Chapter 19
Lareth was speechless. While he was grateful that the Mating Urge had not
been for Katelyn Wingate, he was dumstruck that Ipthar would choose someone
like L'Tisha for him. Was he destined to be dominated by her forever?
*L'Tisha, I....* He tried to touch her mind, but found it closed off to
him...and he knew why....
L'Tisha was--for the lack of a better word--in hell. Before she had even
reached the age of awareness, she had wanted Lazarus for her Mate. And now
it seemed she was destined to be bonded to his younger brother instead! She
felt the nudging in her mind, and knew that Lareth was trying to initiate
the mind bond, but she resisted. She was not ready to communicate with him
that way just yet. Instead, she vocally spoke.
"Why you?"
"I do not know--no one does--but we cannot question the wisdom...." Lareth
stopped. He'd started to say "...we cannot question the wisdom of Ipthar."
However, the realization hit: He and his father had done just that, by
opposing the Bonding of Lazarus and Tawney. *That's different: She's Human.
The Bond cannot be allowed!*, he tried to rationalize. Seeing an accusing
look in his Chosen Mate's eyes, Lareth lowered his.
Turning her back to Lareth, L'Tisha moaned. "This is so unfair."
"Why?" Lareth ask.
Turning slightly, L'Tisha threw Lareth a glance that clearly said "You
moron."
Suddenly, he remembered: All those times L'Tisha had chased him and Lethe
off, as children, she'd ended up alone with Lazarus. HE was the one she'd
hoped to be Mated with. "L'Tisha, I am sorry you are disappointed...but I
truly want us to have a Union such as my parents had: One filled with joy.
It will be hard....."
"HARD!?!" L'Tisha spun to face Lareth. "You have NO idea how hard this will
be!!"
Stalking past Lareth, L'Tisha continued on her tirade. "I despised you when
we were younger. Both you and your sister, always thinking you were better
than me." L'Tisha turned to see the shocked look in Lareth's eyes. "Oh yes,
I despised you then, and I still despise you now. Lazarus was the only one
even tried to be civil to me. And I just knew that he was the one I was to
be bonded with."
"Sometimes I think he did that out of pity for us", Lareth ventured. He
wanted to "tell" her something through a mental bond; however, seeing that
she was not ready, Lareth settled for lowering his voice. "Father and I do
not approve of my brother's so-called 'mate', and we are considering our
options", he confessed.
L'Tisha's eyes took on an evil glint upon hearing this. "You and your father
are....interfering with the decree of Ipthar?" It was unthinkable and
blasphemous, but at the same time, L'Tisha could not contain her hope that
maybe there was still a chance for her to be bonded to Lazarus.
Lareth hated to do it, but he had to: "If--and it's a long shot--we are
sucessful in breaking this Bond, Lazarus will not be able to take another
Lifemate...just as my father cannot."
L'Tisha's face crumpled in despair. Oh, why had she not thought of that?! Of
*course* Lazarus would not be able to take another Lifemate. He would
forever mourn the loss of his Human.
But wait.
"Surely, as being an Earthling, Ipthar would not deny Lazarus the chance to
be happy with a Mate of his own species should something happen to the
Human?" She questioned.
Just then, L'Tisha turned, and something about her profile struck a chord in
Lareth...or was it the oils of the crushed roots she'd added to her bath. A
change in the wind carried the resulting pheromene to Lareth. Suddenly, he
was seeing L'Tisha in a new light...and he knew--he KNEW--that Ipthar's
"choice" for him had been right. "And what about me...?"
Startled by the question, L'Tisha looked up at Lareth--her eyes meeting
his--and was shocked to see the sudden desire that lay therein. Feeling a
strange sensation beginning in her stomach, L'Tisha was suddenly frightened.
"I-It is late." She stuttered. "I believe it b-b-best we return to our huts
now." Not waiting for a reply, L'Tisha hastened to leave.
