"Treyvon?"
Her quiet question brought his thoughts back to her, but instead of leaning down as she asked, he went down on one knee before her.
"Treyvon..."
"I am yours to do with as you wish," he told her.
"Oh, Treyvon." Gently she reached out and began to slowly clean away the grime that was running down his face in rivulets, making sure none of it went into his eyes. Once she was satisfied with that, she reached behind him and filled her hand with cleanser. She then began to systematically wash each and every one of his braids until she held the one that held only a silver bead with blue swirls, his Ashe bead. Carefully she touched it, then looked into his glowing blue eyes.
"It is yours," he told her, his glowing gaze boring into hers. "Whenever you want it."
"Treyvon..."
"Shhh." He put a finger, cleansed by the water, across her lips. "Whenever you're ready. I just needed you to know. Now," he replaced his finger with his lips, "it's time for me to show you how much I care."
Slowly he began to stand and as he did, he lifted her covering with him, pulling it over her head and tossing it out of the cleansing unit. He then began to work cleanser into her hair, showing the loose tresses all the care and attention she had shown his braids.
"I wasn't done with you yet," she murmured. Even as she tipped her head forward enjoying his attentions, her fingers followed where the cleansing foam had gone. Over the bulging muscles of his chest and into every deep crevice between the ones along his abs, making sure not a speck of alme remained. When her fingers reached the waistband of his pants, she quickly undid them, her hand eagerly sliding inside to caress his hardening shaft.
"Jennifer," Treyvon groaned, his hips instinctively thrusting into her hand.
"I want you, Treyvon." She lifted her gaze to his. "I want to Join with my True Mate."
Treyvon's low, deep growl reverberated through the cleansing chamber and before she knew it, her back was pressed against the wall and her legs were wrapped around his hips.
"Then you shall have me!" he growled then lodged the head of his shaft at her opening and thrust deep.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her nails digging into his shoulders. "Goddess, Treyvon, yes!"
"I claim you, Jennifer." He slowly rocked his hips back then thrust deep again.
"As my True Mate." He pulled back and thrust again.
"As my female." He thrust again.
"As my Jennifer. My love."
Treyvon's words touched Jen more deeply than his thrusts that were quickly driving her to completion. They soothed that part of her soul that had protectively curled back into itself with all the hard hits and abuse she'd had to endure. Now it was as if she were blooming again, becoming who she was supposed to be, with whom she was supposed to be with.
"My Treyvon. My love," she echoed, then cried out as her orgasm suddenly exploded through her.
Treyvon’s roar melded with hers as one thrust later he followed her to heaven.
• • • • • •
Treyvon carefully watched Jennifer's reflection in the mirror as she began removing the moisture from her hair. Never had he experienced a Joining like that. It was more than the joining of their bodies. It was a joining of their souls.
Wet coverings haphazardly covered the cleansing room, a testament to their impatience to have one another. He was tempted to have the towel concealing her body join the rest, when her fingers paused over his bead and her questioning gaze met his.
"Why do you think?" she asked and he knew what she was asking.
"That it did not transfer earlier?"
"Yes." She turned to face him using the towel in her hand to blot away the remaining moisture from his chest. "I mean we've known each other for so many moon cycles now. You carried me out of the mine, just like Nikhil did with Mackenzie, and his bead transferred immediately. We even slept together and still..."
Treyvon didn't answer immediately, for in truth it was something he had wondered about too. Sinking his fingers into her golden strands, he let himself enjoy their silkiness. and knew he was the only Kaliszian male to experience it because she always kept it restrained. Was that the answer?
"Treyvon?"
"I believe it is because our beads reside in our braids," he told her.
"What?" she questioned, her eyes filling with confusion.
"I cannot explain to you why, for in all my studies I have never been able to discover the answer. But truth is, for a Kaliszian, our beads are an extension of who we are."
"But..."
He put a gentle finger across her lips, silencing her before slowly caressing those oh so kissable lips. "Our braids not only represent us, which is why cutting them is such an offense, but are also an extension of who we really are. Mackenzie's hair was unrestrained when Nikhil found her. Allowing Nikhil's bead to not only recognize his True Mate but to transfer. You have always kept your hair restrained."
"Not always," she told him. "The first time we Joined, my hair was free." She paused remembering that amazing night and frowned. "But you had removed your beads before I got there in honor of the Warriors you lost."
"Yes. Last night was the first time your hair was loose when mine held my beads."
Jen reached up letting her fingers run over his bead-filled braids. When she touched the thinner braids, she was shocked at the impressions assaulting her.
"Don't!" Treyvon growled, carefully but firmly removing her fingers away from his beads.
"I...” She turned confused eyes to him. "What was that?"
"You touched my Battle beads."
"Your what?"
"Battle beads. They reflect... moments of battles I have been in. Now that you wear my True Mate bead we are connected. I did not believe..." His chest expanded to twice its normal size as he inhaled deeply.
"Believe what?" she asked quietly.
"That you would be able to sense those moments and what happened in them."
"You have to carry that? Every day?" She couldn’t believe it.
