Berrr's Vow
Page 26
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“They will adjust to this new way of life.” He sounded more than sure of himself.
“It will work out for them. I have a summit starting tomorrow with many visitors to arrive to stay in our home in the morning. Those warriors will keep the house helpers very busy.”
Dread hit Shanna. “You’re going to offer their bodies to those men, aren’t you?” Cocking his head, Berrr watched her with narrowed eyes. “They do not mind. You may ask them about this if you doubt my word. I apologize if this offends your human customs but it is a way of Zorn life and the women need a male touch. If not my body then they will want another male to mount them.”
Fear inched up her spine. “What about me? Are you going to offer me up too? I’m warning you now if you even try that with me someone is going to die.” His eyebrow lifted. “You are correct, Shanna. If a warrior tries to touch you then someone will die. I will kill any male who goes too near you. You are mine and mine alone to touch. I will never allow another warrior to put his hands on you.” She relaxed in his arms. “So we’re on the same page. Good.”
“The same page?”
“It’s a saying that means we agree and are thinking the same things.” He nodded. “We are on the same page. If a warrior touches you there will be a death.”
She realized with a jolt as she stared up at him that he was deadly serious. There was no teasing sparkle in his gaze. “You’d really kill a guy for touching me? Seriously kill?”
A soft growl rumbled from his throat. “Isn’t it this way on your world? Don’t your males kill other males to protect their women?”
“Sometimes but not usually.”
Berrr shook his head, looking totally disgusted, as he moved to lift Shanna off his lap. “It is a good thing that you are no longer on a planet where you are not protected. I ordered the women to prepare a meal for us since I was told you hadn’t eaten.” He stood and turned, looking down at her with a frown. “It is your duty to help me care for you and I want your word that you will eat more.” He carefully studied her body. “We need to make you bigger so you are sturdier.”
Shanna’s eyebrows arched as she stared at him while he walked away toward the bedroom door. He was serious and it stunned her. He wants me bigger? Her gaze swept down to her slightly rounded stomach from the fifteen pounds she was overweight.
Swallowing, her attention jerked up to Berrr as he paused by the bedroom door.
“Come with me, Shanna. The house helpers have moved their belongings out of my room and you will now live there with me.” His mouth curved into a frown as his look darted around the room. “This room holds many bad memories so I am glad that we will no longer have to come in here.”
She inched off the bed and started to walk toward him. “Should I borrow some clothes from the closet?” Her hands ran over the huge baggy dress. “This is all I have.”
“I ordered one of the women to go shopping for you today so new, better-fitting clothing should be in my closet.” His gaze warmed up, his hand lifted, palm up, offering her his hand. “Come, Shanna. The food should be waiting.” The room was almost twice as large as the bedroom she’d just left, she decided, as she stepped into Berrr’s bedroom. Today his bed was empty, there were no other women in the room, and it was well lit from many windows with red hazed sunlight shining through each not covered by curtains.
“You guys don’t use coverings for privacy?”
Berrr’s focus followed hers to the clear glass. “Why would we wish to hide the outdoors from our sight?”
“What about privacy? Anyone at night could just stand out there and watch everything that you do.”
A grin split his features as Berrr turned fully to face her, still gripping her hand he held as he stared down at her. “Why would someone do this?”
“They could be perverts. Who knows?”
His head tilted slightly. “I remember the word is bad in your dialect and I understand but there would be no honor in spying on my bedroom or attacking by sneaking up on me. Warriors are trained to be honorable, Shanna.”
“And what of the ones who fail those lessons?” She frowned at him. “That guy who bound to Alluwn wasn’t honorable when he tried to kill you, right?” The smile died on Berrr’s lips. “No. He had no honor. If it bothers you so much I will have the women cover the windows. What do you suggest that will make you more comfortable here?”
She was instantly impressed with his offer, knowing he didn’t have to give a damn what she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she explained curtain rods and curtains to him.
He listened intently, nodded a few times and squeezed her hand.
“It will be done for you. Is there anything else in the room you would want changed? I want you to be happy.”
“Nope. That’s it.”
He turned away to lead her by the hand to a table by double glass doors that were open in the far corner. The smell of food made her stomach instantly grumble in response. Berrr softly growled as he sat down, yanking a surprised Shanna on his lap where she landed on her ass.
“You went too long without food in your angry rebellion of me.” A frown firmly in place, he reached around her to one of the plates set out and grabbed a meat strip, holding it in front of her mouth. “Eat now.”
The meat smelled similar to bacon and was really good. Shanna’s eyes narrowed though as she locked gazes with Berrr. “I’m going to eat but what would you do to me if I refused?”
Black eyebrows arched. “You want to test me on purpose, Shanna?” Opening her mouth, she took a bite and shrugged her shoulders. The food was delicious and it not only smelled equal to thick bacon, but tasted like it too, which she loved. Chewing it down, she never looked away from him. She reached up to take it from him but he jerked his hand back to keep hold of the meat between his finger and thumb. He slowly brought it back to her mouth, obviously intent on hand feeding her.
“I’m curious. We couldn’t exactly date and get to know each other so I am trying to get to know you. What would you do if I refused to eat?” A confused expression had his lips turning slightly downward. “What is dating? Is it some strange alien mating ritual that is made to drive both sexes crazy?” A laugh burst from Shanna. “You have no idea how close to accurate that is. It’s where a man and woman go out to see entertainment events and have meals together to just talk and get to know each other before they get to the sexual relationship parts.” The disgusted face he made had Shanna laughing again. He smiled at her though and she opened her mouth, taking another bite. He reached around her with his other hand to pick up a piece of fruit to feed her next.
