Chapter 63

I want domination
I want your submission
I see you're not resisting
To this temptation

It was the day after Cell's defeat and the whole world was celebrating their champion's victory over the green monster. There were parades, parties, TV specials, and celebratory ceremonies in Mr. Satan's honor. Almost every person on Earth was in high spirits as they breathed a collective sigh of relief that their lives were spared thanks to the champ's battle prowess.

The atmosphere was more somber at Capsule Corporation, though. The Earth's special forces were gathered to say goodbye to the lavender-haired demi-saiyan from the future who was going back home to his own timeline to free his world from the androids. They spent the morning telling stories, wishing the young warrior luck, and offering invitations to come back and visit any time. On the outside they were cheerful, but inside each knew what the young man had to return to. He was the last warrior in a world ravaged by years of destruction. While his future was shining brightly with hope, it would take decades for the bleak past to be erased.

After lunch, they went outside into the back yard where Trunks' time capsule was waiting for him to return home. His hair was cut short again and he was dressed in his casual gray pants, black tank top, purple jacket, and yellow boots with his sword slung over his back. He had his saiyan armor in a capsule, but he hoped he would never need it.

"Be careful, Trunks," Bulma whispered as she hugged her son one last time. She was fighting tears because she knew she would probably never see him again. He was the son she would never have, the son she had grown to love as her own in the short time she had with him. "I love you."

Trunks smiled as he pulled back from her. "I love you too, Mom."

It was strange for him to be surrounded by so much love. These warriors, the greatest the world had to offer, had become good friends during his short stay in this timeline. He respected them and wished he could stay to learn more from them. Most of all, he wished he could bring them back in his own time. Of course, that wasn't possible, and knowing that brought a familiar heavy feeling to his heart. He looked around the small crowd, but his gaze stopped when his eyes met his father's. The father he would never really know.

Vegeta gave him a small salute, but it was a gesture that meant more than words could say to him. He returned the salute and leaped up into his time capsule. It was time to return to the future where he would destroy the androids at last. He called out his last goodbyes and waved as he took off into the air and disappeared into the stream of time on his last journey home.

Vegeta, Bulma, and her parents were left standing in the yard of Capsule Corp, still looking up at the sky, while the rest of the z-warriors went inside to mill about. They were sad to see Trunks go, but they decided it would be best to leave the family alone for a while. Bulma was afraid her heart would break after having to see her only son, the son she would never have in the present timeline, leave forever. She glanced over at the last saiyan, hoping to see some sign of sadness, but his usual stoicism was all she could see. She sighed and turned her gaze to the sky one last time.

"Goodbye, Trunks," she whispered.

Bulma was startled when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder and turned to see the saiyan prince standing behind her. "He will be fine, Woman," he told her.

She nodded. "I know, I'm not worried about him. It's just that I'm going to miss him."

Silence passed between them for several minutes, neither knowing what to say. After their confrontation the previous afternoon they both felt the need to explain and maybe apologize, but their pride kept them from speaking. Both knew he had been out of his mind and neither wanted to broach that topic.

"It doesn't seem real," Bulma mumbled.

"What doesn't?"

"Peace."

Vegeta shrugged and wrapped his tail around Bulma's waist as he turned her to face him. "Maybe it isn't real. But the androids are taken care of and I believe I have a promise to keep."

A huge grin spread across Bulma's face as she threw her arms around his neck and planted kisses all over his face. "Finally, Vegeta? We're really going to do it?"

The Prince of all Saiyans smirked as he wrapped his arms around his woman. "Of course, foolish woman. I said we would be mated, did I not?"

"Jerk."

"Wench."

"I need to get someone to marry us."

"You haven't done that yet?"

"Shut up. Go get ready."

Vegeta released Bulma from his hold and levitated up to his balcony and went inside. He still wasn't thrilled about having to go through with the human wedding ceremony, but he knew it was only fair for her sake. Their mating would be a blend of two cultures; it was right that it would start with two ceremonies, one for her and one for him.

When he was gone, Bulma ran inside and picked up the phone to start making all the necessary calls. She needed to get people to come to the compound right away to set up for a small wedding on the lawn, order some catering, and, most importantly, she needed to call a wedding officiant. It was short notice, but she could pay for the inconvenience to get a Justice of the Peace over as soon as possible.

