Rose paced the longhouse. Occasionally, she looked toward the doorway, straining to listen for Thayer's return. It had been more than an hour and still the centaurs hadn't returned. Now with each passing minute, she got more nervous. Thayer was going to be furious.
She lay on the cushions that made up their bed. Their bed. When did she start thinking of it as being hers, too?
The doorway lifted as Thayer entered. Rose immediately sat up, eyes wide with worry. Thayer met her gaze silently and held it for a long moment before he turned to take off his armor. Outside she could here soft voices of others returning to their homes.
Thayer's silence only made her more nervous.
"I had to do it, Thayer."
She saw his jaw tense.
"Then why did you come back?" He asked curtly.
"I'm not exactly sure." He didn't look at her, nor did he answer. His back and shoulders were stiff and his dark eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. Nothing but the crackling of the fire filled the silence. She watched him take his time unlacing his wrist guards, then lay down his weapons on hooks on the wall. "Are the slavers gone?"
"We made sure they did not move further into our lands. You must be disappointed that my brother found you before you could reach the village."
"Yes."
"And what would you have done then? Marry a human man, give birth to his children and then turn your head the other way while he ravishes his mistress?"
"Not every man is like that." Was her retort.
"I have witnessed enough to know what goes on."
"Well, obviously I'm not in my village. I'm here. So what you said isn't going to happen."
"Yes, and how unhappy you are." He said, his voice oddly devoid of emotion, so she was unable to tell if he was still angry.
The comment made her stop. She wasn't unhappy. She was...she shook her head. She wasn't sure what she was right now. She shifted under the furs. Thayer stood where he was, his back slightly to her, lost in thought.
"Go to sleep, Rose."
"A-aren't you coming to bed?" She asked in a small voice.
"I will join you later."
Almost reluctantly, she settled under the covers and closed her eyes. And waited. But a minute later, she heard the flap of the doorway lift. When she turned her head, Thayer was gone. ***
Once outside, Thayer let out a shaky breath. The relief of seeing her safely at home was a great weight off his shoulders. Callum had informed him of her safe return, but Thayer had to see her for himself. The fear he'd felt of her possibly being captured by the slavers had been overwhelming. Thoughts of her being raped, beaten, starved -- by the gods, he was grateful she was safe.
What was he going to do with her now? All centaurs had trouble with their mates in the beginning, but Rose seemed determined not to accept him. A part of him wanted to march right in there and make love to her, possess her until she was soft and warm against him, sighing his name as she was doing earlier. Just the thought made him hard.
Thayer cursed. Didn't she know she held so much power over him? Just a single thought of her aroused him.
He'll give her time, he decided. Let her adjust to this life, adjust to him. If a few days of celibacy meant gaining her affection, then so be it.
***
"Oh, this will look lovely on you." Laura said with a bright smile. The dark haired beauty and wife of Thayer's cousin, Xavier held up the silky white robe Rose was to wear for the ceremony the next evening. "With your blond hair in the moonlight, you'll simply glow."
"Is that good?" Rose asked dryly. They were sitting outside of Thayer's longhouse on low stools, making the last stitches to her ceremonial robe. Laura filled their silences with friendly chatter about camp gossip and what will happen during the ceremony.
Laura laughed. "Of course it is. The better you look with it on, the more your mate will want to take it off. I'm sure your anxious for Thayer to do that."
Rose tried to ignore the heat tinting her cheeks. "I guess you'll be there to watch when Thayer...well, you know."
"There's no need to be shy about it. Although, I don't blame you. I was thinking the same thing when I first came here. But it's one of their traditions. It will become more normal for you when you see it happen to others. It's always an exciting event."
"So Thayer just strips me and takes me right in front of everyone?"
Laura made a last stitch into one of the sleeves. "At midnight, we all gather in the center of the camp. Torches are lit and you kneel on the bed Thayer's family has built. As he makes love to you, the elders repeat sacred words drums are beaten. The ceremony is really very simple, so you needn't be frightened or anything."
"Mother!" Xander, Laura's five-year-old son came galloping toward them, a wide smile lighting his face. "Sigard is going down to the river with Jayden and Father said I could go if you said I could. Could I go, please? We're only going to be gone for an hour or so. Sigard said he had something to show us and we'll take a knife with us to protect us, if you want. And Jason says you must answer now or we'll be late!" He was talking a mile a minute, as any boy his age was wont to do. Laura smiled.
"Go then. But be careful."
"Thank you, Mother!" Xander was already on his way, but turned abruptly to place a quick kiss on his mother's cheek before he was off.
"Children are so wonderful." Laura said, her voice just saturated with happiness. And then she looked at Rose with a knowing smile. "Pretty soon you will have one of your own."
Rose shook her head. "Well, no...I hadn't thought to have one so soon...I mean, yes, it's possible..." Laura reached over to squeeze her hand. "Oh, just think how perfect it would be if you are with child now. We could raise the babes together."
Rose's eyes flew to Laura's stomach. "You mean you're..."
"Yes." Her companion nodded. "Xander doesn't know yet, but I have a feeling he won't mind. He's been after me to give him a brother for a year now."
"Don't centaurs father daughters?"
