In the Flesh

  It was midmorning when Wulf’s carefully cultivated warrior’s senses told him they were no longer alone in the room.

  He moved instinctively to shield Katie with his body and was astonished at the speed with which a dark hand snaked through the drapes to slap a neurosignature badge against the skin of her upper arm. His body instantly dropped to the mattress.

  Katie had been transferred right out from under him.

  With a howl of rage, he rolled from the bed, slipping under the voluminous curtains and reaching for the glaive that rested atop his discarded trousers. He engaged the blade a scant moment before his aggressor’s first offensive move nearly cut him in half.

  Deflecting the blow and kicking out with his legs, he bought himself time enough to spring off the floor and land on his feet. He froze for an instant in surprised recognition then swiftly parried the next attack.

  “General Erikson,” he acknowledged tersely, relieved that Katie was in loving hands. Then he steeled himself to deal with her father’s obvious wrath.

  “Prince Wulfric.”

  Grave Erikson faced him with a glaive in each hand, the two glowing white blades spinning in opposite directions, creating an impenetrable shield for his body.

  “Naked as the day you were born,” the general growled, kicking aside an intrusive chair. “Fitting that you should end your life the way you began it.”

  With that ominous statement, he lunged, one blade thrusting, the other parrying.

  Distantly, Wulf’s mind registered the sounds of his guardsmen trying to enter the room. Altering his position, he faced the doorway and saw that Erikson had attached a disrupter to the controls. Wulf was relieved. If his men entered the room, the possibility that Katie’s father could be injured would be greatly increased.

  Sweat stung Wulf’s eyes as he fought defensively; refusing to risk injury to the father of the woman he loved. It took all his skill to keep Erikson’s blades from penetrating his defenses. The fury that goaded the general’s actions seemed endless. And deadly.

  “Fight back, damn you!” Erikson yelled.

  “I can’t. Katie would never forgive me if I hurt you.”

  Suddenly, decisively, the general stepped back and disengaged his blades. Wulf cautiously did the same. Darkness descended upon the room as the laser light retracted and disappeared.

  “You’ve improved much, Your Highness, since the last time we sparred,” Erikson said, with just a hint of breathlessness. “And you were damn good then.”

  Wulf tilted his head in acknowledgment, his eyes wary, his stance tense with expectation. “Where are your men?”

  “I came alone. Bringing men with me would have been a military incursion. I am here as a father.”

  “I need her back, General.”

  “You have no claim to her.”

  “I love her.”

  “Don’t speak of love to me!” Erikson snapped. “Do you know how I located my daughter? Her abuse in the town square yesterday is today’s gossip. If you can’t protect her, you don’t deserve her.”

  Wulf’s face heated. “I would protect her with my very life.”

  “You stole her!” The general stepped forward, the fists holding his glaive-hilts white-knuckled with tension. “You took her from a place where she is revered and brought her to a place where she is reviled. Endangered from every side. A target for anyone who has a grudge against Sari.”

  Wulf straightened, shrouding his nakedness with regal dignity. “I’ve made many mistakes regarding your daughter, General, but I’m prepared to rectify them. Katie is precious to me.”

  “She is nothing to you. Forget she exists.”

  “Not a chance,” Wulf vowed.

  Erikson’s gaze narrowed. “You’ll have to get through me to get to her. It would be far less painful to find a new D’Ashierian concubine.”

  Wulf stepped forward.

  The belt on the general’s waist beeped an alarm. “Time’s up, Your Highness.”

  Executing a quick bow, Erikson transferred out.

  Stunned by the sudden end to the conversation and the loss of Katie after she’d been so recently found, Wulf stood frozen.

  Katie was gone without knowing he wished to make her his consort.

  She’d left him yesterday and he had promised her nothing since then that would change her mind. Would his profession of love be enough to bind her to him? She’d refused to talk about tomorrow or the future, as if they had none. Her last bittersweet kiss still lingered on his lips. Despair ripped through him like the lash of a whip.

  She wasn’t coming back. He knew it, felt it in his bones.

  Chapter 15

  “I know he loves me, Daddy, but it’s not enough.”

  Sapphire paced the length of her father’s study, her chest plagued with a dull and throbbing ache.

  “Do you love him?” her father asked gently from his seat on the damask-covered sofa.

  She heaved out her breath and tossed him a self-deprecating smile. “Hopelessly.”

  Being apart from Wulf felt as if she was missing a part of herself. She missed his arrogant demands for her undivided attention and the way he could focus all of his on her. She missed his laughter and the sound of his voice, which could soothe or arouse depending on his mood. She missed the smell of his skin and the weight of his body over hers. She was addicted to him, sometimes wanting him so badly that she shook with it.

  As she moved around restlessly, Grave’s gaze stayed on her. “Do you want to stay here with your mom and me? Do you want to go back to your home?”

  Home. Was it really only weeks ago that she’d been ecstatic over the gift of her freedom? It seemed as if a lifetime had passed. “It’s not home, Daddy. It comes with conditions I’m not willing to meet.”

  “I understand. Perhaps a vacation, then?” His dark eyes were filled with concern. “An off-world trip? Sometimes, getting away is the best medicine.”

