“And you love it.”
“Aye, I do. Doesn’t mean I won’t beat the shite out of the males she flirts with.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit unfair to those males?”
Brant shrugged. “Wrong place, wrong time. Not my problem.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had a feeling Allete and I would be constantly intervening where those two were concerned. Brant was like rolling thunder, and Dayna was a bolt of lightning. Put them together, and you’ve got the makings of a volatile storm.
We stood there in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The more time that passed without the appearance of Allete from her chambers, the more I fought the need to barge into her room and see her. I needed to know that nothing had changed in the light of day. I needed to know that she wasn’t panicking over what had taken place the night before. Just when I was about to lose my patience, the door opened, and Dayna stepped out.
“She’s asking to see you,” she said with a knowing smile.
“I suppose she filled you in?”
She nodded. “Just so you know, I was all for you being her beau.”
I smiled. “Well, thank you for your blessing.”
She stepped out of the way so I could walk past her. Before I closed the door behind me, I turned and looked at Brant. “Behave. That’s a direct order.”
As the door shut behind me, I heard Dayna say in a playful voice, “’Tis a good thing he can’t give me direct orders to behave.”
I chuckled as the door latched behind me. My eyes found her immediately. She stood across the room, looking out of her window. I’d noticed that this was a place she seemed to be when she was thinking. I walked over to her and stepped close behind her. My hands found her small waist and slipped around her sides until they rested on her stomach. She leaned back against me as though she’d done it a thousand times before.
“Did you get any rest?” I asked as I leaned my head down and buried my face in the place just behind her ear. Her hair was soft against my skin, and she smelled like home.
“A little,” she answered, and her voice ran over me like a warm summer rain. “I suppose you didn’t.”
I chuckled. “I’m used to it, princess.”
When she turned to face me, her brows drew together. “You still look like a Viking.”
“I suppose once you’ve seen past the magic, you won’t see the illusion any more. Or it could be our bond. I do not know.”
“But everyone else still sees you without the long hair and …” She motioned to my face which had grown a nearly full beard.
“Your sister didn’t notice, so I assume they still see me with the spell on me.”
Allete studied me for a few minutes and then reached up and ran her hand across my cheek. “It’s softer than it looks.”
“Did you prefer me before, without it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Give me some time around you now, and then I’ll make my decision.”
I smiled down at her. “Bossy little thing.” As my eyes held hers, I finally gave in to what I’d been wanting to do since the previous night. “I can’t wait any longer.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. She felt so good against me, and the warmth of her mouth urged me to deepen the kiss. I wanted to be selfish with her. I wanted her to feign being sick so she could stay in her room with me, but I knew that wasn’t a possibility, not with the banquet happening the very next day.
When I pulled back, there was a small smile on her face. “That was nice.”
I shook my head. “If the only compliment I get from kissing you is that was nice, then I’m not doing it right.” I leaned down and put my hands beneath her thighs, hoisting her up into my arms. She gasped and then laughed. I walked her back until she was pressed against the stone wall. Her hands cupped my face and when she simply sat there staring at me, I closed the gap between us. Gentleness fled. Consumed by my passion and need for her, I took possession of her mouth and devoured her. My love’s hands ran through the strands of my hair, and it felt so good. Allete felt so very good.
I pulled back to let her take a quick breath. “Torben,” she gasped. But that was all I allowed her before I was on her again. Her small hands moved to my shoulders, and she pulled herself closer to me.
“How am I supposed to be around you all day and not touch you?” I asked her as we both attempted to slow the rising and falling of our chests.
“Consider it a game,” she said with a grin.
“And what do I get if I win?”
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
The flirty smile on her delectable lips had me groaning. The woman was going to be the death of me. I let her slide down from my arms and pressed a final kiss to her forehead.
“So no regrets?” I finally asked the question that had been burning a hole in my brain.
Allete shook her head. “None.”
I noticed an errant hair that had fallen loose from her braid, and I gently tucked it behind her ear. “Have you considered that we will be leaving your family, at least for a while?”
She nodded. “I was leaving anyway, but at least now the circumstances are much, much improved. I will have to conceive a way to let my father know that I left with you on my own volition. I don’t want him to think that you took me against my will.”
I had considered the very same thing. “After the banquet, we will talk to him, together.”
After several seconds, she nodded. “All right.”
“Will you be ready to go down for breakfast soon?”
“Yes, just give me a few more minutes.”
I gave her one last lingering kiss and then left her chambers. With every step, my gut clenched tighter. It was going to be a very long couple of days.
I stared down at my food as I listened to the forks and plates clinking around me. I was afraid if I looked up, I would seek out his eyes. The feelings welling up inside of my spirit seemed so strange to me. I wondered if it was some sort of reaction to the bonding, this driving need to be close to him, to touch him. But I knew that we must be careful not to exhibit any strange behavior. We didn’t want to draw any attention to ourselves. I had to pretend that he was just my guard, nothing more.
“Forgive my tardiness,” Cathal’s voice carried across the room.
