Page 81 of I Married Amreth

As much as I hated that such things ever occurred, I was on cloud nine as those had always been the types of projects I aspired to work on. Furthermore, it made Amreth beyond happy knowing that I had a fulfilling career right here on Molvi. Even though he tried to be laid back whenever we discussed our future together, I could see deep in his eyes the fear that he would fail to make Molvi a good enough place for me to settle in permanently.

As he predicted, the Conclave bestowed three hundred grams of algarium to him for his contribution to saving the Kreelars. In reality, he should have only received half with the other gifted to me. But as we weren’t officially married just yet, they couldn’t give me any as those were reserved for Obosians—which applied by extension to their spouses and offspring. It still touched me that they would include my share in his so that he could give it to me once our wedding took place in a few months.

The wretched thing just kept being postponed with everything else that was happening, not to mention the fact that both his parents and mine were going crazy wanting to have the biggest and baddest wedding combining human and Obosian rituals. Amreth and I would have been fine with eloping. But we were happy to let our parents have fun with this madness, so long as they shouldered the burden, which they eagerly did.

Tonight, two weeks after being honored by the Conclave, I returned home and settled my personal shuttle on the landing pad at the edge of the main terrace. I made my way down the ramp only to find Amreth waiting for me by the entrance with a mysterious expression. That he was still wearing his breastplate set all my senses on high alert. At this hour, unless some incident called him back to one of his Quadrants, my mate liked strutting about bare chested, the same way human women whipped our bra out the minute we returned home from work or errands.

“What’s going on?” I asked before stretching my neck to look over his shoulder to see if we had an impromptu guest.

I couldn’t think of who it could be as he would normally have warned me in advance, even if it was just Kronos and Malaya. Anyway, he was comfortable enough with both of them not to wear a top or breastplate in their presence. In more ways than one, they were like siblings to us.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said with that same unreadable expression.

“A good one I hope?” I said, my curiosity piqued but also laced with a hint of worry.

“I want to believe it will be,” he replied, his gaze locked with mine.

I closed the distance between us. That he instantly drew me into his embrace, his expression softening with a tenderness bordering on adoration instantly lifted some of my tension. He leaned down and gave me a passionate kiss that had my toes curling and my knees feeling wobbly. Barely five months had gone by since we first met following his rescue attempt, but it had sufficed for me to fall madly in love with my incubus. I always expected the initial passion that burned so fiercely between us our first couple of times together would eventually settle into something tender and comfortable with time. But it only seemed to keep growing, like a million lifetimes would never suffice to sate the hunger and fever consuming us.

He released me, took my hand, and lured me to the large table by the pool. Only then did I notice two tall glasses, a bottle of sparkling wine set to chill, and a medium-sized box between them.

“What’s that?” I asked, intrigued. “What are we celebrating?”

“I finally decided how to use the algarium, but I need your consent to proceed,” he said, a hint of nervousness seeping into his voice.

“Myconsent?” I echoed, taken aback. “Like you said so well yourself, your body is yours to do with as you please. You do not need my permission to pierce whatever part of your body you wish. And you’re educated enough on the topic not to make a choice that could be detrimental to your health or welfare in the long run.”

“You are correct,” he said carefully. “But this time it also involvesyourbody.”

I stiffened, and my face immediately closed off as a cold shiver coursed through me. Not even five minutes prior, I had been thinking just how madly in love I was with this male. Could he possibly have so little respect for my boundaries that he would try to guilt trip me into getting piercings after I clearly expressed this was a no go for me? Did he think that by having them already made, I wouldn’t have the heart to refuse him?

“It’s not what you think,” he added quickly upon seeing my physical reaction. “You stated that you unequivocally would not get piercings, and I respect that. What I have in mind will not require any body modification from you.”

“Ooookay,” I said carefully, tension bleeding out of my shoulders as I glanced at the box. “Then what is it?”

Amreth reached a hand towards the table. To my utter annoyance, instead of taking the box to reveal its contents, he picked up the bottle then took his sweet time opening it and then filling the glasses. I glared at him, but he continued to grin smugly with a dare in his eyes.

Challenge accepted!

Two could play games. While he was halfway through filling the second glass, I swiftly attempted to snatch the box. Just as my fingertips were brushing the surface, Amreth’s tail wrapped around my wrist and yanked my hand away.

“Hey!” I exclaimed in outrage.

“You naughty girl!” he grumbled. “No touching allowed.”

“You said it was a gift for me,” I argued before reaching for it again with my free hand.

The wretch released my wrist, and wrapped his tail around me at lightning speed, flattening my arms against my sides, and binding me like a freaking sausage.

“What the…?”

He chuckled and stared at me with an insufferably smug expression while his eyes sparked with mischief.

“An item only becomes a gift after it has been given,” Amreth said in a slightly chastising tone. “This box was not given to you. In fact, what it contains isnotfor you.”

Shocked, I stopped fighting against his tail binding me and gaped at him in surprise and confusion.

“It’s not?” I asked, kicking myself inwardly for repeating the obvious.

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