  She stilled, then broke into a wide smile. “That’s a wonderful idea. I’m going to track down the merc responsible for the attack against Wulf.”

  “What?”

  “I need to find out why Wulf was attacked, what the intent was. I need to know if he’s still in danger.”

  “You’re in no condition to go on a hunt like that,” he protested. “You need your head on straight first, or you put yourself at risk.”

  “My head is on straight.” Her gaze swept around the wood-paneled room, finding comfort in its familiarity. “I’ll be thinking about Wulf no matter what I do. At least this way, I can focus that concentration on something positive.”

  Grave leaned forward. “This isn’t a short jaunt you’re talking about. It could take years for you to find Gordmere. I can’t bear the thought of you being away that long.”

  Sapphire sank onto the sofa beside him. “This is for the best. I’m sure of it.”

  “Perhaps you should talk to your mother first.”

  She glanced down at her hands. “Mom is a romantic.”

  His smile was indulgent. “True.”

  “I have no regrets.” Sapphire lifted her gaze to meet her father’s. “You should see how driven he is, how much of himself he gives to D’Ashier. He is deliberate, focused, unwavering…except when it comes to me. It’s worth the heartache to have been loved like that by such a man, however briefly.”

  Her father’s hand came up and brushed the hair from her face. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Daddy.” She nuzzled into his palm. “Besides, Gordmere has to be stopped. I can do it. I’m more than capable.”

  “It’s not like you to run from trouble.”

  They both looked toward the melodious voice coming from the doorway. Sasha Erikson entered the room, bringing with her a palpable energy.

  Sapphire wrinkled her nose. “You have no idea how determined Wulf can be, Mom, or how stubborn. The more impossible our circumstance, the more obstinate he becomes. Once I’ve removed myself, he’ll have a chance to reconsi
der. Then, he’ll realize this was the right decision for both of us.”

  “If you love each other, maybe—”

  “It’s impossible, Mom. His family…I deserve better.”

  “Of course,” Grave soothed. “I would never allow you to be anything less than the most important person in your man’s life.”

  She turned to her father. “Then you’ll help me leave?”

  “If that’s what you really want, I’ll see to it.” Grave pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

  “Yes! I’ll go pack.” Sapphire leaped to her feet and bolted from the room.

  Sasha moved toward her husband in the innately sensual glide that had made their union inevitable. He’d taken one look at her and knew he would have her. Not having her simply hadn’t been an option.

  She took the seat recently vacated by their daughter and rested her blonde head on his shoulder. “I feel for her, Grave. Why did she have to fall in love with the one man impossible for her to have?”

  “It’s not impossible, but it is exceedingly difficult and expensive. They’d both pay dearly.”

  “We’d pay, too.”

  “Yes. I’m not sure any of us is prepared or willing to afford it.”

  Tilting her head back, Sasha stared up at him.

  He stroked the elegant curve of her spine. “It won’t be long before the prince comes after her. He’s in rut. He isn’t thinking clearly.”

  “Maybe there is love with the lust? Why not keep her here until he comes, so they can find out?”

  Grave exhaled harshly. “Because this isn’t a fairy tale, Sasha. To be with him, she’d have to give up everything. Renounce her homeland. Wulfric, too, may lose all he holds dear—including the throne. I refuse to make it easy for them.”

  “Poor Katie.” Wrapping her hand around his nape, she pulled his mouth to hers. “I’ll go help her pack, then.”

  Sapphire watched as the last of her trunks disappeared off the transfer pad. She’d already said her good-byes. Now there was nothing left to do but embark.

  Leaving was harder than she’d thought it would be. She’d been off-world many times before, having traveled with the king for a variety of reasons. But this time was different. She was leaving her old life behind and she wondered how she would reinvent herself as time passed. She couldn’t silence the part of her that wanted to return to Wulf and take whatever he was able to give her. But she knew she would never be happy with anything less than all of him, and he could never give her that when torn by loyalty to his family and his Crown.

  Steeling herself with the renewed conviction that she was doing the right thing, Sapphire moved onto the transfer pad. She turned to signal the controller that she was ready to go to the ship, but blinked in surprise as Dalen stepped onto the pad beside her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Going with you.”

  “I only needed you to help me with my luggage.”

  “But I want to leave with you, Mistress.” He smiled. “I’ve always wanted to travel and you’ll need help to get settled.”

  “I won’t be settling anywhere. I’ll be working, Dalen. It will be dangerous and tiring, there will be no time for comforts—”

  “Sounds lovely.”

  “You just returned from D’Ashier.”

  “See? This trip will seem like a vacation after that.”

  Sapphire eyed the handsome blond man carefully. “Why?”

  He understood. “You can protect yourself, but I’d rest easier if I were with you. My eldest brother was a captain under your father during the Confrontations. He swears the general saved his life. My family owes a huge debt to yours. Attending you is the least I can do.”

  “This isn’t—”

  “Necessary. I know.”

  “All right.” She shrugged. “If you don’t like it, just tell me and I’ll arrange for you to return to Sari.”

  “Agreed.” Dalen rocked back on his heels and grinned.