As he turned to follow his newly-discovered Lifemate-To-Be, Lareth realized:
*It will be as it should between us, L'Tisha...and we will make each other
very happy.*
*~*~*~*~*~*
*We have much to discuss, old friend*, Luchien "told" the visiting Elder.
*We must prepare a PROPER Bonding Ceremony.*
*In regards to whom, Luchien?* L'Tisha's father inquired. *Do you speak of
my daughter to your youngest son, or your daughter to the visiting Human?*
*I beg your pardon?!* Had Luchien been so happy for Lareth--who'd seemed
destined for a life with a "proper" mate, that he'd overlooked something.
Terror gripped his heart: It was disgraceful enough that Lazarus had taken a
Human mate...but LETHE as well...??
Smirking, T'Heseen inclined his head, so that he could look Luchien--being a
few inches taller than he--in the eye. "You mean you did not feel it? The
extra tension in that hut was stifling."
"Do you mean between Commander Taggart, and his Ensign?" Luchien asked,
hopefully.
"Er, no Luchien, I did not." Came the reply.
"Then surely not...By Grabthar's hammer...NO!!!" Luchien turned, and bolted
back to Lareth's hut. Surely Ipthar would not be so cruel as to inflict TWO
Humans upon him!!
He never heard T'Heseen's laughter, which rang through the night.....
*~*~*~*~*~*
*Now I *know* I've never been this clumsy in front of a girl before, so what
the *hell* is going on here!* Laredo thought as he once again bumped into
the chair sitting beside where he stood at the table.
*This can't be what I THINK it is...can it...?* Lethe wondered.
Laredo chanced a glance in Lethe's direction, only to find her already
looking his way. Their eyes locked and that damned shiver ran down Laredo's
spine again.
*Shit! This isn't happening.* He thought helplessly.
Finally, it all clicked for him. He had once talked with Lt. Madison when
she had first become bonded to Dr. Lazarus. Mainly because he had been
curious, but now he wished he hadn't been.
Answering Laredo's unspoken question, Lethe gathered her courage, and
stepped over to the Human visitor. *If I'm right, we'll know in a moment*,
she realized. Putting her arms around the startled young man's neck, she
kissed him. Immediately, they were enveloped in a golden glow.....
"Hey Laredo, you and Lethe got that salad rea- Whoa!"
"I don't think so, Peter", an amused Katelyn remarked. She was wondering
about the glow.
Hastily, the kissing couple leapt apart, causing the Bonding Aura to die
out.
"Commander, I-I can ex-explain...", Lethe began. *To you, anyway...but to
Father...?*
Laredo's eyes were wide with shock and he was unable to utter an
explanation. *I'm dead. I am *so* dead*, was the only thought in his mind at
this point.
"Uh...will somebody say something?" a confused Katelyn asked.
By now, Lethe had regained a little bit of her composure...a VERY little
bit. "Well, it, uh, appears that Ipthar has revealed my Lifemate to me", she
said, very quietly.
Laredo's eyes bugged. "Commander! I-I..."
"It's alright, Laredo. No need to get all worked up. Katie and I pretty much
saw this coming." Taggart assured the young helmsman.
"But the glow...?" Katelyn asked. "What does that mean...?" Unlike Laredo,
she had NOT pressed Tawney about her relationship with the Mak'Tar man;
therefore, she was "in the dark" about the significance of the glow.
"That's the Bonding Aura", Lethe explained, clearly embarrassed at her Human
audience. "That's the confirmation we receive from Ipthar, that our Lifemate
has been found."
"So, that will happen each time you...kiss?" a now-amused Katelyn asked.
Knowing what the young Ensign was trying *not* to say, Lethe found her
tension released in laughter. "That, too...", she said.
Although the shock was finally starting to fade, Laredo could not seem to
get his mouth to work. He was sure that if it did, he would be wishing for
the ground to open up and swallow him right about now.
Just then, the sound of running footsteps was heard, causing all four of the
hut's inhabitants to look around as the door was slung open.
