Tine continued to watch from the shadows. It wasn't time for he and his mate to meet. He had disappeared from sight during the chaos that had occurred with Lord Anton and his son, Ashton. if would seem that their society had become somewhat matriarchal. He had not realized that the women ran the households and the town. But looking around, he began to notice that the men deferred to the women and that the older the woman, the more deference was paid to her.
This was very different in the way he was raised. The clutch was very male-oriented and very much male ran. Women are the ones who paid deference to men in his society. Not the other way around. It would take some adjusting, but he and his mate would rule together and teach the villagers to as well. It had been that way with his mother and father. They had ruled well together. His memories of them was few, but when he did think about them, he felt their love surround him. Even now, 700 years later, the remembrance of their love warmed his heart and he could only hope that he and his mate would share something similar.
While he was not over taken with sentiment, he did love his parents and he wanted that strong of a bond with his mate. Every male in the clutch did. When his kind mated, it was for life. There was no others. The bond would not allow it.
Tine was jarred back to reality by Ashton's sister speaking to him. "There you are, Lord Tine. I have been looking for you all night. I thought perhaps you might like.....some companionship." She said in a simpering voice as she shamelessly rubbed herself against him. While she thought she was being inviting, Tine felt nothing but disgust. She was not his mate and his beast wanted to tear her apart for choosing to approach him in this manner. He chose that moment to look down at her and let his disgust show clearly on his face.
"You are no better than the whores in the street. You offer freely to me what should belong to your husband on your wedding night. Tell me, little slut, what it is that you hope to accomplish. Because if it to win my favor with your body, I should tell you that your body, face or mannerism do nothing for me but raise my ire and the level of disgust and pity that I have for you. Now, leave, you trollop, before I let your mother in on your rather disgusting behavior." The last two sentences were said while his beast growled, alerting her like his eyes had alerted her father earlier tonight, that he wasn't quite human.
Mira watched Ashton's sister scuttle from the shadows by the large open windows with a look that was equal parts terror and embarrassment. She wondered what was so interesting about the shadows that she almost went to investigate. But she was stopped by the lead village elder, Marta.
"Come child. Let us talk about the choosing tomorrow. I must prepare you for what is to come. Do you understand?" Marta gave a shrewd look over to the shadows where Tine was standing and gave a sharp nod.
"Yes Marta. Momma has already told me that I will be blindfolded and stood in a room full of men from the surrounding area that are eligible for marriage. She stated that I would know which one was my future husband when I smell him. When I told her that was silly, she merely smiled and said that I would understand." Mira said with a slight frown.
Walking beside her, Marta nodded her head sagely. "Truly, it is not something that can be explained. Only experienced."
Tine stood there in the shadows, listening. As he listened, his chest swelled with pride. They had kept the teaching of the clutch. This was the only way that a female had power, was in picking her mate.
Picking a mate was left up to the sense of smell. Even humans, given enough time, could be trained to use the sense of smell. It had been bred into them for 700 years. And evidently, it worked well. Young women of age usually chose well and it was rare that the marriage failed.
Tine was proud of his heritage, realizing that his parents had a hand in this. He watched his mate and realized that they were the next generation to take that step. When he revealed who and what he was tomorrow, many of the villagers would be frightened. However, the villager elders knew who and what he was. Even the Lore keepers knew. But yet, it would not be revealed until tomorrow after Mira chose him as her husband.
He knew she would chose him because of her reaction to his scent earlier in the forest. When he had followed her to the ruins, he had hoped that she would be his. His beast had risen up and released his unique scent and it had done what he hoped. It had called to her. Her beauty was not like the others. There was something other worldly about her.
Her face was almost triangular in shape with prominent and high cheek bones. Her nose while straight and pert was not hooked or humped in the middle. It was narrow and flared at her nostrils. He mouth, well her mouth was stuff a young boys dreams were made of. Her bottom lip was full and generous, the top was not quite as full. But full enough for him to want to take it between his and suck on it. The rest of her body was hidden from view. Her dress was draped around her to suggest more than reveal and it was driving Tine insane. Her skin seemed to glow from within and possess an almost pearlescent look. It would be soft, of that fact, he was very sure. She was a lady and did not work in the fields or hawk wares in the market every day in the sun, where her skin would age and begin to get a leathery look as she grew older.
Tine looked from Mira to Lady Amethyst and could not help but realize how like her mother she really looked. The other worldly look was definitely inherited. He would bet that the mother had Clutch heritage. The grace that both women had in their bearing was undeniable. Not only that, their beauty out shone all others around them.
Tine watched as his mate danced with his hostess's youngest son. With his sensitive hearing, he could easily hear their conversation.
"Whaa-a-at's the matttter, MIra?" John asked. He might stutter, but the man was a flawless dancer. His every move complimented his partner and made her look even more graceful.
Mira frowned as John twirled them around the room, she could have sworn she caught a whiff of the smell from the forest earlier. "It's nothing John. I was just looking forward to meeting the visitor to our village. After all, we don't get many new people here, unless they are new traders and merchants coming to trade with us. I did get a glimpse of a man with great height and size. He appeared to have hair that looks like it was pure polished bronze. I couldn't see anything else. The crowd had been too great and I am too short to have seen much else."
