It only took Vegeta a moment to act when he saw Bulma bolt away once again. Quickly he pushed himself up and launched himself after her using super speed. When he found himself on her heels he lunged forward tackling her to the ground. Vegeta then moved swiftly and straddled her hips pinning her down.
"So I caught you at last little one" Vegeta said smugly. "I must say you were more of a challenge than I thought you'd be."
Just catching her breath, from having the wind knocked out of her, Bulma tried to push herself up but discovered she was pinned down. "Do you have to be so rough baka?" she demanded spitting the soil that she had unwittingly gathered in her mouth. "How dare you treat me like this!" she chastised him. "Let me go now!"
"You can complain and struggle all that you want," Vegeta said from his perch on her backside reaching out and grabbing hold of her blouse "but I'm not letting you get away again."
"Ahh!" Bulma cried in shock as she felt her blouse being ripped open on her back. "What do you think you're doing!" she protested as she felt her bra receiving similar treatment. "Those were expensive baka yaro!" she yelled continuing her tirade against this ignominious treatment as the remains of her skirt went the way of her other articles of clothing.
Vegeta smiled to himself as he listened to her ranting. "She is still putting up a fight although she already has been subdued just as a saiyajin would" he mused with pleasure.
"You have enough money to buy new clothes," he told her letting his hands rest on her back beginning to trace the ridge of her spine "besides they were already damaged."
"That's not the point" Bulma said a little distracted by the feel of his warm hands caressing her back. "You have no right to destroy my property like that," she continued a little less insistent as his hands continued their sensuous journey.
Vegeta smiled as he leaned over Bulma feeling her shiver in response to his hot breathe on her neck. He then leaned in and sunk his teeth into the base of her neck just enough to break the skin and purred deep in his throat as the sweet taste of her blood reached his tongue.
Bulma gasped as she felt the sharp pain at the base of her neck. Suddenly the pain seemed to melt away being replaced by warmth, which seemed to invade her every muscle. High on this strange sensation she wondered what Vegeta could be doing to cause it and cocked her head slightly towards him. What she saw shocked her from the euphoric feeling. "You're biting me!" she cried indignantly. She felt him withdraw his teeth from her neck and she twisted it around so that she could see his face. "Why in the hell did you bite me?" she questioned him in fury.
"To show everyone that you belong to me now," he said licking away the blood oozing from her wound.
"That's disgusting!" Bulma exclaimed in response to feeling his tongue brush over the tender wound. "Just when I thought that you couldn't be more barbaric!"
Vegeta cocked his head and nipped at her ear and whispered seductively "You taste good." Still feeling the tension in her muscles he nibbled at her ear once again and then gently kissed her neck allowing his hands to languidly wander over the soft skin of her sides. When he felt her relax, trembling beneath him, he was satisfied that she would not attempt to run away and moved off her. He sat patiently and awaited her to rise relishing the idea of seeing her clothed only in one small piece of cloth.
Bulma berated herself for allowing her passions to be aroused by Vegeta's touch so easily. Trying to collect herself she avoided looking at him as she propped herself up. The torn remains of her blouse, skirt and bra slipped off her as she did renewing her anger. She looked to her side, where the saiyajin prince now sat, and upon seeing him lustfully gazing at her exposed chest she drew her arms up around herself. "Hentai!" she hissed at him angrily.
Vegeta laughed, licking his lips for good measure, as he met her gaze straight on. "You humans place far too much on your ideas of modesty. You shouldn't be ashamed of your body. I'm not ashamed of mine." With that he stood up and allowed his trousers to fall leaving himself entirely in the nude. He stood still for a moment allowing Bulma to gape at him in all his natural glory.
Bulma was in shock. Never in her life would she have expected him to suddenly and inexplicably strip naked. As the surprise began to ware off she soon found herself entranced by the sight before her as he stood tall and proud as if ready for a military inspection. The faint starlight hit the beading sweat on his skin highlighting every well-defined muscle on his body while at the same time making him appear to shimmer in an almost supernatural way. She soon found her eyes beginning to rove over each and every detail with the gusto that a gourmet savors every bite of a meal. Then just as suddenly as he had dropped his only piece of clothing he turned his back to her and sat down with his back to her.
Vegeta relished the surprise that registered on Bulma's face as he had abruptly turned around. He loved teasing her and baiting her and he wasn't exactly sure why. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to claim this little human as his mate and she hadn't disappointed him so far. He knew that doubtless she wouldn't just meekly obey his directions now so the ritual could be completed. This was as much a game of wills and seduction as it was a ritual. "Now it's your turn," he commented absently over his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" Bulma asked in confusion still staring at his back.
