except for the man holding her who promptly cursed again.
Shifting, he lifted her up high on his chest with one hand beneath her knees
and the other at his back. The scent of him was enough to make her lose her
mind.
“I will kill anyone who disturbs us.” From the look in his
eyes, no one doubted it, or what he had planned.
Chapter 4
Nori got a brief glimpse of the castle before she was taken
through two great wooden double doors. It was enough to see that it had at
least two towers and a high rock wall surrounding it, with soldiers patrolling
both the extensive grounds and the walls themselves. It was a massive edifice,
all gray stone walls and colored glass inset windows was the impression she
received before she saw no more. She was too distracted by the scent of her
mate. She turned in his arms and buried her face in his neck, her arms around
his shoulders. He adjusted his hold with very little effort, cradling her in
his arms and stomping as fast as seemly through the herculean doors.
“My Lord!?” The voice was feminine and outraged. But
neither Menelaus nor Nori noticed until a woman planted herself in the way.
Which was either a very brave or very stupid thing to do. “What happened to
you? And who is that?”
“Leanne, get out of the way, or sister or no I will step
over you.” But she still ignored him and Nori was amazed that she had the
courage. She seemed overly delicate, or at least she looked it from high in
Menelaus’ arms.
“Is this the woman you went to collect?”
“Yes,” he barked, “Now for the last time. Get. Out. Of.
The. Way.”
“The law is clear. I need to know she is not forced.” Nori,
who had been concentrating on not nuzzling up against his neck and licking
behind his ear, was finally brought out of her sexual haze by the woman’s firm
voice. Of average height with pretty brown hair and concerned brown eyes, she
was looking at Nori, and her next question was directed at her.
“Are you willing?” She asked, her voice kind.
King Menelaus suddenly got very tense. He practically
turned to marble at the question, his arms tightening into steel bands.
Clearly he did not like the question, nor the way Nori’s eyes were flashing
from green to lavender. She closed them, taking a deep breath, fighting the
desire she had to just say yes, and she could feel him willing her to say it. But
he knew as soon as her green eyes met his what her answer would be.
“N…” His lips cut her off, melding into hers with a
punishing intensity that had her clinging to him and dueling with his tongue.
The woman was forgotten, the question was forgotten, hell she forgot her own
name as the passion zinged through her and the mating dance began again. She
was not aware of the protests being voiced and then abruptly halted when he
dropped her legs and she wrapped them around his waist in a show of acrobatics
and mutual need. Leanne was pulled out of the way by General Renik who had
come in behind them.
“But she was going to say no.”
“She is not saying no now My Lady.” That much was obvious
to everyone. “Leave them be. There are men outside who need your healing
touch.”
How they made it upstairs without killing themselves falling
down was a mystery. Menelaus entered the large king’s chamber, and startled
two maids in the process of readying his bath.
“Out!” he barked and they scattered, the door slamming
behind them. Then they were on the bed and he yanked her tunic over her head ,
then the under tank that held her breasts in. He growled in satisfaction when
her breasts were finally bare to his gaze. She had been hiding quite a bit
under her tunic.
Nori, her eyes a feral green, distracted him by ripping away
his tunic with no problem, leaving him naked from the waist up. He was
rippling with muscles and a dark smattering of hair. His hands went to her
breasts and hers went to the ties of his