It only took a few short minutes for all the calls to be made. If everything went according to plan, she would be married to her prince by nightfall. She ran upstairs to change into her navy blue wedding dress. By the time she had showered and gotten herself into her dress, her hairdresser had arrived to make her look even more beautiful.

Half an hour later, Bulma stood in front of her full-length mirror, admiring her curled hair piled on top of her head in a gorgeous up-do. She smoothed her hands over her taffeta dress, admiring the way it hugged her narrow waist and accented her shapely hips. The A-line dress reached the floor and a short train trailed behind her. It was simple and elegant and there was no color on it besides the dark navy blue. As a final touch she put a silver diamond-studded tiara in her blue hair and a simple diamond necklace around her neck. She looked and felt like royalty. And why shouldn't she? She was about to become a real princess.

Through her open balcony doors she could hear bustling in the yard as a small troop of wedding planners set up her perfect garden wedding. She could smell the scent of food wafting into her room from downstairs and heard the familiar voices of her friends talking and joking both outside and down the hall in the recreation room. The only voice she didn't hear was that of her husband-to-be. She hoped he wasn't getting cold feet. She was feeling a bit jittery, but she attributed it more to excitement than anxiety. She'd waited for this day for too long to back out.

Vegeta sat on the edge of the bed in his room, staring at the wall blankly. He was more than ready for this. Yet, he hated the fact that his woman was spending so much time on a silly little ceremony that really meant nothing to him. He couldn't understand her enthusiasm for all the ridiculous tradition. All they really needed was some human to come and pronounce them married and then they would sign a stupid license saying their marriage was legal. Big deal. He growled when he heard all the weaker warriors loitering around the place. He didn't want them present, but she did so he had to put up with it. This part was for her, he reminded himself.

He pulled on his white gloves, completing his outfit. It wasn't a big change for him. It was his new armor, his blue bodysuit, gold-tipped boots, and his scarlet cape attached to his armor. He had the royal insignia painted on his left breast, marking him as the saiyan prince, even though it was more meaningless now than ever. He looked at himself in his mirror and shook his head. Perhaps it was foolish to try retaining his saiyan culture. But if he let that go, what would he have left? If he left his people, his heritage, behind, then was he truly worthy of redeeming them?

Vegeta stood and strode out to his balcony and looked down at the quaint little set-up. There were a couple rows of chairs for the guests and a small altar of sorts where he and Bulma would stand. There were flowers all over along with other decorations, all blue. He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the humans down below working at a frenzied pace to make sure everything was perfect for the hot-tempered heiress.

'Are you really going to go through with this?' a small voice asked in the back of his mind. He immediately recognized it as his father's. 'You are bringing shame to our race! You cannot interbreed with a pathetic creature like this!'

"Oh really, Father?" Vegeta asked, somewhat amused. "What are you going to do about it? You're not here to stop me. Besides, there are no saiyans besides me left."

'It would be better for you to never take a mate,' the voice persisted. 'It is shameful for the prince to take a mate from another race.'

Vegeta shrugged as his lips quirked in a small smirk. "Shameful? I'll tell you what's shameful. The way our race was living under Frieza's rule. I'm finally doing what we should have done all along: following instinct."

The voice apparently had no reply since Vegeta heard no more protests to his marriage. He honestly didn't care what his father would think of his marriage to his blue-haired human woman. He wanted her and he was going to have her. He decided he had more to live for than fighting and striving to be the strongest. His pride could only increase with such a woman at his side. They could have hybrid children who would become stronger than full-blooded saiyans ever were. He could start a new race, a greater race with just as much pride as his dead people. A race that would never be enslaved by a tyrant overlord and become corrupted.

His decision made, he stepped off the balcony and landed softly on the grass below. He didn't know when the ceremony was supposed to start. He figured it would probably begin once everything was ready, which would be soon. He also didn't know how this ceremony was supposed to proceed, but he figured most of the work would be done by someone else. His job was to show up and say the vows.

Upstairs, Bulma was finished getting ready, and by the looks of it, everything was ready to go. She opened her bedroom door and stuck her head out to make sure the saiyan wasn't around. Seeing that the coast was clear, she tiptoed down the hall to the recreation room where she could still hear several of her friends talking. She went in and spotted Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu. They all looked up when they heard her come in, and she was pleased to note their looks of admiration.

"Hey, Yamcha," Bulma greeted, gesturing for him to come over to her. When he came over she looked up at him and smiled. "Could you go check and see if the Justice of the Peace is here yet?"

