She smiled. “I’ve told you everything. Have you decided on my punishment now?”
“Ah. How should I bring about your next climax?”
“Is that what you call it?”
“Yes, climax, orgasm, those blissful few minutes when you scream and throb and look so wild and beautiful that all I want to do is make love to you all over again.”
Her smile widened. “Well, as a dutiful wife, I will gladly encourage your endeavors.”
“As a dutiful husband, I will gladly make you scream.”
She ran her fingers through his hair. “I should warn you. Women who have been raised on the Isle of Moon are strong and independent. We consider ourselves equal to men in every way.”
His brows lifted. “Does that mean you’re planning to boss me around?”
She skimmed her hand down his neck to his bare chest. “It means I plan to do to you whatever you do to me.”
His mouth ran dry. “I can live with that.”
“How very open-minded of you.”
With a grin, he stood. “You’re a challenge. I like that.” He swooped her up in his arms. “So do you have a preference? Hand? Or mouth?”
Her cheeks blushed a pretty pink. “I like them both.”
Still grinning, he carried her to the bed. “Then you shall have both.” He dropped her on the coverlet. “The night has only begun.”
* * *
The following week was, in Leo’s opinion, the best week of his life. He spent the days touring the duchy with his new father-in-law, who enjoyed having a young man to mentor. Whereas General Harden had taught Leo everything he knew about war and self-defense, Lucas Vintello taught him how to govern with wisdom.
In the evenings, he returned to Vindemar, where he spent half the night making love to Luciana. After years of sensory starvation, he couldn’t get enough of touching her. When they ate, he sat close enough to rub his leg against hers. When they fell asleep, he continued to hold her. In private, he called her Luciana, for it made her smile, and as besotted as he was, he loved making her smile.
The news soon spread that the new duke was sharing his duchess’s bed, and somehow, she had miraculously survived it. The people of Vindemar swelled with pride, for it was their lady who had tamed the Beast of Benwick. And since it was clear that the Beast was cherished by both his wife and the former duke, the people began to accept him, too. For the first time in Leo’s life, the common folk greeted him with smiles instead of fearful cringing.
He knew, however, that this idyllic time could not last. Soon, he would have to take Luciana and her father to court, and during that trip the king would probably try to kill them.
At the end of the week, he received news from General Harden. The Eberoni army had successfully pushed the elfin army back. Unfortunately, news had come down from the north that the Norveshki dragons were raiding once again. So the general had left several troops behind to guard the border with Woodwyn, and was now taking the rest of the army north. Leo sent the envoy back to the general with a letter expressing his thanks and approval.
The next day, Nevis returned with his troop of soldiers and an exhausted Brody. Father Rune had managed to elude them in the marshlands along the Ron River.
Leo suspected the priest was waiting for him to take Luciana and her father to court in Ebton. He’d sent an envoy to the king after his wedding, so he was expecting a reply soon.
The king’s envoy arrived two days later. Leo was ordered to bring his wife to court immediately. There was no mention of her father, so apparently, the former duke was no longer of interest. Leo had successfully made himself the target.
Lucas Vintello suggested they travel by ship. That way they could avoid any traps set by Father Rune on the land route. But when Leo accompanied his father-in-law to the nearby port to book a ship, they were met by some disturbing news. The infamous Tourinian pirate, Rupert, was terrorizing the villages along the coast of Eberon. No ship could travel to the Ebe River without being seized and boarded.
Back at Vindemar, Leo ordered Nevis to take his troop and Leo’s personal guard to protect the villages along the western coast.
“Bad idea,” Nevis protested. “You need us to guard you on your journey to court.”
“I’ll have Brody, Jensen, and Edmund. And I’ll keep one of my personal guard—”
“Not enough!” Nevis growled. “Father Rune is still out there, and the king may have hired even more assassins. It’s my job to protect you.”
