Without telling the other, Tyr and Beka took a moment to contemplate the
possibility of sharing the experience three times.
Beka was not ready to consider breaking the First Father's record. That was too much like taking Tyr's worthiness as a Husband and Father seriously She was tempted to let him play the role of lover, however. What did the unmarried Kodiak do when his tightly wrapped sensuality broke free?
Tyr had decided to never again become a Husband or Father, although he had told no one of his intent. He determined that his considerable interest in women would be channeled into the care and raising of the one son that his drive to procreate had provided. Beka's vibrant sexuality - she could not suppress it anymore than she could voluntarily stop her heart from beating - had tested his resolve to remain celibate. Did a physical relationship with a female have to result in marriage and fatherhood? Heresy - very tempting heresy in the lithe form of Captain Valentine.
The stamping of feet and barking of orders in the hall brought the couple back to reality. They had to eradicate the threat to Tyr's legacy.
"You said that you had some options?" Tyr admired Beka's ability to refocus quickly.
"Option One: We admit this mission failed. You return to your life. And I find another way to identify the traitor. Hodur was a tool, just as you predicted."
Beka slipped off his lap to put some distance between them. They needed cool heads. Whenever they shared their social space, they let their guard down. Until Tyr knew whom of his Pride he could trust, they would have to set aside the electricity between them that kept their blood boiling.
"Tyr, the note is genuine. That note was stolen from my desk yesterday, just as I told you it had been." She suppressed the instinct to touch him. "We could use it to flush out the bad guy."
"That option would require disclosing that my leadership is threatened. You would be implicated. When we find the guilty one, you would be vindicated, but your reputation would be sullied. My people would never trust you."
"What does that matter?" She was touched by his concern for her reputation, but was puzzled by his reluctance.
"Beka, you are my closest friend. Tamerlane loves you. I value your counsel." He did not hesitate to stretch his hand out to her in a gesture of friendship. "I want you to be welcomed here with respect and affection by my family and Pride."
She had put her hand in his. He reeled her in, spreading his legs so that she stood between his thighs. He rested his head on her abdomen. The silence weighed down on them.
"Can you afford to admit that you couldn't perform?" Beka stepped back so that he would raise his head to look at her.
"My virility won't be questioned. I have Tamerlane as proof of it." He sighed. "There will be talk of my inability to hold a wife. We cannot disclose that our marriage was a ruse, until we have captured the traitor."
Beka kneeled so that she was level with his eyes. She rested her elbows on his knees. "So if we choose option one, I will have to divorce you? What constitutes grounds for divorce?"
"Cruelty, perversion, bankruptcy, sexual incompatibility, inability to conceive." He cupped her right cheek in his hand. "Inability to conceive won't stand up. No one will believe the sexual incompatibility. The heat we generate could warm this palace for a month."
Beka put her hand over the hand that cupped her cheek. "Your power base is too fragile to use bankruptcy as an excuse." She smiled, "You can't afford it!"
He grinned too. "Bad pun, but you are right. That leaves perversion and cruelty."
'Tyr, I will not sully your reputation any more than you will mine. Your people do not deserve an Alpha known for his cruelty and perversion." She grabbed a handle of hair and pulled him to her face. With her lips just brushing his, she whispered, "No divorce." Her tongue caressed his lips with feather light licks.
Slowly she applied pressure. He relented, opening his mouth, granting her access. Soon the room was filled with the sound of wet kisses and heavy breathing. He reached for her, crushing her against his chest. She grabbed handfuls of his hair, holding on as if he were a life raft in a stormy sea. When they finally pulled apart they gulped lung-fulls of air, their chests heaving with the effort.
When her breathing was under control, although the thudding of her heart continued, she recommenced the analysis.
"Option One is not an option. You cannot alert the traitor to your knowledge of him. He will cover his tracks and it may be months before you can uncover some new clues to his identity." She was certain. "Option Two must be rejected, because it too will reveal your knowledge of the traitor."
"There is a third option, but the consequences are far reaching." Tyr let go of her.
"Continue the charade. Give the people who are in opposition to you a false sense of security." Beka put distance between them. "Up side, Tamerlane gets a sibling. Down side, we are committed in some form or fashion to each other for the rest of our lives."
"We have never spoken of your interest in motherhood." Tyr had assumed the role held no interest for her.
"I am not opposed to motherhood. I doubt that I am capable of it." She backed away to avoid the contempt she expected to see in his eyes. "Trance told me when she removed the inhibitor that if I wanted to have children, I should not delay much longer. She said that if I put another inhibitor in at the end of this mission, I may never have children."
"I have a child so special that I feel no need to create more." Tyr confessed. "I promised myself that I would never marry or father other children to ensure that he survived to take his rightful place amongst his people."
"Tamerlane is a special kid, all right, but why deny him siblings."
Tyr put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Beka had seldom seen him in such a posture of dejection. He was hiding something from her. The revelation that he was planning to forgo marriage and additional children shocked her into silence.
"The Genites were right. Tamerlane is the genetic reincarnation of Drago Museveni. His destiny is inescapable. He will reunite the Neitzschean peoples."
Beka sat beside him on the bed, one arm across his shoulders, her mouth pressed against his ear to whisper, "Who knows this?"
"Dylan, you, and the matriarch." Tyr pushed his head against her mouth. "Tamerlane doesn't even know."
"Are you sure, she isn't behind the attack on your leadership?" Beka continued to whisper in his ear.
"The only thing of which I am certain is that she would never harm my son." Tyr sighed.
"So much makes sense that didn't before." Beka walked to the fireplace to place another log on the glowing embers. It was going to be a long sleepless night.