"The weight of it, yes. For how could it not be when a victory in battle means another lost. It is part of being a Warrior, the carrying of that weight so innocents like you don't have to."
"I'm not an innocent, Treyvon, and part of being a True Mate, at least for me, is to help you carry that weight. Because you are no longer alone."
"I never want you to experience that ugliness, Jennifer."
"But I already have. Because of the Ganglians and the Zaludians. You can't change what I have experienced, Treyvon, any more than I can change what you have. All I can do is be there and support you when you need me. Just as I know you will be there for me when the nightmares come and I don't know if I can survive it again."
"I will always be there for you, Jennifer. Whenever you need me. And I pray it will be all the time. Not because I want you to have nightmares, or because you are weak and can't survive without a male. You have already shown you can. But because I can no longer survive without you. Not now that I have found you and experienced truth and love with a female. I wouldn't want to."
"Just as I wouldn't want to survive without you now that I've found you. It is the same, Treyvon." She reached up and firmly gripped one of his narrow braids willingly accepting all the pain and the weight of what Treyvon had had to survive. "Let me be your True Mate, Treyvon. Not just a female you Join with."
"You have not and never will be that!" he growled.
"I will be, unless you let me support you in the good times and the bad. The way you want to do with me."
"I vow I will try, Jennifer, but I cannot promise I will not try and protect you from future hurts."
Jen opened her mouth to argue, then closed it realizing she couldn't. For she would protect him from all harm if she could. "I vow the same. I can only try. For you are mine to protect.”
"Goddess, Jennifer." He lowered his head and captured her lips in a deep, hard kiss.
• • • • • •
Spada stood stiffly before Treyvon's desk, his gaze moving from the Supreme Commander who was sitting behind the desk to his newly appointed Commander who stood to its side. How Nikhil had ever earned the right to even be considered for such a prestigious position, let alone been chosen for it, was beyond Spada's comprehension. The male's bloodline was common. His parents, servants. It was so substandard that his True Mate bead hadn't even chosen a Kaliszian female to transfer to but an Earth female.
The Commander of Elite Warriors, and the Supreme Commander's Second needed to come from an impeccable bloodline. One like his.
"Warrior Parlan Spada," Treyvon began only to be interrupted.
"Elite Warrior," Spada immediately corrected as he did with anyone who didn't give him the respect that was his due, then cringed slightly as he remembered he was speaking to Treyvon, the Supreme Commander.
"An Elite Warrior shouldn't have to remind others of his status. His actions should do that for him."
"I... yes, General."
"Do you feel your actions reflect those of an Elite?"
"Of course, General!"
"Then explain to me why you reported that the seal on the exterior door of the storage room containing the containers from the Zaludian ship was changed, when it wasn't."
"What?"
"The seal, Spada," Treyvon demanded.
"It was fine, General. It didn't need changed," Spada said dismissively.
"The order was to change the seal."
"As I stated it wasn't necessary," Spada argued back. "That seal was adequate for withstanding a common Pontus ground storm."
"So you are stating that you knowingly disobeyed an order from me." Treyvon's words were deadly quiet.
"Sir, while Onp is an adequate Warrior, I am his superior. And when I find fault with one of his orders, I am not going to follow it."
"You believe Elite Warrior Onp has the authority to set the Enviro Level of this base to Critical?"
"He shouldn't, but as I said, he is only an adequate Warrior and doesn't always know his limits."
"Commander Nikhil," Treyvon turned in his chair to address his Commander. "Do you find truth in Spada's words?"
"No, General," Nikhil immediately responded, his gaze never leaving Spada. "In my opinion, Elite Warrior Onp is an outstanding Warrior."
"Who follows the orders he is given?"
"Yes, General."
"Would he take it upon himself to order the Enviro Level set to Critical?"
"Only if he were the senior Warrior on base, General." Nikhil gave him truth. "As you are, he only would have relayed your order."
"I agree." Treyvon turned hard eyes back to Spada and waited.
Spada stood there, starting to sweat as silence filled the room, his gaze going from Nikhil to Treyvon. What were they waiting for? For him to say he should have followed Onp's order? That he was wrong? That seal hadn't needed changed.
"General, I stand by my decision. That seal did not need changed."
"It failed," Treyvon told him.
"What?" Spada gave him a confused look.
"The seal on that door failed," Treyvon repeated.
"That... that's not possible," Spada sputtered. "It's a common ground..."
"This isn't a common ground storm!" Treyvon roared cutting Spada off. "Your actions, or should I say inaction, put this entire base at risk!"
"General," Spada knew he was in trouble and had to find a way out of it. "I will immediately go replace the seal."
"No need, Commander Nikhil and I have already done it."
"You..." Spada's eyes widened in shock. Treyvon replaced the seal?
"Yes, and the other three seals you failed to change are currently being replaced by Elite Warriors that are able to follow the orders given to them by their General. You, Spada, you will repair what your decision to not follow those orders has caused."
"Yes, General. Of course, but if the seals are already being replaced, what is there for me to do?"
"You will remove every speck of dust and sand that has penetrated the base because of those seals."
