Immortal Surrender by Claire Ashgrove Read Free Book Online Page A

bound him to accept the pairing. With the oaths they were fated to take, the Templar would gain much needed strength. Much as he would like nothing more, he could not walk away from the woman in the bed upstairs.
    And yet … he did not have to stay either.
    “Brother? Is something amiss?” Lucan’s voice drifted down the stairs.
    Farran turned around and raised his glower to Lucan’s face. “You will go to her apartment. Fetch her cat. Fetch her things. Deliver them all to Mikhail.”
    Lucan’s gaze narrowed with suspicion. “I trust you do not seek to have the maid to yourself?”
    “Nay!” God’s teeth, nay. He would no more touch her now than he would touch a snake. He would say his oath, deliver her to the temple, and leave with the first light.
    Cocking his head, Lucan studied him. Slow dawning filtered into his expression, and he answered with a thoughtful nod. “You recognize her mark. I shall have her mate sent here.”
    Farran exhaled through his teeth. At his thigh, he clenched a hand into a tight fist. “There is no need for such.”
    “Farran, you cannot be serious. She must be paired at once. ’Tis written—”
    “She is mine, Lucan.” With the vile truth exposed, Farran stormed out the door.
    *   *   *
    Noelle stirred inside her warm cocoon. Snuggling deeper into what felt like a pile of down, she savored the last fragments of the dream where Farran had held her. Such wonderfully strong arms. Hard and gentle all at once. And he smelled good too. Like wet woods and oranges. All man.
    Eyes still closed, she smiled and rolled over to cuddle with her pillow. As she moved, the dull throb of pain cut through her early morning bliss. She winced and opened her eyes. Instead of the muted blue of her room, warm yellow covered the walls. Frowning, she searched for the explanation as to how she got here.
    “Good eve, damsel.” Low and rough, Farran’s voice washed over her.
    In a flurry, reality crashed into her. Not a dream—he’d saved her after the SUV flipped. He’d carried her to another vehicle, and he’d rescued her from the cold.
    The heavy blanket covering her slipped as she sat up. It caught on her breasts, exposing bare skin to chilly air. She clutched at the brushed cotton, desperate to cover herself, and felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up her throat. Naked. How absolutely mortifying.
    “There is no need for modesty, Noelle. I have seen it all before. ’Twas I who undressed you when you proved too difficult for Louise to shift.”
    The heat in her cheeks intensified, and she dropped her head to hide her humiliation. He’d seen her naked. No one had ever seen her naked. God, he’d know how small her boobs were, discover her bra was padded. Covering her burning face with her hands, she groaned. “You were supposed to be my hero, not my humiliator.”
    Heavy footsteps approached the bed. “I am no one’s hero, damsel. How do you fare? Your head, does it pain you?”
    Fingertips moved through her hair, pushing it out of her face. A strong hand cupped her chin, tipped her head toward the light. He brushed his thumb over her temple, and she winced. “Ouch.”
    “’Tis no wonder. You have a baseball of a knot.”
    She stared at his abdomen as he inspected her wound. This close, the scent she’d remembered so vividly engulfed her. Memories of how comfortable his arms had been swamped through her, and she resisted the overwhelming temptation to lock her hands around his waist and rest her cheek against his massive chest. How this giant of a man could possess such a gentle touch mystified her. Yet his fingers were nothing less than tender.
    With a satisfied nod, he stepped away. His gaze lingered, probing her with unsettling ale-brown warmth. “Your ribs. Can you breathe without pain?”
    She nodded. “They hurt, but I’m okay.”
    He reached for the blanket, as if he meant to inspect them as well, and Noelle scrambled backward into the pillows. Consternation creased his