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“Why in bloody damnation did you nay tell me what happened to my sister?” No sooner had Magnus lain his hand upon the door latch than Anya’s shouts rang in the corridor.
So much for nothing stopping him. Grinding his teeth, he faced the irate little human barreling toward him. “Lady Anya, how good to see you.”
He’d barely gotten the words out when she launched into another tirade. “Good to see me my red arse! You good for nothing son of a—”
“Anya!” Riggs’s bellow preceded him as caught up to her and swept her behind him. “Your Majesty,” he said breathlessly, as though he’d been running full out. “Forgive her. She is distraught over Lady Seona.”
“Distraught? Dis-traught?” Anya pounded Riggs with her fists in an attempt to escape the arm that pinned her behind him. “I’ll show you distraught, you overgrown boar! ’Tis Seona who ought to be distraught after being thrown from a bloody cliff and living to tell the tale!”
The guard outside Seona’s chamber put his body between Magnus and the arguing lifemates. At the same time the door cracked open.
“Sire,” said the guard he’d posted inside. “Do you need me?”
“No. Stay with Lady Seona.”
With a nod the guard sealed the door. The sound of the lock tumbling satisfied him. At least Seona was safe from this commotion.
During his exchange with the guard, Anya and Riggs had come toe to toe. “—not good for our baby,” Riggs was saying.
“I’ll tell you what’s good for our bairn,” Anya spat. “And that’s for me to see. My. Sister!”
Anya was right. He loved Seona, truly and dearly, but Anya did as well. His plans to spend time alone with her would have to wait, because Anya had as much claim to her time as he did. He would see the sisters reunited as soon as possible. But not yet.
Before he could address Anya, his war chieftain, Cathal, strode toward them. “Sire, I heard a commotion. Is all well? We’ve been waiting in the solar for the conference you promised. We have information about the prisoner Bilkes.”
Ah, yes. Bilkes. So many things required his immediate attention. There was also the matter of Hyrk. There was no telling where the vile being was or when he would strike again.
“And there’s another thing!” Anya rounded on him. “When were you intending to inform me that good for nothing messenger had escaped? And absconded with Seona?”
His temper could bear no more. “Enough!”
Instantly, the corridor fell silent.
Anya blinked at him with startled eyes. Cathal assumed a stance of respectful attention beside the door guard. Riggs’s jaw clenched.
“You will remember to whom you are speaking, Lady Anya,” he said as he pinned his shoulders back. “And you will refrain from shouting at the top of your lungs about the miracle your lifemate and I witnessed this day.”
Anya opened her mouth, no doubt to protest. He cut her off with a slice of his hand. “Unless you have an apology on your tongue for raising your voice to me, you will hold it in check. I am yet gathering information about today’s events. I understand your desire to reunite with Lady Seona. You will have your time with her. For now, be assured Giles has found her to be in perfect physical health.”
He was not surprised Anya cocked her head at his emphasis on the word physical. The little human’s intuition would yank them all off course if he allowed it. Before she could give voice to the myriad questions in her eyes, he began issuing commands.
“Riggs, you will escort Lady Anya to my solar and wait for me there.” He turned to Cathal. “I will meet you there as well, but first summon Maedoc and Clem.” The captain of his knights and the head of his royal council must be included. “You will tell me all you have discovered, and we will discuss what must be done.”
Cathal bowed his head in acknowledgement and departed.
“Daly,” he greeted his head servant as he approached with his ever-efficient gait. “Have refreshments brought to the solar. Lady Anya and Lady Seona will require their midday meal.”
“Of course, Sire.” Daly followed in Cathal’s wake.
Anya was not so quick to be dismissed. “You’ll bring Seona to your solar? You’ll allow me to see her?”
“Of course, Lady Anya. I have told you as much. Your lifemate is correct.” Riggs seemed to have forgotten their argument. He held her against his side with a possessive arm. Magnus met the knight’s eyes with a meaningful look before returning his attention to Anya. “I have not forgotten the treasure you carry, dear lady.” Her womb held the first child conceived in nearly twelve years. He would be not only heartless but a witless fool to allow her stress to continue.