*Please, Ipthar, do not let me be too late!* Luchien "begged". One glance at
his daughter's face, however, told him otherwise.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lareth was speechless. While he was grateful that the Mating Urge had not
been for Katelyn Wingate, he was dumstruck that Ipthar would choose someone
like L'Tisha for him. Was he destined to be dominated by her forever?
*L'Tisha, I....* He tried to touch her mind, but found it closed off to
him...and he knew why....
L'Tisha was--for the lack of a better word--in hell. Before she had even
reached the age of awareness, she had wanted Lazarus for her Mate. And now
it seemed she was destined to be bonded to his younger brother instead! She
felt the nudging in her mind, and knew that Lareth was trying to initiate
the mind bond, but she resisted. She was not ready to communicate with him
that way just yet. Instead, she vocally spoke.
"Why you?"
"I do not know--no one does--but we cannot question the wisdom...." Lareth
stopped. He'd started to say "...we cannot question the wisdom of Ipthar."
However, the realization hit: He and his father had done just that, by
opposing the Bonding of Lazarus and Tawney. *That's different: She's Human.
The Bond cannot be allowed!*, he tried to rationalize. Seeing an accusing
look in his Chosen Mate's eyes, Lareth lowered his.
Turning her back to Lareth, L'Tisha moaned. "This is so unfair."
"Why?" Lareth ask.
Turning slightly, L'Tisha threw Lareth a glance that clearly said "You
moron."
Suddenly, he remembered: All those times L'Tisha had chased him and Lethe
off, as children, she'd ended up alone with Lazarus. HE was the one she'd
hoped to be Mated with. "L'Tisha, I am sorry you are disappointed...but I
truly want us to have a Union such as my parents had: One filled with joy.
It will be hard....."
"HARD!?!" L'Tisha spun to face Lareth. "You have NO idea how hard this will
be!!"
Stalking past Lareth, L'Tisha continued on her tirade. "I despised you when
we were younger. Both you and your sister, always thinking you were better
than me." L'Tisha turned to see the shocked look in Lareth's eyes. "Oh yes,
I despised you then, and I still despise you now. Lazarus was the only one
even tried to be civil to me. And I just knew that he was the one I was to
be bonded with."
"Sometimes I think he did that out of pity for us", Lareth ventured. He
wanted to "tell" her something through a mental bond; however, seeing that
she was not ready, Lareth settled for lowering his voice. "Father and I do
not approve of my brother's so-called 'mate', and we are considering our
options", he confessed.
L'Tisha's eyes took on an evil glint upon hearing this. "You and your father
are....interfering with the decree of Ipthar?" It was unthinkable and
blasphemous, but at the same time, L'Tisha could not contain her hope that
maybe there was still a chance for her to be bonded to Lazarus.
Lareth hated to do it, but he had to: "If--and it's a long shot--we are
sucessful in breaking this Bond, Lazarus will not be able to take another
Lifemate...just as my father cannot."
L'Tisha's face crumpled in despair. Oh, why had she not thought of that?! Of
*course* Lazarus would not be able to take another Lifemate. He would
forever mourn the loss of his Human.
But wait.
"Surely, as being an Earthling, Ipthar would not deny Lazarus the chance to
be happy with a Mate of his own species should something happen to the
Human?" She questioned.
Just then, L'Tisha turned, and something about her profile struck a chord in
Lareth...or was it the oils of the crushed roots she'd added to her bath. A
change in the wind carried the resulting pheromene to Lareth. Suddenly, he
was seeing L'Tisha in a new light...and he knew--he KNEW--that Ipthar's
"choice" for him had been right. "And what about me...?"
Startled by the question, L'Tisha looked up at Lareth--her eyes meeting
his--and was shocked to see the sudden desire that lay therein. Feeling a
strange sensation beginning in her stomach, L'Tisha was suddenly frightened.
"I-It is late." She stuttered. "I believe it b-b-best we return to our huts
now." Not waiting for a reply, L'Tisha hastened to leave.
As he turned to follow his newly-discovered Lifemate-To-Be, Lareth realized:
*It will be as it should between us, L'Tisha...and we will make each other
very happy.*
*~*~*~*~*~*
*We have much to discuss, old friend*, Luchien "told" the visiting Elder.