“And it’s my job to protect the people of Eberon. Go to the coast and try to capture that pirate. Meanwhile, I think we’ll draw less attention to ourselves as a small group. We’ll pack light, dress plainly, and move quickly. If we stay off the main roads and avoid villages and inns, no one will even know where we are.”
Nevis gave him a skeptical look.
“And don’t forget that my power is still high. I’m very difficult to kill.”
“Difficult to win an argument with,” Nevis grumbled.
“You can accompany us as far as the Ron River,” Leo conceded. “Then you will leave for the coast, and we’ll head north to Ebton.”
* * *
Five days later, they parted at the ferry crossing for the Ron River. The journey through the Duchy of Vindalyn had been smooth since Leo was now the duke and possessed castles along the way for spending the night.
There’d been one awkward moment when they’d left the fortress of Vindemar. After hugging her father good-bye, Luciana had been greeted by the stable master, who had readied her favorite horse for the trip. One look at his wife’s face, and Leo had suspected Luciana didn’t know how to ride.
“Lady Tatiana will ride with me for now,” Leo had announced. “We will bring her horse with us, so she can ride it later if she so desires.”
She’d given him a relieved smile as he’d pulled her up in front of him.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his chest. Her sweet bottom nestled against his groin. “My pleasure.”
When Vindemar was out of sight, he whispered in her ear, “You never learned how to ride?”
She shook her head.
“You’ll be expected to know how at court.” After giving her instructions for a while, she tried riding her horse slowly beside him.
She improved each day, and each night he massaged her sore legs and buttocks, as well as other places that made her writhe with pleasure. Then he teased her that she also needed to learn how to ride her husband with great skill.
Leo smiled to himself. She was a fast learner.
After crossing the Ron River, they moved quickly through the countryside, staying off the main roads. Jensen traveled in front with Brody, who remained in dog form during the day. He remembered Father Rune’s scent from the catacombs, so he preferred to remain as a dog so he could detect if the priest was nearby.
Leo rode beside Luciana, the two of them dressed simply, though he had a sword under his cloak and numerous daggers hidden in his clothes and boots. Edmund remained close by, and behind them, his personal guard Stanley brought up the rear.
Leo estimated it would take four more days to reach Ebton. The first day went smoothly, but on the second day it began raining just after noon. He eyed the sky carefully. There was no sign of lightning. This was nothing more than a summer shower, but still, they were soon drenched and miserable.
Jensen stopped at a farm to ask if he and his friends could have some food and take shelter in the barn for a few silver coins. The elderly couple was thrilled to earn some money with a barn they no longer used and happily sold him two loaves of bread, a wheel of cheese, a roasted chicken, and five bottles of ale.
Leo and his companions settled in the barn, taking care of the horses first. Edmund took the first tour of guard duty, standing outside under the eaves while the rain continued to pour.
Leo took his and Luciana’s saddlebag up to the loft where she was
waiting in her soaked gown. They changed into dry clothes, then joined the others below to eat.
At sunset the rain finally stopped, and Leo used his lightning power to light an oil lantern so they could see inside the barn. Stanley took his turn as guard.
Leo was hugging his wife on a makeshift bed of hay in the loft when she suddenly sat up with a gasp.
“What’s wrong?” He shivered as frigid air surrounded them.
“Tatiana,” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“Your sister’s here?” Leo asked.
Luciana nodded. “She wants to see the court at Ebton. And she’s peeved that I didn’t pack any of her beautiful gowns.”
“We needed to travel light. I’ll have some new gowns made for—” He stopped when Luciana held up a hand to hush him.
She frowned as she listened to her sister, then she gave him a worried look. “She says Stanley ventured off into the woods nearby, and he’s talking to some strangers. It’s dark and they were wearing hooded cloaks, so she couldn’t see their faces, but Stanley called one of them Father.”
Leo stiffened. Father Rune? But that would mean Stanley was betraying him. “That can’t be right. Stanley has been with me for four years. He wouldn’t—” Leo fisted his gloved hands. Dammit. He knew from experience that many men would do anything for the right price. “Did your sister see how many?”