"You must bite me and mark me now" Vegeta answered matter-of-factly without turning around.
"You can't be serious" Bulma commented incredulously.
"You must bite me now to complete this part of the ritual," he answered a little more firm.
"There is no way on Kami's green earth that I'm going to bite you" Bulma protested indignantly.
"Woman!" Vegeta snapped continuing to face the other direction "Would you just bite me so we can move on!"
"I refuse to!" Bulma answered.
"If you refuse to mark me then you are refusing to accept me as your mate" Vegeta informed her with a touch of annoyance in his voice.
"Good" Bulma spat "I think that this was a mistake. I thought this ritual would be something special but instead it's nothing but a demeaning, perverted game designed to give the male ego a boost."
Vegeta felt a slight pain in his chest at the thought of her rejection of him and then anger that she would come this far and refuse him. He spun around to face her and grabbed her wrist arresting her attention. "You have no right to insult saiyajin tradition," he snapped. "You only say that because you are a weak human!"
"Why shouldn't I insult your tradition?" she questioned. "You insulted human tradition calling it a stupid human ceremony!"
"You call parading around in ridiculous clothing, saying sentimental vows and tossing around flowers a tradition!" he snapped back. "I would never do something so humiliating!"
"At least it's more dignified than having a baka throw you around and rip off your clothes like you were some kind of animal! That's humiliating!" she answered angrily. "You may not think that a woman deserves respect but I do and I refuse to be treated like this!"
Vegeta at once understood her anger was genuine and not out of stubbornness. She was alien and didn't understand the ritual. There was still anger in his heart but it was tempered by this knowledge and consoled by the thought that he had a chance to still win her over if he could get past this hurdle. He couldn't believe the lengths he was unhesitatingly willing to go to take this baka female as his mate. Taking a deep breath the Prince of Vegetasei prepared to do what he never done in his entire life, explain his actions.
"You do not understand the purpose of the hunt," Vegeta said calmly trying not to sound too abrasive. "There were few females on Vegetasei and because of that fact they were not to accept any male as their mate who was not worthy of them. The hunt was for the male to prove that he was either a more skilled or equally skilled hunter than she was. He must catch her and overpower her to prove that he is stronger than her. Only if he can prove these things would she accept him." He released her wrist and pointed to her neck before continuing his explanation. "As for the bite mark that you find so repulsive it too has a purpose. I told you that saiyajin mate for life. A pairing was permanent so in order to signify this an indelible mark was made for all to see. You humans put on rings that can be removed on a whim to signify this. How can that properly signify a life-long, unbreakable union?"
Bulma looked into his eyes as he spoke. They were filled with an earnestness that she had never seen there before. His explanations made her feel that the traditions, which she had long held dear, were indeed foolish. "I'm sorry" Bulma said apologetically. "I was wrong in assuming that your traditions had no meaning to them and I think that the meaning that they have is dignified in its own way." Bulma offered timid smile and added "I'm honored that you asked me to share in it with you."
"Then you will continue the ritual?" he asked with a satisfied smirk feeling the relief at knowing that he had not been rejected.
"Yes" Bulma answered "I'll bite you but I'll have you know that I still find it absolutely repulsive." She watched as he purposefully turned around and waited impatiently. After scooting closer to him she leaned in and placed her mouth at the base of his neck. "I can't believe that I'm doing this," she thought taking a deep breath before she bit down. To her surprise he sighed and relaxed at the feel of her teeth sinking into his flesh. Her mouth then filled with the rich, almost palatable, taste of blood mixed with sweat making her noxious. She quickly withdrew and spat the sickeningly sweet mixture on to the ground and gagged.
Vegeta turned around and silently observed her as she coughed. One of his trademark smirks crossed his lips, but not because of feeling contempt or superiority, but because of the knowledge that she had willingly put herself through discomfort to become his mate. She had surprised him that night during the course of the ritual proving herself to be cunning, agile and still at other times vulnerable. Now there was only one thing left to complete the ritual, the mating, and he was going to make sure that she thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Vegeta tentatively reached out and touched her hair, which had long fascinated him, and was surprised to find how soft and silky it felt. Bulma looked up at him as she felt his touch and found herself looking into his bottomless obsidian eyes. Their eyes locked as he stroked her hair again with surprising gentleness and they instantly felt the connection as they lost themselves in each others searching gaze.
