Chapter 7
Kaya looked at the gown hanging from the door of her bedroom closet. It was a traditional Centaur joining gown. It resembled a dress that a Greek goddess would wear. Layers of the sheer ivory fabric created a billowy gown, with an empire waist and a long train. The shoulders were gathered with thin golden rope, and the tasseled ends would brushed her waist.
She looked at her moman. “You were so angry.”
Sophie stood in the open doorway. She wore a similar gown, but hers was dyed dark purple. Her hair was curled into fat ringlets, and she wore her crown – a tiara made of golden strands woven around emeralds and sapphires.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for so many things – that I didn’t believe in your dreams, and that I didn’t see how unfair your papan’s decree that you’d marry a Centaur or leave would be. Whether it feels like it or not, we really did want to help you build a good life.”
Kaya let that roll around in her mind for a moment. “I just wish you’d believed me. The tattoos are the symbols for Teck’s and Shy’s names. And the sword on my shoulder blade was because I had a dream where we fought in a battle and I wielded a sword. It was why I asked Papan to teach me.”
Sophie smiled sadly. “You’re not a Centaur, and there aren’t other groups that we’re aware of who dream of their mates. But we didn’t believe you, and I’m sorry for that. I know it doesn’t make up for how alone you must have felt, but I can tell that you and your mates are connected deeply.”
“Will we be allowed to come back to visit?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“Because there are two mates for me, and not just one.”
“Of course you’re welcome here. This is your home, and you’re our daughter. We’ll send correspondence to each other through the mail. The box the herd uses is checked once every two months when the males leave to purchase supplies.”
“It would be nice if we could use the Internet or cell phones.”
“I’m afraid your papan is too worried about what could happen if anyone found out about us.”
Kaya didn’t agree, but she wasn’t the king and didn’t make the rules. The Centaurs in the Mortal Realm lived in fear of discovery. In the Medes Realm, the Centaurs’ nature wasn’t kept a secret. They lived openly and without fear. But life was different in the Mortal Realm, and Kaya knew that she wasn’t going to be the one to change their beliefs.
She glanced at the clock on the dresser and said, “I need to get dressed. Will you help me?”
“Of course.”
Kaya stripped out of the satin robe as Sophie removed the dress from the hanger. Kaya wore a white, strapless corset and a pair of matching panties.
“Was Bry upset that you and Papan offered to have our joining ceremony here?”
Sophie helped Kaya into the dress. “He’s gone.”
“Gone where?”
She shrugged. “He heard that Arsen had sided with you and was allowing the mating to proceed. He petitioned Arsen to break your mating and give you to him, which your papan didn’t appreciate. Bry was told in no uncertain terms that your mating was approved and no one was going to tell you to do anything except have a happy and long life, and he took off. Some of our warriors saw him leave through the portal to the Medes Realm with a satchel, so it’s believed that he went to visit his older brother.”
Bry’s brother, Manu, lived with the Centaurs in the Medes Realm and was mated to a human female.
“I hope he finds happiness someday,” Kaya said.
“I do, too. I think he believed you were his only hope of finding a female with long-life.”
“There are plenty of other supernatural creatures out in the world who have long-life. I never understood why he wanted to marry me since I didn’t care for him in that way.”
“Males are strange.”
Kaya snorted. “To say the least.”
“Your papan would never have forced you to marry a male you didn’t want. I hope you know that.”
“Bry seemed to think that he would.”
“No, never. He wanted you to choose a male from the herd for yourself. Someone you cared for. I thought Bry was a good fit for you, but I can see now that he wasn’t.”
“Well, it’s in the past now. I’m mated to my dream guys, and Papan is going to join us. I can’t wait.”
“Under normal circumstances, you’d be off on a honeymoon in your new home for three days, but as you’re going to be leaving for the states in a few days, I hope you won’t mind not sticking with that tradition.”
“It’s no problem. We’re going to stay in the tent by the lake again tonight. It’s pretty romantic out there.”
“I’ll bet,” Sophie said with a smile. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you for letting me wear your dress.”
“I’m happy to see you in it. I hope that someday your daughter or daughters will wish to wear it, too.”
Sophie left to finish getting ready, and Kaya walked into the small bathroom and fixed her hair. She braided two thin sections of hair at her temples and crossed them over the top of her head. She pinned the braids to look like a headband. If she were marrying a Centaur male, she would be wearing a smaller version of Sophie’s tiara, because she would be taking on the role of herd princess, and her husband would become the prince and future ruler of the herd. But that was a life out of reach for her now, and she couldn’t be happier. If she’d never dreamed of Teck and Shy, then who knows how her life would have turned out. But she did dream of them, and she was happily mated to the two sexiest males she’d ever laid eyes on. Her dreams came true the moment they found her crying at the lake.
After applying a little makeup, she took one last look at herself and then smiled. Even though she and her mates already belonged to one another, she was still a little nervous. She’d feel better once she saw them again. Being away from them for the last two hours was torture. Her body hummed for their touch, and her thoughts were never far from them.