My stomach hit the floor, and I had to swallow back the bile that threatened to make an unwelcome appearance. When I’d arrived in the dining hall to see that he wasn’t present, my anxiety was momentarily lessened, but the reprieve was short lived.
“Good morning, Allete,” he said as he took the empty chair next to me.
I took a small breath and steeled myself before looking up at him. I plastered a smile on my face and prayed it seemed genuine. “Good morning, my lord.”
“You are looking especially lovely. Your skin is flushed, and you’re glowing. It seems the thought of our pending nuptials is agreeing with you.”
“Certainly,” I agreed. Although I knew exactly the real reason I appeared flushed and glowing. The memory of Torben’s kisses this morning was enough to have me nearly panting. I daresay that would not have been very ladylike. Which almost made me want to do it, just to see the look on Cathal’s face, and Torben’s, too, for that matter. I smothered the smile that wanted to break free. I was acting like a school girl with a crush. Ridiculous, really.
The rest of breakfast passed in an uneasy silence. My father and mother no longer went out of their way to make small talk with Cathal, and I hoped he hadn’t noticed a change in their attitude toward him. I kept shooting them glares, trying to silently implore them to keep up our charade a bit longer.
“If you’ll excuse my queen and me,” my father said suddenly as he stood and reached his hand out to my mother. “I’ve not been feeling well this morning. Considering the importance of the coming occasion, I think I should take every opportunity to rest until then. I’d hate to be sick during my eldest daughter’s wedding banquet.”
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Cathal looked over at them and a small smirk appeared. “Certainly, Albric. It is good you have a queen to wait on you.”
My father’s jaw tightened, and I held my breath, hoping he would keep his temper in check. For some reason, it sounded like Cathal was baiting him.
“It is my pleasure to care for my husband,” my mother said, her tone genuine, leaving no doubt that their love for one another was sincere. She turned to me and smiled. “Do not forget to come find me when you are done, Allete dear. Lidia and your sisters have the final preparations to go over with you for the banquet.”
“Yes, Mother,” I said and then watched as they left the room.
“I am to spend another day apart from you?” Cathal asked, the barely contained anger boiling beneath the surface of his carefully controlled façade.
“What is a few days when we will be married soon, and I will be with you every single day for the rest of your life?” I asked, giving him my most innocent smile.
He stared at me, trying to gauge my tone. I could see him contemplating whether I was being sarcastic. Finally, he shrugged. “I suppose you are correct.”
I had no appetite whatsoever, owing mostly to the fact that the distracting memory of the feel of Torben’s lips on mine refused to leave my mind. Still, I finally managed to clean my plate. I set down my fork and pushed my chair back. Cathal stood as I did.
“I will bid you good day, my lord,” I said.
Before I could turn to go, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. It was extremely forward in such a public setting, and I resisted the urge, barely, to shove him away from me.
His head leaned down until his mouth was next to my ear. “I see how your guard looks at you. If you do not tell him to back off, I will cut out his eyes.”
I wanted to look at Torben, but I made myself continue to stare at the wall just past Cathal’s shoulder.
“Do I make myself clear?” he asked as his hand squeezed my side painfully.
I smiled and tried to look as though his advances were most welcome. I knew that I couldn’t let my eyes betray me in that moment. Not only was Cathal scrutinizing my face, I could feel Torben’s eyes boring into me as well. There would be no way I could look in his direction at that moment and not betray some sort of emotion. And I couldn’t let him know Cathal was causing me pain. Torben might just kill Cathal right then and there if he saw me wince. If that happened, he’d be arrested on the spot. I had to protect him because I knew he would not protect himself. His concern would be for me alone.
“Of course, my lord,” I said as pleasantly as I could.
He released me, after a final warning squeeze and stepped back giving me a warm smile. The look in his eyes made my skin crawl. “I look forward to seeing you at the banquet. I have, of course, provided an appropriate dress for you. Your mother has it. It is a gift.” Cathal took my hand and lifted it. He pressed a kiss to the back of it and then released me. As he strode from the room, I forced myself to inhale so I would not pass out. I hadn’t realized my breath had been caught in my throat.
Once I’d gathered myself, I glanced around the table and gave a smile to those who remained. Lizzy and Dayna were there, a few members of the court, and Thomas, who was glaring daggers in the direction Cathal had just departed.
“I bid you each a good day,” I said with a small curtsy. Knowing Brant and Torben would follow, I walked from the room without looking back. Dayna would come find me soon enough. Lizzy I wasn’t sure about. She’d been gone so much lately that I did not know what to expect from her. And I’d been so caught up in my own problems that I had not been a very attentive older sister. Thomas would, no doubt, have something to say to me at some point. Yes, my day would be filled with concerned family who meant well, and yet would not understand what had taken place between Torben and me.
Honestly, Thomas was the one I worried about the most. He was so protective of me, and I wasn’t sure how he would feel about Torben being a Viking. Regardless of what he thought, however, he’d just have to accept my new situation as is. It was my life, and I wouldn’t live it without Torben.
