Page 31 of Dark Horizon New Dawn

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BRUNDAR

Brundar stood in front of the mirror and debated whether to gather his long hair at his nape like he usually did or leave it to fan out down his back.

The choice to keep it that long had been about making a statement. He could look as feminine as had been claimed by those who had attacked him as a kid and shattered his innocence forever, but no one would ever think that he was easy prey again. He was lethal, and even those who didn't know him could figure that out with just one look.

Still, he didn't need to make a statement onboard a ship that carried mostly his clan. He was an accepted and respected member of the community, and no one would mistake him for someone who needed protecting or rescuing.

He was the protector and rescuer now, and he was damn good at his job.

Pulling the leather tie from his pocket, he brushed his stick-straight hair back with his fingers, gathered it at the nape, and tied the string around the thick, blond column.

In the other pocket of his tux was the folded piece of paper containing his vows to Callie. He pulled it out, unfolded the page, and read through it once more. By now, he could probably recite them in his sleep.

Anandur had pestered him for weeks about writing his vows and memorizing them, warning him that things might get a little emotional during the wedding ceremony and that he might forget some of the words, but Brundar had enjoyed tormenting his brother by pretending that he didn't care about that and wasn't going to bother.

Had Anandur believed him?

He shouldn't have.

His brother was probably the only one other than Callie who knew that Brundar's stoic appearance was a mask, and that inside he was just as susceptible to the turmoil of emotions as the next person, maybe even more so. Except, as soon as he felt anything, he immediately shoved that feeling into the armored safe inside his mind so it wouldn't interfere with his work or training.

The only emotion that Brundar would allow himself to feel was his love for Callie. He didn’t shove that into the safe. Even so, it required a conscious effort not to do so, and that was not because his feelings for her didn't run deep because they did. It was just that he'd gotten so used to suppressing his emotions that it happened on autopilot, and reprogramming himself was still a work in progress.

When the doorbell rang, Brundar took one last look at his reflection and walked into the living room to open the door for his brother.

"I don't have much time." Anandur rushed by him, dripping water from his freshly washed hair. "I have two minutes to get into my tux and tame my hair."

Brundar followed him to the bedroom. "Where did you shower?"

"Kian's place. I figured you needed your alone time before the wedding."

"Thank you. That was uncharacteristically considerate of you."

"You're welcome." Anandur pulled his T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. "Don't get used to it. I'm only making an exception for your wedding. The rest of the time, you're fair game." He dropped his pants in the same unceremonious way.

Brundar shook his head at his brother's nudity. "Do you ever wear underwear?"

"Yeah, I do. But I didn't want to borrow Kian's, and I didn't have any fresh ones with me, now did I?" He unzipped the tux bag and pulled the tux out.

With a sigh, Brundar collected the discarded clothing and carried it to the laundry hamper in the bathroom. "I can give you a fresh pair. I have a pack of new ones."

"Thank you. That would be awesome." Anandur shrugged on a white dress shirt and started buttoning it. "I wanted to wear something fun for your wedding, but since you are not fun, I decided it would be a waste of effort."

"And there goes the one day of reprieve you just promised me." Brundar tossed the package at Anandur.

"Thank you. And that doesn't count because it's the truth. You wouldn't have appreciated my humor."

Brundar shrugged. "I thought that the Superman T-shirt was a nice touch."

"Really?" Anandur's brows hitched nearly to his hairline. "Why didn't you say so?" He tore the plastic bag and pulled out one of the boxer briefs.

"Your head is too big already." Brundar leaned against the dresser, waiting for his brother to be done.

"How do I look?" Anandur asked and turned in a circle.

"Just as good as you did at your own wedding." Brundar pushed away from the dresser. "Do you need cologne?"

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