Beka was not ready to consider breaking the First Father's record. That was too much like taking Tyr's worthiness as a Husband and Father seriously She was tempted to let him play the role of lover, however. What did the unmarried Kodiak do when his tightly wrapped sensuality broke free?
Tyr had decided to never again become a Husband or Father, although he had told no one of his intent. He determined that his considerable interest in women would be channeled into the care and raising of the one son that his drive to procreate had provided. Beka's vibrant sexuality - she could not suppress it anymore than she could voluntarily stop her heart from beating - had tested his resolve to remain celibate. Did a physical relationship with a female have to result in marriage and fatherhood? Heresy - very tempting heresy in the lithe form of Captain Valentine.
The stamping of feet and barking of orders in the hall brought the couple back to reality. They had to eradicate the threat to Tyr's legacy.
"You said that you had some options?" Tyr admired Beka's ability to refocus quickly.
"Option One: We admit this mission failed. You return to your life. And I find another way to identify the traitor. Hodur was a tool, just as you predicted."
Beka slipped off his lap to put some distance between them. They needed cool heads. Whenever they shared their social space, they let their guard down. Until Tyr knew whom of his Pride he could trust, they would have to set aside the electricity between them that kept their blood boiling.
"Tyr, the note is genuine. That note was stolen from my desk yesterday, just as I told you it had been." She suppressed the instinct to touch him. "We could use it to flush out the bad guy."
"That option would require disclosing that my leadership is threatened. You would be implicated. When we find the guilty one, you would be vindicated, but your reputation would be sullied. My people would never trust you."
"What does that matter?" She was touched by his concern for her reputation, but was puzzled by his reluctance.
"Beka, you are my closest friend. Tamerlane loves you. I value your counsel." He did not hesitate to stretch his hand out to her in a gesture of friendship. "I want you to be welcomed here with respect and affection by my family and Pride."
She had put her hand in his. He reeled her in, spreading his legs so that she stood between his thighs. He rested his head on her abdomen. The silence weighed down on them.
"Can you afford to admit that you couldn't perform?" Beka stepped back so that he would raise his head to look at her.
"My virility won't be questioned. I have Tamerlane as proof of it." He sighed. "There will be talk of my inability to hold a wife. We cannot disclose that our marriage was a ruse, until we have captured the traitor."
Beka kneeled so that she was level with his eyes. She rested her elbows on his knees. "So if we choose option one, I will have to divorce you? What constitutes grounds for divorce?"
"Cruelty, perversion, bankruptcy, sexual incompatibility, inability to conceive." He cupped her right cheek in his hand. "Inability to conceive won't stand up. No one will believe the sexual incompatibility. The heat we generate could warm this palace for a month."
Beka put her hand over the hand that cupped her cheek. "Your power base is too fragile to use bankruptcy as an excuse." She smiled, "You can't afford it!"
He grinned too. "Bad pun, but you are right. That leaves perversion and cruelty."
'Tyr, I will not sully your reputation any more than you will mine. Your people do not deserve an Alpha known for his cruelty and perversion." She grabbed a handle of hair and pulled him to her face. With her lips just brushing his, she whispered, "No divorce." Her tongue caressed his lips with feather light licks.
Slowly she applied pressure. He relented, opening his mouth, granting her access. Soon the room was filled with the sound of wet kisses and heavy breathing. He reached for her, crushing her against his chest. She grabbed handfuls of his hair, holding on as if he were a life raft in a stormy sea. When they finally pulled apart they gulped lung-fulls of air, their chests heaving with the effort.
When her breathing was under control, although the thudding of her heart continued, she recommenced the analysis.
"Option One is not an option. You cannot alert the traitor to your knowledge of him. He will cover his tracks and it may be months before you can uncover some new clues to his identity." She was certain. "Option Two must be rejected, because it too will reveal your knowledge of the traitor."
"There is a third option, but the consequences are far reaching." Tyr let go of her.
"Continue the charade. Give the people who are in opposition to you a false sense of security." Beka put distance between them. "Up side, Tamerlane gets a sibling. Down side, we are committed in some form or fashion to each other for the rest of our lives."
"We have never spoken of your interest in motherhood." Tyr had assumed the role held no interest for her.
"I am not opposed to motherhood. I doubt that I am capable of it." She backed away to avoid the contempt she expected to see in his eyes. "Trance told me when she removed the inhibitor that if I wanted to have children, I should not delay much longer. She said that if I put another inhibitor in at the end of this mission, I may never have children."
"I have a child so special that I feel no need to create more." Tyr confessed. "I promised myself that I would never marry or father other children to ensure that he survived to take his rightful place amongst his people."
"Tamerlane is a special kid, all right, but why deny him siblings."
Tyr put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Beka had seldom seen him in such a posture of dejection. He was hiding something from her. The revelation that he was planning to forgo marriage and additional children shocked her into silence.
"The Genites were right. Tamerlane is the genetic reincarnation of Drago Museveni. His destiny is inescapable. He will reunite the Neitzschean peoples."
Beka sat beside him on the bed, one arm across his shoulders, her mouth pressed against his ear to whisper, "Who knows this?"
"Dylan, you, and the matriarch." Tyr pushed his head against her mouth. "Tamerlane doesn't even know."
"Are you sure, she isn't behind the attack on your leadership?" Beka continued to whisper in his ear.
"The only thing of which I am certain is that she would never harm my son." Tyr sighed.
"So much makes sense that didn't before." Beka walked to the fireplace to place another log on the glowing embers. It was going to be a long sleepless night.