Anya placed a hand over her still-flat abdomen. Indeed, their people’s latest blessing was still new and at its most fragile. Riggs settled his hand over hers and gazed lovingly at her.
“I would not have you fret for Lady Seona a moment longer,” Magnus assured her. “All your inquiries will be addressed, and you will have your time with her. But be warned. I shall deal with the threat to my kingdom before all else.” Because he knew Anya was not one to be convinced easily, he took a step closer and grasped her shoulder in an affectionate hold. “At your request, I remained patient where your sister was concerned. Now you will do the same for me. Yes?”
Anya thinned her lips but managed to say, “Aye, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Sire,” Riggs said, and he guided Anya toward the solar.
Hoping Anya would not become a distraction during the impending meeting, he returned to the Orange Blossom chamber. Too long had he been separated from Seona. His chest felt tight, and only laying eyes on her again could loosen the sensation.
If he hadn’t already decided she would remain by his side for all that must take place today, the empty feeling her absence caused would have sealed it. He needed her with him. Not only that, but he wanted her with him with a desperation he could scarcely comprehend.
Anya’s request that he give Seona time and space had affronted him, but only because it grated to have his actions dictated by another. Not because he longed to bask in Seona’s nearness and shower her with affection as he did now.
That was not all he longed for. This new Seona might have no memories, but she possessed intelligence and curiosity in abundance. He had not forgotten the question she’d asked during their return to the castle this morning. She’d wanted to know what dangers they faced. Beneath her wonder at experiencing everything as if for the first time, she had the desire and courage to face what needed facing. He longed to encourage those queenly qualities by including her, especially when she, herself, would be one of the subjects of discussion.
If he was honest, he also coveted her admiration. He wished for her to witness the command he wielded. He wanted to impress her with his ability to rule justly and act swiftly. Never before had he experienced the desire to be observed by another whilst conducting kingdom affairs.
Marveling at these new feelings, he entered the chamber and sent his guard back to his post outside. Pulling the door closed, he searched for Seona. Warmth like sunlight replaced the empty ache in his chest when he found her before the armoire, fingering the fine gowns within. Her lavender dressing gown shimmered in the light of the ornate sconces. The silken fabric highlighted the too-sharp angle of her hip. Even thinner than she ought to be, she stole his breath with her beauty. From her crown of walnut waves to the creamy length of her legs to her grace as she lifted a sleeve to test its softness against her cheek, she beckoned to everything male in him.
He stalked to her, humming appreciatively in his throat. Stopping a breath away from her back, he said, “Do they please you, my lady?”
He’d commissioned the gowns shortly after her rescue, but she had yet to wear a single one, refusing them, according to Anya, as “the trappings of those vile wolf people.” She did not seem to find them distasteful now.
“They are exquisite,” she said, confirming his suspicion.
“As is the one they were created for.” He dared to kiss her silk-clad shoulder, a brief, almost chaste brushing of his lips.
She did not protest. Rather, she turned her head just enough that he could glimpse the coy smile dimpling her cheek.
How had he not noticed before just how alluring she was? He drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the freshly-washed scent of her. Lavender, orange blossoms, and vanilla danced in his senses with a hint of female musk. Intoxicating.
“May I recommend the forest green?” He reached past her to lower the dress in question from its place. The act pressed him snug into her so her rounded backside cradled his swelling cock. Yes, lady. Feel what I have for you, if you’ll only accept it, accept me. Goddess, accept me!
“You may,” she said, easing backward to mold herself even tighter to him. The motion put delightful pressure on his length as it thickened and hardened. “But who shall dress me? I see no servants near at hand.”
The gown filled both his hands. Turning it just so, he held it against her, one hand supporting the ruffled collar near her throat, the other flattening the V of the garment’s waist to her flat stomach. “Hm. Daly was up a moment ago, but I sent him to see to your midday meal.” He could not help edging his hips forward. “And I have not seen any of the servant pups since your bath.”
