Chapter 2

DEATH’S EMBRACE

Glow had prepared for every moment of her impending marriage except for the most intimate part. The time when she’d fall into Death’s embrace for the sake of her world. She stole a glance at the canopied bed. The diaphanous pink curtains hid the interior soon to be occupied by both herself and her husband.

The gold and ruby wedding necklace draped her throat. She likened it to the link of chains. Never had the desire to shirk her obligations attacked with such fierceness. Could she submit to this man, this alien being, she barely knew?

“You took some time to arrive, Lee Glow.” Death spoke in a deep voice. “I wondered if you wished to end the agreement.”

You’re lucky I came at all. Jutta Drewes had to almost drag her out of the morning suite which had been set aside for Glow to ready herself for tonight. “You don’t keep Death waiting,” Jutta had admonished with a blink of her bright blue eyes. “Not on your wedding night.”

Glow licked her lips, tasting the residue of the single glass of honey wine she’d imbibed on in an attempt to calm her nerves. Jutta had snatched the drink away from her, too. “Nor do you go to your husband, slurring like a common drunk. What male, alien or human, wants an inebriated wife on his wedding night?”

Inhaling a deep breath, Glow answered, “I’d thought about it, yes. But I know my duty.”

“I appreciate your candor. Duty,” Death scoffed. “The shackles of every ruler since the beginning of time.”

The winter moonlight traced its delicate fingers over her alien spouse. Human-looking at first glance. He stood over seven feet tall to her generous six-foot frame. His white night attire accentuated his dark skin. The smooth bald head contrasted with the dark facial hair lining his jaw. He could have been any human male on her planet.

Except for the eyes. The eyes glittered like twinkling stars in a real sense, not allegorical. Preyidan biology contained a form of bioluminescence within their DNA which caused the eyes to showcase this unique trademark. Scientists on both worlds believed this aspect of their genetic makeup permitted Preyidans the ability to see frutyrea, the radiation her people were very much interested in.

It took a moment to get used to the way the Preyidan’s eyes sparkled. But Earthlings were good at adapting. In the tradition of her people, she would adapt to her role as the sacrificial offering on the altar of power and progress. “If the Htarians hadn’t stolen our gold—”

“Let’s not speculate, Lee Glow,” Death interrupted. “We’re here and that is all that matters.”

Glow frowned as a sudden thought intruded. “Are you ready to do this?”

Her husband raised an eyebrow. “Love dance, you mean?”

Despite her self-imposed insistence she refrain from embarrassment, her cheeks burned. Her wedding to the Preyidan ruler had been the social event of the galaxy. Formal invitations had been sent to planetary heads of state three years prior in order for them to book passage on the dark matter strand railways Earth had plotted.

Her planet bulged with tourism as otherworlders arrived to take part in the festivities. The economy received such a boost that poverty became a matter of choice, not circumstance.

Now that the ceremony was over, their consummation was the most anticipated coupling within the Alliance. Once this union conceived a child the interest in this interracial marriage would wane. She had to bank on the resources Preyida promised they could accomplish in order to safeguard Earth’s position as leader of the Alliance.

Making love to Death Haddaway – surely it was a small price to pay in order to stay ahead of the game?

Jutta’s voice echoed in her mind. “He’s more human-like than any of the other races in the Alliance. You could do worse.”

Was it true? Could she do worse? Or was Jutta simply trying to see the best in any situation as Ag’osians were wont to do?

Glow’s gaze slid along the moonlit frame of her husband. Deep set, thick-lashed eyes, a broad flaring nose, and full lips worked together to create a face most women in the galaxy would find attractive.

Her eyes slid down to his open robe. Minute coils of hair spread across the center of his chest. The trail of hair continued down an abdomen sculpted with two columns of muscle. The navel, more of a slit than an oval, rested above his lean waist and hips.

Even by Earth standards, her husband had more than his share of good looks.

Jutta was right. She could have done worse.

“If you have no wish to love dance tonight, I will—”

“No,” Glow interjected, although part of her longed to take up his offer. “My forced virginity ends tonight. How fitting it should be on New Year’s Day.”

“Ah. Your reproductive consultants recommended—”

Her chin dipped down. “Yes, they did.”

Glow hated this timidity about her state of sexual experience. John Turner had selected her to be the next ruler and the future wife of a Preyidan male. Her isolated life from the rest of Earth society afforded her premium care in order to present Preyida with the healthiest female to interbreed.

She never fathomed John had arranged her marriage to the ruler of Preyida. He’d been a sly fox. Cunning, sneaky, and a bear to contend with.

“As long as you’re certain.”

Her husband’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. She rubbed her naked arms. “It doesn’t matter if I am sure or not. If I don’t do this of my own will tonight, in privacy, my reproductive consultant team will have us copulate in a glass room, connected to every monitoring device known to man.”

Death laughed. The deep rumble rolled across her skin like a caress and a slight shiver overtook her. She hadn’t expected that reaction. It made her feel delicious.

His glittering eyes brightened somewhat as a smile lifted his mouth. “Who knew billions of beings would be so interested in our love dance? We could sell entry certificates.”

An unexpected giggle escaped from her throat at his term for ‘tickets’. Glow’s tension eased.

“Did your Preyidan counterparts also encourage you to not partake in love dancing, as you call it?”

The light in his eyes dimmed to mere pinpricks. “Yes, the reproductive council mandated my chastity. However, for Preyidan males, we tend to wait a long time to love dance.”

Glow pursed her lips. “Why?”

For the first time since she’d entered their honeymoon suite, he turned from her. A strange tension lined the bulk of his broad shoulders. “Many men of my world preserve their chastity. Our scholars estimate eighty-nine percent of our entire male population have never love danced.”