"You want me to clean?!!" Spada didn't even attempt to hide his shock. "But I'm Elite Warrior Parlan Spada! I'm related to Minister Stepney! My bloodline has never been sullied! This is a job for someone like Gulzar! Not me!"
Treyvon let Spada go on, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. These were the words he expected to hear from a spoiled female like Rachana. Not an Elite Warrior. If he had any doubts about removing Spada's Elite status, they were now gone.
"Enough, Spada!" Treyvon ordered when he saw that Spada meant to continue. "You will obey a direct order from me or you will be brought up on charges."
That had Spada's jaw snapping shut, the crack of his teeth hitting together easily heard.
"Now you will do as I order and you will do it now. You will not rest, or take meals, until your assigned task is completed."
"I..." Spada started to argue. He'd already been woken earlier than normal and had planned on spending the duration of the storm in his quarters. But then he thought better of it. There was nothing he could do until the storm had passed, but once it did, he would be contacting Minister Stepney on how he was being treated. "Yes, General," he told him stiffly.
"Then get it done. Starting with the storage room containing the containers from the Zaludian ship."
"Yes, General."
"And Spada."
Spada had turned to leave but Treyvon's lowly spoken words stopped him. "Yes, General?"
"If any of those food stores have been damaged, you will be brought up on charges."
Paling, Spada forced out through tight lips, "Yes, General."
Treyvon waited for the door to close behind Spada before turning to Nikhil. "Thoughts?"
"He isn't worthy of Elite status."
"No, he isn't."
"Do you really believe the Earth food stores have been damaged?" He didn't like that thought. His Mackenzie had gone on and on about how much she had enjoyed the taste of home Jennifer had been able to provide for First Meal. He had hoped Jennifer would be able to do it again.
"In truth, I do not know. But the sands of Pontus are never kind."
"This is truth," Nikhil agreed, nodding his head.
"Once the room is cleaned, I will have Jennifer check the food stores. If any have been damaged, she will know what can be salvaged."
"Your True Mate is truly a gift from the Goddess, General."
"She is," Treyvon agreed finding he was smiling. "As is yours."
"Agreed, and I know she enjoys assisting Jennifer," Nikhil paused, his gaze shooting to Treyvon.
"It is fine, Nikhil, I am not offended by you using only my Jennifer's name. In truth, I believe both our mates would be offended if we referred to them in such a formal way. And as I believe we will be spending a great deal of time together, we might as well start now."
"This is truth," Nikhil agreed.
"So continue with what you were going to say."
"I was just going to say that while I know my Mackenzie enjoys assisting Jennifer in preparing Last Meal, I also know she is struggling to find her place here."
"What do you mean?"
"On Earth, my Mackenzie was a caretaker of the land and the things that lived and grew on it. Here..."
"She is unable to do that," Treyvon finished for him.
"Yes, and while she has never spoken of it bothering her, I see it whenever we walk in the gairdín and there is nothing growing there."
"You walk in the gairdín?" Treyvon hadn't known that.
"Yes, Mackenzie is used to and enjoys being outside. If she is confined inside for too long it triggers nightmares of her time being held by the Zaludians."
"She is having nightmares?" Treyvon hadn't known that and it worried him. Was his Jennifer also having them? "Has she been to see Luol about them?"
"She refuses to do that, saying that they are not coming as often. And as long as she can get outs
ide she will be fine. It is why I take her to the gairdín whenever I can."
"Then once this storm is over, we will make it a priority that she is able to get outside."
"Thank you, Treyvon."
"No thanks necessary. I know Jennifer will want to get out too. She'll want see how the Crann survived the storm."
• • • • • •
Jen couldn't seem to stop smiling as she moved around the kitchen. Not that she wanted to. The sway of Treyvon's bead as she moved across the room had her pausing to reach up and touch it.
Treyvon's eyes had glowed so bright when she'd left the portion of hair, that was somehow braiding itself, free instead of pulling it back into a messy bun with the rest of her hair. He had kissed her senseless because of it. If it hadn't been for Nikhil ringing him on his comm, she was sure they would have ended up back in bed.
But duty called, for both of them. So with one final kiss and the promise he would see her soon, Treyvon had left to meet with Nikhil and Jen had headed for the kitchen.
Last Meal was still a good ways away, but with everyone being forced to stay inside, she thought she might try and make something special for them besides just more biscuits. But biscuits were one thing they all could enjoy without pulling from their personal food stores.
So biscuits.... what else could she make with the dough?
Clapping her hands together she suddenly realized what she could make.
Monkey Bread!
She just needed to grab a few things she saw in the Earth supplies.
"Jen?"
Turning, her smile grew when she saw Gulzar. She loved him as a friend. He was the first one to really accept her, besides Luol, and she would be eternally grateful to him for it.
"Gulzar, what are you doing here so early?"
"I had nothing else to do so I thought I'd..." he trailed off, his eyes going wide. "Jen!!!"
"What?" She swung around expecting to find some threat behind her.
"No, there's no threat," he quickly reassured her. "It's your hair."
The stunned awe in his voice had her puzzled for a moment. Then she found her face start to heat as she realized what he was referring to.