Embrace the Wind by Caris Roane Read Free Book Online Page B

for his position as ruler of Swanicott.
    His chest grew tight and hungry for something he’d never had in his entire life, not even with Emily. Could things be different with a woman like Olivia?
    He took another deep breath and forced the question out of his head. At the same time, he recalled how much pain his marriage had brought him. He couldn’t go there again, always worrying about the woman in his life, not so long as the Invictus were such a threat in the Nine Realms. He knew that his fear for Emily’s safety had prompted many of their arguments.
    Once he was dressed, he flew Olivia across the Arundel Mountains, heading to the coastal area where he’d left his Valkyrie.
    When he told Olivia what he was doing, she laughed. “Do you really think it’s still there?”
    “No, of course not. Or at least, not all in one piece. But a vampire can hope.”
    She leaned her head against his shoulder, holding him tight with an arm around his neck. She used her free hand to fondle his bicep. Knowing that she enjoyed his body, he longed for things he shouldn’t even be thinking about.
    Reaching the east coast of Swanicott, he let his internal guidance system direct him back to the spot where he’d left his motorcycle. He groaned. Only a few ripped up chrome pieces remained of the once high-powered machine. He heard a rustling nearby and had a sudden desire to catch one of the damn gremlins and wring its neck. But they were quick devils and would use up way too much of his time and energy to hunt any of them down right now.
    “Ease up, Mastyr,” Olivia said. “Your ire is like a snake crawling over my skin.”
    He blew the air from his cheeks and huffed a sigh. “Fine. They took my bike. I’m letting it go. At least I have a back-up Harley in the garage.”
    “That’s the spirit. Move on.”
    She was damn practical, and as he held his arm wide for her, he couldn’t help but smile. She stepped up onto his booted foot and slid her arm tight around his neck once more.
    Move on. Sounded like a good idea, maybe on more than just one front.
    With Olivia pinned to his side, he rose into the air and headed southeast. His lighthouse compound was a good fifty miles away, and he needed a shower and a change of clothes. Once more he crossed the Maris Luna Inlet, and Wraith Island. He could have taken Olivia back to her home in Barker’s Bend, but right now he didn’t want to let her out of his sight.
    She also seemed oddly accepting of their destination.
    He tried to put himself in her shoes and asked, “Do you need some alone time? Do you want me to take you home?”
    “Hell, no,” she responded quickly. “From what I’ve seen tonight, there’s a good chance you’ll need me again. I’m not going anywhere until this shitty situation with Margetta-the-bitch is resolved, as in, you find a way to kick her out of Swanicott for good. Or break her neck. Though, I’d prefer the latter.”
    Of all the things that had happened over the past couple of hours, even more than learning that Olivia was a blood rose, these words slapped his mind but good. The woman thought the way he thought, speaking aloud his own logic and desires.
    “Good,” he responded simply.
    A few minutes later he landed on the front gravel walk of his home near a several-centuries-old lighthouse. The house faced south with blue shingles and white trim around the door and windows. The shrubs already had a tight, getting-ready-for-winter-look and the lawn had turned beige.
    He opened the door for her and when she moved inside, he offered, “Roam at will.”
    “Thanks.”
    The funny thing was, she didn’t seem all that intrigued by his choice of home or the lighthouse. Most women he’d brought here were fascinated. But then Olivia wasn’t like anyone he’d ever known before.
    He showered and changed into fresh battle leathers and a clean maroon, woven shirt. He had several Guard coats and pulled one from the closet. The boots he’d worn would need