Page 60 of Vindicated

He shrugged one shoulder before I could speak. "He was going to kill her because she wears your marks, Raas.” A pause, and something harder flickered across his face. “And he insulted all women who take our mating marks. He deserved his death.”

My throat was so thick I could barely speak. “Thank you, brother.”

He tipped his head in acknowledgement, and something in his stiff posture eased. "She is one of us now.”

I turned back to Athena and lifted my good hand to trace the black swirls spreading across her collarbone. It was impossible to stifle the possessive growl that vibrated low in my chest. “Do you know what these mean?"

She placed her hand over mine against her skin. “I know they feel right.”

"They are mating marks," I told her. "They mark a Vandar's true bond to another. It is rare for one who is not Vandar to bear them, but you would not be the first human to get them.” I brushed my thumb along the curling lines. "It means you are mine, Athena. As I am yours."

"I think I knew that already." Her voice wavered, but she held my gaze without flinching. "I was just too frightened to admit it."

"You do not have to give up anything for this," I told her as something settled in my mind. "Not your friends. Not your acting."

Dawz and Zarn exchanged a glance I caught from the corner of my eye, and I straightened, my mind made up. "The planet I think will best suit you and your friends requires some security presence to ensure the Zagrath do not find it." I looked betweenmymajakand battle chief. "I will take a squad of Vandar to secure the planet before returning to command. I am leaving the horde with the two of you for the time being. Dawz, you will serve as mymajakno longer. You will be Raas in my stead, with my brother as yourmajak.”

Dawz eyed Zarn. “It seems we will need to find a new battle chief, unless you wish to be all things.”

“I do enjoy myoblek.” Zarn rocked back on his heels. “Maybe we will need to find a newmajak.”

Lettie held up her hands as she walked forward. “Does this mean Athena's staying with us?"

"Both of us will be," I said, looking to Athena for a reaction.

Athena laughed through the last of her tears, then rose onto her toes and kissed me.

"Normally," I said, when she'd settled back onto her heels, "I would ask you to be my Raisa. But if I am no longer Raas?—"

"Once a Raas, always a Raas," Zarn interrupted, stepping forward and snapping his heels together in a crisp salute, first to me, then to her. "Raisa."

Athena grinned at him, any hostility between the two clearly gone. Then she patted my chest. “And you’ll be Raas as soon as we return to the horde.”

“We?” My breath stuttered in my chest. “You wish to join the horde?”

“It’s where you belong, which means it’s where I belong. As long as I can visit my friends regularly and do the occasional guest performance.” Athena’s paused and then held up a hand. “Wait, did you just ask me to marry you?”

Had I? I realized, with a startled laugh, that I had. “I suppose I did, but that is not how I intended to ask you.”

“No?” She tilted her head at me and scrunched her lips to one side in obvious amusement.

I took both of her hands in mine and squeezed them. “Athena, will you be my Raisa? Will you be my wife?”

Her smile widened. “Yes, Lorken. I will happily be your Raisa.”

As I swept her into an embrace, her friends cheered, and even my raiders who were gathered stomped their boots for us. As someone who was now deeply in love, it was almost hard to believe that I’d never expected to take a Raisa and had approached marriage with deep suspicion for most of my life.

When she pulled back, I cupped her face in one hand. “I love you, Athena.” I needed her to know that, and I needed to say it. It was more than lust or even desire. It was true and real, proven by our mating marks. Instead of feeling like an obligation or a shackle, telling her I loved her made me feel lighter and happier than I’d ever been.

Her smile was tender and amused. “I love you too, Lorken. Even if you’re a cocky prick sometimes.” Then she took a step back and pulled me by my hand. “Come on. It's time we got you back to your quarters so I can tend that wound."

I tugged her back and lowered my lips to her ear. “Remember that the water in my pool does have healing properties.”

“We’ll see you all later,” she said with a wave to everyone. Then she wagged a finger at me as we hurried from the hangar bay. “And you had better behave, Raas. You are still injured.”

We would see about behaving.

Epilogue