy of your own dwelling.”
My brother snickered, clapping my shoulder as I hurried to catch up. “And they say I’m the one always quick for a tumble,” he teased.
I ignored him, my brain going into overdrive at what the Hand had just said. He expected me to take Kelly to my rooms, rather than have him settled in guest accommodations along with Richard.
And why wouldn’t he? I berated myself. I just told all and sundry that he was my Intended. Besides, it’s not that big a deal. It’s not the first time we’ll have shared a room.
I ignored the smaller voice in the back of my mind whispering that while this was true, it was the first time we’d shared a room after declaring our mutual interest in possibly becoming, as he called it, engaged, and after announcing to the world that we were to be Bonded. Also the first time after he kissed me.
Out of everything, it was the kiss that got me the most. His lips had been firm and soft, though a bit dry, and warm against my skin. A shiver ran down my arms and spine at the memory of it, my cock hardening. One kiss, not even one on my lips, and already I was hungry for an entirely different meal than the one we were about to share.
“Quillen, what are you doing here?”
I looked to see who the Senior Hunter that had spoken was addressing. A small child, perhaps of four or five rotations, sat at the base of the stairs we were about to pass.
“I heard Gadja say there was oomuns. Can I see them?”
“You shouldn’t be down here. Your gadja will be worried, wondering where you’ve gone.”
“Aw, who is the cute kid? And what are they saying? Is he in trouble?” Kelly asked, looking at the child indulgently.
I swallowed, imagining him as a father. Could we have young together, or would we have to take fosterlings? Did that matter to him, if the children we raised were related to him or not?
“I think that’s the High Lord’s grandchild. His youngest and his Bonded have resided with him and his mate ever since the accident,” my brother said.
“Accident?” Richard asked, peering round. “Oh, he is a little darling, isn’t he?”
“The High Lord’s mate was in a shuttle accident several years ago and didn’t take to his prosthetics well at first.”
Richard and Kelly blanched.
“That’s awful!” Kelly replied, thankfully keeping his voice low, though emphatic.
My brother waved a hand dismissively. “It’s all right now, but the arrangement suited them very much. They are very devoted grandparents.”
The child darted down the step and around the Hunter addressing him, skidding to a stop before us. Pointing at Kelly, he asked, “Oomun, whass your name?”
I smiled in spite of myself, his lisp caused by his top fangs coming in unbearably cute.
“He wants to know your name,” I translated.
Kelly pointed to himself. “Kelly.” Then he pointed his thumb at Richard and said, “Dick.”
Richard’s jaw dropped. “You did not just do that!” He shook his head from side to side wildly. “No, no, no!” Pointing to himself, he said, “Richard. Rich-ard!”
“Kehwwy,” the tot repeated, looking at my erstwhile fiancé. “Wich Ahrd,” he parroted, turning to look at Richard.
“Yes,” Richard beamed.
The child giggled. “Me is Durtka.”
“Durtka?” Kelly guessed from the exchange.
“Yes,” I replied.
“That’s enough.” The hunter scooped him up. Turning to the Hand, he said, “I’ll return him to his parents. I’m sure Yertlpry is searching all over their quarters for him.”
“He’s not in trouble is he?” Kelly repeated.
“Only a little, probably,” the Hand replied, chuckling. “He’s a handful, that one.”
The distraction ended, we continued our way to the dining hall uninterrupted.