*We must prepare a PROPER Bonding Ceremony.*
*In regards to whom, Luchien?* L'Tisha's father inquired. *Do you speak of
my daughter to your youngest son, or your daughter to the visiting Human?*
*I beg your pardon?!* Had Luchien been so happy for Lareth--who'd seemed
destined for a life with a "proper" mate, that he'd overlooked something.
Terror gripped his heart: It was disgraceful enough that Lazarus had taken a
Human mate...but LETHE as well...??
Smirking, T'Heseen inclined his head, so that he could look Luchien--being a
few inches taller than he--in the eye. "You mean you did not feel it? The
extra tension in that hut was stifling."
"Do you mean between Commander Taggart, and his Ensign?" Luchien asked,
hopefully.
"Er, no Luchien, I did not." Came the reply.
"Then surely not...By Grabthar's hammer...NO!!!" Luchien turned, and bolted
back to Lareth's hut. Surely Ipthar would not be so cruel as to inflict TWO
Humans upon him!!
He never heard T'Heseen's laughter, which rang through the night.....
*~*~*~*~*~*
*Now I *know* I've never been this clumsy in front of a girl before, so what
the *hell* is going on here!* Laredo thought as he once again bumped into
the chair sitting beside where he stood at the table.
*This can't be what I THINK it is...can it...?* Lethe wondered.
Laredo chanced a glance in Lethe's direction, only to find her already
looking his way. Their eyes locked and that damned shiver ran down Laredo's
spine again.
*Shit! This isn't happening.* He thought helplessly.
Finally, it all clicked for him. He had once talked with Lt. Madison when
she had first become bonded to Dr. Lazarus. Mainly because he had been
curious, but now he wished he hadn't been.
Answering Laredo's unspoken question, Lethe gathered her courage, and
stepped over to the Human visitor. *If I'm right, we'll know in a moment*,
she realized. Putting her arms around the startled young man's neck, she
kissed him. Immediately, they were enveloped in a golden glow.....
"Hey Laredo, you and Lethe got that salad rea- Whoa!"
"I don't think so, Peter", an amused Katelyn remarked. She was wondering
about the glow.
Hastily, the kissing couple leapt apart, causing the Bonding Aura to die
out.
"Commander, I-I can ex-explain...", Lethe began. *To you, anyway...but to
Father...?*
Laredo's eyes were wide with shock and he was unable to utter an
explanation. *I'm dead. I am *so* dead*, was the only thought in his mind at
this point.
"Uh...will somebody say something?" a confused Katelyn asked.
By now, Lethe had regained a little bit of her composure...a VERY little
bit. "Well, it, uh, appears that Ipthar has revealed my Lifemate to me", she
said, very quietly.
Laredo's eyes bugged. "Commander! I-I..."
"It's alright, Laredo. No need to get all worked up. Katie and I pretty much
saw this coming." Taggart assured the young helmsman.
"But the glow...?" Katelyn asked. "What does that mean...?" Unlike Laredo,
she had NOT pressed Tawney about her relationship with the Mak'Tar man;
therefore, she was "in the dark" about the significance of the glow.
"That's the Bonding Aura", Lethe explained, clearly embarrassed at her Human
audience. "That's the confirmation we receive from Ipthar, that our Lifemate
has been found."
"So, that will happen each time you...kiss?" a now-amused Katelyn asked.
Knowing what the young Ensign was trying *not* to say, Lethe found her
tension released in laughter. "That, too...", she said.
Although the shock was finally starting to fade, Laredo could not seem to
get his mouth to work. He was sure that if it did, he would be wishing for
the ground to open up and swallow him right about now.
Just then, the sound of running footsteps was heard, causing all four of the
hut's inhabitants to look around as the door was slung open.
*Please, Ipthar, do not let me be too late!* Luchien "begged". One glance at
his daughter's face, however, told him otherwise.
*~*~*~*~*~*