Burning Ceres by Viola Grace Page B

of their lovemaking.
    It took her father ten minutes to return, and by that time all pretence of a lazy fuck had stopped, they were both damp with sweat and surging together. With a final cry and Raanan’s teeth in her neck Ceres let her body collapse in a satiated stupor against him.
    Raanan held her in place as he looked up at her father with his gold eyes still dilated with passion.
    “Your majesty. Pardon me if I don’t rise. Your daughter has worn me out.” Instead he bowed his head formally.
    Her father looked appalled, “Little Sister! I thought her heat was over.”
    His hands stroked slow patterns down her back as she fought for breath. “Oh, it is. But your daughter and I get along very well. Of course I had to punish her for running from me, but we came to an agreement.”
    Kirkan sat heavily, “What kind of punishment?”
    “Well as she was heavily in heat when I bought her from the Grand Arena, I made sure that she had plenty of release, but I denied her my body. She was almost insane after a few days, so I took pity on her. The second heat brought a return of the mating mask and I kept her in it for a few days after just to show her lack of control.” The picture of villainy that he was drawing was making Kirkan ill.
    Still grey with guilt he said, “ Raanan , I lied. She didn’t know about you. I never told her you were one of her suitors. She would have stayed if I had just told her who I had chosen. I was too proud to share my decision with her, and I almost lost her forever.
    “She did not deserve the punishments meted out. And I will gladly buy her back from you as well as reinstate her status as a free woman.”
    Raanan tugged her head up, “Is it enough?”
    She smiled at him, love in her gaze, and with a delicate grunt she freed her body from his and turned to face her father as her gown settled back into demure lines.
    “ Raanan already knows all that father. And he released me from the mating mask after three days. You lied to him, so he lied to you.”
    Kirkan had tears in his eyes as he watched his proud daughter argue with him as she had always done.
    “I want a title for his family. For my family. The Duchy of Zenier . This house and all surrounding lands will be included.” Her hand fell to her belly. “Once I am returned to citizenship, which had better be soon by the way, my child will be born into a family where obligation is not going to override good sense.” She paused, “Is that acceptable?”
    Tears in his eyes, he stood and embraced her, “It is more than acceptable, I have my daughter back. And a grandchild on the way. And a son-in-law. What more could I want?”
    Raanan finished tucking himself back into his trousers, “Tea?”
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Epilogue
     
     
    Ceres’ pregnancy progressed without any trouble. It kept her off her feet in the final month, but she had no lack of visitors as her mother broke all protocols by moving in with Keona Adonai in the next room.
    Keona and Neola got along famously and devotedly attended to the health of the baby growing in Ceres with fanatical attention.
    She couldn’t walk across the garden without one or the other with her, or sending Amani to attend to her.
    Raanan was at the capitol making arrangements for a mining expedition into Nyal space when her labour began. A priority message was sent , and the note that he was on his way back was received.
    She cursed in twelve languages as the pains spread through her, waves that grew over the course of hours. At one point the one of the servants was actually taking a recording of the variety of creative epithets that she managed to come up with to replay for master Adonai later.
    When he arrived the entire household heaved a sigh of relief. In her final month, only his touch had kept her calm, and her temper restrained.
    “Ceres, you are bellowing like a water cow. Relax.” He stroked her head and was pinned by her almost black gaze.
    “You are finally here?”