Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Branded ❯ Chapter 10

A week later, the lock to the Procreation Chamber finally lifted. Vegeta emerged, irritable and exhausted. He couldn’t believe it took that long for the sensors to confirm a successful fertilization!

The ordeal was certainly not as pleasurable as it would have been with Beli.

Ruga had insisted on training any time they were not mating, eating, or sleeping. At first she wanted to make sure he was worth the money her family had paid for his seed. When he succeeded at impressing her, she wanted him to teach her any new fighting technique he used. Now, Vegeta was completely spent, physically and emotionally. As he made his way to his bedroom for some much deserved rest, he met Raditz in the hallway.

"Congratulations, Prince," Raditz said with a cocky grin.

"Shut up!" Vegeta snapped and strode passed him with as much dignity as he could muster.

“I'll have something sent up to you from the kitchen!" Raditz called after him and walked off the other way with a deep chuckle.

Vegeta dismissed Raditz's comments as he closed his bedroom door and sighed. The bed on the other side of the room looked inviting, but he was too tired to make it that far. He pulled out a chair from the side table and dropped himself into it, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. It was the first time he was able to completely relax since his picnic lunch with Beli so long ago.

The knock on the door was almost too soft to hear, but the savory smells caught Vegeta's attention.

"Enter," he ordered, opening his eyes but not lifting his head.

The door swung open to reveal Beli with a heavily laden tray of food. Vegeta smiled weakly and motioned for her to close the door.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," he said. "A beautiful flower bearing food."

Beli gave him a small smile as she placed the tray next to him, but did not touch him or look him in the eyes. While Vegeta attacked the food, she prepared his bed and laid out clean clothes.

"Wait," Vegeta said when she reached for the empty tray.

He took her hand and pulled her toward him until she was straddling his legs. Then he reached his arms around her waist and hugged her, laying his head on her chest.

Beli neither hugged him back nor pushed him away. Silently, she sat on his lap, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders.

Vegeta listened to the beat of her heart and breathed deeply of her scent. He had always loved the way she smelled of the kitchen, but there was also another smell today. A familiar one. The recognition of that scent made him tense with anger.

"Raditz," he whispered savagely.

"Yes," Beli whispered back.

Vegeta could hear pain in that one softly spoken word. He looked closer at the arm in front of him and noticed the bruises, some new and some days old. He began to shake, wanting nothing more than to hunt the other man down and tear him limb from limb with his bare hands.

"No, Vegeta," Beli said as if she could read his mind. "You can't just kill him. How would you explain it to the king?"

"But he had no right!" Vegeta protested, lifting his head to look into her face.

She placed one hand on his cheek and shook her head sadly. "I may be branded with your house's name, but you have not openly claimed me as your own. He had every right." She paused before continuing. "He already knew about our meeting place."

Vegeta's eyes opened wide with shock. He thought they had been so careful, so smart. How did an idiot like Raditz figure it out? What could he do about it? Beli placed her forehead on Vegeta's.

"I am a slave," she reminded him. "The king doesn't care what Raditz does to me, and you can't claim me as your mate. He just did it to annoy you."

"Well it worked!" Vegeta said angrily. "I may not be able to kill one of my father's warriors, but I can certainly keep him from touching you ever again! First thing in the morning, I am going to get him transferred to a scouting team! I am going to make him regret what he did to you with every fiber of his being!"

"Just be careful, Vegeta," Beli sighed. "Raditz may not be as strong as you are, but he is as sneaky as a snake. He doesn't strike unless he knows he's protected."

Vegeta thought back to the comments Raditz made to him both before and after he was locked up in the Procreation Chamber. "He wanted me to find out!" he said suddenly. "But why?"

"Can we please not talk about Raditz?" Beli asked, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

Vegeta wiped the wet trail with his thumb. "I can't stand it! You're covered with his scent!"

"And you smell like Ruga," she accused, forcing a smile to lighten his mood. "And you look like you've just returned from battle."

"I did," he moaned, making her laugh. "And you're right, I reek of her odor. Join me in a bath and we'll wash each other clean. I don't want you to go back to the kitchen tonight."

"But I have to ..."

"Don't go," Vegeta interrupted. Despite the other man's smell, he buried his face in her chest and hugged her tight. "I won’t let you."