Giddy as she was to finally be married to her prince, she didn't see the hurt in his deep brown eyes. She had no idea he still loved her. "Sure, Bulma," he mumbled. "But are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, being tied down to Vegeta…"

Bulma's brows lowered as she listened to her ex-boyfriend. "Yamcha, this is what I want. I know you don't really like him, but he makes me happy."

Yamcha sighed forlornly and nodded. "I know, B. I'm just worried that he won't be making you happy a few years down the road."

"Why don't you let me worry about that, Yamcha?" she snapped. She softened her tone when she reassured him, "He might not say it, but he loves me. Trust me."

Trust. It was always the issue of trust that tore their relationship apart when they were dating. That or the lack thereof. Yamcha took Bulma's hands in his and locked eyes with her as he made one last appeal. "I trust you Bulma, but I don't trust him. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Bulma pulled her hands away from her old lover and looked away from him, unable to meet the intensity of his gaze. It made her uncomfortable. She sighed and turned to leave. "Well, if you won't do it, then I will go check and see if the officiant is here."

She practically ran down the hall to get to the stairs, afraid that Yamcha would try to stop her again. She could hardly believe he was still trying to convince her not to be with the saiyan. She knew Vegeta's temper better than anyone. She knew how he sometimes lost touch with his sanity, how he was prone to violence, and how he was easily angered. Yesterday was a prime example of that. But along with that she also knew that he could be very tender and caring, and she knew he loved her and would never hurt her. She trusted him and couldn't imagine her life without him. She loved him. She needed him.

Bulma found her mother delegating what the caterers should be doing when she reached the bottom of the stairs. A faint smile graced her lips as she watched her mother doing what she did best: entertaining. She hurried over to her mother when she was finally done giving instructions.

"Mom, do you know if the officiant is here yet?" Bulma asked, her eyes darting around to see if she could catch a glimpse of the man with the legal authority to wed her and Vegeta.

"Of course, dear! He arrived a few minutes ago. As soon as everything is set up you can get the ceremony started. Oh, Bulma dear, this is so exciting. My little baby is getting married, and to such a sweet, handsome man!" Bulma's mother clapped her hands together and her cheery demeanor seemed to glow with joy.

Bulma giggled and hugged her mother. "I'm so happy, Mom. This is what I've always wanted."

"I know, sweetie," the blonde woman quipped, "I just wonder how it took you so long to realize it."

Still laughing, Bulma released her mother from her embrace and went to find where the Justice of the Peace had disappeared to. She needed to make sure everything was ready to go as soon as possible. She could hardly wait to be married. She moved quickly through the various rooms of the compound in her search for the man, finally finding him standing in the living room admiring the family photos on the mantle of the fireplace.

The man, probably in his late twenties, turned when he heard the rustling of Bulma's dress and smiled as he held his hand out to her. "Ah, Miss Brief, may I offer my congratulations?"

Bulma grinned and shook his hand. "I'm so glad you could come on such short notice. I'd really like to get this started as soon as possible."

"It's no trouble at all," he reassured her. "I see things are about ready. May I ask which of the men I've seen around is the lucky one?"

"I think you'll know who it is when you see him," she winked. "He is a prince."

She left the dumbstruck man behind as she went to make sure all the preparations were made. Once that was confirmed, all she needed was for Vegeta to take his place along with the officiant and then they could get the wedding underway.

"Dad!" she hissed when she saw Dr. Brief heading for the back door, "Have you seen Vegeta? Can you make sure he gets out there soon? We're about to start."

"Ah, dear, you look lovely," the old scientist praised his daughter as he pulled her into a hug. "I'll make sure the boy gets out there."

Bulma sighed wistfully as she imagined finally having her dream wedding. A small, beautiful garden wedding with just her friends and family and her prince charming. Maybe he wasn't 'charming,' but he was a prince and she loved him, so it worked out in the end. She didn't get the white dress, but she really liked the blue. It looked better on her anyway. She giggled again as she waited for her father to come back.

"Vegeta, my boy, there you are," Dr. Brief said, clapping his hand against the saiyan's back. "I trust you're going to treat my daughter well?"

Vegeta looked down at the shorter man solemnly and nodded.

"Then you have my blessing," the old man replied. "Now then, they're finished setting up out here, so if you would take your place at the front, Bulma would like to begin the ceremony. My wife is rounding up the guests, so we should be starting in the next few minutes."