Slowly Vegeta reached up with his other hand and traced the line of her jaw with his thumb before grasping her chin in his hand. Vegeta tilted her head towards his with little resistance and leaned forward to press his mouth to hers. At first Vegeta merely brushed his lips with hers and then he kissed her lightly and quickly. Again and again he kissed her allowing the kiss to linger just a little longer each time. When, at last, he felt her begin to respond he released his grip on her chin. He traced the contour of neck with his finger, as the kisses grew more insistent. Lightly gripping her shoulder with one hand he reached around her waist with his other hand and pulled her onto his lap.
Bulma gasped as she found herself on Vegeta's lap. Things had happened so fast she wasn't exactly sure how she had gotten there. In fact everything that day had happened so fast it made her head spin which might account for the fact that only now did she begin to listen the voice that had been present the whole time at the back of her head. This voice told her that Vegeta was a bloodthirsty killer who probably still wanted to kill her best friend and rule the universe. She wanted to believe that he had changed and wouldn't break her heart by executing that scheme for universal domination but it still was there. She had ignored this doubt and fear during the encounter in the gravity room; during this crazy alien right and now that they had almost reached the point of no return this fear suddenly surfaced. To go forward now would mean linking her soul forever to his. She wanted that desperately but at the same time also she feared it. A sigh escaped her lips as she felt his hands sensuously slide down her back and for a moment the only thought in her head was her amazement that his hands were smooth unlike the typically calloused hands of most fighters. Suddenly, the reason came to her, the white gloves he almost unfailing wore while training and fighting. Bulma felt her pulse begin to rise as she closed her eyes and took in the sensation that seemed to set fire to her skin and push her farther away from rational thought. Surfacing from her thoughts she realized that her last article of clothing, her underwear, was now gone and he was sliding his hand along the contour of her buttocks and thigh.
Vegeta was somewhat disappointed that her reluctance still had not completely melted away. He longed to feel her touch him the way he had been touching her and yet he still felt her holding back from responding to him completely. He had to draw her out further and the challenge excited him and yet made him nervous at the same time. If he was to claim her he had to win her over completely until she offered herself willingly. He knew that if he just took her, counting on lust to spur her on, she would feel unfulfilled and perhaps even resent him. He wanted to please her and that somehow this was helping him to keep the hormonal urges now coursing through his veins in check. Until he broke down the barrier that kept him from unleashing her passion he had no desire to go further. The battle that he was now raging with between these emotions and his instincts was almost more than he could bear and he halted his amorous displays.
All at once the amazing sensation of his exploring touch stopped. She opened her eyes and found him staring intently into her eyes. His piercing obsidian gaze seemed to be searching into her soul. His eyes, those bottomless black orbs, that seemed to be the only window into his inner being, were searching hers for something. She was transfixed by the intensity she suddenly noticed in them. She had studied his eyes before but had never noticed a fire in them like that which burned in them now. For the first time, she realized that at this moment he no longer had his barrier up to keep her from seeing into his deep-seated inner emotions. He was no longer locking away his tortured desire for her and resenting its release but he was barely containing his passion. His eyes seemed to beg and plead for her to answer his passion with hers so that he would not have to hold back. All at once she was aware of how he seemed to tremble from expectation waiting for her to either reject or accept him. The realization that Vegeta was not merely wanting to have sex to sate some inner urge but that he was giving his prideful soul over into her hands. With this act of taking her as his mate he was offering himself to her as much as he was burning to claim her as his. Her heart cried out to accept what he offered. His lips were inches from hers and Bulma felt the need to taste them again growing each time she felt his hot breath on her face. She looked deeper into his eyes and could see his awareness of her growing frustration and realized he was teasing her, taunting her, to be the aggressor and yet begging her to give in to the sexual tension she now felt between them.
Vegeta waited with baited breath as he drowned in the turbulent emotions that tossed in the azure ocean with in her eyes. Her hand reached up and tentatively touched his cheek and she sifted in his arms so that as she leaned closer into him. Then she kissed him slowly entangling her hand in his ebony mane drawing his head closer to hers. His lips parted to allow her tongue to enter his mouth and when he felt it brush his own he lost all inhibition. He deepened the kiss probing her mouth with his own tongue and pressed her upper body to his aggressively. When the kiss ended he tugged on her lower lip with his teeth as his hands darted up to fondle her ample cleavage. He was pleased as she too became more aggressive her wandering hands and well-placed kisses further arousing him. She moaned with pleasure as he nipped at her neck slowly lowering her down beneath him. His body was aching to make her his but somehow he knew that that alone would not satisfy him. Instinctively he reached out his mind for hers in a gesture that he never thought he would seek.