“Pity,” she cooed, letting her head fall back on his shoulder. “It seems I shall have to remain in my dressing gown.” She turned in his arms, making him wish he was not holding an elaborate gown so he could crush her to his chest. “Or wear nothing at all.” She lowered her lashes. When they lifted to reveal her eyes, unmistakable hunger shone forth.
By Danu! She was tempting him! And according to what he’d learned from Giles, her motivation was pure. With her memories lost, she had no reason to mislead him in this.
Caring not one whit for the gown, he closed his arms around her slender form, garment and all. She felt delicate held to him like this, but so right. Their bodies were a perfect fit for one another.
Pin pricks of pleasure cascaded over every inch of him. His body hadn’t sung like this for a woman in—he couldn’t remember how long. Perhaps never. The rustling of abused fabric only heightened his arousal. If only there were time to stoke that pleasure higher, to stoke hers as well! How he longed to show her what it would be like to become his mate! He would ensure that if her memory returned she would be bound to him by the knowledge of how well he could please her. She would be unable to reject him again.
“I would enjoy nothing more, my lady, than to spend the afternoon appreciating your natural, radiant beauty. But I am afraid we have an appointment, you and I.” Regret was a blade to his gut.
Tonight, he vowed. He would show her tonight. And by the moon, nothing—and no one—would stop him.
“An appointment?” The hunger in her eyes gave way to excitement. “With whom?”
He was right to assume she would want to be included. Her bright curiosity confirmed it.
“With my advisory council, my war chieftain, my priest, and,” he stroked a thumb over the paw print on her cheek. “Your sister.”
He watched for any sign of recognition on her lovely face, but there was none. Only innocent interest. “You speak of Anya.”
He nodded, annoyed he would have to release her in order to dress her. But to see her nude again...
“Well, I cannot meet my sister in a dressing gown.” Apparently, she was thinking the same thing. One delicate eyebrow arched, and a grin pursed her lips. It was a wholly un-innocent expression.
“No, you cannot,” he agreed.
“What are we to do then?” Her voice dipped into husky tones that belonged wrapped in silken bed linens and luxurious furs.
His face lowered to hers. The act of breathing the same air felt natural, even necessary. “I shall have to take on the role of lady’s servant, I suppose. Though you deserve one much more experienced than I.”
She raised her face, bringing their mouths within a hair’s breadth. “As you’ve said. And as I’ve said, I expect you shall make up for it with your experience in other matters of the bedchamber.”
He could not form words, so powerful was his wanting of her. Instead, a feral growl ripped from his throat. Dropping the gown, he seized her head with both hands and descended on her like the raving beast she roused in him.
* * * *
Two thousand years. That was how long it had been since Danu had been blessed with a lover’s kiss. There were so many questions she had, so many things she must learn in order to thwart Hyrk, but the sensations roaring through her new mortal body eclipsed all else.
All that mattered was the king possessing her with his kiss and the passion sparking between them.
Intimacy. How she craved it after so many lonely years in cold and darkness! What a treasure it was to be wanted like this and to want in return!
She’d created her precious wolfkind to require companionship. They could not thrive alone. Neither could she. Though she could not die, loneliness had diminished her these past centuries. Pieces of her moonsoul had shriveled and curled in on themselves like fallen leaves. No single kiss, no matter how perfect, could replenish those desiccated pieces of her. But the intensity of Magnus’s affection for her—and hers for him—gave her hope.
She drank of Magnus’s kiss. He took her mouth savagely, as if his very existence depended upon this connection with her. His hold on her shouted possession, his fists clenching the silk of her dressing robe. He’ll ruin the fabric, she thought with delight.
She returned his ferocity with her own. Her hands clutched at his back, fingers like talons. Her tongue tangled with his, each vying for dominance. The battle was delicious. They would both prevail in the end.