Vegeta glanced over at the little altar and then back at his soon-to-be father-in-law. "Where?"

Without blinking an eye, Dr. Brief took Vegeta's elbow and guided him over to the altar and showed him where to stand and gave a short summary of what was going to happen. Once he was sure Vegeta was comfortable with the proceedings, he left to find his daughter.

Vegeta stood in his regal poise, his cape billowing in the gentle breeze, as he watched the few guests come out of the compound and start taking seats in the chairs in front of him. He still thought it was stupid that they had to be here for this, but he pushed that thought away for what must have been the millionth time that day. He betrayed a small smirk when he saw a downcast Yamcha take his seat near the back. Vegeta didn't know why he even bothered coming, but he never missed an opportunity to make his life miserable, and this ceremony would certainly accomplish that end.

Some man he never saw before came forward and stood behind him. He figured he must be the person who would legally wed him and the woman. Vegeta's tail dropped from his waist and lazily flicked behind him as he waited for his chosen mate to come out already. Everyone else was here, even her crazy mother, yet she was the one missing. He started to wonder if she had changed her mind. Maybe she decided she didn't want to be mated with him for life. His tail started twitching nervously as his normally rational mind was plagued with these ideas.

Then he heard music playing and remembered the woman's sire mentioning something about that and calmed down. He watched as a crown of sky blue hair came into view before he could see the rest of his mate's body. His stoic expression softened into a pleasant smirk when his eyes caught a glimpse of her milky white shoulders, then the tight navy blue bodice of her dress that flared out from her hips. He could have sworn she was a saiyan princess at that moment. She was now walking up to him with her arm hooked through her sire's with the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face.

They stopped a few feet short of the altar so Dr. Brief could give Bulma away to her prince. Vegeta was pleased, but he didn't miss some of the darker looks he was receiving from some of the members of the crowd. Namely, one scar-faced warrior. His smirk turned a little more devilish as he took Bulma's offered hand as she approached him. She took his other hand once they were facing each other and gazed up into his deep black eyes.

As the officiant started his long, boring speech, as Vegeta considered it to be, he wrapped his tail around Bulma's right wrist and seemed to glow with pride as she wrapped her tiny fingers around it gently. She didn't have a tail of her own, but her right hand was a close enough substitute. He was relieved that she knew what to do.

The rest of the ceremony dragged on for what could have been minutes or hours. Neither the bride nor groom were paying much attention to the passing of time as their eyes locked. It didn't seem real to finally be married. They had waited so long with so much uncertainty, but the day finally came when the androids were gone and they were free to live without a shadow looming over them in the future.

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The officiant's question snapped Vegeta out of his daze.

He didn't know the exact words he was supposed to say, so he just answered, "Hn."

Bulma giggled and mouthed the words 'I do' to her alien groom. Vegeta raised an eyebrow but followed her lead. "I do."

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Bulma smirked as she pretended to mull over the question for a few seconds. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Vegeta snorted. As if he needed to be given permission to kiss his mate if he wanted to. And really, he didn't want to right now because he wasn't too fond of public displays of affection.

Bulma saw his stubborn look of refusal and knew what it was about. Well, she was going to complete the ceremony whether he liked it or not. She reached behind his neck and leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. What she didn't expect was to feel his tail wrap around her waist and pull her closer for a somewhat deeper kiss than she originally intended.

It only lasted a few seconds, but when they broke apart Bulma was blushing a deep crimson while Vegeta wore a smug, self-satisfied smirk. He wasn't going to let her take control like that. Not anymore. She was his mate. His woman. She belonged to him, and she was going to learn her place one way or another. She would submit to him.

After the wedding they moved to the indoor garden where there were tables set up for the reception. The smell of food made Vegeta's mouth water as he took his seat next to Bulma. The celebration started in full swing once the newlyweds arrived, and it wasn't long before Vegeta had a mountain of dirty dishes set out around him as he ate a copious amount of food. Even though he was eating with such fervor, Bulma felt like she was the real meal. His piercing eyes were set on her, and she could see an animalistic nature in them that made her both nervous and excited at the same time.

Many half-hearted congratulations were given to the hot-headed couple as Bulma's friends started taking their leave after a couple hours. Bulma brushed off the looks of sympathy she received, choosing instead to focus on her joy that she was finally married to the Prince of all Saiyans. She already knew most of her friends wouldn't really approve of their relationship. Many of them still held a grudge against her husband. But she didn't care. She knew him like they never would and she could see he was a different man.