  She signaled their readiness to the pad controller. Instantly they found themselves on the transfer bay of the interstellar transport The Argus. It would take two days to reach Tolan, where—according to intel—Tarin Gordmere was last seen.

  Glancing at Dalen, she smiled at his boyish excitement. Perhaps it would be good to have someone she knew with her as she started a new life for herself.

  A life without Wulfric.

  “What do you mean you can’t find her?”

  Wulf’s patience had run thin about an hour after Katie had transferred away. Now, a week later, his patience was gone.

  The captain met his gaze without flinching. “We lost her nanotach signal yesterday and we’ve been unable to recover it.”

  “Lost it? What the hell does that mean?”

  “Either she’s removed the nanotach or she’s out of range of our receptors.”

  Wulf drummed his fingers in rapid staccato on the desktop. “Out of range? How far would she have to travel to be out of range?”

  The captain’s lips pursed before he replied, “The nanotach signal would be detectable anywhere on the planet.”

  Wulf stood. “Are you telling me she’s off-world?”

  “It’s a possibility, Your Highness.”

  “Damn it.”

  Here he’d been impatiently waiting for Katie to contact him. He had wanted to reach out to her, but worried that doing so would put her at risk with the king. He’d thought for sure she would remember their last night together and his declarations of love, and find a way to reach him.

  He had no way of knowing whether she’d chosen to leave—or had been given no choice.

  “Find General Erikson. Now!”

  “Good evening, General.”

  Wulf watched as Katie’s father casually lifted his gaze from his book. Lounging on a green sofa, the general didn’t appear the least bit surprised to see Wulf, as if an enemy prince standing in his study was a commonplace occurrence. Of course, Wulf had made it clear that he wasn’t letting Katie go without a fight. And he doubted the general was ever caught off guard by anything.

  “Good evening, Your Highness,” Erikson replied. “Nice to see you with clothes on. Would you care for an ale? Or perhaps something stronger?”

  “No, thank you. I’ve come for Katie. Where is she?”

  “You’re too late.” Erikson snapped the book closed. “I expected you a week ago.”

  “I couldn’t risk contacting her and putting her in danger.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I need to know if she’s okay, General.”

  “She’s gone.”

  “I know she’s off-world. Where?”

  “How do you know that?” The general’s gaze narrowed.

  Wulf ignored the question. “I have to speak with her.”

  Erikson shook his head. “She’s moved on with her life, Your Highness. Go away. Find another concubine.”

  “General…” Wulf’s fists clenched. Katie couldn’t move on with her life. Not until she heard him out. “Don’t push me. I’m not in the mood.”

  “Damn it all!” Grave threw the book down. “The way you and the king carry on about Katie is downright pitiful. You’d think—”

  Wulf lunged across the low coffee table and tackled the general to the floor. Erikson laughed, and the fight was on.

  “Where the hell is she?” Wulf ducked an incoming punch to the face.

  “Wouldn’t you love to know?” The general grunted as he paid for that jibe with a blow to the ribs.

  They scrapped like schoolyard boys, fighting for the sheer animal joy of it as well as for the instinctive need to establish the dominant male.

  “I won’t give up, General. Not now. Not ever.”

  “You better not,” Erikson retorted, “or I’ll kick your ass.”

  Wulf growled and lunged. The general caught him by the shoulders and used his incoming momentum to toss Wulf into a nearby chair, which broke under the impact.

&nbs
p; “Enough!” The general withdrew. “We cause any more damage in here and Sasha will have me sleeping on the couch.”

  Gasping, they both leaned heavily against the nearest intact piece of furniture. Wulf glared, the general grinned.

  “About time you showed some fire, Your Highness. You’ll need it in the days ahead.”

  Wulf snorted. “Where is she?”

  Erikson pressed his palm against his ribs. “She’s gone to the planet Tolan, tracking the merc who arranged for the attack against you—Tarin Gordmere.”

  Katie was protecting him. Again.

  Wulf wiped the sweat from his brow. “Is it too late for us?” he asked grimly. “Does she want me to let her go?”

  “I wouldn’t say that.” Erikson’s tone was dry.

  “Thank you, General.” Wulf straightened. “I’ll find her, and bring her back safely.”

  “The king won’t concede her easily,” Erikson warned. “He released her contract, but he hasn’t released her.”

  “I understand.”

  The general stared at him intently. “We may yet find ourselves across a battlefield from each other.”

  Wulf nodded grimly. “I would turn my back to you, General.”

  “And I would turn my back to you, Your Highness.”

  They bowed in unison.

  With a quick twist of his signet ring, Wulf left.

  Chapter 16

  “You’re impossible, Wulfric,” Anders snapped. “I command you to go to your concubines and work that Sarian woman out of your system.”

  Wulf concentrated on the depth of his breathing rather than the fury that bubbled so close to the surface. He knew his barely leashed temper made him miserable company, which was why he’d avoided his father as much as possible.

  “If you don’t like my mood, Father,” he said with forced calm, “may I suggest you leave my chambers?”

  The king paced. “I’m not the only one who finds you unbearable. The servants are afraid to come near you and the guards are drawing straws for duty assignments. This has gone on long enough.”