She exited her former bedroom and followed the sound of low, feminine voices to the kitchen. Daeton, Elizabeth, Shaylee, and Filene were sitting at the kitchen table. The conversation stopped when she entered the kitchen.
“Oh, that dress is so becoming!” Elizabeth said as she stood. She wore a hide vest and skirt. Daeton, Filene, and Shaylee were dressed similarly.
“Your mates are waiting for you, but first we have a special gift,” Daeton said.
The females stood and walked out of the trailer, and Kaya joined them. Perseus had agreed to carry Kaya to her mates in the Centaur tradition. He was in his half-shifted form, and his dark horse body glistened in the afternoon light. Adi was next to him, holding a bouquet of the wildflowers she’d helped the kids pick earlier that day. Blue and green ribbons encircled the stems.
Kaya gathered her skirt and squatted down in front of the sweet little boy. “These are for you,” he said, handing her the bouquet.
“Thank you so much. They’re beautiful.”
“Moman says we’re cousins now because you’re marrying Teck and Shy. Will you still be my friend even though you’re married?”
She smiled. “Of course! Before I met Teck and Shy, you were my friend. Now we’re family, too, but we’ll always be friends. Okay?”
He smiled in relief. “Good.”
She kissed his cheek, stood, and turned to her new family. “I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t explain how everything worked out so perfectly except that it was fate.”
“Welcome to the family,” Elizabeth said, hugging Kaya with a sniffle. “I couldn’t have imagined a better mate for my boys.”
Kaya’s eyes stung with tears, and she blinked them away. She didn’t want to ruin her makeup before her mates saw her. Daeton brought over a small stepstool and placed it on the ground next to Perseus. He offered Kaya his hand, and she stepped up onto the stool and swung up onto his back.
“Lead the way, Adi,” Perseus said. “We’ve got to get your cousin to her mates.”
Adi straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, and then he pranced out in front of Perseus, his tail swishing back and forth.
“He’s so adorable,” Kaya said as Perseus followed slowly behind him. Kaya’s new family walked behind them as they made their way to the center of the city where the ceremony would take place.
“He thinks the world of you. He was worried you wouldn’t like him anymore because of the time difference. Now you’re seventeen years apart.”
“I’ve always thought of him as a little brother,” she said. “The age difference doesn’t matter because we’re family by heart, and now by mating.”
“I love you, Kaya,” Adi said loudly, glancing over his shoulder. “We’re family for real now.”
“I love you, too, Adi,” she said, stifling a giggle at how sweet the little Centaur was.
“Oh, holy crap he’s a cutie,” Elizabeth said.
“He gets it from his papan,” Daeton said.
When they reached the center of the city, Perseus slowed to a stop. Kaya saw her mates standing on either side of her papan, who was dressed in his best clothing and wearing his crown. Sophie stood next to him, her cheeks wet with tears and a wide smile on her face. The herd and the visiting family members stood as everyone but her and Perseus took their places in the crowd.
“Ready to marry your mates?” Perseus murmured.
“More than ready.”
“Good,” he said with a low chuckle. “I can tell they’re anxious to see you again.”
Perseus moved slowly down the aisle. Kaya couldn’t take her eyes off her mates. They looked so handsome. Their onyx hair was left long. Each wore a single, thin braid that was adorned with feathers and beads. Their upper bodies were bare, and stamped, leather cuffs were fastened around their biceps. They wore hide trousers and moccasins. Ekho moved to them and placed another stool at Perseus’s side. He held out his hand to her.
Kaya took Ekho’s hand and swung her leg over, sliding down slowly until she felt the stool under her feet. She stepped down onto the grass. Ekho kissed her cheek and moved away with Perseus until she was standing alone in the aisle. Sophie walked toward her, brushing at fresh tears, and linked their arms. They walked a few steps forward until they stood between her mates and in front of her father.
Arsen cleared his throat and said, “There’s nothing that brings a father more joy than for his daughter to find her heart. Who stands with Kaya today and gives her to these males?”
“I do,” Sophie said. “As Kaya’s moman, I proudly give her hand to these males.”
“Do you come today, Kaya, willingly to join with these males in the tradition of our people?”
“I do, sire,” she said.
Sophie kissed her cheek and stepped to the side, joining Elizabeth and her family. Teck and Shy each took one of her hands as they stood next to her, facing Arsen.
Arsen unwound a vine from his shoulder and asked for the trio to raise their joined hands. He wound the rope of leaves around their hands.
“There is little that makes the Centaurs’ spirits happier than when a bride finds her truemates. Where there was loneliness and longing is now filled with love and hope. The olive leaves and ivy of this rope celebrate the heritage of the Centaurs. We originated in Greece, where olive trees grow, and the leaves remind us to look back as much as look forward. The ivy is a hardy plant, able to survive where other plants can’t, finding root against brick and stone. The ivy reminds us to be strong and grow, despite difficult circumstances. The tie between husband and wife is as ancient as time itself, and like the olive tree that puts out strong roots and bears fruit for millennia, your marriage will be as unbreakable as the bonds of time itself. As hot as the sun. As comforting as the summer breeze.”