When the guests were all gone except for Bulma's parents, the caterers began cleaning up. Outside, everything had already been torn down. Bulma stood with Vegeta at her side and hooked her arm through his.

"Honey," Bulma's mother chimed as she ran over to embrace her daughter and son-and-law, "I just wanted you to know that your father and I are going to be out of town tonight." She winked conspiratorially at them and turned on her heel before they could make a reply.

Bulma shifted her feet nervously as she watched her parents practically sprint away. She had been waiting for this day for so long, but now she was feeling anxious. The heat of Vegeta's gaze was burning through her and she was almost afraid that he was going to hurt her.

"Well, Woman," he purred in her ear, his warm breath tickling her. "I think it's time to be mated in the saiyan ritual."

"And what exactly does that entail?" she breathed.

Vegeta smirked and scraped his teeth against her neck. "It's really quite simple. I make you submit to me."

Bulma shivered and wondered if he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Normally, she hated the idea of submitting to anyone, but the way he said it was very arousing. Her breathing quickened as she shook her head. As much as she wanted to, she thought that perhaps she was supposed to resist giving in. "Like that'll ever happen," she teased.

The saiyan chuckled sinisterly. "You're going to be begging me to dominate you."

The blue-haired woman huffed indignantly and took a step away from her husband with her arms crossed over her chest. She turned her head and frowned. "That'll be the day."

Vegeta's tongue flicked over his canines. He had hoped she would put up a fight. He pulled her back flush against his chest and inhaled her scent deeply. His hands moved down to her hips and pulled her against him harder. "If you don't want to submit," he whispered, "You're still free to run away." He could feel her quivering with excitement. He knew she wanted him. And he could smell her fear, but this time he wasn't offended. It was good for her to be afraid.

Bulma's breath hitched when she felt him grind his hips against hers. Run away? Why the hell would she want to run away? She let out a soft moan. Oh yeah, because the man behind her was a feral animal who just might be planning to tear her apart. That was a good enough reason to run away, right? She pulled away from him, hardly noticing he didn't try holding her back, and took a few hesitant steps forward. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw only the animal side of the saiyan, and it terrified her. She ran.

The caterers watched in confusion as the bride sprinted out of the garden with an expression of pure fear on her face. Behind her, the groom threw his head back and laughed, a dark growl of a laugh that sent terror threading down their spines.

"That's right, run little woman," he chuckled as he let her get a head start. When she disappeared out the door, he pushed aside the feel of her ki and flicked his tail in anticipation. It was time to go claim his mate.

Bulma ran down the long halls of the compound, not really knowing where to go. She knew she didn't have any hope of getting away from the saiyan, he was too strong and fast. Still, she ran with all her strength to prove to him that she wouldn't be so easily overpowered. She skidded to a halt outside of the huge doors to the library and shoved them open. She quietly closed them behind her and walked into the dark room to find a decent hiding place. Crouching behind a tall bookshelf, she pulled her high heels off and cast them aside. If she had to run again it would be ten times easier without them on.

Vegeta walked into the hall and sniffed the air, but it was difficult to determine which way she had gone. Her scent was all over the compound, which made sense considering she lived there. He listened for any sounds that would give her away, but she was far enough from him that she was out of earshot. Good, that made it more of a challenge. Following what he thought was the freshest scent, he turned down a long hall to search for his mate.

He stopped in front of the large wooden doors and smirked. He caught her scent clearly now, its usual sweetness tainted by fear and burning with arousal. He pushed the doors open and stepped into the dark room, his eyes easily adjusting to the lack of light. He licked his lips as he started prowling through the darkness.

"Woman, where are you?" he called out softly as he rounded a corner. He heard movement to his right and grinned.

With no hope of escape, Bulma gathered her strength and made a mad dash for the doors. She knew he could hear her and she felt her dress weighing her down, but she ran for all she was worth. Before she reached the doors, though, a heavy weight came crashing down on her back, knocking her roughly to the ground. She flipped onto her back and stared up into the fiery black eyes of the saiyan prince.

He growled low in his throat and captured her lips in a ravenous kiss. When he pulled back he had an infuriatingly smug smirk on his face. "Are you ready to submit? You don't seem to be putting up much of a fight," he taunted.