Lust smothered all other cares. It shone like a hedonistic star. Take pleasure. Enjoy. Thrive.
Kissing was no longer enough. Her mortal body thrummed with need so potent it would not be denied. Unbidden, mewls of desperation escaped her.
Magnus received them and gave them back in fierce, private growls. Their sounds mingled in their open mouths. The vibrations drove her lust higher.
Memory failed her. She could not recall a time when she’d needed anything so intensely.
“Take me,” she commanded between kisses. She pushed away from Magnus to tear the dressing gown off her burning body. Her sex throbbed, and only this man could sate her.
Magnus’s chest heaved with his quickened breath. His irises had shrunk to sharp halos of golden light. His pupils expanded to drown her in their warm, welcoming depths. “Nothing would please me more.” His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. “But there is much to be done, and I will not be rushed when I take you the first time.” Pain etched his strong features. His desire was more than apparent, and yet he denied her.
She stared, dumbfounded. He was telling her no. He needed her as badly as she needed him. She was a goddess, and had commanded him to quench the flames licking at both their bodies. And he denied her.
She should be furious. But she was not. In fact, admiration took the fire under her flesh and changed it into something she could live with. Because he spoke true. There was much to be done. He was wise to understand that his kingdom was in jeopardy. In denying what they both burned for, he was putting his people first. She understood this. He was taking his duty seriously.
As she had failed to do that day with Lachlan and Jilken. She had wagered with Hyrk and reduced the mortal ruler of her people to no more than a horse in a footrace. Guilt overwhelmed her. How inadequate she was as a goddess! Her father must be so disappointed in her.
“Shh, no, my lady.” Magnus cupped her cheek and kissed sweetly at the corner of her mouth, which she realized was pursed in displeasure—aimed squarely at herself. She had so much to make amends for. She’d left her people defenseless while she wasted centuries upon centuries in her enemy’s dungeon.
“It has been so long,” she said, despondent over her failure. Her once thriving people faced extinction because of her foolishness. It was a wonder this king still had faith in her. She certainly didn’t deserve it.
Her self-loathing turned to determination. She would make amends. She would destroy Hyrk once and for all and shower blessing after blessing upon her people. She had two thousand years of wrongs to right. Only then could she bear to face her father again.
Strong arms folded around her. Magnus’s bearded chin rested atop her head. His warmth strengthened her resolve. She was not alone in this fight. Magnus knew of Hyrk, though she had yet to determine how much he knew. Together, they would overcome the vile demigod. She vowed it in her heart.
“It will have to be even longer, I am afraid,” he said, unaware of the battle she’d begun mentally preparing for. “But do not despair. Tonight, I will give you all you seek. And then some.” A cocksure grin dimpled his bearded cheek as he set her away from him and recovered the dropped gown.
He thought she’d said, “so long” in relation to having a man in her bed. And he attempted to reassure her. He cared that she suffered the effects of unsated lust. However misguided, his caring caused a tingle of something new and tender to bloom deep inside. The sensation was small but so precious, so novel. She longed to experience it again and again.
“Now, sweet lady, I shall attempt to dress you without ravishing you. Think you I can accomplish such a feat?”
She shivered, but not from cold. In fact, between the heat of the fire and the warmth from Magnus’s body, the cold from Hyrk’s dungeon was well and truly banished. Her skin pebbled under the golden gaze raking over her. Her nipples hardened to stony points. With nothing more than his voice and that gaze of his, Magnus had rekindled her lust.
But that would wait. Until tonight—she would hold him to his promise. But for now, if she was to become the goddess she had failed for so long to be, she needed to learn all she could about her present-day people and the threat Hyrk posed to them.
Above all else, she must find her moonstone. Only then could she return to her true form and leave this fragile, mortal body. Only then could she wield the power she would need to slay her enemy once and for all.
“I think you can,” she answered as Magnus began to swath her in filigreed fabric and lace. “I am beginning to believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” And so could she, even in this temporary mortal body.