Bulma felt a strange sensation in her mind. A consciousness, other than her own, seemed to be whispering to her in a soft familiar voice. "Let go" it said seductively, "join with me". It was enticing but strange and yet she didn't fear it. Although she didn't understand what was occurring she allowed her mental barriers to fall away and was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of emotions and thoughts. There was lust, passion, and desire but above all there was a joyous love that enveloped her senses. The thoughts and emotions surged ahead deeper into her consciousness seeking to know everything about her and she gladly surrendered. She too sought to know it and dove deeper toward that consciousness until she could almost touch it. She then became aware of fear and just as suddenly as it had entered her mind it left. Her eyes darted open and she found herself looking up into Vegeta's face. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. At this point she became aware that her breathing matched his own and not just in intensity but in cadence as well. She knew he was upset, she didn't just assume it but she felt it as strongly as she now felt her own confusion. She wasn't sure how she could feel it but she knew that she did. She wanted to calm him and slowly began rubbing his low back in small circles.
Vegeta could feel her concern and confusion through the emotional link and ventured to look into her face. Her beautiful full lips were curved into a smile and her eyes were alight with the glow of tenderness. Her cheeks were flushed with the after effects of their fevered petting, nipping and kissing. She seemed like some kind of ethereal goddess bathed only in the soft glow of the stars. He could feel her soft and fragile body beneath him that seemed to inspire protectiveness in him that he never reserved for another living creature. He felt a stirring in chest of that same madness that seemed to strike him whenever he was near her. The madness that drove him to want to possess her at all costs and never let another man touch her. The madness that against all rational thought made him want to move heaven and earth, damn saiyajin purity and questioned his view of the universe just to win her a keep her; the madness that humans called love.
As Bulma watched him she suddenly got a strong feeling that Vegeta's mood and her confusing ability to feel his emotions were somehow linked. "Vegeta, what just happened?" Bulma asked him.
The peaceful feeling that Vegeta was feeling was swept from his soul with her words. He could barely believe that he had done what he had. It was extremely rare to bond with a mate, especially among the ranks of the elites and nobility. It wasn't necessary to bond with a mate and yet it had felt like it was a necessity to him, as if he would miss claiming a piece of her if he didn't create the connection. He had surrendered to the urge telling himself he could control and stop it at any point he wished. His instinct to complete the bond however had almost taken over. He had almost gone too far and established a mental link as well as an emotional one and he began to wonder if he should have bonded with her at all. Vegeta wanted to explain to her and yet he didn't. If he told her about the bond then he would have to explain why he could not complete it. He didn't want her to know of his life before his coming to earth because he knew she would never understand and it would drive a wedge between them. He couldn't stand the thought of her hating him and pronouncing judgment upon him for an existence that he even now had begun to doubt had any value. He didn't want that. "It is just a part of the ritual" he said, "it is normal and it will pass."
Bulma could sense that there was more to it than what he was telling her but she felt his fear, pain and discomfort and thought it best to leave it be. She nuzzled his shoulder in an effort to sooth him and brought her lips up to caress his cheek. She felt him begin to relax as she kissed his neck and continued her attentions to his back. Her hand slid down lower until it came in contact with a furry nub. As her fingers brush it she felt Vegeta's body tremble and the rush of pleasure it gave him. She stroked its soft texture and realized that it must be the stump left from where his tail used to be. She was startled as a deep rumble seemed to emanate from Vegeta's throat and felt contentment began to wash over his soul. She smiled and kissed hip lips softly and he answered taking the end of her nose between his teeth.
"You have a thing about nipping and biting don't you?" Bulma asked with a giggle boldly beginning to knead what was left of his tail between he fingers.
Vegeta smiled wickedly at the woman beneath him as her attentions to his tail stump sent shudders of pleasure up his spine. "You're playing with fire woman" he remarked as sent another arousing shiver up the length of his body.
"That's what makes it so exciting" she said with an impish grin.
He shifted his weight pressing the full length of his body to hers and left a trail of kisses up her neck pausing to run his tongue over the mark he left there. A moan escaped his lips as she pinched the stub while nibbling on his ear sending a shudder of pleasure through both of them. Their expressions of affection intensified as the shared sensations they produced further excited them. At last Vegeta could bare it no longer and he claimed her body as well as her soul. At that moment the world ceased to exist for the two lovers as they only became aware of their each other's passions while they intermingled and entwined with their own. The world caught fire and ascended into the heights of pleasure as their souls experienced the purist sense of being one. They were one in mind, one in body, one in spirit and one in passion. Thus they claimed each other that night consummating the ritual of passion.
The End