Bulma narrowed her eyes at the saiyan and struggled to shove him off her. "I'm not going to give up that easily!" she screamed. With adrenaline pumping through her veins she managed to get him off and then punched his jaw before jumping to her feet and running away again. She felt more excitement when she heard his laughter following her.

Vegeta rubbed his jaw and laughed heartily as he got back up on his feet. This was proving to be more fun than he ever imagined. He knew as soon as she hit him that he had chosen the perfect mate. It was going to be most satisfying to tame her.

Running as if her life depended on it, Bulma made her way back to the main part of the compound, ignoring the burning in her lungs. She hadn't been ready for this kind of exercise when she got married. Why was she running from her husband? She didn't even know, but it seemed like the right thing to do. If only she could get different clothes on, she would have a much easier time running. She threw a glance over her shoulder, and when she didn't see the saiyan, she darted up the stairs to her room.

Vegeta clucked his tongue when he heard her on the stairs. She was so obvious it was humorous. He went to the stairs and went up three steps at a time in perfect silence. He crept down the hall, listening to her moving frantically about in her bedroom. Slowly, he turned the doorknob and nudged the door open and slipped inside, letting the door close behind him with a soft click. He watched in amusement as Bulma whirled around and her eyes widened in shock. She had managed to get out of her dress, having left it on the floor near the bed. She could feel his eyes roving over her body, drinking in the sight of her in her matching navy blue bustier and panties. When she saw him she started backing away.

"You really make this too easy, Woman," he purred as he walked over to her and pulled her to him. "I almost think you want it."

Bulma was rendered speechless as her breath caught in her throat. She gazed up at him with helpless blue eyes and felt her resistance melting away the longer she was in his arms. She shook her head but her body betrayed her when his hands trailed down her sides and pulled her hips closer. She couldn't keep denying her need for him.

But she still had some fight left in her. She slapped his hands away and ran for the door, determined to get away from him. She threw the door open and stumbled out into the hall in her haste to escape the animal in her bedroom. Vegeta growled behind her, more determined than ever to claim her as his own. Let her keep resisting, soon enough she would be begging for him.

When she turned to run downstairs and caught sight of Vegeta coming after her, she was glad that she made it a daily habit of jogging. She might never be able to outlast him, but at least she had some endurance to keep running for a while. She dashed down the stairs, not bothering to look back and see if he was catching up. She already knew he was. She rounded the staircase when she reached the bottom and sprinted down the hall toward her laboratory.

She quickly entered the code to access her lab and slipped inside and slammed the door shut just as Vegeta reached it. She leaned back against the door, the cold metal cooling her hot skin. She breathed a small sigh of relief until she heard something slam against the door behind her. No doubt a saiyan fist. She jumped away from the door and ran down the stairs to find a decent hiding place. That door wouldn't keep him out.

Bulma ducked behind a work table right as Vegeta kicked the door off its hinges. She cursed silently. She would have to fix it again. Not that that was the biggest problem she had on her hands at the moment. She strained her ears to listen for any sounds, but the lab was totally silent aside from her hushed breathing.

"There you are."

She shrieked when Vegeta appeared out of nowhere in front of her and wrapped his arms around her body. She struggled against his hold, but there was no way for her to break free from him. "Let go of me!"

Vegeta grinned and released her, waiting to see what she would do. She pushed herself away from him, backing herself up against the work station. Her chest heaved with her panting as she stared at him. She hadn't expected him to actually let go. Now that he had, she almost wished he hadn't. She liked the way his arms felt around her.

"Are you done running yet, Woman?" he purred as he leaned in closer to her.

Her eyes shifted from his obsidian eyes to his lips. He was so close she could feel his breath. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Done running? From him? He was terrifying her. He was acting more like a wild beast than a person. A predator. It thrilled her. She swallowed, unable to form words.

"Do you submit to me as my mate?" he asked.

Bulma bit her bottom lip and searched for a way out one last time, but there was none. Her eyes went back to his and she nodded. "I will, if you will protect and honor me as your mate," she answered. She wasn't sure where those words came from, but they sounded right.

"I will do everything in my power to defend you for the duration of our lives," he promised, "and you will stand by my side with fullest dignity." Their vows made, Vegeta stroked his thumb over her lips before kissing her forcefully. All that was left was the consummation of their promises. Vegeta picked Bulma up and carried her upstairs to her bedroom to finish their mating.

A/N: That's all, folks! Exactly three months after it began...

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Song: "…To Be Loved" by Papa Roach