Arsen placed his hands on the rope and smiled at Kaya. “By breaking the rope today, I signify you, my daughter, leaving your home and joining another.” He tugged, and the rope split apart, sliding from their hands and drifting to the ground.
“It is with great honor that I present to the herd, Teck and Shy, and their shared bride, Kaya. May the sun always shine upon you. You may kiss your bride.”
Kaya turned her head and found Teck, his eyes dark with passion and glittering with promise. He drew her close and pressed his lips to hers. The world slid away as the sweet taste of him filled her. He lifted from the kiss, and she turned to Shy, kissing him. The crowd erupted with cheers and the stamping of hooves.
Arsen smiled at her, and Sophie blew her a kiss. She and her mates turned to face the crowd. She linked her arms with both of theirs, and they walked down the aisle as the crowd showered them with flower petals.
“Where are we supposed to go?” Teck asked as they continued to walk away from the crowd.
“Over there to the tables,” she said. “I missed you guys so much.”
“We missed you, too, sweetheart,” Shy said.
“Too bad we can’t escape somewhere for some privacy,” Teck said.
“We have to have the meal first, and then we can go to the lake. It’s our first night as a joined trio. Although I know it’s not technically legal in your home.”
They stopped at a large table that had been lowered so she and her new family didn’t have to haul themselves up onto the tall stools. “I’m thankful we were able to share this with your family, though,” Shy said.
“Me too.”
The crowd joined them and the females who had prepared the celebration meal began to lift the lids from the dishes until the air scented heavily of roasted meat and vegetables. Teck and Shy’s family joined them, and Arsen shifted into his human form. He and Sophie sat at their table, too.
Arsen called for silence and toasted their marriage. Kaya and her mates clinked the rims of their glasses together.
Then Shy stood and said, “I’ll fix a plate for you, sweetheart.”
He moved to the main table as others joined in, and he filled two plates. He brought the plates back to the table and set one in front of Teck and the other in front of her. Her plate was piled so high she didn’t think she could eat it all if she had a whole day to try.
“I’d like to share from your plate, if that’s okay,” Shy said. He cut a piece of roast pork and added a bite of mashed potatoes to it. Then he offered it to her.
She ate the bite and smiled. “That’s so good.” She took the fork from him and returned the favor, giving him a bite and then she fixed a bite for Teck.
“It’s going to take us all night to eat like that,” Teck said.
“Very true,” she said as Shy gave her the fork and knife and picked up his own from the table.
Conversation flowed around them as they ate. Her parents talked to their grandparents about the den, and she and her mates talked about where they’d live.
“I’ll start packing tomorrow,” she said.
“We’ll help,” Teck said.
When the meal was over, two females brought a wooden platter to them that contained a stack of small dough balls that were rolled in sugar and dripping with dark honey. The pyramid-shaped confection was a traditional Centaur marriage dessert.
“These are honeycakes,” Kaya said as she pulled two from near the top. “We’re supposed to feed them to each other. They represent a sweet and full life.”
She held one to both of their mouths, and they each took one, and then they both fed her one. The honeycakes were sweet and delicious. The herd cheered again, raising their glasses in their honor and toasting the hope for a sweet life.
When they’d finished the dessert, they said goodbye to their family members and the herd and left for the lake. When they stepped into the woods, Teck lifted her into his arms and carried her.
“Shy and I have a surprise for you,” Teck said.
“Oh?”
“You do like surprises, don’t you?” Shy asked as he walked next to them.
“Just from you two.”
Teck chuckled. “Good.”
They reached the lake, and he set her gently on her feet. She gasped in surprise as she looked up and saw that they’d decorated the tent with flowers, draping long strands of them in the trees overhead and creating a pathway of red petals from the lake to the tent opening. Shy ducked inside and lit the oil lamps. He stepped out of the tent holding a cell phone. He looked at the screen and moved his finger around, and then the soft strains of romantic music filled the air.
“Is that music coming from your phone?” she asked.
He joined them and showed her the phone. “I downloaded music before we came here.”
“I thought you just made phone calls with cell phones.”
“There’s lots to do on phones now, sweetheart. We’ll get you one when we get home and teach you how to use it,” he said.
“For now,” Teck said, drawing her flush against him with a soft growl, “your husbands want to dance with you.”
Shy set the phone down on a log and joined them, pressing against her back.
“Is this a bear tradition?”
“It’s a human one. Newly married couples always share the first dance,” Shy said.
They moved her slowly around the open area in front of the tent, taking turns holding her and kissing her. She’d never danced like this before, and she loved every second of it.
When they’d danced to several songs, her whole body was tingling from the contact and the sexy whispers of their plans for her for the night.
She cupped Shy’s cheek. “I’m falling for you, Shy.”
“I’m already there, sweetheart,” he said.
“Teck,” she said, cupping his face, “I’m falling for you, too. You’re both a part of me that I didn’t realize was missing, and now I can’t imagine ever being apart from you. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
“You’ve got my heart, lilenta,” Teck said gruffly. “Every inch of it.”
He lifted her into his arms and kissed her hard, before carrying her into the tent. Shy grabbed his phone and followed, and then he zipped the tent closed.
She couldn’t wait to see what the night would bring.