Mira stood in her bedroom with her mother as she was getting ready for the evening's choosing. To say she was nervous was putting it mildly. Her stomach had finally stopped rolling but her heart was still racing. It had slowed somewhat with the 2 glasses of wine her mother had given her with her supper. Mira almost snorted in a very unladylike fashion. Supper indeed. She had struggled to get the food past the tightness in her throat. She was so badly shaken from the thought of finding her husband tonight that she had barely managed to get soup and a small bit of bread into her stomach. While the wine had gone down easily, the food had not. And Mira was now in a state of relaxed chaos.She frowned to herself. Was that really a thing, she wondered?"Mira, darling, perhaps a bit more of the soup? You are swaying somewhat. I think, perhaps, you have had a little too much wine and not enough food." Mira turned to see her mother speaking to her but in her head, she felt vaguely disconnecte
His lips touched hers in the briefest of touches as they brushed across hers. Sensations, emotions, raced through her like the heady wine she had earlier in the day, and just as strong, sending her swaying into him for more. Hearing him chuckle at her reaction, she felt his large, warm hands move from her face to her shoulders and pull her into his body. Mira felt her body soften and try to mold itself to her mate and soon to be husband. Laying her head on his broad chest, she whispered in the dark, "I want to see you."She felt him remove a hand from her back and snap his fingers. Suddenly, flames appeared to dance on his fingertips. Gasping,she took a step back. Tine refused to release her and kept one arm wrapped securely around her waist. Looking up at him, she realized several things at once.One, he was at least a foot taller than her 5'5 height, Two, his hair was a burnt bronze and his eyes were the deepset, purest emerald green she had ever seen. Three, his features were someh
Tine watched as the Clutch Elders assembled in the Hall of Ancestors for the Reading of his bloodline. As the Master of Records read his lineage starting with the first of his line and going forward for twenty generations, he felt his chest swell with pride. His line was one of the oldest and strongest of all of the dragon clutches scattered about. Thanks to senseless and fearful hunting in some parts of the world, his kind were fewer and fewer. Most humans were fearful of things that they did not understand or could not control. Realizing the Master of Records was waiting on him, he cleared his throat and asked him to repeat the question. Several of the male elders nudged each other in the ribs and openly laughed thinking he was thinking of his soon-to-be mate. He didn't bother to correct them. They wouldn't believe him anyway."I asked if you are preparing a
Mira lay in bed, curled up on her side in misery. She didn't understand what was wrong with her. She would cry at the slightest inclination. The feelings she had were over whelming her. She felt so lost and alone. She felt abandoned. She knew that Tine would be gone for several day, but had no idea that it would affect her so radically. She was so miserable that she didn't even bother to turn over her pillow that was wet, soaked, from her constant tears. They rolled down her face in a silvery trail, leaving her eyes red and swollen.As she lay there contemplating the depths of her misery, she heard her door open and heard a familiar step. Her father sat down on the side of the bed and took one of her hands in his and raised it to his lips."My darling daughter, it is time for you to
Mira could see the memory of the final battle at the old ruins in the forest. The woman clothed in an odd armor that was black with a gold sheen to it in the sunlight. Her arms were bare to mid-bicep. She had boiled leather sleeve attachments to cover her vulnerable shoulders. On her head sat a helmet of the same black material. Her back was covered the same way. Her legs were covered in leather trews that laced up the sides from knee to hip. Mira was slightly appalled by this showing of skin. But she also guessed it was the only way to get them on. She was standing in the middle of the keep bailey talking to several soldiers, giving orders and directions. No man sneered at her. She wore her authority as easily as she wore her armor. As she directed each group of men, they departed to do her bidding. Some stayed with her, these flanked and surrounded her in the back to guard her vulnerable spots and to fight at her side. Pride shown in the eyes of the men. Mira didn't know if it was
Raptor uttered one word, a name, "Amelia..."Amethyst stopped and looked from Tine and the elder to his uncle. "I'm sorry. I have been told that I look just like her. Amelia was my grandmother"Amethyst watched, along with Tine as Raptor absorbed this information. Watching the blood drain from his face as he mumbled some excuse and left to go back to the inn."What was that all about Tine?" Amethyst asked to anyone in general. "I have my suspicions, I'm afraid, but it is not my story to tell. At least, not until I find out for sure. But, I also suspect Lady Amethyst, that you already have some inkling of the answer yourself. However, I am not going to pry." A that moment, Mira could have happily melted through the floor as her stomach growled loudly. As loudly as Raptor had growled earlier."Heavens, it seems that someone is hungry. We should probably go in to dinner. I believe Tine that you and Mira are especially hungry."Amethyst turned and led the way toward the dining room where
Tine was so busy pacing that he almost missed the moment that Mira came down the stairs. Rushing to her side, he watched as her eyes dilated as their hands touched. He knew in that instance that she knew he was something other than human. He waited with no small amount of trepidation. Mira looked over at the man that she had quickly fallen in love with and smiled her best smile. In that smile Tine saw her love for him as well as her acceptance of whatever he was. Releasing the breath that he had unintentionally been holding, Tine returned her smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek."Here now! None of that!" Mira heard her mother say."Leave them be, dear. I remember when you chose me. We couldn't seem to keep our hands off of each others." Hearing his wife clear her throat loudly, he then tried to recant by saying, "Of c
The next morning Mira woke feeling incredibly refreshed. Her body didn't ache anymore, neither did her head. Her vision was clear and so was her mind. She sat and quickly began to dress in anticipation of seeing Tine and and making choices for their home. She was just getting into her dress when Mary entered."Here Miss, I can help you with that. We should get you downstairs. Cook has laid out a wonderful breakfast and your young man is waiting on you. Now, let's get you dressed for your young man." Mary smiled at Mira in the mirror as she laced up her dress for her.Downstairs, Tine and her parents were waiting at the table as she entered. Tine and her father stood as she entered the room. Reaching out, Tine gently guided her to her seat and cook passed the dishes to her mother, letting her serve herself and pass the dish to