We were half-way to my mother and father’s chambers when I felt Torben’s hand on my waist guiding me to my right. We entered a small sitting room, and the door closed behind us. When I turned to face him, I saw Torben staring at the ground. I could imagine Brant standing sentry outside the door.
“Torben,” I said gently. I felt as though I was approaching a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment. “Are you all right?”
His shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath. One hand was clenched into a fist at his side, while the other rested on the hilt of his sword. “I did not realize how difficult it would be to watch him touch you. That was agony, but it wasn’t the worst part. The worse part was knowing he was hurting you and not being able to immediately hold him accountable for it. That is not the way things are done in my clan.”
I bit my lip. Clearly, I hadn’t succeeded in hiding the pain Cathal had inflicted. “How did you know?”
When he finally raised his head, the rage in his eyes caused me to take a step back. “I felt your pain.”
I covered my mouth with my hand as a shocked gasp escaped. “What? How?”
He shook his head. “I do not know. But as soon as you felt it, I did, too. The sensation in your side, where his hand was, I felt it all. But that’s not everything. I also felt you trying to keep me from knowing about it. I wanted to cut his hand off.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Had Myra known that the bond between us could cause something like that? Neither one of us had any idea of what to expect, and I felt like a new foal learning to walk. We were simply stumbling along together, hoping to stay upright.
“I know. But it’s only two more days, Torben. We must keep our secret. I will not have to be around him until tomorrow evening. I can make plenty of excuses. It will certainly be understandable that I’ll be terribly busy preparing for the banquet. You cannot attack him. That would ruin everything. Please.”
He stepped closer to me, close enough that I could feel his breath on my face. I knew we were playing with fire. Even with Brant guarding the door, it would not look good if someone caught us alone like we were.
“I won’t attack him. But if he hurts you again, I cannot guarantee that some ill fate doesn’t befall him in the middle of the night,” he warned.
I suppose I had to give him that much. If it were the other way around, I would not like to see Torben hurt either. I understood his frustration and anger. I do not know what I would do if someone caused him pain. “Fair enough.”
We stared at one another for a few seconds longer before he sighed and stepped back. “If I touch you now, we might not leave this room for two days. Your mother and sisters are no doubt waiting for you.” He grinned roguishly as he grasped the handle of the door. “I must insist we be on our way now. Otherwise you will arrive a bit disheveled. I can’t have anyone thinking you’ve been ravished by a madman in the halls of your own castle. What kind of guard would I be?”
My mouth dropped open. I might have had a response ready had I not been so distracted by his handsome face and smirking lips. Instead I simply followed him, attempting to will away the blush that was covering my face. The man was going to drive me crazy for the rest of our lives, and yet I could not wait for forever to begin.
Three hours later, I had been poked and prodded to the point that I was ready to stab someone with the sharpest object near me. Cathal’s “dress,” if that is what you could call it, was so ridiculously revealing that my mother was unwilling to allow me to wear it. So she, along with my sisters and Lidia, had spent that last several hours adding material to it to make it appropriate.
The funniest moment of the entire time had been when I’d first arrived with my guards in tow. We’d walked into the living area of my parents’ chambers to find Dayna strutting about in the dress. Upon seeing us enter, she’d stopped m
idway through ridiculously throwing her head back and flailing her arms and said in a snobby aristocratic tone. “Sister dear, I do believe your future husband wants to whore you out like a common woman in a brothel.”
I was pretty sure my mother was going to choke to death. Lidia had to beat her on the back to help her collect herself. Lizzy, whose presence had surprised me, had covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Brant had cussed a blue streak under his breath and Torben had muttered four words: “Over my dead body.”
I could not believe the King of Tara had the gall to expect his bride to wear such a spectacle. And I wasn’t too proud to admit that I couldn’t wait to see Cathal’s reaction when he saw our alterations. He would not be able to scold me in front of those people. He would be fuming inside.
After the dress was finished, we each took places on the couches in the sitting area and relaxed. It felt good to just sit.
“It feels like forever since we’ve all been together,” our mother said, looking at each of us.
“There has been much going on,” I pointed out.
“I know what Allete has been up to,” Dayna said. “But Lizzy, you’ve been absent much lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Where have you been sneaking off to?”
Lizzy blushed. “I’ve been out with friends.”
“Friends?” Dayna asked. “Are these female friends?”
“Dayna,” Mother gasped. “Really. Don’t be crass.”
Lizzy glanced at our youngest sister and then looked at our mother. No one said anything for a few moments. Dayna eyed Lizzy with a scrutinizing stare. She seemed to be on the verge of pressing the issue when Lizzy appeared to come to a decision. “I have been seeing someone, Mother,” she said and then quickly continued. “He’s a member of Cathal’s court. He’s a good man.”
The eyes of everyone in the room widened, and a couple of mouths dropped open. My mother said nothing for several seconds. “Then why has he not addressed your father and me to request permission to court you?” she finally asked through tight lips.