“Do men on Earth claim any woman they want?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Do men on Earth have no honor?”
Tark put his hands on my hips and pulled me to stand between his parted knees. The hot feel of his grasp made me gasp.
I shrugged. “Some do not.”
“I assume you have only had interactions with the dishonorable sort?”
I looked at his forearms, thick and corded with muscle, covered with dark hair.
“Some.”
“Are you familiar with what a harem is?” he asked.
I glanced up at him, his dark eyes clear and focused on me. The anger was gone, from both of us.
“They had them on Earth a long time ago. Certain cultures allowed a man to have several—many—women just for himself. A harem was the name used to include all of his women, but also it could be the place where they remained until called upon to service his needs.”
“I now see the problem we have.” His thumbs stroked up and down the top of my thighs, working the thin material of my slip higher and higher until he stroked over bare skin.
“A harem on Trion is a place, well-guarded and fortified, where a woman stays when a man cannot offer protection. Each of the women you met belongs to someone, just as Mara belongs to Davish and you—” he leaned forward and placed a kiss on my abdomen, “—belong to me.”
The way he said you belong to me caused a little brightness of hope to flare to life. “I thought—”
“I know what you thought. I’ve told you my name, but I did not tell you that I am high councilor. I am sure there is a similar role on Earth, perhaps with a different title. I am the leader of the northern continent and the seven armies. We are here at Outpost Nine for the annual general meeting of the planet’s other councilors. Each of us represents a different region or area of the planet.”
“We have something similar on earth, but each country has a leader. There is not a leader for all of Earth.”
“And are all countries equal on your world? Or do some hold more power than others?”
“There are a few large countries that control almost everything.”
“That is how it is here as well. My region is the most powerful and the largest. Do you now understand the importance of my role and the danger that follows both me and my mate? Yesterday, I wished to shield you from all the curiosity.”
I bit my lip. “Curiosity?”
“Politics would demand that I select a woman from Trion as my mate, but I refused many offers. I waited for an interstellar bride because I did not want a political match. I wanted someone who would be mine, and mine alone, with no political agenda and no ulterior motives. I wanted a woman who would be a perfect match for me, the man. As you are.”
I tilted my head, but all the fear, all the worry was gon
e. “How can you be so sure?”
“I knew the moment the transfer was complete.”
He seemed so sure of himself, that we’d been matched across all the possibilities in the galaxy. I hadn’t even intended to be matched. I should be on Earth, in the hospital treating patients. He believed I would remain here on Trion forever, but our match was short term, only until I was called back to testify. Suddenly, the idea of leaving didn’t seem as promising as it should have.
His hands shifted and cupped my bottom, pulling me closer.
“Then… then you promise me you didn’t send for Mara?”
I heard him growl deep in his chest. “Woman, I wouldn’t have requested an interstellar bride if I had wanted to fuck Mara.”
He must have seen something on my face, for he added, “Have I eased your mind? Are we of similar understanding now?”
I bit my lip and let the tension and worry I’d been feeling seep away. “You sent me to the harem to keep me safe?”