Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
He pushed the thought aside guiltily. He shouldn’t be thinking such things about a girl he didn’t even know.
“We must go,” she said, tugging on his sleeve again.
“Er…where are we going?” Bear asked her, frowning.
“We must be the first to sample the Joining Loaf,” she explained, nodding in the direction of the other end of the clearing. “And we must let the guests congratulate us on our Joining.”
Bear noticed that the fine-link metal netting that she wore was still pulled up and thrown over her shoulders, which meant her full, ripe breasts were still bare. He didn’t like that for some reason—didn’t like the idea of her exposing herself when there were so many other males here who might see her. A wave of protective possessiveness passed over him and he remembered guiltily how full and firm those lovely breasts had felt in his hands.
“Shouldn’t you put down your, er, breast net?” he asked, nodding at the golden links.
She looked down modestly.
“It is not for me to say if my breast net should be worn up or down, my Lord Husband—only you may determine that.”
“Put it down then,” Bear growled, frowning. “I don’t want the other males to see your breasts. It isn’t right.”
Aleena seemed surprised, if her wide eyes were any indication, but she obeyed them at once, pulling the two golden chain-link panels of the netting back down to cover her full breasts again.
“Is that better, my Lord Husband?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Much.” Bear nodded. “Come on—show me the Joining Loaf.”
She led him across the clearing but it was slow going since every guest there had to congratulate him on his new bride. And of course, this included his new “father-in-law,” Sir Greggor, and what he assumed were the other members of his bride’s family.
“We’re so happy that you agreed to accept Aleena as your bride,” Sir Greggor said, smiling genially. “I know she wasn’t your first choice, but I hope that you’ll be very happy using her body for your pleasure.”
Bear opened his mouth to protest this statement but the older woman standing next to Sir Greggor chimed in. She had brassy gold hair and was wearing an elaborate golden breast net set with precious stones that flashed in the sunlight coming through the branches of the trees.
“Yes, we apologize—we know Aleena’s not nearly as lovely as her little sister, Faleesha,” she said, nodding to the young woman at her side, who had a spoiled, petulant look on her pretty face. She was not an Elite, being nearly as skinny as a rail and her breast netting was silver and also flashed with gem stones. It covered much smaller breasts than Aleena’s, Bear noted.
But he couldn’t stand by and listen to his new bride being maligned like this. Of course, he planned to end the Joining before he left, but while he was her mate, he was going to protect and defend her, he told himself.
“Actually, I think Aleena is beautiful,” he said firmly, frowning at the older woman. “I’m very pleased to have her as my bride.”
“Well!” The older woman frowned. “You have to admit she’s rather on the plump side. Still, at least with her broad hips, she should have no problem bearing your heir once you plant your seed in her belly.”
The younger woman, who must be Faleesha—the girl he was originally supposed to Join with—tittered unkindly and gave Aleena a withering look.
Bear felt another wave of protectiveness flow over him quickly followed by a spike of irritation. Was it normal for a girl’s own family to insult her on her Joining day here?
“Aleena is what my people call an ‘Elite’,” he said stiffly. “That is—a female whom the Goddess has blessed with extra generous curves. Such females are sought after and much prized among the Kindred.”
“Is that so? How fascinating!” Sir Greggor said quickly. Clearly he wanted the conversation to be over before anyone took offense. But Faleesha obviously didn’t get her father’s hint.
“What—are you saying the Kindred actually like fat women?” she demanded rudely.
“We adore curvy females,” Bear said, trying not to let his words come out in a growl. He hadn’t even known Aleena’s younger sister ten minutes and already he disliked her intensely. Thank the Goddess the plans had changed at the last minute and he’d been Joined to Aleena instead of this little snake!
Both the mother and the younger sister looked surprised at his words. But Bear wasn’t done—he wanted to give them even more to chew on.
“I feel blessed by the Goddess to have an Elite as my new bride,” he said to them. “Clearly she knows that I don’t care for skinny women and chose to bring Aleena into my life because of her generous curves and beautiful smile.”
“Well!” Faleesha exclaimed, her pale blue eyes flashing. She had brassy golden hair like her mother and it was coiled on top of her head in an elaborate up-do, making her skinny face look even thinner.