“It will work out for them. I have a summit starting tomorrow with many visitors to arrive to stay in our home in the morning. Those warriors will keep the house helpers very busy.”
Dread hit Shanna. “You’re going to offer their bodies to those men, aren’t you?” Cocking his head, Berrr watched her with narrowed eyes. “They do not mind. You may ask them about this if you doubt my word. I apologize if this offends your human customs but it is a way of Zorn life and the women need a male touch. If not my body then they will want another male to mount them.”
Fear inched up her spine. “What about me? Are you going to offer me up too? I’m warning you now if you even try that with me someone is going to die.” His eyebrow lifted. “You are correct, Shanna. If a warrior tries to touch you then someone will die. I will kill any male who goes too near you. You are mine and mine alone to touch. I will never allow another warrior to put his hands on you.” She relaxed in his arms. “So we’re on the same page. Good.”
“The same page?”
“It’s a saying that means we agree and are thinking the same things.” He nodded. “We are on the same page. If a warrior touches you there will be a death.”
She realized with a jolt as she stared up at him that he was deadly serious. There was no teasing sparkle in his gaze. “You’d really kill a guy for touching me? Seriously kill?”
A soft growl rumbled from his throat. “Isn’t it this way on your world? Don’t your males kill other males to protect their women?”
“Sometimes but not usually.”
Berrr shook his head, looking totally disgusted, as he moved to lift Shanna off his lap. “It is a good thing that you are no longer on a planet where you are not protected. I ordered the women to prepare a meal for us since I was told you hadn’t eaten.” He stood and turned, looking down at her with a frown. “It is your duty to help me care for you and I want your word that you will eat more.” He carefully studied her body. “We need to make you bigger so you are sturdier.”
Shanna’s eyebrows arched as she stared at him while he walked away toward the bedroom door. He was serious and it stunned her. He wants me bigger? Her gaze swept down to her slightly rounded stomach from the fifteen pounds she was overweight.
Swallowing, her attention jerked up to Berrr as he paused by the bedroom door.
“Come with me, Shanna. The house helpers have moved their belongings out of my room and you will now live there with me.” His mouth curved into a frown as his look darted around the room. “This room holds many bad memories so I am glad that we will no longer have to come in here.”
She inched off the bed and started to walk toward him. “Should I borrow some clothes from the closet?” Her hands ran over the huge baggy dress. “This is all I have.”
“I ordered one of the women to go shopping for you today so new, better-fitting clothing should be in my closet.” His gaze warmed up, his hand lifted, palm up, offering her his hand. “Come, Shanna. The food should be waiting.” The room was almost twice as large as the bedroom she’d just left, she decided, as she stepped into Berrr’s bedroom. Today his bed was empty, there were no other women in the room, and it was well lit from many windows with red hazed sunlight shining through each not covered by curtains.
“You guys don’t use coverings for privacy?”
Berrr’s focus followed hers to the clear glass. “Why would we wish to hide the outdoors from our sight?”
“What about privacy? Anyone at night could just stand out there and watch everything that you do.”
A grin split his features as Berrr turned fully to face her, still gripping her hand he held as he stared down at her. “Why would someone do this?”
“They could be perverts. Who knows?”
His head tilted slightly. “I remember the word is bad in your dialect and I understand but there would be no honor in spying on my bedroom or attacking by sneaking up on me. Warriors are trained to be honorable, Shanna.”
“And what of the ones who fail those lessons?” She frowned at him. “That guy who bound to Alluwn wasn’t honorable when he tried to kill you, right?” The smile died on Berrr’s lips. “No. He had no honor. If it bothers you so much I will have the women cover the windows. What do you suggest that will make you more comfortable here?”
She was instantly impressed with his offer, knowing he didn’t have to give a damn what she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she explained curtain rods and curtains to him.
He listened intently, nodded a few times and squeezed her hand.
“It will be done for you. Is there anything else in the room you would want changed? I want you to be happy.”
“Nope. That’s it.”
He turned away to lead her by the hand to a table by double glass doors that were open in the far corner. The smell of food made her stomach instantly grumble in response. Berrr softly growled as he sat down, yanking a surprised Shanna on his lap where she landed on her ass.
“You went too long without food in your angry rebellion of me.” A frown firmly in place, he reached around her to one of the plates set out and grabbed a meat strip, holding it in front of her mouth. “Eat now.”
The meat smelled similar to bacon and was really good. Shanna’s eyes narrowed though as she locked gazes with Berrr. “I’m going to eat but what would you do to me if I refused?”
Black eyebrows arched. “You want to test me on purpose, Shanna?” Opening her mouth, she took a bite and shrugged her shoulders. The food was delicious and it not only smelled equal to thick bacon, but tasted like it too, which she loved. Chewing it down, she never looked away from him. She reached up to take it from him but he jerked his hand back to keep hold of the meat between his finger and thumb. He slowly brought it back to her mouth, obviously intent on hand feeding her.
“I’m curious. We couldn’t exactly date and get to know each other so I am trying to get to know you. What would you do if I refused to eat?” A confused expression had his lips turning slightly downward. “What is dating? Is it some strange alien mating ritual that is made to drive both sexes crazy?” A laugh burst from Shanna. “You have no idea how close to accurate that is. It’s where a man and woman go out to see entertainment events and have meals together to just talk and get to know each other before they get to the sexual relationship parts.” The disgusted face he made had Shanna laughing again. He smiled at her though and she opened her mouth, taking another bite. He reached around her with his other hand to pick up a piece of fruit to feed her next.