Luciana listened for a while, then said, “She didn’t count them, but she believes there are about a dozen.”
Leo glanced at the blank space where his wife was staring and bowed his head. “Thank you, my lady.” He handed one of his daggers to Luciana. “Remain here until it’s safe.”
She nodded. “Be careful.”
He descended the ladder and gathered Edmund, Jensen, and Brody to explain the situation.
Edmund’s mouth fell open. “Stanley? I don’t believe it.”
“I don’t want to, either,” Leo admitted. “Even so, we must be ready. Saddle the horses. Gather your weapons.”
Brody shimmered, then shifted into human form.
Jensen jumped back. “What the hell?”
Up in the loft, Luciana gasped. “Pirate?”
Leo moved in front of the naked Brody to block his wife’s view. “Nothing to see here.” He glanced back at Brody. “Now you decide to shift?”
“I can’t wield a sword without hands,” Brody grumbled. “Edmund, can you hand me my breeches?”
“Right.” Edmund rummaged through his saddlebags and tossed Brody’s breeches to him.
“What the hell?” Jensen repeated, still staring. “How come I didn’t know about this?”
“Because you were too busy snoring.” Brody fastened his breeches. “I’ve been shifting every night during my guard duty, but you always sleep through it.”
Leo glanced up at the loft where Luciana still looked stunned. “Throw down the saddlebags.”
She did. “I’ve never heard of people who can become animals.”
“Brody is Embraced like us,” Leo explained as he collected their saddlebags. “His gift is the ability to shift into a dog.” Or a seal, but he saw no reason to divulge all of Brody’s secrets.
Luciana gave the dog shifter a wary look. “But I’ve kissed him and rubbed his ears.”
Brody bowed. “Much appreciated, my lady.”
Leo groaned inwardly. At least she hadn’t rubbed his belly. “Jensen, snap to. We need to saddle the horses.”
“Aye, Your Grace.” Jensen went to work, and quickly they had all the horses packed and ready to go.
Suddenly a barrage of fire arrows shot through a window at the back of the barn and landed in a pile of hay. As the flames took hold, Edmund attempted to smother them with an old blanket. The horses reared, sensing danger, but Jensen and Brody caught their reins to settle them down.
Luciana ran to the ladder. “We’d better go!”
“You should remain hidden for now,” Leo warned her. “The assassins will be waiting outside for us.”
Another barrage of fire arrows zipped through the back window, forcing Edmund to retreat. The fire began to spread.
Jensen ran to the front door and slid the bolt. He pushed, but the door wouldn’t budge. “It’s blocked!”
Edmund dashed around the flames to the back door. “This one is blocked, too!”
Luciana gasped. “We’re trapped in here?” Her eyes widened with terror as she watched the growing fire.
“Not for long,” Leo called up to her. He removed his gloves and wedged them under his belt. Sparks flickered around his hands. “This will be over soon. Men, prepare for battle.”
Jensen and Edmund mounted their horses, while Brody took Luciana’s. All three men drew their swords.
Leo extended his hands toward the front doors. Two bolts of lightning shot out and blasted the doors open. He drew his sword and ran. “Charge!”
Chapter Thirty-two
Luciana gasped at Leo’s display of power. After sharing his bed for over two weeks, she’d forgotten how dangerous he could be. With his sword in his right hand, and his left shooting out lightning, he’d dashed through the doors so quickly, he’d become a blur before her eyes.
Jensen, Edmund, and Brody charged after him on horseback.
Tatiana whooped with glee. “This is so exciting!”
Luciana gave her an incredulous look. “Exciting? They could be killed!” She motioned to the growing fire. “And we could burn to death!”
Tatiana scoffed. “Speak for yourself.”
With a growing sense of panic, Luciana wondered what to do. She couldn’t stay inside a burning barn, but the only exit led straight into a battle. Already she could hear the sound of swords clashing and the screams of wounded men. Please, Luna and Lessa, keep Leo and my friends safe.
“Pardon me for having a bit of fun,” Tatiana grumbled. “It doesn’t happen that often since I’m dead.”
Down below, Leo’s horse whinnied and tugged at the reins that tied him to a post. Poor thing, he was as afraid as she was. Luciana wedged her dagger under her belt and started down the ladder.
“Where are you going?” Tatiana floated beside her. “I swear you don’t have any time for me anymore. Every time I try to visit, you’re romping about naked with the—”
“What?” Luciana halted halfway down the ladder.
“Beast,” Tatiana finished. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t stay to watch.” She shuddered.
“Thank you for that,” Luciana muttered as she resumed her descent.
“So does his touch not hurt you at all? Or does all that power make him sizzling hot in bed?”
“I have other concerns right now.” Luciana glanced at the fire as she reached the ground. The back wall of the barn was now completely ablaze, and smoke was filling the air. She crooked her arm against her nose and mouth as she approached Leo’s horse.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Tatiana grinned. “And you thought you were so well educated. I bet the Beast has been giving you a few lessons!”
Luciana patted Fearless, murmuring words of comfort, and he nudged her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of here.”
“So tell me,” Tatiana continued. “Is the Beast an animal?”
Luciana gave her a wry look. “He’s all man. Apparently, the animal is Brody.”
Tatiana’s eyes widened. “Oh, I know! Can you believe it? I was so shocked!”
“Me, too.” Luciana took Fearless’s reins to lead him, but he practically dragged her through the opening. The fresh air was glorious, but she wasn’t sure how safe it was. Halfway hidden behind Fearless, she peered out.
A number of cloaked men lay dead on the ground. A few had attempted to run away, but Jensen, Brody, and Edmund were chasing them down. Leo, with his gloves back on, was tying a bruised and bleeding Stanley to a tree.
“The priest is getting away!” Edmund pointed in the distance at a robed man on horseback.
Leo whistled and Fearless trott
ed over to him. “Ana, come on!” He mounted as she ran toward him, then he hauled her up in front.
“Hold on!” he shouted, and she gripped the saddle horn. He pulled her tightly against him and spurred his horse into a fast gallop.
Father Rune was racing across a meadow, illuminated by the burning barn and the twin moons overhead. Hooves pounded as Leo, Luciana, and their three male companions charged after him.
“Wheee!” Tatiana flew alongside them.
The priest whipped into an old forest, his horse weaving among the trees.
They followed him in, but soon it grew too dark to see him well.
“I think he’s headed for the South Fork of the Ebe River,” Leo said. “Brody, can you smell him?”
“Aye.” Brody took the lead, riding Luciana’s horse.
After a few minutes, there was a wide clearing where the ground dipped into a grassy ditch and the twin moons were able to give them some light.
“The South Fork used to flow through this channel,” Leo said softly.
“There he is.” Luciana pointed at the priest, who was urging his horse up the far side of the ditch. “He’s about to enter the woods again.”
“I see him.” Leo removed a glove and extended a hand.
The priest glanced back, and when the lightning bolt shot out, he pulled his horse sharply to the side. The bolt struck an old oak tree next to them, causing a thick branch to plummet to the ground. The horse reared, dumping Father Rune on the ground before galloping away.
Leo urged his horse down into the ditch. Luciana could see the frightened look on the priest’s face as he scrambled to his feet.
“Surrender,” Leo called out.
Father Rune ran into the woods.
“Hold on.” Leo held Luciana tight as Fearless crossed the ditch, then leaped over the branch to chase after the priest.
Soon they reached the South Fork, and Leo reined his horse to a stop. The other men halted beside them.
The twin moons shone down, casting silver sparkles on the slow-moving river. Father Rune was already halfway across, the water up to his chest.
Leo dismounted. “Everyone, stay back.” He strode to the riverbank. “This is your last chance. Surrender!”